Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 08 May 2018

Happy Tuesday to all.

Today is the day for the primary elections in our state.  So, Dear Wife and I arose, donned some suitable attire, and went forth to do our civic duty.  I even have a little sticker that the poll workers give you when you've completed the effort.  So that's done.

She, Dear Wife, is doing a bit better.  A bit.  Not only was she able to get some decent sleep last night (first time in well over a week), but she's actually a bit hungry today, also for the first in over a week, which is unusual for her.  She's had her "morning meds" and a "breathing treatment" with the "nebulizer" machine.  She actually came out on the porch last evening for a few minutes.  Small things, but significant ones, the sort of things that most of us take for granted.  Until we can't.

But, we're also learning some things.   Like when things are taken away, sometimes it's to prepare for something better, and/or to get something out of the way that probably didn't need to be there.  Just one example, a relatively trivial one  (thought  it didn't seem that way at the time).  This last winter, our clothes dryer died.  Wouldn't heat, not at all.  We (I) would wash clothes, and then the stuff that we could so treat, we hung on hangers or on an expanding rack thingy by the gas fireplace, to dry.  Heavier stuff, like towels, I'd wash and then haul to a laundromat to dry.  A pain, yes, though probably less of a one than my grandmothers had, hanging wet laundry on a clothesline outside, and then, later, bringing in the frozen stiff long johns to thaw by the coal stove.  (them, not us).
Then,  Wife found a used-but-in-good-condition dryer on a local buy/sell/trade site.   $50 I think.  We emptied the piggy bank and got it.  Works great!  FAR better than the old unit ever had, far better.  (you should see all the cat hair that the lint filter grabs, which the old unit didn't).  Turns out the guy had bought it for his wife.  Three months later, his wife died.  After the funeral, he moved in with an old buddy, started selling off the appliances and is selling the house.  So, after a relatively trivial hiccup, we're better off than before.
Yes, it's trivial, comparatively, but it's valid anyway.  Lots of the hiccups we go through are, in retrospect, a lot like that.


Bringing me to the "song of the day", which came to mind while en route home from the polling place.  Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
An oldie but goodie.  And  one that we could sing even if alone.  Let it soak in, it's good for us.

Pay attention to the words.  Pay particular attention to verse 3, which is what had first come to mind.  How often do we really pray, "teach me the patience of unanswered prayer"?  It's certainly not the standard text of the "name it and claim it" ("blab it and grab it") TV preachers.  It's quite common for some of these verses, verse 2 in particular, to be skipped.  It's all important.

Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art;
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.

I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay,
No angel visitant, no opening skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away.

Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear.
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh,
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

Hast Thou not bid me love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross; there teach my heart to cling:
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find!

Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The kindling of the heaven descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.

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1st Samuel 17

1  Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Soco, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Soco and Azekah, in Ephes–dammim.

2  And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

3  And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

4  And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

5  And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

6  And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.

7  And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

8  And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

9  If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

10  And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

11  When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

12  Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth–lehem–judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.

13  And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

14  And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

15  But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth–lehem.

16  And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

17  And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

18  And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

19  Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20  And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

21  For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

22  And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

23  And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

24  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

25  And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

26  And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

27  And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

28  And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

29  And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

30  And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

31  And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.

32  And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

33  And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

34  And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:lamb: or, kid

35  And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

36  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

37  David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

38  And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

39  And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

40  And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

41  And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

42  And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

43  And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44  And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

45  Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46  This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47  And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.

48  And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49  And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

50  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

51  Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

52  And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

53  And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.

54  And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

55  And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

56  And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

57  And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

58  And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth–lehemite.

1st Samuel 18

1  And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

2  And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

3  Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

4  And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

5  And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

6  And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

7  And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

8  And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

9  And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

10  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.

11  And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

12  And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.

13  Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

14  And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him.

15  Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

16  But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

17  And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

18  And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?

19  But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

20  And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

21  And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

22  And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.

23  And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

24  And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David

25  And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

26  And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired

27  Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

28  And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.

29  And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

30  Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

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Psalm 92

A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day.

1  It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:

2  To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,

3  Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.

4  For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.

5  O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

6  A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.

7  When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:

8  But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.

9  For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

10  But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

11  Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.

12  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13  Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

14  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

15  To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

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Acts 3

1  Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

2  And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3  Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

4  And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5  And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6  Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7  And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8  And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

9  And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

10  And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

11  And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

12  And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

13  The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

14  But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

15  And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

16  And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17  And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

18  But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

21  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

22  For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

23  And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

24  Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

25  Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

26  Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.