Contemplative Bible Reading

I will post this in a different format than usual to emphasize the differences in translations and meaning. The fear of the Lord is a phrase commonly used in the Bible and just as commonly misused by us when reading and explaining. One concept that is repeated in scriptures is the beginning of wisdom. In […]

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Psalm 100:4-5 (New Living Translation) … Give thanks to him and praise his name.5 For the Lord is good.His unfailing love continues forever,and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Thank you God. Perhaps I haven’t prayed that yet today. Perhaps I haven’t realized that yet today. I am, after all, human with all my human failings. […]

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Psalms 19:14 (Revised Standard Version) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart     be acceptable in thy sight,     O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. As a person who speaks and writes words (probably too much and too many) and thinks often and deeply (again, probably too much), this verse pokes […]

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Psalm 37:1 (New Living Translation) Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. Look at those people. Look at what they are doing. Can you imagine anyone would do those things? And look at the cars they drive, the clothes they wear, the places they go, the houses the own…all the material […]

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Psalm 19:9a (English Standard Version) the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; This is a different way to express the fear of the Lord. “Clean.” What does that mean? The next phrase states that a clean fear endures forever. Things that endure forever have usually achieved some sort of perfection. There are no […]

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Psalm 97:1 (New Living Translation) The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands be glad. I am logical, scientific, rational, and all those boring things. A coastland being glad? Are you kidding? That is just a place where land meets water. How can it be glad? Yet, here it is, right […]

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Psalm 103:15-17 (New Living Translation) 15 Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 16 The wind blows, and we are gone— as though we had never been here. 17 But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. Simple verses that compare us and God. […]

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Psalms 46:8-11 (New Living Translation) 8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. 9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I […]

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Psalms 49:11-12 (American Standard Version) 11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, And their dwelling-places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. 12 But man being in honor abideth not: He is like the beasts that perish. I love to build things (see, for example, this […]

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Psalms 51:10 (American Standard Version) Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. I use an older translation today. A little more poetic. I desire a clean heart. One that isn’t soiled with emotions that are bad for my outlook. Some examples: self-pity jealousy and envy hatred Oh […]

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