Today's bible teaching: Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD

Psalm 31

1

Psalm 31 For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

2

Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

3

Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4

Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

5

Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

6

I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD.

7

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

8

You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9

Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.

10

My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, ^[1] and my bones grow weak.

11

Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends-- those who see me on the street flee from me.

12

I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.

13

For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.

14

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."

15

My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

16

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.

17

Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. ^[2]

18

Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

20

In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.

21

Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.

22

In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.

23

Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.

24

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Today's prayer: Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake

Psalm 79

1

Psalm 79 A psalm of Asaph.

1

O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

2

They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.

3

They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.

4

We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.

5

How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

6

Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;

7

for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland.

8

Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.

9

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.

10

Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.

11

May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die.

12

Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.

13

Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Today's praises: As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

Psalm 75

1

Psalm 75 For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do Not Destroy." A psalm of Asaph. A song.

1

We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.

2

You say, "I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly.

3

When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. Selah

4

To the arrogant I say, `Boast no more,' and to the wicked, `Do not lift up your horns.

5

Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.'"

6

No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man.

7

But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.

8

In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

9

As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

10

I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

Today's prayer: Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come

Psalm 71

1

Psalm 71

1

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

2

Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.

3

Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

4

Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men.

5

For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.

6

From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you.

7

I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.

8

My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

9

Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

10

For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.

11

They say, "God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him."

12

Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.

13

May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

14

But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

15

My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

16

I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

17

Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

18

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.

19

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?

20

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

21

You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

22

I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

23

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-- I, whom you have redeemed.

24

My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

Today's bible teaching: I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

Psalm 116

1

Psalm 116

1

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

2

Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

3

The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave ^[1] came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

4

Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!"

5

The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

6

The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

7

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

8

For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,

9

that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

10

I believed; therefore ^[2] I said, "I am greatly afflicted."

11

And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars."

12

How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?

13

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.

14

I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

15

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

16

O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ^[3] ; you have freed me from my chains.

17

I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.

18

I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,

19

in the courts of the house of the LORD-- in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. 

Today's bible teaching: Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

Psalm 101

1

Psalm 101 Of David. A psalm.

1

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

2

I will be careful to lead a blameless life-- when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart.

3

I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.

4

Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.

5

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

6

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

7

No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

8

Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.

Today's prayer: May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us

Psalm 67

1

Psalm 67 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

1

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah

2

that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

3

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

4

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah

5

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

6

Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.

7

God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.