Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Kings 5:1-6 (New Living Translation) The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. 2 At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives […]

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Ecclesiastes 3:11 (New Living Translation) He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. The writer of Ecclesiastes notes things that puzzle man, puzzle man all his life and never make sense. Here […]

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Proverbs 22:22-23 (New Living Translation) Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, 23 for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them. Evil is easy. It is easy to rob the poor. It is easy to rob the rich. Let’s make a list of evil […]

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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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Proverbs 13:8 (New Living Translation) The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened. Hmm, poor people aren’t threatened. That makes sense as if you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. The rich, however, have lots to lose. They have so much that others will grab them […]

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Proverbs 12:18 (New Living Translation) Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. This proverb gives us a clear choice. Do my words cut or heal? I am sure we can create other dividing lines, but this one is apt. It provides me with a simple question to ask myself […]

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1 Kings 3:1 (New Living Translation) Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the Lord and the wall around the city. I have to put this one […]

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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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