THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION: March 3

Saturday, October 24, 2009

March 3

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

MARCH 3

PSALMS: 3, 33, 63, 93, 123

PROVERBS: 3

OLD TESTAMENT

2 SAMUEL 2:12 - 3:39

NEW TESTAMENT

JOHN 13:1 - 30

PSALMS: 3

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

1O LORD, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!

2Many are saying of me,

"God will not deliver him."

SelahA

3But you are a shield around me, O LORD;

you bestow glory on me and liftB up my head.

4To the LORD I cry aloud,

and he answers me from his holy hill.

Selah

5I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

6I will not fear the tens of thousands

drawn up against me on every side.

7Arise, O LORD!

Deliver me, O my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw;

break the teeth of the wicked.

8From the LORD comes deliverance.

May your blessing be on your people. Selah [1]

PSALMS: 33

1Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2Praise the LORD with the harp;

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4For the word of the LORD is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

5The LORD loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,

their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7He gathers the waters of the sea into jarsA;

he puts the deep into storehouses.

8Let all the earth fear the LORD;

let all the people of the world revere him.

9For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm.

10The LORD foils the plans of the nations;

he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he chose for his inheritance.

13From heaven the LORD looks down

and sees all mankind;

14from his dwelling place he watches

all who live on earth--

15he who forms the hearts of all,

who considers everything they do.

16No king is saved by the size of his army;

no warrior escapes by his great strength. [2]

17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine.

20We wait in hope for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

21In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

22May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,

even as we put our hope in you. [3]

PSALMS: 63

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

1O God, you are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you,

my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

2I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and your glory.

3Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

4I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6On my bed I remember you;

I think of you through the watches of the night.

7Because you are my help,

I sing in the shadow of your wings.

8My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me.

9They who seek my life will be destroyed;

they will go down to the depths of the earth.

10They will be given over to the sword

and become food for jackals.[4]

11But the king will rejoice in God;

all who swear by God's name will praise him,

while the mouths of liars will be silenced. [5]

PSALMS: 93

1The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty;

the LORD is robed in majesty

and is armed with strength.

The world is firmly established;

it cannot be moved.

2Your throne was established long ago;

you are from all eternity.

3The seas have lifted up, O LORD,

the seas have lifted up their voice;

the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

4Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,

mightier than the breakers of the sea--

the LORD on high is mighty.

5Your statutes stand firm;

holiness adorns your house

for endless days, O LORD. [6]

PSALMS: 123

A song of ascents.

1I lift up my eyes to you,

to you whose throne is in heaven.

2As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the LORD our God,

till he shows us his mercy.

3Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,

for we have endured much contempt.

4We have endured much ridicule from the proud,

much contempt from the arrogant. [7]

PROVERBS: 3

31 My son, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart,

2for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you prosperity.

3Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

4Then you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

5Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.A

7Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD and shun evil.

8This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

9Honor the LORD with your wealth,

with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

and your vats will brim over with new wine.

11My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline

and do not resent his rebuke,

12because the LORD disciplines those he loves,

as a fatherB the son he delights in. [8]

13Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,

the man who gains understanding,

14for she is more profitable than silver

and yields better returns than gold.

15She is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her.

16Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

17Her ways are pleasant ways,

and all her paths are peace.

18She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;

those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

19By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,

by understanding he set the heavens in place;

20by his knowledge the deeps were divided,

and the clouds let drop the dew.

21My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,

do not let them out of your sight;

22they will be life for you,

an ornament to grace your neck.

23Then you will go on your way in safety,

and your foot will not stumble;

24when you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25Have no fear of sudden disaster

or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

26for the LORD will be your confidence

and will keep your foot from being snared.

27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,

when it is in your power to act. [9]

28Do not say to your neighbor,

"Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"--

when you now have it with you.

29Do not plot harm against your neighbor,

who lives trustfully near you.

30Do not accuse a man for no reason--

when he has done you no harm.

31Do not envy a violent man

or choose any of his ways,

32for the LORD detests a perverse man

but takes the upright into his confidence.

33The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he blesses the home of the righteous.

34He mocks proud mockers

but gives grace to the humble.

35The wise inherit honor,

but fools he holds up to shame.

OLD TESTAMENT

2 SAMUEL 2:12 - 3:39

12Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. 13Joab son of Zeruiah and David's men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.

14Then Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us."

"All right, let them do it," Joab said.

15So they stood up and were counted off--twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. 16Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent's side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.B

17The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's men.

18The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle. 19He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. 20Abner looked behind him and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?"

"It is," he answered.

21Then Abner said to him, "Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons." But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

22Again Abner warned Asahel, "Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?"

23But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the [10]butt of his spear into Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

24But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. 25Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.

26Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?"

27Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning.C"

28So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

29All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the whole BithronD and came to Mahanaim.

30Then Joab returned from pursuing Abner and assembled all his men. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David's men were found missing. 31But David's men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner.

32They took Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.[11]

31The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

2Sons were born to David in Hebron:

His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;

3his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel;

the third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

4the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;

the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

5and the sixth, Ithream the son of David's wife Eglah.

These were born to David in Hebron.

6During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. 7Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, "Why did you sleep with my father's concubine?"

8Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said and he answered, "Am I a dog's head--on Judah's side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven't handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman! 9May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD promised [12]him on oath 10and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David's throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba." 11Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

12Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, "Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you."

13"Good," said David. "I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me." 14Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins."

15So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go back home!" So he went back.

17Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, "For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18Now do it! For the LORD promised David, `By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.' "

19Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin wanted to do. 20When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and [13]his men. 21Then Abner said to David, "Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a compact with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

22Just then David's men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.

24So Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! 25You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing."

26Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it. 27Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the gateway, as though to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.

28Later, when David heard about this, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29May his blood fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house! May Joab's house never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosyA or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food." [14]

30(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

31Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner." King David himself walked behind the bier. 32They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner's tomb. All the people wept also.

33The king sang this lament for Abner:

"Should Abner have died as the lawless die?

34Your hands were not bound,

your feet were not fettered.

You fell as one falls before wicked men."

And all the people wept over him again.

35Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!"

36All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37So on that day all the people and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.

38Then the king said to his men, "Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!"[15]

NEW TESTAMENT

JOHN 13:1 - 30

131It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.A

2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

7Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

8"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

9"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

10Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes [16]and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13"You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

18"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: `He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'B

19"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."

21After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."

22His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."

25Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"

26Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. [17]"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, 28but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. [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. 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 3

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for Visiting THEINC-HIM Daily Bilble Meditation blog

John 3:16-21