THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION: March 17

Saturday, October 24, 2009

March 17

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

MARCH 17

PSALMS: 17, 47, 77, 107, 137

PROVERBS: 17

OLD TESTAMENT

1 KINGS 1:1 - 53

NEW TESTAMENT

ACTS 4:1 - 37

PSALMS: 17

A prayer of David.

1Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea;

listen to my cry.

Give ear to my prayer--

it does not rise from deceitful lips.

2May my vindication come from you;

may your eyes see what is right.

3Though you probe my heart and examine me at night,

though you test me, you will find nothing;

I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

4As for the deeds of men--

by the word of your lips

I have kept myself

from the ways of the violent.

5My steps have held to your paths;

my feet have not slipped.

6I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;

give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7Show the wonder of your great love,

you who save by your right hand

those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings

9from the wicked who assail me,

from my mortal enemies who surround me. [1]

10They close up their callous hearts,

and their mouths speak with arrogance.

11They have tracked me down, they now surround me,

with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

12They are like a lion hungry for prey,

like a great lion crouching in cover.

13Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;

rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

14O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,

from men of this world whose reward is in this life.

You still the hunger of those you cherish;

their sons have plenty,

and they store up wealth for their children.

15And I--in righteousness I will see your face;

when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing

your likeness. [2]

PSALMS: 47

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1Clap your hands, all you nations;

shout to God with cries of joy.

2How awesome is the LORD Most High,

the great King over all the earth!

3He subdued nations under us,

peoples under our feet.

4He chose our inheritance for us,

the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

Selah

5God has ascended amid shouts of joy,

the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

6Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7For God is the King of all the earth;

sing to him a psalmA of praise.

8God reigns over the nations;

God is seated on his holy throne.

9The nobles of the nations assemble

as the people of the God of Abraham,

for the kingsB of the earth belong to God;

he is greatly exalted. [3]

PSALMS: 77

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

1I cried out to God for help;

I cried out to God to hear me.

2When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

at night I stretched out untiring hands

and my soul refused to be comforted.

3I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;

I mused, and my spirit grew faint.

Selah

4You kept my eyes from closing;

I was too troubled to speak.

5I thought about the former days,

the years of long ago;

6I remembered my songs in the night.

My heart mused and my spirit inquired:

7"Will the Lord reject forever?

Will he never show his favor again?

8Has his unfailing love vanished forever?

Has his promise failed for all time?

9Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"

Selah [4]

10Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:

the years of the right hand of the Most High."

11I will remember the deeds of the LORD;

yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12I will meditate on all your works

and consider all your mighty deeds.

13Your ways, O God, are holy.

What god is so great as our God?

14You are the God who performs miracles;

you display your power among the peoples.

15With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,

the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

Selah

16The waters saw you, O God,

the waters saw you and writhed;

the very depths were convulsed.

17The clouds poured down water,

the skies resounded with thunder;

your arrows flashed back and forth.

18Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,

your lightning lit up the world;

the earth trembled and quaked.

19Your path led through the sea,

your way through the mighty waters,

though your footprints were not seen.

20You led your people like a flock

by the hand of Moses and Aaron. [5]

PSALMS: 107

1Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

2Let the redeemed of the LORD say this--

those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

3those he gathered from the lands,

from east and west, from north and south.A

4Some wandered in desert wastelands,

finding no way to a city where they could settle.

5They were hungry and thirsty,

and their lives ebbed away.

6Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.

7He led them by a straight way

to a city where they could settle.

8Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men,

9for he satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.

10Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,

prisoners suffering in iron chains,

11for they had rebelled against the words of God

and despised the counsel of the Most High.

12So he subjected them to bitter labor;

they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

13Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,

and he saved them from their distress.

14He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom

and broke away their chains.

15Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men,

16for he breaks down gates of bronze

and cuts through bars of iron. [6]

17Some became fools through their rebellious ways

and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.

18They loathed all food

and drew near the gates of death.

19Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,

and he saved them from their distress.

20He sent forth his word and healed them;

he rescued them from the grave.

21Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men.

22Let them sacrifice thank offerings

and tell of his works with songs of joy.

23Others went out on the sea in ships;

they were merchants on the mighty waters.

24They saw the works of the LORD,

his wonderful deeds in the deep.

25For he spoke and stirred up a tempest

that lifted high the waves.

26They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;

in their peril their courage melted away.

27They reeled and staggered like drunken men;

they were at their wits' end.

28Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

and he brought them out of their distress.

29He stilled the storm to a whisper;

the waves of the sea were hushed.

30They were glad when it grew calm,

and he guided them to their desired haven.

31Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men.

32Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people [7]

and praise him in the council of the elders.

33He turned rivers into a desert,

flowing springs into thirsty ground,

34and fruitful land into a salt waste,

because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

35He turned the desert into pools of water

and the parched ground into flowing springs;

36there he brought the hungry to live,

and they founded a city where they could settle.

37They sowed fields and planted vineyards

that yielded a fruitful harvest;

38he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,

and he did not let their herds diminish.

39Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled

by oppression, calamity and sorrow;

40he who pours contempt on nobles

made them wander in a trackless waste.

41But he lifted the needy out of their affliction

and increased their families like flocks.

42The upright see and rejoice,

but all the wicked shut their mouths.

43Whoever is wise, let him heed these things

and consider the great love of the LORD. [8]

PSALMS: 137

1By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept

when we remembered Zion.

2There on the poplars

we hung our harps,

3for there our captors asked us for songs,

our tormentors demanded songs of joy;

they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

4How can we sing the songs of the LORD

while in a foreign land?

5If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

may my right hand forget its skill.

6May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth

if I do not remember you,

if I do not consider Jerusalem

my highest joy.

7Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did

on the day Jerusalem fell.

"Tear it down," they cried,

"tear it down to its foundations!"

8O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,

happy is he who repays you

for what you have done to us--

9he who seizes your infants

and dashes them against the rocks. [9]

PROVERBS: 17

171 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet

than a house full of feasting,A with strife.

2A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son,

and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

3The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

but the LORD tests the heart.

4A wicked man listens to evil lips;

a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

5He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;

whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

6Children's children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

7ArrogantB lips are unsuited to a fool--

how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

8A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it;

wherever he turns, he succeeds.

9He who covers over an offense promotes love,

but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

10A rebuke impresses a man of discernment

more than a hundred lashes a fool.

11An evil man is bent only on rebellion;

a merciless official will be sent against him. [10]

12Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool in his folly.

13If a man pays back evil for good,

evil will never leave his house.

14Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;

so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent--

the LORD detests them both.

16Of what use is money in the hand of a fool,

since he has no desire to get wisdom?

17A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

18A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge

and puts up security for his neighbor.

19He who loves a quarrel loves sin;

he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

20A man of perverse heart does not prosper;

he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

21To have a fool for a son brings grief;

there is no joy for the father of a fool. [11]

22A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

23A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret

to pervert the course of justice.

24A discerning man keeps wisdom in view,

but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

25A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to the one who bore him.

26It is not good to punish an innocent man,

or to flog officials for their integrity.

27A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,

and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

28Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,

and discerning if he holds his tongue. [12]

OLD TESTAMENT

1 KINGS 1:1 - 53

1 1When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. 2So his servants said to him, "Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm."

3Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.

5Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, "I will be king." So he got chariots and horsesA ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. 6(His father had never interfered with him by asking, "Why do you behave as you do?" He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)

7Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and ReiB and David's special guard did not join Adonijah.

9Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials, 10but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.

11Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David's knowing it? 12Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. [13]13Go in to King David and say to him, `My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' 14While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said."

15So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. 16Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king.

"What is it you want?" the king asked.

17She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the LORD your God: `Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.' 18But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals."

22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23And they told the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.

24Nathan said, "Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? 25Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, [14]fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, `Long live King Adonijah!' 26But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. 27Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

28Then King David said, "Call in Bathsheba." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him.

29The king then took an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, 30I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place."

31Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, "May my lord King David live forever!"

32King David said, "Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." When they came before the king, 33he said to them: "Take your lord's servants with you and set Solomon my son on my own mule and take him down to Gihon. 34There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, `Long live King Solomon!' 35Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah." [15]36Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. 37As the LORD was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!"

38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon. 39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" 40And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.

41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, "What's the meaning of all the noise in the city?"

42Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news."

43"Not at all!" Jonathan answered. "Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king's mule, 45and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That's the noise you hear. 46Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne.

47Also, the royal officials have come to [16]congratulate our lord King David, saying, `May your God make Solomon's name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!' And the king bowed in worship on his bed 48and said, `Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.' "

49At this, all Adonijah's guests rose in alarm and dispersed. 50But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51Then Solomon was told, "Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, `Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.' "

52Solomon replied, "If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die." 53Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, "Go to your home."[17]

NEW TESTAMENT

ACTS 4:1 - 37

41The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

5The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. 7They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"

8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11He is

" `the stone you builders rejected,

which has become the capstone.A'B

12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they [18]

" `Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

26The kings of the earth take their stand

and the rulers gather together

against the Lord

and against his Anointed One.C'D

27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the peopleE of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was [19]distributed to anyone as he had need.

36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.[20]

^{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

THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION

Saturday, October 24, 2009

March 17

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John 3:16-21