Day 253 reading

Wisdom·Psalm 140:8–13

⁸Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not promote their evil plans, lest they be exalted. Selah ⁹May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused. ¹⁰May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pits, never to rise again. ¹¹May no slanderer be established in the land; may calamity hunt down the man of violence. ¹²I know that the LORD upholds justice for the poor and defends the cause of the needy. ¹³Surely the righteous will praise Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.

New Testament·1 Corinthians 12

¹Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. ²You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵There are different ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people. ⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines. ¹²The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴For the body does not consist of one part, but of many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design. ¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.” ²²On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty, ²⁴whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. ²⁶If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it. ²⁸And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

Old Testament·Job 33–34

¹“But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words. ²Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue. ³My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know. ⁴The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. ⁵Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me. ⁶I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay. ⁷Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you. ⁸Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: ⁹‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me. ¹⁰Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy. ¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’ ¹²Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man. ¹³Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks? ¹⁴For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices. ¹⁵In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, ¹⁶He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings ¹⁷to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, ¹⁸to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword. ¹⁹A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones, ²⁰so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food. ²¹His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude. ²²He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death. ²³Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, ²⁴to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’ ²⁵then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth. ²⁶He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man. ²⁷Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved. ²⁸He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’ ²⁹Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times, ³⁰to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. ³¹Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. ³²But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you. ³³But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”

34Then Elihu continued: ²“Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning. ³For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food. ⁴Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. ⁵For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice. ⁶Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ ⁷What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water? ⁸He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men. ⁹For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’ ¹⁰Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly. ¹¹For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences. ¹²Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice. ¹³Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world? ¹⁴If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath, ¹⁵all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust. ¹⁶If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words. ¹⁷Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One, ¹⁸who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’ ¹⁹who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands. ²⁰They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand. ²¹For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step. ²²There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide. ²³For God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment. ²⁴He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place. ²⁵Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed. ²⁶He strikes them for their wickedness in full view, ²⁷because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways. ²⁸They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted. ²⁹But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation, ³⁰that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people. ³¹Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more. ³²Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’ ³³Should God repay you on your own terms when you have disavowed His? You must choose, not I; so tell me what you know. ³⁴Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say: ³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’ ³⁶If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man. ³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”