I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.

Daily Bible Reading: Thursday, December 21, 2023

Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 (NRSV)

1I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever;
with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
2I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;
your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
3You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to my servant David:
4'I will establish your descendants forever,
and build your throne for all generations.'"
Selah

19Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said:
"I have set the crown on one who is mighty,
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20I have found my servant David;
with my holy oil I have anointed him;
21my hand shall always remain with him;
my arm also shall strengthen him.
22The enemy shall not outwit him,
the wicked shall not humble him.
23I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
24My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
25I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
26He shall cry to me, 'You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation!'

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

Daily Bible Reading: Monday, December 18, 2023

Psalm 125 (NRSV)

​1Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people,
from this time on and forevermore.
3For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch out
their hands to do wrong.
4Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts.
5But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways
the LORD will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel!

Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.

Daily Bible Reading: Thursday, December 14, 2023

Psalm 126 (NRSV)

​1When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
3The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Daily Bible Reading: Monday, December 11, 2023

Psalm 27 (NRSV)

​1The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh —
my adversaries and foes —
they shall stumble and fall.
3Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.
4One thing I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to inquire in his temple.
5For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
6Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
7Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
8"Come," my heart says, "seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, do I seek.
9Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10If my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will take me up.
11Teach me your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.
13I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!

Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

Daily Bible Reading: Thursday, December 7, 2023

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 (NRSV)

1LORD, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all their sin.
Selah

8Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12The LORD will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.

Then we your people, the flock of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Daily Bible Reading: Monday, December 4, 2023

Psalm 79 (NRSV)

​1O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple;
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2They have given the bodies of your servants
to the birds of the air for food,
the flesh of your faithful to the wild animals of the earth.
3They have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
4We have become a taunt to our neighbors,
mocked and derided by those around us.
5How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?
6Pour out your anger on the nations
that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name.
7For they have devoured Jacob
and laid waste his habitation.
8Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors;
let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
for we are brought very low.
9Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and forgive our sins,
for your name's sake.
10Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes.
11Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power preserve those doomed to die.
12Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors
the taunts with which they taunted you, O LORD!
13Then we your people, the flock of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

ELCA's daily Bible readings are chosen from "Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings," prepared by Consultation on the Common Texts, © 2005.
All text is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches USA, and is used by permission. All rights reserved.