Contemplative Bible Reading

Philippians 3:20 (New Living Translation)

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

I am a citizen of heaven. I am not a citizen of this place—earth. I am stuck here for a while. Jesus, the one anointed to take away my sins, lives in heaven—my homeland.

I eagerly await someone from home to come and take me home.

In the meantime, I should do what I can to show others the blessings of citizenship in my homeland. I should do what I can to show others the life that is lived in my homeland.

Pretty simple stuff. How is it that I am confused about it so often?

Acts 10:1-4 (New Living Translation)

In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius…One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.

Cornelius was one of THEM. He was a Roman, not a Jew. He was part of an occupation force, not a native. He was a warrior, not a peace maker. He was this and that and a lot of other things. Cornelius wasn’t one of US; Cornelius was one of THEM.

Nevertheless, an angel of God went to Cornelius and spoke with him.

Pause here a minute. I don’t recall any instances in my life when an angle of God came to me to talk—at least if it happened I didn’t recognize it as such. AND I AM ONE OF US, NOT ONE OF THEM.

God sent a messenger to one of them and caused one of them to become one of us.

This isn’t the way these things are supposed to happen—at least that is the way I see it and that isn’t the way I would do this. Be still; I am not God. Please God, help me to accept that each day. Help me in my unbelief.

Isaiah 3:5 (New Living Translation)

Young people will insult their elders,
and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable.

The is part of a passage about God judging and punishing the people. It is a long list including the scarcity of food and water—necessities for life.

And here we have another punishing: youth disrespecting those they should respect and the vulgar sneer in derision at the honorable.

• respect
• honor

Old-fashioned words and concepts?

• insults
• vulgarity
• sneer

Well, what can we say about these?

When I was young—here we go again, but please hang in there with me—I was pushed into respecting and honoring those who had earned such. If I didn’t, I was punished. With time, I learned to do these things voluntarily. Maybe I wasn’t taught with the best of methods, but I was taught.

I live in a society characterized by insults, vulgarity, and sneers. No, this isn’t about the current President. It is about the past several decades. Too bad for us. Perhaps God is judging us.

We don’t have to live like this. Please God, help us to learn.

Proverbs 15:29 (New Living Translation)

The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayers of the righteous.

What a curse. Does God hear the prayers of the wicked? Does God only hear the prayers of the righteous?

I believe God hears the prayers of all who call on the name of the Lord. Still, why would I want to be far from God? Stay close.

Galatians 6:4 (New Living Translation)

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.

I think God wants us to do well. Hence, we have the phrase “a job well done.” The result of a job well done is that I don’t have to fall into the temptation of comparing myself to others. I find satisfaction in what God has given me the ability to do.

Notice something “missing” from the second part of the verse. It doesn’t say that a job well done will bring riches. A mistaken omission? I doubt it. Riches are not the reward for doing well, for doing as God wishes us to do.

Maybe God and I should have a chat about this one and I can get a rewrite and… No. What God has given is more than what I deserve. Please God, help me to be satisfied. Help me to do a job well done.

Proverbs 17:9 Holman Christian Standard Bible

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

How do I react when someone offends me or offends another in front of me or simply makes a bad mistake that affects me?  (I can go on quite a while here, but this will suffice)

Perhaps the word “conceal” isn’t what I like. Why hide or sort of lie about something? Perhaps the word “conceal” is exactly what I need to read.

Don’t mention the offense—to anyone. Instead, promote love.

Slow burn as I consider all the times I did the opposite. Perhaps this is translated incorrectly or perhaps I just need to …

Should I mention the offense to anyone? To anyone? The result of that is simple in black in white in front of me.

Sometimes I don’t like to read the Bible as it highlights my failings. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

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.