Romans 8; 1 Samuel 17:1-54; Psalms 62

Romans 8

1 Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus,

2 because the Spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

3 What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin's domain, and as a sin offering,

4 in order that the law's requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit.

6 For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.

7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God's law, for it is unable to do so.

8 Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

12 So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh,

13 for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons.

15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father!"

16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's children,

17 and if children, also heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ-seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God's sons to be revealed.

20 For the creation was subjected to futility-not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it-in the hope

21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God's children.

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.

23 And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits-we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

24 Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.

27 And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit's mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

29 For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

30 And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

32 He did not even spare His own Son, but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?

33 Who can bring an accusation against God's elect? God is the One who justifies.

34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36 As it is written: Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.

37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

1 Samuel 17:1-54

1 The Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.

2 Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah; then they lined up in battle formation to face the Philistines.

3 The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them.

4 Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall

5 and wore a bronze helmet and bronze scale armor that weighed 125 pounds.

6 There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze sword was slung between his shoulders.

7 His spear shaft was like a weaver's beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed 15 pounds. In addition, a shield-bearer was walking in front of him.

8 He stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations: "Why do you come out to line up in battle formation?" He asked them, "Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.

9 If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us."

10 Then the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me a man so we can fight each other!"

11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.

12 Now David was the son of the Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons, and during Saul's reign was [already] an old man.

13 Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third,

14 and David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,

15 but David kept going back and forth from Saul to tend his father's flock in Bethlehem.

16 Every morning and evening for 40 days the Philistine came forward and took his stand.

17 [One day], Jesse had told his son David, "Take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.

18 Also, take these 10 portions of cheese to the field commander. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring a confirmation from them.

19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines."

20 So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the perimeter of the camp as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry.

21 Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other.

22 David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were.

23 While he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistine battle line and shouted his usual words, which David heard.

24 When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified.

25 Previously, an Israelite man had declared, "Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter. The king will also make the household of that man's father exempt from paying taxes in Israel."

26 David spoke to the men who were standing with him: "What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

27 The people told him about the offer, concluding, "That is what will be done for the man who kills him."

28 David's oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and became angry with him. "Why did you come down here?" he asked. "Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and your evil heart-you came down to see the battle!"

29 "What have I done now?" protested David. "It was just a question."

30 Then he turned from those beside him to others in front of him and asked about the offer. The people gave him the same answer as before.

31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, so he had David brought to him.

32 David said to Saul, "Don't let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!"

33 But Saul replied, "You can't go fight this Philistine. You're just a youth, and he's been a warrior since he was young."

34 David answered Saul, "Your servant has been tending his father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,

35 I went after it, struck it down, and rescued [the lamb] from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.

36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God."

37 Then David said, "The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and may the Lord be with you."

38 Then Saul had his own military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David's head and had him put on armor.

39 David strapped his sword on over the military clothes and tried to walk, but he was not used to them. "I can't walk in these," David said to Saul, "I'm not used to them." So David took them off.

40 Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd's bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

41 The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him.

42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a youth, healthy and handsome.

43 He said to David, "Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?" Then he cursed David by his gods.

44 "Come here," the Philistine called to David, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!"

45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel's armies- you have defied Him.

46 Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I'll strike you down, cut your head off, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God,

47 and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord's. He will hand you over to us."

48 When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.

49 David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung [it], and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

50 David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. Even though David had no sword, he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

51 David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine's sword, pulled it from its sheath, and used it to kill him. Then he cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they ran.

52 The men of Israel and Judah rallied, shouting their battle cry, and chased the Philistines to the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

53 When the Israelites returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.

54 David took Goliath's head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put Goliath's weapons in his [own] tent.

Psalms 62

1 I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.

2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

3 How long will you threaten a man? Will all of you attack as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering stone fence?

4 They only plan to bring him down from his high position. They take pleasure in lying; they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly. Selah

5 Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.

6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken.

7 My salvation and glory depend on God; my strong rock, my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah

9 Men are only a vapor; exalted men, an illusion. On a balance scale, they go up; together they [weigh] less than a vapor.

10 Place no trust in oppression, or false hope in robbery. If wealth increases, pay no attention to it.

11 God has spoken once; I have heard this twice: strength belongs to God,

12 and faithful love belongs to You, Lord. For You repay each according to his works.