Quotes and Readings of the Day

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Psalm 10

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—

let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.

For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart,

those greedy for gain curse and renounce the LORD.

In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, “God will not seek it out”;

all their thoughts are, “There is no God.”

Their ways prosper at all times;

your judgments are on high, out of their sight;

as for their foes, they scoff at them.

They think in their heart, “We shall not be moved;

throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.”

Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;

under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.

They sit in ambush in the villages;

in hiding places they murder the innocent.

Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;

they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert;

they lurk that they may seize the poor;

they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.

They stoop, they crouch,

and the helpless fall by their might.

They think in their heart, “God has forgotten,

he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

Rise up, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;

do not forget the oppressed.

Why do the wicked renounce God,

and say in their hearts, “You will not call us to account”?

But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief,

that you may take it into your hands;

the helpless commit themselves to you;

you have been the helper of the orphan.

Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers;

seek out their wickedness until you find none.

The LORD is king forever and ever;

the nations shall perish from his land.

O LORD, you will hear the desire of the meek;

you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear

to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,

so that those from earth may strike terror no more.


Note: Today's Gospel reading is Luke 8:40-56. Find a Bible translation.

From the New Revised Standard Version. Reprinted with permission from HarperBibles.

TAGS: Bible, Bible Reading, Christian, Psalm

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Genesis 13:5-13:18

Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support them staying together; for their possessions were so great that they could not remain together. And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and those of Lot's cattle. The Canaanites and Perizzites were then dwelling in the land.

Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, between my herdsmen and yours, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Let us separate: if you go north, I will go south; and if you go south, I will go north." Lot looked about him and saw how well watered was the whole plain of the Jordan, all of it--this was before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorra--all the way to Zoar, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they parted from each other; Abram remained in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom. Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked sinners against the Lord.

And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had parted from him, "Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west, for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too can be counted. Up, walk about the land, through its length and its breadth, for I give it to you." And Abram moved his tent, and came to dwell at the terebinths of Mamre, which are in Hebron; and he built an altar there to the Lord.

From Parshat Lekh Lekhah. From THE TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.

TAGS: Torah, Torah Reading, Judaism, Genesis

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Sharing their boundless wisdom, guardian angels take us under their wings. Selflessly, they help guide us to the places in our lives that bring us joy and peace of mind.

-Suzanne Siegel Zenkel,
"Your Secret Angel"

From "Angels Around Us." Compiled by Karen Maguire. Reprinted by arrangement with Andrews McMeel Publishing.

TAGS: Angel Quote, Angels, Boundless Wisdom, Boundless, Guardian, Mind, Suzanne Siegel ZenkelbrYour Secret Angel

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There is no evil like hatred. And no fortitude like patience.

-Santideva, "Bodhicaryavatara"

From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations," edited by Jeff Schmidt. Reprinted by arrangement with Tarcher/Putnam, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.

TAGS: Buddhism, Buddhist Quote, Fortitude Lik, Hatred, Evil, Patience

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I pray more than most people. I honestly think I pray more than a lot of churchgoing Christians.

-Andy Dick

TAGS: Entertainment Quote, Celebrities, Christians, Churchgoing, Spiritual, Celebrity Spirituality, Entertainment, Comedian, Pray

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The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you. To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else.

-Bernadette Devlin

TAGS: Bible, God, Christianity, Grace, Christian Quote

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Choose to re-use. When you're at school or work, use materials to their greatest potential: fill both sides of the pages in notebooks, and re-use file folders, paper clips, and elastic bands.

TAGS: Eco Tips

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Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.

-Sally Koch

TAGS: Inspiration Quote, Opportunities, Sally Koch

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You are to think of yourselves as only existing in this world to do God’s will. To think that you are your own is as absurd to think you are self-created. It is an obvious first principle that you belong completely to God.

-William Law

TAGS: Evangelical, Evangelical Quote, Christianity

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Do the great while it is still small.

-Tao Te Ching

TAGS: Health Quote

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Who could ever wish me to leave my loving, I would rather eat poison than hear such words. I have explored his beauty and found no shores, But the god at last is standing by me. I will fulfill my dream and let the rest go.

Chandidas

From "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics," © 2001 by Andrew Harvey. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Boston, www.shambhala.com.

TAGS: Hinduism, Hindu Quote

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People say "I want peace." If you remove I (ego), and your want (desire), you are left with peace.

-Satya Sai Baba

TAGS: Glow, Holistic Living Quote, Spirituality, Holistic Living

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I believe that good things come to those who work.

-Wilt Chamberlain

TAGS: Sports Quote, Motivational Quote, Inspirational Quote, Inspiration Quote, Basketball, Motivation

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This is what you shall do to them in consecrating them to serve Me as priests: Take a young bull of the herd and two rams without blemish; also unleavened bread, unleavened cakes with oil mixed in, and unleavened wafers spread with oil--make these of choice wheat flour. Place these in one basket and present them in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams. Lead Aaron and his sons up to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. Then take the vestments, and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the decorated band of the ephod. Put the headdress on his head, and place the holy diadem upon the headdress. Take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. Then bring his sons forward; clothe them with tunics and wind turbans upon them. And gird both Aaron and his sons with sashes. And so they shall have priesthood as their right for all time. You shall then ordain Aaron and his sons. Lead the bull up to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and let Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the head of the bull. Slaughter the bull before the Lord, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and take some of the bull's blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. Take all the fat that covers the entrails, the protuberance on the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat on them, and turn them into smoke upon the altar. The rest of the flesh of the bull, its hide, and its dung shall be put to the fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. Next take the one ram, and let Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the ram's head. Slaughter the ram, and take its blood and dash it against all sides of the altar. Cut up the ram into sections, wash its entrails and legs, and put them with its quarters and its head. Turn all of the ram into smoke upon the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the Lord.

-Exodus 29:1-29:18

From Parshat Tetsaveh. From THE TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.

TAGS: Judaism, Jewish Quote

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During prostration a servant draws nearest to the Lord, so augment your devotions.

-Hadith The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Abu Hurairah

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Abu Hurairah

From "The Bounty of Allah." Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed. Copyright 1999. All rights reserved. Used with permission of The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York.

TAGS: Hadith, Islam Hadith, Muslim Quote, Muslim

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Love does not dominate, it cultivates.

TAGS: Relationships Quotes, Relationships