Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 3:19 (English Standard Version)

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

I love the phrase here about words falling to the ground and how God prevented this from happening with Samuel. Other translations use the phrase that Samuel’s words were reliable.

Samuel was a prophet in the Old Testament use of that term. God told Samuel what was to happen in the future. Samuel repeated God’s words. What Samuel said would happen did happen. His words were reliable in that what he said always happened.

I can see a person’s words falling from their mouth to the dusty ground and being trampled underfoot. I can see a person’s words flowing from their mouth into the hearts of others. I have known persons whose words did both of these. Yes, it is easy to guess the persons whom I respected.

Please God, let none of my words fall to the ground. Let me love my fellow man enough so that I choose the right words that flow into their hearts instead of under the concrete of the 21st century sidewalks.

Genesis 11:5-7 (New Living Translation)

5 But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. 6 “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! 7 Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”

This is from the (hi)story of the Tower of Babel. The people had one language, on way of living, one culture. God recognized the potential of a united, uniform mass of humans. God recognized the coming accomplishments and the unfortunate accompaniment of harmful pride.

God created culture. He gave mankind different languages, different ways of living, different cultures. Simply put,

They won’t be able to understand each other.

And some 30 or so centuries later, we still don’t understand each other. Perhaps the Internet and what follows in 21st-century communications will further reduce the cultures of the world, but we still have our memories. We still hold grudges. We will not meld into one culture again for quite a while.

Thank you God for differing ways of life. We would be quite dangerous if we understood each other.

John 17:15-16 (New Living Translation)

15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do.

Jesus is praying to God regarding His followers (“them” and “they” in the verses).

Let’s reverse the order of the two sentences to clarify the messages (at least as I read the message):

Your followers do not belong to this world any more than I do. Nevertheless, leave Your followers in this world, but keep them safe from the evil one.

Jesus asks the Father to leave us, i.e., His followers, here in this world. It is not our place; we don’t fit; we don’t belong. Keep us here anyways.

Why? We are one way, one avenue, for others to see God. There are many ways God manifests Himself to mankind. The lives of His followers are one of those ways.

So, we are “stuck” here for some 70 years. I guess we should make the best of it? Why doesn’t God give us a few perks so the time will not be so loathsome? Oh, those things? Oh, well…yeah, the lives we are given do have a lot of blessings. Oh, well…yeah, this is all pretty enjoyable. So, I am blessed so that I can share those blessings with those around me. Sometimes it takes a while for all this to sink in. God, please help my in my unbelief.

Romans 8:8-9 (New Living Translation)

8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

A simple statement in verse 8: the sinful nature can N E V E R please God. Let’s repeat that:

N E V E R

Next question? Oh, how can we please God? Allow the Spirit of God to live in us. Note the first word: A L L O W. That is not E A R N or B U Y or something that requires tremendous effort on our part. It is like that Old Testament fella’ who humbled himself and washed in a filthy river. He A L L O W ‘ed himself to be healed.

Funny how we don’t like to accept something that allows us to be with God. We want to show ourselves worthy. Funny how verse 8 tells us that the difficult is actually impossible.

1 Timothy 6:10 (American Standard Version)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

The first part of this version, “for the love of money,” is familiar. I only recently noticed the last part.

Take a sewing needle. Coat it with lemon juice and salt. Poke it into a sensitive part of your body, let’s say the inside of your nose. Okay, don’t really do this. Just consider doing this. That is the closest thought of what it would be to pierce myself with sorrow.

Here is another: consider the saddest day of your life. Put that in your gut. Keep it there forever. Never “get over it.” How is that one?

I like what money can bring me. Most folks I know like what money can bring them. Do we have “the love of money?” I don’t like that question. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Mark 1:13 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

He was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels began to serve Him.

Jesus took on human-ness. He was weakened by fasting in the desert. This was not the Las Vegas desert; this was a real desert, called a “wilderness” by first-century standards. Note the companions of Jesus: the wild animals.

We aren’t given much detail here as to the nature of the wild animals. Did they recognize Jesus as the Son of God? Did the wild animals recognize the angels with Jesus? How did the wild animals treat Jesus?

Seen any of those “alone in the wilderness” reality shows lately. People who are hungry and tired frighten easily at the smallest sound of a “wild animal.” I believe this verse tells us that Jesus endured the almost unendurable conditions.

He endured this for me. That is yet another sobering thought in a large text full of sobering thoughts. How much would I endure for folks who lived contrary to everything I held and said? Not much, I am afraid. It is with verses as this that I have to admit that I am happy that I am not God. Now, if I could just remember that thought the rest of the time.

2 Chronicles 20:17 (New Living Translation)

But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!

The Christian life is an active. Let’s go do …

Sometimes let’s stand still and watch the Lord’s victory.

Easily written. Not always easily done.

Matthew 15:32 (New Living Translation)

Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”

Jesus understood human frailty. He understood that the hungry would faint or fail.

Sometimes, given my advanced age and all, persons will ask me for advice about marriage, career, the Christian walk, and such.

My number one advice: sleep, eat, live…in that order.

Physical fatigue conquers just about everything. We know what to do. We try to do what we know what to do. Sometimes, well, maybe many times, physical fatigue clouds our judgement and we just plain do it wrong.

Want to be a better spouse? Sleep more at night.

Want to be better on the job? Same.

Want to walk closer with Jesus? Same.

Don’t go away hungry or we may faint along the way.

2 Chronicles 30:27 (New Living Translation)

Then the priests and Levites stood and blessed the people, and God heard their prayer from his holy dwelling in heaven.

Frustrated because no one listens to you (me)? Can’t find someone who will listen? Can’t find someone who will simply acknowledge your (my) existence?

Pray to God the Creator. He listens. He hears prayer. Pretty simple stuff; pretty difficult to comprehend, accept, and practice.

Matthew 14:34-36 (New Living Translation)

³⁴ After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. ³⁵ When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. ³⁶ They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

Just let me touch the fringe or tassel of His clothes. Then I will be healed. Perhaps the translation provides more detail than is available. Those who touched Him were healed. Those who touched the fringe of His clothes? Not sure.

Still, there is the belief in the power of a thing that has touched the power of God. Such belief exists today. I grew up in a culture where such belief was labeled as superstitious. Today, such is labeled spirituality. I am not the judge in this one.

What shows the power of God? I’ve seen it in a cartoon-ish crayon picture drawn by a three year old child. I’ve heard it in the prayer of an 80-year-old man pleading for suffering to end. Superstitious? Spirituality?

The power of God is in the power of God. I believe that part of that power of God is God’s ability to infuse the ordinary, the unnoticed, the everyday with the power of God. Feel the power of God in the smile of a child who has no reason to smile. Feel it in the relief of a person whose companion of 50 years has died. Know that God is with us, daily.