One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible - Flipbook - Page 46
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January 9
4
5
6
7
8
9
the moon and the stars you set in
place—
what are mere mortals that you should
think about them,
human beings that you should care for
them?*
Yet you made them only a little lower than
God*
and crowned them* with glory and
honor.
You gave them charge of everything you
made,
putting all things under their
authority—
the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean
currents.
O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills
the earth!
8:title Hebrew according to the gittith.
8:2 Greek version
reads to give you praise. Compare Matt 21:16. 8:4 Hebrew what
is man that you should think of him, / the son of man that you
should care for him?
8:5a Or Yet you made them only a little
lower than the angels; Hebrew reads Yet you made him [i.e., man]
a little lower than Elohim.
8:5b Hebrew him [i.e., man]; similarly
in 8:6.
PROVERBS 2:6‑15
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and
understanding.
He grants a treasure of common sense
to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with
integrity.
He guards the paths of the just
and protects those who are faithful
to him.
Then you will understand what is right,
just, and fair,
and you will find the right way to go.
For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will fill you with joy.
Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.
Wisdom will save you from evil people,
from those whose words are twisted.
These men turn from the right way
to walk down dark paths.
They take pleasure in doing wrong,
and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.
Their actions are crooked,
and their ways are wrong.
NIGERIAN PASTOR LAWAN ANDIMI recorded a statement before being
beheaded by Boko Haram militants. “I have never been discouraged,
because all conditions that one finds himself in is the hands of God. . . .
By the grace of God, I will be together with my wife, my children, and
my colleagues. [But] if the opportunity has not been granted, maybe it
is the will of God.” • LORD, THANK YOU for Pastor Andimi. Like Isaac,
his obedience and trust were larger than his fear, and he chose faithfulness no matter the cost. Bless the families of all martyred Christian
pastors. Bring them peace. Amen.
GENESIS 20:1–22:24
Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived
for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and
then he moved on to Gerar. While living there
as a foreigner, 2 Abraham introduced his wife,
Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King
Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had
her brought to him at his palace.
3 But that night God came to Abimelech in a
dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for
that woman you have taken is already married!”
4 But Abimelech had not slept with her yet,
so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent
nation? 5 Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’
I acted in complete innocence! My hands are
clean.”
JANUARY
9
6 In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know
you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from
sinning against me, and why I did not let you
touch her. 7 Now return the woman to her
husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a
prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and
all your people will die.”
8 Abimelech got up early the next morning
and quickly called all his servants together.
When he told them what had happened, his
men were terrified. 9 Then Abimelech called
for Abraham. “What have you done to us?”
he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great
sin? No one should ever do what you have
