Contemplative Bible Reading

Proverbs 22:2 (New Living Translation) The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both. The two phrases in this sentence seem to be opposite. God created us all equal in His sight (the second phrase). There are unequal people—some rich, some poor (the first phrase). Hmmm, doesn’t make sense to me. […]

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Ecclesiastes 1:9 (New Living Translation) History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. So, what’s the use? The Bible tells us that nothing changes. Injustice, hate, sin—they just roll on and roll over us. The key phrase in this verse is “under the sun.” That doesn’t […]

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1 Samuel 6:18 (New Living Translation) The large rock at Beth-shemesh, where they set the Ark of the Lord, still stands in the field of Joshua as a witness to what happened there. This sentence comes at the end of a (hi)story about how the Ark of the LORD (a treasure chest that held the […]

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2 Peter 3:3-4 (New Living Translation) 3 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the […]

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Psalm 101: 6 (New Living Translation) I will search for faithful people    to be my companions. Companions can define a person. I choose my companions. I choose my life. The writer of this 3,000-year-old verse searched for people who were faithful to God the creator to be his companions, to define his life. This is certainly […]

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2 Peter 2:19 (New Living Translation) They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. This is but one verse and one description in a chapter full of them. The persons described herein “know better.” They are surrounded by those who live for […]

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John 6:59-61 (New Living Translation) 59 He (Jesus) said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” 61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? […]

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Deuteronomy 24:19 (New Living Translation) When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. These sentences are the start of […]

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