Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 7:28 (New Living Translation)

Pray for those who hurt you.

Jesus is teaching large crowds of people. He tells them many simple yet powerful things—like the short sentence above. And I pause while I consider this. Pretty good advice. How often have I followed it? Not often.

There is much to consider here. Praying—taking my hurts to God—is good for me. It is also good for those who have hurt me. It shows some degree of forgiveness on my part, and that is good for me.

And then there is the, “Whew, finally got it off my chest,” factor. Here God. You take this burden. It was eating a big hole in me. And thank you for taking it.

Pray for those who hurt us. Give the hurt to God. God has always taken the hurt for us. And for that, among many other blessings, we give thanks.

Luke 2:17 (New Living Translation)

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.

The Messiah had been born in a stable and lay in a manger. Sheep herders, who were supposed to be working but had abandoned their jobs, were telling everyone what they saw. They told everyone what the angel told them.

Let’s pause here a moment. Sheep herders claimed that an angel visited them out in the middle of nowhere and told them about the long-promised Messiah. Yeah. Right. Sure. Been in the fields a bit too long, have ya’?

The story was crazy. Nevertheless, it happened. An angel appeared and told them about a stable in town. The sheep herders went there and saw it just as the angel had said. They were not nuts. It was all true.

They had to tell everyone—no matter how crazy the story sounded.

Here we are today. We simply have to tell everyone about how the Son of God lived on earth and allowed himself to be executed so that our sins would be wiped out and… sounds pretty crazy on the face of it, huh? Like the sheep herders, sometimes ya’ just gotta’ tell everyone.

We have to tell everyone—no matter how crazy the story sounds.

1 Peter 2:12 (New Living Translation)

Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

This verse continues the thought from the previous one. We are passing through this world as “sojourners.”

While passing through, behave in a manner that the locals will notice. “Hey, look at those folks. They don’t act like us. What’s up with them?”

Is there something different about us? There should be. Is there something worth seeing? There should be. Even when tired of the journey, there should be.

1 Samuel 19:17 (New Living Translation)

“Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?” Saul demanded of Michal.

“I had to,” Michal replied. “He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.”

Michal is King Saul’s daughter. She is also David’s wife. She knew her father meant to kill her husband. She lied to the King’s men who came after David. Her father asks, “Why?”

She lies to her father. Instead of, “David is my husband. It is my duty and my love to protect him,” she lies again. “David was going to kill me.”

Liars lie. That is the definition.

Sinners sin. That is the definition.

Uh oh. Sinners. That includes me. Just can’t keep from it, huh? We are stuck here in this sinful world. It’s all around us. It rubs off on us. We struggle with it. We are forgiven. We have hope. Thank you God. Please help me in my unbelief.

Titus 3:9 (New Living Translation)

Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.

The different translations use different words for the word following “foolish.” Examples are arguments, controversies, and so on. All the translations use the word “foolish” and all the translations advocate avoiding these things.

What is foolish and why should we avoid it? In this case, foolish was old things that no longer matter. Who are your ancestors? Did they drop a chewing gum wrapper on the sidewalk? Did they chew gum at all?

This is Christianity. This is church. This is serious. If we are wrong, we go to … well, you know. But is chewing gum and sidewalk litter about going to … well, you know?

No, they are not. They may be important to me, or thee, or that fellow over behind that tree (an old expression), but they are not important. They fall under foolish whatever.

Am I willing to let go of foolish whatever even though it has been important to me all my life? Please God, help me in my unbelief.

1 Samuel 25:8 (New Living Translation)

…So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.

Ten of David’s men visited Nabal. David’s men had shown kindness to the shepherd of Nabal in the past. At this time, they as for kindness in return. This is part of the (hi)story of David, Nabal, and Nabal’s wife—who would become David’s wife—Abigail. Nabal was rich, crude, and mean…not a good combination.

Asking Nabal for kindness was like…well, just a waste of time.

This translation uses the word “share.” Would Nabal share? We try to teach small children to share. It appears that Nabal never learned that lesson.

Why was Nabal mean and crude? What went wrong in his life? Why was kindness not part of him?

It appears that no one showed much kindness towards Nabal. David’s reaction to Nabal was to sharpen the swords, rally the troops, and go kill him. Abigail intervened.

Ever meet a crude and mean person (with or without the rich part)? Ever return kindness in response the crude and mean? Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Philemon 1:7 (New Living Translation)

Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

Paul is thanking Philemon. Philemon has allowed God to work through him to refresh hearts with joy and comfort through kindness.

Philemon didn’t have to do that. Philemon could have concentrated his life on other pursuits. It is a sacrifice to allow God to work through us. That sacrifice is our spiritual worship of God (see Romans chapter 12).

Paul recognizes that sacrifice in Philemon and thanks him.

If you see that sacrifice in someone, be sure to thank them.

Habakkuk 1:16 (New Living Translation)

Then they will worship their nets
and burn incense in front of them.
“These nets are the gods who have made us rich!”
they will claim.

The prophet is pleading to God for mercy. Invaders will come and do as they wish with God’s people. No small fact, but God’s people deserve what is coming due to disobedience.

The invaders will become rich from what they take from God’s people.

Note: God’s people have something worth the cost of an invading army and all that comes with it. God’s people are worth the trouble of conquering. God has blessed them so much.

Hmmm, the blessings of God become a curse to the disobedient. The blessings of God made them rich in worldly goods. If you are in the business of invading, conquering, and plundering…well, go to God’s people.

In many ways, I am rich in worldly goods. God has blessed me in many ways, and some of those ways have led to worldly riches. So, now what do I do? Am I ripe for plundering? Am I disobedient? Does any of that matter?

Please God, help me to serve and love and care daily. Please help me in my unbelief.

Exodus 1:8-10 (New Living Translation)

8 Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. 10 We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.”

While the Israelites lived in Egypt (led there by Joseph), they prospered. God blessed them, they were fruitful, they multiplied.

Generations pass, and a new king rules Egypt. He has a “problem.” There are multitudes of Hebrews living in Egypt. These Hebrews continue to multiply. Simple demographics warn him of a future of an Egypt populated and controlled by Hebrews.

There are several dangers. One of the more difficult to notice is the last sentence in the verses above, “Then they will escape from the country.” The Hebrews will leave Egypt.

Problem solved, right? Wrong.

The new king recognized the value that the Hebrews brought Egypt. They were healthy, and they created wealth. The people of God brought God’s blessings into Egypt.

If the people of God left, what would be left? The king recognized that the absence of God was not good for him and his kingdom.

Erase God from our current land and culture? Think about it a while before acting.

I will post this in a different format than usual to emphasize the differences in translations and meaning.

The fear of the Lord is a phrase commonly used in the Bible and just as commonly misused by us when reading and explaining. One concept that is repeated in scriptures is the beginning of wisdom. In Psalms we find it here. I use the King James Version as it is the traditional statement.

Psalm 111:10 (King James Version) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

What is meant by “beginning?” That is where we start. If we want to find wisdom, we should start at the right place. There are many places I can name as the wrong place to begin in the search for wisdom. Examples: magazine rack at the grocery store, fill-in-the-blank section at the book store, Facebook, YouTube, and fill-in-the-blank-with-another-web-or-other-on-your-mobile-device.

Here is the New Living Translation of the same Psalm:

Psalm 111:10 (New Living Translation) Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

I like this translation as it agrees with my interpretation of the classic translations. Fearing and respecting God is the foundation, the base, the place where I start if I want to find wisdom.

Only by living in God can I truly seek and find wisdom. All other starting points will point my in the wrong direction. I can spend a lifetime or more seeking wisdom in vain if I start in the wrong place.

Fear the Lord. Seek wisdom. In that order.