PSALM 40

God Sustains His Servant.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

1I waited patiently for the Lord;

And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

2He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,

And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;

Many will see and fear

And will trust in the Lord.

4How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,

And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

5Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,

And Your thoughts toward us;

There is none to compare with You.

If I would declare and speak of them,

They would be too numerous to count.

6Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;

My ears You have opened;

Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.

7Then I said, “Behold, I come;

In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8I delight to do Your will, O my God;

Your Law is within my heart.”

9I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;

Behold, I will not restrain my lips,

O Lord, You know.

10I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;

I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;

I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

Results of Justification

1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

15But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1) What does “whole burnt” devotion look like today?

2) How do body and mind both belong on the altar?

3) Why must offering come from willing hearts?

PSALM 65

God’s Abundant Favor to Earth and Man.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.

1There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, O God,

And to You the vow will be performed.

2O You who hear prayer,

To You all men come.

3Iniquities prevail against me;

As for our transgressions, You forgive them.

4How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You

To dwell in Your courts.

We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,

Your holy temple.

5By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation,

You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea;

6Who establishes the mountains by His strength,

Being girded with might;

7Who stills the roaring of the seas,

The roaring of their waves,

And the tumult of the peoples.

8They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;

You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1A gentle answer turns away wrath,

But a harsh word stirs up anger.

2The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable,

But the mouth of fools spouts folly.

3The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

Watching the evil and the good.

4A soothing tongue is a tree of life,

But perversion in it crushes the spirit.

5A fool rejects his father’s discipline,

But he who regards reproof is sensible.

6Great wealth is in the house of the righteous,

But trouble is in the income of the wicked.

7The lips of the wise spread knowledge,

But the hearts of fools are not so.

8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

9The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

But He loves one who pursues righteousness.

10Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way;

He who hates reproof will die.

11Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord,

How much more the hearts of men!

12A scoffer does not love one who reproves him,

He will not go to the wise.

13A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,

But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.

14The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge,

But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

15All the days of the afflicted are bad,

But a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

16Better is a little with the fear of the Lord

Than great treasure and turmoil with it.

17Better is a dish of vegetables where love is

Than a fattened ox served with hatred.

18A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,

But the slow to anger calms a dispute.

19The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns,

But the path of the upright is a highway.

20A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish man despises his mother.

21Folly is joy to him who lacks sense,

But a man of understanding walks straight.

22Without consultation, plans are frustrated,

But with many counselors they succeed.

23A man has joy in an apt answer,

And how delightful is a timely word!

24The path of life leads upward for the wise

That he may keep away from Sheol below.

25The Lord will tear down the house of the proud,

But He will establish the boundary of the widow.

26Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,

But pleasant words are pure.

27He who profits illicitly troubles his own house,

But he who hates bribes will live.

28The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,

But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

29The Lord is far from the wicked,

But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

30Bright eyes gladden the heart;

Good news puts fat on the bones.

31He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof

Will dwell among the wise.

32He who neglects discipline despises himself,

But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.

33The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,

And before honor comes humility.