Contemplative Bible Reading

Psalm 38:4 (King James Version)

4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Let’s go with an older translation here. Those who study these things attribute these words to King David. David was a righteous person who was held as the standard for all Kings who followed.

Yet, here is David bemoaning his sins and iniquities. They have flooded over his head like being stuck at the beach and the incoming tide covering him. His sins are a burden, and that burden is too heavy for him.

One of the wisest and most righteous persons in the Bible could not cope with his sins. The guilt was too great for him.

So what did David often do? Prayed. David talked to God. David pleaded with God on several occasions. God had the answers. God had the comfort. God had the forgiveness.

How this ties to me is obvious. God has the answers. And God’s grace is sufficient for me. I cannot overemphasize the miracle of God’s grace. The death of Jesus on the cross cleansed me. My sins do not flood over my head and become an unbearable burden. That is simple. That is so complicated that the mind of man—especially my puny mind—cannot comprehend it.

Thank you God. Please help me in my unbelief.

Psalm 31:4 (King James Version)

4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

In this Psalm, King David declares his trust in God. He asks God for help in many common situations. This verse (the poetic rendition from the King James Version) asks God to pull David out of a net that others have secretly laid in David’s path.

Such traps are common in life. Folks love to see other folks stumble, twist, fall, and vainly try to wriggle out of predicaments. Why? We are an odd lot prone to devious acts of glee.

Please God, pull me out of the predicaments that others put in my way. Sometimes others create these on purpose. Sometimes, well, these things just happen in life on earth. Still, I am stuck and every step only pulls my shoes from my feet to be lost in the mire.

On you, oh God, I depend. There is no better one to depend. Thank you, God.

Job 19:6 New Living Translation

6 But it is God who has wronged me, capturing me in his net.

There is an old saying about “the patience of Job.” Job could withstand anything and everything and remain patience while waiting for God and for some relief to his Satan-inflicted woes. Yet here is Job, blaming God for his problems. God wronged me. God captured me in His net.

Yes, the most patient of us all lost his patience. That is the human condition. We are an odd lot. Yet, God sent the Son to save us—all of us for all the sins we all committed. It is amazing grace and, as the poet wrote, how sweet is its sound.

Job 28:28 (New Living Translation)

28 And this is what he (God) says to all humanity:
‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom;
to forsake evil is real understanding.’

Let’s have a grasp of the situation. Let’s have real understanding of our lives. How do we achieve that?

Forsake evil.

Hmmm. There must be something more to this. I mean, all I have to do to understand what is whirling all about me is to forsake evil. Definition: forsake, verb, abandon (someone or something). So, abandon evil and I will really understand. Oh, one more thing: God says this to all humanity, not just a few really smart or important folks. All humanity.

Hmmm. There must be something more to this. Nope. God said it. I cannot find a latter place in the Bible where God revokes this statement. This must be it. Forsake evil.

I think that as I become older I am a bit better at this forsaking than I used to be. There is something to be said of the perspective of time. Thank you God.

2 Chronicles 12:7-8 (New Living Translation)

7 When the Lord saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem. 8 But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”

This is part of the history of Rehoboam, King of Judah. He abandoned the worship of God. As a result, Shishak, a King of Egypt, invaded and amassed an army at the gates of Jerusalem. Rehoboam and the other leaders changed their hearts and looked to God.

God speaks through the prophet Shemaiah. Because the leaders humbled themselves, God would not use Shishak and his army to kill them all. Nevertheless, they would become subjects of Shishak and serve him.

The people would know the difference between serving an all-knowing, all-loving God and an all-too-human earthly ruler who had just conquered them. Ooops. I don’t want any of that knowledge. The classes would be too painful. I’ll settle with serving God. What was wrong with those people way back when?

Well, they were just like I am today. I guess this is an election year in America. We vote for our representatives in our republic. Serve these earthly rulers? Nope. Let’s not be silly. Abide by the laws? Yes. Let’s live peaceably in this land for our temporary time here. Ultimate ruler? God. Please God, don’t abandon me to these guys and gals who run for political office. I don’t want that.

Matthew 17:4 (New Living Translation)

4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Here is a simple statement for the ages. Peter and a couple of fellow followers of Jesus are standing in the presence of Jesus. And Peter says it, “it’s wonderful for us to be here.”

Well, I can say this everyday. I can say this every minute of every hour of every day. I believe that God is everywhere all the time. Hence, I am in the presence of God every minute of every hour of every day.

Lord, it’s wonderful for me to be here!

Let’s all remember this and say this. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

2 Chronicles 17:10 (New Living Translation)

10 Then the fear of the Lord fell over all the surrounding kingdoms so that none of them wanted to declare war on Jehoshaphat.

This is part of the (hi)story of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. During a time of trouble (seems it was always a time of trouble), the fear of the LORD Jehovah the God of Israel fell on all the surrounding kingdoms, their peoples, and especially their kings.

No one wanted to mess with Jehoshaphat, King of the people of God.

And what was it about Jehoshaphat that scared off all these others? Verse 9 tells us, “9 They took copies of the Book of the Law of the Lord and traveled around through all the towns of Judah, teaching the people.”

That’s it? The people had been re-taught the Law of the LORD. Huh? That’s it? Yes, that’s it. And these other kingdoms had copies of the law of the LORD (good literature traveled well). These other kings could read Leviticus 26, “7 In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword.”

These other kings realized that if the people of God knew the law of God and obeyed it, these people of God would slaughter the armies of the other kings. These other kings believed what they read. The people of God seemed to have great difficulty believing what they read and greater difficulty even reading what was in front of them.

Gosh, these people of God were an odd lot. All the folks I know and myself, why we would… probably be just as foolish as these people thousands of years ago. We are an odd lot ourselves. God, please help me in my unbelief.

Romans 12:12 (Christian Standard Bible)

12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

This short statement is from Paul in the letter to the church in Rome. Many of today’s Bibles attach a heading to this section titled “Christian Ethics.”

One Internet definition of ethics is: Ethics is based on well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues.

Hence, Paul is writing about actions Christians ought to do. One is to be persistent in prayer.

Let’s go to another Internet definition, this time for persistence: firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

In spite of difficulty or opposition, pray. Pray, pray, and pray some more. No one can stop me from praying. I guess if someone saw me kneeling with folded hands on a street corner, they could clobber my noggin. If I stood erect with eyes open and prayed, no one could stop me.

My only opposition is myself. Hmmm, odd how that is. Whey would I stop myself from speaking to God? We are an odd lot as that is what I do to myself sometimes. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

2 Chronicles 12:12 (Christian Standard Bible)

12 When Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned away from him, and he did not destroy him completely. Besides that, conditions were good in Judah.

King Rehoboam of Judah chose the path of unrighteousness. He forgot about God and went the way of the pagan idolaters. God was punishing Rehoboam. Rehoboam finally recognized his folly, humbled himself, and turned back to God.

In turn, God didn’t destroy Rehoboam, but made life tough enough for a lesson to be instilled.

Besides that, conditions were good in Judah. Note, God was in Judah. God was and is everywhere. Where there is God, there is some good. God’s creation, this whole earth, is good. Hence, life anywhere on this whole earth is pretty good. If you don’t think so, go live on the moon or Mars and see how it is.

Besides the actions of some people, conditions are good here. If a few people would be faithful to God, conditions would improve.

Lots of folks hate the above statements. Faithfulness to God improves the situation. That isn’t a popular statement. Still, it seems to me to be true. I should be able to convince others of that. Please God, help me to be a better convincer.

Mark 13:5-6 (New Living Translation)

5 Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 6 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.

Jesus is telling followers about things that will happen in the future. People will appear claiming to be the Messiah. Jesus is the Messiah. Those others claiming such will be lying.

Note, however, the reaction to these liars: many people will be deceived.

Lying works. It always has. If it didn’t work, why would people lie? Perhaps that is another discussion for another day. But we read here that Jesus tells people that lying and deception works because these liars will deceive many.

Why do we fall for deception? Why are we deceived by lies that are so apparent? Someone walks in and claims to be the Messiah. How could anyone believe that? Yet, there are those who do and will continue to do so.

What does deception bring us that we want so badly? Misery causes belief in almost anything and anyone. “Please, bring me some relief to my misery.” Misery exists today and always has. It is part of the human condition. I should be able to reach the miserable with the Good News of the true Messiah. Please God, help me.