Meditate

The Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.—PROV. 2:6.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.—If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbradeth not; and it shall be given him.—The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.—God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. That no flesh should glory in his presence.

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.—Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.

All bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.—Never man spake like this man.—Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

Prov. 3:5. -Jas. 1:5. -I Cor. 1:25. -I Cor. 1:27,29.Psa. 119:130. -Psa. 119:11.Luke 4:22. -John 7:46. -I Cor. 1:30.

“Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.”

Ezekiel 36:37

Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred history, and you will find that scarcely ever did a great mercy come to this world unheralded by supplication. You have found this true in your own personal experience. God has given you many an unsolicited favour, but still great prayer has always been the prelude of great mercy with you. When you first found peace through the blood of the cross, you had been praying much, and earnestly interceding with God that he would remove your doubts, and deliver you from your distresses. Your assurance was the result of prayer. When at any time you have had high and rapturous joys, you have been obliged to look upon them as answers to your prayers. When you have had great deliverances out of sore troubles, and mighty helps in great dangers, you have been able to say, “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Prayer is always the preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing as the blessing's shadow. When the sunlight of God’s mercies rises upon our necessities, it casts the shadow of prayer far down upon the plain. Or, to use another illustration, when God piles up a hill of mercies, he himself shines behind them, and he casts on our spirits the shadow of prayer, so that we may rest certain, if we are much in prayer, our pleadings are the shadows of mercy. Prayer is thus connected with the blessing to show us the value of it. If we had the blessings without asking for them, we should think them common things; but prayer makes our mercies more precious than diamonds. The things we ask for are precious, but we do not realize their preciousness until we have sought for them earnestly.

“Prayer makes the darken'd cloud withdraw;

Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw;

Gives exercise to faith and love;

Brings every blessing from above.”

Micah 1

1. Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

¹ The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

    ² Hear, you peoples, all of you,
   listen, earth and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign LORD may bear witness against you,
   the Lord from his holy temple.

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

    ³ Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place;
   he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth.
⁴ The mountains melt beneath him
   and the valleys split apart,
like wax before the fire,
   like water rushing down a slope.
⁵ All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
   because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
   Is it not Samaria?
What is Judah’s high place?
   Is it not Jerusalem?

    ⁶ “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
   a place for planting vineyards.
I will pour her stones into the valley
   and lay bare her foundations.
⁷ All her idols will be broken to pieces;
   all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
   I will destroy all her images.
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,
   as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

    ⁸ Because of this I will weep and wail;
   I will go about barefoot and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
   and moan like an owl.
⁹ For Samaria’s plague is incurable;
   it has spread to Judah.
It has reached the very gate of my people,
   even to Jerusalem itself.
¹⁰ Tell it not in Gath Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.;
   weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah Beth Ophrah means house of dust.
   roll in the dust.
¹¹ Pass by naked and in shame,
   you who live in Shaphir. Shaphir means pleasant.
Those who live in Zaanan Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
   will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
   it no longer protects you.
¹² Those who live in Maroth Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter. writhe in pain,
   waiting for relief,
because disaster has come from the LORD,
   even to the gate of Jerusalem.
¹³ You who live in Lachish,
   harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion began,
   for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
¹⁴ Therefore you will give parting gifts
   to Moresheth Gath.
The town of Akzib Akzib means deception. will prove deceptive
   to the kings of Israel.
¹⁵ I will bring a conqueror against you
   who live in Mareshah. Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.
The nobles of Israel
   will flee to Adullam.
¹⁶ Shave your head in mourning
   for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
   for they will go from you into exile.

Matthew 26:26-30

26. Plot Against Jesus

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

²⁷ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the Some manuscripts the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

Psalm 28

28. Psalm 28

¹ To you, LORD, I call;
   you are my Rock,
   do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
   I will be like those who go down to the pit.
² Hear my cry for mercy
   as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
   toward your Most Holy Place.

    ³ Do not drag me away with the wicked,
   with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
   but harbor malice in their hearts.
⁴ Repay them for their deeds
   and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
   and bring back on them what they deserve.

    ⁵ Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD
   and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
   and never build them up again.

    ⁶ Praise be to the LORD,
   for he has heard my cry for mercy.
⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield;
   my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
   and with my song I praise him.

    ⁸ The LORD is the strength of his people,
   a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
⁹ Save your people and bless your inheritance;
   be their shepherd and carry them forever.

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