Reading the Bible Together

The Passage for the Day

Of David.

 1 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; 
       before the “gods” I will sing your praise.

    2 I will bow down toward your holy temple 
       and will praise your name 
       for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, 
       for you have so exalted your solemn decree 
       that it surpasses your fame.

    3 When I called, you answered me; 
       you greatly emboldened me.

    4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD, 
       when they hear what you have decreed.

    5 May they sing of the ways of the LORD, 
       for the glory of the LORD is great.

    6 Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly, 
       but he takes notice of the proud from afar.

    7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, 
       you preserve my life. 
       You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; 
       with your right hand you save me.

    8 The LORD will vindicate me; 
       your love, LORD, endures forever— 
       do not abandon the works of your hands. 

Points of interest:

·         May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD’—in earlier psalms, the nations are invited to praise God because he rules the earth better than the kings do.  Here, the kings are invited to do the praising.  This reminds me of the Queen of Sheba (from last Saturday), who traveled all the way to Jerusalem to hear about this god who could help her rule her nation well.

·         ‘before the “gods” I will sing your praise’—we saw the Lord compared to other gods in a previous psalm.  Here, the gods are David’s audience.  Over the course of these psalms, we’ve seen news of God’s goodness spread from the Israelites to all the nations of the earth.  In yesterday’s psalm, we saw nature join the singing.  Is David inviting even rival gods to join the chorus?

·         ‘The LORD will vindicate me’—following God hasn’t been a completely smooth or easy path for David.  Apparently, from his reference to the proud, people are tempted to gloat over some trouble David has gotten himself into.  But David believes that these apparent mistakes were in facts acts of faith, and he fully expects that his faith will be borne out in the end.

·         ‘do not abandon the works of your hands’—this reminds me of our first passage, from Genesis.  God has made David, and all people, in God’s image, and commissioned us to fill the earth with goodness.  God is committed to seeing that purpose through.

Taking it home:

·         For you: Pray that God would give you eyes to see and a heart to care for any of the ‘lowly’ around you.  Try paying attention during your day to people you might not normally see.  Maybe even try striking up a conversation with them.

·         For your six: Ask one of your six if there are any ways you could pray on their behalf.  Or ask your six if they would mind praying for you.  Pray that you and they would find, as David did, that God is eager to answer when we call.

·         For America: Pray again today for everyone in our country who is in a position of authority (the ‘kings’ of America)—executives, celebrities, congressmen.  Pray that these kings and queens of American would see and recognize God’s goodness and power.  Pray that they would hear from God and that he would bless them and answer them. 

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

¹ Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered him, “It would take almost a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ¹⁵ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. ²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the “law” that requires faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from observing the law. ²⁹ Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, ³⁰ since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. ³¹ Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

²⁰ “Announce this to the house of Jacob
and proclaim it in Judah:

²¹ Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:

²² Should you not fear me?” declares the LORD.
“Should you not tremble in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar, but they cannot cross it.

²³ But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
they have turned aside and gone away.

²⁴ They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear the LORD our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’

²⁵ Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.

²⁶ “Among my people are the wicked
who lie in wait like those who snare birds
and like those who set traps to catch people.

²⁷ Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
they have become rich and powerful

²⁸ and have grown fat and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.

²⁹ Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the LORD.
“Should I not avenge myself
on such a nation as this?

³⁰ “A horrible and shocking thing
has happened in the land:

³¹ The prophets prophesy lies,
the priests rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

¹ Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.

² Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

³ How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

⁴ Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.

⁵ Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.

⁶ Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

⁸ Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.

⁹ Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.

¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion
or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,

¹² and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”