Rampant Transgression Look! The hand of Yahweh is not too short ?to save?, and his ear is not too dull ?to hear?. 2 Rather, your iniquities have been ?barriers? between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, from hearing. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue speaks wickedness. 4 There is nobody ?who pleads with? justice, and there is nobody who judges with honesty…
+ DAILY PRAYER +
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 112
Psa 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
Psa 112:2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Psa 112:3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
Psa 112:4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
Psa 112:5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
Psa 112:6 For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
Psa 112:7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm,
trusting in the LORD.
Psa 112:8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
Psa 112:9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.
Psa 112:10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!
Reading for Wednesday February 25th Isaiah 59
Rampant Transgression
59 Look! The hand of Yahweh is not too short ?to save?,
and his ear is not too dull ?to hear?.
2 Rather, your iniquities have been ?barriers? between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you, from hearing.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity.
Your lips have spoken lies,
your tongue speaks wickedness.
4 There is nobody ?who pleads with? justice,
and there is nobody who judges with honesty.
They rely on nothing
and speak vanity.
They conceive trouble
and beget iniquity;
5 they hatch viper eggs,
and they weave a spider web.
One who eats their eggs dies,
and that which is pressed is hatched as a serpent.
6 Their webs cannot become clothing,
and they cannot cover themselves with their works.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds of violence are in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
and they hasten to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
devastation and destruction are in their highways.
8 They do not know the way of peace,
and there is no justice in their firm paths.
They have made their paths crooked for themselves;
everyone ?who walks? in it knows no peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We wait for light, but look! there is darkness;
for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
10 We grope like the blind along a wall,
and we grope ?as without? eyes.
We stumble at noon as in the twilight;
among the strong we are like the dead.
11 We all groan like bears,
and we coo mutteringly like doves.
We wait for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are numerous before you,
and our sins ?testify? against us.
Indeed, our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13 transgressing and denying Yahweh,
and turning ?away from following? our God;
speaking oppression and falsehood,
conceiving and uttering words of deception from the heart.
14 And justice is pushed back,
and righteousness stands afar;
for truth stumbles in the public square,
and straightforwardness is unable to enter,
15 and truth is missing,
and he who turns aside from evil is plundered.
And Yahweh saw,
and it was displeasing in his eyes that there was no justice
16 And he saw that there was no man,
and he was appalled that there was no one who intercedes,
so his arm came to assist him,
and his righteousness ?was what? sustained him.
17 And he put on righteousness like a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head,
and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a robe.
18 According to deeds, so he will repay;
wrath to his enemies, requital to those who are his ?enemies?.
He will repay requital to the coastlands.
19 So they shall fear the name of Yahweh from the west,
and his glory from the sunrise,
for he will come like a narrow stream;
the wind of Yahweh drives it on.
20 “And a redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn away from transgression,”
?declares? Yahweh.
21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says Yahweh:
my spirit that is upon you,
and my words that I have placed in your mouth
shall not depart from your mouth,
or from the mouths of your ?children?,
or from the mouths of ?your children’s children?,”
says Yahweh, “from now on and forever.”
Lord’s Prayer
Daily Prayer
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Concluding Prayer
Heavenly Father, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts to direct and rule us to do Your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
