daily reading 49.1 (Nehemiah 9:22–31)

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Our opening prayer for this week:

The advent of our King

Our prayers must now employ,

And we must hymns of welcome sing

In strains of holy joy.

The everlasting Son

Incarnate deigns to be;

Himself a servant’s form puts on

To set His servants free.

O Zion’s Daughter, rise

To meet your lowly King,

Nor let thy faithless heart despise

The peace He comes to bring.

As Judge, on clouds of light,

He soon will come again

And his true members all unite

With him in bliss to reign.

Before the dawning day

Let sin’s dark deeds be gone,

The sinful self be put away,

The new self all put on.

All glory to the Son,

Who comes to set us free,

With Father, Spirit, ever One,

Through all eternity. Amen.

 

Nehemiah 9:22–31

• "You gave them kingdoms and peoples and established boundaries for them. They took possession of the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and of the land of King Og of Bashan.
• 23 "You multiplied their descendants like the stars of the sky and brought them to the land you told their ancestors to go in and possess.
• 24 "So their descendants went in and possessed the land: You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them, to do as they pleased with them.
• 25 "They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took possession of well-supplied houses, cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, were filled, became prosperous, and delighted in your great goodness.
• 26 "But they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They flung your law behind their backs and killed your prophets who warned them in order to turn them back to you. They committed terrible blasphemies.
• 27 "So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. In their time of distress, they cried out to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the power of their enemies.
• 28 "But as soon as they had relief, they again did what was evil in your sight. So you abandoned them to the power of their enemies, who dominated them. When they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven and rescued them many times in your compassion.
• 29 "You warned them to turn back to your law, but they acted arrogantly and would not obey your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, which a person will live by if he does them. They stubbornly resisted, stiffened their necks, and would not obey.
• 30 "You were patient with them for many years, and your Spirit warned them through your prophets, but they would not listen. Therefore, you handed them over to the surrounding peoples.
• 31 "However, in your abundant compassion, you did not destroy them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and compassionate God."

• Helpful notes on Nehemiah 9:22–31 

For yourself pray:

• That God moves you to heed his warnings

For others pray:

• That God ends civil war in Myanmar

A psalm to listen to and ponder, as time allows:

• Psalm 138  (YouTube, duet)