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.

Delight to Do Your Will--Dec. 3, 2012


 Instead of asking after your authority,
place your law within my heart and
make me delight to do your will.

Filled with joy inspired by the Spirit,
teach me to seek justice, to rescue   
and defend orphan and widow.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 122; 145; 40; 67

Isa. 1:10-20
1 Thess. 1:1-10
Luke 20:1-8

Selected Verses

Ps. 40:8

 "…I delight to do your will, O my God;
          your law is within my heart.”

Isa. 1:17
            …learn to do good;
seek justice,
            rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan,
            plead for the widow.

1 Thess. 1:6
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit…

Luke 20:1-2
One day, as [Jesus] was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders and said to him, "Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?"

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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