AME Zion Universal Reading June 19th 2022

Sunday School Zoom Link

Isaiah 49:18–26 (NLT):

18 Look around you and see,

for all your children will come back to you.

As surely as I live,” says the Lord,

“they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.

19 “Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land

will soon be crowded with your people.

Your enemies who enslaved you

will be far away.

20 The generations born in exile will return and say,

‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’

21 Then you will think to yourself,

‘Who has given me all these descendants?

For most of my children were killed,

and the rest were carried away into exile.

I was left here all alone.

Where did all these people come from?

Who bore these children?

Who raised them for me?’ ”

22 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I will give a signal to the godless nations.

They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms;

they will bring your daughters on their shoulders.

23 Kings and queens will serve you

and care for all your needs.

They will bow to the earth before you

and lick the dust from your feet.

Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”

24 Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior?

Who can demand that a tyrant let his captives go?

25 But the Lord says,

“The captives of warriors will be released,

and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved.

For I will fight those who fight you,

and I will save your children.

26 I will feed your enemies with their own flesh.

They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood.

All the world will know that I, the Lord,

am your Savior and your Redeemer,

the Mighty One of Israel.”

Monday

Psalm 75 (NLT):

1 We thank you, O God!

We give thanks because you are near.

People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.

2 God says, “At the time I have planned,

I will bring justice against the wicked.

3 When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil,

I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.

Interlude

4 “I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’

I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists!

5 Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens

or speak with such arrogance.’ ”

6 For no one on earth—from east or west,

or even from the wilderness—

should raise a defiant fist.

7 It is God alone who judges;

he decides who will rise and who will fall.

8 For the Lord holds a cup in his hand

that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices.

He pours out the wine in judgment,

and all the wicked must drink it,

draining it to the dregs.

9 But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done;

I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

10 For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked,

but I will increase the power of the godly.”

Tuesday

Leviticus 26:3–13 (NLT):

3 “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. 5 Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land.

6 “I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land. 7 In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword.

9 “I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you. 10 You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! 11 I will live among you, and I will not despise you. 12 I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.

Wednesday

Luke 6:20–26 (NLT):

20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,

“God blesses you who are poor,

for the Kingdom of God is yours.

21 God blesses you who are hungry now,

for you will be satisfied.

God blesses you who weep now,

for in due time you will laugh.

22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Sorrows Foretold

24 “What sorrow awaits you who are rich,

for you have your only happiness now.

25 What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,

for a time of awful hunger awaits you.

What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,

for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.

26 What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,

for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

Thursday

Psalm 30 (NLT):  

I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.

You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

and you restored my health.

3 You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.

You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

4 Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!

Praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime!

Weeping may last through the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

6 When I was prosperous, I said,

“Nothing can stop me now!”

7 Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.

Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

8 I cried out to you, O Lord.

I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,

9 “What will you gain if I die,

if I sink into the grave?

Can my dust praise you?

Can it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.

Help me, O Lord.”

11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Friday

James 1:13–18 (NLT):

13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Saturday

Deuteronomy 28:9–14 (NLT):

9 “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. 10 Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.

11 “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. 12 The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. 13 If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. 14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.