DEUTERONOMY 33:1-29
LUKE 13:1-21
PSALM 78:65-72
PROVERBS 12:25
DEUTERONOMY 33:1-29
This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death: 2 " The LORD came from Mount Sinai
and dawned upon us from Mount Seir;
he shone forth from Mount Paran
and came from Meribah-kadesh
with flaming fire at his right hand.
3 Indeed, you love the people;
all your holy ones are in your hands.
They follow in your steps
and accept your instruction.
4 Moses charged us with the law,
the special possession of the assembly of Israel.
5 The LORD became king in Israel--
when the leaders of the people assembled,
when the tribes of Israel gathered."
6 Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben: " Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out,
even though their tribe is small."
7 Moses said this about the tribe of Judah: " O LORD, hear the cry of Judah
and bring them again to their people.
Give them strength to defend their cause;
help them against their enemies!"
8 Moses said this about the tribe of Levi: " O LORD, you have given the sacred lots
to your faithful servants the Levites.
You put them to the test at Massah
and contended with them at the waters of Meribah.
9 The Levites obeyed your word
and guarded your covenant.
They were more loyal to you
than to their parents, relatives, and children.
10 Now let them teach your regulations to Jacob;
let them give your instructions to Israel.
They will present incense before you
and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.
11 Bless the Levites, O LORD,
and accept all their work.
Crush the loins of their enemies;
strike down their foes so they never rise again."
12 Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin: " The people of Benjamin are loved by the LORD
and live in safety beside him.
He surrounds them continuously
and preserves them from every harm."
13 Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph: " May their land be blessed by the LORD
with the choice gift of rain from the heavens,
and water from beneath the earth;
14 with the riches that grow in the sun,
and the bounty produced each month;
15 with the finest crops of the ancient mountains,
and the abundance from the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness,
and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush.
May these blessings rest on Joseph's head,
crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers.
17 Joseph has the strength and majesty of a young bull;
his power is like the horns of a wild ox.
He will gore distant nations,
driving them to the ends of the earth.
This is my blessing for the multitudes of Ephraim
and the thousands of Manasseh."
18 Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar: " May the people of Zebulun prosper in their expeditions abroad.
May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.
19 They summon the people to the mountain
to offer proper sacrifices there.
They benefit from the riches of the sea
and the hidden treasures of the sand."
20 Moses said this about the tribe of Gad: " Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad's territory!
Gad is poised there like a lion
to tear off an arm or a head.
21 The people of Gad took the best land for themselves;
a leader's share was assigned to them.
When the leaders of the people were assembled,
they carried out the LORD's justice
and obeyed his regulations for Israel."
22 Moses said this about the tribe of Dan: " Dan is a lion's cub,
leaping out from Bashan."
23 Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali: " O Naphtali, you are rich in favor
and full of the LORD's blessings;
may you possess the west and the south."
24 Moses said this about the tribe of Asher: " May Asher be blessed above other sons;
may he be esteemed by his brothers;
may he bathe his feet in olive oil.
25 May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze;
may your strength match the length of your days!"
26 " There is no one like the God of Israel.
He rides across the heavens to help you,
across the skies in majestic splendor.
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
and his everlasting arms are under you.
He thrusts out the enemy before you;
it is he who cries, ` Destroy them!'
28 So Israel will live in safety,
prosperous Jacob in security,
in a land of grain and wine,
while the heavens drop down dew.
29 How blessed you are, O Israel!
Who else is like you, a people saved by the LORD?
He is your protecting shield
and your triumphant sword!
Your enemies will bow low before you,
and you will trample on their backs!"
LUKE 13:1-21
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were sacrificing at the Temple in Jerusalem. 2 " Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than other people from Galilee?" he asked. " Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will also perish unless you turn from your evil ways and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will also perish." 6 Then Jesus used this illustration: " A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ` I've waited three years, and there hasn't been a single fig! Cut it down. It's taking up space we can use for something else.' 8 " The gardener answered, ` Give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I'll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, you can cut it down.' " 10 One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, " Woman, you are healed of your sickness!" 13 Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised and thanked God! 14 But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. " There are six days of the week for working," he said to the crowd. " Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath." 15 But the Lord replied, " You hypocrite! You work on the Sabbath day! Don't you untie your ox or your donkey from their stalls on the Sabbath and lead them out for water? 16 Wasn't it necessary for me, even on the Sabbath day, to free this dear woman from the bondage in which Satan has held her for eighteen years?" 17 This shamed his enemies. And all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did. 18 Then Jesus said, " What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? 19 It is like a tiny mustard seed planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds come and find shelter among its branches." 20 He also asked, " What else is the Kingdom of God like? 21 It is like yeast used by a woman making bread. Even though she used a large amount of flour, the yeast permeated every part of the dough."
PSALM 78:65-72
Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep,
like a mighty man aroused from a drunken stupor.
66 He routed his enemies
and sent them to eternal shame.
67 But he rejected Joseph's descendants;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 He chose instead the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loved.
69 There he built his towering sanctuary,
as solid and enduring as the earth itself.
70 He chose his servant David,
calling him from the sheep pens.
71 He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
and made him the shepherd of Jacob's descendants--
God's own people, Israel.
72 He cared for them with a true heart
and led them with skillful hands.
PROVERBS 12:25
Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.
