Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 4:6-8 (New Living Translation) 6 “What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the Lord had arrived, 7 they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never […]

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1 Samuel 3:19 (New Living Translation) As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. Samuel was a prophet. He is the definition of a prophet in that what he predicted came true or, as in this verse, “proved to be reliable.” This is pretty simple, yet […]

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1 Samuel 30:3-6 (New Living Translation) 3 When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, 4 they wept until they could weep no more. 5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured. 6 David was now […]

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1 Samuel 24:13 (New Living Translation) As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you. This strikes me as a quote from the movie “Forest Gump.” That is not quite correct, but similar. If you see a person performing evil deeds, that person […]

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1 Samuel 23:15-18 (New Living Translation) 15 One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. 16 Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. 17 “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My […]

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1 Samuel 22:1-2 (New Living Translation) So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. 2 Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men. David raises […]

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1 Samuel 19:23-24 (New Living Translation) 23 But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! 24 He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. […]

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1 Samuel 19:4  (New Living Translation) The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. I find this to be […]

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1 Samuel 17:45-47 (New Living Translation) 45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you […]

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1 Samuel 29:9 (New Living Translation) But Achish insisted, “As far as I’m concerned, you’re as perfect as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders are afraid to have you with them in the battle. Achish is speaking to David about David. Achish considers David to be “as perfect as an angel of God.” […]

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