Psalms 129

A Song of Ascents.

1 "Often they have afflicted me from my youth," may Israel now say,

2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) "often they have afflicted me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) The plowmen plowed upon my back;

they made their furrows long."

4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) The Lord is righteous;

He has cut the cords of the wicked.

5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) Let all those be shamed and turned back who hate Zion.

6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) Let them be as the grass on the housetops,

which withers before it even grows,

7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) where the reaper is unable to fill his hand,

or he who binds sheaves, his arms.

8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Neither do they who pass by say,

"The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord!"



Psalm 129

A Song of degrees.

[1] Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, May Israel now say:

[2] Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth:

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

[3] The plowers plowed upon my back: They made long their furrows.

[4] The LORD is righteous: He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

[5] Let them all be confounded and turned back That hate Zion.

[6] Let them be as the grass upon the housetops,

Which withereth afore it groweth up:

[7] Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand;

Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

[8] Neither do they which go by say, the blessing of the LORD be upon you:

We bless you in the name of the LORD.



Psalms 130

A Song of Ascents.

1 From the depths I call on You, O Lord!

2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) O Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive

to the sound of my supplications.

3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) If you, O Lord, should keep track of iniquities,

O Lord, who shall stand?

4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) For there is forgiveness with You,

that You may be feared.

5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) I wait for the Lord, with bated breath I wait;

I long for His Word!

6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) My soul waits for the Lord,

more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) Let Israel wait for the Lord!

For mercy is found with the Lord; with Him is great redemption.

8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) He shall redeem Israel from all their iniquities.



Psalm 130

A Song of degrees.

[1] Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.

[2] Lord, hear my voice: Let thine ears be attentive

To the voice of my supplications.

[3] If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

[4] But there is forgiveness with thee, That thou mayest be feared.

[5] I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, And in his word do I hope.

[6] My soul waiteth for the Lord More than they that watch for the morning:

I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

[7] Let Israel hope in the LORD: For with the LORD there is mercy,

And with him is plenteous redemption.

[8] And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.



2) Our Daily Bread for 19 April 2026 titled Accountability Matters

by Marvin Williams



Numbers 5:5-10



Restitution for Wrongs



5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

6 Tell the children of Israel: When a man or woman commits

any sin against another, acting unfaithfully against the Lord,

that person is guilty,

7 (Lev 5:5; 26:40; Jos 7:19) and shall confess his sin which

he has committed, and he will repay his offense with its principal,

and add to it one-fifth, and give it to him who was wronged.

8 (Lev 6:6-7; 7:7) But if the man has no relative to repay the offense to,

let the offense be repaid to the Lord, even to the priest, beside the ram

of the atonement, whereby an atonement will be made for him.

9 (Ex 29:28; Lev 6:17-18) Every offering of all the holy things

of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest, will be his.

10 Every man's holy things will be his. Whatever any man gives the priest,

it will be his.



[5] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

[6] Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any

sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be

guilty;

[7] Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall

recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the

fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.

[8] But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the

trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest; beside the ram of

the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.

[9] And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel,

which they bring unto the priest, shall be his.

[10] And every man's hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth

the priest, it shall be his.



A judge used a unique approach to address shoplifting - sentencing offenders

to wash cars in a local store's parking lot as part of their community

service. He hoped it would deter future thefts and serve as a vivid reminder

of the consequences of wrongdoing. He emphasized that actions have

consequences and accountability matters.



The judge's sentence reflects the instruction in Numbers 5:6-7: "[One] who

wrongs another . . . must confess the sin they have committed. They must

make full restitution." In these verses, we see the importance God places

on acknowledging wrongdoing, confessing sin, and seeking restoration.

And they underscore a profound truth: Every offense revealed disloyalty

to the ideals of Israel's society and showed that the offender

was "unfaithful to the Lord" (v. 6).



Just as washing cars in public serves as a humbling consequence that

encourages reflection and responsibility, God called Israel to recognise

their sins honestly - confessing them and seeking forgiveness. True freedom

came when they confronted their actions, made amends, and embraced His grace.



Today, let's take a moment to reflect sincerely on our lives before God. As we

seek reconciliation and restitution where necessary (see Matthew 5:23-24;

Luke 19:8-10), His mercy and forgiveness will restore us to wholeness.



Reflect & Pray



How can you pursue reconciliation with someone you've wronged?

Why is restitution so important?



Dear God, please show me where I've been wrong

and help me pursue reconciliation and restitution.





Watch more on restored relationships.



3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation



Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools



Week 8 Guided by Grace Day 1 A circle of Light



John 8:12



12 (Jn 12:35; Job 33:28; Isa 49:6) Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying,

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me

shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."



12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:

he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,

but shall have the light of life.



When Judy Garland stepped onstage, she filled the spotlight. Nothing was

illuminated but her face, and as she sang, her listeners had a sense of being

transported beyond themselves into the meaning of her song. The focus of

reality, at that moment, was "Judy", and everything else faded into the dim

recesses of the shadowed room. The spotlight brought her into sharp focus

as the center of attention, and all around her was darkness.

When the scriptures speaks of Jesus as "the light," the image is not

of thousands of blazing bulbs lighting up a football field for a night game.

Rather, he is like a hand-help lamp that throws a circle of light in the

immediate vicinity. such a lamp lights the path that a traveler will walk,

but lights it only one step at a time.

Jesus is the center of that circle of light. As we follow him, we share the

light, but he is always at center. Jesus Christ is the focal point,

and everything else fades into dim gray by comparison.

If we are to keep our lives illuminated, to have his light falling upon the

road we walk, we must stay close to him. Jesus does not hand the lamp

to us and suggest that we go the way he wants; he , the Light, leads,

and if we want to stay in the light, we follow.



Application



a) Have I ever tried to go my own way, apart from the Light?

What was the result?



b) How can this verse help me remember the importance of staying close

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.