Today's bible teaching: Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.

Psalm 41

1

Psalm 41 For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.

2

The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

3

The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.

4

I said, "O LORD, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you."

5

My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?"

6

Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad.

7

All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,

8

"A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies."

9

Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

10

But you, O LORD, have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them.

11

I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.

12

In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.

13

Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

Today's prayer: Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am in distress; affliction is wearing down my eyes, my throat and my insides.

Psalm 31
For 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 praises: Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Psalm 33

1

Psalm 33

1

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2

Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4

For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

5

The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7

He gathers the waters of the sea into jars ^[1] ; he puts the deep into storehouses.

8

Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.

9

For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

10

The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.

13

From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;

14

from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth--

15

he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

16

No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19

to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

20

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

21

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

22

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

Today's bible teaching: The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121

1

Psalm 121 A song of ascents.

1

I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?

2

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3

He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;

4

indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

5

The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6

the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

7

The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life;

8

the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Today's bible teaching: Offer praise as your sacrifice to God; fulfill your vows to the Most High

Psalm 50A psalm of Asaph.

I

The God of gods, the LORD,

has spoken and summoned the earth

from the rising of the sun to its setting.a

2From Zion, the perfection of beauty,

God shines forth.b

3Our God comes and will not be silent!

Devouring fire precedes him,

it rages strongly around him.c

4He calls to the heavens above

and to the earth to judge his people:

5“Gather my loyal ones to me,

those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

6The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

for God himself is the judge.d

Selah

II

7“Listen, my people, I will speak;

Israel, I will testify against you;

God, your God, am I.

8Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,

your burnt offerings are always before me.

9I will not take a bullock from your house,

or he-goats from your folds.e

10For every animal of the forest is mine,

beasts by the thousands on my mountains.

11I know every bird in the heights;

whatever moves in the wild is mine.

12Were I hungry, I would not tell you,

for mine is the world and all that fills it.f

13Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of he-goats?

14Offer praise as your sacrifice to God;g

fulfill your vows to the Most High.

15Then call on me on the day of distress;h

I will rescue you, and you shall honor me.”

III

16But to the wicked God says:

“Why do you recite my commandments

and profess my covenant with your mouth?

17You hate discipline;

you cast my words behind you!

18If you see a thief, you run with him;

with adulterers you throw in your lot.

19You give your mouth free rein for evil;

you yoke your tongue to deceit.

20You sit and speak against your brother,

slandering your mother’s son.

21When you do these things should I be silent?

Do you think that I am like you?

I accuse you, I lay out the matter before your eyes.

IV

22“Now understand this, you who forget God,

lest I start ripping apart and there be no rescuer.

23Those who offer praise as a sacrifice honor me;

I will let him whose way is steadfast

look upon the salvation of God.”