THEINC-HIM DAILY BIBLE MEDITATION: May 22

Friday, October 23, 2009

May 22

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

MAY 22

PSALMS: 22, 52, 82, 112, 142

PROVERBS: 22

OLD TESTAMENT

NEHEMIAH 1:1 - 3:14

NEW TESTAMENT

1 CORINTHIANS 7:1 - 24

PSALMS: 22

For the director of music. To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David.

1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me,

so far from the words of my groaning?

2O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,

by night, and am not silent.

3Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

you are the praise of Israel.A

4In you our fathers put their trust;

they trusted and you delivered them.

5They cried to you and were saved;

in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by men and despised by the people.

7All who see me mock me;

they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8"He trusts in the LORD;

let the LORD rescue him.

Let him deliver him,

since he delights in him."

9Yet you brought me out of the womb;

you made me trust in you

even at my mother's breast.

10From birth I was cast upon you;

from my mother's womb you have been my God. [1]

11Do not be far from me,

for trouble is near

and there is no one to help.

12Many bulls surround me;

strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13Roaring lions tearing their prey

open their mouths wide against me.

14I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax;

it has melted away within me.

15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

you lay meB in the dust of death.

16Dogs have surrounded me;

a band of evil men has encircled me,

they have piercedC my hands and my feet.

17I can count all my bones;

people stare and gloat over me.

18They divide my garments among them

and cast lots for my clothing.

19But you, O LORD, be not far off;

O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20Deliver my life from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dogs.

21Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;

saveD me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22I will declare your name to my brothers;

in the congregation I will praise you.

23You who fear the LORD, praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! [2]

Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24For he has not despised or disdained

the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

but has listened to his cry for help.

25From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

before those who fear youE will I fulfill my vows.

26The poor will eat and be satisfied;

they who seek the LORD will praise him--

may your hearts live forever!

27All the ends of the earth

will remember and turn to the LORD,

and all the families of the nations

will bow down before him,

28for dominion belongs to the LORD

and he rules over the nations.

29All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

all who go down to the dust will kneel before him--

those who cannot keep themselves alive.

30Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord.

31They will proclaim his righteousness

to a people yet unborn--

for he has done it. [3]

PSALMS: 52

For the director of music. A maskilA of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: "David has gone to the house of Ahimelech."

1Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?

Why do you boast all day long,

you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

2Your tongue plots destruction;

it is like a sharpened razor,

you who practice deceit.

3You love evil rather than good,

falsehood rather than speaking the truth.

Selah

4You love every harmful word,

O you deceitful tongue!

5Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:

He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;

he will uproot you from the land of the living.

Selah

6The righteous will see and fear;

they will laugh at him, saying,

7"Here now is the man

who did not make God his stronghold

but trusted in his great wealth

and grew strong by destroying others!"

8But I am like an olive tree

flourishing in the house of God;

I trust in God's unfailing love

for ever and ever.

9I will praise you forever for what you have done; [4]

in your name I will hope, for your name is good.

I will praise you in the presence of your saints. [5]

PSALMS: 82

A psalm of Asaph.

1God presides in the great assembly;

he gives judgment among the "gods":

2"How long will youA defend the unjust

and show partiality to the wicked?

Selah

3Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;

maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

4Rescue the weak and needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

5"They know nothing, they understand nothing.

They walk about in darkness;

all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6"I said, `You are "gods";

you are all sons of the Most High.'

7But you will die like mere men;

you will fall like every other ruler."

8Rise up, O God, judge the earth,

for all the nations are your inheritance. [6]

PSALMS: 112

1PraiseA the LORD.B

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,

who finds great delight in his commands.

2His children will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3Wealth and riches are in his house,

and his righteousness endures forever.

4Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.C

5Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,

who conducts his affairs with justice.

6Surely he will never be shaken;

a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7He will have no fear of bad news;

his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8His heart is secure, he will have no fear;

in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

9He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,

his righteousness endures forever;

his hornD will be lifted high in honor.

10The wicked man will see and be vexed,

he will gnash his teeth and waste away;

the longings of the wicked will come to nothing. [7]

PSALMS: 142

A maskilA of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.

1I cry aloud to the LORD;

I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.

2I pour out my complaint before him;

before him I tell my trouble.

3When my spirit grows faint within me,

it is you who know my way.

In the path where I walk

men have hidden a snare for me.

4Look to my right and see;

no one is concerned for me.

I have no refuge;

no one cares for my life.

5I cry to you, O LORD;

I say, "You are my refuge,

my portion in the land of the living."

6Listen to my cry,

for I am in desperate need;

rescue me from those who pursue me,

for they are too strong for me.

7Set me free from my prison,

that I may praise your name.

Then the righteous will gather about me

because of your goodness to me. [8]

PROVERBS: 22

221 A good name is more desirable than great riches;

to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

2Rich and poor have this in common:

The LORD is the Maker of them all.

3A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,

but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

4Humility and the fear of the LORD

bring wealth and honor and life.

5In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares,

but he who guards his soul stays far from them.

6TrainA a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not turn from it.

7The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8He who sows wickedness reaps trouble,

and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

9A generous man will himself be blessed,

for he shares his food with the poor.

10Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;

quarrels and insults are ended.

11He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious

will have the king for his friend. [9]

12The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge,

but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

13The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!"

or, "I will be murdered in the streets!"

14The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;

he who is under the LORD's wrath will fall into it.

15Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

16He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth

and he who gives gifts to the rich--both come to poverty.

17Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;

apply your heart to what I teach,

18for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart

and have all of them ready on your lips.

19So that your trust may be in the LORD,

I teach you today, even you.

20Have I not written thirtyB sayings for you,

sayings of counsel and knowledge,

21teaching you true and reliable words,

so that you can give sound answers

to him who sent you?

22Do not exploit the poor because they are poor

and do not crush the needy in court,

23for the LORD will take up their case

and will plunder those who plunder them. [10]

24Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man,

do not associate with one easily angered,

25or you may learn his ways

and get yourself ensnared.

26Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge

or puts up security for debts;

27if you lack the means to pay,

your very bed will be snatched from under you.

28Do not move an ancient boundary stone

set up by your forefathers.

29Do you see a man skilled in his work?

He will serve before kings;

he will not serve before obscure men. [11]

OLD TESTAMENT

NEHEMIAH 1:1 - 3:14

1 1The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

3They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."

4When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5Then I said:

"O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

8"Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, `If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.'

10"They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man."

I was cupbearer to the king.

21In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; 2so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart."

I was very much afraid, 3but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" [12]

4The king said to me, "What is it you want?"

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."

6Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

7I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. 9So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

11I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

13By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the JackalA Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

17Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." 18I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. [13]They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.

19But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?"

20I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it."

31Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them.

3The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 4Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. 5The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.A

6The JeshanahB Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 7Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah--Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth--places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 8Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restoredC Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. 10Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. 11Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters. [14]

13The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five hundred yardsD of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

14The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. [15]

NEW TESTAMENT

1 CORINTHIANS 7:1 - 24

71Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.A 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

8Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

12To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

17Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. 20Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. 21Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to. [16]

^{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

Friday, October 23, 2009

May 22

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John 3:16-21