Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Peter 1:10-11 (New Living Translation)

10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter is writing about growing in Christ. The opposite is falling away from Christ.

The path of growth the Peter mentions in this letter is something like:

• faith
• moral excellence
• knowledge
• self-control
• patient endurance
• godliness
• brotherly affection
• love for everyone

I believe that this is not the only path, but it is a pretty good one. Consider each item for a long time. How can I better practice this? How can I better live this? I am not working my way to heaven with these steps, that is impossible. Perhaps, however, I will have a better life. Each day and each step in my walk with Christ will be better in one way or a thousand other ways.

God, I eagerly await the grand entrance into your eternal kingdom. Help me to grow with each step. Help me to bless others along the way.

2 Peter 1:5-7 (New Living Translation)

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

These are the words of God. The heart and mind couldn’t create this.

Have faith—belief. To this believe faith add a a generous provision of moral excellence. Let’s try to understand that one.

Since creation, mankind has understood morality. People knew some things were wrong. People punished others who were immoral and did wrong. People saw how nature punished those who were immoral and did wrong.

Peter encourages the reader to respond to God’s promises. Believe in God and add a generous provision of moral excellence. Morality is not enough—excellence in morality is encouraged.

Why not practice moral excellence? What will it cost me? I have everything in Christ Jesus. What other gifts do I wish? Sure, a yacht would be nice (until I have to clean it and repair the engines). A million dollars would be nice (until my phone rings and rings because of folks wanting to sell me something). I could go on with “this would be nice and that would be nice,” but really. What’s the use?

Practice moral excellence. Let’s all try that. Please God, help me each day.

Hebrews 2:14-15 (New Living Translation)

14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

I don’t want to die. Not yet at least. I mean I have a loving family and many luxuries that make life pleasurable every day. Why would I want to end this? God’s blessings are all around and inside me.

Let’s move to the deeper conversation about death. The devil had the power of death. The devil used that power to torment people. Many people over the ages were slaves to the fear of dying. To stay alive, these people did all sorts of evil deeds. The “survival instinct” was the devil tormenting them.

The Son of God became flesh and blood. The Son of God died just like every human dies. I don’t fully understand the physical life and death of a spiritual being—it’s just to complicated for me. Nevertheless, it happened. That miserable change to physical to die freed me from slavery to the fear of death.

I don’t want to die. I don’t, however, have a morbid fear of dying. I believe there is something good waiting for me. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

1 John 2:16 (New Living Translation)

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

This is in the first letter from John to different churches. In these sentences, John describes the things the world offers to mankind. A more famous rendition of these words comes from the Kings James Version as:

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1 John 2:16, King James Version

This is the familiar “lust of the flesh and eyes and pride of life.”

God’s creation is wonderful. God’s creation excites the five senses God gave us. Enjoying the wonderful creation is fine and glorious.

“The world” offers something different. The sinful world wants us to crave the creation and dive into it for all the pleasures it has. And if someone else is in the way, too bad for them because I will do to them whatever I have to do so that I get the pleasures of creation. And then I will stand with one foot on their crushed body and shout, “Look at me! I have more of creation than anyone else. I am superior to all those who got in my way!”

That is what the world offers. Smash those who are in my way so I can have more. Look at history. Yep, pretty much describes it from start to finish. Cain got more by smashing Abel. Russian leaders try to get more by smashing Ukraine. Not much has changed.

Want the world and all this? Want peace with God? We can choose. Let’s choose wisely.

Titus 1:1 (New Living Translation)

This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.

Paul is writing to his friend Titus. Paul introduces his letter by describing his mission in life: proclaim faith in God. Paul seeks to teach the truth that shows people how to live godly lives.

Paul isn’t teaching math; Paul isn’t teaching farming skills. Paul teaches ways to live godly lives. “This is closer to God than that.” Plain, simple, beneficial.

Want to live more like God? Read on.

Those words are true today. Want to live more like God? Read on. Read the Bible and read it a few times more. I have read the Bible one end to the other a few dozen times. I am slow, so I am just starting to catch onto these things. These truths that lead to godly lives are in the Bible. I just have to do better and read with an open heart and mind. Thank you God for your patience.

Jude 1:22-23 (New English Translation)

22 And have mercy on those who waver; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh

Jude is writing to dear friends in Christ. There are sinful people all around these dear friends. Sin creeps into the group regularly, so Jude encourages the friends on how to act.

Show mercy; snatch others out of the fires of sin. Sin is so detestable that Jude describes it as staining the clothes worn by the person who commits sin.

Stained clothes? Yes. And clothes are replaceable; souls are not. Take away the stained clothes and burn them. Save the soul from the burning fires of punishment.

That is what Jesus did for us. Let us remind ourselves daily of the gift of grace. Let us show what mercy we can to one another and keep the stained clothes away.

Titus 1:2 (New Living Translation)

This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.

Paul is writing to Titus about the truth of Jesus Christ. One of the benefits of this truth is the confidence that the followers of Christ have eternal life which was promised to them by God.

Confidence. Said. Done. Over. Settled. Confidence. Enough one-word sentences.

There is no room for, “Well, I’m a pretty good fella’ and I try and ya’ know I’m hoping this works out, but…” The truth of Jesus Christ gives me confidence in eternal life. I should not doubt. I should not lack faith. I should trust completely in the power of Jesus Grace and the saving grace given to me.

Of course this is simple but complicated at the same time. There are days when I think a lot about the complicated part. Those are bad days. Please God, help me through them and claim the confidence that is right in front of me.

2 Peter 2:9 (New Living Translation)

So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.

Here’s the task: rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment.

Okay, rescue, not easy, but okay, can do. Punish wicked people, okay, not easy, but okay, can do. Now, let’s do both things at the same time. Well, I’ve seen it done in the movies many times, but that isn’t real life. What about the children of the punished wicked? How do I keep from hurting the innocent? Will they become godly and need rescuing from me? Well, I’ll have to come up with some kind of … this starts to get complicated.

Not to worry, the Lord knows how. Of course the Lord knows how. Of course I don’t know how. I’ll let the Lord handle this. Well, there are days when I can do it so I will just… Nope. I will let the Lord handle this. I will trust the Lord. I will be patient. At least I will try to be patient and humble and wait for the Lord to do the right thing at the right time. That isn’t easy for me. Please God, help me.

1 Timothy 1:9 (New Living Translation)

For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders.

There are many things to write about his verse and this concept. One of the simplest comes from the first sentence. Righteous and loving people don’t need stop signs at an intersection. Righteous and loving people stop, let others go first, and proceed when it is proper and safe.

Do I find myself “cheating” a bit at stop signs? Oooooops. Am I being righteous on those days? Well, uh, er, you see … Nope. Righteous and loving persons are righteous and loving all the time. In our cars, when doing our taxes, when waiting in line at the grocery store, when … well, when not? Please God, help me when … well, when not?

Ephesians 2:10 (New Living Translation)

For we are God’s masterpiece.

Wikipedia tells me that a masterpiece is:

one that is considered the greatest work of a person’s career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterpiece

We are the greatest work of God’s career.

Let’s consider that one for twenty or thirty years.

Okay, resume reading: there must be some mistake in translation or something. Consider the cosmos and all those stars in the sky. Consider birds of the field and the fish in the seas. And consider the little girl who is sitting nearby here in Starbucks smiling at the ability to climb up in a chair “all by herself” while her mother adores her innocence and effort.

What is the greater work mentioned above? Yes, the little girl who can climb into a chair for the first time “all by herself.” That little girl is God’s masterpiece—God’s greatest creation.

I tried to be a good father as my sons were growing up. I failed often. I wish I could go back and appreciate the masterpieces God gave me.

And then there are all the adults sitting around in here and walking in and out. Masterpieces from God.

Why is it hard for me to appreciate and love a masterpiece from God? Silly me. Please God, help me in my unbelief.