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“I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
These are Boaz’s words to Ruth, the foreigner woman that he finds gleaning the leftover fallen sheaves of wheat and barley from his field.
Boaz is a relative of Naomi’s and evidently a very kind man. With a little help from Naomi, Ruth finds favor in Boaz’ eyes, and it isn’t long before Boaz expresses an interest in improving the lot of both Naomi and Ruth, and soon Boaz takes Ruth for his wife. They have a child and name him Obed. Naomi’s friends say this about Ruth to Naomi:
“Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
And why is any of this significance? Obed is the father of Jesse who is the father of David, and we know of course, how David’s line may be traced down directly to Joseph and Mary, the earth-parents of Jesus. This was the import of these two individuals, Ruth and Boaz.
Turning to our reading in the gospel of John, we encounter the second miracle that Jesus performs: healing the sick son of a local official who approaches Jesus to ask that he come immediately with him to his house. But Jesus simply says to him, “Go, your son will live.”
The man turns around to go home, and it must have apparently been somewhat of a long journey, perhaps an overnight one, because we learn that the next day when he is close to home, his servants come out to meet him to give him the good news: the son is well!
Such was the power of this man Jesus’ words, and such was the great faith that this official had in Jesus’ words!
Our psalm for the day is one that recounts the history of the children of Israel, particularly their time in Egypt and the miraculous way in which they were brought out by the Lord.
And finally, our two verses from the book of Proverbs that are worthy of reflection for the day are these:
26 Whoever fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.
May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.
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Following the horrific events of the Levite and his concubine, and the resulting in-fighting between all of Israel against the tribe of Benjamin (who had committed the atrocities with the Levite), the eleven tribes come together to reflect on what all this means to the future of the people of Israel.
They take an oath to not give their daughters in marriage to any man from the tribe of Benjamin because they believe that this would be appropriate punishment, and yet they are remorseful of this decision as they then begin to wonder about the fate of their brothers and how it is that they might propagate.
Well, someone soon comes up with an ingenious plan to find wives for the young men of the tribe of Benjamin, and in a scene that reads like a story out of a comic-book, we learn of how these young men grab the young girls from the other tribes, and while the girls and their families do not protest this, it is a solution to their problem of not breaking their oath of not giving their daughters in marriage still holds true. Their daughters willfully went to be wedded to these young men, you see, they were not given in marriage!
Well, in the end, all’s well and ends well, and we come to the end of the book of Judges. There were evidently thirteen judges of Israel that have had their stories recorded here, Samson being the last one.
We now enter the beautiful book of Ruth. Ruth is a fine example of a loving daughter-in-law. When her mother-in-law tells her to go back to her own mother’s house since her son, i.e., Ruth’s husband has died, and she, Naomi, the mother-in-law is preparing to return to her native Bethlehem, Ruth insists on accompanying her.
And so, she says to her mother-in-law: “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Turning now to our reading in the gospel of John, we find the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus says to this young woman—who expresses great surprise at his request for water from the hand of a Samaritan—“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
He goes on to tell her: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
How puzzled this young woman must have been. And yet, she simply asks for this water that Jesus is speaking of. And imagine her reaction and great surprise when this is the exchange that transpires between them:
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
And so, she runs back to her townsfolk to tell them of this man called Jesus who has just told her that he is indeed the Messiah. And because of her faith and initiative to share her good news with others, the text tells us that many others also believe. In fact, Jesus is entreated by these very Samaritans to tarry with them for a couple of days—which he does.
And the people say to this young woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Turning now to our Psalm for the day, we find that this is yet another great psalm of praise in which David recounts the great hand of the Almighty, the God of his fathers, who has led them through the ages. David’s words of praise are ones that we ourselves can utter with confidence even as we can proclaim the goodness of God:
1 Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. 2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
Finally, the one verse from Proverbs, is clear in its very matter-of-fact statement:
25 A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is a traitor.
May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.
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These were lawless times in Israel. With no king, each pursued their own pleasure, worshiping gods of their choice, taking up concubines as they wished, and essentially engaging in a most hedonistic lifestyle. The story of the Levite and his concubine is another most curious one. The hospitality of the woman’s father to her husband who comes to fetch her is in sharp contrast to the outrageous behavior of the Benjamanites down the road who at first demand that the Levite be given over to them, and when the man who is hosting them in his house refuses to allow that, the concubine woman is turned over to the crowd to placate them.
Is this not a replica of the story of Lot and the two angels? O, Israel, woe is to you for the evil that you practiced.
This one event of the Levite and the concubine sparks a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the eleven tribes, and eventually, the Benjamanites are soundly defeated and tens of thousands of them are put to death with entire towns razed to the ground—the prescribed way to purge out the evil from among them.
Turning to our reading in the book of John, we see the brief ministry of John the Baptist. Here is one man who repeated himself for emphasis and effect. He did not ever wish the spotlight on himself, and at every opportunity proclaimed the one who was to come after him as the Messiah.
John says this, 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”
Our psalm for the day is yet another one in which David is singing the praises of the Almighty. He says:
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
Finally, a few verses from the book of Proverbs that are worthy of record and rumination. Read each one as a stand-alone verse:
22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?
But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.
23 All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The wealth of the wise is their crown,
but the folly of fools yields folly.
May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.
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The story of Micah and his idols is a most curious one. Micah, a young man, is said to have stolen from his mother and then comes clean to her. The mother is thrilled and takes part of the money and gets an idol made. Micah installs this idol in his house, and then just for good measure, he hires a young man from the priestly tribe of Levi to be his household priest.
Imagine that: a Levite serving as priest and tolerating a molten image under the same roof as he! What was Israel coming to?!
Well, not much, I suppose, because the text does state “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” It does show us, however, the dichotomy that existed in the minds and affairs of the children of Israel in how they sought to worship Yahweh, the God of their fathers, while still holding on to their desire to practice idolatry.
Well, if all this sounds a little bizarre, that was just what it was: most bizarre. And things get even more strange when a group of Danites (from the tribe of Dan) go out scouting for a new settlement, and along the way chance upon the Levite residing in Micah’s house and lure him to follow them and be their household priest!
Not only that, they also take the idols from within Micah’s house—as if those things were necessary for the priest to carry out his priestly duties—and make off with them to a new town called Laish (which they promptly rename Dan). Micah is left high and dry and watches all this happen before his very eyes. If there’s a lesson in all of this, we are yet to learn it.
Turning now to our reading in the book of John, we encounter one of the most famous passages in the New Testament: the story of Nicodemus, the Pharisee who comes to Jesus inquiring about the meaning of becoming “born again.” Jesus explains to Nicodemus that it is not a bodily rebirth but a birth of the spirit.
He goes on to say probably the most often quoted verse in the entire Bible: 16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Furthermore, Jesus goes on to say this: 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Turning now to our psalm of the day, we find the psalmist praising the handiwork of an Almighty God in whose hands the changing seasons lie. The passage of time that results in night and day is God’s doing. David says:
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down. 20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl. 21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God. 22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens. 23 Then people go out to their work,
to their labor until evening.
Finally, one last verse from the book of Proverbs that is reminiscent of Jesus’ command that replaced the entire law of Moses. Solomon, king of Israel, and author of these verses, writes this:
21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.
May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.
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We continue with Samson’s story to learn that the man was indeed endowed with superhuman strength. His wife deceives him in trying to learn the secret of his strength and when he loses a bet with his in-laws, he goes off in a huff, but when he returns he learns that his wife has been given away in marriage to another man. Bad move, Father-in-law!
Samson goes berserk and wreaks havoc, but in the aftermath, both wife and father-in-law are burned to death by their own people. Well, that is the first sad episode in Samson’s life, but it is said that Samson then goes on to become a leader of Israel, and serves in that capacity for twenty years following this incident.
But more bad things are in store for Samson, and soon we learn of his liaison with another young woman by the name of Delilah. Charmer that he is, Delilah is all over him, but like his wife, she too is curious to learn of Samson’s secret, and when she succeeds in learning it and betraying him to the Philistines, it is the beginning of the end for Samson. The secret, of course, is that his strength lay in his uncut hair, but when the hair is gone thanks to Delilah who cuts it by stealth, Samson is easily captured by the Philistines and is made into a punching bag. But it’s not over until it’s over.
And what we see here is a story of second-chances. Despite the many mistakes that Samson has made over his lifetime in running with the wrong crowd and loving the wrong women, his last plea to God for mercy is answered, and what we then see is Samson’s last superhuman feat: he pulls down the roof of the temple to which he had been blinded and tied. And thus ends Samson’s story. A flawed leader but one not too proud to beg for forgiveness at the very end, and one who is avenged by divine intervention.
Turning to our reading in the book of John, we find Jesus at the wedding in Cana. What happy imagery: the Lord partaking in the pleasures of one of the most fundamental cornerstones of human civilization—the institution and associated rituals of the state of matrimony! Jesus is attending the wedding celebrations of a friend and is approached by his own mother (who knows her son can surely help out!) with a request to replenish the wine jars.
At first it seems as if Jesus is reluctant to draw attention to himself by performing a miracle, but then he relents and instructs the people to fill the jars with water. Simple as that. Fill the jars with water, pour it out into a cup, and voila, you have the best wine that you’ve ever tasted! I believe that it happened just like that!
Next we find Jesus clearing the Temple courts. This is the only place where we find an account of something Jesus made with his hands: a whip made out of cords that he presumably used to chase all the vendors out of what looked more like a marketplace than a Temple.
And when asked by what authority he is doing this, Jesus simply replies, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” He is, of course, referring to his own body as the Temple, and it would be not just the disciples but even those very elders in the Temple who had posed that question to him who will clearly recall Jesus’ words much later.
Our Psalm for today is Psalm 103, a famous one that is often read as a benediction. I reproduce it here in its entirety in the King James Version (KJV) that I am most familiar with. It is not one that I have committed to memory, but it would certainly serve me in good stead to do it.
1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
18To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Finally, one verse from the book of Proverbs that I present as food for thought (also in the KJV):
17He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
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Our journey through the book of Judges brings us today to the story of Samson. We learn about a young couple who is childless. The young woman who is unnamed is greatly desirous of a child, and when an angel of the Lord appears to her to tell her that she is to soon expect a child, she is thrilled, and tells her husband at once. The angel reappears to the both of them and reassures them they would indeed have a child soon and instructs them on how he must be raised: as a Narzarite, one whose hair is to be untouched by a razor, and one who is to abstain from all fermented drink, i.e., wine. And so it is that Samson is born.
The picture that is painted of Samson is one of a strapping young man, perhaps with long flowing hair and full of confidence and charm. Israel at this time was under the rule of the Philistines, and it so happens that Samson falls in love with a young woman of the Philistines. Much to his parents chagrin, Samson is determined to marry her and does just that.
We learn of Samson’s awesome physical strength in that he is apparently strong enough to fight a lion and live to tell it. And if all this sounds like a great story of a young man, it unfortunately, isn’t all of it. Samson is soon caught up in a strange web of intrigue with the riddles that he poses, and soon it begins to become evident that his wife’s determination to help her own people is the beginning of his ruin. We will see how this may all turn out…
In the meantime, turning to our reading in the gospel according to John, we see John state in the most unequivocal terms, his views on this man called Jesus. Let it not be said that John spoke in riddles; let it not be said that he did not reveal the truth as he saw it; let it not be said that he held back.
This is what John, the disciple says about John the Baptist: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
John, the writer, continues with his account of Jesus’ life and times. Jesus calls his disciples, one by one: Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathaniel. These young men are in awe of Jesus, and Jesus tells them simply, “You will see greater things than that.” 51…“Very truly I tell you,you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Turning now to our reading of the Psalms, we find these verses penned by someone who has grown weak and is pouring out a lament before the Lord:
1 Hear my prayer, LORD; let my cry for help come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. 3 For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. 4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food. 5 In my distress I groan aloud and am reduced to skin and bones.
And finally, in conclusion, two verses from our reading of the book of Proverbs that are worthy of record and rumination:
15 The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.
16 The wise fear the LORD and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.
The land disputes between the Israelites and the natives are as old as the hills, and we see here the beginnings of these disputes between the Ammonites and the Israelites. The story of Jephthah from Gilead is a most curious and strange one.
Coming up on the heels of Abimelek, an illegitimate son, Jephthath’s story makes you wonder about the ways of the Almighty. While the former had been rebellious to his father and his half-brothers and had usurped power by force, the latter had quietly faded out of the picture when he knew he was unwanted because of his illegitimate status.
But perhaps it is this humility that makes him a worthy candidate for God’s greater plans. Jephthah is courted by his half-brothers to lead armies against the neighboring enemies, which he does and triumphs over them all. But the strange vow that he makes to God and the way that it all turns out is seemingly quite pointless.
Again, one wonders about the ways of the Almighty. While a human sacrifice is not the norm, it is strange indeed how God allows this to happen despite the vow that Jephthah has made. While God stayed Abraham’s hand in the slaying of his son Isaac, there is no such deterrent when Jephthah carries out a similar act of slaying his one and only daughter. Yet another mystery to ponder over…
Later, we learn of infighting amongst the various tribes of Israel during Jephthah’s time. Gileadites against the Ephramites and the Manassehistes, and so on it went. Poking fun at the regional differences in accent and using that as an identifier of the tribe that each belonged to shows how widely populated the children of Israel had become in their adopted land. Following Jephthah, there were three that succeeded him as leader of Israel: Ibzan, Elon and Abdon.
Changing gears now, today, we begin the fourth of the gospels, the book of John. I am thrilled to embark on this new book as it has always held a special place as a personal favorite of mine! John, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, starts out his record like this, which in these five sentences encapsulates the entire meaning of life and the universe.
John says: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John realizes the great privilege he has had of having God incarnate dwell among mankind, and that he, in particular, has witnessed this. He goes on to say: 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
And for all those in his day and in the days to come who would wonder about the how this man Jesus really fit in with the law of old, John points to this novel concept of grace. He says this: 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John starts out his account by telling about another John—John, the Baptist, who was carrying out these baptisms in the river Jordan and speaking in such vague tones, that the Pharisees and elders of the temple wanted to know who exactly he was and if he wasn’t Elijah or one of the prophets returned, why was he conducting these baptisms.
And so he says to them: 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
Our Psalm for the day is 101 in which David states the most high and lofty ideals for conducting himself and the affairs of his house. It is with great humility that I too wish to echo his words:
1 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, LORD, I will sing praise. 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me?
I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. 3 I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.
Finally, two verses from the book of Proverbs that are worthy of record and rumination:
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief.
14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs.
May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word. Amen.
Abimelek’s reign is short-lived. He came to power in a most deceitful way, and did away with his half-brothers, all seventy of the legitimate sons of Gideon. Abimelek, you will recall, was Gideon’s son from his concubine who decided he’d go down to Schehem to his mother’s side of the people and campaign to have himself appointed as king. He succeeds in doing just that, and then proceeds to kill his seventy brothers.
But Jotham, one of his brothers, heaps curses upon him, and it is in this chapter that we find those curses come to pass. In a most shameful way, Abimelek meets his end: a millstone is thrown down from a tower by a woman and almost crushes him to death, but even in his last hour, Abimelek’s cunning does not desert him. He asks one of his men to slay him with a sword so it will not be said that he was killed by a woman!
After Abimelek’s death, Israel sees peace and properity for a mere 45 years under the leadership of two kings: Tola and Jair. But it is not long before they turn their back to Yahweh yet again. For eighteen years, the text tells us, Israel was again under the oppression of the native rulers and their gods.
But this time Yahweh is quite fed up with them and asks: “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? 13 But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” But they cry out to him, and plead for mercy. So God complies. It is to be seen how they are rescued this time around.
In the meantime, turning to our reading from the book of Luke, we have studied the crucifixion story in great detail, and have even learned of the resurrection, but this is the first account of Jesus making contact with another human being in his new resurrected body. It is quite fascinating to learn of how Jesus walks with two strangers on their way to Emmaus, and without revealing his identity at first, he talks to them about the Scriptures in that how the recent happenings in Jerusalem were but the prophecies of old being fulfilled.
The two men are quite taken by this young man and persuade him to stay the night with them in Emmaus. When Jesus complies and has dinner with them that evening, their eyes are opened and they realize that they have in their midst Jesus himself. But Jesus’ work there is done; he disappears just as suddenly as he first appeared to them. Doors and walls do not keep him; he will come and go as he pleases.
Soon afterwards, he reveals himself also to his eleven disciples. They see him in the flesh yet again, and one can only imagine their joy and wonder as they watch him and perhaps touch him, and also watch him eat. Jesus speaks to them again about the fulfillment of the Scriptures having taken place in his death and resurrection, and just as he had patiently told those two other men in Emmaus, he explains all this to his disciples again.
It all made sense now!Of course, they understood now!
Jesus tells them the prophecies as they have been recorded in the Scriptures. He says: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
Jesus then leads them out to the city of Bethany, and blesses each one of them, and this is now a final farewell. After this, Jesus ascends into the heavens even as his disciples look on. There is nothing fantastical about this; this was nothing to marvel at any more, or doubt even for a shadow of a moment that is could be true.
It was true, and they were watching it all happen! Of course, Jesus would go up to Heaven as he had said all along! They had witnessed his death, his resurrection, and now his ascension. How blessed was this group of eleven!
The Psalm for the day is another one that I have had committed to memory in my childhood, thanks to my mother. I reproduce it in the King James Version in which I have memorized it. Psalm 100, for your reading pleasure:
1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
And finally, our verse from the book of Proverbs, also another famous one, reproduced here in the KJV as well:
12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word. Amen.
