Grace Church
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Thursday, August 17, 2023

Faithfulness

Friday, April 25, 2025

Read

Psalm 115, Isaiah 44:6-11, Revelation 22:12-17 (NLT)

Psalm 115
Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
    but to your name goes all the glory
    for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Why let the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens,
    and he does as he wishes.
Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,
    shaped by human hands.
They have mouths but cannot speak,
    and eyes but cannot see.
They have ears but cannot hear,
    and noses but cannot smell.
They have hands but cannot feel,
    and feet but cannot walk,
    and throats but cannot make a sound.
And those who make idols are just like them,
    as are all who trust in them.

O Israel, trust the Lord!
    He is your helper and your shield.
O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!
    He is your helper and your shield.
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!
    He is your helper and your shield.

The Lord remembers us and will bless us.
    He will bless the people of Israel
    and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
He will bless those who fear the Lord,
    both great and lowly.

May the Lord richly bless
    both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
The heavens belong to the Lord,
    but he has given the earth to all humanity.
The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord,
    for they have gone into the silence of the grave.
But we can praise the Lord
    both now and forever!

Praise the Lord!

Isaiah 44:6-11
This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:

“I am the First and the Last;
    there is no other God.
Who is like me?
    Let him step forward and prove to you his power.
Let him do as I have done since ancient times
    when I established a people and explained its future.
Do not tremble; do not be afraid.
    Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago?
You are my witnesses—is there any other God?
    No! There is no other Rock—not one!”

How foolish are those who manufacture idols.
    These prized objects are really worthless.
The people who worship idols don’t know this,
    so they are all put to shame.
Who but a fool would make his own god—
    an idol that cannot help him one bit?
All who worship idols will be disgraced
    along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—
    who claim they can make a god.
They may all stand together,
    but they will stand in terror and shame.

Revelation 22:12-17
“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
A Dream of Heaven (p.342)

Meditate

This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6)


Pray

Almighty God, You have clearly revealed Yourself to us and yet we have refused to worship You. We are without excuse and worthy of Your holy wrath and righteous judgment. Forgive us for our idolatry and wandering. Thank you for sending Your Son to suffer in our place and to bring us back to You. Convict us by Your Spirit and enable us to walk in the wisdom of the Gospel and not the foolishness of our sin. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 17: What is Idolatry?
Answer: Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Monday, April 21, 2025

Read

Psalm 111, Isaiah 46:9-13, Luke 4:14-21 (NLT)

Psalm 111
Praise the Lord!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart
    as I meet with his godly people.
How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
    All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
    His righteousness never fails.
He causes us to remember his wonderful works.
    How gracious and merciful is our Lord!
He gives food to those who fear him;
    he always remembers his covenant.
He has shown his great power to his people
    by giving them the lands of other nations.
All he does is just and good,
    and all his commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true,
    to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
He has paid a full ransom for his people.
    He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
    What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
    All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever!

Isaiah 46:9-13
Remember the things I have done in the past.
    For I alone am God!
    I am God, and there is none like me.
Only I can tell you the future
    before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
    for I do whatever I wish.
I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—
    a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding.
I have said what I would do,
    and I will do it.

“Listen to me, you stubborn people
    who are so far from doing right.
For I am ready to set things right,
    not in the distant future, but right now!
I am ready to save Jerusalem
    and show my glory to Israel.”

Luke 4:14-21
Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
    that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
    and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
God to the Rescue (p.84)

Meditate

He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord! (Psalm 111:4)


Pray

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 17: What is Idolatry?
Answer: Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Friday, April 18, 2025

Read

Psalm 108, Genesis 3:14-24, Romans 8:35-39 (NLT)

Psalm 108
A song. A psalm of David.

My heart is confident in you, O God;
    no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
Wake up, lyre and harp!
    I will wake the dawn with my song.
I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
    I will sing your praises among the nations.
For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
    Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
    May your glory shine over all the earth.

Now rescue your beloved people.
    Answer and save us by your power.
God has promised this by his holiness:
“I will divide up Shechem with joy.
    I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine,
    and Manasseh, too.
Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors,
    and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant,
    and I will wipe my feet on Edom
    and shout in triumph over Philistia.”

Who will bring me into the fortified city?
    Who will bring me victory over Edom?
Have you rejected us, O God?
    Will you no longer march with our armies?
Oh, please help us against our enemies,
    for all human help is useless.
With God’s help we will do mighty things,
    for he will trample down our foes.

Genesis 3:14-24
Then the Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, you are cursed
    more than all animals, domestic and wild.
You will crawl on your belly,
    groveling in the dust as long as you live.
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”

Then he said to the woman,

“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,
    and in pain you will give birth.
And you will desire to control your husband,
    but he will rule over you.”

And to the man he said,

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
    whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
    All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
    though you will eat of its grains.
By the sweat of your brow
    will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
    from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
    and to dust you will return.”

Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Romans 8:35-39
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
Operation “No More Tears!” (p.144)

Meditate

My heart is confident in you, O God! (Psalm 108:1)

Pray

O God, have mercy on me. The Enemy prowls around like a lion seeking to devour me. His temptations are baited hooks and his accusations sharp as knives. Yet Your unfailing love and power have rescued me. Lord Jesus, You alone are righteous and good. Forgive me for my unbelief and shine the light of Your truth into my heart. You have crushed the Serpent and conquered my great Enemy at the cross. I am confident that You will deliver me, even from death. Enable me by Your Spirit to follow You in the way of justice and peace. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 16: What is Sin?
Answer: Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law—resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Read

Psalm 107, Numbers 23:17-23, 2 Timothy 2:8-13 (NLT)

Psalm 107
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
    Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
    from east and west,
    from north and south.

Some wandered in the wilderness,
    lost and homeless.
Hungry and thirsty,
    they nearly died.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he rescued them from their distress.
He led them straight to safety,
    to a city where they could live.
Let them praise the Lord for his great love
    and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
For he satisfies the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.

Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,
    imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
They rebelled against the words of God,
    scorning the counsel of the Most High.
That is why he broke them with hard labor;
    they fell, and no one was there to help them.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
    he snapped their chains.
Let them praise the Lord for his great love
    and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
For he broke down their prison gates of bronze;
    he cut apart their bars of iron.

Some were fools; they rebelled
    and suffered for their sins.
They couldn’t stand the thought of food,
    and they were knocking on death’s door.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them,
    snatching them from the door of death.
Let them praise the Lord for his great love
    and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
    and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

Some went off to sea in ships,
    plying the trade routes of the world.
They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
    his impressive works on the deepest seas.
He spoke, and the winds rose,
    stirring up the waves.
Their ships were tossed to the heavens
    and plunged again to the depths;
    the sailors cringed in terror.
They reeled and staggered like drunkards
    and were at their wits’ end.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
He calmed the storm to a whisper
    and stilled the waves.
What a blessing was that stillness
    as he brought them safely into harbor!
Let them praise the Lord for his great love
    and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
    and before the leaders of the nation.

He changes rivers into deserts,
    and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
    because of the wickedness of those who live there.
But he also turns deserts into pools of water,
    the dry land into springs of water.
He brings the hungry to settle there
    and to build their cities.
They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,
    and harvest their bumper crops.
How he blesses them!
    They raise large families there,
    and their herds of livestock increase.

When they decrease in number and become impoverished
    through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
the Lord pours contempt on their princes,
    causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
But he rescues the poor from trouble
    and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
The godly will see these things and be glad,
    while the wicked are struck silent.
Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
    they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.

Numbers 23:17-23
So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. “What did the Lord say?” Balak asked eagerly.

This was the message Balaam delivered:

“Rise up, Balak, and listen!
    Hear me, son of Zippor.
God is not a man, so he does not lie.
    He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
    Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
Listen, I received a command to bless;
    God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!
No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob;
    no trouble is in store for Israel.
For the Lord their God is with them;
    he has been proclaimed their king.
God brought them out of Egypt;
    for them he is as strong as a wild ox.
No curse can touch Jacob;
    no magic has any power against Israel.
For now it will be said of Jacob,
    ‘What wonders God has done for Israel!’”

2 Timothy 2:8-13
Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

This is a trustworthy saying:

If we die with him,
    we will also live with him.
If we endure hardship,
    we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
    he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful,
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot deny who he is.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
A Dark Night in the Garden (p.294)

Meditate

Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the LORD. (Psalm 107:43)


Pray

Heavenly Father, You are my Rock and my Defender. Forgive me for placing my hope in my own strength and not in Your grace. I am surrounded by the world, harassed by the Enemy, and tempted by my flesh. Raise up the banner of Christ before my eyes and remind me of Your promises. In him, I will be victorious. Yet, as I await the day of final victory, enable me by Your Spirit to carry out the good works you have for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 16: What is Sin?
Answer: Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law—resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Read

Psalm 106, Jeremiah 31:7-12, John 10:14-18 (NLT)

Psalm 106
Praise the Lord!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
    Who can ever praise him enough?
There is joy for those who deal justly with others
    and always do what is right.

Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people;
    come near and rescue me.
Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones.
    Let me rejoice in the joy of your people;
    let me praise you with those who are your heritage.

Like our ancestors, we have sinned.
    We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
Our ancestors in Egypt
    were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds.
They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.
    Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.
Even so, he saved them—
    to defend the honor of his name
    and to demonstrate his mighty power.
He commanded the Red Sea to dry up.
    He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.
So he rescued them from their enemies
    and redeemed them from their foes.
Then the water returned and covered their enemies;
    not one of them survived.
Then his people believed his promises.
    Then they sang his praise.

Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done!
    They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!
In the wilderness their desires ran wild,
    testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.
So he gave them what they asked for,
    but he sent a plague along with it.
The people in the camp were jealous of Moses
    and envious of Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest.
Because of this, the earth opened up;
    it swallowed Dathan
    and buried Abiram and the other rebels.
Fire fell upon their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.

The people made a calf at Mount Sinai;
    they bowed before an image made of gold.
They traded their glorious God
    for a statue of a grass-eating bull.
They forgot God, their savior,
    who had done such great things in Egypt—
such wonderful things in the land of Ham,
    such awesome deeds at the Red Sea.
So he declared he would destroy them.
    But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people.
    He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them.

The people refused to enter the pleasant land,
    for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them.
Instead, they grumbled in their tents
    and refused to obey the Lord.
Therefore, he solemnly swore
    that he would kill them in the wilderness,
that he would scatter their descendants among the nations,
    exiling them to distant lands.

Then our ancestors joined in the worship of Baal at Peor;
    they even ate sacrifices offered to the dead!
They angered the Lord with all these things,
    so a plague broke out among them.
But Phinehas had the courage to intervene,
    and the plague was stopped.
So he has been regarded as a righteous man
    ever since that time.

At Meribah, too, they angered the Lord,
    causing Moses serious trouble.
They made Moses angry,
    and he spoke foolishly.

Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land,
    as the Lord had commanded them.
Instead, they mingled among the pagans
    and adopted their evil customs.
They worshiped their idols,
    which led to their downfall.
They even sacrificed their sons
    and their daughters to the demons.
They shed innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons and daughters.
By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan,
    they polluted the land with murder.
They defiled themselves by their evil deeds,
    and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight.

That is why the Lord’s anger burned against his people,
    and he abhorred his own special possession.
He handed them over to pagan nations,
    and they were ruled by those who hated them.
Their enemies crushed them
    and brought them under their cruel power.
Again and again he rescued them,
    but they chose to rebel against him,
    and they were finally destroyed by their sin.
Even so, he pitied them in their distress
    and listened to their cries.
He remembered his covenant with them
    and relented because of his unfailing love.
He even caused their captors
    to treat them with kindness.

Save us, O Lord our God!
    Gather us back from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
    and rejoice and praise you.

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting!
Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord!

Jeremiah 31:7-12
Now this is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Israel.
    Shout for the greatest of nations!
Shout out with praise and joy:
‘Save your people, O Lord,
    the remnant of Israel!’
For I will bring them from the north
    and from the distant corners of the earth.
I will not forget the blind and lame,
    the expectant mothers and women in labor.
    A great company will return!
Tears of joy will stream down their faces,
    and I will lead them home with great care.
They will walk beside quiet streams
    and on smooth paths where they will not stumble.
For I am Israel’s father,
    and Ephraim is my oldest child.

“Listen to this message from the Lord,
    you nations of the world;
    proclaim it in distant coastlands:
The Lord, who scattered his people,
    will gather them and watch over them
    as a shepherd does his flock.
For the Lord has redeemed Israel
    from those too strong for them.
They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem.
    They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts—
the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil,
    and the healthy flocks and herds.
Their life will be like a watered garden,
    and all their sorrows will be gone.”

John 10:14-18
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Good Shepherd (p.130)

Meditate

Save us, O LORD our God! Gather us back from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you. (Psalm 106:47)


Pray

Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep of your flock. You know us by name and have called us to your side. Forgive us for doubting your goodness and wandering away in pride. At the cross you gave Your life for us and proved that you will not abandon us. Thank you for giving us ears to hear your voice. Enable us by the Spirit to follow you wherever you lead and trust your provision and protection. In your name we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 16: What is Sin?
Answer: Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law—resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Read

Psalm 105, Deuteronomy 7:7-11, Hebrews 6:13-20 (NLT)

Psalm 105
Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
    Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
    Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name;
    rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
Search for the Lord and for his strength;
    continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
you children of his servant Abraham,
    you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

He is the Lord our God.
    His justice is seen throughout the land.
He always stands by his covenant—
    the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
This is the covenant he made with Abraham
    and the oath he swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
“I will give you the land of Canaan
    as your special possession.”

He said this when they were few in number,
    a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
They wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
    He warned kings on their behalf:
“Do not touch my chosen people,
    and do not hurt my prophets.”

He called for a famine on the land of Canaan,
    cutting off its food supply.
Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them—
    Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
They bruised his feet with fetters
    and placed his neck in an iron collar.
Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,
    the Lord tested Joseph’s character.
Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free;
    the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household;
    he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.
He could instruct the king’s aides as he pleased
    and teach the king’s advisers.

Then Israel arrived in Egypt;
    Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
And the Lord multiplied the people of Israel
    until they became too mighty for their enemies.
Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites,
    and they plotted against the Lord’s servants.

But the Lord sent his servant Moses,
    along with Aaron, whom he had chosen.
They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians,
    and wonders in the land of Ham.
The Lord blanketed Egypt in darkness,
    for they had defied his commands to let his people go.
He turned their water into blood,
    poisoning all the fish.
Then frogs overran the land
    and even invaded the king’s bedrooms.
When the Lord spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians,
    and gnats swarmed across Egypt.
He sent them hail instead of rain,
    and lightning flashed over the land.
He ruined their grapevines and fig trees
    and shattered all the trees.
He spoke, and hordes of locusts came—
    young locusts beyond number.
They ate up everything green in the land,
    destroying all the crops in their fields.
Then he killed the oldest son in each Egyptian home,
    the pride and joy of each family.

The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold;
    and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled.
Egypt was glad when they were gone,
    for they feared them greatly.
The Lord spread a cloud above them as a covering
    and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.
They asked for meat, and he sent them quail;
    he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven.
He split open a rock, and water gushed out
    to form a river through the dry wasteland.
For he remembered his sacred promise
    to his servant Abraham.
So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy,
    his chosen ones with rejoicing.
He gave his people the lands of pagan nations,
    and they harvested crops that others had planted.
All this happened so they would follow his decrees
    and obey his instructions.

Praise the Lord!

Deuteronomy 7:7-11
“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”

Hebrews 6:13-20
For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:

“I will certainly bless you,
    and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.”

Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
Son of Laughter (p.56)

Meditate

The LORD always stands by his covenant—the commitment he made to a thousand generations. (Psalm 105:8)


Pray

O God, You are worthy of our trust. From the days of Abraham, You have shown Yourself to be faithful to Your promises. Forgive us for placing our hope in self-righteousness instead of the gift of righteousness You give us in Christ. Thank You for calling us out of the world and adopting us as Your children. Enable us by Your Spirit to walk faithfully in all that You have promised. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 16: What is Sin?
Answer: Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law—resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation.

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Thursday, April 10, 2025

Read

Psalm 100, Isaiah 40:1-11, John 10:1-16 (NLT)

Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
    Worship the Lord with gladness.
    Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
    He made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Isaiah 40:1-11
“Comfort, comfort my people,”
    says your God.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.
Tell her that her sad days are gone
    and her sins are pardoned.
Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over
    for all her sins.”

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
    for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God!
Fill in the valleys,
    and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
    and smooth out the rough places.
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
    The Lord has spoken!”

A voice said, “Shout!”
    I asked, “What should I shout?”

“Shout that people are like the grass.
    Their beauty fades as quickly
    as the flowers in a field.
The grass withers and the flowers fade
    beneath the breath of the Lord.
    And so it is with people.
The grass withers and the flowers fade,
    but the word of our God stands forever.”

O Zion, messenger of good news,
    shout from the mountaintops!
Shout it louder, O Jerusalem.
    Shout, and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah,
    “Your God is coming!”
Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
    He will rule with a powerful arm.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
    He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
    He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

John 10:1-16
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Good Shepherd (p.130)

Meditate

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. (Isaiah 40:11)


Pray

Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep of your flock. You know us by name and have called us to your side. Forgive us for doubting your goodness and wandering away in pride. At the cross, you gave Your life for us and proved that you will not abandon us. Thank you for giving us ears to hear your voice. Enable us by the Spirit to follow you wherever you lead and trust your provision and protection. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 15: Since No One Can Keep the Law, What Is Its Purpose?
Answer: That we may know the holy nature and will of God, and the sinful nature and disobedience of our hearts; and thus our need of a Savior. The law also teaches and exhorts us to live a life worthy of our Savior.

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Friday, April 4, 2025

Read

Psalm 94, Lamentations 3:19-32, 1 Peter 2:19-25 (NLT)

Psalm 94
O Lord, the God of vengeance,
    O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth!
Arise, O Judge of the earth.
    Give the proud what they deserve.
How long, O Lord?
    How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?
How long will they speak with arrogance?
    How long will these evil people boast?
They crush your people, Lord,
    hurting those you claim as your own.
They kill widows and foreigners
    and murder orphans.
“The Lord isn’t looking,” they say,
    “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.”

Think again, you fools!
    When will you finally catch on?
Is he deaf—the one who made your ears?
    Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes?
He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you?
    He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?
The Lord knows people’s thoughts;
    he knows they are worthless!

Joyful are those you discipline, Lord,
    those you teach with your instructions.
You give them relief from troubled times
    until a pit is dug to capture the wicked.
The Lord will not reject his people;
    he will not abandon his special possession.
Judgment will again be founded on justice,
    and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.

Who will protect me from the wicked?
    Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Unless the Lord had helped me,
    I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.
I cried out, “I am slipping!”
    but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind,
    your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side—
    leaders whose decrees permit injustice?
They gang up against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent to death.
But the Lord is my fortress;
    my God is the mighty rock where I hide.
God will turn the sins of evil people back on them.
    He will destroy them for their sins.
    The Lord our God will destroy them.

Lamentations 3:19-32
The thought of my suffering and homelessness
    is bitter beyond words.
I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!”

The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
    to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
    for salvation from the Lord.
And it is good for people to submit at an early age
    to the yoke of his discipline:

Let them sit alone in silence
    beneath the Lord’s demands.
Let them lie face down in the dust,
    for there may be hope at last.
Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them
    and accept the insults of their enemies.

For no one is abandoned
    by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
    because of the greatness of his unfailing love.

1 Peter 2:19-25
For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

He never sinned,
    nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
    nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
    who always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins
    in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
    and live for what is right.
By his wounds
    you are healed.
Once you were like sheep
    who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
    the Guardian of your souls.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Sun Stops Shining (p.302)

Meditate

No one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. (Lamentations 3:31-32)


Pray

God Almighty, You love righteousness and justice. No evil is hidden from Your sight and vengeance always is Yours. Forgive us for the corruption in our own hearts and the evils we commit. Lord Jesus, only You have lived for God as we ought. Thank you for taking our sin upon yourself and delivering us from God’s holy wrath. Empower us by Your Spirit to crucify the flesh and to love mercy, seek justice, and walk humbly with our God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 14: Did God Create Us Unable To Keep His Law?
Answer: No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.

New to Daily Worship?

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Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Read

Psalm 92, Isaiah 55:6-13, Romans 5:1-11 (NLT)

Psalm 92
A psalm. A song to be sung on the Sabbath Day.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to the Most High.
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
    your faithfulness in the evening,
accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp,
    and the melody of a lyre.

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
    I sing for joy because of what you have done.
O Lord, what great works you do!
    And how deep are your thoughts.
Only a simpleton would not know,
    and only a fool would not understand this:
Though the wicked sprout like weeds
    and evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.

But you, O Lord, will be exalted forever.
Your enemies, Lord, will surely perish;
    all evildoers will be scattered.
But you have made me as strong as a wild ox.
    You have anointed me with the finest oil.
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
    my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.
But the godly will flourish like palm trees
    and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
    They flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
    they will remain vital and green.
They will declare, “The Lord is just!
    He is my rock!
    There is no evil in him!”

Isaiah 55:6-13
Seek the Lord while you can find him.
    Call on him now while he is near.
Let the wicked change their ways
    and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
    Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
    and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
    producing seed for the farmer
    and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.
    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
    and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
You will live in joy and peace.
    The mountains and hills will burst into song,
    and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.
    Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name;
    they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

Romans 5:1-11
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Servant King (p.286)

Meditate

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” (Isaiah 55:8)


Pray

Lord Jesus, you alone are our righteous Judge and sovereign King. We praise you for your love toward us displayed on the cross. Though we sinned against you and made ourselves your enemies, you looked upon us with mercy and grace. Forgive us for being slow to forgive those who have sinned against us. Enable us by Your Spirit to embrace the way of the cross and to do good to those who hurt us. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 14: Did God Create Us Unable To Keep His Law?
Answer: No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.

New to Daily Worship?

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Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Read

Psalm 91, Isaiah 51:11-16, Matthew 10:24-31 (NLT)

Psalm 91
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.

If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

Isaiah 51:11-16
Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
    They will enter Jerusalem singing,
    crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
    and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

“I, yes I, am the one who comforts you.
    So why are you afraid of mere humans,
    who wither like the grass and disappear?
Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator,
    the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy
    and laid the foundations of the earth.
Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors?
    Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies?
Where is their fury and anger now?
    It is gone!
Soon all you captives will be released!
    Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate!
For I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar.
    My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
And I have put my words in your mouth
    and hidden you safely in my hand.
I stretched out the sky like a canopy
    and laid the foundations of the earth.
I am the one who says to Israel,
    ‘You are my people!’”

Matthew 10:24-31
“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!

“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Singer (p.228)

Meditate

Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it... so don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. (Matthew 10:29,31)


Pray

Heavenly Father, You are my Rock and my Defender. Thank You for turning Your compassionate eyes to my great need. Forgive me for placing my hope in my own strength and not in Your grace. When I feel surrounded by the world, harassed by the Enemy, or tempted by my flesh, raise up the banner of Christ before my eyes and remind me of Your promises. In Him, You have rescued me and will provide every need. As I await the day of final victory, enable me by Your Spirit to walk faithfully in the way of the cross. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

QQuestion 14: Did God Create Us Unable to Keep His Law?

Answer: No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.

New to Daily Worship?

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Sunday, March 30, 2025

Read

Psalm 89, 2 Samuel 7:8-16, Hebrews 6:16-20 (NLT)

Psalm 89
A psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite.

I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!
    Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.
Your unfailing love will last forever.
    Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.

The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant.
    I have sworn this oath to him:
‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever;
    they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’” Interlude
All heaven will praise your great wonders, Lord;
    myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.
For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord?
    What mightiest angel is anything like the Lord?
The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God.
    He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne.
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies!
    Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord?
    You are entirely faithful.

You rule the oceans.
    You subdue their storm-tossed waves.
You crushed the great sea monster.
    You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;
    everything in the world is yours—you created it all.
You created north and south.
    Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name.
Powerful is your arm!
    Strong is your hand!
    Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
    Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
    for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.
    They exult in your righteousness.
You are their glorious strength.
    It pleases you to make us strong.
Yes, our protection comes from the Lord,
    and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.

Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful people.
You said, “I have raised up a warrior.
    I have selected him from the common people to be king.
I have found my servant David.
    I have anointed him with my holy oil.
I will steady him with my hand;
    with my powerful arm I will make him strong.
His enemies will not defeat him,
    nor will the wicked overpower him.
I will beat down his adversaries before him
    and destroy those who hate him.
My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him,
    and by my authority he will grow in power.
I will extend his rule over the sea,
    his dominion over the rivers.
And he will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
    my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
I will make him my firstborn son,
    the mightiest king on earth.
I will love him and be kind to him forever;
    my covenant with him will never end.
I will preserve an heir for him;
    his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven.
But if his descendants forsake my instructions
    and fail to obey my regulations,
if they do not obey my decrees
    and fail to keep my commands,
then I will punish their sin with the rod,
    and their disobedience with beating.
But I will never stop loving him
    nor fail to keep my promise to him.
No, I will not break my covenant;
    I will not take back a single word I said.
I have sworn an oath to David,
    and in my holiness I cannot lie:
His dynasty will go on forever;
    his kingdom will endure as the sun.
It will be as eternal as the moon,
    my faithful witness in the sky!” Interlude

But now you have rejected him and cast him off.
    You are angry with your anointed king.
You have renounced your covenant with him;
    you have thrown his crown in the dust.
You have broken down the walls protecting him
    and ruined every fort defending him.
Everyone who comes along has robbed him,
    and he has become a joke to his neighbors.
You have strengthened his enemies
    and made them all rejoice.
You have made his sword useless
    and refused to help him in battle.
You have ended his splendor
    and overturned his throne.
You have made him old before his time
    and publicly disgraced him. Interlude

O Lord, how long will this go on?
    Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your anger burn like fire?
Remember how short my life is,
    how empty and futile this human existence!
No one can live forever; all will die.
    No one can escape the power of the grave. Interlude

Lord, where is your unfailing love?
    You promised it to David with a faithful pledge.
Consider, Lord, how your servants are disgraced!
    I carry in my heart the insults of so many people.
Your enemies have mocked me, O Lord;
    they mock your anointed king wherever he goes.

Praise the Lord forever!
    Amen and amen!

2 Samuel 7:8-16
“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

Hebrews 6:16-20
Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The King of All Kings (p.192)

Meditate

No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said. (Psalm 89:34)


Pray

O God, You are worthy of our trust. From the beginning until today, You have shown Yourself to be faithful to Your promises. Forgive us for doubting Your Word and following paths that lead away from Your Kingdom. Thank You for delivering us from the Kingdom of Darkness and into the light of Your Son. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to rest in Your unfailing love and root our hope in Your promises. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 14: Did God Create Us Unable to Keep His Law?

Answer: No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.

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Thursday, March 27, 2025

Read

Psalm 86, Exodus 34:5-10, Hebrews 1:1-3 (NLT)

Psalm 86
A prayer of David.

Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;
    answer me, for I need your help.
Protect me, for I am devoted to you.
    Save me, for I serve you and trust you.
    You are my God.
Be merciful to me, O Lord,
    for I am calling on you constantly.
Give me happiness, O Lord,
    for I give myself to you.
O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
    so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;
    hear my urgent cry.
I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,
    and you will answer me.

No pagan god is like you, O Lord.
    None can do what you do!
All the nations you made
    will come and bow before you, Lord;
    they will praise your holy name.
For you are great and perform wonderful deeds.
    You alone are God.

Teach me your ways, O Lord,
    that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
    so that I may honor you.
With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
    I will give glory to your name forever,
 for your love for me is very great.
    You have rescued me from the depths of death.

 O God, insolent people rise up against me;
    a violent gang is trying to kill me.
    You mean nothing to them.
 But you, O Lord,
    are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
 Look down and have mercy on me.
    Give your strength to your servant;
    save me, the son of your servant.
 Send me a sign of your favor.
    Then those who hate me will be put to shame,
    for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.

Exodus 34:5-10
Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,

“Yahweh! The Lord!
    The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
    I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
    I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—
    even children in the third and fourth generations.”

Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.  And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.”

The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you.

Hebrews 1:1-3
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
God’s Messenger (p.160)

Meditate

You, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15)

Pray

O Lord, You are our Rock and our Redeemer. You have laid the foundations of the world and all creation points to You. We thank you for revealing Yourself to us in Your Word. Every page points to Your Son, our Savior and King. Forgive us for ignoring and rejecting such a vast and glorious testimony. Enable us by Your Spirit this today to celebrate your grace and to delight in Your will for our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 13: Can Anyone Keep the Law of God Perfectly?

Answer: Since the fall, no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed.

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Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Read

Psalm 78, Deuteronomy 6:4-8, 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT)

Psalm 78
A psalm of Asaph.

O my people, listen to my instructions.
    Open your ears to what I am saying,
    for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
    stories we have heard and known,
    stories our ancestors handed down to us.
We will not hide these truths from our children;
    we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
    about his power and his mighty wonders.
For he issued his laws to Jacob;
    he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
    to teach them to their children,
so the next generation might know them—
    even the children not yet born—
    and they in turn will teach their own children.
So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
    not forgetting his glorious miracles
    and obeying his commands.
Then they will not be like their ancestors—
    stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
    refusing to give their hearts to God.

The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
    turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.
They did not keep God’s covenant
    and refused to live by his instructions.
They forgot what he had done—
    the great wonders he had shown them,
the miracles he did for their ancestors
    on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
For he divided the sea and led them through,
    making the water stand up like walls!
In the daytime he led them by a cloud,
    and all night by a pillar of fire.
He split open the rocks in the wilderness
    to give them water, as from a gushing spring.
He made streams pour from the rock,
    making the waters flow down like a river!

Yet they kept on sinning against him,
    rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
They stubbornly tested God in their hearts,
    demanding the foods they craved.
They even spoke against God himself, saying,
    “God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
    but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”
When the Lord heard them, he was furious.
    The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob.
    Yes, his anger rose against Israel,
for they did not believe God
    or trust him to care for them.
But he commanded the skies to open;
    he opened the doors of heaven.
He rained down manna for them to eat;
    he gave them bread from heaven.
They ate the food of angels!
    God gave them all they could hold.
He released the east wind in the heavens
    and guided the south wind by his mighty power.
He rained down meat as thick as dust—
    birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore!
He caused the birds to fall within their camp
    and all around their tents.
The people ate their fill.
    He gave them what they craved.
But before they satisfied their craving,
    while the meat was yet in their mouths,
the anger of God rose against them,
    and he killed their strongest men.
    He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men.

But in spite of this, the people kept sinning.
    Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him.
So he ended their lives in failure,
    their years in terror.
When God began killing them,
    they finally sought him.
    They repented and took God seriously.
Then they remembered that God was their rock,
    that God Most High was their redeemer.
But all they gave him was lip service;
    they lied to him with their tongues.
Their hearts were not loyal to him.
    They did not keep his covenant.
Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins
    and did not destroy them all.
Many times he held back his anger
    and did not unleash his fury!
For he remembered that they were merely mortal,
    gone like a breath of wind that never returns.

Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
    and grieved his heart in that dry wasteland.
Again and again they tested God’s patience
    and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember his power
    and how he rescued them from their enemies.
They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt,
    his wonders on the plain of Zoan.
For he turned their rivers into blood,
    so no one could drink from the streams.
He sent vast swarms of flies to consume them
    and hordes of frogs to ruin them.
He gave their crops to caterpillars;
    their harvest was consumed by locusts.
He destroyed their grapevines with hail
    and shattered their sycamore-figs with sleet.
He abandoned their cattle to the hail,
    their livestock to bolts of lightning.
He loosed on them his fierce anger—
    all his fury, rage, and hostility.
He dispatched against them
    a band of destroying angels.
He turned his anger against them;
    he did not spare the Egyptians’ lives
    but ravaged them with the plague.
He killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family,
    the flower of youth throughout the land of Egypt.
But he led his own people like a flock of sheep,
    guiding them safely through the wilderness.
He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
    but the sea covered their enemies.
He brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to this land of hills he had won for them.
He drove out the nations before them;
    he gave them their inheritance by lot.
    He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High.
    They did not obey his laws.
They turned back and were as faithless as their parents.
    They were as undependable as a crooked bow.
They angered God by building shrines to other gods;
    they made him jealous with their idols.
When God heard them, he was very angry,
    and he completely rejected Israel.
Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh,
    the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people.
He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured;
    he surrendered his glory into enemy hands.
He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword,
    because he was so angry with his own people—his special possession.
Their young men were killed by fire;
    their young women died before singing their wedding songs.
Their priests were slaughtered,
    and their widows could not mourn their deaths.

Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep,
    like a warrior aroused from a drunken stupor.
He routed his enemies
    and sent them to eternal shame.
But he rejected Joseph’s descendants;
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
He chose instead the tribe of Judah,
    and Mount Zion, which he loved.
There he built his sanctuary as high as the heavens,
    as solid and enduring as the earth.
He chose his servant David,
    calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
    and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
    God’s own people, Israel.
He cared for them with a true heart
    and led them with skillful hands.

Deuteronomy 6:4-8
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.

2 Corinthians 1:20
For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Story and the Song (p.12)

Meditate

Each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. (Psalm 78:7)

Pray

O God, You are worthy of our trust. From the beginning until today, You have shown Yourself to be faithful to Your promises. Forgive us for doubting Your Word and following paths that lead away from Your Kingdom. Thank You for delivering us from the Kingdom of Darkness and into the light of Your Son. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to faithfully walk toward all that You have promised and raise the next generation to hope in You. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 12: What Does God Require in the Ninth and Tenth Commandments?

Answer: Ninth, that we do not lie or deceive, but speak the truth in love. Tenth, that we are content, not envying anyone or resenting what God has given them or us.

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Monday, March 17, 2025

Read

Psalm 76, Daniel 10:1-14, Revelation 1:9-19 (NLT)

Psalm 76
For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph. A song to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

God is honored in Judah;
    his name is great in Israel.
Jerusalem is where he lives;
    Mount Zion is his home.
There he has broken the fiery arrows of the enemy,
    the shields and swords and weapons of war. Interlude

You are glorious and more majestic
    than the everlasting mountains.
Our boldest enemies have been plundered.
    They lie before us in the sleep of death.
    No warrior could lift a hand against us.
At the blast of your breath, O God of Jacob,
    their horses and chariots lay still.

No wonder you are greatly feared!
    Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?
From heaven you sentenced your enemies;
    the earth trembled and stood silent before you.
You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God,
    and to rescue the oppressed of the earth. Interlude
Human defiance only enhances your glory,
    for you use it as a weapon.

Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them.
    Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One.
For he breaks the pride of princes,
    and the kings of the earth fear him.

Daniel 10:1-14
In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship.

When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.

On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.

Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.

Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”

Revelation 1:9-19
I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

“Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
A Dream of Heaven (p.342)

Meditate

“Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” (Revelation 1:17-18)


Pray

Lord Jesus, You are God’s Anointed King. You have conquered death through the cross and given us the promise of eternal life through Your resurrection. Forgive us for forgetting all that You have accomplished. Even as the world runs to their weak gods and reels in anxiety, we know that You are always with us and that we will not be shaken. By Your Spirit, abide with us today and enable us to make Your invisible Kingdom visible for Your glory and the good of our neighbors. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 12: What Does God Require in the Ninth and Tenth Commandments?

Answer: Ninth, that we do not lie or deceive, but speak the truth in love. Tenth, that we are content, not envying anyone or resenting what God has given them or us.

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Saturday, March 15, 2025

Read

Psalm 74, Ezekiel 34:22-31, 2 Peter 3:8-13 (NLT)

Psalm 74
A psalm of Asaph.

O God, why have you rejected us so long?
    Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture?
Remember that we are the people you chose long ago,
    the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession!
    And remember Jerusalem, your home here on earth.
Walk through the awful ruins of the city;
    see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary.

There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries;
    there they set up their battle standards.
They swung their axes
    like woodcutters in a forest.
With axes and picks,
    they smashed the carved paneling.
They burned your sanctuary to the ground.
    They defiled the place that bears your name.
Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!”
    So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped.

We no longer see your miraculous signs.
    All the prophets are gone,
    and no one can tell us when it will end.
How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you?
    Will you let them dishonor your name forever?
Why do you hold back your strong right hand?
    Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them.

You, O God, are my king from ages past,
    bringing salvation to the earth.
You split the sea by your strength
    and smashed the heads of the sea monsters.
You crushed the heads of Leviathan
    and let the desert animals eat him.
You caused the springs and streams to gush forth,
    and you dried up rivers that never run dry.
Both day and night belong to you;
    you made the starlight and the sun.
You set the boundaries of the earth,
    and you made both summer and winter.

See how these enemies insult you, Lord.
    A foolish nation has dishonored your name.
Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves.
    Don’t forget your suffering people forever.

Remember your covenant promises,
    for the land is full of darkness and violence!
Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again.
    Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name.

Arise, O God, and defend your cause.
    Remember how these fools insult you all day long.
Don’t overlook what your enemies have said
    or their growing uproar.

Ezekiel 34:22-31
So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused. I will judge between one animal of the flock and another. And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!

“I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the Lord. They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will frighten them.

“And I will make their land famous for its crops, so my people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations. In this way, they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign Lord. You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”


2 Peter 3:8-13
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.


Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Good Shepherd (p.130)

Meditate

I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused. (Ezekiel 34:22)


Pray

God of all grace, You are our good Shepherd. Though the world is filled with sin and uncertainty, we know that Your love is sure. In Christ, You sought us when we were in our sin and brought us home in Your merciful arms. When we are tempted to fear and forget remind us that we are completely safe and secure in Christ. As we walk through dark valleys, enable us by Your Spirit to hope in Your promises and rest in Your unfailing love. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 11: What Does God Require in the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Commandments?

Answer: Sixth, that we do not hurt, or hate, or be hostile to our neighbor, but be patient and peaceful, pursuing even our enemies with love. Seventh, that we abstain from sexual immorality and live purely and faithfully, whether in marriage or in single life, avoiding all impure actions, looks, words, thoughts, or desires, and whatever might lead to them. Eighth, that we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else, nor withhold any good from someone we might benefit.

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Friday, March 14, 2025

Read

Psalm 73, Isaiah 43:1-7, Romans 8:31-37 (NLT)

Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.

Truly God is good to Israel,
    to those whose hearts are pure.
But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
    My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
For I envied the proud
    when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
They seem to live such painless lives;
    their bodies are so healthy and strong.
They don’t have troubles like other people;
    they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
    and clothe themselves with cruelty.
These fat cats have everything
    their hearts could ever wish for!
They scoff and speak only evil;
    in their pride they seek to crush others.
They boast against the very heavens,
    and their words strut throughout the earth.
And so the people are dismayed and confused,
    drinking in all their words.
“What does God know?” they ask.
    “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
Look at these wicked people—
    enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
    Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
I get nothing but trouble all day long;
    every morning brings me pain.

If I had really spoken this way to others,
    I would have been a traitor to your people.
So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
    But what a difficult task it is!
Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
    and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
Truly, you put them on a slippery path
    and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
In an instant they are destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors.
When you arise, O Lord,
    you will laugh at their silly ideas
    as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
    and I was all torn up inside.
I was so foolish and ignorant—
    I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
Yet I still belong to you;
    you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
    leading me to a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
    I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
    but God remains the strength of my heart;
    he is mine forever.

Those who desert him will perish,
    for you destroy those who abandon you.
But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
    and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Isaiah 43:1-7
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
    O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
    I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Others were given in exchange for you.
    I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
    You are honored, and I love you.

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
    I will gather you and your children from east and west.
I will say to the north and south,
    ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel
    from the distant corners of the earth.
Bring all who claim me as their God,
    for I have made them for my glory.
    It was I who created them.’”


Romans 8:31-37
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
A Dream of Heaven (p.342)

Meditate

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. (Psalm 73:26)


Pray

God of all grace, You are Lord over the flood. I will not trust in my own strength but put my confidence in You. I know that You will not abandon me because You gave up Your only Son for my sake. In the midst of my struggles, remind me that nothing, not even death, can separate me from Your love. Strengthen me with the truth that through Christ I will overcome. Deepen my trust in Your promises and help me to persevere in prayer. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 11: What Does God Require in the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Commandments?

Answer: Sixth, that we do not hurt, or hate, or be hostile to our neighbor, but be patient and peaceful, pursuing even our enemies with love. Seventh, that we abstain from sexual immorality and live purely and faithfully, whether in marriage or in single life, avoiding all impure actions, looks, words, thoughts, or desires, and whatever might lead to them. Eighth, that we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else, nor withhold any good from someone we might benefit.

New to Daily Worship?

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Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Read

Psalm 70, Isaiah 40:1-11, Matthew 5:1-12 (NLT)

Psalm 70
For the choir director: A psalm of David, asking God to remember him.

Please, God, rescue me!
    Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
May those who try to kill me
    be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
    be turned back in disgrace.
Let them be horrified by their shame,
    for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
But may all who search for you
    be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
    repeatedly shout, “God is great!”
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    please hurry to my aid, O God.
You are my helper and my savior;
    O Lord, do not delay.

Isaiah 40:1-11
“Comfort, comfort my people,”
    says your God.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.
Tell her that her sad days are gone
    and her sins are pardoned.
Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over
    for all her sins.”

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
    for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God!
Fill in the valleys,
    and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
    and smooth out the rough places.
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
    The Lord has spoken!”

A voice said, “Shout!”
    I asked, “What should I shout?”

“Shout that people are like the grass.
    Their beauty fades as quickly
    as the flowers in a field.
The grass withers and the flowers fade
    beneath the breath of the Lord.
    And so it is with people.
The grass withers and the flowers fade,
    but the word of our God stands forever.”

O Zion, messenger of good news,
    shout from the mountaintops!
Shout it louder, O Jerusalem.
    Shout, and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah,
    “Your God is coming!”
Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
    He will rule with a powerful arm.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
    He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
    He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Matthew 5:1-12
One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
    for they will be satisfied.
God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Captain of the Storm (p.236)

Meditate

Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. (Isaiah 40:10)


Pray

Heavenly Father, You alone are my shield. While the world boasts of great power, You have given all authority to Your Son. Forgive me for doubting Your promises and trusting in my own strength. Through the cross, You have delivered me from my sin and rescued me from the Enemy. Lord Jesus, it is in you alone that I can boast. Strengthen me by Your Spirit to embrace the cross and walk in the way of Your Kingdom. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 11: What Does God Require in the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Commandments?

Answer: Sixth, that we do not hurt, or hate, or be hostile to our neighbor, but be patient and peaceful, pursuing even our enemies with love. Seventh, that we abstain from sexual immorality and live purely and faithfully, whether in marriage or in single life, avoiding all impure actions, looks, words, thoughts, or desires, and whatever might lead to them. Eighth, that we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else, nor withhold any good from someone we might benefit.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Monday, March 3, 2025

Read

Psalm 62, Isaiah 40:1-11, 1 John 5:1-5 (NLT)

Psalm 62
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.

I wait quietly before God,
    for my victory comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will never be shaken.

So many enemies against one man—
    all of them trying to kill me.
To them I’m just a broken-down wall
    or a tottering fence.
They plan to topple me from my high position.
    They delight in telling lies about me.
They praise me to my face
    but curse me in their hearts. Interlude

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
    for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
    He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O my people, trust in him at all times.
    Pour out your heart to him,
    for God is our refuge. Interlude

Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
    and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
If you weigh them on the scales,
    together they are lighter than a breath of air.

Don’t make your living by extortion
    or put your hope in stealing.
And if your wealth increases,
    don’t make it the center of your life.

God has spoken plainly,
    and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;
    unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
Surely you repay all people
    according to what they have done.

Isaiah 40:1-11
“Comfort, comfort my people,”
    says your God.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.
Tell her that her sad days are gone
    and her sins are pardoned.
Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over
    for all her sins.”

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
    for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God!
Fill in the valleys,
    and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
    and smooth out the rough places.
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
    The Lord has spoken!”

A voice said, “Shout!”
    I asked, “What should I shout?”

“Shout that people are like the grass.
    Their beauty fades as quickly
    as the flowers in a field.
The grass withers and the flowers fade
    beneath the breath of the Lord.
    And so it is with people.
The grass withers and the flowers fade,
    but the word of our God stands forever.”

O Zion, messenger of good news,
    shout from the mountaintops!
Shout it louder, O Jerusalem.
    Shout, and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah,
    “Your God is coming!”
Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
    He will rule with a powerful arm.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
    He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
    He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

1 John 5:1-5
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
God’s Wonderful Surprise (p.310)

Meditate

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5)


Pray

O God, you are my strength and my salvation. Lord Jesus, you have been victorious. You have rescued me from the Enemy and hear my cries for help. Thank you for descending into my judgment and delivering me from the grave. All your promises prove true. I love you for your unfailing love toward me. Enable me by Your Spirit to not grow weary of seeking your kingdom but to remember that in Christ I will overcome. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

Sing

Psalm 103

 

New City Catechism

Question 10: What Does God Require in the Fourth and Fifth Commandments?

Answer: Fourth, that on the Sabbath day we spend time in public and private worship of God, rest from routine employment, serve the Lord and others, and so anticipate the eternal Sabbath. Fifth, that we love and honor our father and our mother, submitting to their godly discipline and direction.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Read

Psalm 61, 1 Chronicles 28:2-10, Luke 1:26-37 (NLT)

Psalm 61
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

O God, listen to my cry!
    Hear my prayer!
From the ends of the earth,
    I cry to you for help
    when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
    for you are my safe refuge,
    a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
    safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude

For you have heard my vows, O God.
    You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
Add many years to the life of the king!
    May his years span the generations!
May he reign under God’s protection forever.
    May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.
Then I will sing praises to your name forever
    as I fulfill my vows each day.

1 Chronicles 28:2-10
David rose to his feet and said: “My brothers and my people! It was my desire to build a Temple where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, God’s footstool, could rest permanently. I made the necessary preparations for building it, but God said to me, ‘You must not build a Temple to honor my name, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.’

“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, has chosen me from among all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen the tribe of Judah to rule, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. And from among my father’s sons the Lord was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And from among my sons—for the Lord has given me many—he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom. He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will build my Temple and its courtyards, for I have chosen him as my son, and I will be his father. And if he continues to obey my commands and regulations as he does now, I will make his kingdom last forever.’

“So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel—the Lord’s assembly—I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance.

“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”

Luke 1:26-37
TextIn the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The King of All Kings (p.192)

Meditate

He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:32-33)

Pray

Lord Jesus, we sing Your praises! You are seated at the right hand of the Father and have been given all power and authority. Almighty God, may the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice as we behold Your justice and mercy. Subdue the nations by Your Gospel and gather Your people for the glory of Your Kingdom. We especially pray for Your missionaries around the world. Enable them by Your Spirit to faithfully exalt Your name among the nations so many might turn from their idols and worship You in spirit and in truth. Come, Lord Jesus, we pray.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 10: What Does God Require in the Fourth and Fifth Commandments?

Answer: Fourth, that on the Sabbath day we spend time in public and private worship of God, rest from routine employment, serve the Lord and others, and so anticipate the eternal Sabbath. Fifth, that we love and honor our father and our mother, submitting to their godly discipline and direction.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Saturday, March 1, 2025

Read

Psalm 60, Isaiah 11:10-16, John 12:23-26 (NLT)

Psalm 60
For the choir director: A psalm of David useful for teaching, regarding the time David fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. To be sung to the tune “Lily of the Testimony.”

You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses.
    You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.
You have shaken our land and split it open.
    Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.
You have been very hard on us,
    making us drink wine that sent us reeling.
But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—
    a rallying point in the face of attack. Interlude

Now rescue your beloved people.
    Answer and save us by your power.
God has promised this by his holiness:
“I will divide up Shechem with joy.
    I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine,
    and Manasseh, too.
Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors,
    and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant,
    and I will wipe my feet on Edom
    and shout in triumph over Philistia.”

Who will bring me into the fortified city?
    Who will bring me victory over Edom?
Have you rejected us, O God?
    Will you no longer march with our armies?
Oh, please help us against our enemies,
    for all human help is useless.
With God’s help we will do mighty things,
    for he will trample down our foes.

Isaiah 11:10-16
In that day the heir to David’s throne
    will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
    and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.
In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time
    to bring back the remnant of his people—
those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt;
    in southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Elam;
    in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands.
He will raise a flag among the nations
    and assemble the exiles of Israel.
He will gather the scattered people of Judah
    from the ends of the earth.

Then at last the jealousy between Israel and Judah will end.
    They will not be rivals anymore.
They will join forces to swoop down on Philistia to the west.
    Together they will attack and plunder the nations to the east.
They will occupy the lands of Edom and Moab,
    and Ammon will obey them.
The Lord will make a dry path through the gulf of the Red Sea.
    He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River,
sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams
    so it can easily be crossed on foot.
He will make a highway for the remnant of his people,
    the remnant coming from Assyria,
just as he did for Israel long ago
    when they returned from Egypt.

John 12:23-26
Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.


Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Sun Stops Shining (p.302)

Meditate

O God, you have raised a banner for those who fear you. (Psalm 60:4)


Pray

Heavenly Father, You are my Rock and my Defender. Forgive me for placing my hope in my own strength and not in Your grace. I am surrounded by the world, harassed by the Enemy, and tempted by my flesh. Raise up the banner of Christ before my eyes and remind me of Your promises. In him, I will be victorious. Yet, as I await the day of final victory, enable me by Your Spirit to carry out the good works you have for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

 

New City Catechism

Question 9: What does God require in the First, Second, and Third Commandments?

Answer: First, that we know and trust God as the only true and living God. Second, that we avoid all idolatry and do not worship God improperly. Third, that we treat God’s name with fear and reverence, honoring also his Word and works.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started: