Readings for October 17 2010

Hello Everyone,

Here are the readings for this coming Sunday.

Jeremiah 31:27-34 - Generally, when we get to this passage we gravitate to the second half, which seems to be the most promising. Each oracle begins "The days are surely coming, says the Lord, . . . " The first says that everyone will be responsible for thier own sins and unless there is some sort of change each will die in their own sins. The second is the famous promise of God to write His laws upon everyone's heart and that no one will have any excuse for not knowing God.

Psalm 119:97-104 - This is the longest Psalm with 176 verses. In this short section the Psalmist praises God for the law and he meditates on it and practices it every day.

[Alternates: Genesis 32:22-31 - Jacob is returning home with his 2 wives, 2 concubines, and 12 sons to make amends with his brother, Esau, whom he cheated many years earlier. In this story, he send them ahead and then spends the night wrestling a man or an angel or God and he prevails though ending up with a disjointed hip. Psalm 121 - Assurance that God protects us.]

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 - Paul's admonition for Timothy to remember all he learned from the Scripture since a child and to continually proclaim the truth of the gospel no matter what!

Luke 18:1-8 - Luke tell us that the parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge is all about persistent prayer. The judge's resistance is worn down by the widow's incessant pestering. Does that mean that we can wear God down with incessant prayers for something we want? Read closely, because I don't think that the widow wants some thing, but wants justice from her opponent. Widows were without power in those days. They had less then girls, who had their fathers to protect them, and wives, who had their husbands. This widow seems to not have any sons to provide for her either. If an unjust judge, who neither honors God or other men, gives justice to this widow, how much more will God provide for his children?

May you be blessed by your readings this week.