THEINC-HIM Daily Bible Meditation - March 4 - Full Text - Shabbat Shalom!

Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

THEINC-HIM Daily Bible Meditation

MARCH 4

PSALMS: 4

PROVERBS: 4

OLD TESTAMENT: 2 SAMUEL 4:1 - 6:23

NEW TESTAMENT: JOHN 13:31 - 14:14

PSALMS: 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

¹ Answer me when I call to you,

O my righteous God.

Give me relief from my distress;

be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

² How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame ^A?

How long will you love delusions and seek false gods ^B?

Selah

³ Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;

the LORD will hear when I call to him.

⁴ In your anger do not sin;

when you are on your beds,

search your hearts and be silent.

Selah

⁵ Offer right sacrifices

and trust in the LORD.

⁶ Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"

Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

⁷ You have filled my heart with greater joy

than when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸ I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O LORD,

make me dwell in safety. ¹

PSALMS: 34

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.

¹ I ^A will extol the LORD at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

² My soul will boast in the LORD;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

³ Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

⁹ Fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹² Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days, ²

¹³ keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking lies.

¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous

and his ears are attentive to their cry;

¹⁶ the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ A righteous man may have many troubles,

but the LORD delivers him from them all;

²⁰ he protects all his bones,

not one of them will be broken.

²¹ Evil will slay the wicked;

the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

²² The LORD redeems his servants;

no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. ³

PSALMS: 64

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint;

protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

² Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,

from that noisy crowd of evildoers.

³ They sharpen their tongues like swords

and aim their words like deadly arrows.

⁴ They shoot from ambush at the innocent man;

they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

⁵ They encourage each other in evil plans,

they talk about hiding their snares;

they say, "Who will see them ^A?"

⁶ They plot injustice and say,

"We have devised a perfect plan!"

Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.

⁷ But God will shoot them with arrows;

suddenly they will be struck down.

⁸ He will turn their own tongues against them

and bring them to ruin;

all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

⁹ All mankind will fear;

they will proclaim the works of God

and ponder what he has done.

¹⁰ Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD

and take refuge in him;

let all the upright in heart praise him!⁴

PSALMS: 94

¹ O LORD, the God who avenges,

O God who avenges, shine forth.

² Rise up, O Judge of the earth;

pay back to the proud what they deserve.

³ How long will the wicked, O LORD,

how long will the wicked be jubilant?

⁴ They pour out arrogant words;

all the evildoers are full of boasting.

⁵ They crush your people, O LORD;

they oppress your inheritance.

⁶ They slay the widow and the alien;

they murder the fatherless.

⁷ They say, "The LORD does not see;

the God of Jacob pays no heed."

⁸ Take heed, you senseless ones among the people;

you fools, when will you become wise?

⁹ Does he who implanted the ear not hear?

Does he who formed the eye not see?

¹⁰ Does he who disciplines nations not punish?

Does he who teaches man lack knowledge?

¹¹ The LORD knows the thoughts of man;

he knows that they are futile.

¹² Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD,

the man you teach from your law;

¹³ you grant him relief from days of trouble,

till a pit is dug for the wicked.

¹⁴ For the LORD will not reject his people;

he will never forsake his inheritance.

¹⁵ Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,

and all the upright in heart will follow it.⁵

¹⁶ Who will rise up for me against the wicked?

Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

¹⁷ Unless the LORD had given me help,

I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

¹⁸ When I said, "My foot is slipping,"

your love, O LORD, supported me.

¹⁹ When anxiety was great within me,

your consolation brought joy to my soul.

²⁰ Can a corrupt throne be allied with you--

one that brings on misery by its decrees?

²¹ They band together against the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death.

²² But the LORD has become my fortress,

and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

²³ He will repay them for their sins

and destroy them for their wickedness;

the LORD our God will destroy them. ⁶

PSALMS: 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹ If the LORD had not been on our side--

let Israel say--

² if the LORD had not been on our side

when men attacked us,

³ when their anger flared against us,

they would have swallowed us alive;

⁴ the flood would have engulfed us,

the torrent would have swept over us,

⁵ the raging waters

would have swept us away.

⁶ Praise be to the LORD,

who has not let us be torn by their teeth.

⁷ We have escaped like a bird

out of the fowler's snare;

the snare has been broken,

and we have escaped.

⁸ Our help is in the name of the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth. ⁷

PROVERBS: 4

4 ¹ Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;

pay attention and gain understanding.

² I give you sound learning,

so do not forsake my teaching.

³ When I was a boy in my father's house,

still tender, and an only child of my mother,

⁴ he taught me and said,

"Lay hold of my words with all your heart;

keep my commands and you will live.

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding;

do not forget my words or swerve from them.

⁶ Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷ Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, ^A get understanding.

⁸ Esteem her, and she will exalt you;

embrace her, and she will honor you.

⁹ She will set a garland of grace on your head

and present you with a crown of splendor."

¹⁰ Listen, my son, accept what I say,

and the years of your life will be many.

¹¹ I guide you in the way of wisdom

and lead you along straight paths.

¹² When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;

when you run, you will not stumble.

¹³ Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;

guard it well, for it is your life.

¹⁴ Do not set foot on the path of the wicked

or walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵ Avoid it, do not travel on it;

turn from it and go on your way.

¹⁶ For they cannot sleep till they do evil; ⁸

they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.

¹⁷ They eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸ The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know what makes them stumble.

²⁰ My son, pay attention to what I say;

listen closely to my words.

²¹ Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart;

²² for they are life to those who find them

and health to a man's whole body.

²³ Above all else, guard your heart,

for it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴ Put away perversity from your mouth;

keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead,

fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶ Make level ^B paths for your feet

and take only ways that are firm.

²⁷ Do not swerve to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil. ⁹

OLD TESTAMENT: 2 SAMUEL 4:1 - 6:23

4 ¹ When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. ² Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin--Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,

³ because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day.

⁴ (Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

⁵ Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest. ⁶ They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah slipped awy.

⁷ They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah. ⁸ They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to take your life. This day the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring."

⁹ David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble, ¹⁰ when a man told me, `Saul is ¹⁰ dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news! ¹¹ How much more--when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed--should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!"

¹² So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.

5 ¹ All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "We are your own flesh and blood. ² In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, `You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'"

³ When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.

⁴ David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

⁶ The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the ¹¹ Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off." They thought, "David cannot get in here." ⁷ Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.

⁸On that day, David said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft^A to reach those `lame and blind' who are David's enemies. <sup>B</sup> "That is why they say, "The `blind and lame' will not enter the palace."

⁹ David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces ^C inward. ¹⁰ And he became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.

¹¹ Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. ¹² And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

¹³ After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. ¹⁴ These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David ¹² heard about it and went down to the stronghold. ¹⁸ Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; ¹⁹ so David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"

The LORD answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you."

²⁰ So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim. ^{D 21} The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

²² Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; ²³ so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." ²⁵ So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon ^E to Gezer. ¹³

6 ¹ David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. ² He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah ^A to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, ^B the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. ³ They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart ⁴ with the ark of God on it, ^C and Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs ^D and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.

⁶ When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. ⁷ The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

⁸ Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. ^E

⁹ David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" ¹⁰ He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. ¹¹ The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.

¹² Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from ¹⁴ the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. ¹³ When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. ¹⁴ David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, ¹⁵ while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

¹⁶ As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings ^F before the LORD. ¹⁸ After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"

²¹ David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel--I will celebrate before the LORD.

²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be ¹⁵ humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." ²³ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. ¹⁶

NEW TESTAMENT: JOHN 13:31 - 14:14

³¹ When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him, ^C God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

³³" My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴" A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

³⁶ Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"

Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."

³⁷ Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

³⁸ Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

14 ¹ "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ^A; trust also in me. ² In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the ¹⁷ place where I am going."

⁵ Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

⁶ Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really knew me, you would know ^B my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

⁸ Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

⁹ Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? ¹⁰ Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. ¹² I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. ¹⁸

1 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

2 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

3 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

4 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

5 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

6 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

7 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

8 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

9 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

10 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

11 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

12 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

13 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

14 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

15 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

16 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

17 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

18 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

 John 3:16-21 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, F that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.G 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." H