MAY
4
PSALMS: 4, 34, 64, 94,
124
PROVERBS: 4
OLD
TESTAMENT: 2 CHRONICLES
11:1 - 13:22
NEW
TESTAMENT: ROMANS 8:26 -
39
PSALMS:
4
For
the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of
David.
1
Answer
me when I call to you,
O
my righteous God.
Give
me relief from my distress;
be
merciful to me and hear my prayer.
2
How
long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame
A?
How
long will you love delusions and seek false gods
B?
Selah
3
Know
that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the
LORD will hear when I call to him.
4
In
your anger do not sin;
when
you are on your beds,
search
your hearts and be silent.
Selah
5
Offer
right sacrifices
and
trust in the LORD.
6
Many
are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let
the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
7
You
have filled my heart with greater joy
than
when their grain and new wine abound.
8
I
will lie down and sleep in peace,
for
you alone, O LORD,
make
me dwell in safety. [1]
PSALMS: 34
Of
David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and
he left.
1
I
A will extol the LORD at all times;
his
praise will always be on my lips.
2
My
soul will boast in the LORD;
let
the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3
Glorify
the LORD with me;
let
us exalt his name together.
4
I
sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he
delivered me from all my fears.
5
Those
who look to him are radiant;
their
faces are never covered with shame.
6
This
poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he
saved him out of all his troubles.
7
The
angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and
he delivers them.
8
Taste
and see that the LORD is good;
blessed
is the man who takes refuge in him.
9
Fear
the LORD, you his saints,
for
those who fear him lack nothing.
10
The
lions may grow weak and hungry,
but
those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11
Come,
my children, listen to me;
I
will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12
Whoever
of you loves life
and
desires to see many good days, [2]
13
keep
your tongue from evil
and
your lips from speaking lies.
14
Turn
from evil and do good;
seek
peace and pursue it.
15
The
eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and
his ears are attentive to their cry;
16
the
face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to
cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17
The
righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he
delivers them from all their troubles.
18
The
LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and
saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19
A
righteous man may have many troubles,
but
the LORD delivers him from them all;
20
he
protects all his bones,
not
one of them will be broken.
21
Evil
will slay the wicked;
the
foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22
The
LORD redeems his servants;
no
one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. [3]
PSALMS: 64
For
the director of music. A psalm of David.
1
Hear
me, O God, as I voice my complaint;
protect
my life from the threat of the enemy.
2
Hide
me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
from
that noisy crowd of evildoers.
3
They
sharpen their tongues like swords
and
aim their words like deadly arrows.
4
They
shoot from ambush at the innocent man;
they
shoot at him suddenly, without fear.
5
They
encourage each other in evil plans,
they
talk about hiding their snares;
they
say, "Who will see them A?"
6
They
plot injustice and say,
"We
have devised a perfect plan!"
Surely
the mind and heart of man are cunning.
7
But
God will shoot them with arrows;
suddenly
they will be struck down.
8
He
will turn their own tongues against them
and
bring them to ruin;
all
who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9
All
mankind will fear;
they
will proclaim the works of God
and
ponder what he has done.
10
Let
the righteous rejoice in the LORD
and
take refuge in him;
let
all the upright in heart praise him![4]
PSALMS: 94
1
O
LORD, the God who avenges,
O
God who avenges, shine forth.
2
Rise
up, O Judge of the earth;
pay
back to the proud what they deserve.
3
How
long will the wicked, O LORD,
how
long will the wicked be jubilant?
4
They
pour out arrogant words;
all
the evildoers are full of boasting.
5
They
crush your people, O LORD;
they
oppress your inheritance.
6
They
slay the widow and the alien;
they
murder the fatherless.
7
They
say, "The LORD does not see;
the
God of Jacob pays no heed."
8
Take
heed, you senseless ones among the people;
you
fools, when will you become wise?
9
Does
he who implanted the ear not hear?
Does
he who formed the eye not see?
10
Does
he who disciplines nations not punish?
Does
he who teaches man lack knowledge?
11
The
LORD knows the thoughts of man;
he
knows that they are futile.
12
Blessed
is the man you discipline, O LORD,
the
man you teach from your law;
13
you
grant him relief from days of trouble,
till
a pit is dug for the wicked.
14
For
the LORD will not reject his people;
he
will never forsake his inheritance.
15
Judgment
will again be founded on righteousness,
and
all the upright in heart will follow it.[5]
16
Who
will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who
will take a stand for me against evildoers?
17
Unless
the LORD had given me help,
I
would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.
18
When
I said, "My foot is slipping,"
your
love, O LORD, supported me.
19
When
anxiety was great within me,
your
consolation brought joy to my soul.
20
Can
a corrupt throne be allied with you--
one
that brings on misery by its decrees?
21
They
band together against the righteous
and
condemn the innocent to death.
22
But
the LORD has become my fortress,
and
my God the rock in whom I take refuge.
23
He
will repay them for their sins
and
destroy them for their wickedness;
the
LORD our God will destroy them. [6]
PSALMS: 124
A
song of ascents. Of David.
1
If
the LORD had not been on our side--
let
Israel say--
2
if
the LORD had not been on our side
when
men attacked us,
3
when
their anger flared against us,
they
would have swallowed us alive;
4
the
flood would have engulfed us,
the
torrent would have swept over us,
5
the
raging waters
would
have swept us away.
6
Praise
be to the LORD,
who
has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7
We
have escaped like a bird
out
of the fowler's snare;
the
snare has been broken,
and
we have escaped.
8
Our
help is in the name of the LORD,
the
Maker of heaven and earth. [7]
PROVERBS: 4
4
1
Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay
attention and gain understanding.
2
I
give you sound learning,
so
do not forsake my teaching.
3
When
I was a boy in my father's house,
still
tender, and an only child of my mother,
4
he
taught me and said,
"Lay
hold of my words with all your heart;
keep
my commands and you will live.
5
Get
wisdom, get understanding;
do
not forget my words or swerve from them.
6
Do
not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love
her, and she will watch over you.
7
Wisdom
is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though
it cost all you have, A get understanding.
8
Esteem
her, and she will exalt you;
embrace
her, and she will honor you.
9
She
will set a garland of grace on your head
and
present you with a crown of splendor."
10
Listen,
my son, accept what I say,
and
the years of your life will be many.
11
I
guide you in the way of wisdom
and
lead you along straight paths.
12
When
you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when
you run, you will not stumble.
13
Hold
on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard
it well, for it is your life.
14
Do
not set foot on the path of the wicked
or
walk in the way of evil men.
15
Avoid
it, do not travel on it;
turn
from it and go on your way.
16
For
they cannot sleep till they do evil; [8]
they
are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.
17
They
eat the bread of wickedness
and
drink the wine of violence.
18
The
path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining
ever brighter till the full light of day.
19
But
the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they
do not know what makes them stumble.
20
My
son, pay attention to what I say;
listen
closely to my words.
21
Do
not let them out of your sight,
keep
them within your heart;
22
for
they are life to those who find them
and
health to a man's whole body.
23
Above
all else, guard your heart,
for
it is the wellspring of life.
24
Put
away perversity from your mouth;
keep
corrupt talk far from your lips.
25
Let
your eyes look straight ahead,
fix
your gaze directly before you.
26
Make
level B paths for your feet
and
take only ways that are firm.
27
Do
not swerve to the right or the left;
keep
your foot from evil. [9]
OLD
TESTAMENT: 2 CHRONICLES
11:1 - 13:22
11
1
When
Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the house of Judah and Benjamin--a
hundred and eighty thousand fighting men--to make war against Israel and to
regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.
2
But
this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: 3 "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all the
Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, 4`This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against
your brothers. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'" So they
obeyed the words of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
5
Rehoboam
lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah: 6
Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 8
Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10
Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and
Benjamin. 11 He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in
them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine. 12 He put shields
and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin
were his.
13
The
priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him.
14
The
Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property, and came to Judah and
Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the
LORD.
15
And
he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols
he had made. 16 Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts
on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to
offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 17 They
strengthened the kingdom of Judah [10]
and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, walking in the ways of David
and Solomon during this time.
18
Rehoboam
married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail,
the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. 19 She bore him sons: Jeush,
Shemariah and Zaham. 20 Then he married Maacah daughter of Absalom,
who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved
Maacah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In
all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty
daughters.
22
Rehoboam
appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be the chief prince among his brothers, in
order to make him king. 23 He acted wisely, dispersing some of his
sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified
cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for
them.
12
1
After
Rehoboam's position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all
Israel A with him abandoned the law of the LORD. 2 Because
they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem
in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. 3 With twelve hundred chariots
and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and
Cushites B that came with him from Egypt, 4 he captured
the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.
5
Then
the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the [11]
leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said
to them, "This is what the LORD says, `You have
abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.'"
6
The
leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is just."
7
When
the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the LORD came to
Shemaiah: "Since they have humbled themselves, I will
not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be
poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. 8 They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may
learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other
lands."
9
When
Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the
temple of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything,
including the gold shields Solomon had made. 10 So King Rehoboam made
bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard
on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. 11 Whenever the king
went to the LORD's temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and
afterward they returned them to the guardroom.
12
Because
Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD's anger turned from him, and he was not
totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.
13
King
Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was
forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in
Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which
to put his Name. [12]
His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. 14 He did evil
because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD.
15
As
for the events of Rehoboam's reign, from beginning to end, are they not written
in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with
genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 16
Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And
Abijah his son succeeded him as king.
13
1
In
the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah,
2
and
he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maacah, A
a daughter B of Uriel of Gibeah.
There
was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah went into battle with a
force of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle
line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops.
4
Abijah
stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Jeroboam and
all Israel, listen to me! 5 Don't you know that the LORD, the God of
Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by
a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of
Solomon son of David, rebelled against his master. 7 Some worthless
scoundrels gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was
[13]
young and indecisive and not strong enough to resist them.
8
"And
now you plan to resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David's
descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that
Jeroboam made to be your gods. 9 But didn't you drive out the priests
of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as
the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young
bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods.
10
"As
for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve
the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. 11 Every
morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the
LORD. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps
on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the
LORD our God. But you have forsaken him. 12 God is with us; he is our
leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you.
Men of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you
will not succeed."
13
Now
Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of
Judah the ambush was behind them. 14 Judah turned and saw that they
were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the LORD. The
priests blew their trumpets 15 and the men of Judah raised the battle
cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before
Abijah and Judah. 16 The Israelites fled before Judah, and God
delivered them [14]into
their hands. 17 Abijah and his men inflicted heavy losses on them, so
that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel's able men.
18 The men of Israel were subdued on that occasion, and the men of
Judah were victorious because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.
19
Abijah
pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron,
with their surrounding villages. 20 Jeroboam did not regain power
during the time of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down and he died.
21
But
Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and
sixteen daughters.
22
The
other events of Abijah's reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the
annotations of the prophet Iddo. [15]
NEW
TESTAMENT: ROMANS 8:26 -
39
26
In
the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought
to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words
cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of
the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with
God's will.
28
And
we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
J who K have been called according to his purpose. 29
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also
justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31
What,
then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how
will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who
justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more
than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also
interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or
sword? 36 As it is written:
[16]
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we
are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
L
37
No,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38
For
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
M neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able
to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [17]
[1]
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[2]
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[3]
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[4]
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[5]
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[6]
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[7]
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[8]
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[9]
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[10]
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[11]
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[12]
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[13]
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[14]
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[15]
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[16]
Excerpted from Compton
[17]
Excerpted from Compton
John 3:16-21 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, F that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.G 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." H
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