THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION: June 15

Thursday, October 22, 2009

June 15

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

JUNE 15

PSALMS: 15, 45, 75, 105, 135

PROVERBS: 15

OLD TESTAMENT

ECCLESIASTES 7:1 - 9:18

NEW TESTAMENT

2 CORINTHIANS 7:7 - 16

PSALMS: 15

A psalm of David.

1LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?

Who may live on your holy hill?

2He whose walk is blameless

and who does what is righteous,

who speaks the truth from his heart

3and has no slander on his tongue,

who does his neighbor no wrong

and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4who despises a vile man

but honors those who fear the LORD,

who keeps his oath

even when it hurts,

5who lends his money without usury

and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things

will never be shaken. [1]

PSALMS: 45

For the director of music. To the tune of "Lilies." Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.A A wedding song.

1My heart is stirred by a noble theme

as I recite my verses for the king;

my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

2You are the most excellent of men

and your lips have been anointed with grace,

since God has blessed you forever.

3Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one;

clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.

4In your majesty ride forth victoriously

in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness;

let your right hand display awesome deeds.

5Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies;

let the nations fall beneath your feet.

6Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;

a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

7You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

by anointing you with the oil of joy.

8All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;

from palaces adorned with ivory

the music of the strings makes you glad.

9Daughters of kings are among your honored women;

at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

10Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear:

Forget your people and your father's house. [2]

11The king is enthralled by your beauty;

honor him, for he is your lord.

12The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift,B

men of wealth will seek your favor.

13All glorious is the princess within her chamber;

her gown is interwoven with gold.

14In embroidered garments she is led to the king;

her virgin companions follow her

and are brought to you.

15They are led in with joy and gladness;

they enter the palace of the king.

16Your sons will take the place of your fathers;

you will make them princes throughout the land.

17I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;

therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever. [3]

PSALMS: 75

For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." A psalm of Asaph. A song.

1We give thanks to you, O God,

we give thanks, for your Name is near;

men tell of your wonderful deeds.

2You say, "I choose the appointed time;

it is I who judge uprightly.

3When the earth and all its people quake,

it is I who hold its pillars firm.

Selah

4To the arrogant I say, `Boast no more,'

and to the wicked, `Do not lift up your horns.

5Do not lift your horns against heaven;

do not speak with outstretched neck.' "

6No one from the east or the west

or from the desert can exalt a man.

7But it is God who judges:

He brings one down, he exalts another.

8In the hand of the LORD is a cup

full of foaming wine mixed with spices;

he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth

drink it down to its very dregs.

9As for me, I will declare this forever;

I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

10I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,

but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up. [4]

PSALMS: 105

1Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;

make known among the nations what he has done.

2Sing to him, sing praise to him;

tell of all his wonderful acts.

3Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

4Look to the LORD and his strength;

seek his face always.

5Remember the wonders he has done,

his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

6O descendants of Abraham his servant,

O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

7He is the LORD our God;

his judgments are in all the earth.

8He remembers his covenant forever,

the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

9the covenant he made with Abraham,

the oath he swore to Isaac.

10He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,

to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

11"To you I will give the land of Canaan

as the portion you will inherit."

12When they were but few in number,

few indeed, and strangers in it,

13they wandered from nation to nation,

from one kingdom to another.

14He allowed no one to oppress them;

for their sake he rebuked kings:

15"Do not touch my anointed ones;

do my prophets no harm." [5]

16He called down famine on the land

and destroyed all their supplies of food;

17and he sent a man before them--

Joseph, sold as a slave.

18They bruised his feet with shackles,

his neck was put in irons,

19till what he foretold came to pass,

till the word of the LORD proved him true.

20The king sent and released him,

the ruler of peoples set him free.

21He made him master of his household,

ruler over all he possessed,

22to instruct his princes as he pleased

and teach his elders wisdom.

23Then Israel entered Egypt;

Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

24The LORD made his people very fruitful;

he made them too numerous for their foes,

25whose hearts he turned to hate his people,

to conspire against his servants.

26He sent Moses his servant,

and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

27They performed his miraculous signs among them,

his wonders in the land of Ham.

28He sent darkness and made the land dark--

for had they not rebelled against his words?

29He turned their waters into blood,

causing their fish to die.

30Their land teemed with frogs,

which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

31He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,

and gnats throughout their country.

32He turned their rain into hail,

with lightning throughout their land; [6]

33he struck down their vines and fig trees

and shattered the trees of their country.

34He spoke, and the locusts came,

grasshoppers without number;

35they ate up every green thing in their land,

ate up the produce of their soil.

36Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,

the firstfruits of all their manhood.

37He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,

and from among their tribes no one faltered.

38Egypt was glad when they left,

because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

39He spread out a cloud as a covering,

and a fire to give light at night.

40They asked, and he brought them quail

and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

41He opened the rock, and water gushed out;

like a river it flowed in the desert.

42For he remembered his holy promise

given to his servant Abraham.

43He brought out his people with rejoicing,

his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

44he gave them the lands of the nations,

and they fell heir to what others had toiled for--

45that they might keep his precepts

and observe his laws.

Praise the LORD.A [7]

PSALMS: 135

1Praise the LORD.A

Praise the name of the LORD;

praise him, you servants of the LORD,

2you who minister in the house of the LORD,

in the courts of the house of our God.

3Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;

sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

4For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own,

Israel to be his treasured possession.

5I know that the LORD is great,

that our Lord is greater than all gods.

6The LORD does whatever pleases him,

in the heavens and on the earth,

in the seas and all their depths.

7He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;

he sends lightning with the rain

and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

8He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,

the firstborn of men and animals.

9He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,

against Pharaoh and all his servants.

10He struck down many nations

and killed mighty kings--

11Sihon king of the Amorites,

Og king of Bashan

and all the kings of Canaan--

12and he gave their land as an inheritance,

an inheritance to his people Israel. [8]

13Your name, O LORD, endures forever,

your renown, O LORD, through all generations.

14For the LORD will vindicate his people

and have compassion on his servants.

15The idols of the nations are silver and gold,

made by the hands of men.

16They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but they cannot see;

17they have ears, but cannot hear,

nor is there breath in their mouths.

18Those who make them will be like them,

and so will all who trust in them.

19O house of Israel, praise the LORD;

O house of Aaron, praise the LORD;

20O house of Levi, praise the LORD;

you who fear him, praise the LORD.

21Praise be to the LORD from Zion,

to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD. [9]

PROVERBS: 15

151 A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

2The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

3The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,

keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

4The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life,

but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

5A fool spurns his father's discipline,

but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

6The house of the righteous contains great treasure,

but the income of the wicked brings them trouble.

7The lips of the wise spread knowledge;

not so the hearts of fools.

8The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked,

but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

9The LORD detests the way of the wicked

but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

10Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path;

he who hates correction will die.

11Death and DestructionA lie open before the LORD--

how much more the hearts of men! [10]

12A mocker resents correction;

he will not consult the wise.

13A happy heart makes the face cheerful,

but heartache crushes the spirit.

14The discerning heart seeks knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

15All the days of the oppressed are wretched,

but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

16Better a little with the fear of the LORD

than great wealth with turmoil.

17Better a meal of vegetables where there is love

than a fattened calf with hatred.

18A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension,

but a patient man calms a quarrel.

19The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,

but the path of the upright is a highway.

20A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

21Folly delights a man who lacks judgment,

but a man of understanding keeps a straight course.

22Plans fail for lack of counsel,

but with many advisers they succeed. [11]

23A man finds joy in giving an apt reply--

and how good is a timely word!

24The path of life leads upward for the wise

to keep him from going down to the grave.B

25The LORD tears down the proud man's house

but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact.

26The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked,

but those of the pure are pleasing to him.

27A greedy man brings trouble to his family,

but he who hates bribes will live.

28The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,

but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

29The LORD is far from the wicked

but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

30A cheerful look brings joy to the heart,

and good news gives health to the bones.

31He who listens to a life-giving rebuke

will be at home among the wise.

32He who ignores discipline despises himself,

but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. [12]

33The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom,C

and humility comes before honor. [13] [14]

OLD TESTAMENT

ECCLESIASTES 7:1 - 9:18

71 A good name is better than fine perfume,

and the day of death better than the day of birth.

2It is better to go to a house of mourning

than to go to a house of feasting,

for death is the destiny of every man;

the living should take this to heart.

3Sorrow is better than laughter,

because a sad face is good for the heart.

4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

5It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke

than to listen to the song of fools.

6Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,

so is the laughter of fools.

This too is meaningless.

7Extortion turns a wise man into a fool,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

8The end of a matter is better than its beginning,

and patience is better than pride.

9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,

for anger resides in the lap of fools.

10Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?"

For it is not wise to ask such questions. [15]

11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing

and benefits those who see the sun.

12Wisdom is a shelter

as money is a shelter,

but the advantage of knowledge is this:

that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.

13Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten

what he has made crooked?

14When times are good, be happy;

but when times are bad, consider:

God has made the one

as well as the other.

Therefore, a man cannot discover

anything about his future.

15In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:

a righteous man perishing in his righteousness,

and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

16Do not be overrighteous,

neither be overwise-- [16]

why destroy yourself?

17Do not be overwicked,

and do not be a fool--

why die before your time?

18It is good to grasp the one

and not let go of the other.

The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.A

19Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful

than ten rulers in a city.

20There is not a righteous man on earth

who does what is right and never sins.

21Do not pay attention to every word people say,

or you may hear your servant cursing you--

22for you know in your heart

that many times you yourself have cursed others.

23All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

"I am determined to be wise"--

but this was beyond me.

24Whatever wisdom may be,

it is far off and most profound--

who can discover it? [17]

25So I turned my mind to understand,

to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things

and to understand the stupidity of wickedness

and the madness of folly.

26I find more bitter than death

the woman who is a snare,

whose heart is a trap

and whose hands are chains.

The man who pleases God will escape her,

but the sinner she will ensnare.

27"Look," says the Teacher,B "this is what I have discovered:

"Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things--

28 while I was still searching

but not finding--

I found one upright man among a thousand,

but not one upright woman among them all.

29This only have I found:

God made mankind upright,

but men have gone in search of many schemes."

81 Who is like the wise man?

Who knows the explanation of things? [18]

Wisdom brightens a man's face

and changes its hard appearance.

2Obey the king's command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3Do not be in a hurry to leave the king's presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4Since a king's word is supreme, who can say to him, "What are you doing?"

5Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,

and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.

6For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,

though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him.

7Since no man knows the future,

who can tell him what is to come?

8No man has power over the wind to contain itA;

so no one has power over the day of his death.

As no one is discharged in time of war,

so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

9All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his ownB hurt. 10Then too, I saw the wicked buried--those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praiseC in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless. [19]11When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. 13Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

14There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. 15So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.

16When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth--his eyes not seeing sleep day or night-- 17then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.[20]

91So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. 2All share a common destiny--the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,A the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good man,

so with the sinner;

as it is with those who take oaths,

so with those who are afraid to take them.

3This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4Anyone who is among the living has hopeB--even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

5For the living know that they will die,

but the dead know nothing;

they have no further reward,

and even the memory of them is forgotten.

6Their love, their hate

and their jealousy have long since vanished;

never again will they have a part

in anything that happens under the sun.

7Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a [21]joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. 8Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-- all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave,C where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

11I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift

or the battle to the strong,

nor does food come to the wise

or wealth to the brilliant

or favor to the learned;

but time and chance happen to them all.

12Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,

or birds are taken in a snare,

so men are trapped by evil times

that fall unexpectedly upon them. [22]

13I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: 14There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. 15Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. 16So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

17The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded

than the shouts of a ruler of fools.

18Wisdom is better than weapons of war,

but one sinner destroys much good. [23]

NEW TESTAMENT

2 CORINTHIANS 7:7 - 16

8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it--I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-- 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. 13By all this we are encouraged.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.[24]

^{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. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸Whoever 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 ¹⁹This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹But 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

Thursday, October 22, 2009

June 15

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for Visiting THEINC-HIM Daily Bilble Meditation blog

John 3:16-21