March 12: Psalm 55; Psalms 138–139:23; Genesis 41:1–13; 1 Corinthians 4:1–7; Mark 2:23–3:6 - a podcast by Crossway

Psalm 55(Listen)

Cast Your Burden on theLord

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil¹of David.

55   Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
2   Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
3   because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
  For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
4   My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5   Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and horror overwhelms me.
6   And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
7   yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness;Selah
8   I would hurry to find a shelter
    from the raging wind and tempest.”
9   Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
10   Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
  and iniquity and trouble are within it;
11     ruin is in its midst;
  oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace.
12   For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
  it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
13   But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
14   We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God’s house we walked in the throng.
15   Let death steal over them;
    let them go down to Sheol alive;
    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
16   But I call to God,
    and the LORD will save me.
17   Evening and morning and at noon
    I utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
18   He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for many are arrayed against me.
19   God will give ear and humble them,
    he who is enthroned from of old,Selah
  because they do not change
    and do not fear God.
20   My companion²stretched out his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.
21   His speech was smooth as butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
  his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were drawn swords.
22   Cast your burden on the LORD,
    and he will sustain you;
  he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.
23   But you, O God, will cast them down
    into the pit of destruction;
  men of blood and treachery
    shall not live out half their days.
  But I will trust in you.

(ESV)

Psalms 138–139:23(Listen)

Give Thanks to theLord

Of David.

138   I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
2   I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.¹
3   On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.²
4   All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5   and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
    for great is the glory of the LORD.
6   For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.
7   Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
  you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
8   The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

139   O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
2   You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
3   You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4   Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5   You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6   Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.
7   Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8   If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9   If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10   even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11   If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12   even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.
13   For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14   I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.³
  Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15   My frame was not hidden from you,
  when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16   Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
  in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.
17   How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18   If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.
19   Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
20   They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.⁴
21   Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22   I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.
23   Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!⁵

(ESV)

Genesis 41:1–13(Listen)

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

41 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile,2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass.3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke.5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk.6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind.7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today.10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation.12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 4:1–7(Listen)

The Ministry of Apostles

4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,¹that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

(ESV)

Mark 2:23–3:6(Listen)

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”25 And he said to them,“Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of¹Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”27 And he said to them,“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.2 And they watched Jesus,²to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.3 And he said to the man with the withered hand,“Come here.”4 And he said to them,“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”But they were silent.5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man,“Stretch out your hand.”He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

(ESV)