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

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

THEINC-HIM Daily Bible Meditation

JULY 25

PSALMS: 25, 55, 85, 115, 145

PROVERBS: 25

OLD TESTAMENT: JEREMIAH 23:28 - 25:38

NEW TESTAMENT: 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1 - 17

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: JEREMIAH 23:28 - 25:38

²⁸ Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?" declares the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

³⁰ "Therefore," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. ³¹ Yes," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, `The LORD declares.' ³² Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," declares the LORD. "They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD.

³³ "When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, `What is the oracle <sup>D</sup> of the LORD?' say to them, `What oracle? ^E I will forsake you, declares the LORD.' ³⁴ If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, `This is the oracle of the LORD,' I will punish that man and his household. <sup>35</sup> This is what each of you keeps on saying to his friend or relative: `What is the LORD's answer?' or `What has the LORD spoken?' <sup>36</sup> But you must not mention `the oracle of the LORD' again, because every man's own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God. ³⁷ This is what you keep saying to a prophet: `What is the LORD's answer to you?' or `What has the LORD spoken?' ³⁸ Although you claim, `This is the oracle of the LORD,' this is what the LORD says: You used the words, `This is the oracle of the LORD,' even though I told you that you must not claim, `This is the oracle of the LORD.' ³⁹ Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your fathers. ⁴⁰ I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace--everlasting shame that will not be forgotten."

24 ¹ After Jehoiachin ^A son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the craftsmen and the artisans of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD. ² One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

³ Then the LORD asked me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?"

"Figs," I answered. "The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad they cannot be eaten."

⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ⁵ "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. ^{B 6} My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. ⁷ I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

⁸ "`But like the poor figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,' says the LORD, `so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials ¹⁵ and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt. ⁹ I will make them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, an object of ridicule and cursing, wherever I banish them. ¹⁰ I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their fathers.'"

25 ¹ The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. ² So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: ³ For twenty-three years--from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day--the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.

⁴ And though the LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. ⁵ They said, "Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the LORD gave to you and your fathers for ever and ever. ⁶ Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not provoke me to anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you."

⁷ "But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD, "and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves."

⁸ Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words, 

⁹ I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy ^A them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. ¹⁰ I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. ¹¹ This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

¹² "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, ^B for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever. ¹³ I will bring upon that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. ¹⁴ They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands." ¹⁶

¹⁵ This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.

¹⁶ When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them."

¹⁷ So I took the cup from the LORD's hand and made all the nations to whom he sent me drink it: ¹⁸ Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin and an object of horror and scorn and cursing, as they are today; ¹⁹ Pharaoh king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials and all his people, ²⁰ and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines (those of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod); ²¹ Edom, Moab and Ammon; ²² all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea; ²³ Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who are in distant places ^C; 

²⁴ all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who live in the desert; 

²⁵ all the kings of Zimri, Elam and Media; ²⁶ and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after the other--all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshach ^D will drink it too.

²⁷ "Then tell them, `This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword I will send among you.' 

²⁸ But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, tell them, `This is what the LORD Almighty says: You must drink it! ²⁹ See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all who live on the earth, declares the LORD Almighty.'

³⁰ "Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:

"`The LORD will roar from on high;

he will thunder from his holy dwelling

and roar mightily against his land.

He will shout like those who tread the grapes,

shout against all who live on the earth.

³¹ The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth,

for the LORD will bring charges against the nations;

he will bring judgment on all mankind

and put the wicked to the sword,'"

declares the LORD.¹⁷

³² This is what the LORD Almighty says:

"Look! Disaster is spreading

from nation to nation;

a mighty storm is rising

from the ends of the earth." ³³ At that time those slain by the LORD will be everywhere--from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground.

³⁴ Weep and wail, you shepherds;

roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock.

For your time to be slaughtered has come;

you will fall and be shattered like fine pottery.

³⁵ The shepherds will have nowhere to flee,

the leaders of the flock no place to escape.

³⁶ Hear the cry of the shepherds,

the wailing of the leaders of the flock,

for the LORD is destroying their pasture.

³⁷ The peaceful meadows will be laid waste

because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

³⁸ Like a lion he will leave his lair,

and their land will become desolate

because of the sword ^E of the oppressor

and because of the LORD's fierce anger. ¹⁸

NEW TESTAMENT: 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1 - 17

2 ¹ Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 

³ Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness ^A is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

⁵ Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹² and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

¹³ But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you ^B to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings ^C we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. ¹⁹

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

 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