Mar 7

Exodus 18
Job 36
Luke 21
2Corinthians 6

Daily Readings:

Exodus 18

1 ¶  When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

2  Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

3  And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

4  And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

5  And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

6  And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7 ¶  And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.

8  And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

9  And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10  And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11  Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.

12  And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.

13 ¶  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

14  And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

15  And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

16  When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17  And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

18  Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

19  Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

20  And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

22  And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

23  If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.

24  So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

25  And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26  And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27  And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

Job 36

1 ¶  Elihu also proceeded, and said,

2  Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.

3  I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

4  For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

5 ¶  Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

6  He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.

7  He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

8  And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;

9  Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

10  He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

11  If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

12  But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

13  But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.

14  They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

15 ¶  He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

16  Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.

17  But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.

18  Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

19  Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

20  Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.

21  Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

22  Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?

23  Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

24 ¶  Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.

25  Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.

26  Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

27  For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:

28  Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.

29  Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?

30  Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

31  For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

32  With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.

33  The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.

Luke 21

1 ¶  And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

2  And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

3  And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

4  For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

5 ¶  And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,

6  As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

7  And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

8  And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

9  But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

10  Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

11  And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

12  But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.

13  And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

14  Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

15  For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

16  And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

17  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

18  But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

20 ¶  And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

21  Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.

22  For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

23  But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

24  And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

25  And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26  Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

29 ¶  And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

30  When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

31  So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

32  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

33  Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

35  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

37  And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.

38  And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

2 Corinthians 6

1 ¶  We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

3  Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

4  But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

5  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

6  By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

7  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

8  By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

9  As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

10  As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

11 ¶  O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

12  Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

13  Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Mediation of the Day: from Charles J Rolls’ book, ‘The Indescribable Christ’

F1-F01 F F1-F02 F F1-F03 Iam F1-F04 Iam F1-F05 Iam

 

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