I am an emeritus professor from Cornell University and was a Commissioned Lay Preacher in the Presbyterian Church (USA). For many years I have followed the Daily Lectionary as printed in the Mission Yearbook of my church. For each day of a two-year cycle, the lectionary lists four psalms and three other scriptural passages--usually one from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. My practice is to copy down a verse or two from one of the psalms and from each of the other three passages. After I have written out all four selections, I reflect upon them, rearrange their order, and incorporate them into a meditation. Sometimes I retain much of the original wording; sometimes all that remains of a selection is an idea that was stimulated when I read the original words. All selections are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. For the Daily Lectionary, see the link below.

Happy Are Those Who Trust in You--Dec. 19, 2016


 Happy are those who trust in you, Lord Jesus,
who do not go astray and turn to the proud.
Take away our jealousy, cut off our hostility,
rid us of deceit, that we may come to you--
for it is in you that we have life.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 122; 145; 40; 67
Isa. 11:10-16
Rev. 20:1-10
John 5:30-47
           
Selected Verses
Ps. 40:4
Happy are those who make
          the LORD their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
          to those who go astray after false gods. 

Isa. 11:13
The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,
          the hostility of Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,
          and Judah shall not be hostile towards Ephraim. 

Rev. 20:10
And the devil who had deceived [the nations] was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

John 5:40
"…Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.  …"  [Jesus to those who criticized him for healing on the sabbath]  

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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