THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION: February 27

Sunday, October 25, 2009

February 27

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

FEBRUARY 27

PSALMS: 27, 57, 87, 117, 147

PROVERBS: 27

OLD TESTAMENT

1 SAMUEL 24:1 - 25:44

NEW TESTAMENT

JOHN 10:22 - 42

PSALMS: 27

Of David.

1The LORD is my light and my salvation--

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life--

of whom shall I be afraid?

2When evil men advance against me

to devour my flesh,A

when my enemies and my foes attack me,

they will stumble and fall.

3Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then will I be confident.

4One thing I ask of the LORD,

this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

5For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

6Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD. [1]

7Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;

be merciful to me and answer me.

8My heart says of you, "Seek hisB face!"

Your face, LORD, I will seek.

9Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

O God my Savior.

10Though my father and mother forsake me,

the LORD will receive me.

11Teach me your way, O LORD;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

12Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

breathing out violence.

13I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

14Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

[2]For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam.A When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

PSALMS: 57

1Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,

for in you my soul takes refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.

2I cry out to God Most High,

to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.

3He sends from heaven and saves me,

rebuking those who hotly pursue me;

Selah

God sends his love and his faithfulness.

4I am in the midst of lions;

I lie among ravenous beasts--

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are sharp swords.

5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

let your glory be over all the earth.

6They spread a net for my feet--

I was bowed down in distress.

They dug a pit in my path--

but they have fallen into it themselves.

Selah [3]

7My heart is steadfast, O God,

my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and make music.

8Awake, my soul!

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

9I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples.

10For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

let your glory be over all the earth. [4]

PSALMS: 87

Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.

1He has set his foundation on the holy mountain;

2the LORD loves the gates of Zion

more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

3Glorious things are said of you,

O city of God:

Selah

4"I will record RahabA and Babylon

among those who acknowledge me--

Philistia too, and Tyre, along with CushB--

and will say, `ThisC one was born in Zion.' "

5Indeed, of Zion it will be said,

"This one and that one were born in her,

and the Most High himself will establish her."

6The LORD will write in the register of the peoples:

"This one was born in Zion."

Selah

7As they make music they will sing,

"All my fountains are in you." [5]

PSALMS: 117

1Praise the LORD, all you nations;

extol him, all you peoples.

2For great is his love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.

Praise the LORD.A [6]

PSALMS: 147

1Praise the LORD.A

How good it is to sing praises to our God,

how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

2The LORD builds up Jerusalem;

he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

4He determines the number of the stars

and calls them each by name.

5Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

his understanding has no limit.

6The LORD sustains the humble

but casts the wicked to the ground.

7Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;

make music to our God on the harp.

8He covers the sky with clouds;

he supplies the earth with rain

and makes grass grow on the hills.

9He provides food for the cattle

and for the young ravens when they call.

10His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his delight in the legs of a man;

11the LORD delights in those who fear him,

who put their hope in his unfailing love. [7]

12Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem;

praise your God, O Zion,

13for he strengthens the bars of your gates

and blesses your people within you.

14He grants peace to your borders

and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

15He sends his command to the earth;

his word runs swiftly.

16He spreads the snow like wool

and scatters the frost like ashes.

17He hurls down his hail like pebbles.

Who can withstand his icy blast?

18He sends his word and melts them;

he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

19He has revealed his word to Jacob,

his laws and decrees to Israel.

20He has done this for no other nation;

they do not know his laws.

Praise the LORD. [8]

PROVERBS: 27

271 Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;

someone else, and not your own lips.

3Stone is heavy and sand a burden,

but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.

4Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,

but who can stand before jealousy?

5Better is open rebuke

than hidden love.

6Wounds from a friend can be trusted,

but an enemy multiplies kisses.

7He who is full loathes honey,

but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

8Like a bird that strays from its nest

is a man who strays from his home.

9Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,

and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

10Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father,

and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you--

better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

11Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;

then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt. [9]

12The prudent see danger and take refuge,

but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

13Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;

hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman.

14If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning,

it will be taken as a curse.

15A quarrelsome wife is like

a constant dripping on a rainy day;

16restraining her is like restraining the wind

or grasping oil with the hand.

17As iron sharpens iron,

so one man sharpens another.

18He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and he who looks after his master will be honored.

19As water reflects a face,

so a man's heart reflects the man.

20Death and DestructionA are never satisfied,

and neither are the eyes of man.

21The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

but man is tested by the praise he receives.

22Though you grind a fool in a mortar,

grinding him like grain with a pestle,

you will not remove his folly from him. [10]

23Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,

give careful attention to your herds;

24for riches do not endure forever,

and a crown is not secure for all generations.

25When the hay is removed and new growth appears

and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

26the lambs will provide you with clothing,

and the goats with the price of a field.

27You will have plenty of goats' milk

to feed you and your family

and to nourish your servant girls. [11]

OLD TESTAMENT

1 SAMUEL 24:1 - 25:44

241After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." 2So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

3He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he saidA to you, `I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.' " Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

5Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD." 7With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

8Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!" When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, `David is bent on harming you'? 10This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, `I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD's anointed.' 11See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but [12]did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13As the old saying goes, `From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you.

14"Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand."

16When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. 17"You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. 18You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. 19When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today. 20I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. 21Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family."

22So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.[13]

251Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah.

Then David moved down into the Desert of Maon.A 2A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. 3His name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings.

4While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. 5So he sent ten young men and said to them, "Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. 6Say to him: `Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!

7" `Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. 8Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my young men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.' "

9When David's men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David's name. Then they waited.

10Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?"

12David's men turned around and went back. When they arrived, [14]they reported every word. 13David said to his men, "Put on your swords!" So they put on their swords, and David put on his. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

14One of the servants told Nabal's wife Abigail: "David sent messengers from the desert to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. 15Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. 16Night and day they were a wall around us all the time we were herding our sheep near them. 17Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him."

18Abigail lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahsB of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead; I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

20As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. 21David had just said, "It's been useless--all my watching over this fellow's property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. 22May God deal with David,C be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!" [15]

23When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. 24She fell at his feet and said: "My lord, let the blame be on me alone. Please let your servant speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name--his name is Fool, and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent.

26"Now since the LORD has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal. 27And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you. 28Please forgive your servant's offense, for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD's battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live. 29Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. 30When the LORD has done for my master every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel, 31my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD has brought my master success, remember your servant."

32David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. 33May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day [16]and from avenging myself with my own hands. 34Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak."

35Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, "Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request."

36When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until daybreak. 37Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. 38About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died.

39When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise be to the LORD, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal's wrongdoing down on his own head."

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. 40His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, "David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife."

41She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, "Here is your maidservant, ready to serve you and wash the feet of my master's servants." 42Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife. 43David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. 44But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's [17]wife, to PaltielD son of Laish, who was from Gallim.[18]

NEW TESTAMENT

JOHN 10:22 - 42

22Then came the Feast of DedicationB at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. 24The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,C tell us plainly."

25Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than allD; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."

31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"

33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, `I have said you are gods'E? 35If he called them `gods,' to whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken-- 36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, `I am God's Son'? 37Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." 39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where [19]John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed 41and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true." 42And in that place many believed in Jesus.[20]

THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION

Sunday, October 25, 2009

February 27

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John 3:16-21