Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Last Break - May 8

Here is the reading for today..


Psalm 37-38

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 37

A psalm of David.

Don’t worry about the wicked
    or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.
    Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good.
    Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
    Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
    and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord,
    and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
    or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry!
    Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
    it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed,
    but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
10 Soon the wicked will disappear.
    Though you look for them, they will be gone.
11 The lowly will possess the land
    and will live in peace and prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the godly;
    they snarl at them in defiance.
13 But the Lord just laughs,
    for he sees their day of judgment coming.
14 The wicked draw their swords
    and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
    to slaughter those who do right.
15 But their swords will stab their own hearts,
    and their bows will be broken.
16 It is better to be godly and have little
    than to be evil and rich.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
    but the Lord takes care of the godly.
18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
    and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
19 They will not be disgraced in hard times;
    even in famine they will have more than enough.
20 But the wicked will die.
    The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—
    they will disappear like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and never repay,
    but the godly are generous givers.
22 Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
    but those he curses will die.
23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
    He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
    for the Lord holds them by the hand.
25 Once I was young, and now I am old.
    Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
    or their children begging for bread.
26 The godly always give generous loans to others,
    and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good,
    and you will live in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice,
    and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
    but the children of the wicked will die.
29 The godly will possess the land
    and will live there forever.
30 The godly offer good counsel;
    they teach right from wrong.
31 They have made God’s law their own,
    so they will never slip from his path.
32 The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
    looking for an excuse to kill them.
33 But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
    or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
34 Put your hope in the Lord.
    Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
    You will see the wicked destroyed.
35 I have seen wicked and ruthless people
    flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone!
    Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
37 Look at those who are honest and good,
    for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;
    they have no future.
39 The Lord rescues the godly;
    he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them,
    rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
    and they find shelter in him.

Psalm 38

A psalm of David, asking God to remember him.

Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your rage!
Your arrows have struck deep,
    and your blows are crushing me.
Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;
    my health is broken because of my sins.
My guilt overwhelms me—
    it is a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and stink
    because of my foolish sins.
I am bent over and racked with pain.
    All day long I walk around filled with grief.
A raging fever burns within me,
    and my health is broken.
I am exhausted and completely crushed.
    My groans come from an anguished heart.
You know what I long for, Lord;
    you hear my every sigh.
10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,
    and I am going blind.
11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease.
    Even my own family stands at a distance.
12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me.
    Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me.
    All day long they plan their treachery.
13 But I am deaf to all their threats.
    I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
14 I choose to hear nothing,
    and I make no reply.
15 For I am waiting for you, O Lord.
    You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
16 I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies gloat over me
    or rejoice at my downfall.”
17 I am on the verge of collapse,
    facing constant pain.
18 But I confess my sins;
    I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
19 I have many aggressive enemies;
    they hate me without reason.
20 They repay me evil for good
    and oppose me for pursuing good.
21 Do not abandon me, O Lord.
    Do not stand at a distance, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
    O Lord my savior.



Proverbs 19

New Living Translation (NLT)
19 Better to be poor and honest
    than to be dishonest and a fool.
Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;
    haste makes mistakes.
People ruin their lives by their own foolishness
    and then are angry at the Lord.
Wealth makes many “friends”;
    poverty drives them all away.
A false witness will not go unpunished,
    nor will a liar escape.
Many seek favors from a ruler;
    everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!
The relatives of the poor despise them;
    how much more will their friends avoid them!
Though the poor plead with them,
    their friends are gone.
To acquire wisdom is to love oneself;
    people who cherish understanding will prosper.
A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and a liar will be destroyed.
10 It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury
    or for a slave to rule over princes!
11 Sensible people control their temper;
    they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
12 The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar,
    but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish child is a calamity to a father;
    a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.
14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth,
    but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.
15 Lazy people sleep soundly,
    but idleness leaves them hungry.
16 Keep the commandments and keep your life;
    despising them leads to death.
17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord
    and he will repay you!
18 Discipline your children while there is hope.
    Otherwise you will ruin their lives.
19 Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty.
    If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again.
20 Get all the advice and instruction you can,
    so you will be wise the rest of your life.
21 You can make many plans,
    but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.
22 Loyalty makes a person attractive.
    It is better to be poor than dishonest.
23 Fear of the Lord leads to life,
    bringing security and protection from harm.
24 Lazy people take food in their hand
    but don’t even lift it to their mouth.
25 If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson;
    if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.
26 Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother
    are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.
27 If you stop listening to instruction, my child,
    you will turn your back on knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice;
    the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29 Punishment is made for mockers,
    and the backs of fools are made to be beaten.


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2037-38&version=NLT
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%2019&version=NLT
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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