Today's prayer: O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me

Psalm 7

1

Psalm 7 A shiggaion ^[1] of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

1

O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

2

or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

3

O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands--

4

if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe--

5

then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Selah

6

Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice.

7

Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high;

8

let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.

9

O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.

10

My shield ^[2] is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.

11

God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.

12

If he does not relent, he ^[3] will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.

13

He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.

14

He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.

15

He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made.

16

The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head.

17

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Today's prayer: O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

Psalm 6

1

Psalm 6 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. ^[1] A psalm of David.

1

O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

2

Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

3

My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?

4

Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

5

No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave ^[2] ?

6

I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.

7

My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.

8

Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.

9

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.

10

All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

Today's bible teaching: And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves

*TRUE JOY*

*John 17:13 - And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.*

Joy is a strong feeling of happiness; a manifestation of happiness through an outward rejoicing or excitement. But to us as believers, joy is the outward rejoicing that comes from an inward satisfaction that we know Jesus Christ.

True joy is true fellowship with God. True joy is a reality for every believer. The best joy to have is the joy of the Lord. God's desire is for us to have joy of the Lord. With the present situation and the future looking bleak, the joy of the Lord is there to keep us going.

Jesus was filled with Joy and this inner joy came from His relationship with God the Father. Jesus brought change to a depressed world. He instilled love. He gave hope in hopeless situations. He created and distributed a joy that has impacted us today as believers. Jesus came to this earth so that we might receive new life, that we might be filled with joy. He wants us to live a life of great abundance; this means a life that is fulfilled and joyful.

Beloved, you might be in the middle of great storm right now. Don't become discouraged! True joy doesn't come from the circumstances surrounding you. True joy comes from within, it is a gift from God. May this joy be your portion forever Amen!

*Shalom!*

*#UncleRichCares*

Today's bible teaching: Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling

Psalm 2

1

Psalm 2

1

Why do the nations conspire ^[1] and the peoples plot in vain?

2

The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. ^[2]

3

"Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."

4

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

5

Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

6

"I have installed my King ^[3] on Zion, my holy hill."

7

I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son ^[4] ; today I have become your Father. ^[5]

8

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

9

You will rule them with an iron scepter ^[6] ; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

10

Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11

Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.

12

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Today's bible teaching: The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Psalm 37

1

Psalm 37 Of David. 

1

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;

2

for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

3

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:

6

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil.

9

For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10

A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

11

But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

12

The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;

13

but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

14

The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

15

But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

16

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;

17

for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18

The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.

19

In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20

But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke.

21

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;

22

those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.

23

If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;

24

though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

25

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

26

They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

27

Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

28

For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

29

the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

30

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.

31

The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

32

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;

33

but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34

Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

36

but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future ^[2] for the man of peace.

38

But all sinners will be destroyed; the future ^[3] of the wicked will be cut off.

39

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40

The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him

Today's bible teaching: Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

Psalm 115

1

Psalm 115

1

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

2

Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?"

3

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

4

But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

5

They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;

6

they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell;

7

they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

8

Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

9

O house of Israel, trust in the LORD-- he is their help and shield.

10

O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD-- he is their help and shield.

11

You who fear him, trust in the LORD-- he is their help and shield.

12

The LORD remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron,

13

he will bless those who fear the LORD-- small and great alike.

14

May the LORD make you increase, both you and your children.

15

May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

16

The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.

17

It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to silence;

18

it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore. Praise the LORD

Today's bible teaching: Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up’

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke     7:11-17
Young man, I tell you to get up.

 Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry,’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up’. And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people’. And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.

The Gospel of the Lord