Contemplative Bible Reading

Psalms 127:2 (New Living Translation) It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. There are plenty of passages in the Bible that advocate hard work. This verse gives us a throttle on that […]

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Psalm 19:14 (New Living Translation) May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. This is a simple request of God. Sometimes simple is the best. This is one of those cases.

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Psalm 32:1-5 (New Living Translation) 1 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I […]

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Psalm 2:1-2 (New Living Translation) 1 Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? 2 The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. Verse 1 holds a great question or two. The kings of the earth are […]

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Psalm 137:8-9 (New English Translation) O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated! How blessed will be the one who repays you for what you dished out to us! How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies and smashes them on a rock! This cry was written after the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem. The conquerors […]

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Psalm 141:3-4 (New International Version 2011) 3 Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds This Psalm was written by King David. In verse 3, David asks the […]

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Psalms 7:14 (New International Version 2011) Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment. What a marvelous phrase. Evil leads to trouble which leads to disillusionment. Perhaps that is the foundation of all evil, of all rebellion against God – disillusionment. We are tricked, fooled, we don’t see what is present. […]

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Psalm 51:16-17 (New International Version 2010) You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. I have contemplated on parts of Psalm 51 before. Looking at it […]

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Psalms 78:72 (New English Translation) David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill. When I read this yesterday, a sense of peace came over me. This describes David, who at times in his life was a great leader of his people. He knew what had to be done and he was […]

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Psalm 27:4 (New International Version) One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. These are the words of David. This […]

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