The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

September 1, 2024

August 31, 2024 September 2, 2024

These daily readings from the EHV follow the one-year daily lectionary provided in Christian Worship: Hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book, and the Treasury of Daily Prayer. In this lectionary, two readings of 15-25 verses each are provided for each day. Under this plan, nearly all of the New Testament and approximately one-third of the Old Testament are read each year. These readings fit well within the daily offices of Matins, Vespers, or Compline as daily family devotions.

1 Kings 18:1-19

Elijah Confronts the Prophets of Baal and Asherah
181After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah. (It was during the third year.) He said, “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain to water the surface of the ground.” 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.
Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 3Ahab had summoned his servant Obadiah, the palace administrator. Obadiah was devoted to serving[] the Lord. 4When Jezebel was exterminating the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and kept them hidden in two caves, fifty in each cave, and he provided food and water for them.
5Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and all the streams. Maybe we will find enough grass so that we can keep the horses and mules alive, and we will not lose some of the livestock.” 6In order to cover the whole land, they divided it between the two of them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7While Obadiah was on the way, Elijah suddenly met him. Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is that you, my lord Elijah?”
8Elijah answered him, “Yes, it is. Go and tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”
9But Obadiah said, “How have I sinned that you would hand your servant over to Ahab for him to kill me? 10As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is no country or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ then he made that kingdom and nation swear that they could not find you. 11But now you are telling me, ‘Go, tell your master that Elijah is here.’ 12As soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you to some place I do not know. When I go to tell Ahab and he then does not find you, he will kill me, even though your servant has been devoted to the Lord since my youth.
13“Has my lord not been told what I did when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I kept one hundred of the prophets of the Lord hidden in two caves, fifty in each, and I provided food and water for them. 14But now you are saying, ‘Go and tell your master that Elijah is here.’ Then Ahab will kill me.”
15But Elijah said to him, “As surely as the Lord of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to him today.” 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and he informed him. Then Ahab came to meet Elijah.
17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, the one who brings trouble on Israel?”
18Elijah said, “It is not I who have brought trouble on Israel, but rather you and your father's house, because you abandoned the Lord's commandments and followed the Baals. 19But now gather all Israel before me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.”

Ephesians 1:1-23

Greeting
11Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, who are believers in Christ Jesus:
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
4He did this when he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ. He did this in accordance with the good purpose of his will, 6and for the praise of his glorious grace, which he has graciously given us in the one he loves.
7In him we also have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in keeping with the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. 9He made known to us the mystery of his will in keeping with his good purpose, which he planned in Christ. 10This was to be carried out when the time had fully come, in order to bring all things together in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.
11In him we have also obtained an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in keeping with the purpose of his will. 12He did this so that his glory would be praised as a result of us, who were the first to hope in Christ.
13In him, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and in him, when you also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 14He is the down payment of our inheritance until the redemption of God's own possession, so that his glory would be praised.
A Prayer for Knowledge and Strength
15This is why, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I never stop giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you the Spirit[] of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ fully. 18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, just how rich his glorious inheritance among the saints is, 19and just how surpassingly great his power is for us who believe. 20It is as great as the working of his mighty strength, which God worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion, and above every name that is given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22God also placed all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the church. 23The church is his body, the fullness of him[] who fills everything in every way.