Exodus 34:18-35
You shall keep the festival of unleavened bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt. All that first opens the womb is mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. No one shall appear before me empty-handed. Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in plowing time and in harvest time you shall rest. You shall observe the festival of weeks, the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the festival of ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out nations before you, and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year. You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven, and the sacrifice of the festival of the passover shall not be left until the morning. The best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk. The LORD said to Moses: Write these words; in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel. He was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone in Athens; and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for. In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith; I was afraid that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor had been in vain. But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love. He has told us also that you always remember us kindly and long to see us-- just as we long to see you. For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith. For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Matthew 5:27-37
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. "Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No' anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 40
1 I waited patiently upon the LORD; he stooped to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many shall see, and stand in awe, and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Happy are they who trust in the LORD! they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.
5 Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God! how great your wonders and your plans for us! there is none who can be compared with you.
6 Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! but they are more than I can count.
7 In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure (you have given me ears to hear you);
8 Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, and so I said, "Behold, I come.
9 In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: 'I love to do your will, O my God; your law is deep in my heart.'"
10 I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I did not restrain my lips; and that, O LORD, you know.
11 Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.
12 You are the LORD; do not withhold your compassion from me; let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,
13 For innumerable troubles have crowded upon me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails me.
14 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me.
15 Let them be ashamed and altogether dismayed who seek after my life to destroy it; let them draw back and be disgraced who take pleasure in my misfortune.
16 Let those who say "Aha!" and gloat over me be confounded, because they are ashamed.
17 Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad; let those who love your salvation continually say, "Great is the LORD!"
18 Though I am poor and afflicted, the Lord will have regard for me.
19 You are my helper and my deliverer; do not tarry, O my God.
Psalm 54
1 Save me, O God, by your Name; in your might, defend my cause.
2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For the arrogant have risen up against me, and the ruthless have sought my life, those who have no regard for God.
4 Behold, God is my helper; it is the Lord who sustains my life.
5 Render evil to those who spy on me; in your faithfulness, destroy them.
6 I will offer you a freewill sacrifice and praise your Name, O LORD, for it is good.
7 For you have rescued me from every trouble, and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
2 Wash me through and through from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.
5 And so you are justified when you speak and upright in your judgment.
6 Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, a sinner from my mother's womb.
7 For behold, you look for truth deep within me, and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
8 Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
9 Make me hear of joy and gladness, that the body you have broken may rejoice.
10 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.
11 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
12 Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy Spirit from me.
13 Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
14 I shall teach your ways to the wicked, and sinners shall return to you.
15 Deliver me from death, O God, and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness, O God of my salvation.
16 Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
17 Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice, but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.
18 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
19 Be favorable and gracious to Zion, and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
20 Then you will be pleased with the appointed sacrifices, with burnt-offerings and oblations; then shall they offer young bullocks upon your altar.
