Monday the 17th of August 2009

Read Psalms 31-32

Psalm 31:14

 ¹⁴ But I trust in you, O LORD; 
       I say, "You are my God."

Psalm 32:1, 5, 11

 ¹ Blessed is he 
       whose transgressions are forgiven, 
       whose sins are covered.

⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you 
       and did not cover up my iniquity. 
       I said, "I will confess 
       my transgressions to the LORD "—
       and you forgave 
       the guilt of my sin. 
       Selah

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; 

 I will counsel you and watch over you.

¹¹ Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; 
       sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Tuesday the 18th of August 2009

Read Psalms 33-34

Psalm 33:4, 11

⁴ For the word of the LORD is right and true; 
       he is faithful in all he does.

¹¹ But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, 
       the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Psalm 34:12-14, 18

¹² Whoever of you loves life 
       and desires to see many good days,

¹³ keep your tongue from evil 
       and your lips from speaking lies.

¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good; 
       seek peace and pursue it.

 ¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted 
       and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Thursday the 20th of August 2009

Read Psalms 35-36

Psalm 35:9

 ⁹ Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD 
       and delight in his salvation.

Psalm 36:10

¹⁰ Continue your love to those who know you, 
       your righteousness to the upright in heart.

Saturday the 22nd of August 2009. 

Read Psalms 37-38

Psalm 37:3-7

³ Trust in the LORD and do good; 
       dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD 
       and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD; 
       trust in him and he will do this:

⁶ He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, 
       the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; 
       do not fret when men succeed in their ways, 
       when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 38:15

 ¹⁵ I wait for you, O LORD; 
       you will answer, O Lord my God.

Friday the 14th of August 2009

Read Psalms 27-28

Psalm 27:11, 14

 ¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD; 
       lead me in a straight path 
       because of my oppressors.

 ¹⁴ Wait for the LORD; 
       be strong and take heart 
       and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 28:7a

 ⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield; 
       my heart trusts in him

Saturday the 15th of August 2009

Read Psalms 29-30

Psalm 29:11

¹¹ The LORD gives strength to his people; 
       the LORD blesses his people with peace.

Psalm 30:4, 11-12

 ⁴ Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; 
       praise his holy name.

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.

¹² that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. 

O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Thursday the 9th of July 2009

Read Psalms 23-24

Psalms 23

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters,

 ³ he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness 

for his name's sake.

 ⁴ Even though I walk 

through the valley of the shadow of death,  

I will fear no evil, 

for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, 

they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me 

in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; 

my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me 

all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD 

forever.

Psalm 24:4-5

 ⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 

who does not lift up his soul to an idol 

or swear by what is false.

 ⁵ He will receive blessing from the LORD 

^{and vindication from God his Savior.}

Monday the 13th of July 2009

Read Psalms 25-26

Psalm 25:4, 12, 20-21

⁴ Show me your ways, O LORD, 
       teach me your paths;

 ¹² Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ? 
       He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

 ²⁰ Guard my life and rescue me; 

let me not be put to shame, 

for I take refuge in you. 

²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me, 

because my hope is in you.

Psalm 26:2-3

 ² Test me, O LORD, and try me, 

examine my heart and my mind. 

³ for your love is ever before me, 

and I walk continually in your truth.

Continuing

Saturday 4th of July 2009

Read Psalms 17-18

Psalms 17:6-7, 15

⁶ I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; 

give ear to me and hear my prayer. 

⁷ Show the wonder of your great love, 

you who save by your right hand 

those who take refuge in you from their foes.

 ¹⁵ And I—in righteousness I will see your face; 

       when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Psalms 18:30

 ³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect; 

       the word of the LORD is flawless. 

       He is a shield 

       for all who take refuge in him.

Sunday the 5th of July 2009

Read Psalms 19-20

Psalm 19:7-8

 ⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect, 

reviving the soul. 

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, 

making wise the simple.

⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant, 

giving light to the eyes.

Psalm 20:4

 ⁴ May he give you the desire of your heart 

       and make all your plans succeed.

Monday the 6th of July 2009

Read Psalms 21-22

Psalm 21:2

 ² You have granted him the desire of his heart 
       and have not withheld the request of his lips. 
       Selah

Psalm 22:11, 24

¹¹ Do not be far from me,

for trouble is near

and there is no one to help.

²⁴ For he has not despised or disdained 
       the suffering of the afflicted one; 
       he has not hidden his face from him 
       but has listened to his cry for help

Even though I haven't blogged verses for a while I did continue reading the Psalms up until a month ago. Then I started again today. 

I always wrote down some verses that stood out from each chapter in my notebook, like usual. And now I want to post them.

Saturday 27th of June 2009

Read Psalms 11-12

Psalm 11:1a, 7

 ¹ In the LORD I take refuge. 

 ⁷ For the LORD is righteous, 

       he loves justice; 

       upright men will see his face.

Psalms 12:6-7

⁵ "Because of the oppression of the weak 
       and the groaning of the needy, 
       I will now arise," says the LORD. 
       "I will protect them from those who malign them."

⁶ And the words of the LORD are flawless, 

like silver refined in a furnace of clay, 

purified seven times.

⁷ O LORD, you will keep us safe 

and protect us from such people forever.

Tuesday 30th of June 2009

Read Psalms 13-14

Psalms 13:5-6

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love; 

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

 ⁶ I will sing to the LORD, 

for he has been good to me.

Psalms 14:1

 ¹ The fool ^[a] says in his heart, 
       "There is no God." 
       They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; 
       there is no one who does good.

a. Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.

Wednesday 1st of July 2009

Read Psalms 15-16

Psalm 15

 ¹ LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? 
       Who may live on your holy hill?

 ² He whose walk is blameless 
       and who does what is righteous, 
       who speaks the truth from his heart

 ³ and has no slander on his tongue, 
       who does his neighbor no wrong 
       and casts no slur on his fellowman,

 ⁴ who despises a vile man 
       but honors those who fear the LORD, 
       who keeps his oath 
       even when it hurts,

 ⁵ who lends his money without usury 
       and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. 
       He who does these things 
       will never be shaken.

Psalms 16:8

 ⁸ I have set the LORD always before me. 
       Because he is at my right hand, 
       I will not be shaken.

Desire

Today I decided to check out some verses by choosing a word as a topic. I chose the word desire and 190 verses came up when I did the search. Want to share a few verses 

The first verse that came up is from Genesis:

Genesis 3:16

To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”

And a few verses from Psalms that I like

Psalm 10:17
LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear

Psalm 20:4
May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,And fulfill all your purpose.

Psalm 21:2
You have given him his heart’s desire,And have not withheld the request of his lips.  Selah 

Psalm 27:4
One thing I have desired of the LORD,That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.

and one of my favourite verses

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

and a few verses from the New Testament

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Mark 8:35
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Psalm 9-10

Today I read Psalm 9-10

Psalm 9:2, 10

 ² I will be glad and rejoice in you; 
       I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

 ¹⁰ Those who know your name will trust in you, 
       for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 10:4

 ⁴ In his pride the wicked does not seek him; 
       in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Psalm 7-8

Last monday (the 22. of june) I read Psalms 7-8. 

Psalm 7:1a, 10, 17

1 O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; ...

¹⁰ My shield ^[b] is God Most High, 

       who saves the upright in heart. 

¹⁷ I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness 
       and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 8:5

 ⁵ You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings^[f] 
       and crowned him with glory and honor.

Psalms 5-6

Psalm 5:3, 7, 11-12 

 ³ In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; 
       in the morning I lay my requests before you 
       and wait in expectation.

 ⁷ But I, by your great mercy, 
       will come into your house; 
       in reverence will I bow down 
       toward your holy temple.

¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you be glad; 
       let them ever sing for joy. 
       Spread your protection over them, 
       that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

 ¹² For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; 
       you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 3-4

Today I read Psalm 3-4.

Psalm 3:3-5, 

 ³ But you are a shield around me, O LORD; 
       you bestow glory on me and lift ^[b] up my head.

 ⁴ To the LORD I cry aloud, 
       and he answers me from his holy hill. 
       Selah

 ⁵ I lie down and sleep; 
       I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

b Psalm 3:3 Or LORD , / my Glorious One, who lifts

Psalm 4:1, 3, 8

 ¹ Answer me when I call to you, 
       O my righteous God. 
       Give me relief from my distress; 
       be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

 ³ Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; 
       the LORD will hear when I call to him.

 ⁸ I will lie down and sleep in peace, 
       for you alone, O LORD, 
       make me dwell in safety.

Psalms

I decided to read next the book of Psalms because I read it very seldom.

Today I read the first two chapters.

Psalm 1:1-2, 3c, 

¹ Blessed is the man 

       who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked 

       or stand in the way of sinners 

       or sit in the seat of mockers.

 ² But his delight is in the law of the LORD, 

       and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ ...Whatever he does prospers.

memory verse: Psalm 1:1

¹ Blessed is the man 

       who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked 

       or stand in the way of sinners 

       or sit in the seat of mockers.

James 5

James 5:7-16

⁷Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. ⁹Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. ¹²Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. 

13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 3-4

James 3: 13-18

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ¹⁶For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. ¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

^{James 4:1-3, 7-10, 13-17}

^{1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.} 

^{7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.}

 ¹³Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." ¹⁶As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

James 2

James 2:1, 8, 14, 17, 24, 26

1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 

8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right. 

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 

17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

a. James 2:8 Lev. 19:18

Finally I have decided what to read next, I'm going to read James. 

James 1:2-8, 12-19, 21-25, 27

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. 19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Hebrews 13

Hebrews 13: 1-6, 8, 17

1Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."[a] 6So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"[b]

8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

17Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

a. Hebrews 13:5 Deut. 31:6

b. Hebrews 13:6 Psalm 118:6,7

Hebrews 9-10

Hebrews 9:11-15, 27-28

11When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here,[b] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the living God!
15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

b. Hebrews 9:11 Some early manuscripts are to come
c. Hebrews 9:14 Or from useless rituals

Hebrews 10:15-25, 35-36

15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."[g] 17Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."[h] 18And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

g. Hebrews 10:16 Jer. 31:33
h. Hebrews 10:17 Jer. 31:34