Daily Lectionary Readings for September 29, 2025

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Daily Lectionary Readings for September 29, 2025 By Daily Lectionary Readings, Monday, September 29, 2025 12:00 AM Morning 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. Morning Psalm 145 1   I will extol you, my God and King,           and bless your name forever and ever. 2   Every day I will bless you,           and praise your name forever and ever. 3   Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;           his greatness is unsearchable. 4   One generation shall laud your works to another,           and shall declare your mighty acts. 5   On the glorious splendor of your majesty,           and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6   The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,           and I will declare your greatness. 7   They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,           and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8   The Lord is gracious and merciful,           slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9   The Lord is good to all,           and his compassion is over all that he has made. 10  All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,           and all your faithful shall bless you. 11  They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,           and tell of your power, 12  to make known to all people your mighty deeds,           and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,           and your dominion endures throughout all generations.      The Lord is faithful in all his words,           and gracious in all his deeds. 14  The Lord upholds all who are falling,           and raises up all who are bowed down. 15  The eyes of all look to you,           and you give them their food in due season. 16  You open your hand,           satisfying the desire of every living thing. 17  The Lord is just in all his ways,           and kind in all his doings. 18  The Lord is near to all who call on him,           to all who call on him in truth. 19  He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;           he also hears their cry, and saves them. 20  The Lord watches over all who love him,           but all the wicked he will destroy. 21  My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,           and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever. First Reading 2 Kings 17:24-41 24The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria in place of the people of Israel; they took possession of Samaria, and settled in its cities. 25When they first settled there, they did not worship the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26So the king of Assyria was told, “The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land; therefore he has sent lions among them; they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land.” 27Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there; let him go and live there, and teach them the law of the god of the land.” 28So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel; he taught them how they should worship the LORD. 29But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived; 30the people of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the people of Cuth made Nergal, the people of Hamath made Ashima; 31the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32They also worshiped the LORD and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. 33So they worshiped the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. 34To this day they continue to practice their former customs. They do not worship the LORD and they do not follow the statutes or the ordinances or the law or the commandment that the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 35The LORD had made a covenant with them and commanded them, “You shall not worship other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, 36but you shall worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm; you shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. 37The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to observe. You shall not worship other gods; 38you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not worship other gods, 39but you shall worship the LORD your God; he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” 40They would not listen, however, but they continued to practice their former custom. 41So these nations worshiped the LORD, but also served their carved images; to this day their children and their children's children continue to do as their ancestors did. Second Reading 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 25Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26I think that, in view of the impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will experience distress in this life, and I would spare you that. 29I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. Gospel Reading Matthew 6:25-34 25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Evening Psalm 73 1   Truly God is good to the upright,           to those who are pure in heart. 2   But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;           my steps had nearly slipped. 3   For I was envious of the arrogant;           I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4   For they have no pain;           their bodies are sound and sleek. 5   They are not in trouble as others are;           they are not plagued like other people. 6   Therefore pride is their necklace;           violence covers them like a garment. 7   Their eyes swell out with fatness;           their hearts overflow with follies. 8   They scoff and speak with malice;           loftily they threaten oppression. 9   They set their mouths against heaven,           and their tongues range over the earth. 10  Therefore the people turn and praise them,           and find no fault in them. 11  And they say, “How can God know?           Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12  Such are the wicked;           always at ease, they increase in riches. 13  All in vain I have kept my heart clean           and washed my hands in innocence. 14  For all day long I have been plagued,           and am punished every morning. 15  If I had said, “I will talk on in this way,”           I would have been untrue to the circle of your children. 16  But when I thought how to understand this,           it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17  until I went into the sanctuary of God;           then I perceived their end. 18  Truly you set them in slippery places;           you make them fall to ruin. 19  How they are destroyed in a moment,           swept away utterly by terrors! 20  They are like a dream when one awakes;           on awaking you despise their phantoms. 21  When my soul was embittered,           when I was pricked in heart, 22  I was stupid and ignorant;           I was like a brute beast toward you. 23  Nevertheless I am continually with you;           you hold my right hand. 24  You guide me with your counsel,           and afterward you will receive me with honor. 25  Whom have I in heaven but you?           And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. 26  My flesh and my heart may fail,           but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27  Indeed, those who are far from you will perish;           you put an end to those who are false to you. 28  But for me it is good to be near God;           I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,           to tell of all your works. Evening Psalm 9 1   I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;           I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. 2   I will be glad and exult in you;           I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. 3   When my enemies turned back,           they stumbled and perished before you. 4   For you have maintained my just cause;           you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment. 5   You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked;           you have blotted out their name forever and ever. 6   The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;           their cities you have rooted out;           the very memory of them has perished. 7   But the LORD sits enthroned forever,           he has established his throne for judgment. 8   He judges the world with righteousness;           he judges the peoples with equity. 9   The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,           a stronghold in times of trouble. 10  And those who know your name put their trust in you,           for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. 11  Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion.           Declare his deeds among the peoples. 12  For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;           he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. 13  Be gracious to me, O LORD.           See what I suffer from those who hate me;           you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death, 14  so that I may recount all your praises,           and, in the gates of daughter Zion,           rejoice in your deliverance. 15  The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;           in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught. 16  The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment;           the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah 17  The wicked shall depart to Sheol,           all the nations that forget God. 18  For the needy shall not always be forgotten,           nor the hope of the poor perish forever. 19  Rise up, O LORD! Do not let mortals prevail;           let the nations be judged before you. 20  Put them in fear, O LORD;           let the nations know that they are only human. Selah Read more »

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WCC News: WCC president from Europe asks: how can Nicaea help us grow into deeper union with Christ?

Speaking during an International Partner Consultation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg/Germany on 26 September, World Council of Churches president from Europe, Rev. Dr Susan Durber, began by imagining life 1,700 years ago.  Rev. Dr Susan Durber, WCC president for the Europe region speaking at the panel discussion “Ecumenism of heart” during the 38th German Protestant Kirchentag which took place in Nuremberg, Germany from 7 to 11 June 2023. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 26 September 2025 “Today, we are more likely to pray together, to befriend each other, and to work together to promote a joint witness to governments and people,” she acknowledged. “Undoubtedly, some bishops were not above making use of friendship with the emperor to get the result they wanted.” But, even in such a climate, Durber said, there were those who committed time, energy, and their reputations to the search for a real and deep unity that would last. “There was much at stake,” she said. “The enmity between different groups needed healing.” The bishops at Nicaea had a particular kind of imperative for unity, Durber noted.  “The opening statement of the creed of Nicaea is about the oneness of God,” she pointed out. “This marks an absolute break from the Roman religious world.” Durber shared that looking at Nicaea has revived within her a sense of the scandal and the risks of disunity. “It has stirred up in me a sense again of sorrow that in so many centres of population in our world today there is more than one Christian community, and that our witness is divided,” she said. “And not just because I like people to be friendly but because unity – union, communion, solidarity, is the heart of the faith.” Full address by Rev. Dr Susan Durber, "What does Nicaea offer as we seek a vision for Christian UNITY today?" WCC reflects on “moving from creed to deed” (WCC news release, 24 September 2025) “Why was Nicaea so important—and why are we celebrating it?” WCC invites deeper exploration (WCC video feature, 23 September 2025) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Bible Readings for September 29, 2025

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Isaiah 57:14–59:21; Philippians 1:1-26; Psalm 71:1-24; and Proverbs 24:9-10. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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Isaiah 57:14-59:21 (Contemporary English Version)

The LORD Helps the Helpless

 ¹⁴The LORD says,    "Clear the road!
   Get it ready for my people."
    ¹⁵Our holy God lives forever
   in the highest heavens,
   and this is what he says:
   Though I live high above
   in the holy place,
   I am here to help those
   who are humble
   and depend only on me.
    ¹⁶My people, I won't stay angry
   and keep on accusing you.
   After all, I am your Creator.
   I don't want you to give up
   in complete despair.
    ¹⁷Your greed made me furious.
   That's why I punished you
   and refused to be found,
   while you kept returning
   to your old sinful ways.
    ¹⁸I know what you are like!
   But I will heal you, lead you,
   and give you comfort,
   until those who are mourning
    ¹⁹start singing my praises. ^[a] No matter where you are,
   I, the LORD, will heal you ^[b] and give you peace.
    ²⁰The wicked are a restless sea
   tossing up mud.
    ²¹But I, the LORD, have promised
   that none who are evil
   will live in peace.
   

Isaiah 58

True Religion

 ¹Shout the message!    Don't hold back.
   Say to my people Israel:
   You've sinned! You've turned
   against the LORD.
    ²Day after day, you worship him
   and seem eager to learn
   his teachings.
   You act like a nation
   that wants to do right
   by obeying his laws.
   You ask him about justice,
   and say you enjoy
   worshiping the LORD.
    ³You wonder why the LORD
   pays no attention
   when you go without eating
   and act humble.
   But on those same days
   that you give up eating,
   you think only of yourselves ^[c] and abuse your workers.
    ⁴You even get angry
   and ready to fight.
   No wonder God won't listen
   to your prayers!
    ⁵Do you think the LORD
   wants you to give up eating
   and to act as humble
   as a bent-over bush?
   Or to dress in sackcloth
   and sit in ashes?
   Is this really what he wants
   on a day of worship?
    ⁶I'll tell you
   what it really means
   to worship the LORD.
   Remove the chains of prisoners
   who are chained unjustly.
   Free those who are abused!
    ⁷Share your food with everyone
   who is hungry;
   share your home
   with the poor and homeless.
   Give clothes to those in need;
   don't turn away your relatives.
    ⁸Then your light will shine
   like the dawning sun,
   and you
   will quickly be healed.
   Your honesty ^[d] will protect you as you advance,
   and the glory of the LORD
   will defend you from behind.
    ⁹When you beg the LORD for help,
   he will answer, "Here I am!"
   Don't mistreat others
   or falsely accuse them
   or say something cruel.
    ¹⁰Give your food to the hungry
   and care for the homeless.
   Then your light will shine
   in the dark;
   your darkest hour will be
   like the noonday sun.
    ¹¹The LORD will always guide you
   and provide good things to eat
   when you are in the desert.
   He will make you healthy.
   You will be like a garden
   that has plenty of water
   or like a stream
   that never runs dry.
    ¹²You will rebuild those houses
   left in ruins for years;
   you will be known
   as a builder and repairer
   of city walls and streets.
    ¹³But first, you must start
   respecting the Sabbath
   as a joyful day of worship.
   You must stop doing and saying
   whatever you please
   on this special day.
    ¹⁴Then you will truly enjoy
   knowing the LORD.
   He will let you rule
   from the highest mountains
   and bless you with the land
   of your ancestor Jacob.
   The LORD has spoken!
   

Isaiah 59

Social Injustice Is Condemned

 ¹The LORD hasn't lost    his powerful strength;
   he can still hear
   and answer prayers.
    ²Your sins are the roadblock
   between you and your God.
   That's why he doesn't answer
   your prayers
   or let you see his face.
    ³Your talk is filled with lies
   and plans for violence;
   every finger on your hands
   is covered with blood.
    ⁴You falsely accuse others
   and tell lies in court;
   sin and trouble are the names
   of your children.
    ⁵You eat the deadly eggs
   of poisonous snakes,
   and more snakes crawl out
   from the eggs left to hatch.
   You weave spider webs,
    ⁶but you can't make clothes
   with those webs
   or hide behind them.
   You're sinful and brutal.
    ⁷You hurry off to do wrong
   or murder innocent victims.
   All you think about is sin;
   you leave ruin and destruction
   wherever you go.
    ⁸You don't know how
   to live in peace
   or to be fair with others.
   The roads you make are crooked;
   your followers cannot find peace.   

The People Confess Their Sins

 ⁹No one has come to defend us    or to bring about justice.
   We hoped for a day of sunshine,
   but all we found
   was a dark, gloomy night.
    ¹⁰We feel our way along,
   as if we were blind;
   we stumble at noon,
   as if it were night.
   We can see no better
   than someone dead. ^[e] ¹¹We growl like bears
   and mourn like doves.
   We hope for justice and victory,
   but they escape us.
    ¹²How often have we sinned
   and turned against you,
   the LORD God?
   Our sins condemn us!
   We have done wrong.
    ¹³We have rebelled and refused
   to follow you.
   Our hearts were deceitful,
   and so we lied;
   we planned to abuse others
   and turn our backs on you.
    ¹⁴Injustice is everywhere;
   justice seems far away.
   Truth is chased out of court;
   honesty is shoved aside.
    ¹⁵Everyone tells lies;
   those who turn from crime
   end up ruined.
   When the LORD noticed
   that justice had disappeared,
   he became very displeased.   

The LORD Will Rescue His People

 ¹⁶It disgusted him even more    to learn
   that no one
   would do a thing about it.
   So with his own powerful arm,
   he won victories for truth.
    ¹⁷Justice was the LORD's armor;
   saving power was his helmet;
   anger and revenge
   were his clothes.
    ¹⁸Now the LORD will get furious
   and do to his enemies,
   both near and far,
   what they did to his people.
    ¹⁹He will attack like a flood
   in a mighty windstorm.
   Nations in the west and the east
   will then honor and praise
   his wonderful name.
    ²⁰The LORD has promised to rescue
   the city of Zion
   and Jacob's descendants
   who turn from sin.
    ²¹The LORD says: "My people,
   I promise to give you my Spirit
   and my message.
   These will be my gifts to you
   and your families forever.
   I, the LORD, have spoken." 

Footnotes:

1. Isaiah 57:19 until. . . praises: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Isaiah 57:19 heal you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Isaiah 58:3 you think. . . yourselves: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Isaiah 58:8 honesty: Or "honest leader."
5. Isaiah 59:10 We can. . . dead: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Philippians 1:1-26

Philippians 1

 ¹From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.    To all of God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all of your church officials and officers. ^[a] ²I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!   

Paul's Prayer for the Church in Philippi

 ³Every time I think of you, I thank my God. ⁴And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy. ⁵This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it. ⁶God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.     ⁷You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work that God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail. ⁸God himself knows how much I want to see you. He knows that I care for you in the same way that Christ Jesus does.
    ⁹I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand ¹⁰how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, ¹¹Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.   

What Life Means to Paul

 ¹²My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news. ¹³The Roman guards and all the others know that I am here in jail because I serve Christ. ¹⁴Now most of the Lord's followers have become brave and are fearlessly telling the message. ^[b] ¹⁵Some are preaching about Christ because they are jealous and envious of us. Others are preaching because they want to help. ¹⁶They love Christ and know that I am here to defend the good news about him. ¹⁷But the ones who are jealous of us are not sincere. They just want to cause trouble for me while I am in jail. ¹⁸But that doesn't matter. All that matters is that people are telling about Christ, whether they are sincere or not. That is what makes me glad.    I will keep on being glad, ¹⁹because I know that your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ Jesus will keep me safe. ²⁰I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.
    ²¹If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. ²²I don't know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. ²³It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better. ^24-25But I know that all of you still need me. That's why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith. ²⁶Then, when I visit you again, you will have good reason to take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me. ^[c]

Footnotes:

1. Philippians 1:1 church officials and officers: Or "bishops and deacons."
2. Philippians 1:14 the message: Some manuscripts have "the Lord's message," and others have "God's message."
3. Philippians 1:26 take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me: Or "take great pride in me because of Christ Jesus."

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Psalm 71:1-24 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 71

A Prayer for God's Protection

 ¹I run to you, LORD,    for protection.
   Don't disappoint me.
    ²You do what is right,
   so come to my rescue.
   Listen to my prayer
   and keep me safe.
    ³Be my mighty rock, ^[a] the place
   where I can always run
   for protection.
   Save me by your command!
   You are my mighty rock
   and my fortress.
    ⁴Come and save me, LORD God,
   from vicious and cruel
   and brutal enemies!
    ⁵I depend on you,
   and I have trusted you
   since I was young.
    ⁶I have relied on you ^[b] from the day I was born.
   You brought me safely
   through birth,
   and I always praise you.
    ⁷Many people think of me
   as something evil.
   But you are my mighty protector,
    ⁸and I praise and honor you
   all day long.
    ⁹Don't throw me aside
   when I am old;
   don't desert me
   when my strength is gone.
    ¹⁰My enemies are plotting
   because they want me dead.
    ¹¹They say, "Now we'll catch you!
   God has deserted you,
   and no one can save you."
    ¹²Come closer, God!
   Please hurry and help.
    ¹³Embarrass and destroy
   all who want me dead;
   disgrace and confuse
   all who want to hurt me.
    ¹⁴I will never give up hope
   or stop praising you.
    ¹⁵All day long I will tell
   the wonderful things you do
   to save your people.
   But you have done much more
   than I could possibly know.
    ¹⁶I will praise you, LORD God,
   for your mighty deeds
   and your power to save.
    ¹⁷You have taught me
   since I was a child,
   and I never stop telling about
   your marvelous deeds.
    ¹⁸Don't leave me when I am old
   and my hair turns gray.
   Let me tell future generations
   about your mighty power.
    ¹⁹Your deeds of kindness
   are known in the heavens.
   No one is like you!
    ²⁰You made me suffer a lot,
   but you will bring me
   back from this deep pit
   and give me new life.
    ²¹You will make me truly great
   and take my sorrow away.
    ²²I will praise you, God,
   the Holy One of Israel.
   You are faithful.
   I will play the harp
   and sing your praises.
    ²³You have rescued me!
   I will celebrate and shout,
   singing praises to you
   with all my heart.
    ²⁴All day long I will announce
   your power to save.
   I will tell how you disgraced
   and disappointed
   those who wanted to hurt me. 

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 71:3 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
2. Psalm 71:6 I. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 24:9-10 (Contemporary English Version)

⁹Everyone hates senseless fools
   who think up ways to sin.   

-24-

 ¹⁰ Don't give up and be helpless    in times of trouble.

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Thought for the Day

 

“People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done. But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.” (John 3:20-21 - Contemporary English Version) Evil people point their fingers at others but retreat into the darkness when the light is turned on them. And so, it may be up to us to reflect God's truth and love within this hate-filled and frightened world.

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Quote for the Day

Italian film director, screenwriter, and editor, Michelangelo Antonioni wrote, "You know what I would like to do: make a film with actors standing in empty space so that the spectator would have to imagine the background of the characters."

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A Joke for Today

The prospective son-in-law was asked by his girlfriend's father, "Son, can you support a family?"

"Well, no, sir," he replied, caught off-guard by the question. "Your daughter and I were thinking we'd just have to support ourselves, the rest of you will have to fend for yourselves."

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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 we renew our commitment to life.