Day 114 of My 3rd Bible Study Journey - 24 April 2023 reflections
Day 114, 24 Apr 2023
1) Psalms 73, 77, 78
PSALMS 73
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73-89
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to the pure in heart.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) But as for me, my feet almost stumbled;
my steps had almost slipped.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) For I was envious at the boastful;
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) For there are no pains in their death;
their bodies are fat.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) They are not in trouble as other people;
nor are they plagued like others.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) Their eyes bulge with fatness;
they have more than a heart could wish.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) They mock and speak with evil oppression;
they speak loftily.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) They set their mouth against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Therefore people turn to them,
and abundant waters are drunk by them.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) They say, "How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?"
12 Observe, these are the wicked, always at ease;
they increase in riches.
13 Surely I have kept my heart pure for nothing,
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I am plagued,
and chastened every morning.
15 If I said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought to understand this,
it was troublesome in my eyes,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their end.
18 Surely You have set them in slippery places;
You have brought them down to ruin.
19 How they come to desolation, as in a moment!
They have come to an end, utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
so, O Lord, when You awake,
You will despise their form.
21 Thus my heart was embittered,
and I was pierced in my feelings.
22 I was a brute and did not understand;
I was as a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have held me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fails,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 For those who are far from You will perish;
You destroy everyone who is unfaithful to You.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have taken my refuge in the Lord God,
that I may declare all Your works.
Psalm 73
[1] Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
[2] But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
[3] For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the
wicked.
[4] For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
[5] They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like
other men.
[6] Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them
as a garment.
[7] Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
[8] They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak
loftily.
[9] They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh
through the earth.
[10] Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung
out to them.
[11] And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most
High?
[12] Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase
in riches.
[13] Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in
innocency.
[14] For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
[15] If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the
generation of thy children.
[16] When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
[17] Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
[18] Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down
into destruction.
[19] How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly
consumed with terrors.
[20] As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt
despise their image.
[21] Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
[22] So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
[23] Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my
right hand.
[24] Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to
glory.
[25] Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I
desire beside thee.
[26] My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and
my portion for ever.
[27] For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed
all them that go a whoring from thee.
[28] But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the
Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
PSALMS 77
For the Music Director. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 I cried out to God with my voice,
even to God with my voice; and He listened to me.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out and does not weary,
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) I remember God, and I groan;
I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) I have considered the days of old,
the years long ago.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) May I remember my song in the night;
may I meditate in my heart;
my spirit made a diligent search:
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) "Will the Lord cast off forever,
and will He be favorable no more?
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Has His mercy ceased forever,
and have His promises failed for all time?
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) Has God forgotten to be gracious,
and has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?" Selah
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Then I said, "This is my grief;
yet I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) I will remember the works of the Lord;
surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate also on all Your work
and ponder on Your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holiness;
what god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who can do wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the nations.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, O God.
The waters saw You; they were afraid;
the depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies thundered.
Your arrows flashed about.
18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind,
and Your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way is through the sea,
and Your path in the great waters,
and your footsteps are not seen.
20 You led Your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 77
[1] I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave
ear unto me.
[2] In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night,
and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
[3] I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was
overwhelmed. Selah.
[4] Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
[5] I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
[6] I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own
heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
[7] Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
[8] Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
[9] Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender
mercies? Selah.
[10] And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the
right hand of the most High.
[11] I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy
wonders of old.
[12] I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
[13] Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
[14] Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength
among the people.
[15] Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and
Joseph. Selah.
[16] The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the
depths also were troubled.
[17] The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows
also went abroad.
[18] The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened
the world: the earth trembled and shook.
[19] Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy
footsteps are not known.
[20] Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
PSALMS 78
A Contemplative Maskil of Asaph.
1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter insightful sayings of old,
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) which we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8 )We will not hide them from their children,
but will tell the coming generation
the praises of the Lord,
and His strength, and the wonderful works that He has done.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) For He established a rule in Jacob,
and appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers
that they should make them known to their children,
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) that the generation to come might know them,
even the children who are not yet born,
who will arise and declare them to their children:
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) that they might set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep His commandments,
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) and they might not be as their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that did not set their heart steadfast,
and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) The people of Ephraim, being armed with bows,
turned back in the day of battle.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) They did not keep the covenant of God
and refused to walk in His law;
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) and they forgot His works
and the wonders that He had shown them.
12 In the sight of their ancestors He did marvelous wonders
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through,
and He made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 In the daytime He led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them abundance to drink as out of the great depths.
16 He brought streams out of the rock
and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 They sinned yet more against Him
by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.
18 They tested God in their heart
by demanding the food that they craved.
19 They spoke against God by saying,
"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, He struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out
and the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread
or provide meat for His people?"
21 Therefore the Lord heard this and was full of wrath;
a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and anger also came up against Israel,
22 because they did not believe in God
nor trust in His deliverance.
23 Yet He had commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
24 and He rained down manna upon them to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate the food of mighty angels;
He sent them bread in abundance.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by His power He brought out a south wind.
27 He rained meat on them as dust,
and winged birds as the sand of the sea;
28 and He let them fall in the midst of their camp
all around their habitations.
29 So they ate and were satisfied,
for He gave them their own desire;
30 while they were not yet filled up,
and while the meat was still in their mouths,
31 the wrath of God came upon them,
and He killed the strongest of them
and struck down the young men of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still,
and did not believe despite His wondrous works.
33 Therefore He made their days vanish like a breath,
and their years in trouble.
34 When He killed them, then they sought Him;
they turned back and longed for God.
35 They remembered that God was their rock,
and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
and they lied to Him with their tongues;
37 for their heart was not devoted to Him,
neither were they committed to His covenant.
38 But He being full of compassion
forgave their iniquity
and did not destroy them.
He constantly restrained His anger,
and did not stir up all His wrath;
39 for He remembered that they were but flesh,
like a wind that passes away and does not return.
40 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness
and grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, they tested God over and over,
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His power,
nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy,
43 how He had performed His signs in Egypt
and His wonders in the fields of Zoan:
44 and He turned their rivers into blood,
so that they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their crops to the grasshopper
and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail
and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail
and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger,
wrath, indignation, and trouble,
by sending angels bringing disaster.
50 He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare them from death,
but gave their lives over to the plague,
51 And struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Then He led out His own people like sheep
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid,
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of His holy land,
to the mountain that His right hand had acquired.
55 He cast out the nations also before them,
and divided for them their tribal allotments,
and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
and did not keep His commands,
57 but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
they turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked Him to anger with their high places
and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard this, He was full of wrath
and greatly rejected Israel
60 so that He left the tabernacle at Shiloh,
the tent where He lived among people,
61 and delivered His strength to captivity
and His glory into the enemy's hand.
62 He gave His people over also to the sword;
He was enraged with His inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men,
and their maidens were not given to marriage in song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep,
and like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 He routed His enemies back,
and He made them a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph,
and He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loves.
69 He built His sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth that He has established perpetually.
70 He chose David His servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from following the nursing ewes He brought him
to shepherd Jacob His people,
and Israel His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart
and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
Psalm 78
[1] Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my
mouth.
[2] I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
[3] Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
[4] We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to
come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that
he hath done.
[5] For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their
children:
[6] That the generation to come might know them, even the children which
should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
[7] That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments:
[8] And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation;
a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not
stedfast with God.
[9] The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in
the day of battle.
[10] They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
[11] And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.
[12] Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of
Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
[13] He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the
waters to stand as an heap.
[14] In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a
light of fire.
[15] He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the
great depths.
[16] He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down
like rivers.
[17] And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the
wilderness.
[18] And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
[19] Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the
wilderness?
[20] Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams
overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
[21] Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled
against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
[22] Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
[23] Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of
heaven,
[24] And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the
corn of heaven.
[25] Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
[26] He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he
brought in the south wind.
[27] He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the
sand of the sea:
[28] And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their
habitations.
[29] So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own
desire;
[30] They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet
in their mouths,
[31] The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and
smote down the chosen men of Israel.
[32] For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous
works.
[33] Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in
trouble.
[34] When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired
early after God.
[35] And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their
redeemer.
[36] Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto
him with their tongues.
[37] For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in
his covenant.
[38] But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed
them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all
his wrath.
[39] For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away,
and cometh not again.
[40] How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the
desert!
[41] Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of
Israel.
[42] They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from
the enemy.
[43] How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of
Zoan:
[44] And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they
could not drink.
[45] He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and
frogs, which destroyed them.
[46] He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto
the locust.
[47] He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with
frost.
[48] He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot
thunderbolts.
[49] He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation,
and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
[50] He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but
gave their life over to the pestilence;
[51] And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in
the tabernacles of Ham:
[52] But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the
wilderness like a flock.
[53] And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea
overwhelmed their enemies.
[54] And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this
mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
[55] He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an
inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
[56] Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his
testimonies:
[57] But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were
turned aside like a deceitful bow.
[58] For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to
jealousy with their graven images.
[59] When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
[60] So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed
among men;
[61] And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the
enemy's hand.
[62] He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his
inheritance.
[63] The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to
marriage.
[64] Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
[65] Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that
shouteth by reason of wine.
[66] And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a
perpetual reproach.
[67] Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe
of Ephraim:
[68] But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
[69] And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he
hath established for ever.
[70] He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
[71] From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob
his people, and Israel his inheritance.
[72] So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them
by the skilfulness of his hands.
2) Our Daily Bread for 24 April 2023 titled
entitled String Too Short to Use
Exodus 16:21-30
21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according
to what he could eat. And when the sun got hot, it melted.
22 (Ex 16:5) Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread,
two omers (Likely about 6 pounds, or 2.8 kilograms.) per man,
and then all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 (Lev 23:3; Ex 20:8-11) He said to them, "This is what the Lord has said,
'Tomorrow is the Sabbath, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.
Bake that which you will bake today, and boil that you will boil,
and all that which remains over lay up for yourselves to be kept
until the morning.'"
24 (Ex 16:20) So they laid it up until the morning, just as Moses commanded,
and it did not stink, nor was there any worm in it.
25 (Ex 16:23) Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord.
Today you will not find it in the field.
26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day,
the Sabbath, there will be none."
27 It happened that some of the people went out on
the seventh day to gather, but they found nothing.
28 (Ps 78:10; 2Ki 17:14) Then the Lord said to Moses,
"How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions?
29 See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath;
therefore He gives you bread for two days
on the sixth day. Every man remain in his place.
Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day."
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
[21] And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating:
and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
[22] And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much
bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came
and told Moses.
[23] And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow
is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake
to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up
for you to be kept until the morning.
[24] And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not
stink, neither was there any worm therein.
[25] And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD:
to day ye shall not find it in the field.
[26] Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the
sabbath, in it there shall be none.
[27] And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the
seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
[28] And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my
commandments and my laws?
[29] See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth
you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place,
let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
[30] So the people rested on the seventh day.
Aunt Margaret's frugality was legendary. After she passed away, her nieces
began the nostalgically bittersweet task of sorting her belongings. In a
drawer, neatly arrayed inside a small plastic bag, they discovered an
assortment of small pieces of string. The label read:
"String too short to use."
What would motivate someone to keep and categorize something they knew
to be of no use? Perhaps this person once knew extreme deprivation.
When the Israelites fled slavery in Egypt, they left behind a life of
hardship. But they soon forgot God's miraculous hand in their exodus
and started complaining about the lack of food.
God wanted them to trust Him. He provided manna for their desert diet,
telling Moses, "The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that
day" (Exodus 16:4). God also instructed them to gather twice as much on the
sixth day, because on the Sabbath no manna would fall (vv. 5, 25). Some of
the Israelites listened. Some didn't, with predictable results (vv. 27-28).
In times of plenty and times of desperation, it's tempting to try to cling,
to hoard, in a desperate attempt at control. There's no need to take
everything into our own frantic hands. No need to "save scraps of string"-
or to hoard anything at all. Our faith is in God, who has promised,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
By: Tim Gustafson
Reflect & Pray
In what ways do you sometimes take things into your own hands?
How has God proven Himself to be faithful to you in the past?
Father, help me to take You at Your word
and to trust You with everything.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 4 - The Blessings of Grace Day 2 - Alienation and Reconciliation
Col 1:21-22
21 (Eph 2:12) And you, who were formerly alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 (Ro 7:4; Eph 5:27) in the body of His flesh through death,
to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight,
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind
by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy
and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
Some 50 years ago, Orson Welles's radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds
threw the nation into panic; people on the East Coast ran for their lives,
expecting at any moment to be destroyed by alien invaders from outer space.
Today, of course, we are more sophisticated about such matters.
Television and movies have educated us about alien life forms.
Star Wars and Star Trek have taught us that their appearance can be much
different than ours. Sometimes they are unable to exist in our atmosphere
with artificial life-support systems; their physical makeup is often
incompatible with our environment.
God says that we, apart from Christ, are as incompatible with his kingdom
as the 'aliens' of movies are with Earth's environment.
We are at war with God, a true "war of the worlds" that staggers
the imagination.
Yet God has 'reconciled' us to his world. He has made us fit,
made us able to exist in his kingdom. He has made us part of
his world through Christ's death and resurrection.
Now, through Christ, we are 'holy' and 'without blemish' in God's sight.
And that transformation, ironically, make us 'alien' in the world around us.
No longer do we fit in a world of selfishness and greed, a world where Self
is god and everyone does what is right in his own heart.
We belong, instead, in the kingdom of God's righteousness.
Application
a) In what ways am I an 'alien' in this world?
b) How have I been an 'alien' to God's kingdom?
c) How can today's verses help me deal with my sense of 'not fitting'?
to Jesus?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Exodus 3:7-8
7 (Ps 106:44; Ex 2:23-25)The Lord said,
"I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt
and have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters,
for I know their sorrows.
8 (Ge 50:24; 15:18-21; Ex 13:5) Therefore, I have come down
to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land,
to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of
the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites,
the Hivites, and the Jebusites."
7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people
which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters;
for I know their sorrows;
8 and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand
of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and
a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the
Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites,
and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are lonely
PSALMS 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) He restores my soul;
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup runs over.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Remember God's promises when You pray
The Lord's prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
9 "Therefore pray in this manner:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 (Mt 3:2; 4:17) Your kingdom come;
Your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 (Pr 30:8; Isa 33:16) Give us this day our daily bread.
12 (Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1) And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
13 (1Co 10:13; Jn 17:15) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2022 edition?)
Manitoba
Quick facts on Muslims in Manitoba
Manitoba 2015 population 1 282 000
est Muslim Population 21 349
CNMM Networks: Winnipeg
The Muslim population of Manitoba, understandably centred in Winnipeg, is very
diverse and represents some 48 different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Conservative estimates put their number at 21000 , with some suggesting
it might be twice that size.
Some outreach among Muslims has started, yet in comparison to the size
of this community, there is the need and opportunity for far more engagement.
Continued influx of new immigrants and refugees continues to see the growth
of this Muslim centre in Manitoba.
We rejoice in the Arabic fellowship meeting there and the energetic workers
among Muslims in Winnipeg.
Let us intercede in unity for:
- new Christian workers among Manitoba's growing Muslim population
- new church ministries focused on prayer, equipping and reaching Muslim
communities around them, as well as training new workers
- the Arabic fellowship and their ministries of discipling new Muslim
background believers and for effectiveness in outreach
- for the recent Somali woman who found faith in Jesus and stood her ground
in the face of opposition to her new faith.
- for current workers among Muslims to be blessed, refreshed and encouraged
with great support
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 "In the last days it shall be," says God,
"that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even on My menservants and maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below:
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."[a]
Footnotes
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32.
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
Day 24 of the Month
a) Pray that the Lord will open a door for the message for the Gospel
at every level of Canadian Society. (
Col 4:3
3 while praying also for us, that God would open to
us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ,
for which I am also in chains,
3 withal praying also for us, that God would open unto
us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ,
for which I am also in bonds:
)
b) Pray for the Province of Saskatchewan
I) Pray for the leaders of Saskatchewan,
that God's Spirit would influence
then to act justly,
serve with integrity
and honour high moral standards. ( 1 Tim 2:1 - 4
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that you make supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone,
2 (Ezr 6:10) for kings and for all who are in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty,
3(1Ti 1:1; Lk 1:47) for this is good
and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 (Eze 18:23; 18:32)who desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
II) Pray for the churches of the province,
that they would be lighthouses
beaming forth the illuminating truth of God's Word.
III) Pray that the Lord would use
the Finding the Hope Campaign
and booklet to turn many hearts to Jesus
)
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and pray to Him about the peace the Comes from Him.
Pray to the Lord: "Father, help me to take You at Your word
and to trust You with everything."
Pray to the Lord and pray to understand his gift of Salvation in
the view of alienation.
Pray to the Lord and remember He will hear your cry in Times of enslavement.
Pray to the Lord and pray to know Him as the Good Shepherd.
Agree in prayer with us for:
- new Christian workers among Manitoba's growing Muslim population
- new church ministries focused on prayer, equipping and reaching Muslim
communities around them, as well as training new workers
- the Arabic fellowship and their ministries of discipling new Muslim
background believers and for effectiveness in outreach
- for the recent Somali woman who found faith in Jesus and stood her ground
in the face of opposition to her new faith.
- for current workers among Muslims to be blessed, refreshed and encouraged
with great support
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
Pray that the Lord will open a door for the message for the Gospel
at every level of Society.
Pray that children in Tajikistan will grow in Christ despite governmental
restrictions banning minors from attending church.
1) Psalms 73, 77, 78
PSALMS 73
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73-89
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to the pure in heart.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) But as for me, my feet almost stumbled;
my steps had almost slipped.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) For I was envious at the boastful;
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) For there are no pains in their death;
their bodies are fat.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) They are not in trouble as other people;
nor are they plagued like others.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) Their eyes bulge with fatness;
they have more than a heart could wish.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) They mock and speak with evil oppression;
they speak loftily.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) They set their mouth against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Therefore people turn to them,
and abundant waters are drunk by them.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) They say, "How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?"
12 Observe, these are the wicked, always at ease;
they increase in riches.
13 Surely I have kept my heart pure for nothing,
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I am plagued,
and chastened every morning.
15 If I said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought to understand this,
it was troublesome in my eyes,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their end.
18 Surely You have set them in slippery places;
You have brought them down to ruin.
19 How they come to desolation, as in a moment!
They have come to an end, utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
so, O Lord, when You awake,
You will despise their form.
21 Thus my heart was embittered,
and I was pierced in my feelings.
22 I was a brute and did not understand;
I was as a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have held me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fails,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 For those who are far from You will perish;
You destroy everyone who is unfaithful to You.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have taken my refuge in the Lord God,
that I may declare all Your works.
Psalm 73
[1] Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
[2] But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
[3] For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the
wicked.
[4] For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
[5] They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like
other men.
[6] Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them
as a garment.
[7] Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
[8] They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak
loftily.
[9] They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh
through the earth.
[10] Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung
out to them.
[11] And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most
High?
[12] Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase
in riches.
[13] Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in
innocency.
[14] For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
[15] If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the
generation of thy children.
[16] When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
[17] Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
[18] Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down
into destruction.
[19] How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly
consumed with terrors.
[20] As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt
despise their image.
[21] Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
[22] So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
[23] Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my
right hand.
[24] Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to
glory.
[25] Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I
desire beside thee.
[26] My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and
my portion for ever.
[27] For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed
all them that go a whoring from thee.
[28] But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the
Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
PSALMS 77
For the Music Director. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 I cried out to God with my voice,
even to God with my voice; and He listened to me.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out and does not weary,
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) I remember God, and I groan;
I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) I have considered the days of old,
the years long ago.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) May I remember my song in the night;
may I meditate in my heart;
my spirit made a diligent search:
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) "Will the Lord cast off forever,
and will He be favorable no more?
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Has His mercy ceased forever,
and have His promises failed for all time?
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) Has God forgotten to be gracious,
and has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?" Selah
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Then I said, "This is my grief;
yet I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) I will remember the works of the Lord;
surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate also on all Your work
and ponder on Your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holiness;
what god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who can do wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the nations.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, O God.
The waters saw You; they were afraid;
the depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies thundered.
Your arrows flashed about.
18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind,
and Your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way is through the sea,
and Your path in the great waters,
and your footsteps are not seen.
20 You led Your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 77
[1] I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave
ear unto me.
[2] In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night,
and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
[3] I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was
overwhelmed. Selah.
[4] Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
[5] I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
[6] I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own
heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
[7] Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
[8] Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
[9] Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender
mercies? Selah.
[10] And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the
right hand of the most High.
[11] I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy
wonders of old.
[12] I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
[13] Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
[14] Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength
among the people.
[15] Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and
Joseph. Selah.
[16] The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the
depths also were troubled.
[17] The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows
also went abroad.
[18] The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened
the world: the earth trembled and shook.
[19] Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy
footsteps are not known.
[20] Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
PSALMS 78
A Contemplative Maskil of Asaph.
1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter insightful sayings of old,
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) which we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8 )We will not hide them from their children,
but will tell the coming generation
the praises of the Lord,
and His strength, and the wonderful works that He has done.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) For He established a rule in Jacob,
and appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers
that they should make them known to their children,
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) that the generation to come might know them,
even the children who are not yet born,
who will arise and declare them to their children:
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) that they might set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep His commandments,
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) and they might not be as their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that did not set their heart steadfast,
and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) The people of Ephraim, being armed with bows,
turned back in the day of battle.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) They did not keep the covenant of God
and refused to walk in His law;
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) and they forgot His works
and the wonders that He had shown them.
12 In the sight of their ancestors He did marvelous wonders
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through,
and He made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 In the daytime He led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them abundance to drink as out of the great depths.
16 He brought streams out of the rock
and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 They sinned yet more against Him
by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.
18 They tested God in their heart
by demanding the food that they craved.
19 They spoke against God by saying,
"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, He struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out
and the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread
or provide meat for His people?"
21 Therefore the Lord heard this and was full of wrath;
a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and anger also came up against Israel,
22 because they did not believe in God
nor trust in His deliverance.
23 Yet He had commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
24 and He rained down manna upon them to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate the food of mighty angels;
He sent them bread in abundance.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by His power He brought out a south wind.
27 He rained meat on them as dust,
and winged birds as the sand of the sea;
28 and He let them fall in the midst of their camp
all around their habitations.
29 So they ate and were satisfied,
for He gave them their own desire;
30 while they were not yet filled up,
and while the meat was still in their mouths,
31 the wrath of God came upon them,
and He killed the strongest of them
and struck down the young men of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still,
and did not believe despite His wondrous works.
33 Therefore He made their days vanish like a breath,
and their years in trouble.
34 When He killed them, then they sought Him;
they turned back and longed for God.
35 They remembered that God was their rock,
and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
and they lied to Him with their tongues;
37 for their heart was not devoted to Him,
neither were they committed to His covenant.
38 But He being full of compassion
forgave their iniquity
and did not destroy them.
He constantly restrained His anger,
and did not stir up all His wrath;
39 for He remembered that they were but flesh,
like a wind that passes away and does not return.
40 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness
and grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, they tested God over and over,
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His power,
nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy,
43 how He had performed His signs in Egypt
and His wonders in the fields of Zoan:
44 and He turned their rivers into blood,
so that they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their crops to the grasshopper
and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail
and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail
and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger,
wrath, indignation, and trouble,
by sending angels bringing disaster.
50 He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare them from death,
but gave their lives over to the plague,
51 And struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Then He led out His own people like sheep
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid,
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of His holy land,
to the mountain that His right hand had acquired.
55 He cast out the nations also before them,
and divided for them their tribal allotments,
and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
and did not keep His commands,
57 but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
they turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked Him to anger with their high places
and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard this, He was full of wrath
and greatly rejected Israel
60 so that He left the tabernacle at Shiloh,
the tent where He lived among people,
61 and delivered His strength to captivity
and His glory into the enemy's hand.
62 He gave His people over also to the sword;
He was enraged with His inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men,
and their maidens were not given to marriage in song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep,
and like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 He routed His enemies back,
and He made them a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph,
and He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loves.
69 He built His sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth that He has established perpetually.
70 He chose David His servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from following the nursing ewes He brought him
to shepherd Jacob His people,
and Israel His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart
and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
Psalm 78
[1] Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my
mouth.
[2] I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
[3] Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
[4] We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to
come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that
he hath done.
[5] For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their
children:
[6] That the generation to come might know them, even the children which
should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
[7] That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments:
[8] And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation;
a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not
stedfast with God.
[9] The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in
the day of battle.
[10] They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
[11] And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.
[12] Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of
Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
[13] He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the
waters to stand as an heap.
[14] In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a
light of fire.
[15] He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the
great depths.
[16] He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down
like rivers.
[17] And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the
wilderness.
[18] And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
[19] Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the
wilderness?
[20] Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams
overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
[21] Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled
against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
[22] Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
[23] Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of
heaven,
[24] And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the
corn of heaven.
[25] Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
[26] He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he
brought in the south wind.
[27] He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the
sand of the sea:
[28] And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their
habitations.
[29] So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own
desire;
[30] They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet
in their mouths,
[31] The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and
smote down the chosen men of Israel.
[32] For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous
works.
[33] Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in
trouble.
[34] When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired
early after God.
[35] And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their
redeemer.
[36] Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto
him with their tongues.
[37] For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in
his covenant.
[38] But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed
them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all
his wrath.
[39] For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away,
and cometh not again.
[40] How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the
desert!
[41] Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of
Israel.
[42] They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from
the enemy.
[43] How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of
Zoan:
[44] And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they
could not drink.
[45] He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and
frogs, which destroyed them.
[46] He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto
the locust.
[47] He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with
frost.
[48] He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot
thunderbolts.
[49] He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation,
and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
[50] He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but
gave their life over to the pestilence;
[51] And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in
the tabernacles of Ham:
[52] But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the
wilderness like a flock.
[53] And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea
overwhelmed their enemies.
[54] And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this
mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
[55] He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an
inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
[56] Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his
testimonies:
[57] But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were
turned aside like a deceitful bow.
[58] For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to
jealousy with their graven images.
[59] When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
[60] So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed
among men;
[61] And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the
enemy's hand.
[62] He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his
inheritance.
[63] The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to
marriage.
[64] Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
[65] Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that
shouteth by reason of wine.
[66] And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a
perpetual reproach.
[67] Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe
of Ephraim:
[68] But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
[69] And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he
hath established for ever.
[70] He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
[71] From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob
his people, and Israel his inheritance.
[72] So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them
by the skilfulness of his hands.
2) Our Daily Bread for 24 April 2023 titled
entitled String Too Short to Use
Exodus 16:21-30
21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according
to what he could eat. And when the sun got hot, it melted.
22 (Ex 16:5) Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread,
two omers (Likely about 6 pounds, or 2.8 kilograms.) per man,
and then all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 (Lev 23:3; Ex 20:8-11) He said to them, "This is what the Lord has said,
'Tomorrow is the Sabbath, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.
Bake that which you will bake today, and boil that you will boil,
and all that which remains over lay up for yourselves to be kept
until the morning.'"
24 (Ex 16:20) So they laid it up until the morning, just as Moses commanded,
and it did not stink, nor was there any worm in it.
25 (Ex 16:23) Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord.
Today you will not find it in the field.
26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day,
the Sabbath, there will be none."
27 It happened that some of the people went out on
the seventh day to gather, but they found nothing.
28 (Ps 78:10; 2Ki 17:14) Then the Lord said to Moses,
"How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions?
29 See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath;
therefore He gives you bread for two days
on the sixth day. Every man remain in his place.
Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day."
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
[21] And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating:
and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
[22] And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much
bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came
and told Moses.
[23] And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow
is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake
to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up
for you to be kept until the morning.
[24] And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not
stink, neither was there any worm therein.
[25] And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD:
to day ye shall not find it in the field.
[26] Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the
sabbath, in it there shall be none.
[27] And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the
seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
[28] And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my
commandments and my laws?
[29] See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth
you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place,
let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
[30] So the people rested on the seventh day.
Aunt Margaret's frugality was legendary. After she passed away, her nieces
began the nostalgically bittersweet task of sorting her belongings. In a
drawer, neatly arrayed inside a small plastic bag, they discovered an
assortment of small pieces of string. The label read:
"String too short to use."
What would motivate someone to keep and categorize something they knew
to be of no use? Perhaps this person once knew extreme deprivation.
When the Israelites fled slavery in Egypt, they left behind a life of
hardship. But they soon forgot God's miraculous hand in their exodus
and started complaining about the lack of food.
God wanted them to trust Him. He provided manna for their desert diet,
telling Moses, "The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that
day" (Exodus 16:4). God also instructed them to gather twice as much on the
sixth day, because on the Sabbath no manna would fall (vv. 5, 25). Some of
the Israelites listened. Some didn't, with predictable results (vv. 27-28).
In times of plenty and times of desperation, it's tempting to try to cling,
to hoard, in a desperate attempt at control. There's no need to take
everything into our own frantic hands. No need to "save scraps of string"-
or to hoard anything at all. Our faith is in God, who has promised,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
By: Tim Gustafson
Reflect & Pray
In what ways do you sometimes take things into your own hands?
How has God proven Himself to be faithful to you in the past?
Father, help me to take You at Your word
and to trust You with everything.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 4 - The Blessings of Grace Day 2 - Alienation and Reconciliation
Col 1:21-22
21 (Eph 2:12) And you, who were formerly alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 (Ro 7:4; Eph 5:27) in the body of His flesh through death,
to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight,
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind
by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy
and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
Some 50 years ago, Orson Welles's radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds
threw the nation into panic; people on the East Coast ran for their lives,
expecting at any moment to be destroyed by alien invaders from outer space.
Today, of course, we are more sophisticated about such matters.
Television and movies have educated us about alien life forms.
Star Wars and Star Trek have taught us that their appearance can be much
different than ours. Sometimes they are unable to exist in our atmosphere
with artificial life-support systems; their physical makeup is often
incompatible with our environment.
God says that we, apart from Christ, are as incompatible with his kingdom
as the 'aliens' of movies are with Earth's environment.
We are at war with God, a true "war of the worlds" that staggers
the imagination.
Yet God has 'reconciled' us to his world. He has made us fit,
made us able to exist in his kingdom. He has made us part of
his world through Christ's death and resurrection.
Now, through Christ, we are 'holy' and 'without blemish' in God's sight.
And that transformation, ironically, make us 'alien' in the world around us.
No longer do we fit in a world of selfishness and greed, a world where Self
is god and everyone does what is right in his own heart.
We belong, instead, in the kingdom of God's righteousness.
Application
a) In what ways am I an 'alien' in this world?
b) How have I been an 'alien' to God's kingdom?
c) How can today's verses help me deal with my sense of 'not fitting'?
to Jesus?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Exodus 3:7-8
7 (Ps 106:44; Ex 2:23-25)The Lord said,
"I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt
and have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters,
for I know their sorrows.
8 (Ge 50:24; 15:18-21; Ex 13:5) Therefore, I have come down
to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land,
to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of
the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites,
the Hivites, and the Jebusites."
7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people
which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters;
for I know their sorrows;
8 and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand
of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and
a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the
Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites,
and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are lonely
PSALMS 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) He restores my soul;
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup runs over.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Remember God's promises when You pray
The Lord's prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
9 "Therefore pray in this manner:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 (Mt 3:2; 4:17) Your kingdom come;
Your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 (Pr 30:8; Isa 33:16) Give us this day our daily bread.
12 (Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1) And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
13 (1Co 10:13; Jn 17:15) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2022 edition?)
Manitoba
Quick facts on Muslims in Manitoba
Manitoba 2015 population 1 282 000
est Muslim Population 21 349
CNMM Networks: Winnipeg
The Muslim population of Manitoba, understandably centred in Winnipeg, is very
diverse and represents some 48 different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Conservative estimates put their number at 21000 , with some suggesting
it might be twice that size.
Some outreach among Muslims has started, yet in comparison to the size
of this community, there is the need and opportunity for far more engagement.
Continued influx of new immigrants and refugees continues to see the growth
of this Muslim centre in Manitoba.
We rejoice in the Arabic fellowship meeting there and the energetic workers
among Muslims in Winnipeg.
Let us intercede in unity for:
- new Christian workers among Manitoba's growing Muslim population
- new church ministries focused on prayer, equipping and reaching Muslim
communities around them, as well as training new workers
- the Arabic fellowship and their ministries of discipling new Muslim
background believers and for effectiveness in outreach
- for the recent Somali woman who found faith in Jesus and stood her ground
in the face of opposition to her new faith.
- for current workers among Muslims to be blessed, refreshed and encouraged
with great support
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 "In the last days it shall be," says God,
"that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even on My menservants and maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below:
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."[a]
Footnotes
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32.
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
Day 24 of the Month
a) Pray that the Lord will open a door for the message for the Gospel
at every level of Canadian Society. (
Col 4:3
3 while praying also for us, that God would open to
us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ,
for which I am also in chains,
3 withal praying also for us, that God would open unto
us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ,
for which I am also in bonds:
)
b) Pray for the Province of Saskatchewan
I) Pray for the leaders of Saskatchewan,
that God's Spirit would influence
then to act justly,
serve with integrity
and honour high moral standards. ( 1 Tim 2:1 - 4
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that you make supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone,
2 (Ezr 6:10) for kings and for all who are in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty,
3(1Ti 1:1; Lk 1:47) for this is good
and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 (Eze 18:23; 18:32)who desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
II) Pray for the churches of the province,
that they would be lighthouses
beaming forth the illuminating truth of God's Word.
III) Pray that the Lord would use
the Finding the Hope Campaign
and booklet to turn many hearts to Jesus
)
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and pray to Him about the peace the Comes from Him.
Pray to the Lord: "Father, help me to take You at Your word
and to trust You with everything."
Pray to the Lord and pray to understand his gift of Salvation in
the view of alienation.
Pray to the Lord and remember He will hear your cry in Times of enslavement.
Pray to the Lord and pray to know Him as the Good Shepherd.
Agree in prayer with us for:
- new Christian workers among Manitoba's growing Muslim population
- new church ministries focused on prayer, equipping and reaching Muslim
communities around them, as well as training new workers
- the Arabic fellowship and their ministries of discipling new Muslim
background believers and for effectiveness in outreach
- for the recent Somali woman who found faith in Jesus and stood her ground
in the face of opposition to her new faith.
- for current workers among Muslims to be blessed, refreshed and encouraged
with great support
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
Pray that the Lord will open a door for the message for the Gospel
at every level of Society.
Pray that children in Tajikistan will grow in Christ despite governmental
restrictions banning minors from attending church.
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