February 13: Psalms 66–67; Psalm 19; Psalm 46; Genesis 29:20–35; 1 Timothy 3:14–4:10; Mark 10:23–31 - a podcast by Crossway

Psalms 66–67(Listen)

How Awesome Are Your Deeds

To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.

66   Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2     sing the glory of his name;
    give to him glorious praise!
3   Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4   All the earth worships you
    and sings praises to you;
    they sing praises to your name.”Selah
5   Come and see what God has done:
    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6   He turned the sea into dry land;
    they passed through the river on foot.
  There did we rejoice in him,
7     who rules by his might forever,
  whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
    let not the rebellious exalt themselves.Selah
8   Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,
9   who has kept our soul among the living
    and has not let our feet slip.
10   For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.
11   You brought us into the net;
    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12   you let men ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and through water;
  yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13   I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
    I will perform my vows to you,
14   that which my lips uttered
    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15   I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
  I will make an offering of bulls and goats.Selah
16   Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17   I cried to him with my mouth,
    and high praise was on¹my tongue.²
18   If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
19   But truly God has listened;
    he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20   Blessed be God,
    because he has not rejected my prayer
    or removed his steadfast love from me!

Make Your Face Shine upon Us

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

67   May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us,Selah
2   that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
3   Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!
4   Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth.Selah
5   Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!
6   The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, shall bless us.
7   God shall bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth fear him!

(ESV)

Psalm 19(Listen)

The Law of theLordIs Perfect

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

19   The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above¹proclaims his handiwork.
2   Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
3   There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
4   Their voice²goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
  In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5     which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6   Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7   The law of the LORD is perfect,³
    reviving the soul;
  the testimony of the LORD is sure,
    making wise the simple;
8   the precepts of the LORD are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
  the commandment of the LORD is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
9   the fear of the LORD is clean,
    enduring forever;
  the rules⁴of the LORD are true,
    and righteous altogether.
10   More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
  sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
11   Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
12   Who can discern his errors?
    Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13   Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
    let them not have dominion over me!
  Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.
14   Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

(ESV)

Psalm 46(Listen)

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.¹A Song.

46   God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present²help in trouble.
2   Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3   though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling.Selah
4   There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5   God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6   The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7   The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.Selah
8   Come, behold the works of the LORD,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9   He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10   “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11   The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.Selah

(ESV)

Genesis 29:20–35(Listen)

20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.”22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast.23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her.24 (Laban gave¹his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.)25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.”28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.)30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

Jacob’s Children

31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,²for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.”33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.³34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.⁴35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah.⁵Then she ceased bearing.

(ESV)

1 Timothy 3:14–4:10(Listen)

The Mystery of Godliness

14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

  He¹was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated²by the Spirit,³
      seen by angels,
  proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
      taken up in glory.

Some Will Depart from the Faith

4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

A Good Servant of Christ Jesus

6 If you put these things before the brothers,⁴you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.10 For to this end we toil and strive,⁵because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

(ESV)

Mark 10:23–31(Listen)

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again,“Children, how difficult it is¹to enter the kingdom of God!25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,²“Then who can be saved?”27 Jesus looked at them and said,“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.”29 Jesus said,“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

(ESV)