THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION: March 28

Saturday, October 24, 2009

March 28

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

MARCH 28

PSALMS: 28, 58, 88, 118, 148

PROVERBS: 28

OLD TESTAMENT

1 KINGS 18:1 - 46

NEW TESTAMENT

ACTS 11:1 - 30

PSALMS: 28

Of David.

1To you I call, O LORD my Rock;

do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent,

I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

2Hear my cry for mercy

as I call to you for help,

as I lift up my hands

toward your Most Holy Place.

3Do not drag me away with the wicked,

with those who do evil,

who speak cordially with their neighbors

but harbor malice in their hearts.

4Repay them for their deeds

and for their evil work;

repay them for what their hands have done

and bring back upon them what they deserve.

5Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD

and what his hands have done,

he will tear them down

and never build them up again.

6Praise be to the LORD,

for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7The LORD is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy

and I will give thanks to him in song. [1]

8The LORD is the strength of his people,

a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

9Save your people and bless your inheritance;

be their shepherd and carry them forever. [2]

PSALMS: 58

For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam.A

1Do you rulers indeed speak justly?

Do you judge uprightly among men?

2No, in your heart you devise injustice,

and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

3Even from birth the wicked go astray;

from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.

4Their venom is like the venom of a snake,

like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,

5that will not heed the tune of the charmer,

however skillful the enchanter may be.

6Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;

tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions!

7Let them vanish like water that flows away;

when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted.

8Like a slug melting away as it moves along,

like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.

9Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns--

whether they be green or dry--the wicked will be swept away.B

10The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,

when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.

11Then men will say,

"Surely the righteous still are rewarded;

surely there is a God who judges the earth." [3]

PSALMS: 88

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.A A maskilB of Heman the Ezrahite.

1O LORD, the God who saves me,

day and night I cry out before you.

2May my prayer come before you;

turn your ear to my cry.

3For my soul is full of trouble

and my life draws near the grave.C

4I am counted among those who go down to the pit;

I am like a man without strength.

5I am set apart with the dead,

like the slain who lie in the grave,

whom you remember no more,

who are cut off from your care.

6You have put me in the lowest pit,

in the darkest depths.

7Your wrath lies heavily upon me;

you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.

Selah

8You have taken from me my closest friends

and have made me repulsive to them.

I am confined and cannot escape;

9my eyes are dim with grief.

I call to you, O LORD, every day;

I spread out my hands to you.

10Do you show your wonders to the dead? [4]

Do those who are dead rise up and praise you?

Selah

11Is your love declared in the grave,

your faithfulness in DestructionD?

12Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,

or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13But I cry to you for help, O LORD;

in the morning my prayer comes before you.

14Why, O LORD, do you reject me

and hide your face from me?

15From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death;

I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.

16Your wrath has swept over me;

your terrors have destroyed me.

17All day long they surround me like a flood;

they have completely engulfed me.

18You have taken my companions and loved ones from me;

the darkness is my closest friend. [5]

PSALMS: 118

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

his love endures forever.

2Let Israel say:

"His love endures forever."

3Let the house of Aaron say:

"His love endures forever."

4Let those who fear the LORD say:

"His love endures forever."

5In my anguish I cried to the LORD,

and he answered by setting me free.

6The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

7The LORD is with me; he is my helper.

I will look in triumph on my enemies.

8It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in man.

9It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in princes.

10All the nations surrounded me,

but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

11They surrounded me on every side,

but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

12They swarmed around me like bees,

but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;

in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

13I was pushed back and about to fall,

but the LORD helped me.

14The LORD is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation. [6]

15Shouts of joy and victory

resound in the tents of the righteous:

"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!

16The LORD's right hand is lifted high;

the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"

17I will not die but live,

and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

18The LORD has chastened me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19Open for me the gates of righteousness;

I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.

20This is the gate of the LORD

through which the righteous may enter.

21I will give you thanks, for you answered me;

you have become my salvation.

22The stone the builders rejected

has become the capstone;

23the LORD has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes.

24This is the day the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25O LORD, save us;

O LORD, grant us success.

26Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.

From the house of the LORD we bless you.A

27The LORD is God,

and he has made his light shine upon us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

upB to the horns of the altar. [7]

28You are my God, and I will give you thanks;

you are my God, and I will exalt you.

29Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever. [8]

PSALMS: 148

1Praise the LORD.A

Praise the LORD from the heavens,

praise him in the heights above.

2Praise him, all his angels,

praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

3Praise him, sun and moon,

praise him, all you shining stars.

4Praise him, you highest heavens

and you waters above the skies.

5Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for he commanded and they were created.

6He set them in place for ever and ever;

he gave a decree that will never pass away.

7Praise the LORD from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

8lightning and hail, snow and clouds,

stormy winds that do his bidding,

9you mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

10wild animals and all cattle,

small creatures and flying birds,

11kings of the earth and all nations,

you princes and all rulers on earth,

12young men and maidens,

old men and children.

13Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for his name alone is exalted;

his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

14He has raised up for his people a horn,B

the praise of all his saints,

of Israel, the people close to his heart. [9]

Praise the LORD. [10]

PROVERBS: 28

281 The wicked man flees though no one pursues,

but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

2When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,

but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

3A rulerA who oppresses the poor

is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

but those who keep the law resist them.

5Evil men do not understand justice,

but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.

6Better a poor man whose walk is blameless

than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

7He who keeps the law is a discerning son,

but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

8He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest

amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

9If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law,

even his prayers are detestable.

10He who leads the upright along an evil path

will fall into his own trap,

but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

11A rich man may be wise in his own eyes,

but a poor man who has discernment sees through him. [11]

12When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;

but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

13He who conceals his sins does not prosper,

but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

14Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD,

but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

15Like a roaring lion or a charging bear

is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.

16A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment,

but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.

17A man tormented by the guilt of murder

will be a fugitive till death;

let no one support him.

18He whose walk is blameless is kept safe,

but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.

19He who works his land will have abundant food,

but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

20A faithful man will be richly blessed,

but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

21To show partiality is not good--

yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

22A stingy man is eager to get rich

and is unaware that poverty awaits him. [12]

23He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor

than he who has a flattering tongue.

24He who robs his father or mother

and says, "It's not wrong"--

he is partner to him who destroys.

25A greedy man stirs up dissension,

but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

26He who trusts in himself is a fool,

but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

27He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,

but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

28When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;

but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.[13]

OLD TESTAMENT

1 KINGS 18:1 - 46

181After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "1y." 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria, 3and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. 4While Jezebel was killing off the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) 5Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals." 6So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.

7As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"

8"Yes," he replied. "Go tell your master, `Elijah is here.' "

9"What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? 10As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. 11But now you tell me to go to my master and say, `Elijah is here.' 12I don't know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth. 13Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while [14]Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred of the LORD's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14And now you tell me to go to my master and say, `Elijah is here.' He will kill me!"

15Elijah said, "As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today."

16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?"

18"I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the LORD's commands and have followed the Baals. 19Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."

20So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."

But the people said nothing.

22Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will [15]prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire--he is God."

Then all the people said, "What you say is good."

25Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." 26So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

27At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

30Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. 31Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." 32With the stones he built an [16]altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahsA of seed. 33He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."

34"Do it again," he said, and they did it again.

"Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

36At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."

38Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

39When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD--he is God! The LORD--he is God!"

40Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

41And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." 42So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. [17]43"Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked.

"There is nothing there," he said.

Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."

44The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea."

So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, `Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' "

45Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.[18]

NEW TESTAMENT

ACTS 11:1 - 30

111The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."

4Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: 5"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7Then I heard a voice telling me, `Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'

8"I replied, `Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'

9"The voice spoke from heaven a second time, `Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.' 10This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

11"Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. 13He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, `Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'

15"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: `John baptized withA water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, [19]who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"

18When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."

19Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

22News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

27During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29The [20]disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.[21]

^{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 28

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