Today's prayer: Do not be far from me God, for trouble is near and there is no one to help

Psalm 22

1

Psalm 22 For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David.

1

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

2

O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

3

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. ^[1]

4

In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

5

They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

7

All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8

"He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."

9

Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.

10

From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

12

Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13

Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.

14

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

15

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me ^[2] in the dust of death.

16

Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced ^[3] my hands and my feet.

17

I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.

18

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

19

But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20

Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.

21

Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save ^[4] me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22

I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.

23

You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24

For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

25

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you ^[5] will I fulfill my vows.

26

The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him-- may your hearts live forever!

27

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,

28

for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.

29

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him-- those who cannot keep themselves alive.

30

Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.

31

They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn-- for he has done it.

Today's bible teaching: Blessed are all who take refuge in God

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: Be strong and take heart, all who hope in the LORD

Psalm 31

1For the leader. A psalm of David.

I

2In you, LORD, I take refuge;a

let me never be put to shame.

In your righteousness deliver me;

3incline your ear to me;

make haste to rescue me!

Be my rock of refuge,

a stronghold to save me.

4For you are my rock and my fortress;b

for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.

5Free me from the net they have set for me,

for you are my refuge.

6*Into your hands I commend my spirit;c

you will redeem me, LORD, God of truth.

7You hate those who serve worthless idols,

but I trust in the LORD.

8I will rejoice and be glad in your mercy,

once you have seen my misery,

[and] gotten to know the distress of my soul.d

9You will not abandon me into enemy hands,

but will set my feet in a free and open space.

II

10Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am in distress;

affliction is wearing down my eyes,

my throat and my insides.

11My life is worn out by sorrow,

and my years by sighing.

My strength fails in my affliction;

my bones are wearing down.e

12To all my foes I am a thing of scorn,

and especially to my neighbors

a horror to my friends.

When they see me in public,

they quickly shy away.f

13I am forgotten, out of mind like the dead;

I am like a worn-out tool.*

14I hear the whispers of the crowd;

terrors are all around me.*

They conspire together against me;

they plot to take my life.

15But I trust in you, LORD;

I say, “You are my God.”g

16My destiny is in your hands;

rescue me from my enemies,

from the hands of my pursuers.

17Let your face shine on your servant;h

save me in your mercy.

18Do not let me be put to shame,

for I have called to you, LORD.

Put the wicked to shame;

reduce them to silence in Sheol.

19Strike dumb their lying lips,

which speak arrogantly against the righteous

in contempt and scorn.i

III

20How great is your goodness, Lord,

stored up for those who fear you.

You display it for those who trust you,

in the sight of the children of Adam.

21You hide them in the shelter of your presence,

safe from scheming enemies.

You conceal them in your tent,

away from the strife of tongues.j

22Blessed be the LORD,

marvelously he showed to me

his mercy in a fortified city.

23Though I had said in my alarm,

“I am cut off from your eyes.”k

Yet you heard my voice, my cry for mercy,

when I pleaded with you for help.

24Love the LORD, all you who are faithful to him.

The LORD protects the loyal,

but repays the arrogant in full.

25Be strong and take heart,

all who hope in the LORD

Today's prayer: O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord.

Psalm 35

1

Psalm 35 Of David.

1

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.

2

Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.

3

Brandish spear and javelin ^[1] against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."

4

May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.

5

May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away;

6

may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

7

Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,

8

may ruin overtake them by surprise-- may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

9

Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.

10

My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."

11

Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.

12

They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn.

13

Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

14

I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.

15

But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing.

16

Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked ^[2] ; they gnashed their teeth at me.

17

O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.

18

I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.

19

Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

20

They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.

21

They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it."

22

O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord.

23

Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.

24

Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.

25

Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say, "We have swallowed him up."

26

May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.

27

May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant."

28

My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

Today's prayer: Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.

Psalm 10

1

Psalm 10 ^[1]

1

Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.

3

He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

4

In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5

His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies.

6

He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

7

His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

8

He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims.

9

He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10

His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.

11

He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees."

12

Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.

13

Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"?

14

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

15

Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out.

16

The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.

17

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

18

defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Today's bible teaching: Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD up

Psalm 27

1

Psalm 27 Of David.

1

The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?

2

When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, ^[1] when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

3

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

4

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

5

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

6

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.

7

Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.

8

My heart says of you, "Seek his ^[2] face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek.

9

Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

10

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.

11

Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

12

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

13

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Today's bible teaching: The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it

Psalm 24

1

Psalm 24 Of David. A psalm.

1

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

2

for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

3

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?

4

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. ^[1]

5

He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.

6

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. ^[2] Selah

7

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

8

Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

9

Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

10

Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty-- he is the King of glory. Selah