THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION

April 22

2012-02-01T05:49:00.000-05:00

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

APRIL22

PSALMS: 22, 52, 82, 112, 142

PROVERBS: 22

OLD TESTAMENT: 1 CHRONICLES 12:19 - 4:14

NEW TESTAMENT: ROMANS 1:1 - 17

PSALMS: 22

Forthe director of music. To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." Apsalm of David.

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Whyare you so far from saving me,

sofar from the words of my groaning?

²O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,

bynight, and am not silent.

³Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

youare the praise of Israel. ^A

⁴In you our fathers put their trust;

theytrusted and you delivered them.

⁵They cried to you and were saved;

inyou they trusted and were not disappointed.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,

scornedby men and despised by the people.

⁷All who see me mock me;

theyhurl insults, shaking their heads:

⁸"He trusts in the LORD;

letthe LORD rescue him.

Lethim deliver him,

sincehe delights in him."

⁹Yet you brought me out of the womb;

youmade me trust in you

evenat my mother's breast.

¹⁰From birth I was cast upon you;

frommy mother's womb you have been my God. ^{^[1]}

¹¹Do not be far from me,

fortrouble is near

andthere is no one to help.

¹²Many bulls surround me;

strongbulls of Bashan encircle me.

¹³Roaring lions tearing their prey

opentheir mouths wide against me.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,

andall my bones are out of joint.

Myheart has turned to wax;

ithas melted away within me.

¹⁵My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

andmy tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

youlay me ^B in the dust of death.

¹⁶Dogs have surrounded me;

aband of evil men has encircled me,

theyhave pierced ^C my hands and my feet.

¹⁷I can count all my bones;

peoplestare and gloat over me.

¹⁸They divide my garments among them

andcast lots for my clothing.

¹⁹But you, O LORD, be not far off;

Omy Strength, come quickly to help me.

²⁰Deliver my life from the sword,

myprecious life from the power of the dogs.

²¹Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;

Save^D me from the horns of the wild oxen.

²²I will declare your name to my brothers;

inthe congregation I will praise you.

²³You who fear the LORD, praise him!

Allyou descendants of Jacob, honor him! ^{^[2]}

Reverehim, all you descendants of Israel!

²⁴For he has not despised or disdained

thesuffering of the afflicted one;

hehas not hidden his face from him

buthas listened to his cry for help.

²⁵From you comes the theme of my praise in the greatassembly;

beforethose who fear you ^E will I fulfill my vows.

²⁶The poor will eat and be satisfied;

theywho seek the LORD will praise him--

mayyour hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth

willremember and turn to the LORD,

andall the families of the nations

willbow down before him,

²⁸for dominion belongs to the LORD

andhe rules over the nations.

²⁹All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

allwho go down to the dust will kneel before him--

thosewho cannot keep themselves alive.

³⁰Posterity will serve him;

futuregenerations will be told about the Lord.

³¹They will proclaim his righteousness

toa people yet unborn--

forhe has done it. ^{^[3]}

PSALMS: 52

Forthe director of music. A maskil ^A of David. When Doeg theEdomite had gone to Saul and told him: "David has gone to the house ofAhimelech."

¹Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?

Whydo you boast all day long,

youwho are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

²Your tongue plots destruction;

itis like a sharpened razor,

youwho practice deceit.

³Youlove evil rather than good,

falsehoodrather than speaking the truth.

Selah

⁴You love every harmful word,

Oyou deceitful tongue!

⁵Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:

Hewill snatch you up and tear you from your tent;

hewill uproot you from the land of the living.

Selah

⁶The righteous will see and fear;

theywill laugh at him, saying,

⁷"Here now is the man

whodid not make God his stronghold

buttrusted in his great wealth

andgrew strong by destroying others!"

⁸But I am like an olive tree

flourishingin the house of God;

Itrust in God's unfailing love

forever and ever.

⁹I will praise you forever for what you have done; ^{^[4]}

inyour name I will hope, for your name is good.

Iwill praise you in the presence of your saints. ^{^[5]}

PSALMS: 82

Apsalm of Asaph.

¹God presides in the great assembly;

hegives judgment among the "gods":

²"How long will you ^A defend the unjust

and show partiality to the wicked?

Selah

³Defend the cause of the weak andfatherless;

maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

⁴Rescue theweak and needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

⁵"They know nothing,they understand nothing.

They walk about in darkness;

all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

⁶"I said, `You are"gods";

you are all sons of the Most High.'

⁷But youwill die like mere men;

you will fall like every other ruler."

⁸Rise up, OGod, judge the earth,

for all the nations are your inheritance. ^{^[6]}

PSALMS: 112

¹Praise ^A the LORD. ^B

Blessedis the man who fears the LORD,

whofinds great delight in his commands.

²His children will be mighty in the land;

thegeneration of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches are in his house,

andhis righteousness endures forever.

⁴Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

forthe gracious and compassionate and righteous man. ^C

⁵Goodwill come to him who is generous and lends freely,

whoconducts his affairs with justice.

⁶Surely he will never be shaken;

arighteous man will be remembered forever.

⁷He will have no fear of bad news;

hisheart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

⁸His heart is secure, he will have no fear;

inthe end he will look in triumph on his foes.

⁹He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,

hisrighteousness endures forever;

hishorn ^D will be lifted high in honor.

¹⁰The wicked man will see and be vexed,

hewill gnash his teeth and waste away;

thelongings of the wicked will come to nothing. ^{^[7]}

PSALMS: 142

Amaskil ^A of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.

¹I cry aloud to the LORD;

Ilift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.

²I pour out my complaint before him;

beforehim I tell my trouble.

³When my spirit grows faint within me,

itis you who know my way.

Inthe path where I walk

menhave hidden a snare for me.

⁴Look to my right and see;

noone is concerned for me.

Ihave no refuge;

noone cares for my life.

⁵I cry to you, O LORD;

Isay, "You are my refuge,

myportion in the land of the living."

⁶Listen to my cry,

forI am in desperate need;

rescueme from those who pursue me,

forthey are too strong for me.

⁷Set me free from my prison,

thatI may praise your name.

Thenthe righteous will gather about me

becauseof your goodness to me. ^{^[8]}

PROVERBS: 22

22¹ A good name is moredesirable than great riches;

tobe esteemed is better than silver or gold.

²Rich and poor have this in common:

TheLORD is the Maker of them all.

³A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,

butthe simple keep going and suffer for it.

⁴Humility and the fear of the LORD

bringwealth and honor and life.

⁵In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares,

buthe who guards his soul stays far from them.

⁶Train ^A a child in the way he should go,

andwhen he is old he will not turn from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor,

andthe borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows wickedness reaps trouble,

andthe rod of his fury will be destroyed.

⁹A generous man will himself be blessed,

forhe shares his food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;

quarrelsand insults are ended.

¹¹He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious

willhave the king for his friend. ^{^[9]}

¹²The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge,

buthe frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, "There is a lionoutside!"

or,"I will be murdered in the streets!"

¹⁴The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;

hewho is under the LORD's wrath will fall into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

butthe rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

¹⁶He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth

andhe who gives gifts to the rich--both come to poverty.

¹⁷Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;

applyyour heart to what I teach,

¹⁸for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart

andhave all of them ready on your lips.

¹⁹So that your trust may be in the LORD,

Iteach you today, even you.

²⁰Have I not written thirty ^B sayings foryou,

sayingsof counsel and knowledge,

²¹teaching you true and reliable words,

sothat you can give sound answers

tohim who sent you?

²²Do not exploit the poor because they are poor

anddo not crush the needy in court,

²³for the LORD will take up their case

andwill plunder those who plunder them. ^{^[10]}

²⁴Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man,

donot associate with one easily angered,

²⁵or you may learn his ways

andget yourself ensnared.

²⁶Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge

orputs up security for debts;

²⁷if you lack the means to pay,

yourvery bed will be snatched from under you.

²⁸Do not move an ancient boundary stone

setup by your forefathers.

²⁹Do you see a man skilled in his work?

Hewill serve before kings;

hewill not serve before obscure men. ^{^[11]}

OLD TESTAMENT: 1 CHRONICLES 12:19 - 4:14

¹⁹Someof the men of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines tofight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, afterconsultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, "It will cost us ourheads if he deserts to his master Saul.") ²⁰When David went toZiklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad,Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousandin Manasseh. ²¹They helped David against raiding bands, for all ofthem were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. ²²Dayafter day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army ofGod. ^A

²³Theseare the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turnSaul's kingdom over to him, as the LORD had said:

²⁴menof Judah, carrying shield and spear--6,800 armed for battle;

²⁵menof Simeon, warriors ready for battle--7,100;

²⁶menof Levi--4,600, ²⁷including Jehoiada, leader of the family ofAaron, with 3,700 men, ²⁸and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22officers from his family;

²⁹menof Benjamin, Saul's kinsmen--3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to Saul'shouse until then;

³⁰menof Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans--20,800;

³¹menof half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make Davidking--18,000;

³²menof Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel ^{^[12]}should do--200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;

³³menof Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon,to help David with undivided loyalty--50,000;

³⁴menof Naphtali--1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields andspears;

³⁵menof Dan, ready for battle--28,600;

³⁶menof Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle--40,000;

³⁷andfrom east of the Jordan, men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh,armed with every type of weapon--120,000.

³⁸Allthese were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came toHebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of theIsraelites were also of one mind to make David king. ³⁹The menspent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families hadsupplied provisions for them. ⁴⁰Also, their neighbors from as faraway as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels,mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisincakes, wine, oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

13 ¹David conferred with each of his officers, thecommanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ²He then saidto the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and if it is thewill of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our ^{^[13]}brothersthroughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites whoare with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. ³Letus bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of ^Ait ^B during the reign of Saul." ⁴The whole assemblyagreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

⁵SoDavid assembled all the Israelites, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo ^CHamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.

⁶Davidand all the Israelites with him went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) tobring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between thecherubim--the ark that is called by the Name.

⁷Theymoved the ark of God from Abinadab's house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahioguiding it. ⁸David and all the Israelites were celebrating with alltheir might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbalsand trumpets.

⁹Whenthey came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steadythe ark, because the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰The LORD's anger burnedagainst Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark.So he died there before God.

¹¹ThenDavid was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and tothis day that place is called Perez Uzzah. ^D

¹²Davidwas afraid of God that day and asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of Godto me?" ¹³He did not take the ark to be with ^{^[14]}him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edomthe Gittite. ¹⁴The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edomin his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household andeverything he had.

14 ¹Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, alongwith cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him. ²AndDavid knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and that hiskingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

³In Jerusalem David took more wives and became the father of more sons anddaughters. ⁴These are the names of the children born to him there:Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶Nogah,Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷Elishama, Beeliada ^A and Eliphelet.

⁸Whenthe Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, theywent up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went outto meet them. ⁹Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valleyof Rephaim; ¹⁰so David inquired of God: "Shall I go and attackthe Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"

The LORD answered him,"Go, I will hand them over to you."

¹¹SoDavid and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said,"As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by myhand." So that place was called Baal ^{^[15]}Perazim. ^B ¹²The Philistines had abandoned their godsthere, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire.

¹³Oncemore the Philistines raided the valley; ¹⁴so David inquired of Godagain, and God answered him, "Do not gostraight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsamtrees. ¹⁵As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops ofthe balsam trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone outin front of you to strike the Philistine army." ¹⁶SoDavid did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, allthe way from Gibeon to Gezer.

¹⁷SoDavid's fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nationsfear him. ^{^[16]}

NEW TESTAMENT: ROMANS 1:1 - 17

1 ¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostleand set apart for the gospel of God—²the gospel he promisedbeforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ³regardinghis Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, ⁴andwho through the Spirit ^A of holiness was declared with power to bethe Son of God ^B by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ ourLord. ⁵Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace andapostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience thatcomes from faith. ⁶And you also are among those who are called tobelong to Jesus Christ.

⁷Toall in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace and peace to youfrom God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸First,I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is beingreported all over the world. ⁹God, whom I serve with my whole heartin preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you¹⁰in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God'swill the way may be opened for me to come to you.

¹¹Ilong to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make youstrong—¹²that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by eachother's faith. ¹³I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that Iplanned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so untilnow) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had amongthe other Gentiles. ^{^[17]}¹⁴I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wiseand the foolish. ¹⁵That is why I am so eager to preach the gospelalso to you who are at Rome.

¹⁶Iam not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvationof everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹⁷Forin the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is byfaith from first to last, ^C just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." ^D^{^[18]}

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

April 21

2012-02-01T05:30:00.003-05:00

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

APRIL21

PSALMS: 20,50, 80, 110, 140

PROVERBS: 20

OLD TESTAMENT: 1 CHRONICLES 11:1 - 12:18

NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 28:1 - 31

PSALMS: 21

Forthe director of music. A psalm of David.

¹O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.

Howgreat is his joy in the victories you give!

²You have granted him the desire of his heart

andhave not withheld the request of his lips.

Selah

³You welcomed him with rich blessings

andplaced a crown of pure gold on his head.

⁴He asked you for life, and you gave it to him--

lengthof days, for ever and ever.

⁵Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;

youhave bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

⁶Surely you have granted him eternal blessings

andmade him glad with the joy of your presence.

⁷For the king trusts in the LORD;

throughthe unfailing love of the Most High

hewill not be shaken.

⁸Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;

yourright hand will seize your foes.

⁹At the time of your appearing

youwill make them like a fiery furnace.

Inhis wrath the LORD will swallow them up,

andhis fire will consume them.

¹⁰You will destroy their descendants from the earth,

theirposterity from mankind.

¹¹Though they plot evil against you

anddevise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;

¹²for you will make them turn their backs

whenyou aim at them with drawn bow. ^{^[1]}

¹³Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength;

wewill sing and praise your might. ^{^[2]}

PSALMS: 51

Forthe director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to himafter David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

¹Have mercy on me, O God,

accordingto your unfailing love;

accordingto your great compassion

blotout my transgressions.

²Wash away all my iniquity

andcleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,

andmy sin is always before me.

⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned

anddone what is evil in your sight,

sothat you are proved right when you speak

andjustified when you judge.

⁵Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinfulfrom the time my mother conceived me.

⁶Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ^A;

youteach ^B me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁷Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

washme, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;

letthe bones you have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins

andblot out all my iniquity. ^{^[3]}

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart, O God,

andrenew a steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹Do not cast me from your presence

ortake your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation

andgrant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

andsinners will turn back to you.

¹⁴Save me from bloodguilt, O God,

theGod who saves me,

andmy tongue will sing of your righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,

andmy mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

youdo not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are ^C a brokenspirit;

abroken and contrite heart,

OGod, you will not despise.

¹⁸In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;

buildup the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then there will be righteous sacrifices,

wholeburnt offerings to delight you;

thenbulls will be offered on your altar. ^{^[4]}

PSALMS: 81

Forthe director of music. According to gittith. ^A Of Asaph.

¹Sing for joy to God our strength;

shoutaloud to the God of Jacob!

²Begin the music, strike the tambourine,

playthe melodious harp and lyre.

³Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon,

andwhen the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;

⁴this is a decree for Israel,

anordinance of the God of Jacob.

⁵He established it as a statute for Joseph

whenhe went out against Egypt,

wherewe heard a language we did not understand. ^B

⁶He says, "I removedthe burden from their shoulders;

their hands were set free from the basket.

⁷In your distress you called and Irescued you,

I answered you out of a thundercloud;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Selah

⁸"Hear, O my people,and I will warn you--

if you would but listen to me, O Israel!

⁹You shallhave no foreign god among you;

you shall not bow down to an alien god.

¹⁰I am theLORD your God,

who brought you up out of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. ^{^[5]}

¹¹"But my people wouldnot listen to me;

Israel would not submit to me.

¹²So I gavethem over to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own devices.

¹³"If my people wouldbut listen to me,

if Israel would follow my ways,

¹⁴howquickly would I subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes!

¹⁵Those whohate the LORD would cringe before him,

and their punishment would last forever.

¹⁶But youwould be fed with the finest of wheat;

with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."^{^[6]}

PSALMS: 111

¹Praise ^A theLORD. ^B

Iwill extol the LORD with all my heart

inthe council of the upright and in the assembly.

²Great are the works of the LORD;

theyare pondered by all who delight in them.

³Glorious and majestic are his deeds,

andhis righteousness endures forever.

⁴He has caused his wonders to be remembered;

theLORD is gracious and compassionate.

⁵He provides food for those who fear him;

heremembers his covenant forever.

⁶He has shown his people the power of his works,

givingthem the lands of other nations.

⁷The works of his hands are faithful and just;

allhis precepts are trustworthy.

⁸They are steadfast for ever and ever,

donein faithfulness and uprightness.

⁹He provided redemption for his people;

heordained his covenant forever--

holyand awesome is his name.

¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

allwho follow his precepts have good understanding.

Tohim belongs eternal praise. ^{^[7]}

PSALMS: 141

Apsalm of David.

¹O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me.

Hearmy voice when I call to you.

²May my prayer be set before you like incense;

maythe lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

³Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;

keepwatch over the door of my lips.

⁴Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,

totake part in wicked deeds

withmen who are evildoers;

letme not eat of their delicacies.

⁵Let a righteous man ^A strike me--it is akindness;

lethim rebuke me--it is oil on my head.

Myhead will not refuse it.

Yetmy prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

⁶their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,

andthe wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

⁷They will say, "As one plows and breaks up theearth,

soour bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave. ^B"

⁸But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD;

inyou I take refuge--do not give me over to death.

⁹Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,

fromthe traps set by evildoers.

¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

whileI pass by in safety. ^{^[8]}

PROVERBS: 21

21¹ The king's heart is inthe hand of the LORD;

hedirects it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

²All a man's ways seem right to him,

butthe LORD weighs the heart.

³To do what is right and just

ismore acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart,

thelamp of the wicked, are sin!

⁵The plans of the diligent lead to profit

assurely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶A fortune made by a lying tongue

isa fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. ^A

⁷The violence of the wicked will drag them away,

forthey refuse to do what is right.

⁸The way of the guilty is devious,

butthe conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹Better to live on a corner of the roof

thanshare a house with a quarrelsome wife.

¹⁰The wicked man craves evil;

hisneighbor gets no mercy from him. ^{^[9]}

¹¹When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;

whena wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.

¹²The Righteous One ^B takes note of the houseof the wicked

andbrings the wicked to ruin.

¹³If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,

hetoo will cry out and not be answered.

¹⁴A gift given in secret soothes anger,

anda bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

¹⁵When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous

butterror to evildoers.

¹⁶A man who strays from the path of understanding

comesto rest in the company of the dead.

¹⁷He who loves pleasure will become poor;

whoeverloves wine and oil will never be rich.

¹⁸The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,

andthe unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹Better to live in a desert

thanwith a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

²⁰In the house of the wise are stores of choice food andoil,

buta foolish man devours all he has.

²¹He who pursues righteousness and love

findslife, prosperity ^C and honor. ^{^[10]}

²²A wise man attacks the city of the mighty

andpulls down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³He who guards his mouth and his tongue

keepshimself from calamity.

²⁴The proud and arrogant man--"Mocker" is hisname;

hebehaves with overweening pride.

²⁵The sluggard's craving will be the death of him,

becausehis hands refuse to work.

²⁶All day long he craves for more,

butthe righteous give without sparing.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable--

howmuch more so when brought with evil intent!

²⁸A false witness will perish,

andwhoever listens to him will be destroyed forever. ^D

²⁹A wicked man puts up a bold front,

butan upright man gives thought to his ways.

³⁰There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan

thatcan succeed against the LORD.

³¹The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

butvictory rests with the LORD. ^{^[11]}

OLD TESTAMENT: 1 CHRONICLES 11:1 - 12:18

11 ¹All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said,"We are your own flesh and blood. ²In the past, even whileSaul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. Andthe LORD your God said to you, `You will shepherd mypeople Israel, and you will become their ruler.'"

³Whenall the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a compactwith them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel,as the LORD had promised through Samuel.

⁴Davidand all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites wholived there ⁵said to David, "You will not get in here."Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.

⁶Davidhad said, "Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will becomecommander-in-chief." Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he receivedthe command.

⁷Davidthen took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David.

⁸Hebuilt up the city around it, from the supporting terraces ^A to thesurrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. ⁹AndDavid became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him.

¹⁰Thesewere the chiefs of David's mighty men--they, together with all Israel, gave hiskingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the LORD hadpromised—

¹¹thisis the list of David's mighty men: ^{^[12]}Jashobeam, ^B a Hacmonite, was chief of the officers ^C; heraised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

¹²Nextto him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men.

¹³Hewas with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. Ata place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from thePhilistines. ¹⁴But they took their stand in the middle of the field.They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about agreat victory.

¹⁵Threeof the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam,while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶Atthat time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was atBethlehem. ¹⁷David longed for water and said, "Oh, thatsomeone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate ofBethlehem!" ¹⁸So the Three broke through the Philistine lines,drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back toDavid. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. ¹⁹"God forbid that I should do this!" he said. "Should Idrink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?" Becausethey risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.

Such were the exploitsof the three mighty men.

²⁰Abishaithe brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against threehundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ²¹Hewas doubly honored above the Three and became their commander, even though hewas not ^{^[13]}included among them.

²²Benaiahson of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed greatexploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a piton a snowy day and killed a lion. ²³And he struck down an Egyptianwho was seven and a half feet ^D tall. Although the Egyptian had aspear like a weaver's rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. Hesnatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famousas the three mighty men. ²⁵He was held in greater honor than any ofthe Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him incharge of his bodyguard.

²⁶Themighty men were:

Asahel the brother ofJoab,

Elhanan son of Dodo fromBethlehem,

²⁷Shammoththe Harorite,

Helez the Pelonite,

²⁸Irason of Ikkesh from Tekoa,

Abiezer from Anathoth,

²⁹Sibbecaithe Hushathite,

Ilai the Ahohite,

³⁰Maharaithe Netophathite,

Heled son of Baanah theNetophathite,

³¹Ithaison of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,

Benaiah the Pirathonite,^{^[14]}

³²Huraifrom the ravines of Gaash,

Abiel the Arbathite,

³³Azmaveththe Baharumite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴thesons of Hashem the Gizonite,

Jonathan son of Shageethe Hararite,

³⁵Ahiamson of Sacar the Hararite,

Eliphal son of Ur,

³⁶Hepherthe Mekerathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷Hezrothe Carmelite,

Naarai son of Ezbai,

³⁸Joelthe brother of Nathan,

Mibhar son of Hagri,

³⁹Zelekthe Ammonite,

Naharai the Berothite,the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

⁴⁰Irathe Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

⁴¹Uriahthe Hittite,

Zabad son of Ahlai,

⁴²Adinason of Shiza the Reubenite, who was chief of the Reubenites, and the thirtywith him,

⁴³Hananson of Maacah,

Joshaphat the Mithnite,

⁴⁴Uzziathe Ashterathite,

Shama and Jeiel the sonsof Hotham the Aroerite, ^{^[15]}

⁴⁵Jediaelson of Shimri,

his brother Joha theTizite,

⁴⁶Elielthe Mahavite,

Jeribai and Joshaviahthe sons of Elnaam,

Ithmah the Moabite,

⁴⁷Eliel,Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

12 ¹These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, whilehe was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among thewarriors who helped him in battle;

²theywere armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stonesright-handed or left-handed; they were kinsmen of Saul from the tribe ofBenjamin):

³Ahiezer their chief and Joash thesons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah,Jehu the Anathothite, ⁴and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty manamong the Thirty, who was a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan,Jozabad the Gederathite, ⁵Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah andShephatiah the Haruphite; ⁶Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer andJashobeam the Korahites; ⁷and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons ofJeroham from Gedor. ^{^[16]}

⁸SomeGadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were bravewarriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faceswere the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains.

⁹Ezerwas the chief,

Obadiah the second incommand, Eliab the third,

¹⁰Mishmannahthe fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

¹¹Attaithe sixth, Eliel the seventh,

¹²Johananthe eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

¹³Jeremiah the tenth andMacbannai the eleventh.

¹⁴TheseGadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and thegreatest for a thousand. ¹⁵It was they who crossed the Jordan inthe first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flighteveryone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

¹⁶OtherBenjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold.

¹⁷Davidwent out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in peace,to help me, I am ready to have you unite with me. But if you have come tobetray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God ofour fathers see it and judge you."

¹⁸Thenthe Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:

"We are yours, O David! ^{^[17]}

We arewith you, O son of Jesse!

Success,success to you,

andsuccess to those who help you,

for your God will help you."

So David received themand made them leaders of his raiding bands. ^{^[18]}

NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 28:1 - 31

28 ¹Once safely on shore, we found out that the island wascalled Malta. ²The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They builta fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. ³Paulgathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven outby the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ⁴When the islanders sawthe snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man mustbe a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed himto live." ⁵But Paul shook the snake off into the fire andsuffered no ill effects. ⁶The people expected him to swell up orsuddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusualhappen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

⁷Therewas an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of theisland. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained ushospitably. ⁸His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever anddysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on himand healed him. ⁹When this had happened, the rest of the sick onthe island came and were cured. ¹⁰They honored us in many ways andwhen we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

¹¹Afterthree months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. Itwas an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.¹²We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. ¹³Fromthere we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up,and on ^{^[19]}thefollowing day we reached Puteoli. ¹⁴There we found some brotherswho invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵Thebrothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as theForum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these menPaul thanked God and was encouraged. ¹⁶When we got to Rome, Paulwas allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

¹⁷Threedays later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled,Paul said to them: "My brothers, although I have done nothing against ourpeople or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem andhanded over to the Romans.

¹⁸Theyexamined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deservingdeath. ¹⁹But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal toCaesar--not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. ²⁰Forthis reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of thehope of Israel that I am bound with this chain."

²¹Theyreplied, "We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, andnone of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything badabout you. ²²But we want to hear what your views are, for we knowthat people everywhere are talking against this sect."

²³Theyarranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to theplace where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declaredto them the kingdom of God and ^{^[20]}tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.²⁴Some were convinced by what he said, but others would notbelieve. ²⁵They disagreed among themselves and began to leave afterPaul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth toyour forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁶"`Go to this people and say,

"Youwill be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will beever seeing but never perceiving."

²⁷For thispeople's heart has become calloused;

they hardlyhear with their ears,

and they haveclosed their eyes.

Otherwisethey might see with their eyes,

hear withtheir ears,

understandwith their hearts

and turn, andI would heal them.' ^A

²⁸"Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation hasbeen sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" ^B

³⁰Fortwo whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all whocame to see him. ³¹Boldly and without hindrance he preached thekingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. ^{^[21]}

February 1

2012-01-31T22:05:00.004-05:00

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

February 1

You never know when the LORD will call you home – forjudgment!

As a Jewish Believer, abeliever in Father G-D (Abba Father), Yeshua HaMashiach

(Jesus the Christ), andRuach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit)!

I offer 5 ways for youto study the Holy Bible:

THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION

through my blogs andsite @

www.theinc-him-daily-bible-meditation.blogspot.com

https://sites.google.com/site/theinchim/Home

https://www.facebook.com/THEINC

www.myspace.com/theinc-him/blog

theinchimdailybiblemeditation.wordpress.com

At any of the blogs orsite, please pick the current date or any day

you want to study andenjoy to grow with G-Ds living word.

Psalms: 1, 31, 61,91, 121

Proverbs: 1

Old Testament: Judges 1:1 - 2:9

New Testament: Luke 21:29 - 22:13

Yours in Yeshua!

ffeJ