Saturday, December 18, 2010

Presbyterian Daily Readings For Saturday, 18 December

from pcusa.org:

Daily Readings for Saturday, December 18, 2010


Morning Psalms 90; 149

First Reading Isaiah 11:1-9

Second Reading Ephesians 6:10-20

Gospel John 3:16-21

Evening Psalms 80; 72



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Morning Psalm 90



1Lord, you have been our dwelling place



in all generations.



2Before the mountains were brought forth,



or ever you had formed the earth and the world,



from everlasting to everlasting you are God.







3You turn us back to dust,



and say, "Turn back, you mortals."



4For a thousand years in your sight



are like yesterday when it is past,



or like a watch in the night.







5You sweep them away; they are like a dream,



like grass that is renewed in the morning;



6in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;



in the evening it fades and withers.







7For we are consumed by your anger;



by your wrath we are overwhelmed.



8You have set our iniquities before you,



our secret sins in the light of your countenance.







9For all our days pass away under your wrath;



our years come to an end like a sigh.



10The days of our life are seventy years,



or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;



even then their span is only toil and trouble;



they are soon gone, and we fly away.







11Who considers the power of your anger?



Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.



12So teach us to count our days



that we may gain a wise heart.







13Turn, O LORD! How long?



Have compassion on your servants!



14Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,



so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.



15Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us,



and as many years as we have seen evil.



16Let your work be manifest to your servants,



and your glorious power to their children.



17Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,



and prosper for us the work of our hands —



O prosper the work of our hands!



Morning Psalm 149



1Praise the Lord!



Sing to the Lord a new song,



his praise in the assembly of the faithful.



2Let Israel be glad in its Maker;



let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.



3Let them praise his name with dancing,



making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.



4For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;



he adorns the humble with victory.



5Let the faithful exult in glory;



let them sing for joy on their couches.



6Let the high praises of God be in their throats



and two-edged swords in their hands,



7to execute vengeance on the nations



and punishment on the peoples,



8to bind their kings with fetters



and their nobles with chains of iron,



9to execute on them the judgment decreed.



This is glory for all his faithful ones.



Praise the Lord!



First Reading Isaiah 11:1-9



1A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

2The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

3His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.



He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide by what his ears hear;

4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

and faithfulness the belt around his loins.



6The wolf shall live with the lamb,

the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

and a little child shall lead them.

7The cow and the bear shall graze,

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.

9They will not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.



Second Reading Ephesians 6:10-20



10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.



18Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.



Gospel John 3:16-21



16"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.



17"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."



Evening Psalm 80



1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,



you who lead Joseph like a flock!



You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth



2before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.



Stir up your might,



and come to save us!







3Restore us, O God;



let your face shine, that we may be saved.







4O LORD God of hosts,



how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?



5You have fed them with the bread of tears,



and given them tears to drink in full measure.



6You make us the scorn of our neighbors;



our enemies laugh among themselves.







7Restore us, O God of hosts;



let your face shine, that we may be saved.







8You brought a vine out of Egypt;



you drove out the nations and planted it.



9You cleared the ground for it;



it took deep root and filled the land.



10The mountains were covered with its shade,



the mighty cedars with its branches;



11it sent out its branches to the sea,



and its shoots to the River.



12Why then have you broken down its walls,



so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?



13The boar from the forest ravages it,



and all that move in the field feed on it.







14Turn again, O God of hosts;



look down from heaven, and see;



have regard for this vine,



15the stock that your right hand planted.



16They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down;



may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.



17But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,



the one whom you made strong for yourself.



18Then we will never turn back from you;



give us life, and we will call on your name.







19Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;



let your face shine, that we may be saved.



Evening Psalm 72



1Give the king your justice, O God,



and your righteousness to a king's son.



2May he judge your people with righteousness,



and your poor with justice.



3May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,



and the hills, in righteousness.



4May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,



give deliverance to the needy,



and crush the oppressor.



5May he live while the sun endures,



and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.



6May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,



like showers that water the earth.



7In his days may righteousness flourish



and peace abound, until the moon is no more.







8May he have dominion from sea to sea,



and from the River to the ends of the earth.



9May his foes bow down before him,



and his enemies lick the dust.



10May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles



render him tribute,



may the kings of Sheba and Seba



bring gifts.



11May all kings fall down before him,



all nations give him service.







12For he delivers the needy when they call,



the poor and those who have no helper.



13He has pity on the weak and the needy,



and saves the lives of the needy.



14From oppression and violence he redeems their life;



and precious is their blood in his sight.







15Long may he live!



May gold of Sheba be given to him.



May prayer be made for him continually,



and blessings invoked for him all day long.



16May there be abundance of grain in the land;



may it wave on the tops of the mountains;



may its fruit be like Lebanon;



and may people blossom in the cities



like the grass of the field.



17May his name endure forever,



his fame continue as long as the sun.



May all nations be blessed in him;



may they pronounce him happy.







18Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,



who alone does wondrous things.



19Blessed be his glorious name forever;



may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.



20The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

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