The Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, January 12, 2023

 

The Daily Bible Readings
Thursday, January 12, 2023
Psalm 40:1-11; Isaiah 22:15-25; Galatians 1:6-12
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions

Psalm 40:1-11
(Doing the will of God)

Expectans, expectavi

I waited patiently upon the LORD;
he stooped to me and heard my cry.

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.

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.

Happy are they who trust in the LORD!
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.

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.

Oh, that I could make them known and tell them!
but they are more than I can count.

In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure
(you have given me ears to hear you);

Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required,
and so I said, “Behold, I come.

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.’”

I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation;
behold, I did not restrain my lips; and that, O LORD, you know.

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.

Heavenly Father, we glorify You as the Lord of love and faithfulness. You have proven Your faithfulness to us in the Scriptures and in our experience. We trust in Your love, which mightly movesYou to care for us. We will continue to sing songs of praise to You and proclaim Your wonderful deeds. Help us to wait patiently on You, even as we pray for You to meet our many needs. O God, we trust in You day be day, knowing that You have foreseen our every need and will help us. May others come to know You too, even as we pray in Jesus’ name:

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”

Isaiah 22:15-25
(God replaces disobedient leaders)

22:15 This is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

   “Go, say to this steward,
      to Shebna the palace administrator:
16 What are you doing here and who gave you permission
      to cut out a grave for yourself here,
   hewing your grave on the height
      and chiseling your resting place in the rock?

17 “Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you
      and hurl you away, you mighty man.
18 He will roll you up tightly like a ball
      and throw you into a large country.
   There you will die
      and there the chariots you were so proud of
      will become a disgrace to your master’s house.
19 I will depose you from your office,
      and you will be ousted from your position.

20 “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 23 I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honor for the house of his father. 24 All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.

25 “In that day,” declares the Lord Almighty, “the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The Lord has spoken.

Galatians 1:6-12
(Paul’s calling through a revelation of Christ)

No Other Gospel

1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul Called by God

11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, January 12, 2023
Psalm 40:1-11; Isaiah 22:15-25; Galatians 1:6-12