Contemplative Bible Reading

Mark 14:29-31 (New Living Translation)

29 Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.”

30 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

31 “No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the others vowed the same.

Peter proudly proclaims, “I will never desert you! I will never deny you!”

We know how the (hi)story ends. Jesus knew how the (hi)story would end. It was all predictable and predicted.

Yet, Jesus let Peter rant on and proclaim himself on the path to failure. Why did Jesus do this? Why didn’t Jesus step in and tell Peter, “Stop talking now. Otherwise you will make a fool of yourself.”

God allows us to do these foolish things, to proclaim ourselves on the path to failure. I hope that I always learn in hindsight. I hope that one day I will recognize my foolishness before I open my mouth or put my fingers to the keyboard.

How many of the others present on this occasion thought what Peter was saying but kept their mouths shut. And, oh, by the way, Jesus knew their thoughts. Ooops.

Daniel 2:17-18 (New Living Translation)

17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. 18 He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon.

The king had a troubling dream. One of those where you know you are upset, but you can’t remember what it was that upset you.

The king had a crew of smart people. It was there job to tell the king what he dreamed and what it meant (a tough job). If the smart people failed, the king would kill them all and replace them. Who wanted to be a replacement?

Daniel and his three friends were among the smart people.

“We are all going to die. Let us pray together. Perhaps God will help us to do something that will show God to these people through us.”

Hmm, sounds like something I should pray everyday. The Lord willing, I am going to die. Perhaps God will help me do something that will show God to everyone around me through me.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (King James Version)

22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

I oft forget the blessings of God. Such is my human failing.

God’s compassions do not fail. From God’s compassions come mercies, and those mercies save me from being consumed by the world. God’s mercies are renewed daily. That is good news because it seems that my failings are also renewed daily. Why don’t I learn (faster)?

And for those who claim there is no God, read the verses above. The writer of the lamentations was blessed by God with the words. The translators from the early 1600s were also blessed by God. Such does not originate in the mind of lowly mankind.

Lamentations 3:25-26 (New Living Translation)

25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him,

to those who search for him.

26 So it is good to wait quietly

for salvation from the Lord.

Read softly and slowly: Let us pause. Let us consider what it is we do. Stop all things and first seek God and depend on God.

Scream and read quickly: But I have lots of things to do. You don’t understand what is happening in my life and there are people who…oh what wait sorry I had to answer that call and look at that text and you know things are hopping here and people need me to answer right now and…

Read softly and slowly: After the first task (two paragraphs, not one paragraph above), it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

Scream and read quickly: Wait? Okay, I can wait, but I can’t waste time. I have lots to do. While I’m waiting (and could you hurry it up a bit, huh?) I’ll tend to these other things. Oh look just what popped up on Insta-tweet-face! Why that’s cute, but they really shouldn’t say that. I have to correct the world on that point, so hold on a minute, but look you distracted me and someone else beat me to the punchline, well I’ve got another one for them and it will top them and…

God, please help me to breathe deeply and quietly. To wait for your salvation and to seek you alone while I wait.

John 14:27 (New Living Translation)

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.

Jesus is speaking to His followers about the future. He is about to leave this world. He will leave behind many gifts. One—something many of us have trouble accepting—is peace of mind and heart.

Cursed and crushed by worry of impending doom? Grasp the peace of mind and heart given.

There is much to fret in this world. Look around a moment and grasp the temporary and failing nature of just about everything in sight. Worry? Maybe not. Concern? Certainly. Peace of mind and heart? When I focus on God, yes. Why don’t I focus on God more often? Great question with no good answer.

Please God, help me in my unbelief. Help me to accept the gift of peace of mind and heart.

Lamentations 3:22-25 (King James Version)

22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

How many things can I write regarding these verses? Today, let’s focus on verse 22.

Living in a sinful world, it is possible and probable that we are consumed by the worst this world has to offer. What saves us? The Lord’s mercies. His compassions never fail.

God blesses us eternally. God blesses us temporarily. Now 60 years old, it is sometimes difficult  for me to describe this life in this physical body as temporary, but it is. It is merely one part of my soul’s existence with God. The compassion of God, the mercies of God, allow me to survive this portion of eternity.

Praise and thanks to God for his mercy and compassion.

Daniel 3:28 (New Living Translation)

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him.

This statement by Nebuchadnezzar comes after the three Hebrews were tossed into the fiery furnace and walked out alive. Nebuchadnezzar credits an angel of God the Creator for being the messenger to pull the three from death.

How did Nebuchadnezzar ever learn about angels of God? How did he know about any kind of angels or any kind of super-natural or spiritual beings? The people in “ancient times” weren’t ignorance and they weren’t senseless. They sensed the presence and power of God. They knew that spiritual beings sent from God existed and worked among us.

How did we, in the post-modern or whatever we call it world, become so ignorant and senseless? And then we describe ourselves as being enlightened and smart and all that self-aggrandizing stuff.

Lamentations 3:64-65 (New Living Translation)

64 Pay them back, Lord,
for all the evil they have done.
65 Give them hard and stubborn hearts,
and then let your curse fall on them!

Lamenting the present world of woe, the writer asks God to “pay back” evil for the evil that the evil have done. Please God, hurt these others. (Should we ever ask that? Hmmm, well, it was the Old Testament and…)

One of the things the writer wants God to do is give the evil doers a hard heart. Other translations use the phrase “dullness of heart.” My paraphrase, “Please God, make it so that these people become apathetic. Nothing excites them for good or ill. Let everything in their lives be meh, blah, whatever, it is as it is, etc.”

God created us with the ability to be excited. Watch children. They feel the fullness of this gift of God. Imagine a child that sulks from moment to moment. That would be a horrible curse from God—removing one of God’s great gifts.

Please God, never let me curse myself with apathy and a hard or dull heart.

Ephesians 3:19 (New Living Translation)

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

The love of Christ is too great to understand fully. I try, but if I could understand it fully, I would be greater that Christ and the love of Christ. That would make me God, and while I would like to … well, you know. It is folly, not fully.

The writer encourages us to experience the love of Christ, to live in it, by it, and through it. If we do, we will have the fullness of life that comes from God.

God gives us a full life. It is there, right in front of us. All I have to do (that phrase means I have to give up my self-promoted agenda, which is difficult for me) is reach and grasp the gift. My life will be full of the love of Christ.

What am I waiting for? Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Titus 2:11-13 (New Living Translation)

11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

The English Standard Version renders this concept more explicit, the concept that God’s grace instructs us how to turn away from godless to godly living.

Saved by the grace of God, we live for a while in a godless world. Yet, we don’t have to live by the godless culture of the world. We can live with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.

Praise God for the blessings—both eternal and temporary.