Reading through the Word.....Day 236

JOB 20:1- 22:30
2 CORINTHIANS 1:1- 11
PSALM 40:11- 17
PROVERBS 22:2- 4


Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:2 "I must reply because I am greatly disturbed. 3 I have had to endure your insults, but now my spirit prompts me to reply. 4" Don't you realize that ever since people were first placed on the earth, 5 the triumph of the wicked has been short- lived and the joy of the godless has been only temporary? 6 Though the godless man's pride reaches to the heavens and though his head touches the clouds, 7 yet he will perish forever, thrown away like his own dung. Those who knew him will ask, `Where is he? '8 He will fade like a dream and not be found. He will vanish like a vision in the night. 9 Neither his friends nor his family will ever see him again. 10 His children will beg from the poor, for he must give back his ill- gotten wealth. 11 He was just a young man, but his bones will lie in the dust. 12 "He enjoyed the taste of his wickedness, letting it melt under his tongue. 13 He savored it, holding it long in his mouth. 14 But suddenly, the food he has eaten turns sour within him, a poisonous venom in his stomach. 15 He will vomit the wealth he swallowed. God won't let him keep it down. 16 He will suck the poison of snakes. The viper will kill him. 17 He will never again enjoy abundant streams of olive oil or rivers of milk and honey. 18 His labors will not be rewarded. His wealth will bring him no joy. 19 For he oppressed the poor and left them destitute. He foreclosed on their homes. 20 He was always greedy but never satisfied. Of all the things he dreamed about, nothing remains. 21 Nothing is left after he finishes gorging himself; therefore, his prosperity will not endure. 22" In the midst of plenty, he will run into trouble, and disasters will destroy him. 23 May God give him a bellyful of trouble. May God rain down his anger upon him. 24 He will try to escape, but God's arrow will pierce him. 25 The arrow is pulled from his body, and the arrowhead glistens with blood. The terrors of death are upon him. 26 "His treasures will be lost in deepest darkness. A wildfire will devour his goods, consuming all he has left. 27 The heavens will reveal his guilt, and the earth will give testimony against him. 28 A flood will sweep away his house. God's anger will descend on him in torrents. 29 This is the fate that awaits the wicked. It is the inheritance decreed by God." 21:1 THEN Job spoke again:2 "Listen closely to what I am saying. You can console me by listening to me. 3 Bear with me, and let me speak. After I have spoken, you may mock me. 4" My complaint is with God, not with people. No wonder I'm so impatient. 5 Look at me and be stunned. Put your hand over your mouth in shock. 6 When I think about what I am saying, I shudder. My body trembles. 7 "The truth is that the wicked live to a good old age. They grow old and wealthy. 8 They live to see their children grow to maturity, and they enjoy their grandchildren. 9 Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them. 10 Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves without miscarriage. 11 Their children skip about like lambs in a flock of sheep. 12 They sing with tambourine and harp. They make merry to the sound of the flute. 13 They spend their days in prosperity; then they go down to the grave in peace. 14 All this, even though they say to God, `Go away. We want no part of you and your ways. 15 Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us if we pray?' 16 But their prosperity is not of their own doing, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking. 17" Yet the wicked get away with it time and time again. They rarely have trouble, and God skips them when he distributes sorrows in his anger. 18 Are they driven before the wind like straw? Are they carried away by the storm? Not at all! 19 "`Well, 'you say, `at least God will punish their children!' But I say that God should punish the ones who sin, not their children! Let them feel their own penalty. 20 Let their own eyes see their destruction. Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty. 21 For when they are dead, they will not care what happens to their family. 22" But who can teach a lesson to God, the supreme Judge? 23 One person dies in prosperity and security, 24 the very picture of good health. 25 Another person dies in bitter poverty, never having tasted the good life. 26 Both alike are buried in the same dust, both eaten by the same worms. 27 "Look, I know your thoughts. I know the schemes you plot against me. 28 You will tell me of rich and wicked people who came to disaster because of their sins. 29 But I tell you to ask those who have been around, and they can tell you the truth. 30 Evil people are spared in times of calamity and are allowed to escape. 31 No one rebukes them openly. No one repays them for what they have done. 32 When they are carried to the grave, an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb. 33 A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery. Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest and the earth gives sweet repose. 34" How can you comfort me? All your explanations are wrong! "22:1 THEN Eliphaz the Temanite replied:2" Can a person's actions be of benefit to God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him? 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect? 4 Is it because of your reverence for him that he accuses and judges you? 5 Not at all! It is because of your wickedness! Your guilt has no limit! 6 "For example, you must have lent money to your friend and then kept the clothing he gave you as a pledge. Yes, you stripped him to the bone. 7 You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry. 8 After all, you think the land belongs to the powerful and that those who are privileged have a right to it! 9 You must have sent widows away without helping them and crushed the strength of orphans. 10 That is why you are surrounded by traps and sudden fears. 11 That is why you cannot see in the darkness, and waves of water cover you. 12" God is so great-- higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars. 13 But you reply, `That's why God can't see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness? 14 For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven. '15 "Will you continue on the old paths where evil people have walked? 16 They were snatched away in the prime of life, and the foundations of their lives were washed away forever. 17 For they said to God, `Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do for us?' 18 But they forgot that he had filled their homes with good things, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking. 19" Now the righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed, and the innocent will laugh them to scorn. 20 They will say, `Surely our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire. '21 "Stop quarreling with God! If you agree with him, you will have peace at last, and things will go well for you. 22 Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart. 23 If you return to the Almighty and clean up your life, you will be restored. 24 Give up your lust for money, and throw your precious gold into the river. 25 Then the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver! 26" Then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and look up to God. 27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him. 28 Whatever you decide to do will be accomplished, and light will shine on the road ahead of you. 29 If someone is brought low and you say, `Help him up,' God will save the downcast. 30 Then even sinners will be rescued by your pure hands. "


This letter is from Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our dear brother Timothy. We are writing to God's church in Corinth and to all the Christians throughout Greece. 2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you his grace and peace. 3 All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 So when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation! For when God comforts us, it is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in suffering, you will also share God's comfort. 8 I think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, *about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. 10 And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. 11 He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people's prayers for our safety have been answered.


LORD, don't hold back your tender mercies from me.
My only hope is in your unfailing love and faithfulness.
12 For troubles surround me--
too many to count!
They pile up so high
I can't see my way out.
They are more numerous than the hairs on my head.
I have lost all my courage.
13 Please, LORD, rescue me!
Come quickly, LORD, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said," Aha! We've got him now! "
16 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout," The LORD is great! "
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord is thinking about me right now.
You are my helper and my savior.
Do not delay, O my God.


The rich and the poor have this in common:The LORD made them both. A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. True humility and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life

Reading through the Word.....Day 235

JOB 16:1- 19:29
1 CORINTHIANS 16:1- 24
PSALM 40:1- 10
PROVERBS 22:1


Then Job spoke again:2 "I have heard all this before. What miserable comforters you are! 3 Won't you ever stop your flow of foolish words? What have I said that makes you speak so endlessly? 4 I could say the same things if you were in my place. I could spout off my criticisms against you and shake my head at you. 5 But that's not what I would do. I would speak in a way that helps you. I would try to take away your grief. 6 But as it is, my grief remains no matter how I defend myself. And it does not help if I refuse to speak. 7" O God, you have ground me down and devastated my family. 8 You have reduced me to skin and bones-- as proof, they say, of my sins. 9 God hates me and tears angrily at my flesh. He gnashes his teeth at me and pierces me with his eyes. 10 People jeer and laugh at me. They slap my cheek in contempt. A mob gathers against me. 11 God has handed me over to sinners. He has tossed me into the hands of the wicked. 12 "I was living quietly until he broke me apart. He took me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. Then he set me up as his target. 13 His archers surrounded me, and his arrows pierced me without mercy. The ground is wet with my blood. 14 Again and again he smashed me, charging at me like a warrior. 15 Here I sit in sackcloth. I have surrendered, and I sit in the dust. 16 My eyes are red with weeping; darkness covers my eyes. 17 Yet I am innocent, and my prayer is pure. 18" O earth, do not conceal my blood. Let it cry out on my behalf. 19 Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high. 20 My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God. 21 Oh, that someone would mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends. 22 For soon I must go down that road from which I will never return. 17:1 "MY spirit is crushed, and I am near death. The grave is ready to receive me. 2 I am surrounded by mockers. I watch how bitterly they taunt me. 3" You must defend my innocence, O God, since no one else will stand up for me. 4 You have closed their minds to understanding, but do not let them triumph. 5 They denounce their companions for their own advantage, so let their children faint with hunger. 6 "God has made a mockery of me among the people; they spit in my face. 7 My eyes are dim with weeping, and I am but a shadow of my former self. 8 The upright are astonished when they see me. The innocent are aroused against the ungodly. 9 The righteous will move onward and forward, and those with pure hearts will become stronger and stronger. 10" As for all of you, come back and try again! But I will not find a wise man among you. 11 My days are over. My hopes have disappeared. My heart's desires are broken. 12 They say that night is day and day is night; how they pervert the truth! 13 I might go to the grave and make my bed in darkness. 14 And I might call the grave my father, and the worm my mother and my sister. 15 But where then is my hope? Can anyone find it? 16 No, my hope will go down with me to the grave. We will rest together in the dust! "18:1 THEN Bildad the Shuhite replied:2" How long before you stop talking? Speak sense if you want us to answer! 3 Do you think we are cattle? Do you think we have no intelligence? 4 You may tear your hair out in anger, but will that cause the earth to be abandoned? Will it make rocks fall from a cliff? 5 "The truth remains that the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. The sparks of their fire will not glow. 6 The light in their tent will grow dark. The lamp hanging above them will be quenched. 7 The confident stride of the wicked will be shortened. Their own schemes will be their downfall. 8" The wicked walk into a net. They fall into a pit that's been dug in the path. 9 A trap grabs them by the heel. A noose tightens around them. 10 A snare lies hidden in the ground. A rope lies coiled on their path. 11 "Terrors surround the wicked and trouble them at every step. 12 Their vigor is depleted by hunger, and calamity waits for them to stumble. 13 Disease eats their skin; death devours their limbs. 14 They are torn from the security of their tent, and they are brought down to the king of terrors. 15 The home of the wicked will disappear beneath a fiery barrage of burning sulfur. 16 Their roots will dry up, and their branches will wither. 17 All memory of their existence will perish from the earth. No one will remember them. 18 They will be thrust from light into darkness, driven from the world. 19 They will have neither children nor grandchildren, nor any survivor in their home country. 20 People in the west are appalled at their fate; people in the east are horrified. 21 They will say, `This was the home of a wicked person, the place of one who rejected God. '" 19:1 THEN Job spoke again:2 "How long will you torture me? How long will you try to break me with your words? 3 Ten times now you have meant to insult me. You should be ashamed of dealing with me so harshly. 4 And even if I have sinned, that is my concern, not yours. 5 You are trying to overcome me, using my humiliation as evidence of my sin, 6 but it is God who has wronged me. I cannot defend myself, for I am like a city under siege. 7" I cry out for help, but no one hears me. I protest, but there is no justice. 8 God has blocked my way and plunged my path into darkness. 9 He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. 10 He has demolished me on every side, and I am finished. He has destroyed my hope. 11 His fury burns against me; he counts me as an enemy. 12 His troops advance. They build up roads to attack me. They camp all around my tent. 13 "My relatives stay far away, and my friends have turned against me. 14 My neighbors and my close friends are all gone. 15 The members of my household have forgotten me. The servant girls consider me a stranger. I am like a foreigner to them. 16 I call my servant, but he doesn't come; I even plead with him! 17 My breath is repulsive to my wife. I am loathsome to my own family. 18 Even young children despise me. When I stand to speak, they turn their backs on me. 19 My close friends abhor me. Those I loved have turned against me. 20 I have been reduced to skin and bones and have escaped death by the skin of my teeth. 21" Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for the hand of God has struck me. 22 Why must you persecute me as God does? Why aren't you satisfied with my anguish? 23 "Oh, that my words could be written. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument, 24 carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock. 25" But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. 26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! 27 I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! 28 "How dare you go on persecuting me, saying, `It's his own fault'? 29 I warn you, you yourselves are in danger of punishment for your attitude. Then you will know that there is judgment."


Now about the money being collected for the Christians in Jerusalem:You [Corinthians] should follow the same procedures I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On every Lord's Day, each of you should put aside some amount of money in relation to what you have earned and save it for this offering. Don't wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And if it seems appropriate for me also to go along, then we can travel together. 5 I am coming to visit you after I have been to Macedonia, for I am planning to travel through Macedonia. 6 It could be that I will stay awhile with you, perhaps all winter, and then you can send me on my way to the next destination. 7 This time I don't want to make just a short visit and then go right on. I want to come and stay awhile, if the Lord will let me. 8 In the meantime, I will be staying here at Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost, 9 for there is a wide- open door for a great work here, and many people are responding. But there are many who oppose me. 10 When Timothy comes, treat him with respect. He is doing the Lord's work, just as I am. 11 Don't let anyone despise him. Send him on his way with your blessings when he returns to me. I am looking forward to seeing him soon, along with the other brothers. 12 Now about our brother Apollos-- I urged him to join the other brothers when they visit you, but he was not willing to come right now. He will be seeing you later, when the time is right. 13 Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And everything you do must be done with love. 15 You know that Stephanas and his household were the first to become Christians in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to other Christians. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, *16 to respect them fully and others like them who serve with such real devotion. 17 I am so glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been making up for the help you weren't here to give me. 18 They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you, too. You must give proper honor to all who serve so well. 19 The churches here in the province of Asia greet you heartily in the Lord, along with Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. 20 All the brothers and sisters here have asked me to greet you for them. Greet each other in Christian love. 21 Here is my greeting, which I write with my own hand-- PAUL. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come! 23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.


For the choir director:A psalm of David.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be astounded.
They will put their trust in the LORD.
4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,
who have no confidence in the proud,
or in those who worship idols.
5 O LORD my God, you have done many miracles for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand--
you don't require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, "Look, I have come.
And this has been written about me in your scroll:
8 I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your law is written on my heart."
9 I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O LORD, well know.
10 I have not kept this good news hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold

Reading through the Word.....Day 234

JOB 12:1- 15:35
1 CORINTHIANS 15:29- 58
PSALM 39:1- 13
PROVERBS 21:30- 31


Then Job spoke again:2 "You [Zophar] really know everything, don't you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you! 3 Well, I know a few things myself-- and you're no better than I am. Who doesn't know these things you've been saying? 4 Yet my friends laugh at me. I am a man who calls on God and receives an answer. I am a just and blameless man, yet they laugh at me. 5 People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling. 6 But even robbers are left in peace, and those who provoke God-- and God has them in his power-- live in safety! 7" Ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. 8 Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. Let the fish of the sea speak to you. 9 They all know that the LORD has done this. 10 For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of all humanity. 11 Just as the mouth tastes good food, so the ear tests the words it hears. 12 Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to those who have lived many years. 13 "But true wisdom and power are with God; counsel and understanding are his. 14 What he destroys cannot be rebuilt. When he closes in on someone, there is no escape. 15 If he holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert. If he releases the waters, they flood the earth. 16" Yes, strength and wisdom are with him; deceivers and deceived are both in his power. 17 He leads counselors away stripped of good judgment; he drives judges to madness. 18 He removes the royal robe of kings. With ropes around their waist, they are led away. 19 He leads priests away stripped of status; he overthrows the mighty. 20 He silences the trusted adviser, and he removes the insight of the elders. 21 He pours disgrace upon princes and confiscates weapons from the strong. 22 "He floods the darkness with light; he brings light to the deepest gloom. 23 He raises up nations, and he destroys them. He makes nations expand, and he abandons them. 24 He takes away the understanding of kings, and he leaves them wandering in a wasteland without a path. 25 They grope in the darkness without a light. He makes them stagger like drunkards. 13:1" LOOK, I have seen many instances such as you describe. I understand what you are saying. 2 I know as much as you do. You are no better than I am. 3 Oh, how I long to speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself. 4 For you are smearing me with lies. As doctors, you are worthless quacks. 5 Please be quiet! That's the smartest thing you could do. 6 Listen to my charge; pay attention to my arguments. 7 "Are you defending God by means of lies and dishonest arguments? 8 You should be impartial witnesses, but will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God's case for him? 9 Be careful that he doesn't find out what you are doing! Or do you think you can fool him as easily as you fool people? 10 No, you will be in serious trouble with him if even in your hearts you slant your testimony in his favor. 11 Doesn't his majesty strike terror into your heart? Does not your fear of him seize you? 12 Your statements have about as much value as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot. 13" Be silent now and leave me alone. Let me speak-- and I will face the consequences. 14 Yes, I will take my life in my hands and say what I really think. 15 God might kill me, but I cannot wait. I am going to argue my case with him. 16 But this is what will save me:that I am not godless. If I were, I would be thrown from his presence. 17 "Listen closely to what I am about to say. Hear me out. 18 I have prepared my case; I will be proved innocent. 19 Who can argue with me over this? If you could prove me wrong, I would remain silent until I die. 20" O God, there are two things I beg of you, and I will be able to face you. 21 Remove your hand from me, and don't terrify me with your awesome presence. 22 Now summon me, and I will answer! Or let me speak to you, and you reply. 23 Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin. 24 Why do you turn away from me? Why do you consider me your enemy? 25 Would you terrify a leaf that is blown by the wind? Would you chase a dry stalk of grass? 26 "You write bitter accusations against me and bring up all the sins of my youth. 27 You put my feet in stocks. You watch all my paths. You trace all my footprints. 28 I waste away like rotting wood, like a moth- eaten coat. 14:1" HOW frail is humanity! How short is life, and how full of trouble! 2 Like a flower, we blossom for a moment and then wither. Like the shadow of a passing cloud, we quickly disappear. 3 Must you keep an eye on such a frail creature and demand an accounting from me? 4 Who can create purity in one born impure? No one! 5 You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer. 6 So give us a little rest, won't you? Turn away your angry stare. We are like hired hands, so let us finish the task you have given us. 7 "If a tree is cut down, there is hope that it will sprout again and grow new branches. 8 Though its roots have grown old in the earth and its stump decays, 9 at the scent of water it may bud and sprout again like a new seedling. 10" But when people die, they lose all strength. They breathe their last, and then where are they? 11 As water evaporates from a lake and as a river disappears in drought, 12 people lie down and do not rise again. Until the heavens are no more, they will not wake up nor be roused from their sleep. 13 "I wish you would hide me with the dead and forget me there until your anger has passed. But mark your calendar to think of me again! 14 If mortals die, can they live again? This thought would give me hope, and through my struggle I would eagerly wait for release. 15 You would call and I would answer, and you would yearn for me, your handiwork. 16 For then you would count my steps, instead of watching for my sins. 17 My sins would be sealed in a pouch, and you would cover over my iniquity. 18" But as mountains fall and crumble and as rocks fall from a cliff, 19 as water wears away the stones and floods wash away the soil, so you destroy people's hope. 20 You always overpower them, and then they pass from the scene. You disfigure them in death and send them away. 21 They never know if their sons grow up in honor or sink to insignificance. 22 They are absorbed in their own pain and grief. "15:1 THEN Eliphaz the Temanite replied:2" You are supposed to be a wise man, and yet you give us all this foolish talk. You are nothing but a windbag. 3 It isn't right to speak so foolishly. What good do such words do? 4 Have you no fear of God, no reverence for him? 5 Your sins are telling your mouth what to say. Your words are based on clever deception. 6 But why should I condemn you? Your own mouth does! 7 "Were you the first person ever born? Were you born before the hills were made? 8 Were you listening at God's secret council? Do you have a monopoly on wisdom? 9 What do you know that we don't? What do you understand that we don't? 10 On our side are aged, gray- haired men much older than your father! 11" Is God's comfort too little for you? Is his gentle word not enough? 12 What has captured your reason? What has weakened your vision, 13 that you turn against God and say all these evil things? 14 Can a mortal be pure? Can a human be just? 15 Why, God doesn't even trust the angels! Even the heavens cannot be absolutely pure in his sight. 16 How much less pure is a corrupt and sinful person with a thirst for wickedness! 17 "If you will listen, I will answer you from my own experience. 18 And it is confirmed by the experience of wise men who have heard the same thing from their fathers, 19 those to whom the land was given long before any foreigners arrived. 20" Wicked people are in pain throughout their lives. 21 They are surrounded by terrors, and even on good days they fear the attack of the destroyer. 22 They dare not go out into the darkness for fear they will be murdered. 23 They wander abroad for bread, saying, `Where is it? 'They know their ruin is certain. 24 That dark day terrifies them. They live in distress and anguish, like a king preparing for an attack. 25 For they have clenched their fists against God, defying the Almighty. 26 Holding their strong shields, they defiantly charge against him. 27 "These wicked people are fat and rich, 28 but their cities will be ruined. They will live in abandoned houses that are ready to tumble down. 29 They will not continue to be rich. Their wealth will not endure, and their possessions will no longer spread across the horizon. 30" They will not escape the darkness. The flame will burn them up, and the breath of God will destroy everything they have. 31 Let them no longer trust in empty riches. They are only fooling themselves, for emptiness will be their only reward. 32 They will be cut down in the prime of life, and all they counted on will disappear. 33 They will be like a vine whose grapes are harvested before they are ripe, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms so the fruit cannot form. 34 For the godless are barren. Their homes, enriched through bribery, will be consumed by fire. 35 They conceive trouble and evil, and their hearts give birth only to deceit. "


If the dead will not be raised, then what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why do it unless the dead will someday rise again? 30 And why should we ourselves be continually risking our lives, facing death hour by hour? 31 For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what the Lord Jesus Christ has done in you. 32 And what value was there in fighting wild beasts-- those men of Ephesus-- if there will be no resurrection from the dead? If there is no resurrection," Let's feast and get drunk,
for tomorrow we die! "
33 Don't be fooled by those who say such things, for" bad company corrupts good character. "34 Come to your senses and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don't even know God. 35 But someone may ask," How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have? "36 What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn't grow into a plant unless it dies first. 37 And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a dry little seed of wheat or whatever it is you are planting. 38 Then God gives it a new body-- just the kind he wants it to have. A different kind of plant grows from each kind of seed. 39 And just as there are different kinds of seeds and plants, so also there are different kinds of flesh-- whether of humans, animals, birds, or fish. 40 There are bodies in the heavens, and there are bodies on earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the beauty of the earthly bodies. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their beauty and brightness. 42 It is the same way for the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die. 43 Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power. 44 They are natural human bodies now, but when they are raised, they will be spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, so also there are spiritual bodies. 45 The Scriptures tell us," The first man, Adam, became a living person. "But the last Adam-- that is, Christ-- is a life- giving Spirit. 46 What came first was the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Every human being has an earthly body just like Adam's, but our heavenly bodies will be just like Christ's. 49 Just as we are now like Adam, the man of the earth, so we will someday be like Christ, the man from heaven. 50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These perishable bodies of ours are not able to live forever. 51 But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. 53 For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. 54 When this happens-- when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die-- then at last the Scriptures will come true:" Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting? "
56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord! 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.


For Jeduthun, the choir director:A psalm of David.
1 I said to myself," I will watch what I do
and not sin in what I say.
I will curb my tongue
when the ungodly are around me. "
2 But as I stood there in silence--
not even speaking of good things--
the turmoil within me grew to the bursting point.
3 My thoughts grew hot within me
and began to burn,
igniting a fire of words:
4" LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered,
and that my life is fleeing away.
5 My life is no longer than the width of my hand.
An entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
human existence is but a breath. "
Interlude6 We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth for someone else to spend.
7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
8 Rescue me from my rebellion,
for even fools mock me when I rebel.
9 I am silent before you; I won't say a word.
For my punishment is from you.
10 Please, don't punish me anymore!
I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
11 When you discipline people for their sins,
their lives can be crushed like the life of a moth.
Human existence is as frail as breath.
Interlude12 Hear my prayer, O LORD!
Listen to my cries for help!
Don't ignore my tears.
For I am your guest--
a traveler passing through,
as my ancestors were before me.
13 Spare me so I can smile again
before I am gone and exist no more.


Human plans, no matter how wise or well advised, cannot stand against the LORD. The horses are prepared for battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD

Reading through the Word.....Day 233

JOB 8:1- 11:20
1 CORINTHIANS 15:1- 28
PSALM 38:1- 22
PROVERBS 21:28- 29


Then Bildad the Shuhite replied to Job:2 "How long will you go on like this? Your words are a blustering wind. 3 Does God twist justice? Does the Almighty twist what is right? 4 Your children obviously sinned against him, so their punishment was well deserved. 5 But if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, 6 if you are pure and live with complete integrity, he will rise up and restore your happy home. 7 And though you started with little, you will end with much. 8" Just ask the former generation. Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors. 9 For we were born but yesterday and know so little. Our days on earth are as transient as a shadow. 10 But those who came before us will teach you. They will teach you from the wisdom of former generations. 11 "Can papyrus reeds grow where there is no marsh? Can bulrushes flourish where there is no water? 12 While they are still flowering, not ready to be cut, they begin to wither. 13 Such is the fate of all who forget God. The hope of the godless comes to nothing. 14 Everything they count on will collapse. They are leaning on a spiderweb. 15 They cling to their home for security, but it won't last. They try to hold it fast, but it will not endure. 16 The godless seem so strong, like a lush plant growing in the sunshine, its branches spreading across the garden. 17 Its roots grow down through a pile of rocks to hold it firm. 18 But when it is uprooted, it isn't even missed! 19 That is the end of its life, and others spring up from the earth to replace it. 20" But look! God will not reject a person of integrity, nor will he make evildoers prosper. 21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. 22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be destroyed. "9:1 THEN Job spoke again:2" Yes, I know this is all true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in the eyes of God? 3 If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times? 4 For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully? 5 "Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. 6 He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble. 7 If he commands it, the sun won't rise and the stars won't shine. 8 He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea. 9 He made all the stars-- the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky. 10 His great works are too marvelous to understand. He performs miracles without number. 11" Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves on, I do not see him go. 12 If he sends death to snatch someone away, who can stop him? Who dares to ask him, `What are you doing? '13 And God does not restrain his anger. The mightiest forces against him are crushed beneath his feet. 14 "And who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him? 15 Even if I were innocent, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy. 16 And even if I summoned him and he responded, he would never listen to me. 17 For he attacks me without reason, and he multiplies my wounds without cause. 18 He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows. 19 As for strength, he has it. As for justice, who can challenge him? 20 Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked. 21" I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me-- I despise my life. 22 Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to him. That is why I say, `He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.' 23 He laughs when a plague suddenly kills the innocent. 24 The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges and lets them be unfair. If not he, then who? 25 "My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away, filled with tragedy. 26 It disappears like a swift boat, like an eagle that swoops down on its prey. 27 If I decided to forget my complaints, if I decided to end my sadness and be cheerful, 28 I would dread all the pain he would send. For I know you will not hold me innocent, O God. 29 Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what's the use of trying? 30 Even if I were to wash myself with soap and cleanse my hands with lye to make them absolutely clean, 31 you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and I would be so filthy my own clothing would hate me. 32" God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. 33 If only there were a mediator who could bring us together, but there is none. 34 The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. 35 Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength. 10:1 "I AM disgusted with my life. Let me complain freely. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say to God, `Don't simply condemn me-- tell me the charge you are bringing against me. 3 What do you gain by oppressing me? Why do you reject me, the work of your own hands, while sending joy and prosperity to the wicked? 4 Are your eyes only those of a human? Do you see things as people see them? 5 Is your lifetime merely human? Is your life so short 6 that you are in a hurry to probe for my guilt, to search for my sin? 7 Although you know I am not guilty, no one can rescue me from your power. 8" `You formed me with your hands; you made me, and yet you completely destroy me. 9 Remember that I am made of dust-- will you turn me back to dust so soon? 10 You guided my conception and formed me in the womb. 11 You clothed me with skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together. 12 You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care. 13 "`Yet your real motive-- I know this was your intent-- 14 was to watch me, and if I sinned, you would not forgive my iniquity. 15 If I am guilty, too bad for me. And even if I'm innocent, I am filled with shame and misery so that I can't hold my head high. 16 And if I hold my head high, you hunt me like a lion and display your awesome power against me. 17 Again and again you witness against me. You pour out an ever- increasing volume of anger upon me and bring fresh armies against me. 18" `Why, then, did you bring me out of my mother's womb? Why didn't you let me die at birth? 19 Then I would have been spared this miserable existence. I would have gone directly from the womb to the grave. 20 I have only a little time left, so leave me alone-- that I may have a little moment of comfort 21 before I leave for the land of darkness and utter gloom, never to return. 22 It is a land as dark as midnight, a land of utter gloom where confusion reigns and the light is as dark as midnight. '"11:1 THEN Zophar the Naamathite replied to Job:2" Shouldn't someone answer this torrent of words? Is a person proved innocent just by talking a lot? 3 Should I remain silent while you babble on? When you mock God, shouldn't someone make you ashamed? 4 You claim, `My teaching is pure,' and `I am clean in the sight of God. '5 If only God would speak; if only he would tell you what he thinks! 6 If only he would tell you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom is not a simple matter. Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve! 7 "Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything there is to know about the Almighty? 8 Such knowledge is higher than the heavens-- but who are you? It is deeper than the underworld-- what can you know in comparison to him? 9 It is broader than the earth and wider than the sea. 10 If God comes along and puts a person in prison, or if he calls the court to order, who is going to stop him? 11 For he knows those who are false, and he takes note of all their sins. 12 An empty- headed person won't become wise any more than a wild donkey can bear human offspring! 13" If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer! 14 Get rid of your sins and leave all iniquity behind you. 15 Then your face will brighten in innocence. You will be strong and free of fear. 16 You will forget your misery. It will all be gone like water under the bridge. 17 Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Any darkness will be as bright as morning. 18 You will have courage because you will have hope. You will be protected and will rest in safety. 19 You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help. 20 But the wicked will lose hope. They have no escape. Their hope becomes despair. "


Now let me [Paul] remind you, dear brothers and sisters, *of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. 2 And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it-- unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me-- that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. 6 After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, I saw him, too, long after the others, as though I had been born at the wrong time. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles, and I am not worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted the church of God. 10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me-- and not without results. For I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 11 So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach. The important thing is that you believed what we preached to you. 12 But tell me this-- since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God, for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave, but that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ have perished! 19 And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world. 20 But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. 21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ. 22 Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection:Christ was raised first; then when Christ comes back, all his people will be raised. 24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having put down all enemies of every kind. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For the Scriptures say," God has given him authority over all things. "(Of course, when it says" authority over all things, "it does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28 Then, when he has conquered all things, the Son will present himself to God, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.


A psalm of David, to bring us to the LORD's remembrance.
1 O LORD, don't rebuke me in your anger!
Don't discipline me in your rage!
2 Your arrows have struck deep,
and your blows are crushing me.
3 Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;
my health is broken because of my sins.
4 My guilt overwhelms me--
it is a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and stink
because of my foolish sins.
6 I am bent over and racked with pain.
My days are filled with grief.
7 A raging fever burns within me,
and my health is broken.
8 I am exhausted and completely crushed.
My groans come from an anguished heart.
9 You know what I long for, Lord;
you hear my every sigh.
10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,
and I am going blind.
11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease.
Even my own family stands at a distance.
12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps for me;
they make plans to ruin me.
They think up treacherous deeds all day long.
13 But I am deaf to all their threats.
I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
14 I choose to hear nothing,
and I make no reply.
15 For I am waiting for you, O LORD.
You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
16 I prayed," Don't let my enemies gloat over me
or rejoice at my downfall. "
17 I am on the verge of collapse,
facing constant pain.
18 But I confess my sins;
I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
19 My enemies are many;
they hate me though I have done nothing against them.
20 They repay me evil for good
and oppose me because I stand for the right.
21 Do not abandon me, LORD.
Do not stand at a distance, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior.


A false witness will be cut off, but an attentive witness will be allowed to speak. The wicked put up a bold front, but the upright proceed with care

Reading through the Word.....Day 232

JOB 4:1- 7:21
1 CORINTHIANS 14:18- 40
PSALM 37:30- 40
PROVERBS 21:27


Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied to Job:2 "Will you be patient and let me say a word? For who could keep from speaking out? 3" In the past you have encouraged many a troubled soul to trust in God; you have supported those who were weak. 4 Your words have strengthened the fallen; you steadied those who wavered. 5 But now when trouble strikes, you faint and are broken. 6 Does your reverence for God give you no confidence? Shouldn't you believe that God will care for those who are upright? 7 "Stop and think! Does the innocent person perish? When has the upright person been destroyed? 8 My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same. 9 They perish by a breath from God. They vanish in a blast of his anger. 10 Though they are fierce young lions, they will all be broken and destroyed. 11 The fierce lion will starve, and the cubs of the lioness will be scattered. 12" This truth was given me in secret, as though whispered in my ear. 13 It came in a vision at night as others slept. 14 Fear gripped me; I trembled and shook with terror. 15 A spirit swept past my face. Its wind sent shivers up my spine. 16 It stopped, but I couldn't see its shape. There was a form before my eyes, and a hushed voice said, 17 `Can a mortal be just and upright before God? Can a person be pure before the Creator? '18 "If God cannot trust his own angels and has charged some of them with folly, 19 how much less will he trust those made of clay! Their foundation is dust, and they are crushed as easily as moths. 20 They are alive in the morning, but by evening they are dead, gone forever without a trace. 21 Their tent collapses; they die in ignorance. 5:1" YOU may cry for help, but no one listens. You may turn to the angels, but they give you no help. 2 Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple. 3 From my experience, I know that fools who turn from God may be successful for the moment, but then comes sudden disaster. 4 Their children are abandoned far from help, with no one to defend them. 5 Their harvests are stolen, and their wealth satisfies the thirst of many others, not themselves! 6 But evil does not spring from the soil, and trouble does not sprout from the earth. 7 People are born for trouble as predictably as sparks fly upward from a fire. 8 "My advice to you is this:Go to God and present your case to him. 9 For he does great works too marvelous to understand. He performs miracles without number. 10 He gives rain for the earth. He sends water for the fields. 11 He gives prosperity to the poor and humble, and he takes sufferers to safety. 12 He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so their efforts will not succeed. 13 He catches those who think they are wise in their own cleverness, so that their cunning schemes are thwarted. 14 They grope in the daylight as though they were blind; they see no better in the daytime than at night. 15 He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong. He saves them from the clutches of the powerful. 16 And so at last the poor have hope, and the fangs of the wicked are broken. 17" But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the chastening of the Almighty when you sin. 18 For though he wounds, he also bandages. He strikes, but his hands also heal. 19 He will rescue you again and again so that no evil can touch you. 20 He will save you from death in time of famine, from the power of the sword in time of war. 21 You will be safe from slander and will have no fear of destruction when it comes. 22 You will laugh at destruction and famine; wild animals will not terrify you. 23 You will be at peace with the stones of the field, and its wild animals will be at peace with you. 24 You will know that your home is kept safe. When you visit your pastures, nothing will be missing. 25 Your children will be many; your descendants will be as plentiful as grass! 26 You will live to a good old age. You will not be harvested until the proper time! 27 "We have found from experience that all this is true. Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself." 6:1 THEN Job spoke again:2 "If my sadness could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, 3 they would be heavier than all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke so rashly. 4 For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. He has sent his poisoned arrows deep within my spirit. All God's terrors are arrayed against me. 5 Don't I have a right to complain? Wild donkeys bray when they find no green grass, and oxen low when they have no food. 6 People complain when there is no salt in their food. And how tasteless is the uncooked white of an egg! 7 My appetite disappears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it! 8" Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant my hope. 9 I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me. 10 At least I can take comfort in this:Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One. 11 But I do not have the strength to endure. I do not have a goal that encourages me to carry on. 12 Do I have strength as hard as stone? Is my body made of bronze? 13 No, I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success. 14 "One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you have accused me without the slightest fear of the Almighty. 15 My brother, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook that overflows its banks in the spring 16 when it is swollen with ice and melting snow. 17 But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears. The brook vanishes in the heat. 18 The caravans turn aside to be refreshed, but there is nothing there to drink, and so they perish in the desert. 19 With high hopes, the caravans from Tema and from Sheba stop for water, 20 but finding none, their hopes are dashed. 21 You, too, have proved to be of no help. You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid. 22 But why? Have I ever asked you for a gift? Have I begged you to use any of your wealth on my behalf? 23 Have I ever asked you to rescue me from my enemies? Have I asked you to save me from ruthless people? 24" All I want is a reasonable answer-- then I will keep quiet. Tell me, what have I done wrong? 25 Honest words are painful, but what do your criticisms amount to? 26 Do you think your words are convincing when you disregard my cry of desperation? 27 You would even send an orphan into slavery or sell a friend. 28 Look at me! Would I lie to your face? 29 Stop assuming my guilt, for I am righteous. Don't be so unjust. 30 Do you think I am lying? Don't I know the difference between right and wrong? 7:1 "IS this not the struggle of all humanity? A person's life is long and hard, like that of a hired hand, 2 like a worker who longs for the day to end, like a servant waiting to be paid. 3 I, too, have been assigned months of futility, long and weary nights of misery. 4 When I go to bed, I think, `When will it be morning?' But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn. 5 My skin is filled with worms and scabs. My flesh breaks open, full of pus. 6" My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle flying back and forth. They end without hope. 7 O God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I will never again experience pleasure. 8 You see me now, but not for long. Your eyes will be on me, but I will be dead. 9 Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes, those who die will not come back. 10 They are gone forever from their home-- never to be seen again. 11 "I cannot keep from speaking. I must express my anguish. I must complain in my bitterness. 12 Am I a sea monster that you place a guard on me? 13 If I think, `My bed will comfort me, and I will try to forget my misery with sleep, '14 you shatter me with dreams. You terrify me with visions. 15 I would rather die of strangulation than go on and on like this. 16 I hate my life. I do not want to go on living. Oh, leave me alone for these few remaining days. 17" What are mere mortals, that you should make so much of us? 18 For you examine us every morning and test us every moment. 19 Why won't you leave me alone-- even for a moment? 20 Have I sinned? What have I done to you, O watcher of all humanity? Why have you made me your target? Am I a burden to you? 21 Why not just pardon my sin and take away my guilt? For soon I will lie down in the dust and die. When you look for me, I will be gone. "


I [Paul] thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in a church meeting I would much rather speak five understandable words that will help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language. 20 Dear brothers and sisters, don't be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature and wise in understanding matters of this kind. 21 It is written in the Scriptures," I will speak to my own people
through unknown languages
and through the lips of foreigners.
But even then, they will not listen to me, "
says the Lord.
22 So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23 Even so, if unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting and hear everyone talking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 24 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin, and they will be condemned by what you say. 25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be laid bare, and they will fall down on their knees and worship God, declaring," God is really here among you. "26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let's summarize what I am saying. When you meet, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in an unknown language, while another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must be useful to all and build them up in the Lord. 27 No more than two or three should speak in an unknown language. They must speak one at a time, and someone must be ready to interpret what they are saying. 28 But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately. 29 Let two or three prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. 30 But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop. 31 In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. 32 Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can wait their turn. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the other churches. 34 Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. 35 If they have any questions to ask, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings. 36 Do you think that the knowledge of God's word begins and ends with you Corinthians? Well, you are mistaken! 37 If you claim to be a prophet or think you are very spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself. 38 But if you do not recognize this, you will not be recognized. 39 So, dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don't forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.


The godly offer good counsel;
they know what is right from wrong.
31 They fill their hearts with God's law,
so they will never slip from his path.
32 Those who are evil spy on the godly,
waiting for an excuse to kill them.
33 But the LORD will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are brought before the judge.
34 Don't be impatient for the LORD to act!
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you, giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.
35 I myself have seen it happen--
proud and evil people thriving like mighty trees.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone!
Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future lies before those who love peace.
38 But the wicked will be destroyed;
they have no future.
39 The LORD saves the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in him.


God loathes the sacrifice of an evil person, especially when it is brought with ulterior motives

Reading through the Word.....Day 231

JOB 1:1- 3:26
1 CORINTHIANS 14:1- 17
PSALM 37:12- 29
PROVERBS 21:25- 26


There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and he employed many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area. 4 Every year when Job's sons had birthdays, they invited their brothers and sisters to join them for a celebration. On these occasions they would get together to eat and drink. 5 When these celebrations ended-- and sometimes they lasted several days-- Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, "Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular practice. 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan the Accuser came with them. 7 "Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan. And Satan answered the LORD, "I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that's going on." 8 Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth-- a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil." 9 Satan replied to the LORD, "Yes, Job fears God, but not without good reason! 10 You have always protected him and his home and his property from harm. You have made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!" 12 "All right, you may test him," the LORD said to Satan. "Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically." So Satan left the LORD's presence. 13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were dining at the oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger arrived at Job's home with this news:"Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 16 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news:"The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 17 While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news:"Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 18 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news:"Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother's home. 19 Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the desert and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground before God. 21 He said, "I came naked from my mother's womb,
and I will be stripped of everything when I die.
The LORD gave me everything I had,
and the LORD has taken it away.
Praise the name of the LORD!"
22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. 2:1 ONE day the angels came again to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan the Accuser came with them. 2 "Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan. And Satan answered the LORD, "I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that's going on." 3 Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth-- a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you persuaded me to harm him without cause." 4 Satan replied to the LORD, "Skin for skin-- he blesses you only because you bless him. A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!" 6 "All right, do with him as you please," the LORD said to Satan. "But spare his life." 7 So Satan left the LORD's presence, and he struck Job with a terrible case of boils from head to foot. 8 Then Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, "Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die." 10 But Job replied, "You talk like a godless woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" So in all this, Job said nothing wrong. 11 Three of Job's friends were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. When they heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. 12 When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to demonstrate their grief. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. And no one said a word, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words. 3:1 AT last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said:3 "Cursed be the day of my birth, and cursed be the night when I was conceived. 4 Let that day be turned to darkness. Let it be lost even to God on high, and let it be shrouded in darkness. 5 Yes, let the darkness and utter gloom claim it for its own. Let a black cloud overshadow it, and let the darkness terrify it. 6 Let that night be blotted off the calendar, never again to be counted among the days of the year, never again to appear among the months. 7 Let that night be barren. Let it have no joy. 8 Let those who are experts at cursing-- those who are ready to rouse the sea monster-- curse that day. 9 Let its morning stars remain dark. Let it hope for light, but in vain; may it never see the morning light. 10 Curse it for its failure to shut my mother's womb, for letting me be born to all this trouble. 11" Why didn't I die at birth as I came from the womb? 12 Why did my mother let me live? Why did she nurse me at her breasts? 13 For if I had died at birth, I would be at peace now, asleep and at rest. 14 I would rest with the world's kings and prime ministers, famous for their great construction projects. 15 I would rest with wealthy princes whose palaces were filled with gold and silver. 16 Why was I not buried like a stillborn child, like a baby who never lives to see the light? 17 For in death the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. 18 Even prisoners are at ease in death, with no guards to curse them. 19 Rich and poor are there alike, and the slave is free from his master. 20 "Oh, why should light be given to the weary, and life to those in misery? 21 They long for death, and it won't come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure. 22 It is a blessed relief when they finally die, when they find the grave. 23 Why is life given to those with no future, those destined by God to live in distress? 24 I cannot eat for sighing; my groans pour out like water. 25 What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come to be. 26 I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; instead, only trouble comes."


Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy. 2 For if your gift is the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking to God but not to people, since they won't be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 3 But one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them. 4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally in the Lord, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. 5 I wish you all had the gift of speaking in tongues, but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy. For prophecy is a greater and more useful gift than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church can get some good out of it. 6 Dear brothers and sisters, *if I should come to you talking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you some revelation or some special knowledge or some prophecy or some teaching-- that is what will help you. 7 Even musical instruments like the flute or the harp, though they are lifeless, are examples of the need for speaking in plain language. For no one will recognize the melody unless the notes are played clearly. 8 And if the bugler doesn't sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle? 9 And it's the same for you. If you talk to people in a language they don't understand, how will they know what you mean? You might as well be talking to an empty room. 10 There are so many different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them, 11 but to me they mean nothing. I will not understand people who speak those languages, and they will not understand me. 12 Since you are so eager to have spiritual gifts, ask God for those that will be of real help to the whole church. 13 So anyone who has the gift of speaking in tongues should pray also for the gift of interpretation in order to tell people plainly what has been said. 14 For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don't understand what I am saying. 15 Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand. 16 For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don't understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don't understand what you are saying? 17 You will be giving thanks very nicely, no doubt, but it doesn't help the other people present.


The wicked plot against the godly;
they snarl at them in defiance.
13 But the Lord just laughs,
for he sees their day of judgment coming.
14 The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
to slaughter those who do right.
15 But they will be stabbed through the heart with their own swords,
and their bows will be broken.
16 It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and possess much.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the LORD takes care of the godly.
18 Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive a reward that lasts forever.
19 They will survive through hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.
20 But the wicked will perish.
The LORD's enemies are like flowers in a field--
they will disappear like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.
22 Those blessed by the LORD will inherit the land,
but those cursed by him will die.
23 The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will not fall,
for the LORD holds them by the hand.
25 Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken,
nor seen their children begging for bread.
26 The godly always give generous loans to others,
and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will perish.
29 The godly will inherit the land
and will live there forever.


The desires of lazy people will be their ruin, for their hands refuse to work. They are always greedy for more, while the godly love to give