One Year Pray for Life Sampler - Flipbook - Page 55
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July 14
LORD, YOU KNOW THE HOPES of the helpless. You
hear their cries. Give them the comfort only you can give.
Be with them. We all felt helpless during the pandemic,
but it was much worse for those who were already
vulnerable. Thank you for communities that came
together to care. When I see the needs of others, don’t
let me look away, afraid of what caring might cost me.
Give me your compassionate heart. Amen.
1 CHRONICLES 16:37–18:17
avid arranged for A
D
saph and his fellow Le
vites to serve regularly before the Ark of the
Lord’s Covenant, doing whatever needed to
bed-
be done each day. 38 This group included O
edom (son of Jeduthun), Hosah, and sixty-
eight other Levites as g
atekeepers.
39 Meanwhile, Da
vid stationed Zadok the
priest and his fellow priests at the Tabernacle
of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon,
where they continued to minister before the
Lord. 40 They sacrificed the regular burnt of
ferings to the Lord each morning and evening
on the altar set aside for that purpose, obey
ing everything written in the Law of the Lord,
as he had commanded Israel. 41 David also
appointed Heman, Jeduthun, and the others
chosen by name to give thanks to the Lord,
for “his faithful love endures forever.” 42 They
used their trumpets, cymbals, and other in
struments to accompany their songs of praise
to God.* And the sons of Jeduthun were ap
pointed as gatekeepers.
43 Then all the people returned to their
homes, and David turned and went home to
bless his own family.
17:1 When
David was settled in his palace, he
summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David
said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace,*
but the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant is out there
under a tent!”
2 Nathan replied to David, “Do whatever you
have in mind, for God is with you.”
3 But that same night God said to Nathan,
4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is
what the Lord has declared: You are not
the one to build a house for me to live in. 5 I
have never lived in a house, from the day
I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until
this very day. My home has always been
a tent, moving from one place to another
in a Tabernacle. 6 Yet no matter where I
have gone with the Israelites, I have never
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once complained to Israel’s leaders, the
shepherds of my people. I have never
asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a
beautiful cedar house?”’
7 “Now go and say to my servant David,
‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
has declared: I took you from tending
sheep in the pasture and selected you to be
the leader of my people Israel. 8 I have been
with you wherever you have gone, and I
have destroyed all your enemies before
your eyes. Now I will make your name as
famous as anyone who has ever lived on
the earth! 9 And I will provide a homeland
for my people Israel, planting them in a
secure place where they will never be
disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress
them as they’ve done in the past, 10 starting
from the time I appointed judges to rule
my people Israel. And I will defeat all your
enemies.
“‘Furthermore, I declare that the Lord
will build a house for you—a dynasty of
kings! 11 For when you die and join your
ancestors, I will raise up one of your
descendants, one of your sons, and I will
make his kingdom strong. 12 He is the one
who will build a house—a temple—for
me. And I will secure his throne forever. 13 I
will be his father, and he will be my son. I
will never take my favor from him as I took
it from the one who ruled before you. 14 I
will confirm him as king over my house
and my kingdom for all time, and his
throne will be secure forever.’”
15 So Nathan went back to David and told him
everything the Lord had said in this vision.
16 Then King David went in and sat before
the Lord and prayed,
“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my
family, that you have brought me this
far? 17 And now, O God, in addition to
everything else, you speak of giving your
8/10/2020 10:38:12 AM