Contemplative Bible Reading

Genesis 26:28 (New Living Translation)

They replied, “We can plainly see that the Lord is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let’s make a covenant.

A King named Abimelech came to visit Isaac, one of Israel’s patriarchs. His statement above tells us that Abimilech knew that:

1. God the Creator existed, and
2. God the Creator was with Isaac.

I see no reason why King Abimelech had some unique vision. I believe that everyone has the same ability today. Persons can see God and can see if God is with me.

Perhaps I try to hide God when I am talking to persons. God is with me. Can I get out of the way and let God show through?

1 Corinthians 1:17 (New Living Translation)

For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

This is Paul writing a letter to Christians in the town of Corinth. Paul tells them of his mission from Christ: preach the Good News.

And, Paul reminds them that he is a rather un-clever fellow. He doesn’t talk well; there is nothing “clever” about it. That way, when people gladly receive the Good News, no one will say, “Boy, that Paul is clever. Did you notice how well he packaged his message and…”

No. People will notice that this klutz told them something and, with no reasonable explanation, their hearts burned and their lives changed. Something out-of-the-ordinary, something super natural happened.

God changed their lives. Not some clever fellow.

Please God, always help me remember that You are the source.

Genesis 31:14-15 (New Living Translation)

14 Rachel and Leah responded, “That’s fine with us! We won’t inherit any of our father’s wealth anyway. 15 He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. And after he sold us, he wasted the money you paid him for us.

Two sisters, Rachel and Leah, are speaking to their shared husband Jacob. Their father sold them to Jacob.

Let’s try to take that in for a moment. These women realize the position the world has handed them. They are property. They were owned by their father and now they are owned by their husband. They were traded on the open market—literally bought and sold.

These sisters weren’t perfect. They were all too human and sinned plenty on their own. They were, however, loyal in their lives. In the face of injustice, they attempted to be just.

As Christians, we don’t have to act like those around us act. We have a standard given to us by God. Let us reach for godliness. We may not attain it often, but let us constantly reach.

Romans 12:3 (New Living Translation)

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

The Apostle Paul writes to a group of Christians in a big city. “Hey, big city, careful how you think of others in relation to yourselves.”

Coming from a rural area, I scream, “Yes! Those big city folks are all high-and-might and all that and…” And I am an American all better-than-the-rest-of-the-world and…

And then I read the prior verse:

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Don’t act like everybody else. God has more in mind for me.

There is much in these few verses in this chapter of the letter to the Romans. When I candidly consider my life, there is much I should be living that I am not. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Acts 19:23-24 (New Living Translation)

23 About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.

Here is Demetrius. He works with silver to fashion all sorts of things include statues of the Greek goddess Artemis. Demetrius is a business man who employs many other silversmiths and assorted craftsmen. He is responsible for the wages of many persons. Those persons feed, clothe, and house their families from their wages.

This is life a few thousand years ago. This is life today. Persons have jobs. The jobs may not be that important or good in any other way, but the jobs mean a person can care for their family. That is important and godly.

With Demetrius, however, jobs and life collide with the spread of the good news that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God and deserves our worship—our undivided worship. That last part—undivided worship—puts a dent into the wages of all those silversmiths and craftsmen who made little Artemis statues.

Now what do we do? There are simple, basic economic choices (make other things from silver, diversify your skills, etc.), but there are spiritual choices that sometimes aren’t so simple. “I’ll stop making Artemis statues and hope that I find something else. In the mean time, I hope my family doesn’t starve. Well, maybe that won’t work.”

Obvious example, right? I don’t think so. Many of us work for organizations that do things we don’t like. Many of the big bosses in our lives do things we don’t like. Many of our customers do things we don’t like. It becomes complicated quickly. How to we walk away from the world and become independent of all these complicated decisions?

We don’t because we can’t. We live here in this world while we yearn for something else. We can struggle with every little thing. We can also trust in God for every big thing. Let’s go with God.

Genesis 39:3 (New Living Translation)

Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.

This is a simple sentence that sets the stage in the (hi)story of Joseph in Egypt. Joseph is a slave. No rights; no anything. Potiphar owns Joseph. Take that in: he OWNS Joseph.

Potiphar noticed that this slave from Canaan succeeded in everything he did. Slaves don’t succeed, and owners don’t notice. That, however, is what happened here.

AND, Potiphar realized that Jehovah God the Creator was with Joseph. Potiphar, an Egyptian who owned stolen persons, knew about Jehovah the God who created all. Potiphar also noticed that this all-powerful God was with Joseph. This happened hundreds of years before the Ten Commandment and there was any sense that relatives of this slave would be a nation that caused other nations to tremble.

People in the world who don’t have a close relationship with God notice people who do. These “other” people know about God the creator, even these “others” who deny God’s existence. These “other” people can put two-and-two together. They do so more often than they admit.

Me? I need to realize this and act like I know it. Please God, help me everyday as I walk to and fro.

Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 (New Living Translation)

18 I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. 19 And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless!

The writings of the teacher show, among many things, that it is worth the effort to raise wise children. Whether wise or foolish, the child will inherit the fruits of my labor. So, might as well have them be wise, right?

Or is this all part of a greedy lifestyle? Worldly wealth can be used well for the benefit of many others. Waste is usually waste, but the waste goes to someone for their benefit, i.e., jobs and such.

I don’t know what to do with all that God has given me. Prayer helps me to learn. I shall have to dwell in that a bit more to learn the little day-to-day tasks God wants me to do.

Keep the heart in the right place and seek guidance.

Luke 1:17 (New Living Translation)

He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.

In this verse, an angel is speaking to a priest named Zechariah. This man is to have a son whom we came to know as John the Baptist. John, in his own right, will change his world.

John the Baptist will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.

Let’s consider that one for a moment. Have you ever changed someone else’s mind? Have you ever attempted to change someone else’s mind? Have you ever convinced someone to change their ways?

I know my attempts at such greatly outnumber my successes. John, however, was going to do this. The succeeding pages of the Gospels tells us that John succeeded in doing this.

I consider this a miracle—causing the rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly. One more example, I believe, that God works miracles around his everyday. We fail, on most occasions, to notice God and his miracles. Please God, help us to see.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 (New Living Translation)

But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

Several translations use the phrase “under the sun” where the above states “anywhere.” The idea can be stated “without God.”

Hence, there is nothing really worthwhile when we are not with God.

Pretty simple; pretty plain. God created us. God wants to be with us. God wants us to want to be with God. When we walk away from God, and God allows us to do that, nothing is worthwhile.

Sigh. And many of us thought we were doing something special.

John 8:10-11 (New Living Translation)

¹⁰ Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

¹¹ “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

These verses conclude the (hi)story of what is usually called, “The Woman Caught in Adultery.” Jesus ends the conversation with, “Go and sin no more.”

This woman had a conversation with the Son of God. She had met Jesus. Now what? What do we do after meeting Jesus?

Sin no more, that’s what.

Well, I’m human and I, uh, fail, and I uh, well, I uh… There are many ways we can go with this. There are many explanations, justifications, and just plain bad excuses I can state. The answer is the same.

Please God, help me each moment of each day.