<p>Saturday 25 May 2024 <br>DAILY LECTIONARY<br><br><br>Email Evangelism, forward to a friend: http://www.dailylectionary.org<br><br><br>******************************************************************<br>Proverbs 8:22-36<br><br><br>The Lord created me at the beginning* of his work,*<br> the first of his acts of long ago. <br>Ages ago I was set up,<br> at the first, before the beginning of the earth. <br>When there were no depths I was brought forth,<br> when there were no springs abounding with water. <br>Before the mountains had been shaped,<br> before the hills, I was brought forth— <br>when he had not yet made earth and fields,*<br> or the world’s first bits of soil. <br>When he established the heavens, I was there,<br> when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, <br>when he made firm the skies above,<br> when he established the fountains of the deep, <br>when he assigned to the sea its limit,<br> so that the waters might not transgress his command,<br>when he marked out the foundations of the earth, <br> then I was beside him, like a master worker;*<br>and I was daily his* delight,<br> rejoicing before him always, <br>rejoicing in his inhabited world<br> and delighting in the human race. <br><br><br><br><br>‘And now, my children, listen to me:<br> happy are those who keep my ways. <br>Hear instruction and be wise,<br> and do not neglect it. <br>Happy is the one who listens to me,<br> watching daily at my gates,<br> waiting beside my doors. <br>For whoever finds me finds life<br> and obtains favour from the Lord; <br>but those who miss me injure themselves;<br> all who hate me love death.’<br>******************************************************************<br>3 John 1-15<br><br><br>The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.<br> Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. I was overjoyed when some of the friends* arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely, how you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.<br><br><br> Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the friends,* even though they are strangers to you; they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God; for they began their journey for the sake of Christ,* accepting no support from non-believers.* Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may become co-workers with the truth.<br> I have written something to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the friends,* and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church.<br><br><br> Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. Everyone has testified favourably about Demetrius, and so has the truth itself. We also testify for him,* and you know that our testimony is true.<br> I have much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink; instead I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.<br><br><br> Peace to you. The friends send you their greetings. Greet the friends there, each by name.<br>******************************************************************<br>Matthew 12:15-21<br><br><br>When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds* followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: <br>‘Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,<br> my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased.<br>I will put my Spirit upon him,<br> and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. <br>He will not wrangle or cry aloud,<br> nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. <br>He will not break a bruised reed<br> or quench a smouldering wick<br>until he brings justice to victory. <br> And in his name the Gentiles will hope.’ ******************************************************************<br>Morning Psalms: Psalm 20, 21:1-14<br><br><br>Psalm 20<br><br><br>The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!<br> The name of the God of Jacob protect you! <br>May he send you help from the sanctuary,<br> and give you support from Zion. <br>May he remember all your offerings,<br> and regard with favour your burnt sacrifices.<br> Selah <br><br><br><br><br>May he grant you your heart’s desire,<br> and fulfil all your plans. <br>May we shout for joy over your victory,<br> and in the name of our God set up our banners.<br>May the Lord fulfil all your petitions. <br><br><br><br><br>Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;<br> he will answer him from his holy heaven<br> with mighty victories by his right hand. <br>Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,<br> but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God. <br>They will collapse and fall,<br> but we shall rise and stand upright. <br><br><br><br><br>Give victory to the king, O Lord;<br> answer us when we call.*<br><br><br><br><br>Psalm 21:1-14 <br><br><br>In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord,<br> and in your help how greatly he exults! <br>You have given him his heart’s desire,<br> and have not withheld the request of his lips.<br> Selah <br>For you meet him with rich blessings;<br> you set a crown of fine gold on his head. <br>He asked you for life; you gave it to him—<br> length of days for ever and ever. <br>His glory is great through your help;<br> splendour and majesty you bestow on him. <br>You bestow on him blessings for ever;<br> you make him glad with the joy of your presence. <br>For the king trusts in the Lord,<br> and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.<br><br><br><br><br>Your hand will find out all your enemies;<br> your right hand will find out those who hate you. <br>You will make them like a fiery furnace<br> when you appear.<br>The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,<br> and fire will consume them. <br>You will destroy their offspring from the earth,<br> and their children from among humankind. <br>If they plan evil against you,<br> if they devise mischief, they will not succeed. <br>For you will put them to flight;<br> you will aim at their faces with your bows. <br><br><br><br><br>Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!<br> We will sing and praise your power.<br>******************************************************************<br>Evening Psalms: Psalm 110:1-7, 116, 117<br><br><br>Psalm 110:1-7<br><br><br>The Lord says to my lord,<br> ‘Sit at my right hand<br>until I make your enemies your footstool.’ <br><br><br><br><br>The Lord sends out from Zion<br> your mighty sceptre.<br> Rule in the midst of your foes. <br>Your people will offer themselves willingly<br> on the day you lead your forces<br> on the holy mountains.*<br>From the womb of the morning,<br> like dew, your youth* will come to you. <br>The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,<br> ‘You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.’* <br><br><br><br><br>The Lord is at your right hand;<br> he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. <br>He will execute judgement among the nations,<br> filling them with corpses;<br>he will shatter heads<br> over the wide earth. <br>He will drink from the stream by the path;<br> therefore he will lift up his head.<br><br><br><br><br>Psalm 116<br><br><br>I love the Lord, because he has heard<br> my voice and my supplications. <br>Because he inclined his ear to me,<br> therefore I will call on him as long as I live. <br>The snares of death encompassed me;<br> the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;<br> I suffered distress and anguish. <br>Then I called on the name of the Lord:<br> ‘O Lord, I pray, save my life!’ <br><br><br><br><br>Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;<br> our God is merciful. <br>The Lord protects the simple;<br> when I was brought low, he saved me. <br>Return, O my soul, to your rest,<br> for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. <br><br><br><br><br>For you have delivered my soul from death,<br> my eyes from tears,<br> my feet from stumbling. <br>I walk before the Lord<br> in the land of the living. <br>I kept my faith, even when I said,<br> ‘I am greatly afflicted’; <br>I said in my consternation,<br> ‘Everyone is a liar.’ <br><br><br><br><br>What shall I return to the Lord<br> for all his bounty to me? <br>I will lift up the cup of salvation<br> and call on the name of the Lord, <br>I will pay my vows to the Lord<br> in the presence of all his people. <br>Precious in the sight of the Lord<br> is the death of his faithful ones. <br>O Lord, I am your servant;<br> I am your servant, the child of your serving-maid.<br> You have loosed my bonds. <br>I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice<br> and call on the name of the Lord. <br>I will pay my vows to the Lord<br> in the presence of all his people, <br>in the courts of the house of the Lord,<br> in your midst, O Jerusalem.<br>Praise the Lord!<br><br><br><br><br>Psalm 117<br><br><br>Praise the Lord, all you nations!<br> Extol him, all you peoples! <br>For great is his steadfast love towards us,<br> and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.<br>Praise the Lord!<br>******************************************************************<br><br><br><br><br><br><br></p>