Contemplative Bible Reading

Proverbs 29:25 (New Living Translation) 25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap,but trusting the Lord means safety. This is a wise saying written a few thousand years ago. Lots of “wise sayings” were written a few thousand years ago. This one is from God and concerns mankind and God. Let’s pay more attention to this […]

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Proverbs 10:19 (New Living Translation) 19 Too much talk leads to sin.Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. I have been writing this contemplation collection of thoughts for about 16 years as of this morning. I have struggled with contemplating the collection of Proverbs. Every phrase could be a contemplation. They could stand alone without […]

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Proverbs 10:17 (New Living Translation) 17 People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life,but those who ignore correction will go astray. One book that greatly influenced how I read the Bible and live as a Christian is “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” Being a Christian is like walking on a pathway. There are several pathways […]

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Proverbs 1:15 (Christian Standard Bible) 15 my son, don’t travel that road with themor set foot on their path, The writer is encouraging the reader to avoid the path of all who make profit dishonestly. Those folks are greedy. They want profit so badly that they are trapped by the traps they lay for others. […]

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Proverbs 30:8 (New Living Translation) 8 First, help me never to tell a lie.Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. This is a saying of Agur son of Jakeh. He begs two favors of God and he desires to have them before he dies. What two things do […]

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Proverbs 22:29 (New Living Translation) Do you see any truly competent workers?They will serve kingsrather than working for ordinary people. This section of Proverbs begins with, “Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction.” Next are a series of “Don’t do this and don’t do that” as those things go […]

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Proverbs 18:17 (New Living Translation) 17 The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross-examination begins. Ah, the cross-examination. That is when someone stands and says, “Let’s look at this again and consider some other things.” In my career, this was called a “hostile audience.” That was a group of persons who were skeptical […]

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Proverbs 1:11, 14 (New Living Translation) 11 They may say, “Come and join us.Let’s hide and kill someone!Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent! 14 Come, throw in your lot with us;we’ll all share the loot.” These words are so foolish they are almost comical. “Just for fun.” Whoa. “Let’s do something terrible, just for […]

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Proverbs 1:10 (New Living Translation) 10 My child, if sinners entice you,turn your back on them! Simple advice. Oh I wish we would follow this. “Hey, come on, get behind this latest social cause. It is right!” I hear this too often. Then someone in the ruling elite chimes in. “Yes, let’s do that.” But […]

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Proverbs 3:27-28 (New Living Translation) 27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve itwhen it’s in your power to help them.28 If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.” Years ago, Nike had the ad campaign of “just do it.” They found that ad campaign in […]

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