O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides.
Morning
Invitatory Psalm 84
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow for herself
where she may lay her you, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my Ruler and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.
....
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.
....
Psalm 36
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; there is no fear of God before their eyes.
For they flatter themselves in their own eyes that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit; they have ceased to act wisely and do good.
They plot mischief while on their beds; they are set on a way that is not good; they do not reject evil.
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!
Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me, or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
There the evildoers lie prostrate; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
Daily Lectionary Reading, Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
The LORD ’s word came to me: 2 What do you mean by this proverb of yours about the land of Israel: “ When parents eat unripe grapes, the children’s teeth suffer ” ? 3 As surely as I live, says the LORD God, no longer will you use this proverb in Israel! 4 All lives are mine; the life of the parent and the life of the child belong to me. Only the one who sins will die.
25 But you say, “ My Lord’s way doesn’t measure up. ” Listen, house of Israel, is it my ways that don’t measure up? Isn’t it your ways that don’t measure up? 26 When those who do the right thing turn from their responsible ways and act maliciously, they will die because of it. For their malicious acts they will die. 27 And when the wicked turn from their wicked deeds and act justly and responsibly, they will preserve their lives. 28 When they become alarmed and turn away from all their sins, they will surely live; they won’t die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, “ My Lord’s way doesn’t measure up. ” Is it my ways that don’t measure up? Isn’t it your ways that don’t measure up, house of Israel? 30 Therefore, I will judge each of you according to your ways, house of Israel. This is what the LORD God says. Turn, turn away from all your sins. Don’t let them be sinful obstacles for you. 31 Abandon all of your repeated sins. Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? 32 I most certainly don’t want anyone to die! This is what the LORD God says. Change your ways, and live! [Common English Bible]
Today's Prayer: O Lord, forgive us for those times that we blamed other people for our own shortcomings. And, O Lord, forgive us for those shortcomings that we have committed. Keep us attentive to what you want for us, how you want us to behave. Steer us to the right way, to the new life possible in your presence. Amen.
Midday Psalm 119:49-56
Evening
Psalm 55
Give ear to my prayer, O God; do not hide yourself from my supplication.
Attend to me, and answer me; I am troubled in my complaint. I am distraught
by the noise of the enemy, because of the clamor of the wicked. For they bring trouble upon me, and in anger they cherish enmity against me.
My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.
And I say, “O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;
truly, I would flee far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
I would hurry to find a shelter for myself from the raging wind and tempest.”
Confuse, O Lord, confound their speech; for I see violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it;
ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud do not depart from its marketplace.
It is not enemies who taunt me— I could bear that; it is not adversaries who deal insolently with me— I could hide from them.
....
But I call upon God, and the Lord will save me.
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he will hear my voice.
He will redeem me unharmed from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.
God, who is enthroned from of old, Selah will hear, and will humble them— because they do not change, and do not fear God.
My companion laid hands on a friend and violated a covenant with me
with speech smoother than butter, but with a heart set on war; with words that were softer than oil, but in fact were drawn swords.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you....
Psalm 59
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from those who work evil; from the bloodthirsty save me.
Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Rouse yourself, come to my help and see!
....
Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
There they are, bellowing with their mouths, with sharp words on their lips—
for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
But you laugh at them, O Lord; you hold all the nations in derision.
O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress.
My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
Do not kill them, or my people may forget;
make them totter by your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.
For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride.
....
Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
They roam about for food, and growl if they do not get their fill.
But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
Psalm 60
O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; now restore us!
You have caused the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
You have made your people suffer hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us reel.
You have set up a banner for those who fear you, to rally to it out of bowshot. Selah
....
Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless.
With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.
Psalm 62
For you alone, O God, my soul waits in silence; from you comes my salvation.
You alone are my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken.
How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence. They take pleasure in falsehood; they bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah
For you alone, God, my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from you.
You alone are my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in God at all times, O people; pour out your heart before God;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.
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