Day By Day - March 2009

Live by the Word (ESV)

March 1 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls - 1 Peter 1:8-9

March 2 You have multiplied the nation;    you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you    as with joy at the harvest,    as they are glad when they divide the spoil. - Isaiah 9:3

March 3 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,    we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter,    and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations,     "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us;    we are glad. - Psalm 126:1-3

March 4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,    like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears    shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping,    bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy,    bringing his sheaves with him. - Psalm 126:4-6

March 5 But the LORD said to me,    "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,          declares the LORD." Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,    "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.“ - Jeremiah 1:7-10

March 6 But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.“ - Jeremiah 1:17-19

March 7 But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior;    therefore my persecutors will stumble;     they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed,    for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor    will never be forgotten. - Jeremiah 20:11

March 8 How lovely is your dwelling place,    O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints    for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy    to the living God. - Psalm 84:1-2

March 9 Even the sparrow finds a home,    and the swallow a nest for herself,    where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts,     my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house,    ever singing your praise! Selah -Psalm 84:3-4

March 10 For a day in your courts is better    than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God    than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield;    the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold    from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts,    blessed is the one who trusts in you! - Psalm 84:10-12

March 11 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres. - 1 Chronicles 15:28

March 12 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD,     "For he is good,    for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel."        And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. - Ezra 3:11-13

March 13 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;    let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them,    that those who love your name may exult in you. - Psalm 5:11

March 14 You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil;    my cup overflows. - Psalm 23:5

March 15 And it was told King David, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom to the city of David with rejoicing. And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn. - 2 Samuel 6:12-15

March 16 And Hannah prayed and said,     "My heart exults in the LORD;     my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies,    because I rejoice in your salvation. - 1 Samuel 2:1

March 17 You have put more joy in my heart    than they have when their grain and wine abound. - Psalm 4:7

March 18 Light is sown for the righteous,    and joy for the upright in heart. - Psalm 97:11

March 19 behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,    but you shall cry out for pain of heart    and shall wail for breaking of spirit. - Isaiah 65:14

March 20 All who pass along the way    clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads    at the daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city that was called     the perfection of beauty,    the joy of all the earth?" - Lamentations 2:15

March 21 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved." And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. - Nehemiah 8:9-12

March 22 Wisdom has built her house;    she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;    she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call    from the highest places in the town, "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!"     To him who lacks sense she says, "Come, eat of my bread    and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live,     and walk in the way of insight." - Proverbs 9:1-6

March 23 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,     of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. - Isaiah 25:6

March 24 "Come, everyone who thirsts,    come to the waters; and he who has no money,     come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk    without money and without price. - Isaiah 55:1

March 25 The LORD answered and said to his people, "Behold, I am sending to you    grain, wine, and oil,    and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you    a reproach among the nations. - Joel 2:19

March 26 "Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves;    therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. - Job 5:17

March 27 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. - James 5:11

March 28 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,     and the day of vengeance of our God;    to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—     to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness,    the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. - Isaiah 61:2-3

March 29 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. - 1 Peter 4:12-14

March 30 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. - Leviticus 9:22-24

March 31 There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, "Long live King Solomon!" And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise. - 1 Kings 1:39-40