THEINC-HIM Daily Bible Meditation - September 7 - Full Text!

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

THEINC-HIM Daily Bible Meditation

SEPTEMBER 7

PSALMS: 7, 37, 67, 97, 127

PROVERBS: 7

OLD TESTAMENT: DANIEL 4:1 - 37

NEW TESTAMENT: 2 TIMOTHY 1:1 - 18

PSALMS: 7

A shiggaion ^A of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

¹ O LORD my God, I take refuge in you;

save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

² or they will tear me like a lion

and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

³ O LORD my God, if I have done this

and there is guilt on my hands--

⁴ if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me

or without cause have robbed my foe--

⁵ then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;

let him trample my life to the ground

and make me sleep in the dust.

Selah

⁶ Arise, O LORD, in your anger;

rise up against the rage of my enemies.

Awake, my God; decree justice.

⁷ Let the assembled peoples gather around you.

Rule over them from on high;

⁸ let the LORD judge the peoples.

Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,

according to my integrity, O Most High.

⁹ O righteous God,

who searches minds and hearts,

bring to an end the violence of the wicked

and make the righteous secure. ¹

¹⁰ My shield ^B is God Most High,

who saves the upright in heart.

¹¹ God is a righteous judge,

a God who expresses his wrath every day.

¹² If he does not relent,

he ^C will sharpen his sword;

he will bend and string his bow.

¹³ He has prepared his deadly weapons;

he makes ready his flaming arrows.

¹⁴ He who is pregnant with evil

and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.

¹⁵ He who digs a hole and scoops it out

falls into the pit he has made.

¹⁶ The trouble he causes recoils on himself;

his violence comes down on his own head.

¹⁷ I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness

and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. ²

PSALMS: 37

Of David.

¹ Do ^A not fret because of evil men

or be envious of those who do wrong;

² for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the LORD and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him and he will do this:

⁶ He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret--it leads only to evil.

⁹ For evil men will be cut off,

but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;

though you look for them, they will not be found.

¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land

and enjoy great peace. ³

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them;

¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword

and bend the bow

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose ways are upright.

¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have

than the wealth of many wicked;

¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,

but the LORD upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,

and their inheritance will endure forever.

¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;

in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish:

The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,

they will vanish--vanish like smoke.

²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,

but the righteous give generously;

²² those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,

but those he curses will be cut off. ⁴

²³ If the LORD delights in a man's way,

he makes his steps firm;

²⁴ though he stumble, he will not fall,

for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;

their children will be blessed.

²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;

then you will dwell in the land forever.

²⁸ For the LORD loves the just

and will not forsake his faithful ones.

They will be protected forever,

but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

²⁹ the righteous will inherit the land

and dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks what is just.

³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;

his feet do not slip.

³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,

seeking their very lives;

³³ but the LORD will not leave them in their power

or let them be condemned when brought to trial. ⁵

³⁴ Wait for the LORD

and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land;

when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man

flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;

though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;

there is a future ^B for the man of peace.

³⁸ But all sinners will be destroyed;

the future ^C of the wicked will be cut off.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

⁴⁰ The LORD helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him. ⁶

PSALMS: 67

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face shine upon us,

Selah

² that your ways may be known on earth,

your salvation among all nations.

³ May the peoples praise you, O God;

may all the peoples praise you.

⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you rule the peoples justly

and guide the nations of the earth.

Selah

⁵ May the peoples praise you, O God;

may all the peoples praise you.

⁶ Then the land will yield its harvest,

and God, our God, will bless us.

⁷ God will bless us,

and all the ends of the earth will fear him. ⁷

PSALMS: 97

¹ The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;

let the distant shores rejoice.

² Clouds and thick darkness surround him;

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

³ Fire goes before him

and consumes his foes on every side.

⁴ His lightning lights up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

⁵ The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the Lord of all the earth.

⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

and all the peoples see his glory.

⁷ All who worship images are put to shame,

those who boast in idols--

worship him, all you gods!

⁸ Zion hears and rejoices

and the villages of Judah are glad

because of your judgments, O LORD.

⁹ For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.

¹⁰ Let those who love the LORD hate evil,

for he guards the lives of his faithful ones

and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

¹¹ Light is shed upon the righteous

and joy on the upright in heart.

¹² Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous,

and praise his holy name. ⁸

PSALMS: 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,

its builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchmen stand guard in vain.

² In vain you rise early

and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat--

for he grants sleep to ^A those he loves.

³ Sons are a heritage from the LORD,

children a reward from him.

⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

are sons born in one's youth.

⁵ Blessed is the man

whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame

when they contend with their enemies in the gate. ⁹

PROVERBS: 7

7 ¹ My son, keep my words

and store up my commands within you.

² Keep my commands and you will live;

guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

³ Bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴ Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"

and call understanding your kinsman;

⁵ they will keep you from the adulteress,

from the wayward wife with her seductive words.

⁶ At the window of my house

I looked out through the lattice.

⁷ I saw among the simple,

I noticed among the young men,

a youth who lacked judgment.

⁸ He was going down the street near her corner,

walking along in the direction of her house

⁹ at twilight, as the day was fading,

as the dark of night set in.

¹⁰ Then out came a woman to meet him,

dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

¹¹ (She is loud and defiant,

her feet never stay at home;

¹² now in the street, now in the squares,

at every corner she lurks.)

¹³ She took hold of him and kissed him

and with a brazen face she said:

¹⁴ "I have fellowship offerings ^A at home;

today I fulfilled my vows.

¹⁵ So I came out to meet you; ¹⁰

I looked for you and have found you!

¹⁶ I have covered my bed

with colored linens from Egypt.

¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed

with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

¹⁸ Come, let's drink deep of love till morning;

let's enjoy ourselves with love!

¹⁹ My husband is not at home;

he has gone on a long journey.

²⁰ He took his purse filled with money

and will not be home till full moon."

²¹ With persuasive words she led him astray;

she seduced him with her smooth talk.

²² All at once he followed her

like an ox going to the slaughter,

like a deer ^B stepping into a noose ^C

²³ till an arrow pierces his liver,

like a bird darting into a snare,

little knowing it will cost him his life.

²⁴ Now then, my sons, listen to me;

pay attention to what I say.

²⁵ Do not let your heart turn to her ways

or stray into her paths.

²⁶ Many are the victims she has brought down;

her slain are a mighty throng.

²⁷ Her house is a highway to the grave, ^D

leading down to the chambers of death. ¹¹

OLD TESTAMENT: DANIEL 4:1 - 37

4 ¹ King Nebuchadnezzar,

To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world:

May you prosper greatly!

² It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

³ How great are his signs,

how mighty his wonders!

His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;

his dominion endures from generation to generation.

⁴ I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. ⁵ I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. ⁶ So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. ⁷ When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers ^A and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. ⁸ Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)

⁹ I said, "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.

¹⁰ These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. ¹¹ The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. ¹² Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.

¹³ "In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, ^B a holy one, coming down from heaven. ¹⁴ He called in a loud voice: `Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and ¹²the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

"`Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth.

¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times ^C pass by for him.

¹⁷ "`The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'

¹⁸ "This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you."

¹⁹ Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you."

Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!

²⁰ The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, ²¹ with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air—²² you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

²³ "You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, `Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.'

²⁴ "This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: ²⁵ You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. ²⁶ The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue."

²⁸ All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹ Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, ³⁰ he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" ¹³

³¹ The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. ³² You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."

³³ Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

³⁴ At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

His dominion is an eternal dominion;

his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

³⁵ All the peoples of the earth

are regarded as nothing.

He does as he pleases

with the powers of heaven

and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back his hand

or say to him: "What have you done?"

³⁶ At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. ³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. ¹⁴

NEW TESTAMENT: 2 TIMOTHY 1:1 - 18

1 ¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

² To Timothy, my dear son:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. ⁴ Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

⁸ So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

¹¹ And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. ¹² That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

¹³ What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

¹⁵ You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

¹⁶ May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. ¹⁷ On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. ¹⁸ May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. ¹⁵

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

 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