Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 31 August 2020

😔😒

Today is the last day of August.  In just a few hours, we will -- Lord willing of course -- entered into the season of the -brrrs.  That will only be relieved by the at-least-as-bad season of the -ary's.  Ick!!

But, whatever.

Wife has developed an ominous rash on her legs, one that is usually indicative of vasculitis, an inflammation in the blood vessels there.  Not a good thing, not at all.  She called the doctor this afternoon when it was noticed.  Too late to get in, and with her autoimmune disease issues, they're worried about her being in a medical office where she might contract something from other patients.  So they're planning an "e-visit" with the doc for the morning.  Hope to know more then.

My daily itinerary already included a trip to the pharmacy to pick up one of her "normal" drug refills.  Glad for the insurance:  the med after co-pay was "only" $15.03.  Normally, the "cash price" for it would have been around $28.  But now, that "cash price", meaning no insurance, etc. is up to around $128!  For the same dosage of the same chemical.  We've been stuck in that no insurance canyon before, it's not fun.  Not fun watching your wife take a pill cutter to cut the pills that keep her alive in half, trying to extend the supply until Better Times come.  We've been there.  Blessed to be past that, at least for now.  Tomorrow may be another situation, we never know.

But we're blessed, no matter what.  Our 32nd wedding anniversary is in just 10 days or so.  Neither of us thought there would be someone, but the Lord had other plans, and He has been so very good to us, no matter what.

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Isaiah 1, 2

ISAIAH 1

1The vision  concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah  son of Amoz saw during the reigns   of Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and Hezekiah,  kings of Judah. 

Judah on Trial

2Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth, 

for the Lord has spoken:

“I have raised children  and brought them up,

but they have rebelled against Me. 

3The ox knows its owner,

and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,

but Israel does not know;

My people do not understand.” 

4Oh sinful nation,

people weighed down with iniquity, 

brood of evildoers, 

depraved children! 

They have abandoned  the Lord;

they have despised  the Holy One of Israel; 

they have turned their backs on Him.

5Why do you want more beatings?

Why do you keep on rebelling?

The whole head is hurt,

and the whole heart is sick.

6From the sole of the foot even to the head, 

no spot is uninjured  —

wounds, welts, and festering sores

not cleansed, bandaged,

or soothed with oil.

7Your land is desolate,

your cities burned with fire; 

foreigners devour your fields

before your very eyes —

a desolation demolished by foreigners.

8Daughter Zion  is abandoned

like a shelter in a vineyard,

like a shack in a cucumber field,

like a besieged city.

9If the Lord of Hosts 

had not left us a few survivors, 

we would be like Sodom,

we would resemble Gomorrah. 

10Hear the word of the Lord, 

you rulers of Sodom!

Listen to the instruction of our God,

you people of Gomorrah! 

11“What are all your sacrifices to Me? ”

asks the Lord.

“I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams

and the fat of well-fed cattle;

I have no desire for the blood of bulls,

lambs, or male goats. 

12When you come to appear before Me,

who requires this from you —

this trampling of My courts?

13Stop bringing useless offerings. 

Your incense is detestable to Me.

New Moons and Sabbaths, 

and the calling of solemn assemblies  —

I cannot stand iniquity  with a festival.

14I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.

They have become a burden to Me;

I am tired of putting up with them.

15When you lift up your hands in prayer, 

I will refuse to look at you;

even if you offer countless prayers,

I will not listen. 

Your hands are covered with blood. 

Purification of Jerusalem

16“Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. 

Remove your evil deeds from My sight.

Stop doing evil. 

17Learn to do what is good.

Seek justice. 

Correct the oppressor. 

Defend the rights of the fatherless.

Plead the widow’s cause.

18“Come, let us discuss this,” 

says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they will be as white as snow; 

though they are as red as crimson,

they will be like wool.

19If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the good things of the land. 

20But if you refuse and rebel,

you will be devoured by the sword.” 

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 

21The faithful city —

what an adulteress  she has become!

She was once full of justice.

Righteousness once dwelt in her —

but now, murderers!

22Your silver has become dross, 

your beer  is diluted with water.

23Your rulers are rebels,

friends of thieves. 

They all love graft

and chase after bribes. 

They do not defend the rights of the fatherless,

and the widow’s case never comes before them. 

24Therefore the Lord God of Hosts,

the Mighty One of Israel, declares:

“Ah, I will gain satisfaction from My foes;

I will take revenge against My enemies. 

25I will turn My hand against you 

and will burn away your dross  completely; 

I will remove all your impurities. 

26I will restore your judges  to what they once were, 

and your advisers to their former state. 

Afterward you will be called the Righteous City, 

a Faithful City.”

27Zion will be redeemed by justice,

her repentant ones by righteousness. 

28But both rebels and sinners will be destroyed,

and those who abandon the Lord will perish.

29Indeed, they  will be ashamed of the sacred trees

you desired, 

and you will be embarrassed because of the gardens

you have chosen. 

30For you will become like an oak

whose leaves are withered,

and like a garden without water. 

31The strong one will become tinder,

and his work a spark;

both will burn together, 

with no one to quench the flames. 

ISAIAH 2

The City of Peace

1The vision that Isaiah  son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2In  the last days 

the mountain of the Lord’s house  will be established

at the top of the mountains

and will be raised above the hills.

All nations will stream to it, 

3and many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob. 

He will teach us about His ways

so that we may walk in His paths.”

For instruction will go out of Zion

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4He will settle disputes among the nations

and provide arbitration for many peoples.

They will turn their swords into plows

and their spears into pruning knives. 

Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,

and they will never again train for war. 

The Day of the Lord

5House of Jacob,

come and let us walk in the Lord’s light. 

6For You have abandoned  Your people,

the house of Jacob,

because they are full of divination from the East

and of fortune-tellers  like the Philistines. 

They are in league  with foreigners.

7Their   land is full of silver and gold,

and there is no limit to their treasures;

their land is full of horses,

and there is no limit to their chariots. 

8Their land is full of idols; 

they bow down to the work of their hands,

to what their fingers have made. 

9So humanity is brought low,

and man is humbled.

Do not forgive them! 

10Go into the rocks 

and hide in the dust

from the terror of the Lord 

and from His majestic splendor. 

11Human pride  will be humbled, 

and the loftiness of men will be brought low;

the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

12For a day belonging to the Lord of Hosts is coming

against all that is proud and lofty, 

against all that is lifted up — it will be humbled —

13against all the cedars of Lebanon, 

lofty and lifted up,

against all the oaks of Bashan, 

14against all the high mountains, 

against all the lofty hills,

15against every high tower, 

against every fortified wall,

16against every ship of Tarshish, 

and against every splendid sea vessel.

17So human pride will be brought low,

and the loftiness of men will be humbled;

the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. 

18The idols will vanish completely.

19People will go into caves in the rocks 

and holes in the ground,

away from the terror of the Lord

and from His majestic splendor,

when He rises to terrify the earth. 

20On that day people will throw

their silver and gold idols, 

which they made to worship,

to the moles and the bats.

21They will go into the caves of the rocks

and the crevices in the cliffs,

away from the terror of the Lord

and from His majestic splendor, 

when He rises to terrify the earth.

22Put no more trust in man,

who has only the breath in his nostrils. 

What is he really worth?

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Proverbs 3

PROVERBS 3

Trust the Lord

1My son, don’t forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep my commands; 

2for they will bring you

many days, a full life,   and well-being. 

3Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.

Tie them around your neck;

write them on the tablet of your heart. 

4Then you will find favor and high regard

in the sight of God and man. 

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

and do not rely on your own understanding; 

6think about Him in all your ways,

and He will guide you on the right paths.  

7Don’t consider yourself to be wise; 

fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 

8This will be healing for your body  

and strengthening for your bones. 

9Honor the Lord with your possessions

and with the first produce of your entire harvest; 

10then your barns will be completely filled,

and your vats will overflow with new wine. 

11Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son,

and do not loathe His discipline; 

12for the Lord disciplines the one He loves,

just as a father, the son he delights in. 

Wisdom Brings Happiness

13Happy is a man who finds wisdom 

and who acquires understanding,

14for she is more profitable than silver,

and her revenue is better than gold. 

15She is more precious than jewels; 

nothing you desire compares with her. 

16Long life  is in her right hand;

in her left, riches and honor. 

17Her ways are pleasant, 

and all her paths, peaceful.

18She is a tree of life  to those who embrace her,

and those who hold on to her are happy.

19The Lord founded the earth by wisdom 

and established the heavens by understanding.

20By His knowledge the watery depths broke open, 

and the clouds dripped with dew. 

21Maintain your competence and discretion.

My son, don’t lose sight of them. 

22They will be life for you   

and adornment  for your neck.

23Then you will go safely on your way;

your foot will not stumble. 

24When you lie  down, you will not be afraid; 

you will lie down, and your sleep will be pleasant.

25Don’t fear sudden danger

or the ruin of the wicked when it comes, 

26for the Lord will be your confidence 

and will keep your foot from a snare. 

Treat Others Fairly

27When it is in your power, 

don’t withhold good  from the one it belongs to.

28Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come back later.

I’ll give it tomorrow” — when it is there with you. 

29Don’t plan any harm against your neighbor, 

for he trusts you and lives near you.

30Don’t accuse anyone without cause, 

when he has done you no harm.

31Don’t envy a violent man 

or choose any of his ways;

32for the devious are detestable to the Lord,

but He is a friend  to the upright. 

33The Lord’s curse is on the household of the wicked, 

but He blesses the home of the righteous;

34He mocks those who mock,

but gives grace to the humble. 

35The wise will inherit honor,

but He holds up fools to dishonor. 

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EPHESIANS 6

Children and Parents

1Children, obey  your parents as you would the Lord,  because this is right. 2Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment  with a promise, 3so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.    4Fathers, don’t stir up anger  in your children, but bring them up in the training  and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

5Slaves, obey your human  masters  with fear and trembling,  in the sincerity  of your heart, as to Christ. 6Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will  from your heart.  7Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men,  8knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. 9And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening  them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism  with Him. 

Christian Warfare

10Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.  11Put on  the full armor  of God so that you can stand against the tactics  of the Devil. 12For our battle is not against flesh  and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,  against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil  in the heavens.  13This is why you must take up the full armor  of God, so that you may be able to resist  in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14Stand,  therefore,

with truth  like a belt around your waist,

righteousness  like armor on your chest, 

15and your feet sandaled with readiness

for the gospel of peace. 

16In every situation take the shield  of faith, 

and with it you will be able to extinguish

all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

17Take the helmet  of salvation,

and the sword  of the Spirit, 

which is God’s word.

18Pray  at all times in the Spirit  with every prayer and request, and stay alert  in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness  the mystery of the gospel. 20For this I am an ambassador  in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.

Paul’s Farewell

21Tychicus,  our dearly loved brother and faithful servant  in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me so that you may be informed. 22I am sending him to you for this very reason, to let you know how we are and to encourage  your hearts. 

23Peace to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father  and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24Grace be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.