Epiphany

Thursday in Epiphany

Thursday, February 24, 2028

FIRST READING

Deuteronomy 9:1-5

Verse 1. Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens. Verse 2. The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them, and you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the sons of Anak?” Verse 3. But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you. Verse 4. When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. Verse 5. It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

PSALM

Psalm 99

Verse 1. The LORD reigns; let the nations tremble! He is enthroned above the cherubim; let the earth quake!
Verse 2. Great is the LORD in Zion; He is exalted above all the peoples.
Verse 3. Let them praise Your great and awesome name — He is holy!
Verse 4. The mighty King loves justice. You have established equity; You have exercised justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Verse 5. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool; He is holy!
Verse 6. Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel was among those who called on His name. They called to the LORD and He answered.
Verse 7. He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept His decrees and the statutes He gave them.
Verse 8. O LORD our God, You answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, yet an avenger of their misdeeds.
Verse 9. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.

SECOND READING

Acts 3:11-16

Verse 11. While the man clung to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and ran to them in the walkway called Solomon’s Colonnade. Verse 12. And when Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? Verse 13. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him. Verse 14. You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. Verse 15. You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead, and we are witnesses of this fact. Verse 16. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know has been made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given him this complete healing in your presence.