Kirsty

Scripture Readings Psalms 10:14Job 5–6John 18Proverbs 5 Verse Focus (Psalms 10:14) But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;     you consider their grief and take it in hand.The victims commit themselves to you;     you are the helper of the fatherless. Meditation The NIV translates Psalms 10:14, saying, “But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.” I particularly love the last phrase — God is the helper of the fatherless. It has always been a phrase that resonates with…

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Scripture Readings Psalms 9:1–2Job 3–4John 17Proverbs 4 Verse Focus (Psalms 9:1–2) 1I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;     I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.2I will be glad and rejoice in you;     I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. Meditation Today’s verse focus speaks of thanking and praising God. Psalms 9:1-2 says, “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.” These verses have…

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Scripture Readings Psalms 8:3–4Job 1–2John 16Proverbs 3 Verse Focus (Psalms 8:3–4) 3When I consider your heavens,      the work of your fingers,      the moon and the stars,      which you have set in place,4what is man that you are mindful of him,      the son of man that you care for him? Meditation There are times when we can feel dwarfed by the magnificence of creation. When we are outside at night, far from city lights and under an enormous sky filled with stars, we can be almost overwhelmed at how deep the sky is, and how vast our universe is. Or perhaps…

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Scripture Readings Psalms 5:12Amos 8–9John 15Proverbs 2 Verse Focus (Psalms 5:12) Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous;     you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Meditation Our verse focus today is from Psalms 5:12. “Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Again, what a comfort this verse is! To know the certainty of God’s goodness. To know that He rewards the righteous. To know that God protects us and surrounds us with favor. Hallelujah! This verse teaches us that God is faithful. “Surely.” Certainly. Unfailingly. God blesses those that trust…

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Scripture Readings Psalms 5:3Amos 6–7John 14Proverbs 1 Verse Focus (Psalms 5:3) In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;      in the morning I lay my requests before you      and wait expectantly. Meditation Our verse focus today comes from the Psalms, rather than the book of Proverbs. This is because we will actually be reading Proverbs for the next month. But I didn’t want you to miss the Psalms! So while we are reading Proverbs, our focus verses will be drawn from among my favorite verses from the Psalter. Today, we are looking at Psalms 5:3. “In the morning, LORD, you…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 18:13Amos 4–5John 13Psalms 150 Verse Focus (Proverbs 18:13) To answer before listening —     that is folly and shame. Meditation Day 150! Congratulations, everyone. 🙂 Proverbs 18:13 is piercing. “To answer before listening — that is folly and shame.” There are different reasons why we might do this, but most of them boil down to us being self-centered, sinful people. We care more about ourselves, and what we think, and what’s important to us than we care about anyone else. And so we interrupt. Or we don’t have the patience to listen all the way. Or we try to…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 18:12Amos 1–3John 12Psalms 149 Verse Focus (Proverbs 18:12) Before a downfall the heart is haughty,     but humility comes before honor. Meditation Today’s verse focus is Proverbs 18:12, which says, “Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” Of course we can’t help but remember similar proverbs, such as Proverbs 16:18 on April 28th (Day 118): “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” There’s also Proverbs 15:33 from April 21st (Day 111): “Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility comes before honor.” So these are familiar themes for us. However,…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 18:10Ezekiel 47–48John 11Psalms 148 Verse Focus (Proverbs 18:10) The name of the LORD is a fortified tower;     the righteous run to it and are safe. Meditation Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Talk about a comforting verse! David praises the LORD for being his Rock and there are many promises throughout Scripture that speak of God’s faithfulness and His steadfast love. But I’ve been thinking about this proverb today. The verse doesn’t say “The LORD is a fortified tower,” but rather, “The name of…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 18:9Ezekiel 45–46John 10Psalms 147 Verse Focus (Proverbs 18:9) One who is slack in his work     is brother to one who destroys. Meditation Today’s proverb is another one that haunts me. Proverbs 18:9 says, in the ESV, “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” The adage pierces me. I have a lazy nature and have fought a lifelong battle against my inclination to take things easy. I always try to do my best for an employer. But there are still times when I have slacked off. But mostly it’s a problem in the…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 18:8Ezekiel 43–44John 9Psalms 146 Verse Focus (Proverbs 18:8) The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;     they go down to the inmost parts. Meditation Today’s verse focus is one that sticks in my mind. Proverbs 18:8 says, in the NIV, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” As the ESV translates the proverb, “The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.” To me, this perfectly illustrates the danger of gossip. It’s like candy. Sweet and addictive: you…

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