Home > Reading > Daily Reading – May 5, 2019

Proverbs 15 (ESV)

15 A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.

A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

A fool despises his father’s instruction,
but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so the hearts of fools.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but he loves him who pursues righteousness.

10  There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;
whoever hates reproof will die.

11  Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;
how much more the hearts of the children of man!

12  A scoffer does not like to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise.

13  A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.

14  The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

15  All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.

16  Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.

17  Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

18  A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

19  The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,
but the path of the upright is a level highway.

20  A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.

21  Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.

22  Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.

23  To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and a word in season, how good it is!

24  The path of life leads upward for the prudent,
that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.

25  The Lord tears down the house of the proud
but maintains the widow’s boundaries.

26  The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
but gracious words are pure.

27  Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
but he who hates bribes will live.

28  The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

29  The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

30  The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
and good news refreshes the bones.

31  The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise.

32  Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.

33  The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.

Psalm 116 (ESV)

I Love the Lord

116 I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.

Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.

Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.

The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;

I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.

10  I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted”;

11  I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.”

12  What shall I render to the Lord
for all his benefits to me?

13  I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,

14  I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

15  Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.

16  O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.

17  I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.

18  I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,

19  in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

James 1:19–27 (ESV)

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

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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