Computer Cud            V 2 asks us to read the Bible every day,   'to have a burning love'   for the Word of God              Resolution

This plan follows the Sunday liturgy:    reading + psalm + reading + gospel                  From  www.simplebible.info 

O Holy Spirit, please guide me as I read these passages for today. 
May these passages give me hope, strength, wisdom, courage and peace for my daily life 

February 4, 2012     


Genesis 41      

Two years later Pharaoh had a dream:
he was standing by the river Nile
and saw 7 healthy cows feeding on the riverside.

Then he saw 7 sickly cows which ate the 7 healthy cows.

Pharaoh woke,
then had a second dream when he went back to sleep:
7 rich ears of corn on one stalk, followed by 7 withered ears
which ate the 7 rich ears.

None of Pharaoh's wise men could interpret the dreams.

Then the cup-bearer told Pharaoh
how Joseph could understand dreams.

Pharaoh sent for Joseph
and Joseph told Pharaoh the meaning of his dreams:

the 7 healthy cows and 7 rich ears meant 7 good years for Egypt;

the 7 sickly cows and 7 withered ears meant 7 years of famine.

Joseph also told Pharaoh what to do:

use a tax to collect one fifth of all grain in the 7 good years;
then during the 7 years of famine 
use the collected grain to feed Egypt.

Pharaoh and his ministers were so impressed by Joseph's wisdom
that Pharaoh made Joseph governor of the whole of Egypt,
second only to Pharaoh himself.

Pharaoh gave Joseph Asenath, a priest's daughter, as his wife.

Joseph was now 30 years old, 
having spent more than 10 years in Egypt.

For the next 7 years Joseph traveled all over Egypt,
supervising the collection of grain.

Before the famine began,
Joseph and Asenath had two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim.

When the famine began, Pharaoh told the Egyptians
"Go to Joseph and do what he tells you".

People from all over Egypt and from other countries
went to Joseph to buy grain during the famine.

Dear God, thank you for turning things around in Joseph's life


Psalms 42 -45

Like a deer that longs for running streams,
so my soul is longing for you, my God.

My soul is thirsting for you, the God of my life.
I think of you all the time, here in my land of exile.

People make fun of us here in exile.
They  taunt us saying "Where is your God?"

Yet no matter what happens we will hope in you,
for you are our saviour and our God.

No matter where we are or what happens to us,
our hearts will long for  you, like a bride longing for her groom.

Lord, no matter what happens, may I always hope in you

Acts 11

Some believers went to Antioch in Syria
where they preached the Good News of the Lord Jesus
to non-Jewish people. Many non-Jewish people became believers

Barnabas, a good man filled with the Holy Spirit, was sent to Antioch in Syria
to encourage the new believers to remain faithful to the Lord

Barnabas brought Saul from Tarsus to Antioch. 
They stayed in Antioch about one year, instructing a large number of people

It was at Antioch that the believers were first called "Christians"

Jesus, please help me be a good Christian

Matthew 12

On another Sabbath Jesus  visited a prayer hall.
A man with a withered hand was in the prayer hall.

Some religious leaders asked Jesus, to trap him,
"Is it lawful to heal a man on the Sabbath day?"
(The leaders taught that no "work" could be done on the Sabbath).

Jesus replied:
"If one of your sheep fell down a hole on the Sabbath,
wouldn't you lift it out?

A man is more important than a sheep.
Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Then Jesus said to the man with the withered hand
"Stretch out your hand".
He stretched it out. It was healed.

The religious leaders left the prayer hall
and began plotting how to get rid of Jesus.

Jesus, please stop bad religious leaders from misleading people