Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 77
Confidence in a Time of Crisis
For the choir director: according to Jeduthun. Of Asaph.(A) A psalm.
1 I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and He will hear me.(B)
2 I sought the Lord in my day of trouble.
My hands were continually lifted up
all night long;
I refused to be comforted.(C)
3 I think of God; I groan;
I meditate; my spirit becomes weak.(D)
4 You have kept me from closing my eyes;
I am troubled and cannot speak.(E)
5 I consider days of old,
years long past.(F)
6 At night I remember my music;
I meditate in my heart, and my spirit ponders.(G)
7 “Will the Lord reject forever
and never again show favor?(H)
8 Has His faithful love ceased forever?
Is His promise at an end for all generations?(I)
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger withheld His compassion?”(J)
10 So I say, “I am grieved[a]
that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”(K)
11 I will remember the Lord’s works;
yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders.(L)
12 I will reflect on all You have done
and meditate on Your actions.(M)
13 God, Your way is holy.
What god is great like God?(N)
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You revealed Your strength among the peoples.(O)
15 With power You redeemed Your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.(P)
16 The waters saw You, God.
The waters saw You; they trembled.
Even the depths shook.(Q)
17 The clouds poured down water.
The storm clouds thundered;
Your arrows flashed back and forth.(R)
18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
lightning lit up the world.(S)
The earth shook and quaked.(T)
19 Your way went through the sea
and Your path through the great waters,
but Your footprints were unseen.(U)
20 You led Your people like a flock(V)
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.(W)
9 You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt(A)
and heard their cry at the Red Sea.
10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
all his officials, and all the people of his land,(B)
for You knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors.
You made a name for Yourself
that endures to this day.
11 You divided the sea before them,
and they crossed through it on dry ground.(C)
You hurled their pursuers into the depths
like a stone into churning waters.(D)
12 You led them with a pillar of cloud by day,
and with a pillar of fire by night,
to illuminate the way they should go.(E)
13 You came down on Mount Sinai,(F)
and spoke to them from heaven.
You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions,
and good statutes and commands.
14 You revealed Your holy Sabbath to them,
and gave them commands, statutes, and instruction
through Your servant Moses.(G)
15 You provided bread from heaven(H) for their hunger;
You brought them water from the rock(I) for their thirst.
You told them to go in and possess the land
You had sworn[a] to give them.(J)
The Law of Love
13 Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another.(A) Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way.(B) 14 (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.(C) Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.(D)) 15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love.(E) Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat.(F) 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,(G) 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,(H) but righteousness, peace, and joy(I) in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ(J) in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.(K)
19 So then, we must pursue what promotes peace(L) and what builds up one another.(M) 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats.(N) 21 It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.[a] 22 Do you have a conviction?[b] Keep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed.(O) 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats,(P) because his eating is not from a conviction,[c] and everything that is not from a conviction[d] is sin.
Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves
15 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength,(Q) and not to please ourselves. 2 Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.(R)
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