Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Peter 2:7-8 (New Living Translation)

⁷ But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. ⁸ Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.

Wickedness is, well, simply wicked. It denotes something bad that is really really bad. One dictionary reads, “intended to or capable of harming someone or something.”

We read of Lot living in the ill-fated city of Sodom. Lot was sick of the shameful immorality around him. Lot was tormented by the wickedness he saw and heard every day. Lot’s soul was not stained by participating in the wickedness, he just lived in a place where wickedness was a way of life for the vast majority of the persons there.

One has to ask why Lot chose to be in such a place. Surely it was bad for Lot’s well being and who knows how the place was influencing his growing children.

Anyways, being near wickedness can hurt. It hurts the body, mind, and soul. How can we show the good news of Jesus without being near the wicked? We cannot. What do we do?

Let us lean on God for guidance and whatever else we need to survive the torment of being near wickedness. God will provide. And for that, I give thanks.

Daniel 2:24 (New Living Translation)

²⁴ Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.”

The all-powerful king had a dream that troubled him. The wise men of Babylon were given the impossible task of not only interpreting the dream but also describing it without any hints. As with all impossible tasks, they failed and they were sentenced to death. Being a wise man of Babylon had its drawbacks.

Daniel realized that the task was impossible to humans, but trivial to Jehovah God. Note Daniel’s first statement, “Don’t kill the wise men.” He didn’t first say, “I can do it!” or “God will tell me!” or any number of other things.

His first statement was, “Don’t kill the wise men.”

Enough is enough. We have killed enough men, women, and children. There has been enough suffering. Please. Let’s stop that now. We have belittled enough persons. We have called too many persons too many names in the cause of this or that worthy cause. Enough is enough.

There are many (hi)stories in the Bible where this was the first and last thing stated. Enough. Let’s stop here. Let’s end the human suffering. Jesus healed many first before he taught. End the human suffering. Enough.

1 John 2:7-8 (New Living Translation)

7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

John is reminding us of something—love one another. We’ve heard this many times before. Still, reminders are good.

Yet the old is also new. Huh? Yes, there is great truth in these simple three words. Jesus lived these three words, and we know what happened because of that.

John further encourages his readers in that they too are living these three words. It isn’t just a myth or a philosophical thing. It isn’t just something of faith, something we cannot see. We can see this. We can see the darkness being replaced by light—the true light.

I have bad days. Traffic is too heavy. A friend died. Another friend is ill and in the hospital. A hurricane damaged things that people need to live. Still, there is light, true light. I see people living through all the bad things that happen in their lives. They push away tears and show this true light, just like Jesus showed it.

There are days that are darker than others. Love one another. The light is defeating the darkness. Thank you God.

Isaiah 2:4 (English Standard Version)

He shall judge between the nations,
    and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore.

The prophet Isaiah is relaying words from Jehovah, the God who created all. That is the one true God worshiped by Isaiah’s people.

In a time in the future, things will be different. The nations will come to Jerusalem to hear the Word of Jehovah and learn how to live and worship. Jehovah will render judgements among the nations, i.e., Jehovah will settle their disputes with wisdom and peace.

The nations will not fight to settle disputes. They will listen and obey. Their implements of war will be turned to agriculture and other endeavors that benefit all their people. War will become a thing of the past. They won’t learn how to fight. Imagine, they will forget how to fight wars and won’t study the art of war any longer.

The Word of Jehovah brings this. What’s your problem? Oh, that. Here is what you do. Huh? That simple? Yes, that simple.

“All I have to do…” is listen. And listen to the voice of Jehovah. Not to those other voices that are ringing in my head.

I guess this simple thing is too difficult for me. Please God, help me to listen.

Jude 1:23 (New Living Translation)

23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

The writer is encouraging followers of God to show mercy while hating. Whoa. I guess that is possible, but there is a fine line here and a chasm the depth of the Grand Canyon on both sides of that line.

One one side of the line I am H A T I N G the actions of a person. Those actions are contaminating their lives. Not smudging a little dust on their lives; contaminating them. (contaminate: verb, make (something) impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance.) A poisonous substance has entered their life. P O I S O N.

Nevertheless, on the other side of the line, we show mercy. (mercy:noun, compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.) God can punish the person, but God doesn’t. I can punish the other person, but I don’t.

Gosh, it seems someone needs to punish the person, why can’t I do that? Why do I “have to” forgive? I don’t “have to” forgive; I am given the gift that “allows” me to forgive. I am given the gift where I don’t “have to” punish. The gift allows me to act as if the contamination never occurred.

God gave me the ability and the circumstance to show mercy. What wonderful gifts. “All I have to do” is accept them. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Psalm 61:1-3 (New Living Translation)

¹ O God, listen to my cry!
    Hear my prayer!
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.

At the end of verse 2, we have the key to David’s safety in a time of distress:

• High ground
• Rock

When you shoot an arrow from a bow, throw a rock from a hand or a sling, throw a spear…all those things are more effective with the aid of gravity. I can throw harder downhill than uphill. Perhaps that isn’t exactly correct in theory, but it seems to work in practice.

A big rock is more stable than a big pile of sand. Again, this may not be correct in theory, but it seems to work in practice.

Combine the two—high ground and rock—and you have the destination David wants to reach. Please God, he prays, lead me to high ground and rock. Lead me to a place where enemies cannot harm me as easily.

Me? I have it. I have the grace of God. I have bad days; I have downright awful days. When in the right frame of mind, I do not despair in these awful days. The high rock of God’s grace protects me from despair.

“All I have to do” (easier written than practiced on some days) is remember where I am: on a towering rock of safety.

Luke 22:63-64 (New Living Translation)

63 The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?”

This is part of the (hi)story of the crucifixion of Jesus. This incident of mocking Jesus tells us much about prophets and prophesying and what a few soldiers believed.

They blocked Jesus’ vision with a rag. Jesus couldn’t “see” with his natural physical sense of sight. “Tell us who hit you?” they said. In other words, “You are a prophet. You can see things beyond physical eyesight. Well, do it.”

That is the definition of a prophet: a person who could see beyond what the natural eyesight allowed. A person who received news directly from God and relayed that to everyone else.

Notice, these Roman guards knew the definitions of prophets and prophesying. This was common knowledge among common folks. These guards were religious men in that they understood and believed in things that were supernatural or beyond the laws of nature.

The Roman guards, however, believed in the wrong gods. Easy for me to write that. I don’t know anything about these men other than these few sentences. Perhaps … well, perhaps all sorts of things that I don’t know.

I see folks all around me who don’t believe in any gods. Well, at least it seems that way to me. I don’t know anything about these folks. Well, now I know where to begin the conversation. Please God, help me to begin humbly.

Psalm 20:7 (New Living Translation)

Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.

This Psalm is attributed to King David. David is speaking for the people of Jehovah God, the Creator. The topic is national identity, national culture, and pride.

David’s people boast in the name of Jehovah their God. Jehovah is their identity; this speaks of something like the flags that nations use today. Think of America? Think of the Stars and Stripes and what they represent (they do represent somethings).

Think of David and his people, think of Jehovah.

Think of Christians, you think of … uh, well, er, what do people think when they think of Christians and churches and such? Is “Jesus Christ” the number 1 answer in the poll? Is some political issue the number 1 answer?

It is easy to believe that popular polls lean the way that popular media pushes them. It is easy to believe that willful ignorance pushes the polls. “Those people just don’t understand!” Well, is it their fault or is it my fault? Or is it just the way it is because that is the way it has always been?

I can’t change world history. I can’t change overall public opinion. I can choose how I act, what I do, what I say, how I appear. Please God, help me to start with me and show others Jesus Christ.

John 4:13-14 (New Living Translation)

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Jesus is speaking to a woman sitting next to a well. Jesus mentions “this water” as the water found in the well. Basic water from a well provides a temporary relief from thirst.

Jesus contrasts our regular water with the water, the life, that Jesus gives. Jesus puts a fresh, bubbling spring within us. Note, Jesus does not just fill us with water, like a pond. If we are full of water today, we will eventually consume that water and be dry again.

The life Jesus gives us is like a bubbling spring. A spring gives water today, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, and the next, and… Refreshing life from Jesus bubbles up every moment of every day.

Good grief that sure is a wonderful gift. Thank you God. Help me to realize and utilize your precious gifts.

Psalm 19:14 (New Living Translation)

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

I want to please God. But how? With every word that comes from my mouth. Great. An opportunity.

Please God. Let me consider the words about to come from my mouth. I may be angry. I may be frustrated. I may simply be worn out from a long day. Still, let the words of my mouth be please to you.