Contemplative Bible Reading

Psalms 19:14 (Revised Standard Version)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in thy sight,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

As a person who speaks and writes words (probably too much and too many) and thinks often and deeply (again, probably too much), this verse pokes my heart.

I should begin each day (or is it each moment?) with this part of David’s song and prayer.

My words should be God’s words. My thoughts should be God’s thoughts.

How’m’I doin’? Not so good most of the time.

Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Romans 2:18 (New Living Translation)

You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law.

Pardon the sermon. I don’t write those often, but here is one.

In the letter to the church in Rome, Paul provides many words concerning THE LAW. In the last few hundred years alone, the rest of us have written an Amazon warehouse full of words discussing Paul’s discussion of THE LAW. Allow me to add a few more.

Let me paraphrase and summarize.

I want a ticket to heaven. I want entrance into eternity worshiping and praising God.

I’ll work for God. God will pay me and keep track of my hours and pay. God has a good accounting firm under contract. I’ll eventually work off the cost of the ticket to heaven.

WRONG. Won’t happen. I’ll NEVER earn enough to buy my ticket to heaven.

So, how do I get a ticket to heaven? Simple. God gives it to me. What? Gives it it me? What’s the deal? No deal. God gives me the ticket. That’s it.

What do I have to do? I don’t “have to do” anything.

But this doesn’t make sense. Of course it doesn’t.

So, WHAT DO I DO?

As a show of gratitude (merely a show, because I can’t do enough), I will LIVE FOR GOD.

Note the difference: WORK for God versus LIVE for God.

All the mentions of “the LAW” in Romans carry the connotation of working for God to earn that ticket to heaven. All the mentions of GRACE in Romans carry the connotation of accepting a gift and living for God.

“I work for God,” some say with all the best intentions. WARNING: I know. This is just a “figure of speech,” but let’s watch our words. We live for God under His gift of grace. Let’s use those words.

Romans 1:17 (New Living Translation)

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight..

I try to notice sentences like this in the Bible. There is a big flashing blue light (remember K-Mart?) on the page. Pay attention here!

The good news, the gospel, the (hi)story of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, God on earth…this tells us something. W H A T ?

It tells us how God makes me right in His sight. Whoa. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me this good news. I can’t be “right” in this sight of the Creator. There is no way I can be. But here is something that can make me right. What is it? What is it? What is it? Please tell me!

Okay. Sit a moment. Listen. God will reveal what and who makes me right in his sight. And it isn’t that complicated. Oh, thank you God.

Acts 9:15-16 (New Living Translation)

15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

God is conversing with Ananias of Damascus (that is something to discuss all by itself, but not today). God tells Ananias about (P)Saul’s future. Saul will take God’s message to kings! Wow!

Then there is an “And” in verse 16. This “And” doesn’t make much sense, but God said it. Saul will suffer much for the name of God. The rest of the text in Acts shows that Saul did suffer much. Not much “Wow!” in this.

Such is life. We have the immeasurable blessings of God. We have the misery of life on earth. One day to the next; one minute to the next. What sense is there in all this? Not much as far as I can see.

Thank God that God can see much farther than I can. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (New Living Translation)

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.

An Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State has an official title. That title is “Chief of Mission.” An ambassador is a person sent on a mission by someone else. There is a task to accomplish and the sending person wants someone to accomplish it.

God is making his appeal through US. God has sent US on a mission.

Hmm. I have let this one sink in a bit. I am here to appeal to those around be on God’s behalf. How am I doing? Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Acts 1:17 (New Living Translation)

Judas was one of us and shared in the ministry with us.

Much is written about Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus. There is much speculation about his eventual state in the greater scheme of things.

Let’s consider this one sentence. Peter is talking. He admits that Judas was on of US. Judas wasn’t one of THEM; Judas was one of US. Judas walked the long, dusty, hot roads with Jesus. Judas was tired and hungry just like the rest of US. Judas heard the words of Jesus, most of which were never recorded for the ages.

And note the last words—Judas was part of their ministry, their service, their servant-hood. Judas tended to the sick. Judas consoled the grieving. Judas gave away his food to those who were more hungry than himself. Judas sacrificed for others.

Yes, but…

Sure, we can lay it on Judas about how rotten and bad and everything evil he was. Let me consider my life a little (actually let me spend much time considering my life). How do I compare with the life, ministry, and service of Judas? God, please help me in my unbelief.

John 3:17 (New Living Translation)

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

This is pretty simple. How did we miss it?

“God just doesn’t want me to have any fun. God hates us. God just wants to slap me around.” I’ve heard these and the like for many years.

How did we miss this little verse? Perhaps the verse before it, you know, God so loved the world that …, has overshadowed this one. There is certainly nothing wrong with John 3:16, but let’s not forget John 3:17.

Jesus wasn’t sent to squash folks under His thumb like little pests. He came to lift us up. Why do we fight that?

Romans 3:23-24 (New International Version)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

These verses are translated with different words and different punctuation in the many different English translations of the Bible we have today. Let’s consider the New International Version translation here.

We often read and know the first part of the sentence given in verse 23: for all have sinned and… We are all sunk. We all fall short.

Let’s remember to keep reading the rest of the sentence: and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Hey, I like that second part of the sentence. We A L L  have hope. We A L L  have this grace of God there in front of us brought by the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.

Salvation is there for us. It is free. Thank you God.

Note: Let’s not take this sentence out of context. Paul also writes about trying to work our way into God’s presence. Working our way doesn’t work. Paul also writes about an active, believing, living faith on our part. It is complicated; it is simple. Some days I don’t fully know what I know about this.

Romans 1:16 (New Living Translation)

16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

This is early in Paul’s letter to Christians living in Rome. Paul isn’t ashamed of what he writes. He is bold in it.

Great stuff. Right? No big deal. Let’s back up a minute and consider the situation.

There is no city on earth today in 2019 that compares to Rome in the day that Paul wrote his letter. Rome was the capitol of everything. Finance, business, entertainment, luxury, education, sophistication, and so and and so on. To live in Rome meant you were pretty darn special and everyone everywhere else envied you with good reason.

Now consider Paul. A little Jew. His people, his nation (actually his nation no longer existed as a nation. It was just a place.) was small, powerless, conquered. Jews were a bunch of conquered folks who lived out there somewhere with all the other nameless, powerless, conquered folks in the great Roman empire.

Paul was nothing.

Rome was everything.

Yet Paul wrote boldly to Romans. The good news of Christ empowered a nothing to write to everything and explain the power of Christ. The power of Christ overcomes all. It even allows a conquered Jew to boldly tell Romans about a dead Jew who is saving the world.

And so what is scaring me?

John 1:46 (New Living Translation)

“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

People were gathering around a fellow who had appeared from the little hamlet of Nazareth. This Jesus fellow was saying things that amazed them. The things he said weren’t complicated, but were simple, basic, clear, and touched their hearts.

Those who had seen and heard this Jesus fellow were calling their friends to come. As usual, the burning hearts caused these callers to say things that just weren’t believable. The second-hand friends were skeptical. Who wouldn’t be?

Philip replies with a short, simple request: Come and see for yourself.

Let’s try to follow Philip’s example. This gospel is marvelous, almost unbelievable. Let’s keep it so and not try to introduce lots of fancy smart stuff.