Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 3:19 (New International  Version)

The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.

I love this expression “he let none of his words fall to the ground.” Samuel, through the power of God, had none of his words wasted or falling to the ground.

Oh how blessed was Samuel.

Such can be true of us today. How often do we cast out words without thought and, much worse, without love? Why do we throw our words on the ground to wallow in mud?

God, help me to take care with my words. Help me to speak in love with words chosen wisely. Help to use words that won’t fall on the ground.

…

Ezekiel 16:49 (New International Version)

Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

Overfed, ouch. One of the main health problems in America today, actually in all the industrial world, is obesity. I guess we qualify as overfed. Nothing is more convenient than food.

Are we arrogant, unconcerned and not helping the poor and needy? I think as America we do a little better here. Arrogant? Maybe, that one is a matter of opinion. I think we do seem concerned. Hurricanes, tsunamis – we tend to give generously to charity.

Am I outside the context of this passage? Maybe. Still, something to consider.

God, help us to understand our blessings. Help us to love our neighbors, wherever they be on this planet and whoever they are.

Jeremiah 6:16 (New International Version)

This is what the LORD says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Look at the middle section of this verse:

ask where the good way is

First, there is a good way, a way that will lead to rest for my soul.

Second, I should ask for that way. Well, maybe some other people should ask for it. I am in good shape already and I know what is good for me and I don’t need to ask someone else and so on. I don’t ask because asking would admit that there is something important that I don’t already know. My sinful pride keeps my from asking. Ouch.

Third, I have to walk in that way. Well, same as above. My sinful pride keeps me from going there.

Fourth, rest for my soul? I don’t need rest for my soul. My soul is really strong. Only weaklings need rest for their souls, no, not for me.

Oh well. Sinful pride.

There is a good way out there. I probably don’t know where it is. I probably could use it and the benefits of rest for my soul.

God, help me push aside that pride. Help me to seek, find, and walk the good way. Grant me rest for my soul.

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Need a guard for your heart and mind? Something to protect you from anxiety, worry, harmful thoughts and feelings? There are days when I could use one.

Well, one is available. That guard is the peace of God. This guard is something that transcends or goes beyond what we can understand. That guard doesn’t cost money. It is ours if we request it in thankful prayer.

Here is another blessing that God offers us simply for the asking. This doesn’t make much sense, but here it is.

God, help me to open my eyes, be thankful for my blessings, and pray. Allow me to move out of the way and accept your guard of peace.

Isaiah 33:5-6 (New International Version)

5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.

6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

Verses 5 and 6 tells us about a treasure: a world filled with justice and righteouness and a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. That is quite a treasure. How to I get it in my hands? I need a key.

What is the key? The fear of the Lord.

No one can keep that it from me. I can have it when I choose to have it. All I have to do is decide to fear or respect the Lord. It is  my choice, my power to have or not.

Sure, I can meet people who do not do right and who deny justice for others. Those people are hurting themselves. They are denying themselves of God’s blessings. I don’t have to go along with them. I can fear the Lord and have the key to such wonders in my hand.

Numbers 9:15-23 (New International Version)

15 On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.

17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18 At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out.

20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.

23 At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

Life wasn’t easy for the 600,000 people who lived in the camp of the people of God. This was a large group of people. Setting camp, breaking camp, moving – these things were much more difficult than strapping the kids into their child-safety seats in the minivan.

The thing that struck me about this passage was the indefinite time of their encampments. They didn’t know how long they were to stay in one place. Notice verse 22, Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.

How could anyone plan anything? How would you know to make a really solid camp that would work well for months or just throw something up so it would be easy to move on tomorrow?

These travails (not travels not travails) that the people in God’s camp had to endure remind me of the Christian’s life today. We know Jesus is coming back to earth, but we don’t know when. It may be this evening, tomorrow morning, or 300 years from now. We are here to serve God and love our fellow man. We have these duties and we don’t know for how long we have them. The time period is indefinite.

Pray for the strength and patience to live the Christian life until the cloud lifts, Jesus returns, and we can break our earthly camp.

Isaiah 41:22 (New International Version)

Bring in your idols to tell us
what is going to happen.

What a wonderful challenge. Bring in those figures that you  created. Have those figures foretell the future for us. We would like to hear that.

Isn’t this silly? Of course a little or big figure cannot tell the future.

But isn’t it just as silly that sometimes some people worship these figures?

We don’t do that anymore do we? We don’t have idols anymore do we? Well, maybe we “worship” money, position, power, and a few other things. But …

No more buts. Idols are silly. They are created things. There is only one creator, and He deserves our worship and obedience.

Isaiah 30:18 (New International Version)

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

These three words are not often companions in today’s English. JUSTICE – yes with big bold letters – often means punishment. “We are going to bring these people to justice!” I don’t want to be one of those people.

Justice, however, means “the quality of being fair and reasonable.” Now that is more in line with grace and compassion.

But for the Christian, maybe it isn’t. God has not been fair and reasonable with me. If He had been fair and reasonable with me, He would have turned His back on me and let me wander off on my on silly, selfish, destructive way.Instead, God has showered His grace on my through His son Jesus Christ. God’s compassion has covered my sins and allowed me to stay in his presence.

Now that I have completely out argued myself, where am I with this verse? God is wonderful, marvelous, uncomparable. He wants to be gracious to me, to cover my sins and forget them. God “gets up every morning” so he can show compassion to me, to understand my misfortune and suffering in my human state. God is just. He understands when some people are not “fair” with me and treat me wrongly. He will right all wrongs in His time in His manner.

Yes, God is wonderful, marvelous, and without compare. He shows grace, compassion, and justice to me and offer these to all. God help me to remember these simple qualities.

Galatians 5:6 (New International Version)

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love

This passage discusses how we sometimes lose our focus and worry about all sorts of things that seem to be really important. The truth is, they only seem to be important. In the day this passage was written, obeying Jewish customs along with following Christ seemed to be important.

The only thing that counted in that day as well as today was faith expressing itself through love. If I have real faith in Jesus Christ and His power to change lives through grace, I will live a life of love. Everything else will be just one of those things when compared to my love for Christ and my love for people.

God, help me to focus on the only thing that counts and let all that other stuff just take care of itself.

1 Peter 4:15 (New International Version)

If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

This passage in chapter 4 is discussing suffering as a Christian or suffering at the hands of men because I am a Christian. Verse 15 summarizes the thought that if a Christian suffers it should be because of a true, serious offense. Something bad like murder, theft, or meddling.

Or meddling?

meddle: verb, to involve oneself in a matter without right or invitation; interfere officiously and unwantedly (from Dictionary.com)

Is interfering in someone else’s life sort of like murder or theft? I think the verse indicates that meddling is not quite as bad as murder or theft, but Peter does place it here in the same thought.