26 August 2007

Today's Reading August 26

Happy Sunday!
This morning we continue in the Psalms with Psalms 128, 129, 130, and 131. These are all very short, and like all the Psalms are really best read aloud. I am this morning particularly drawn to Psalm 130, it matches my mood.

Chapter 130
1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.


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This evening we continue in 1st Corinthians, chapter 7, verses 25 through 40, completing the chapter.
Paul is continuing on his words to the church in Corinth on the subject of marriage. Then as now, there were questions about how best to serve the Lord and how to live in this world as believers, and to do both together. It's a question that we still face. The Catholics have whole groups set apart, priests and monks and friars and nuns, who covenant to live totally for the Lord. Those of us in the Anabaptist traditions haven't done so, formally, although there are and always have been those who remained single and celibate for any number of reasons, which did free them to go anywhere as the Lord led them to do - I had an uncle like that. Paul is one of them himself, but not all the Apostles were - Peter was married, for example. So Paul spends some time here going over the issue and talking about how we should treat the matter. God honors marriage, He created it! But it is true that there are sometimes issues where our duties to the Lord may be hindered to our duties to our spouse and children, and all the other issues of life. Probably shouldn't happen, but it does.
25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
36 But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.
37 Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.
38 So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.
39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
40 But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

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