Psalms 91; Psalms 92; Psalms 93; Romans 15:1-13

Psalms 91

1 Whoever goes to the Lord for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty,

2 can say to him, "You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust."

3 He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases.

4 He will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you.

5 You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day

6 or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.

7 A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all around you, but you will not be harmed.

8 You will look and see how the wicked are punished.

9 You have made the Lord your defender, the Most High your protector,

10 and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home.

11 God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go.

12 They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones.

13 You will trample down lions and snakes, fierce lions and poisonous snakes.

14 God says, "I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as Lord.

15 When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them.

16 I will reward them with long life; I will save them."

Psalms 92

1 How good it is to give thanks to you, O Lord, to sing in your honor, O Most High God,

2 to proclaim your constant love every morning and your faithfulness every night,

3 with the music of stringed instruments and with melody on the harp.

4 Your mighty deeds, O Lord, make me glad; because of what you have done, I sing for joy.

5 How great are your actions, Lord! How deep are your thoughts!

6 This is something a fool cannot know; someone who is stupid cannot understand:

7 the wicked may grow like weeds, those who do wrong may prosper; yet they will be totally destroyed,

8 because you, Lord, are supreme forever.

9 We know that your enemies will die, and all the wicked will be defeated.

10 You have made me as strong as a wild ox; you have blessed me with happiness.

11 I have seen the defeat of my enemies and heard the cries of the wicked.

12 The righteous will flourish like palm trees; they will grow like the cedars of Lebanon.

13 They are like trees planted in the house of the Lord, that flourish in the Temple of our God,

14 that still bear fruit in old age and are always green and strong.

15 This shows that the Lord is just, that there is no wrong in my protector.

Psalms 93

1 The Lord is king. He is clothed with majesty and strength. The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved.

2 Your throne, O Lord, has been firm from the beginning, and you existed before time began.

3 The ocean depths raise their voice, O Lord; they raise their voice and roar.

4 The Lord rules supreme in heaven, greater than the roar of the ocean, more powerful than the waves of the sea.

5 Your laws are eternal, Lord, and your Temple is holy indeed, forever and ever.

Romans 15:1-13

1 We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves.

2 Instead, we should all please other believers for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith.

3 For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, "The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me."

4 Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.

5 And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus,

6 so that all of you together may praise with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Accept one another, then, for the glory of God, as Christ has accepted you.

8 For I tell you that Christ's life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true,

9 and to enable even the Gentiles to praise God for his mercy. As the scripture says, "And so I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to you."

10 Again it says, "Rejoice, Gentiles, with God's people!"

11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all Gentiles; praise him, all peoples!"

12 And again, Isaiah says, "A descendant of Jesse will appear; he will come to rule the Gentiles, and they will put their hope in him."

13 May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.