You may notice that some of the scripture passages repeat throughout the week. This is purposeful and will help you engage with this week's theme with the repetition of the Psalms passages.



Daily Bible Questions:

What "jumped out" to me about this passage?

What do I learn about God from this passage?

What might God be leading me to do after reading this passage?

Psalm 36

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

1I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.
2In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.
3The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
they fail to act wisely or do good.
4Even on their beds they plot evil;
they commit themselves to a sinful course
and do not reject what is wrong.
5Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
7How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
9For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12See how the evildoers lie fallen-
thrown down, not able to rise!





Genesis 43:1-15

The Second Journey to Egypt

1Now the famine was still severe in the land.2So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little more food."3But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'4If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you.5But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'"6Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?"

7They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. 'Is your father still living?' he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?"8Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.9I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.

10As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice."11Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift-a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.12Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.

13Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.14And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."15So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph.




Acts 6:1-7

The Choosing of the Seven

1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.3Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.