Thursday in Lent — Open Word

FIRST READING

Genesis 9:8-17

Verse 8. Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, Verse 9. “Behold, I now establish My covenant with you and your descendants after you, Verse 10. and with every living creature that was with you — the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth— every living thing that came out of the ark. Verse 11. And I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Verse 12. And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: Verse 13. I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Verse 14. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, Verse 15. I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Verse 16. And whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind that is on the earth.” Verse 17. So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and every creature on the earth.”

PSALM

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy

and gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction.

They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.

He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.

Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.

SECOND READING

Ephesians 1:3-6

Verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. Verse 4. For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love Verse 5. He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, Verse 6. to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.