Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 07 September 2020
Looking outside at what is now being termed a "severe thunderstorm warning" proving the truth of that. The somewhat "funny" part of that is that about two hours ago, the "experts" were giving their solemn prognostications of "occasional light and spotty showers" in the same area. So much for "experts".
We were able to get the niece's dog outside for a brief moment to "do his business" but then he wanted to be right back inside. Don't blame him, I did also. Am hoping that I don't have to run any errands today: On (far) too many occasion, my work at the time required me to be out and about in some pretty dreadful weather conditions, blizzards, tornadoes, and flooded roads included. Since I'm no longer being paid for such "fun", staying under cover seems a better option.
Not one but four entries for 'song of the day'. I love them all.
"Redeemed How I Love To Proclaim It"
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb
Redeemed through His infinite mercy
His child and forever I am
Redeemed, redeemed
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb
Redeemed through His infinite mercy
His child and forever I am
Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus
No language my rapture can tell
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell
Redeemed, redeemed
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb
Redeemed through His infinite mercy
His child and forever I am
I think of my blessed Redeemer
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent
His love is the theme of my song
Redeemed, redeemed
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb
Redeemed through His infinite mercy
His child and forever I am
"Call Upon The Name Of The Lord"
"Sitting At The Feet Of Jesus" Don't we all most dearly wish for that?
And all God's people said AMEN!
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ISAIAH 15
An Oracle against Moab
1An oracle against Moab:
Ar in Moab is devastated,
destroyed in a night.
Kir in Moab is devastated,
destroyed in a night.
2Dibon went up to its temple
to weep at its high places.
Moab wails on Nebo and at Medeba.
Every head is shaved;
every beard is cut off.
3In its streets they wear sackcloth;
on its rooftops and in its public squares everyone wails,
falling down and weeping.
4Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;
their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.
Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out,
and they tremble.
5My heart cries out over Moab,
whose fugitives flee as far as Zoar,
to Eglath-shelishiyah;
they go up the slope of Luhith weeping;
they raise a cry of destruction
on the road to Horonaim.
6The waters of Nimrim are desolate;
the grass is withered, the foliage is gone,
and the vegetation has vanished.
7So they carry their wealth and belongings
over the Wadi of the Willows.
8For their cry echoes
throughout the territory of Moab.
Their wailing reaches Eglaim;
their wailing reaches Beer-elim.
9The waters of Dibon are full of blood,
but I will bring on Dibon even more than this —
a lion for those who escape from Moab,
and for the survivors in the land.
ISAIAH 16
1Send lambs to the ruler of the land, from Sela in the desert to the mountain of Daughter Zion.
2Like a bird fleeing, forced from the nest, the daughters of Moab will be at the fords of the Arnon.
3Give us counsel and make a decision. Shelter us at noonday with shade that is as dark as night. Hide the refugees; do not betray the one who flees.
4Let my refugees stay with you; be a refuge for Moab from the aggressor. When the oppressor has gone, destruction has ended, and marauders have vanished from the land.
5Then in the tent of David a throne will be established by faithful love. A judge who seeks what is right and is quick to execute justice will sit on the throne forever.
6We have heard of Moab’s pride — how very proud he is — his haughtiness, his pride, his arrogance, and his empty boasting.
7Therefore let Moab wail; let every one of them wail for Moab. Mourn, you who are completely devastated, for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.
8For Heshbon’s terraced vineyards and the grapevines of Sibmah have withered. The rulers of the nations have trampled its choice vines that reached as far as Jazer and spread to the desert. Their shoots spread out and reached the Dead Sea.
9So I join with Jazer to weep for the vines of Sibmah; I drench Heshbon and Elealeh with my tears. Triumphant shouts have fallen silent over your summer fruit and your harvest.
10Joy and rejoicing have been removed from the orchard; no one is singing or shouting for joy in the vineyards. No one tramples grapes in the winepresses. I have put an end to the shouting.
11Therefore I moan like the sound of a lyre for Moab, as does my innermost being for Kir-heres.
12When Moab appears on the high place, when he tires himself out and comes to his sanctuary to pray, it will do him no good.
13This is the message that the Lord previously announced about Moab.
14And now the Lord says, “In three years, as a hired worker counts years, Moab’s splendor will become an object of contempt, in spite of a very large population. And those who are left will be few and weak.”
14And now the Lord says, “In three years, as a hired worker counts years, Moab’s splendor will become an object of contempt, in spite of a very large population. And those who are left will be few and weak.”
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PROVERBS 8
Wisdom’s Appeal
1Doesn’t Wisdom call out?
Doesn’t Understanding make her voice heard?
2At the heights overlooking the road,
at the crossroads, she takes her stand.
3Beside the gates at the entry to the city,
at the main entrance, she cries out:
4“People, I call out to you;
my cry is to mankind.
5Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;
develop common sense, you who are foolish.
6Listen, for I speak of noble things,
and what my lips say is right.
7For my mouth tells the truth,
and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
8All the words of my mouth are righteous;
none of them are deceptive or perverse.
9All of them are clear to the perceptive,
and right to those who discover knowledge.
10Accept my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
11For wisdom is better than jewels,
and nothing desirable can compare with it.
12I, Wisdom, share a home with shrewdness
and have knowledge and discretion.
13To fear the Lord is to hate evil.
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.
14I possess good advice and competence;
I have understanding and strength.
15It is by me that kings reign
and rulers enact just law;
16by me, princes lead,
as do nobles and all righteous judges.
17I love those who love me,
and those who search for me find me.
18With me are riches and honor,
lasting wealth and righteousness.
19My fruit is better than solid gold,
and my harvest than pure silver.
20I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22“The Lord made me
at the beginning of His creation,
before His works of long ago.
23I was formed before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began.
24I was born
when there were no watery depths
and no springs filled with water.
25I was delivered
before the mountains and hills were established,
26before He made the land, the fields,
or the first soil on earth.
27I was there when He established the heavens,
when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,
28when He placed the skies above,
when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,
29when He set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate His command,
when He laid out the foundations of the earth.
30I was a skilled craftsman beside Him.
I was His delight every day,
always rejoicing before Him.
31I was rejoicing in His inhabited world,
delighting in the human race.
32“And now, my sons, listen to me;
those who keep my ways are happy.
33Listen to instruction and be wise;
don’t ignore it.
34Anyone who listens to me is happy,
watching at my doors every day,
waiting by the posts of my doorway.
35For the one who finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord,
36but the one who misses me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”
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COLOSSIANS 1
Greeting
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother:
2To the saints in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Thanksgiving
3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints 5because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the message of truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and recognized God’s grace in the truth. 7You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow slave. He is a faithful servant of the Messiah on your behalf, 8and he has told us about your love in the Spirit.
Prayer for Spiritual Growth
9For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. 11May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. 14We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in Him.
The Centrality of Christ
15He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
16For everything was created by Him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities —
all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17He is before all things,
and by Him all things hold together.
18He is also the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that He might come to have
first place in everything.
19For God was pleased to have
all His fullness dwell in Him,
20and through Him to reconcile
everything to Himself
by making peace
through the blood of His cross —
whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil actions. 22But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him — 23if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.
Paul’s Ministry
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for His body, that is, the church. 25I have become its servant, according to God’s administration that was given to me for you, to make God’s message fully known, 26the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. 27God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.
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