Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 08 August 2016

short shrift and getting late at that.  Dear Wife's been "watching" the Little One next door all day -- niece was supposed to get off work and be home by around 2:30 p.m. but they had some "issues" at work and she didn't get home until late, and then had an errand that she had to run, so quick change of clothes, then she and the Little One headed back out and Dear Wife came home and collapsed.  Little One is 3-1/2+ now, definitely in one of those "stages" of growing up, and mom & dad aren't as firm as they might be.  So she's quite capable of being ornery.  And was.  All day long.  Wore Dear Wife out.
While she was gone, Yours Truly did dishes (by hand), dealt with cats and their issues, tried to do some Bible study and prayer, picked up stuff around the house, did several loads of laundry.  And on that last, our el-cheapo washer that we bought several states back, like around 2002, is showing its age.  The "safety" interlock ensuring that the lid is closed, is malfunctioning,  Usually.  Severity varies, and today was severe.  So every time it was going from normal agitation to drain or spin or whatever, I had to stand over it and hold the switch down with a small screwdriver.  Eats lots of time, can't do ANYTHING else during it, and makes the back ache and helps the mood not one bit.  Got most of the laundry done and put away.  Not exactly the most manly of things a guy might do, but needed to be done, Dear Wife isn't up to it and wasn't home anyway.  Before we were married, nearly 28 years ago, I lived alone and did all of these things myself anyway.  Normally in a laundromat, though up to just before the "I do" moment, I lived in an apartment building, and my apartment was right next to the laundry room (coin operated, but at least I didn't have to haul the stuff to the car and drive to a laundromat as I'd had to do in the teeeny tiny one I lived in before that (for four years).  So not having to stuff coins in is nice.  But the washer ( a Crosley, one of those you find in the low-end "rent to own" joints) is fading, and the switch would cost more than the thing is probably worth.  We Shall see, it's not the worst problem we've faced.  Beats using a washboard like grandma did, or a wringer washer as my mom did when I was small/
Wife is "watching the Little One in the morning, has to be over there before 07:00 so we are heading off to the horizontal Real Soon Now.

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The Old Testament reading is Psalms 82, 83, and 84

Psalm 82

1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.  

2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. 

3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.  

4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.  

5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.  

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.  

7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.  

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Psalm 83

1 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.  

2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.  

3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.  

4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.  

5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:  

6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;  

7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;  

8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. 

9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:  

10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.  

11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:  

12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.  

13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.  

14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;  

15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.  

16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.  

17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:  

18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Psalm 84

1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!  

2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. 

3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.  

4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. 

5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.  

6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.  

7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. 

8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.  

9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.  

10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.  

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.  

12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

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The New Testament passage is verses 19-39 from Romans 8

Romans 8:19-39

 

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,  

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.  

24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.  

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.  

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.  

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.  

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.