27th May

Morning Readings

Repeated Backslidings

Judges 3:12-28

12 Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. 15 Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. 19 At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him.

20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch ; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. 24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

26 While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. 28 "Follow me," he ordered, "for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over.

Judges 4:1-3

1 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

Evening Readings

Not to be Driven Away

Matthew 10:11-20

11"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

17"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Mark 7:21-26

21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman 24Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. 26The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

Matthew 15:23-27

23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Mark 7:29-30

29Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." 30She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Leaves for Plucking

Psalm 16:7

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight,

November 28th

Morning Readings

Fearless Amid Foes

Psalm 27:1-18

¹ The 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?

² When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.

³ Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

⁵ For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.

⁸ My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.

⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Saviour.

¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.

¹¹ Teach me your way, LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.

¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 28:6-8

⁶ Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.

⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.

⁸ The LORD is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Evening Readings

The Sheet-Anchor

Hebrews 6:1

¹ Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.

Hebrews 6:7-20

⁷ Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸ But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

⁹ Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. ¹¹ We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. ¹² We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

¹³ When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." ¹⁵ And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

¹⁶ People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. ¹⁷ Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰ where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Leaves for Plucking

Psalm 9:10

¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Proverbs 18:10

¹⁰ The name of the LORD is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.

"When darkness veils his loving face
I rest on his unchanging grace
In ever high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil."

September 25th

Morning Readings

Gahazi the Liar

2 Kings 5:20-27

20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, "My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him."

21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

22 "Everything is all right," Gehazi answered. "My master sent me to say, 'Two young men
from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent [a] of silver and two sets of clothing.' "

23 "By all means, take two talents," said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left. 25 Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha.

"Where have you been, Gehazi?" Elisha asked.

"Your servant didn't go anywhere," Gehazi answered.

26 But Elisha said to him, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants? 27 Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever." Then Gehazi went from Elisha's presence and he was leprous, as white as snow.

Footnotes:
2 Kings 5:22 That is, about 75 pounds (about 34 kilograms)

2 Kings 6:1-7

1 The company of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet."

And he said, "Go."

3 Then one of them said, "Won't you please come with your servants?"

"I will," Elisha replied. 4 And he went with them.

They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh no, my lord!" he cried out. "It was borrowed!"

6 The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7 "Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

Evening Readings

A Roman Citizen's Rights

Acts 22:17-30

17 "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. 'Quick!' he said. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.'

19 " 'Lord,' I replied, 'these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr [a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'

21 "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' "

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!"

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?"

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen."

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," he answered.

28 Then the commander said, "I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.
Paul Before the Sanhedrin

30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Footnotes:
Acts 22:20 Or witness


Acts 23:6-9

6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead." 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

Leaves for Plucking

Proverbs 16:9

9 In their hearts human beings plan their course,
but the LORD establishes their steps.

Isaiah 28:26

26 Their God instructs them
and teaches them the right way.

Psalm 48:14

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.

27th May

Morning Readings

Repeated Backslidings

Judges 3:12-28

12 Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. 15 Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. 19 At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him.

20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch ; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. 24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

26 While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. 28 "Follow me," he ordered, "for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over.

Judges 4:1-3

1 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

Evening Readings

Not to be Driven Away

Matthew 10:11-20

11"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

17"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Mark 7:21-26

21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman 24Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. 26The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

Matthew 15:23-27

23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Mark 7:29-30

29Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." 30She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Leaves for Plucking

Psalm 16:7

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight,

14th March

Morning Readings

Water from the Rock

Exodus 17:1-13

¹ The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ² So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink."
Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"

³ But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"

⁴ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."

⁵ The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶ I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ And he called the place Massah ^[a] and Meribah ^[b] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"

⁸ The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. ⁹ Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."

¹⁰ So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ¹² When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. ¹³ So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing .
   
2. Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling .
   

Evening Readings

The Virtuous Woman

Proverbs 30:24-28

²⁴ "Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:

²⁵ Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;

²⁶ coneys ^[a] are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;

²⁷ locusts have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;

²⁸ a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings' palaces.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 30:26 That is, the hyrax or rock badger
   

Proverbs 31:10-28

^10
[a] A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her women servants.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
   

Proverbs 31:30-31

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Honour her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Leaves for Plucking

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

"Oh, 'tis not in grief to harm me while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, 'twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee."

13th March

Morning Readings

Bread from Heaven

Exodus 16:14-35

¹ The whole community of Israel started out from Elim. They came to the Desert of Sin. It was between Elim and Sinai. They arrived there on the 15th day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.

² In the desert the whole community told Moses and Aaron they weren't happy with them. ³ The Israelites said to them, "We wish the Lord had put us to death in Egypt. There we sat around pots of meat. We ate all of the food we wanted. But you have brought us out into this desert. You must want this entire community to die of hunger."

⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people must go out each day. Have them gather enough bread for that day. Here is how I will put them to the test. I will see if they will follow my directions.

⁵ "On the sixth day they must prepare what they bring in. On that day they must gather twice as much as on the other days."

⁶ So Moses and Aaron spoke to all of the people of Israel. They said, "In the evening you will know that the Lord brought you out of Egypt. ⁷ And in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord. He has heard you say you aren't happy with him. Who are we? Why are you telling us you aren't happy with us?"

⁸ Moses also said, "You will know that the Lord has heard you speak against him. He will give you meat to eat in the evening. He'll give you all of the bread you want in the morning. But who are we? You aren't speaking against us. You are speaking against the Lord."

⁹ Then Moses told Aaron, "Talk to the whole community of Israel. Say to them, 'Come to the Lord. He has heard you speak against him.' "

¹⁰ While Aaron was talking to the whole community of Israel, they looked toward the desert. There was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud!

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² "I have heard the people of Israel talking about how unhappy they are. Tell them, 'When the sun goes down, you will eat meat. In the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.' "

¹³ That evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning the ground around the camp was covered with dew. ¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes appeared on the desert floor. They looked like frost on the ground. ¹⁵ The people of Israel saw the flakes. They asked each other, "What's that?" They didn't know what it was.

Moses said to them, "It's the bread the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, 'Each one of you should gather as much as you need. Take two quarts for each person who lives in your tent.' "

¹⁷ The people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, and some gathered a little. ¹⁸ When they measured it out, those who gathered a lot didn't have too much. And those who gathered a little had enough. All of them gathered only what they needed.

¹⁹ Then Moses said to them, "Don't keep any of it until morning."

²⁰ Some of them didn't pay any attention to Moses. They kept part of it until morning. But it was full of maggots and began to stink. So Moses became angry with them.

²¹ Each morning all of them gathered as much as they needed. But by the hottest time of the day, the thin flakes had melted away.

²² On the sixth day, the people gathered twice as much. It amounted to four quarts for each person. The leaders of the community came and reported that to Moses. ²³ He said to them, "Here is what the Lord commanded. He said, 'Tomorrow will be a day of rest. It will be a holy Sabbath day. It will be set apart for the Lord. So bake what you want to bake. Boil what you want to boil. Save what is left. Keep it until morning.' "

²⁴ So they saved it until morning, just as Moses commanded. It didn't stink or get maggots in it.

²⁵ "Eat it today," Moses said. "Today is a Sabbath day in the Lord's honour. You won't find any flakes on the ground today. ²⁶ Gather them for six days. But on the seventh day there won't be any. It's the Sabbath."

²⁷ In spite of what Moses said, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather the flakes. But they didn't find any.

²⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "How long will all of you refuse to obey my commands and my teachings? ²⁹ Keep in mind that I have given you the Sabbath day. That is why on the sixth day I give you bread for two days. All of you must stay where you are on the seventh day. No one can go out." ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹ The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seeds. It tasted like wafers that were made with honey.

³² Moses said, "Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, 'Get two quarts of manna. Keep it for all time to come. Then those who live after you will see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert. I gave it to you when I brought you out of Egypt.' "

³³ So Moses said to Aaron, "Get a jar. Put two quarts of manna in it. Then place it in front of the Lord. Keep it there for all time to come."

³⁴ Aaron did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses. He put the manna in front of the tablets of the covenant. He put it there so it would be kept for all time to come.

³⁵ The people of Israel ate manna for 40 years. They ate it until they came to a land that was settled. They ate it until they reached the border of Canaan.

³⁶ The jar had an omer of manna in it. An omer was two quarts.

Genesis 2:3

³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Evening Readings

Be Faithful!

Proverbs 26:20

²⁰ Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.

Proverbs 27:1-10

¹ Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.

² Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
an outsider, and not your own lips.

³ Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.

⁴ Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?

⁵ Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.

⁶ Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.

⁷ One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

⁸ Like a bird that flees its nest
is anyone who flees from home.

⁹ Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice.

¹⁰ Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
and do not go to your relative's house when disaster strikes you—
better a neighbour nearby than a relative far away.

Proverbs 27:17-23

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.

¹⁸ Those who guard a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and those who protect their masters will be honoured.

¹⁹ As water reflects the face,
so one's life reflects the heart. ^[a]

²⁰ Death and Destruction ^[b] are never satisfied,
and neither are human eyes.

²¹ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but people are tested by their praise.

²² Though you grind fools in a mortar,
grinding them like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove their folly from them.

²³ Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 27:19 Or so others reflect your heart back to you
   
2. Proverbs 27:20 Hebrew Abaddon
   

Proverbs 28:1

¹ The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

Proverbs 28:6

⁶ Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.

Proverbs 28:13-14

¹³ Those who conceal their sins do not prosper,
but those who confess and renounce them find mercy.

¹⁴ Blessed are those who always tremble before God,
but those who harden their hearts fall into trouble.

Proverbs 28:20-21

²⁰ A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

²¹ To show partiality is not good—
yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.

Proverbs 29:1

¹ Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

Proverbs 29:20

²⁰ Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Proverbs 29:25

²⁵ To fear anyone will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Proverbs 30:5-6

⁵ "Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

⁶ Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

Leaves for Plucking

Psalm 85:8

⁸ I will listen to what God the LORD says;
he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
but let them not turn to folly.

Isaiah 43:10

¹⁰ "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.

Matthew 5:13-14

¹³ "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

12th March

Morning Readings

A Nation of Complainers

Exodus 15:20-27

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. ²¹ Miriam sang to them:
"Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea."

²² Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. ²³ When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. ^[a]) ²⁴ So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"

²⁵ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. ²⁶ He said, "If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."

²⁷ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 15:23 Marah means bitter.
   

Exodus 16:2-13

² In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."

⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."

⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, ⁷ and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?" ⁸ Moses also said, "You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD."

⁹ Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.' "

¹⁰ While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.

¹¹ The LORD said to Moses, ¹² "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.' "

¹³ That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

Evening Readings

Giant Sloth and his End

Proverbs 24:17-18

¹⁷ Do not gloat when your enemies fall;
when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,

¹⁸ or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from them.

Proverbs 24:28-34

²⁸ Do not testify against your neighbour without cause—
would you use your lips to mislead?

²⁹ Do not say, "I'll do to them as they have done to me;
I'll pay them back for what they did."

³⁰ I went past the field of a sluggard,
past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;

³¹ thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.

³² I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:

³³ A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—

³⁴ and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.

Proverbs 25:17-28

¹⁷ Seldom set foot in your neighbour's house—
too much of you, and you will be hated.

¹⁸ Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is one who gives false testimony against a neighbour.

¹⁹ Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.

²⁰ Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or like vinegar poured on a wound,
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

²² In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.

²³ Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

²⁴ Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

²⁵ Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.

²⁶ Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.

²⁷ It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor is it honourable to search out matters that are too deep.

²⁸ Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.

Proverbs 26:12-16

¹² Do you see people who are wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for fools than for them.

¹³ A sluggard says, "There's a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!"

¹⁴ As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on the bed.

¹⁵ Sluggards bury their hands in the dish
and are too lazy to bring them back to their mouths.

¹⁶ Sluggards are wiser in their own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.

Proverbs 24:9

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin,
and people detest a mocker.

Leaves for Plucking

Luke 8:15

¹⁵ But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Luke 12:35-36

³⁵ "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

11th March

Morning Readings

The Song of Victory

Exodus 15:1-19

¹ Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD :
"I will sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea.

² The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.

³ The LORD is a warrior;
the LORD is his name.

⁴ Pharaoh's chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh's officers
are drowned in the Red Sea. ^[a]

⁵ The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.

⁶ "Your right hand, O LORD,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand, O LORD,
shattered the enemy.

⁷ In the greatness of your majesty
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;
it consumed them like stubble.

⁸ By the blast of your nostrils
the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood firm like a wall;
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.

⁹ "The enemy boasted,
'I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.'

¹⁰ But you blew with your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.

¹¹ "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?

¹² You stretched out your right hand
and the earth swallowed them.

¹³ "In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.

¹⁴ The nations will hear and tremble;
anguish will grip the people of Philistia.

¹⁵ The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people ^[b] of Canaan will melt away;

¹⁶ terror and dread will fall upon them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone—
until your people pass by, O LORD,
until the people you bought ^[c] pass by.

¹⁷ You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling,
the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.

¹⁸ The LORD will reign
for ever and ever."

¹⁹ When Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen ^[d] went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 15:4 Hebrew Yam Suph; that is, Sea of Reeds; also in verse 22
   
2. Exodus 15:15 Or rulers
   
3. Exodus 15:16 Or created
   
4. Exodus 15:19 Or charioteers
   

Evening Readings

A Deadly Foe

Proverbs 20:1

¹ Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler;
whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

Proverbs 23:20-21

²⁰ Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,

²¹ for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Proverbs 23:29-32

²⁹ Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

³⁰ Those who linger over wine,
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.

³¹ Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!

³² In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.

Proverbs 20:7

⁷ The righteous lead blameless lives;
blessed are their children after them.

Proverbs 20:10-11

¹⁰ Differing weights and differing measures—
the LORD detests them both.

¹¹ Even small children are known by their actions,
so is their conduct really pure and upright?

Proverbs 23:17

¹⁷ Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.

Proverbs 20:20

Proverbs 21:2

²⁰ If you curse your father or mother,
your lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.

Proverbs 21:17

¹⁷ Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.

Proverbs 22:1

¹ A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 24:9

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin,
and people detest a mocker.

Leaves for Plucking

Psalm 33:1

¹ Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Psalm 33:18

¹⁸ But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

Psalm 40:3

³ He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
and put their trust in him.

10th March

Morning Readings

Wonderful Deliverance

Exodus 14:19-31

¹⁹ Then the angel of God, who had been travelling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, ²² and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. ²⁵ He jammed ^[a] the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."

²⁶ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." ²⁷ Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward ^[b] it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. ²⁸ The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. ³⁰ That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. ³¹ And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 14:25 See Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint and Syriac; Masoretic Text removed
   
2. Exodus 14:27 Or from
   

Stop the Leak!

Proverbs 16:1

¹ To human beings belong the plans of the heart,
but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue.

Proverbs 16:3

³ Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 16:8-9

⁸ Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with injustice.

⁹ In their hearts human beings plan their course,
but the LORD establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:18

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:31-32

³¹ Gray hair is a crown of splendour;
it is attained in the way of righteousness.

³² Better a patient person than a warrior,
those with self-control than those who take a city.

Proverbs 17:9

⁹ Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Proverbs 17:13-14

¹³ Evil will never leave the house
of one who pays back evil for good.

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

Proverbs 17:17

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Proverbs 18:8-10

⁸ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.

⁹ One who is slack in his work
is a close relative of one who destroys.

¹⁰ The name of the LORD is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.

Proverbs 18:14

¹⁴ The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?

Proverbs 18:21

²¹ The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:24

²⁴ One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 19:9

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will perish.

Proverbs 19:17

¹⁷ Those who are kind to the poor lend to the LORD,
and he will reward them for what they have done.

Leaves for Plucking

Jeremiah 2:17

¹⁷ Have you not brought this on yourselves
by forsaking the LORD your God
when he led you in the way?

1 John 1:9

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

"Just as I am, Thy love unknown.

Hath broken every barrier down;

Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come"

9th March

Morning Readings

Go Forward

Exodus 14:5-18

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" ⁶ So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. ⁷ He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. ⁸ The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. ⁹ The Egyptians—all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen ^[a] and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. ¹¹ They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

¹³ Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

¹⁵ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. ¹⁶ Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. ¹⁸ The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen."

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 14:9 Or charioteers; also in verses 17, 18, 23, 26 and 28
   

Evening Readings

Answer Gently

Proverbs 12:21-22

²¹ No harm overtakes the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²² The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

Proverbs 12:25

²⁵ Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.

Proverbs 12:28

²⁸ In the way of righteousness there is life;

along that path is immortality.

Proverbs 13:12

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 14:5

⁵ An honest witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies.

Proverbs 14:10

¹⁰ Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can share its joy.

Proverbs 14:13-14

¹³ Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and rejoicing may end in grief.

¹⁴ The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,
and the good rewarded for theirs.

Proverbs 14:26-27

²⁶ Those who fear the LORD have a secure fortress,
and for their children it will be a refuge.

²⁷ The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
turning a person from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:34

³⁴ Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin condemns any people.

Proverbs 15:1

¹ A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:3

³ The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,
keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

Proverbs 15:9

⁹ The LORD detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

Proverbs 15:11

¹¹ Death and Destruction ^[a] lie open before the LORD—
how much more do human hearts!

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 15:11 Hebrew Abaddon
   

Proverbs 15:13

¹³ A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15:17-18

¹⁷ Better a small serving of vegetables with love
than a fattened calf with hatred.

¹⁸ The hot-tempered stir up dissension,
but those who are patient calm a quarrel.

Proverbs 15:25-26

²⁵ The LORD tears down the house of the proud,
but he sets the widow's boundary stones in place.

²⁶ The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but gracious words are pure in his sight.

Leaves for Plucking

Luke 22:42

⁴² "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Luke 21:19

¹⁹ Stand firm, and you will win life.

"Christ leads me through no darker rooms

Than he went through before;

And he that in God's kingdom comes

Must enter by this door."