The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

April 25, 2025

April 24, 2025 April 26, 2025

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.

Exodus 18:5-27

5Moses' father-in-law Jethro, Moses' sons, and his wife were coming to Moses in the wilderness where he had camped at the mountain of God. 6He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, your wife, and her two sons are coming to you.”
7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him. They asked each other how they had been,[] and they went into the tent. 8Moses told his father-in-law about everything that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, about all the hardships that had confronted them along the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9Jethro rejoiced over all the good things that the Lord had done for Israel when he delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians.
10Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and the hand of Pharaoh. Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered the people out of the hand of the Egyptians. 11Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods because he did this to those who acted arrogantly against the Israelites.”
12Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat a meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.
13The next day Moses sat down to serve as a judge for the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14When Moses' father-in-law saw everything that he did for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”
15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16Whenever there is a dispute between them, they come to me, and I judge between the two sides, and I reveal the regulations of God and his laws.”
17Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, for the work is too much for you. You are not able to handle this alone. 19Listen to me now. I will give you advice, and may God be with you. Represent the people before God, and bring their disputes to God. 20Instruct them about the regulations and laws, and show them the way they are to live and the things that they are to do. 21But you should select capable men from among all the people, God-fearing, trustworthy men, who hate dishonest gain. Then place them over the people as officials over groups of a thousand, a hundred, fifty, or ten. 22Have them judge all the disputes of the people at the first level. They can refer any difficult case to you, but every easy case they can judge themselves. Make your load lighter; they can carry it with you. 23If you will do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will also return home satisfied.”
24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. 25Moses chose capable men from all of Israel and made them leaders over the people: officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26They judged all the cases of the people initially. They brought the difficult cases to Moses, but every easy case they judged themselves. 27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he returned to his own land.

Hebrews 12:1-24

Run the Race
121Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us get rid of every burden and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patient endurance the race that is laid out for us. 2Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the author of our faith and the one who brings it to its goal. In view of the joy set before him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of God's throne. 3Carefully consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinful people, so that you do not grow weary and lose heart.
The Lord's Discipline
4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood in your fight against sin. 5Have you also forgotten the encouragement that addresses you as sons?
My son, do not regard the Lord's discipline lightly,
and do not become weary of his correction.
6For the Lord disciplines the one whom he loves,
and he corrects every son he accepts.[]
7Endure suffering as discipline. God is dealing with you as sons. Is there a son whose father does not discipline him? 8If you are not disciplined (and all of us have received it), then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9In addition, we have earthly fathers[] who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not submit even more to the Father of the spirits[] and live? 10They disciplined us for a little while, according to what seemed best to them, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may have a share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant when it is happening, but painful, yet later it yields a peaceful harvest of righteousness for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore strengthen your weak hands and feeble knees, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but rather healed.
14Pursue peace with everyone and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 15Take care so that no one falls short of God's grace and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and so defile many. 16Take care that no one becomes sexually immoral or worldly, like Esau, who gave away his right as firstborn for a single meal. 17Certainly you know that afterward he was rejected when he wanted to inherit the blessing, for he found no chance to change his father's mind, even though he sought it with tears.
You Have Come to Mount Zion
18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched[] and to burning fire, to darkness, to gloom, to a raging storm, 19to the sound of a trumpet, and to a voice that spoke. Those who heard the voice asked that not one more word be added, 20because they could not endure what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”[] 21The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”[]
22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God; to the heavenly Jerusalem; to tens of thousands of angels in joyful assembly; 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven; to God, who is the judge of all; to the spirits of righteous people, who have been made perfect; 24to Jesus, the mediator of a new testament;[] and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better message than the blood of Abel.