Thursday, May 12, 2022

The Daily Bible Readings for Friday, May 13, 2022

 

The Daily Bible Readings
Friday, May 13, 2022
Psalm 148; Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 11:15
with commentaries from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

Today’s Verse of the Day:
Proverbs 31:30

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
The Book of Proverbs ends where it began, with a focus on the fear of the Lord (1:7). Those who know and worship God for who He really is—obeying and loving Him wholeheartedly—find success in life and store up wonderful treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19–21).

Today’s Lectionary Readings:
From the Psalter
Psalm 148
God’s Splendor is Over Earth and Heaven


1 Praise the Lord.

  Praise the Lord from the heavens;
     praise him in the heights above.
2 Praise him, all his angels;
     praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
     praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens
     and you waters above the skies.

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
     for at his command they were created,
6 and he established them for ever and ever—
     he issued a decree that will never pass away.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
     you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
     stormy winds that do his bidding,
9 you mountains and all hills,
     fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle,
      small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings of the earth and all nations,
      you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
      old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
      for his name alone is exalted;
      his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,
      the praise of all his faithful servants,
      of Israel, the people close to his heart.


Commentary
The creatures placed in the upper world called on to praise the Lord (vv. 1-6); Also the creatures of this lower world, especially his own people (vv. 7-14).

Verses 1-6: We, in this dark and sinful world, know little of the heavenly world of light. But we know that there is above us a world of blessed angels. They are always praising God, therefore the psalmist shows his desire that God may be praised in the best manner; also we show that we have communion with spirits above, who are still praising him. The heavens, with all contained in them, declare the glory of God. They call on us, that both by word and deed, we glorify with them the Creator and Redeemer of the universe.

Verses 7-14: Even in this world, dark and bad as it is, God is praised. The powers of nature, be they ever so strong, so stormy, do what God appoints them, and no more. Those that rebel against God's word, show themselves to be more violent than even the stormy winds, yet they fulfill it. View the surface of the earth, mountains and all hills; from the barren tops of some, and the fruitful tops of others, we may fetch matter for praise. And assuredly creatures which have the powers of reason, ought to employ themselves in praising God. Let all manner of persons praise God. Those of every rank, high and low. Let us show that we are his saints by praising his name continually. He is not only our Creator, but our Redeemer; who made us a people near unto him. We may by "the Horn of his people" understand Christ, whom God has exalted to be a Prince and a Savior, who is indeed the defense and the praise of all his saints, and will be so for ever. In redemption, that unspeakable glory is displayed, which forms the source of all our hopes and joys. May the Lord pardon us, and teach our hearts to love him more and praise him better.


From the Historical Books
Daniel 7:13-14
An Everlasting Dominion is Given


7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Commentary
Daniel's vision of Christ's kingdom.

These verses are for the comfort and support of the people of God, in reference to the persecutions that would come upon them. Many New Testament predictions of the judgment to come, have plain allusion to this vision; especially Revelation 20:11; Revelation 20:12. The Messiah is here called the Son of man; he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was found in fashion as a man, but he is the Son of God. The great event foretold in this passage, is Christ's glorious coming, to destroy every anti-christian power, and to render his own kingdom universal upon earth. But ere the solemn time arrives, for manifesting the glory of God to all worlds in his dealings with his creatures, we may expect that the doom of each of us will be determined at the hour of our death; and before the end shall come, the Father will openly give to his incarnate Son, our Mediator and Judge, the inheritance of the nations as his willing subjects.


From the Apocalypse of John
Revelation 11:15
God’s Reign at the End of Time


11:15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
  the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
  and he will reign for ever and ever.”
Commentary
Under the seventh trumpet, all anti-christian powers are to be destroyed and there will be a glorious state of Christ's kingdom upon earth.

Before the sounding of the seventh and last trumpet, there is the usual demand of attention. The saints and angels in heaven know the right of our God and Savior to rule over all the world. But the nations met God's wrath with their own anger. It was a time in which he was beginning to reward his people's faithful services, and sufferings; and their enemies fretted against God, and so increased their guilt, and hastened their destruction. By the opening the temple of God in heaven, may be meant, that there was a more free communication between heaven and earth; prayer and praises more freely and frequently going up, graces and blessings plentifully coming down. But it rather seems to refer to the church of God on earth.



Today’s Lectionary Readings are selected from the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, a three-year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. 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 what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org. 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. Commentaries from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible.

The Morning Prayer for Friday, May 13, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Friday, May 13, 2022


For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6, NIV


Lord our God, whose light shines out of the darkness and gleams brightly into our hearts, we thank you for all the goodness you allow us to see. We want to see your goodness clearly and have confidence in it, no matter how much around us is dark and disquieting. We want to remain firm and full of trust, looking to what you have put into our hearts so that we may come to know you. Be with us with your Spirit. Lead us to realize ever more clearly that we are made for your honor. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Friday, May 13, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Friday, May 13, 2022


Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
The Book of Proverbs ends where it began, with a focus on the fear of the Lord (1:7). Those who know and worship God for who He really is—obeying and loving Him wholeheartedly—find success in life and store up wonderful treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19–21).

Read the Full Chapter



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

Our Daily Bread — Finish Strong

 

Finish Strong

I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24

READ Acts 20:17–24



As I enter the final few minutes of my forty-minute workout, I can almost guarantee that my instructor will yell out, “Finish strong!” Every personal trainer or group fitness leader I’ve known uses the phrase a few minutes before cool down. They know that the end of the workout is just as important as showing up for it. And they know that the human body has a tendency to want to slow down or slack off when it’s been in motion for a while.

The same is true in our journey with Jesus. Paul told the elders of the church at Ephesus that he needed to finish strong as he headed to Jerusalem, where he was certain to face more persecution as an apostle of Christ (Acts 20:17–24). Paul, however, was undeterred. He had a mission and that was to finish the journey he’d begun and to do what God called him to do. He had one job—to tell “the good news of God’s grace” (v. 24). And he wanted to finish strong. Even if hardship awaited him (v. 23), he continued to run toward his finish line—focused and determined to remain steadfast in his journey.

Whether we’re exercising our physical muscles or working out our God-given abilities through actions, words, and deeds, we too can be encouraged by the reminder to finish strong. Don’t “become weary” (Galatians 6:9). Don’t give up. God will provide what you need to finish strong.

By Katara Patton
REFLECT & PRAY


What do you do when you get tired and feel like giving up? What’s the benefit of finishing strong?

Help me keep going on this journey, Father. I want to finish strong so You get the glory for my life and journey.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Paul tells the leaders of the Ephesian church that he never hesitated to preach anything that would be “helpful” (Acts 20:20). This word is a translation of the Greek root word sympherō, which here means “to be for the better of, to confer benefit, or be profitable.” Darrell Bock, in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, describes this beneficial message as “the same to Jews and Greeks: repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:9–10; 1 Corinthians 9:20–23; 10:32–33). This combination (repentance and faith) is an excellent summary of Paul’s mission. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin.” For Paul, what’s profitable is a life dedicated to faith and growth in God. This is the message he preached and that he gave to others to preach.

J.R. Hudberg