Song for Today: 
God of All My Days
God on the Mountain

Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
•••
The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.
•••
the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.
from Psalm 37

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
from Ecclesiastes 4

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.
When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.
•••
Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.
from Ecclesiastes 5

Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
from Ecclesiastes 6

Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?
In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.
•••
Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
from Ecclesiastes 7

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.
.•••
When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night), and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot discover.
from Ecclesiastes 8

Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.
•••
The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
from Ecclesiastes 9

in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.
from Ecclesiastes 10

Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
from Ecclesiastes 11

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
from Ecclesiastes 12

Song for Today: 
I Will Praise Him Still
Mercy Walked In

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Your judgments are like a great deep.
O Lord, You preserve man and beast.
How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
from Psalm 36

Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun?
A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever.
Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
And hastening to its place it rises there again.
Blowing toward the south,
Then turning toward the north,
The wind continues swirling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.
All the rivers flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers flow,
There they flow again.
All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.
•••
I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.
from Ecclesiastes 1

I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.” For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
•••
There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?
from Ecclesiastes 2

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.
•••
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him. That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.
from Ecclesiastes 3

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Song for Today: 
Free From Guilt and Free From Sin
Good Good Father

let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.
from Psalm 35

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.
•••
even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
from Galations 1

knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
•••
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
from Galations 2

no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “ The righteous man shall live by faith.”
•••
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
from Galations 3

God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
from Galations 4

the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
•••
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
from Galations 5

if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.
•••
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
•••
may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
from Galations 6

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Song for Today: 
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
We Have This Moment Today

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
•••
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
•••
they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
•••
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
from Psalm 34

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
“Who is this that darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
“Now gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
“On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
from Job 38

Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
“Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
And makes his nest on high?
“On the cliff he dwells and lodges,
Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place.
“From there he spies out food;
His eyes see it from afar.
“His young ones also suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there is he.”
from Job 39

Then the Lord said to Job,
“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who reproves God answer it.”
Then Job answered the Lord and said,
“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
“Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;
Even twice, and I will add nothing more.”
•••
the Lord answered Job out of the storm and said,
“Now gird up your loins like a man;
I will ask you, and you instruct Me.
“Will you really annul My judgment?
Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?
“Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you thunder with a voice like His?
“Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity,
And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.
“Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low.
“Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him,
And tread down the wicked where they stand.
“Hide them in the dust together;
Bind them in the hidden place.
“Then I will also confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.
from Job 40

Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
“Can you put a rope in his nose
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
“Will he make many supplications to you,
Or will he speak to you soft words?
•••
Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
“Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle; you will not do it again!
“Behold, your expectation is false;
Will you be laid low even at the sight of him?
“No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him;
Who then is he that can stand before Me?
“Who has given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.
from Job 41

Job answered the Lord and said,
“I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct me.’
“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You;
Therefore I retract,
And I repent in dust and ashes.”
•••
The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning;
•••
After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. And Job died, an old man and full of days.
from Job 42

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Song for Today: 
Worthy Is The Lamb
Worthy Is The Lamb
Jesus Will Still Be There

Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
•••
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.
•••
Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.
from Psalm 33

Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned because he justified himself before God. And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were years older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men his anger burned.
So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite spoke out and said,
“I am young in years and you are old;
Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think.
“I thought age should speak,
And increased years should teach wisdom.
“But it is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
“The abundant in years may not be wise,
Nor may elders understand justice.
“So I say, ‘Listen to me,
I too will tell what I think.’
from Job 32

Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words:
‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.
‘Behold, He invents pretexts against me;
He counts me as His enemy.
‘He puts my feet in the stocks;
He watches all my paths.’
“Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this,
For God is greater than man.
“Why do you complain against Him
That He does not give an account of all His doings?
from Job 33

Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;
Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
•••
Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
‘Job ought to be tried to the limit,
Because he answers like wicked men.
‘For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”
from Job 34

Do you think this is according to justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
“For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
“I will answer you,
And your friends with you.
•••
If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?
“If you are righteous, what do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
from Job 35

Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;
He is mighty in strength of understanding.
“He does not keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to the afflicted.
“He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
•••
Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a teacher like Him?
“Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?
“Remember that you should exalt His work,
Of which men have sung.
“All men have seen it;
Man beholds from afar.
“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.
from Job 36

Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
“Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?
“Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,
You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
“Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
“Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
•••
Around God is awesome majesty.
“The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.
“Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”
from Job 37

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Song for Today: 
Ever be
‘Til The Storm Passes By

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.
Selah.
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.
Selah.
Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah.
from Psalm 32

Bildad the Shuhite answered,
“Dominion and awe belong to Him
Who establishes peace in His heights.
“Is there any number to His troops?
And upon whom does His light not rise?
“How then can a man be just with God?
Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?
“If even the moon has no brightness
And the stars are not pure in His sight,
How much less man, that maggot,
And the son of man, that worm!”
from Job 25

Job responded,
“What a help you are to the weak!
How you have saved the arm without strength!
“What counsel you have given to one without wisdom!
What helpful insight you have abundantly provided!
•••
By His breath the heavens are cleared;
His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.
“Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”
from Job 26

as long as life is in me,
And the breath of God is in my nostrils,
My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.
“Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
“I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not reproach any of my days.
from Job 27

The earth, from it comes food,
And underneath it is turned up as fire.
“Its rocks are the source of sapphires,
And its dust contains gold.
•••
where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
“Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
“The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
“Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
“It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
“Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.
“Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls.
“The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
“Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?
“Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living
•••
God understands its way,
And He knows its place.
“For He looks to the ends of the earth
And sees everything under the heavens.
“When He imparted weight to the wind
And meted out the waters by measure,
•••
to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.’”
from Job 28

Job again took up his discourse and said,
“Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God watched over me;
When His lamp shone over my head,
And by His light I walked through darkness;
As I was in the prime of my days,
When the friendship of God was over my tent;
When the Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were around me;
When my steps were bathed in butter,
And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
•••
Because I delivered the poor who cried for help,
And the orphan who had no helper.
“The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me,
And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
“I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
“I was eyes to the blind
And feet to the lame.
“I was a father to the needy,
And I investigated the case which I did not know.
from Job 29

now those younger than I mock me,
Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.
“Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me?
Vigor had perished from them.
•••
Fools, even those without a name,
They were scourged from the land.
“And now I have become their taunt,
I have even become a byword to them.
“They abhor me and stand aloof from me,
And they do not refrain from spitting at my face.
“Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off the bridle before me.
•••
You have become cruel to me;
With the might of Your hand You persecute me.
“You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride;
And You dissolve me in a storm.
“For I know that You will bring me to death
And to the house of meeting for all living.
from Job 30

If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,
Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.
•••
The words of Job are ended.
from Job 31

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Song for Today: 
Jesus is all I Need
Jesus is all I Need
At Your Feet

You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.
•••
I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.
•••
as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in Your hand;
•••
How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!
You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
Blessed be the Lord,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
•••
Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the Lord.
from Psalm 31

Zophar the Naamathite answered,
“Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond,
Even because of my inward agitation.
“I listened to the reproof which insults me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
“Do you know this from of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,
That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless momentary?
•••
The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
“The increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away in the day of His anger.
“This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
Even the heritage decreed to him by God.”
from Job 20

Why do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very powerful?
“Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
Their houses are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.
•••
They say to God, ‘Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
‘Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And what would we gain if we entreat Him?’
•••
How then will you vainly comfort me,
For your answers remain full of falsehood?”
from Job 21

Eliphaz the Temanite responded,
“Can a vigorous man be of use to God,
Or a wise man be useful to himself?
“Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
“Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you,
That He enters into judgment against you?
“Is not your wickedness great,
And your iniquities without end?
•••
Yield now and be at peace with Him;
Thereby good will come to you.
“Please receive instruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart.
“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,
And place your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
Then the Almighty will be your gold
And choice silver to you.
from Job 22

Job replied,
“Even today my complaint is rebellion;
His hand is heavy despite my groaning.
“Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
“I would present my case before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
“I would learn the words which He would answer,
And perceive what He would say to me.
“Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power?
No, surely He would pay attention to me.
•••
He knows the way I take;
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
“My foot has held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
“I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
from Job 23

They are exalted a little while, then they are gone;
Moreover, they are brought low and like everything gathered up;
Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.
“Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar,
And make my speech worthless?”
from Job 24

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Song for Today: 
Soldiers of Christ Arise
Greatest Hallelujah

Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
•••
Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be my helper.”
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
from Psalm 30

Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge
And fill himself with the east wind?
“Should he argue with useless talk,
Or with words which are not profitable?
“Indeed, you do away with reverence
And hinder meditation before God.
“For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose the language of the crafty.
“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify against you.
from Job 15

Job answered,
“I have heard many such things;
Sorry comforters are you all.
“Is there no limit to windy words?
Or what plagues you that you answer?
“I too could speak like you,
If I were in your place.
I could compose words against you
And shake my head at you.
“I could strengthen you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.
•••
God hands me over to ruffians
And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
“I was at ease, but He shattered me,
And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.
“His arrows surround me.
Without mercy He splits my kidneys open;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
“He breaks through me with breach after breach;
He runs at me like a warrior.
•••
Although there is no violence in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.
“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no resting place for my cry.
“Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
And my advocate is on high.
“My friends are my scoffers;
My eye weeps to God.
“O that a man might plead with God
As a man with his neighbor!
“For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way of no return.
from Job 16

Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way,
And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
“But come again all of you now,
For I do not find a wise man among you.
•••
Where now is my hope?
And who regards my hope?
“Will it go down with me to Sheol?
Shall we together go down into the dust?”
from Job 17

Bildad the Shuhite responded,
“How long will you hunt for words?
Show understanding and then we can talk.
“Why are we regarded as beasts,
As stupid in your eyes?
“O you who tear yourself in your anger—
For your sake is the earth to be abandoned,
Or the rock to be moved from its place?
“Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out,
And the flame of his fire gives no light.
“The light in his tent is darkened,
And his lamp goes out above him.
•••
Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who does not know God.”
from Job 18

Job responded,
“How long will you torment me
And crush me with words?
“These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me.
“Even if I have truly erred,
My error lodges with me.
“If indeed you vaunt yourselves against me
And prove my disgrace to me,
Know then that God has wronged me
And has closed His net around me.
•••
All my associates abhor me,
And those I love have turned against me.
“My bone clings to my skin and my flesh,
And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.
“Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me.
“Why do you persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?
•••
Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
“That with an iron stylus and lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
“Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!
from Job 19

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Song for Today: 
O Magnify the Lord
O Magnify the Lord
Old Country Church

Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in holy array.
•••
in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
from Psalm 29

How long will you say these things,
And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
“Does God pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?
•••
If you would seek God
And implore the compassion of the Almighty,
If you are pure and upright,
Surely now He would rouse Himself for you
And restore your righteous estate.
•••
He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
“He will not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bitterness.
“If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
“Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
“I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I despise my life.
•••
He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.
“There is no umpire between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
from Job 8

Your hands fashioned and made me altogether,
And would You destroy me?
‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay;
And would You turn me into dust again?
‘Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese;
Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has preserved my spirit.
‘Yet these things You have concealed in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
from Job 9

you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’
“But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.
“Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
•••
An idiot will become intelligent
When the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.
“If you would direct your heart right
And spread out your hand to Him,
If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
“Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and not fear.
from Job 10

Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
from Job 11

Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
“What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
“But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.
“But you smear with lies;
You are all worthless physicians.
“O that you would be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
from Job 12

He will surely reprove you
If you secretly show partiality.
“Will not His majesty terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?
“Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
•••
Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before His presence.
from Job 13

If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my struggle I will wait
Until my change comes.
“You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for the work of Your hands.
“For now You number my steps,
You do not observe my sin.
•••
My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You wrap up my iniquity.
“But the falling mountain crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;
Water wears away stones,
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You destroy man’s hope.
“You forever overpower him and he departs;
You change his appearance and send him away.
“His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.
“But his body pains him,
And he mourns only for himself.”
from Job 14

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Song for Today: 
Eternal Father, Strong To Save
I Will Rise

Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
The Lord is their strength,
And He is a saving defense to His anointed.
Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;
Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.
from Psalm 28

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
•••
The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
•••
Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
from Job 1

The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
•••
when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him,.. they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him … they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
from Job 2

Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth
•••
Why is light given to him who suffers,
And life to the bitter of soul,
Who long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
Who rejoice greatly,
And exult when they find the grave?
“Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has hedged in?
from Job 3

Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
“According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
•••
Can mankind be just before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
‘He puts no trust even in His servants;
And against His angels He charges error.
‘How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
from Job 4

Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?
“For anger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple.
•••
man is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.
“But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;
Who does great and unsearchable things,
Wonders without number.
“He gives rain on the earth
And sends water on the fields,
So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
“He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
“He captures the wise by their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
•••
Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
•••
Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
from Job 5

Oh that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my longing!
“Would that God were willing to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
“But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
•••
For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.
•••
Teach me, and I will be silent;
And show me how I have erred.
“How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
“Do you intend to reprove my words,
When the words of one in despair belong to the wind?
from Job 6

Remember that my life is but breath;
My eye will not again see good.
“The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
“When a cloud vanishes, it is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up.
“He will not return again to his house,
Nor will his place know him anymore.
“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
•••
Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be.”
from Job 7

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