Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 10:3 (New Living Translation)

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.

Paul writes to the Christians at Corinth long ago. In this short sentence, Paul states two simple and significant facts:

(1) We (followers of Jesus Christ) are human. This is great. We are created by God in the image of God. How good is that? It is very good. Then again, we have all the faults and weaknesses of the human flesh. Rats. I feel jealousy, pain, hatred… Must I continue the list of bad things that come with being human? I will stop for now.

(2) We (followers of Jesus Christ) are different. We act differently. In Paul’s example, we wage a war against sin and the powers of sin in a manner that is different from how other folks wage war. We seek God. We pray. We encourage one another. We keep one another close. Other followers keep me from wandering off into the ways of other humans.

Thank you God. Thank you for creating me in your image. Thank you for giving me everything as a human to enjoy what humans enjoy. Thank you for providing a way for me to live as a follower of Jesus Christ would live instead of a sinful life. Help me to always encourage fellow followers and be encouraged (and slapped a bit now and then) by fellow followers.

Exodus 16:4 (New Living Translation)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.

This is part of the (hi)story of manna: the food that God gave the people for 40 years while they were in “the wilderness” and would have otherwise dropped dead from hunger. Each day, the people would walk out of their tents and pick up as much food as they needed for the day. One day; one day’s food. A miraculous, life-saving gift every day.

What could be better than that? What could be simpler than that? What could possibly go wrong? Well, plenty could go wrong.

And this gift was a test. God wanted to see if the people could follow simple instructions. Let’s review the instructions, “Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day.”

Hmmm, let’s see… How complicated is that? I mean, if you can assemble a bicycle, you ought to be able to follow those instructions. Right? Wrong. Plenty of the people failed this test (See a later note on “tests.”).

What is wrong with us? God gives us some pretty simple things to do. Love one another. Simple enough, huh? Love God. Simple enough, huh? Why can’t we follow the instructions? Why is it that I have to figure and figure and figure out some way to do something I want that sort of violates the instructions and “voids the warranty?”

The good thing (the GREAT THING), the miraculous thing is God forgives me. The grace of God covers me when I violate the warranty. Thank you God.

Testing: yes, God used the gift as a test for the people. Note: God did this. God does not tell me, “Dwayne, put some tests out there in front of people to see if they live up to your standards and are worthy of coming to God.” It is not my place to “test” anyone else. But I should … nope. But I like to … nope. And nope to that other one as well. Love one another. Simple.

Psalm 61:2-3 (New Living Translation)

2 From the ends of the earth,
I cry to you for help
when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
3 for you are my safe refuge,
a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.

Many years ago, I would travel to far places. I would tell people, “It wasn’t the ‘last place on earth,’ but you could see the last place on earth from where I was.” I was at “the ends of the earth” mentioned in verse 2.

It was common that once or twice each month I would eat something that just wasn’t right. I would have twenty four hours of pain and misery until my body rid itself of the the bad stuff.

Pray. Yes, I would pray in moments of pain. At the ends of the earth, God was with me. I would pray. God would give me comfort of one type or another. God was my safe refuge.

Enough war stories from an old man whose memory is colored with too much nostalgia.

Pain? Yes, people all around me are in pain. Someone said something. Someone gave “a dirty look.” Someone ignored. Pain? Yes, insufferable pain brought on by daily enemies.

God is a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.

Let us all take refuge in that fortress. Let us never forget that the fortress is there always.

Exodus 16:23-24 (New Living Translation)

23 He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.”

24 So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor.

Moses is passing along God’s instructions for the use of the manna. Manna was free food that simply appeared every morning in the wilderness. This is how God fed the people for 40 years.

Leftovers spoiled. If a person gathered too much manna and had leftovers for the next day, the leftovers would be inedible.

Leftovers didn’t spoil one day each week. The people were to gather double manna on the day before the Sabbath or the rest day. They would awaken on the Sabbath to leftovers that were really good. They didn’t even have to walk around and pick up food. It was right there.

Wait. Leftovers spoil six days a week, but are okay on the seventh day. Make sense? No, it didn’t make sense. It was a miracle.

Right there in front of everyone was a miracle on the seventh day of the week; a miracle every week. Wow!

Blah, blah, blah. So what? Same old thing every week for 40 years. So what?

Gosh. How did God tolerate these folks long ago? The miraculous power of God was right in front of them everyday and double every week. How could they act like we act today? Wait, is that right? Yes, we act the same way today.

Everyday the miracles of God are right in front of us. Blah, blah, blah. So what? So this is a big deal. Please God. Help me every morning to awaken with my eyes open to see your miracles and your blessings.

Psalm 119:97-99

97 Oh, how I love your instructions!
I think about them all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are my constant guide.
99 Yes, I have more insight than my teachers,
for I am always thinking of your laws.

Way down into Psalm 119 we find this expression of thanks. God, thank you for teaching me.

I read the Bible. I have read it start to finish every year since 1988. Why? Because I am better than you? Because it is part of a plan to do something? Because … let’s list the reasons. No, no, and no.

I read the Bible because of the reasons given above. The Bible makes me smarter than my enemies.

And please paraphrase the old cartoon about, “We have met the enemy and it is ME.”

The Bible makes me smarter than ME. I do far fewer stupid things when I read the Bible than when I don’t.

Ha! You might say. You still see me doing plenty of stupid things. Well, that is true, but ask yourself, “How stupid would Dwayne act if he didn’t read the Bible?”

Let’s not go to that place. Let’s try to stay with the results of reading the Bible. Thank you God for making the Bible available to me and most of mankind. Let’s note that there are more people on earth today who can read and have access to a Bible in their own language than ever before in the history of history.

Praise God. Just imagine how bad things would be otherwise.

Genesis 50:20 (New Living Translation)

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

This is part of the (hi)story of Joseph and his brothers. The brothers planned to kill Joseph and lie to their father about it (Murderers and liars, and you thought your siblings were mean to you as a kid?). Instead, “all they did was just” sell their brother to some passing merchants who would use and abuse him for the rest of his life. Again, your siblings were mean to you? Ha!

Anyways, years later, Joseph confronts his brothers. Joseph had the power to snap his finger and the brothers would all be executed—a just outcome for their treachery. And note that in many places in the Bible that is what happened. Kings snapped their finger and many others were executed.

Instead, Joseph tells his brothers what we read in the verse above. “You intended evil, God intended good.”

And guess which came to pass? The intentions of man or the intentions of God? Well, duh, God ruled. God overruled man. Nothing new to see here. Keep moving.

Well, let’s pause a moment and observe the obvious. God’s intentions always come to pass. God’s intentions may not agree with my schedule. I doubt Joseph was thrilled with God’s ways during 13 years in a filthy Egyptian prison. Nevertheless, God’s intentions come to pass.

Rats! Why can’t God abide by my schedule? Probably because my schedule is short-sighted and wrong. Just like the intentions of Joseph’s brothers were short-sighted and wrong.

God, grant me patience and humility to accept Your intentions and Your schedule.

Psalm 69:5-7 (New Living Translation)

5 O God, you know how foolish I am;
my sins cannot be hidden from you.
6 Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me,
O Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated,
O God of Israel.

The writer bemoans his foolishness. The writer is sinful and no matter how good he acts, those sins are plain to God.

The prayer of this sinner is one of shame. Those around the sinner knows that he proclaims God but still fails daily. Please God, he asks, don’t like this say-one-thing-but-do-another life cause others to scoff at the belief in God.

People see me. They see what I try to be and they see what I really am. Do they shrug and say, “Told you. That Christianity stuff is phony. Just a bunch of liars, cheats, and con artists who want something from you.”

Still, the writer has good in mind. The writer knows that his actions can do the opposite of what he desires. He still looks to God and asks that he be better.

I guess that is a pretty good thing for me to do each day. Look to God and ask for help. I can’t do this by myself. I need God’s help. That help can come in many forms. It can be a smile of encouragement or the helping touch of a hot cup of coffee in cold arthritic hands. The blessings from God cannot be counted and are often not recognized. Still, they are here. Thanks be to God.

Genesis 45:3 (Christian Standard Bible)

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.

This is part of the (hi)story of Joseph and his brothers. After many years and twists and turns, Joseph is a ruler in Egypt and his brothers come trying to buy food so their families will not die.

These brothers plotted to kill Joseph. Instead, they sold him. Joseph did well and rose in position, but then went to prison. Joseph then left prison and rose in power in Egypt.

Now Joseph reveals himself to his miserable brothers.

They are doomed. Trapped in a foreign land, they learn they are the mortal enemies of an all-powerful person. Surely a terrible death awaits them. They cannot speak. They are terrified.

Being terrified is mentioned many times in the Bible. It is a feeling of overwhelming fear. There is no escape. The cavalry won’t come over the hill; the rescue party won’t arrive in the nick of time. It is over.

Being saved is mentioned many more times in the Bible. Hopelessness becomes hope. Lost becomes found. Death becomes life. This goes on and on.

This is the good news from God. We aren’t speechless and terrified. We are alive. Oh God, help me to live daily as if I truly understand and appreciate this.

Genesis 22:8 (New Living Translation)

8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

This is part of the (hi)story of Abraham and his son Isaac. God told Abraham to take Isaac up the hill and sacrifice him. This is a crazy story with many twists, turns, and lessons.

One of the major lessons is that Abraham and Isaac are on this mission from God—they are doing something God told them to do. Abraham and Isaac do not have what they need to complete the mission.

Let’s pause at that point: God says, “Go do this.” I don’t have what I need to do this. Still, God says, “Go do this.”

Uh, er, God, wait a minute here. Uh, I need a while to gather resources. You know, lots of things that are necessary for this.

No. God says, “Go do this.” I need to start on this. But how will… God will provide.

This makes no sense. I mean, a miracle would have to happen… Oh, this is God. God deals in miracles all the time. And God will provide the miracles needed for me to, “Go do this.”

It is my job to take the first step just like Abraham and Isaac took the first step. God provided a miracle or fifty along their path. God will do the same for me.

1 John 3:7-8 (New Living Translation)

7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.

This is all pretty simple. To be righteous, do what is right in the eyes of God. To be wrong, do what is right in the eyes of the devil.

I’ve always thought of this as two paths. Walk on one path that follows God. I stumble and fall behind some days. I run ahead joyfully on other days. I, however, am on God’s path. Walk on the other path that follows the devil or Satan.

Choose.

This is all pretty simple. But, but, but… Nope. No ifs, ands, buts, nevertheless, however, in as much, or all of those things. God made us smart. We can think of arguments and try to wiggle our way back and forth and straddle the two paths set before us. Sorry. It doesn’t work that way.

This is all pretty simple. Let’s not try to wiggle and waggle and all that stuff.