Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 29 September 2020

Sorry for the gaps here, we've had some "stuff" going on.  Today is the next-to-last day in September, with October just coming in sight.  We have a doctor appointment for Dear Wife on Thursday, a very long drive for us, but the only rheumatologist we could link up with, and she's hideously overdue for a consult with someone in that specialty.  Aahh, the "joys" of "complex conditions" such as she suffers.  So, Lord willing, we'll make the trip Thursday morning and, we hope, back the same day.

I have to do this posting quickly, as it's time for me to do the nightly ritual of application of various creams and stuff to try to give her sufficient relief from the unrelenting pain so that she may sleep.  Been doing this nightly for several years, usually helps somewhat.

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ISAIAH 59

1Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

3For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

4None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

5They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

6Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

7Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

8The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

9Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

10We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

11We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

12For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;

13In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

14And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

15Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

16And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

17For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

18According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

19So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

20And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.

21As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.

ISAIAH 60

1Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

2For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

3And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

4Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

5Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

6The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.

7All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

8Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

9Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

10And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

11Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

12For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

13The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

14The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

16Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

17For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

18Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

19The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

20Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

21Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

22A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.

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PROVERBS 24

1Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

2For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

3Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

4And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

5A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

6For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

7Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

8He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

9The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

10If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

11If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

12If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

13My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

14So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

15Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

16For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

19Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

20For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

21My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

22For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

23These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

24He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

25But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

26Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

27Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

28Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

29Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

30I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

31And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

33Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

34So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

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1 TIMOTHY 5

1Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;

2The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

3Honour widows that are widows indeed.

4But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

5Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

6But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

7And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless.

8But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

9Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,

10Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

11But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;

12Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

13And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

14I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

15For some are already turned aside after Satan.

16If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

17Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

18For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

19Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

20Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

21I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

22Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

23Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

24Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.

25Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.