THEINC-HIM Daily Bible Meditation - May 10 - Daily Post!

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

THEINC-HIM Daily Bible Meditation

MAY 10

PSALMS: 10, 40, 70, 100, 130

PROVERBS: 10

OLD TESTAMENT: 2 CHRONICLES 26:1 - 28: 27

NEW TESTAMENT: ROMANS 13:1 - 14

PSALMS: 10

¹ Why, ^A O LORD, do you stand far off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,

who are caught in the schemes he devises.

³ He boasts of the cravings of his heart;

he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

⁴ In his pride the wicked does not seek him;

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

⁵ His ways are always prosperous;

he is haughty and your laws are far from him;

he sneers at all his enemies.

⁶ He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;

I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

⁷ His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;

trouble and evil are under his tongue.

⁸ He lies in wait near the villages;

from ambush he murders the innocent,

watching in secret for his victims.

⁹ He lies in wait like a lion in cover;

he lies in wait to catch the helpless;

he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

¹⁰ His victims are crushed, they collapse;

they fall under his strength.

¹¹ He says to himself, "God has forgotten;

he covers his face and never sees." ¹

¹² Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.

Do not forget the helpless.

¹³ Why does the wicked man revile God?

Why does he say to himself,

"He won't call me to account"?

¹⁴ But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;

you consider it to take it in hand.

The victim commits himself to you;

you are the helper of the fatherless.

¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;

call him to account for his wickedness

that would not be found out.

¹⁶ The LORD is King for ever and ever;

the nations will perish from his land.

¹⁷ You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

¹⁸ defending the fatherless and the oppressed,

in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. ²

PSALMS: 40

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

³ He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear

and put their trust in the LORD.

⁴ Blessed is the man

who makes the LORD his trust,

who does not look to the proud,

to those who turn aside to false gods. ^A

⁵ Many, O LORD my God,

are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us

no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them,

they would be too many to declare.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but my ears you have pierced ^BC;

burnt offerings and sin offerings

you did not require.

⁷ Then I said, "Here I am, I have come--

it is written about me in the scroll. ^{D 3}

⁸ I desire to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart."

⁹ I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;

I do not seal my lips,

as you know, O LORD.

¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;

I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.

I do not conceal your love and your truth

from the great assembly.

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;

may your love and your truth always protect me.

¹² For troubles without number surround me;

my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my heart fails within me.

¹³ Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;

O LORD, come quickly to help me.

¹⁴ May all who seek to take my life

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who desire my ruin

be turned back in disgrace.

¹⁵ May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"

be appalled at their own shame.

¹⁶ But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation always say,

"The LORD be exalted!" ⁴

¹⁷ Yet I am poor and needy;

may the Lord think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

O my God, do not delay. ⁵

PSALMS: 70

For the director of music. Of David. A petition.

¹ Hasten, O God, to save me;

O LORD, come quickly to help me.

² May those who seek my life

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who desire my ruin

be turned back in disgrace.

³ May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"

turn back because of their shame.

⁴ But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation always say,

"Let God be exalted!"

⁵ Yet I am poor and needy;

come quickly to me, O God.

You are my help and my deliverer;

O LORD, do not delay. ⁶

PSALMS: 100

A psalm. For giving thanks.

¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

² Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

³ Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his ^A;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations. ⁷

PSALMS: 130

A song of ascents.

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;

² O Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive

to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,

O Lord, who could stand?

⁴ But with you there is forgiveness;

therefore you are feared.

⁵ I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

and in his word I put my hope.

⁶ My soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,

for with the LORD is unfailing love

and with him is full redemption.

⁸ He himself will redeem Israel

from all their sins. ⁸

PROVERBS: 10

10 ¹ The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish son grief to his mother.

² Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,

but righteousness delivers from death.

³ The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry

but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

⁴ Lazy hands make a man poor,

but diligent hands bring wealth.

⁵ He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son,

but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

⁶ Blessings crown the head of the righteous,

but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. ^A

⁷ The memory of the righteous will be a blessing,

but the name of the wicked will rot.

⁸ The wise in heart accept commands,

but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

⁹ The man of integrity walks securely,

but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

¹⁰ He who winks maliciously causes grief,

and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. ⁹

¹² Hatred stirs up dissension,

but love covers over all wrongs.

¹³ Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,

but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

¹⁴ Wise men store up knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

¹⁵ The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,

but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

¹⁶ The wages of the righteous bring them life,

but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.

¹⁷ He who heeds discipline shows the way to life,

but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

¹⁸ He who conceals his hatred has lying lips,

and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹ When words are many, sin is not absent,

but he who holds his tongue is wise.

²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,

but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

²¹ The lips of the righteous nourish many,

but fools die for lack of judgment.

²² The blessing of the LORD brings wealth,

and he adds no trouble to it. ¹⁰

²³ A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct,

but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.

²⁴ What the wicked dreads will overtake him;

what the righteous desire will be granted.

²⁵ When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,

but the righteous stand firm forever.

²⁶ As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

so is a sluggard to those who send him.

²⁷ The fear of the LORD adds length to life,

but the years of the wicked are cut short.

²⁸ The prospect of the righteous is joy,

but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

²⁹ The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous,

but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

³⁰ The righteous will never be uprooted,

but the wicked will not remain in the land.

³¹ The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,

but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

³² The lips of the righteous know what is fitting,

but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse. ¹¹

OLD TESTAMENT: 2 CHRONICLES 26:1 - 28: 27

26 ¹ Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, ^A who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ² He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers.

³ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. ⁴ He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear ^B of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.

⁶ He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.

⁷ God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites. ⁸ The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.

⁹ Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. ¹⁰ He also built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

¹¹ Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. ¹² The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. ¹³ Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. ¹⁴ Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army.

¹⁵ In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

¹⁶ But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. ¹⁷ Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. ¹⁸ They confronted him and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God."

¹⁹ Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD's temple, leprosy ^C broke out on his forehead. ²⁰ When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him.

²¹ King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house ^D --leprous, and excluded from the temple of the LORD. Jotham ¹² his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

²² The other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. ²³ Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.

27 ¹ Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the LORD. The people, however, continued their corrupt practices. ³ Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel. ⁴ He built towns in the Judean hills and forts and towers in the wooded areas.

⁵ Jotham made war on the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred ^{talents A} of silver, ten thousand cors ^B of wheat and ten thousand cors of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years.

⁶ Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God.

⁷ The other events in Jotham's reign, including all his wars and the other things he did, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. ⁹ Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

28 ¹ Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. ² He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made cast idols for worshiping the Baals. ³ He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

⁵ Therefore the LORD his God handed him over to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.

He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. ⁶ In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah--because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. ⁷ Zicri, an Ephraimite warrior, ¹³ killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. ⁸ The Israelites took captive from their kinsmen two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.

⁹ But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, "Because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven. ¹⁰ And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren't you also guilty of sins against the LORD your God? ¹¹ Now listen to me! Send back your fellow countrymen you have taken as prisoners, for the LORD's fierce anger rests on you."

¹² Then some of the leaders in Ephraim--Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai--confronted those who were arriving from the war. ¹³ "You must not bring those prisoners here," they said, "or we will be guilty before the LORD. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel."

¹⁴ So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. ¹⁵ The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow countrymen at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria.

¹⁶ At that time King Ahaz sent to the king ^A of Assyria for help. ¹⁷ The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners, ¹⁸ while the Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. ¹⁹ The LORD had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, ^B for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD.

²⁰ Tiglath-Pileser ^C king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help. ²¹ Ahaz took some of the things from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace and from the princes and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.

²² In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.

²³ He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

²⁴ Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. ^D He shut the doors of the LORD's temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. ²⁵ In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and provoked the LORD, ¹⁴ the God of his fathers, to anger.

²⁶ The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king. ¹⁵

NEW TESTAMENT: ROMANS 13:1 - 14

13 ¹ Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

⁴ For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

⁶ This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷ Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

⁸ Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," ^A and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ^{B 10} Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ^{C 16}

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

 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