Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Kings 5:1-2 (New International Version 2010) 1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.  2 Now […]

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1 Kings 12:28-29 (New International Version 2010) 28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other […]

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1 Kings 12:26-27 (New International Version 2010) 26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will […]

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Job 21:22-26 (New International Version 2010) 22 “Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest? 23 One person dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease, 24 well nourished in body, bones rich with marrow. 25 Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good. 26 Side by […]

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Deuteronomy 32:28-29 (New English Translation) 28 They are a nation devoid of wisdom, and there is no understanding among them. 29 I wish that they were wise and could understand this, and that they could comprehend what will happen to them.” God’s people are about to enter the Promised Land. Moses will not enter with […]

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Haggai 2:15-19 (New International Version 2010) 15 “‘Now give careful thought to this from this day on—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD’s temple. 16 When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty […]

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Isaiah 33:7-8 (New English Translation) 7 Look, ambassadors cry out in the streets; messengers sent to make peace weep bitterly. 8 Highways are empty, there are no travelers. Treaties are broken, witnesses are despised, human life is treated with disrespect. The prophet Isaiah is lamenting the condition of life among his people. He starts with […]

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Isaiah 28:29 (New English Translation) This also comes from the Lord who commands armies, who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom. The word “supernatural” has come to be associated with witchcraft and other things condemned by the Bible. Sometimes I need to step back a little and reconsider words, especially in light of the […]

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Nehemiah 6:16 (New International Version) When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah wrote these words as a small group of Jews are rebuilding Jerusalem after the captivity in Babylon. […]

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2 Samuel 14:14 (New International Version) Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him. In this verse, a “wise old woman” is speaking to King David. David’s […]

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