Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 10:29a (New Living Translation)

The man wanted to justify his actions, so…

justify: Verb, show or prove to be right or reasonable

Here comes trouble. This poor fellow—he reminds me of ME—wants to justify himself to Jesus. Imagine the folly of that one. Justify himself to the Son of God sent to a sinful world to bear the sins of everyone for all time and make those sinners presentable to God and…(need I go on?).

This poor fellow wants to prove to the Son of God that he is right and reasonable and…(need I go on?).

Jesus, please help me. Jesus, please bless me. Jesus, please guide me. (need I go on? Yes, I need to go on.)

Psalm 37:1 (New Living Translation)

Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.

Look at those people. Look at what they are doing. Can you imagine anyone would do those things? And look at the cars they drive, the clothes they wear, the places they go, the houses the own…all the material things they enjoy!!!!

Yes. It is easy to find someone else who isn’t living right AND is enjoying all the pleasures of 21st-century life. And that isn’t right and…

And what am I doing? How am I living? What is in my heart?

I cannot control the lives, hearts, and minds of others. I have some control over my life, my heart, and my mind. I have access to a loving and guiding God. I have access to a Savior.

There are days, however, when I wish I could just… I should pray more on those days. God, please help me in my unbelief.

Proverbs 17:8 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.

Magic stones. I want some magic stones. When I was in graduate school, I often wished for an extra day between Monday and Tuesday. Just like magic I would be able to sleep, eat, and catch up on all my work. I know several young mothers who have their sleep interrupted by crying babies. Oh they want a magic stone that will create eight hours for them to sleep while the rest of the world won’t notice.

How can I buy a magic stone or two? I’ll bribe someone. I’ll give something of value to another person who will bypass all the laws of the universe and society to provide me with what I desperately need or, if not really need, at lease desire (a bit too much).

Magic stones bring success. I have the advantage over everyone else because they don’t have magic stones. The world is mine.

Magic stones don’t exist. My belief in them can lead me to do all sorts of things—almost all of them sinful.

Trust in God. God exists. God knows my desires and needs. God provides.

Galatians 6:4-5 (New Living Translation)

4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

I have always liked to be the best—the best speller in the room, the best math quiz answer-er in the room, the best writer in the room, the best whatever-it-is-we-are-doing in the room. Sometimes this has been good for me, most of the time—in hindsight—it has been bad for me.

The trouble with being the best is that it requires comparing myself to others. If I am good at something, and everyone in the room is also good at it, I am not the best. If I am so so or even bad at something, and everyone else in the room is awful at it or doesn’t even care enough to try, I am the best. Hence, best doesn’t imply good or anything other than comparing.

And now we have the verses above:

• pay attention
• do well
• be satisfied

If I do these, I won’t need comparison.

Well, uh, er, yeah but, but, but…but nothing. Heed God’s instruction. Do no more.

Proverbs 7:2a (New Living Translation)

Obey my commands and live!

We Americans in the post-post-whatever-modern world don’t like COMMANDS. Don’t tell us what to do. We know what to do. We are our own commanders of our own fate, so stop this commands even those that come from God.

Let’s step back for a moment, please.

God promises life. God promises us that we will live and live to the fullest extent. Anything wrong with the result here? God is commanding us to live. Let’s see, how can I disagree with that one? I want to choose to not live or, well, uh, er, there must be some hidden agenda here, right? No.

God wants His creation to live as fully as He has provided. Is there any reason for us to want otherwise?

Nehemiah 6:16 (New Living Translation)

When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.

God’s people had finished rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. This task—given the puny resources applied to it—was not possible. The enemies of God’s people realized that this task had been completed with the help of God the Creator.

People realize the work of God; people realize the hand of God in human affairs. People may not proclaim what they know as that would make their entire life a lie, but they realize what they see.

And when deniers see what they cannot deny, they are frightened and humiliated.

And when we believers see fright and humiliation in deniers, how do we react? Smugness? Victory? Compassion? We know persecution and the accompanying fear and humiliation. Let us learn from ourselves and extend a hand of fellowship to fellow sinners. Easier said that done, and that is why I write…please God, help me in my unbelief.

James 1:5 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.

I live to improve. I want to be and do better everyday. I desire this to a fault. Yes, others don’t always share my enthusiasm for this, and that is my failing.

One of the problems with attempting to improve myself and those about me is that improvement for the future almost always appears to be criticism of the present. That, again, is my failing.

Note God’s aid to improvement. Want wisdom? Ask God. God gives it without criticism. Oh that I were to be more like God, but that is a desire for improvement and I have to take care that…

Proverbs 6a, 13 (New Living Translation)

Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.

All who fear the Lord will hate evil.
Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance,
corruption and perverse speech.

I hate negative preaching (that doesn’t make sense, but let’s go on). Nevertheless, there are times when I need to hear what the LORD hates. This is plain speech here, “Listen to me!”

Four things God hates:

1. pride
2. arrogance
3. corruption
4. perverse speech

Okay, we can accept number 3 as that is actually illegal, but the other three, well, maybe they are not nice and sort of defects of character, but really, God HATES these? It sure seems that way, and God calls these important things, not just minor character defects.

Listen to God. That is for me to do. Note what God hates. That is for me to do. Pray for strength and forgiveness. That is for me to do. Accept the grace of God with thanks and humility. It goes on, and yes, these are things for me to attempt to do with the help of God.

Ezekiel 22:30a (New Living Translation)

I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land.

There is a wall of righteousness—a wall that separates right from wrong. That wall guards a land and safeguards a people.

It appears that the wall of righteousness can be built and maintained; it can also decay from neglect.

Persons build the wall of righteousness. A person says, “That isn’t right. We won’t do that.” Sometimes others sneer at such a person. Other things are easier to do. Other things are more profitable in the short term. The right thing is sometimes a pain to try.

Nevertheless, the wall of righteousness guards the land and the people. Sounds like it is worth the effort. Sounds like I need to say, “That isn’t right. We won’t do that,” more often.

Proverbs 17:9 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.

Offenses are committed daily. Some persons seem to offend others all the time. What is a good Christian to do?

I can gossip about the offense, i.e., I can sort of tell the truth of about it, maybe not the whole truth, and maybe embellish parts I wish. That separates friends. Well, if there are true friends, what I say won’t hurt them. Right? Uh, er, well…

I can conceal the offense. Let’s hide the dirt. No, I don’t think that it what is meant here in these words. I think it means to do the opposite of gossip. Everybody knows the offense was committed. I can’t add to what everyone knows. Just keep my mouth shut and not amplify the offense.

Funny, the thing to do is do no thing. Why is doing no thing so difficult?