Home > Reading > Daily Reading – May 6, 2019

Proverbs 16 (ESV)

16 The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.

Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.

The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
be assured, he will not go unpunished.

By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.

When a man’s ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Better is a little with righteousness
than great revenues with injustice.

The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.

10  An oracle is on the lips of a king;
his mouth does not sin in judgment.

11  A just balance and scales are the Lord’s;
all the weights in the bag are his work.

12  It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
for the throne is established by righteousness.

13  Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
and he loves him who speaks what is right.

14  A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
and a wise man will appease it.

15  In the light of a king’s face there is life,
and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.

16  How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

17  The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;
whoever guards his way preserves his life.

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

19  It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to divide the spoil with the proud.

20  Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,
and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

21  The wise of heart is called discerning,
and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

22  Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it,
but the instruction of fools is folly.

23  The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

24  Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

25  There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.

26  A worker’s appetite works for him;
his mouth urges him on.

27  A worthless man plots evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.

28  A dishonest man spreads strife,
and a whisperer separates close friends.

29  A man of violence entices his neighbor
and leads him in a way that is not good.

30  Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things;
he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.

31  Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life.

32  Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

33  The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.

Psalm 117 (ESV)

The Lord’s Faithfulness Endures Forever

117 Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

James 2:1–13 (ESV)

The Sin of Partiality

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

In connection with Jeremiah 23:16, [Luther writes], “O pope, O bishop, O parson, O monks, O theologians, how can you get by here? Do you think it is a small matter when lo y Majesty forbids what does not come from the mouth of God and some- thing else that is not God’s Word?”  “God’s Word is so hard that it will suffer no additions, that it alone will be or will not be at all. God may suffer it that unclean additions run through our works and lives but in His Word, which should cleanse me from all addition and filth, He can suffer no addition, or our lives would never become clean in all eternity.” (21)

–Johann Michael Reu, Luther on the Scriptures

This daily Bible reading guide, Reading the Word of God, was conceived and prepared as a result of the ongoing discussions between representatives of three church bodies: Lutheran Church—Canada (LCC), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). The following individuals have represented their church bodies and approved this introduction and the reading guide: LCC: President Robert Bugbee; NALC: Bishop John Bradosky, Revs. Mark Chavez, James Nestingen, and David Wendel; LCMS: Revs. Albert Collver, Joel Lehenbauer, John Pless, and Larry Vogel.

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