THEINC-HIM Daily Bible Meditation - August 25 - Full Text!

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

THEINC-HIM Daily Bible Meditaton

AUGUST 25

PSALMS: 25, 55, 85, 115, 145

PROVERBS: 25

OLD TESTAMENT: EZEKIEL 29:1 - 30:26

NEW TESTAMENT: HEBREWS 11:32 – 12:13

PSALMS: 25

Of David.

¹ To ^A you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

² in you I trust, O my God.

Do not let me be put to shame,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

³ No one whose hope is in you

will ever be put to shame,

but they will be put to shame

who are treacherous without excuse.

⁴ Show me your ways, O LORD,

teach me your paths;

⁵ guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.

⁶ Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,

for they are from of old.

⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth

and my rebellious ways;

according to your love remember me,

for you are good, O LORD.

⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

⁹ He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

¹⁰ All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful

for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

¹¹ For the sake of your name, O LORD,

forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

¹² Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? ¹

He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

¹³ He will spend his days in prosperity,

and his descendants will inherit the land.

¹⁴ The LORD confides in those who fear him;

he makes his covenant known to them.

¹⁵ My eyes are ever on the LORD,

for only he will release my feet from the snare.

¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

¹⁷ The troubles of my heart have multiplied;

free me from my anguish.

¹⁸ Look upon my affliction and my distress

and take away all my sins.

¹⁹ See how my enemies have increased

and how fiercely they hate me!

²⁰ Guard my life and rescue me;

let me not be put to shame,

for I take refuge in you.

²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me,

because my hope is in you.

²² Redeem Israel, O God,

from all their troubles! ²

PSALMS: 55

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil ^A of David.

¹ Listen to my prayer, O God,

do not ignore my plea;

² hear me and answer me.

My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

³ at the voice of the enemy,

at the stares of the wicked;

for they bring down suffering upon me

and revile me in their anger.

⁴ My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death assail me.

⁵ Fear and trembling have beset me;

horror has overwhelmed me.

⁶ I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest--

⁷ I would flee far away

and stay in the desert;

Selah

⁸ I would hurry to my place of shelter,

far from the tempest and storm."

⁹ Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech,

for I see violence and strife in the city.

¹⁰ Day and night they prowl about on its walls;

malice and abuse are within it.

¹¹ Destructive forces are at work in the city;

threats and lies never leave its streets. ³

¹² If an enemy were insulting me,

I could endure it;

if a foe were raising himself against me,

I could hide from him.

¹³ But it is you, a man like myself,

my companion, my close friend,

¹⁴ with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship

as we walked with the throng at the house of God.

¹⁵ Let death take my enemies by surprise;

let them go down alive to the grave, ^B

for evil finds lodging among them.

¹⁶ But I call to God,

and the LORD saves me.

¹⁷ Evening, morning and noon

I cry out in distress,

and he hears my voice.

¹⁸ He ransoms me unharmed

from the battle waged against me,

even though many oppose me.

¹⁹ God, who is enthroned forever,

will hear them and afflict them--

Selah

men who never change their ways

and have no fear of God.

²⁰ My companion attacks his friends;

he violates his covenant.

²¹ His speech is smooth as butter,

yet war is in his heart;

his words are more soothing than oil, ⁴

yet they are drawn swords.

²² Cast your cares on the LORD

and he will sustain you;

he will never let the righteous fall.

²³ But you, O God, will bring down the wicked

into the pit of corruption;

bloodthirsty and deceitful men

will not live out half their days.

But as for me, I trust in you. ⁵

PSALMS: 85

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

¹ You showed favor to your land, O LORD;

you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

² You forgave the iniquity of your people

and covered all their sins.

Selah

³ You set aside all your wrath

and turned from your fierce anger.

⁴ Restore us again, O God our Savior,

and put away your displeasure toward us.

⁵ Will you be angry with us forever?

Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

⁶ Will you not revive us again,

that your people may rejoice in you?

⁷ Show us your unfailing love, O LORD,

and grant us your salvation.

⁸ I will listen to what God the LORD will say;

he promises peace to his people, his saints--

but let them not return to folly.

⁹ Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,

that his glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰ Love and faithfulness meet together;

righteousness and peace kiss each other.

¹¹ Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,

and righteousness looks down from heaven.

¹² The LORD will indeed give what is good,

and our land will yield its harvest.

¹³ Righteousness goes before him ⁶

and prepares the way for his steps. ⁷

PSALMS: 115

¹ Not to us, O LORD, not to us

but to your name be the glory,

because of your love and faithfulness.

² Why do the nations say,

"Where is their God?"

³ Our God is in heaven;

he does whatever pleases him.

⁴ But their idols are silver and gold,

made by the hands of men.

⁵ They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but they cannot see;

⁶ they have ears, but cannot hear,

noses, but they cannot smell;

⁷ they have hands, but cannot feel,

feet, but they cannot walk;

nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

⁸ Those who make them will be like them,

and so will all who trust in them.

⁹ O house of Israel, trust in the LORD--

he is their help and shield.

¹⁰ O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD--

he is their help and shield.

¹¹ You who fear him, trust in the LORD--

he is their help and shield.

¹² The LORD remembers us and will bless us:

He will bless the house of Israel,

he will bless the house of Aaron,

¹³ he will bless those who fear the LORD--

small and great alike. ⁸

¹⁴ May the LORD make you increase,

both you and your children.

¹⁵ May you be blessed by the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

¹⁶ The highest heavens belong to the LORD,

but the earth he has given to man.

¹⁷ It is not the dead who praise the LORD,

those who go down to silence;

¹⁸ it is we who extol the LORD,

both now and forevermore.

Praise the LORD. ^{A 9}

PSALMS: 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

¹ I ^A will exalt you, my God the King;

I will praise your name for ever and ever.

² Every day I will praise you

and extol your name for ever and ever.

³ Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;

his greatness no one can fathom.

⁴ One generation will commend your works to another;

they will tell of your mighty acts.

⁵ They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and I will meditate on your wonderful works. ^B

⁶ They will tell of the power of your awesome works,

and I will proclaim your great deeds.

⁷ They will celebrate your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

⁸ The LORD is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹ The LORD is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

¹⁰ All you have made will praise you, O LORD;

your saints will extol you.

¹¹ They will tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might,

¹² so that all men may know of your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures through all generations. ¹⁰

The LORD is faithful to all his promises

and loving toward all he has made. ^C

¹⁴ The LORD upholds all those who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

¹⁶ You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways

and loving toward all he has made.

¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

²⁰ The LORD watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.

Let every creature praise his holy name

for ever and ever. ¹¹

PROVERBS: 25

25 ¹ These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;

to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

³ As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,

so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴ Remove the dross from the silver,

and out comes material for ^A the silversmith;

⁵ remove the wicked from the king's presence,

and his throne will be established through righteousness.

⁶ Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence,

and do not claim a place among great men;

⁷ it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here,"

than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.

What you have seen with your eyes

⁸ do not bring ^B hastily to court,

for what will you do in the end

if your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹ If you argue your case with a neighbor,

do not betray another man's confidence,

¹⁰ or he who hears it may shame you

and you will never lose your bad reputation.

¹¹ A word aptly spoken

is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹² Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold

is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear. ¹²

¹³ Like the coolness of snow at harvest time

is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;

he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

¹⁴ Like clouds and wind without rain

is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.

¹⁵ Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,

and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁶ If you find honey, eat just enough--

too much of it, and you will vomit.

¹⁷ Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house--

too much of you, and he will hate you.

¹⁸ Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow

is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.

¹⁹ Like a bad tooth or a lame foot

is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.

²⁰ Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,

or like vinegar poured on soda,

is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;

if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

²² In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,

and the LORD will reward you.

²³ As a north wind brings rain,

so a sly tongue brings angry looks. ¹³

²⁴ Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

²⁵ Like cold water to a weary soul

is good news from a distant land.

²⁶ Like a muddied spring or a polluted well

is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

²⁷ It is not good to eat too much honey,

nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

²⁸ Like a city whose walls are broken down

is a man who lacks self-control. ¹⁴

OLD TESTAMENT: EZEKIEL 29:1 - 30:26

29 ¹ In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the LORD came to me: ² "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. ³ Speak to him and say: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

"I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,

you great monster lying among your streams.

You say, "The Nile is mine;

I made it for myself."

⁴ But I will put hooks in your jaws

and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.

I will pull you out from among your streams,

with all the fish sticking to your scales.

⁵ I will leave you in the desert,

you and all the fish of your streams.

You will fall on the open field

and not be gathered or picked up.

I will give you as food

to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air.

⁶ Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the LORD.

"`You have been a staff of reed for the house of Israel. ⁷ When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched. ^A

⁸ "`Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will bring a sword against you and kill your men and their animals. ⁹ Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

"`Because you said, "The Nile is mine; I made it," ¹⁰ therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush. ^{B 11} No foot of man or animal will pass through it; no one will ¹⁵ live there for forty years. ¹² I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

¹³"`Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. ¹⁴ I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt, ^C the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. ¹⁵ It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. 

¹⁶ Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'"

¹⁷ In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me: ¹⁸ "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. ¹⁹ Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army. ²⁰ I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign LORD.

²¹ "On that day I will make a horn ^D grow for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

30 ¹ The word of the LORD came to me: ² "Son of man, prophesy and say: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

"`Wail and say,

"Alas for that day!"

³ For the day is near,

the day of the LORD is near--

a day of clouds,

a time of doom for the nations.

⁴ A sword will come against Egypt, ¹⁶

and anguish will come upon Cush. ^A

When the slain fall in Egypt,

her wealth will be carried away

and her foundations torn down.

⁵ Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya ^B and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

⁶ "`This is what the LORD says:

"`The allies of Egypt will fall

and her proud strength will fail.

From Migdol to Aswan

they will fall by the sword within her,

declares the Sovereign LORD.

⁷"`They will be desolate

among desolate lands,

and their cities will lie

among ruined cities.

⁸ Then they will know that I am the LORD,

when I set fire to Egypt

and all her helpers are crushed.

⁹ "`On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt's doom, for it is sure to come.

¹⁰ "`This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

"`I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt

by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. ¹⁷

¹¹ He and his army--the most ruthless of nations--

will be brought in to destroy the land.

They will draw their swords against Egypt

and fill the land with the slain.

¹² I will dry up the streams of the Nile

and sell the land to evil men;

by the hand of foreigners

I will lay waste the land and everything in it.

I the LORD have spoken.

¹³ "`This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

"`I will destroy the idols

and put an end to the images in Memphis. ^C

No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,

and I will spread fear throughout the land.

¹⁴ I will lay waste Upper Egypt, ^D

set fire to Zoan

and inflict punishment on Thebes. ^E

¹⁵ I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, ^F

the stronghold of Egypt,

and cut off the hordes of Thebes.

¹⁶ I will set fire to Egypt;

Pelusium will writhe in agony.

Thebes will be taken by storm;

Memphis will be in constant distress. ¹⁸

¹⁷ The young men of Heliopolis ^G and Bubastis ^H

will fall by the sword,

and the cities themselves will go into captivity.

¹⁸ Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes

when I break the yoke of Egypt;

there her proud strength will come to an end.

She will be covered with clouds,

and her villages will go into captivity.

¹⁹ So I will inflict punishment on Egypt,

and they will know that I am the LORD.'"

²⁰ In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the LORD came to me: ²¹ "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up for healing or put in a splint so as to become strong enough to hold a sword. 

²² Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand. ²³ I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. ²⁴ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. ²⁵ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. ²⁶ I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD." ¹⁹

NEW TESTAMENT: HEBREWS 11:32 – 12:13

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,

³⁴ quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. ³⁵ Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. ³⁷ They were stoned ^F; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹ These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. ⁴⁰ God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

12 ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

⁶ because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." ^{A 20}

⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! ¹⁰ Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³ "Make level paths for your feet," ^B so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. ²¹

1 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

2 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

3 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

4 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

5 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

6 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

7 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

8 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

9 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

10 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

11 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

12 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

13 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

14 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

15 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

16 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

17 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

18 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

19 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

20 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

21 Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

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