Thursday, July 6, 2023

The Daily Lectionary for Friday, July 7, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Friday, July 7, 2023
Psalm 45:10-17; Genesis 27:1-17; Romans 7:7-20
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)
  (Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 45:10-17
God has anointed you
Eructavit cor meum

“Hear, O daughter; consider and listen closely; *
  forget your people and your father’s house.

The king will have pleasure in your beauty; *
  he is your master; therefore do him honor.

The people of Tyre are here with a gift; *
  the rich among the people seek your favor.”

All glorious is the princess as she enters; *
  her gown is cloth-of-gold.

In embroidered apparel she is brought to the king; *
  after her the bridesmaids follow in procession.

With joy and gladness they are brought, *
  and enter into the palace of the king.

“In place of fathers, O king, you shall have sons; *
  you shall make them princes over all the earth.

I will make your name to be remembered
    from one generation to another; *
  therefore nations will praise you for ever and ever.”

Heavenly Father, our hearts overflow with love for You. Our love for You is a holy love; the love that You first poured into our hearts. We only return to You what You have first given to us: love, friendship, grace upon grace. We pledge our lives to Your service. We pray that by the power of Your indwelling Spirit we will remain loyal to You always. Help us share the good news of Jesus’ coming and His saving sacrifice with those who do not know Him. Help us demonstrate His resurrection life by the way we witness for Him in all our words and ways. We thank You for Your presence with us 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.”
Genesis 27:1-17
Rebekah and Jacob’s plot

When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”

Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”

Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin. What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.”

His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.”

So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it. Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.


Romans 7:7-20
Sin and the law kill us

What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.


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 Lectionary for Friday, July 7, 2023
Psalm 45:10-17; Genesis 27:1-17; Romans 7:7-20

The Morning Prayer for Friday, July 7, 2023

 

The Morning Prayer
Friday, July 7, 2023


Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Lord our God, we thank you for all you have done for us, for all you are doing for us, for deliverance from need and death. We thank you for all the signs you give us that you hear our prayer when, without wavering or weakening, we set our hopes on you. We thank you that we can be without fear of sin and death, for you stand by us in everything. In spite of our imperfections you show us your goodness again and again. May the light in our hearts never be extinguished, the light that enables us to look into heaven and earth and see the good that is on its way to us today. May joy remain with us, and may we have the strength to be a community that follows the paths of life which bring praise and honor to you. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Friday, July 7, 2023

 

Verse of the Day
Friday, July 7, 2023


Psalm 18:30
As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 18 bears a strong resemblance to David’s song of praise in 2 Samuel 22, where he praised the Lord for delivering him from his enemies. Wisdom teaches us to acknowledge God’s strength and to worship Him for who He is: our Rock, our Fortress, our Shield, and our Stronghold.

Read all of Psalm 18

Listen to Psalm 18


Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.