Daily Readings for the week of July 26th
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Leah and Rachel, Jacob's wives
Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?"
Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was graceful and beautiful.
Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."
Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me."
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed."
So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast.
But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her.
(Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.)
When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?"
Laban said, "This is not done in our country--giving the younger before the firstborn.
Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years."
Jacob did so and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.
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Give thanks to God
O give thanks to the LORD; call on his name; make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded for a thousand generations,
the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance."
Praise the LORD!
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It shall be well with you
Happy is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
May you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!
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Solomon's prayer for wisdom
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I should give you."
And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you, and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.
And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil, for who can govern this great people of yours?"
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
God said to him, "Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or for the life of your enemies but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
I now do according to your word. Indeed, I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you, and no one like you shall arise after you.
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Light and understanding
Your decrees are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.
The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments.
Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your custom toward those who love your name.
Keep my steps steady according to your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me.
Redeem me from human oppression, that I may keep your precepts.
Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.
My eyes shed streams of tears because your law is not kept.
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Nothing can separate us from God's love
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words.
And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else?
Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Who is to condemn? It is Christ who died, or rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?
As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Parables of the reign of heaven
He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;
it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls;
on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;
when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.
So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous
and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes."
And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
