Through the Bible – Day 218

Bible text(s)

Psalms 101

(A psalm by David.)

A king and his promises

1I will sing to you, LORD!

I will celebrate your kindness

and your justice.

2Please help me learn

to do the right thing,

and I will be honest and fair

in my own kingdom.

3I refuse to be corrupt

or to take part

in anything crooked,

4and I won't be dishonest

or deceitful.

5Anyone who spreads gossip

will be silenced,

and no one who is conceited

will be my friend.

6I will find trustworthy people

to serve as my advisers,

and only an honest person

will serve as an official.

7No one who cheats or lies

will have a position

in my royal court.

8Each morning I will silence

any lawbreakers I find

in the countryside

or in the city of the LORD.

Psalms 102

(A prayer for someone who suffers and needs to ask the LORD for help.)

A prayer in time of trouble

1I pray to you, LORD!

Please listen.

2Don't hide from me

in my time of trouble.

Pay attention to my prayer

and quickly give an answer.

3My days disappear like smoke,

and my bones are burning

as though in a furnace.

4I am wasting away like grass,

and my appetite is gone.

5My groaning never stops,

and my bones can be seen

through my skin.

6I am like a lonely owl

in the desert

7or a restless sparrow

alone on a roof.

8My enemies insult me all day,

and they use my name

for a curse word.

9Instead of food,

I have ashes to eat

and tears to drink,

10because you are furious

and have thrown me aside.

11My life fades like a shadow

at the end of day

and withers like grass.

12Our LORD, you are King for ever

and will always be famous.

13You will show pity to Zion

because the time has come.

14We, your servants,

love each stone in the city,

and we are sad to see them

lying in the dust.

15Our LORD, the nations

will honour you,

and all kings on earth

will praise your glory.

16You will rebuild

the city of Zion.

Your glory will be seen,

17and the prayers of the homeless

will be answered.

18Future generations must also

praise the LORD,

so write this for them:

19“From his holy temple,

the LORD looked down

at the earth.

20He listened to the groans

of prisoners,

and he rescued everyone

who was doomed to die.”

21All Jerusalem should praise

you, our LORD,

22when people from every nation

meet to worship you.

23I should still be strong,

but you, LORD, have made

an old person of me.

24You will live for ever!

Years mean nothing to you.

Don't cut my life in half!

25In the beginning, LORD,

you laid the earth's foundation

and created the heavens.

26They will all disappear

and wear out like clothes.

You change them,

as you would a coat,

but you last for ever.

27You are always the same.

Years cannot change you.

28Every generation of those

who serve you

will live in your presence.

Psalms 103

(By David.)

The LORD's wonderful love

1With all my heart

I praise the LORD,

and with all that I am

I praise his holy name!

2With all my heart

I praise the LORD!

I will never forget

how kind he has been.

3The LORD forgives our sins,

heals us when we are sick,

4and protects us from death.

His kindness and love

are a crown on our heads.

5Each day that we live,

he provides for our needs

and gives us the strength

of a young eagle.

6For all who are ill-treated,

the LORD brings justice.

7He taught his Law to Moses

and showed all Israel

what he could do.

8The LORD is merciful!

He is kind and patient,

and his love never fails.

9The LORD won't always be angry

and point out our sins;

10he doesn't punish us

as our sins deserve.

11How great is God's love for all

who worship him?

Greater than the distance

between heaven and earth!

12How far has the LORD taken

our sins from us?

Further than the distance

from east to west!

13Just as parents are kind

to their children,

the LORD is kind

to all who worship him,

14because he knows

we are made of dust.

15We humans are like grass

or wild flowers

that quickly bloom.

16But a scorching wind blows,

and they quickly wither

to be for ever forgotten.

17The LORD is always kind

to those who worship him,

and he keeps his promises

to their descendants

18who faithfully obey him.

19God has set up his kingdom

in heaven, and he rules

the whole creation.

20All you mighty angels,

who obey God's commands,

come and praise your LORD!

21All you thousands

who serve and obey God,

come and praise your LORD!

22All God's creation

and all that he rules,

come and praise your LORD!

With all my heart

I praise the LORD!

Psalms 101:1-103:22CEVOpen in Bible reader

Romans 6

Dead to sin but alive because of Christ

1What should we say? Should we keep on sinning, so that God's wonderful kindness will show up even better? 2No, we should not! If we are dead to sin, how can we go on sinning? 3Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? 4When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.

5If we shared in Jesus' death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him. 6We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so that our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin. 7We know that sin doesn't have power over dead people.

8As we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. 9We know that death no longer has any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. 10When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. 11In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God.

12Don't let sin rule your body. After all, your body is bound to die, so don't obey its desires 13or let any part of it become a slave of evil. Give yourselves to God, as people who have been raised from death to life. Make every part of your body a slave that pleases God. 14Don't let sin keep ruling your lives. You are ruled by God's kindness and not by the Law.

Slaves who do what pleases God

15What does all this mean? Does it mean we are free to sin, because we are ruled by God's wonderful kindness and not by the Law? Certainly not! 16Don't you know that you are slaves of anyone you obey? You can be slaves of sin and die, or you can be obedient slaves of God and be acceptable to him. 17You used to be slaves of sin. But I thank God that with all your heart you obeyed the teaching you received from me. 18Now you are set free from sin and are slaves who please God.

19I am using these everyday examples, because in some ways you are still weak. You used to let the different parts of your body be slaves of your evil thoughts. But now you must make every part of your body serve God, so that you will belong completely to him.

20When you were slaves of sin, you didn't have to please God. 21But what good did you receive from the things you did? All you have to show for them is your shame, and they lead to death. 22Now you have been set free from sin, and you are God's slaves. This will make you holy and will lead you to eternal life. 23The reward for sin is death. But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:1-23CEVOpen in Bible reader
Canadian Bible Societyv.4.24.4
Follow us on: