Thursday, December 4, 2025

Daily Lectionary Readings for December 04, 2025

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Daily Lectionary Readings
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Lectionary Readings for

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Morning Psalm 18:1-20

1I love you, O LORD, my strength.

2The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,

my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,

so I shall be saved from my enemies.


4The cords of death encompassed me;

the torrents of perdition assailed me;

5the cords of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.


6In my distress I called upon the LORD;

to my God I cried for help.

From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry to him reached his ears.


7Then the earth reeled and rocked;

the foundations also of the mountains trembled

and quaked, because he was angry.

8Smoke went up from his nostrils,

and devouring fire from his mouth;

glowing coals flamed forth from him.

9He bowed the heavens, and came down;

thick darkness was under his feet.

10He rode on a cherub, and flew;

he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness his covering around him,

his canopy thick clouds dark with water.

12Out of the brightness before him

there broke through his clouds

hailstones and coals of fire.

13The LORD also thundered in the heavens,

and the Most High uttered his voice.

14And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them;

he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.

15Then the channels of the sea were seen,

and the foundations of the world were laid bare

at your rebuke, O LORD,

at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.


16He reached down from on high, he took me;

he drew me out of mighty waters.

17He delivered me from my strong enemy,

and from those who hated me;

for they were too mighty for me.

18They confronted me in the day of my calamity;

but the LORD was my support.

19He brought me out into a broad place;

he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

Morning Psalm 147:12-20

12  Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
          Praise your God, O Zion!
13  For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
          he blesses your children within you.
14  He grants peace within your borders;
          he fills you with the finest of wheat.
15  He sends out his command to the earth;
          his word runs swiftly.
16  He gives snow like wool;
          he scatters frost like ashes.
17  He hurls down hail like crumbs —
          who can stand before his cold?
18  He sends out his word, and melts them;
          he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19  He declares his word to Jacob,
          his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20  He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
          they do not know his ordinances.
     Praise the Lord!

First Reading Amos 4:6-13

6  I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
        and lack of bread in all your places,
    yet you did not return to me,
            says the LORD.

7  And I also withheld the rain from you
        when there were still three months to the harvest;
    I would send rain on one city,
        and send no rain on another city;
    one field would be rained upon,
        and the field on which it did not rain withered;

8so two or three towns wandered to one town
        to drink water, and were not satisfied;
    yet you did not return to me,
            says the LORD.

9  I struck you with blight and mildew;
        I laid waste your gardens and your vineyards;
        the locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
    yet you did not return to me,
            says the LORD.

10I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;
        I killed your young men with the sword;
    I carried away your horses;
        and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
    yet you did not return to me,
            says the LORD.

11I overthrew some of you,
        as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
        and you were like a brand snatched from the fire;
    yet you did not return to me,
            says the LORD.

12Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
        because I will do this to you,
        prepare to meet your God, O Israel!

13For lo, the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind,
        reveals his thoughts to mortals,
    makes the morning darkness,
        and treads on the heights of the earth
        the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!

Second Reading 2 Peter 3:11-18

11Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

14Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. 17You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Gospel Reading Matthew 21:33-46

33"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."

42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'? 43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls."

45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Evening Psalm 126

1   When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
          we were like those who dream.
2   Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
          and our tongue with shouts of joy;
     then it was said among the nations,
          “The LORD has done great things for them.”
3   The LORD has done great things for us,
          and we rejoiced.


4   Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
          like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5   May those who sow in tears
          reap with shouts of joy.
6   Those who go out weeping,
          bearing the seed for sowing,
     shall come home with shouts of joy,
          carrying their sheaves.

Evening Psalm 62

1   For God alone my soul waits in silence;
          from him comes my salvation.
2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
          my fortress; I shall never be shaken.


3   How long will you assail a person,
          will you batter your victim, all of you,
          as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4   Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
          They take pleasure in falsehood;
     they bless with their mouths,
          but inwardly they curse. Selah


5   For God alone my soul waits in silence,
          for my hope is from him.
6   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
          my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7   On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
          my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.


8   Trust in him at all times, O people;
          pour out your heart before him;
          God is a refuge for us. Selah


9   Those of low estate are but a breath,
          those of high estate are a delusion;
     in the balances they go up;
          they are together lighter than a breath.
10  Put no confidence in extortion,
          and set no vain hopes on robbery;
          if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.


11  Once God has spoken;
          twice have I heard this:
     that power belongs to God,
12       and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
     For you repay to all
          according to their work.

 

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Bible Readings for December 4, 2025

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Daniel 11:36–12:13; 1 John 4:1-21; Psalm 123:1-4; and Proverbs 29:2-4. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.


Daniel 11:36-12:13 (Contemporary English Version)


36This king will do as he pleases. He will proudly claim to be greater than any god and will insult the only true God. Indeed, he will be successful until God is no longer angry with his people. 37This king will reject the gods his ancestors worshiped and the god preferred by women. a] In fact, he will put himself above all gods 38and worship only the so-called god of fortresses, who was unknown to his ancestors. And he will honor it with gold, silver, precious stones, and other costly gifts. 39With the help of this foreign god, he will capture the strongest fortresses. Everyone who worships this god will be put in a position of power and rewarded with wealth and land.

Part Three: The Time of the End

 40 At the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the kingdom of the north. But its king will rush out like a storm with war chariots, cavalry, and many ships. Indeed, his forces will flood one country after another, 41and when they reach the holy land, b] tens of thousands will be killed. But the countries of Edom and Moab and the ruler of Ammon c] will escape. 42The king of the north will invade many countries, including Egypt, 43and he will take its rich treasures of gold and silver. He will also conquer Libya and Ethiopia. d] 44But he will be alarmed by news from the east and the north, and he will become furious and cause great destruction.45After this, he will set up camp between the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Zion. Then he will be destroyed, and no one will be able to save him.

Daniel 12

Part Four: The Dead Will Rise to Life

 1 Michael, the chief of the angels, is the protector of your people, and he will come at a time of terrible suffering, the worst in all of history. And your people who have their names written in The Book e] will be protected. 2Many of those who lie dead in the ground will rise from death. Some of them will be given eternal life, and others will receive nothing but eternal shame and disgrace. 3Everyone who has been wise will shine as bright as the sky above, and everyone who has led others to please God will shine like the stars. 4Daniel, I now command you to keep the message of this book secret until the end of time, even though many people will go everywhere, searching for the knowledge to be found in it. f]

The End of Time

 5Daniel wrote:   I looked around and saw two other people--one on this side of the river and one on the other side. 6The angel who had spoken to me was dressed in linen and was standing upstream from them. g] So one of the two beside the river asked him, " How long before these amazing things happen?" 7The angel then raised both hands toward heaven and said, " In the name of the God who lives forever, I solemnly promise that it will be a time, two times, and half a time. h] Everything will be over, when the suffering of God's holy people comes to an end." 8I heard what the angel said, but I didn't understand. So I asked, " Sir, how will it all end?"
   The angel in my vision then replied:
    9Daniel, go about your business, because the meaning of this message will remain secret until the end of time. 10Many people will have their hearts and lives made pure and clean, but those who are evil will keep on being evil and never understand. Only the wise will understand. 11There will be one thousand two hundred ninety days from the time that the daily sacrifices are stopped, until someone sets up the " Horrible Thing" that causes destruction. 12God will bless everyone who patiently waits until one thousand three hundred thirty-five days have gone by.
    13So, Daniel, be faithful until the end! You will rest, and at the end of time, you will rise from death to receive your reward. 
Footnotes:
  1. Daniel 11:37 god preferred by women: Perhaps Tammuz or Adonis, which were popular among the women of that time.
  2. Daniel 11:41 the holy land: See the note at 8.9.
  3. Daniel 11:41 the ruler of Ammon: Or " what is left of Ammon."
  4. Daniel 11:43 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has " Cush," which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
  5. Daniel 12:1 The Book: Either the book with the names of God's people in it or the book with the record of the good and evil that people have done.
  6. Daniel 12:4 even though. . . in it: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  7. Daniel 12:6 angel. . . upstream from them: See 10.4-6.
  8. Daniel 12:7 a time, two times, and half a time: Or " a year, two years, and half a year," that is, about 1260 days.



1 John 4:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)


1 John 4

God Is Love

 1Dear friends, don't believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world, 2and you can know which ones come from God. His Spirit says that Jesus Christ had a truly human body. 3But when someone doesn't say this about Jesus, you know that person has a spirit that doesn't come from God and is the enemy of Christ. You knew that this enemy was coming into the world and now is already here.    4Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God's Spirit a] is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world. 5These enemies belong to this world, and the world listens to them, because they speak its language. 6We belong to God, and everyone who knows God will listen to us. But the people who don't know God won't listen to us. That is how we can tell the Spirit that speaks the truth from the one that tells lies. 7My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life. We are now God's children, and we know him. 8God is love, and anyone who doesn't love others has never known him. 9God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. 10Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. 11Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other.
    12No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is truly in our hearts.
    13God has given us his Spirit. That is how we know that we are one with him, just as he is one with us. 14God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. We saw his Son and are now telling others about him. 15God stays one with everyone who openly says that Jesus is the Son of God. That's how we stay one with God 16and are sure that God loves us.
   God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. 17If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won't be worried about the day of judgment. 18A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love.
    19We love because God loved us first. 20But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see? 21The commandment that God has given us is: "Love God and love each other!" 
Footnotes:
  1. 1 John 4:4 God's Spirit: The Greek text has "he" and may refer to the Spirit or to God or to Jesus.


Psalm 123:1-4 (Contemporary English Version)


Psalm 123

(A song for worship.)
A Prayer for Mercy

 1Our LORD and our God,   I turn my eyes to you,
   on your throne in heaven.
    2Servants look to their master,
   but we will look to you,
   until you have mercy on us.
    3Please have mercy, LORD!
   We have been insulted
   more than we can stand,
    4and we can't take more abuse
   from those proud,
   conceited people.

Proverbs 29:2-4 (Contemporary English Version)


2When justice rules a nation,
   everyone is glad;
   when injustice rules,
   everyone groans.
    3If you love wisdom
   your parents will be glad,
   but chasing after bad women
   will cost you everything.
    4An honest ruler
   makes the nation strong;
   a ruler who takes bribes
   will bring it to ruin.



Thought for the Day
 

“Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, "I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won't be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.” (John 8:12 - Contemporary English Version) Our world can seem to be a very dark place. But here's the good news, in the midst of this darkness, the light is shining, revealing a future that's in the loving hands of God and illuminating a path we might follow to approach eternity.


Thought for the Day

Austrian poet and novelist, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, "Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other."

A Joke for Today

A prisoner in jail receives a letter from his wife: "Dear Husband, I have decided to plant some lettuce in the back garden. When is the best time to plant them?"

The prisoner, knowing that the prison guards read all mail, replied in a letter: "Dear Wife, whatever you do, do not touch the back garden. That is where I hid all the money."

A week or so later, he received another letter from his wife: "Dear Husband, You wouldn't believe what happened, some men came with shovels to the house, and dug up all the back garden."

The prisoner wrote another letter back: "Dear wife, now is the best time to plant the lettuce."


A Prayer Request

As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.

That people find satisfaction is their work. 

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