Meditations and reflection
Meditations and reflections ~ Morning Meditations 11-21-2020 https://anotepad.com/notes/xhni7piy
Meditations in God's Holy Book, The Bible In the New Living Translation Psalm 19 For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. 6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat. 7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. 9 Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. 10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. 11 They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. 12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Proverbs 21
1 The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases. 2 People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. 3 The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. 4 Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin. 5 Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. 6 Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap. 7 The violence of the wicked sweeps them away, because they refuse to do what is just. 8 The guilty walk a crooked path; the innocent travel a straight road. 9 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home. 10 Evil people desire evil; their neighbors get no mercy from them. 11 If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded become wise; if you instruct the wise, they will be all the wiser. 12 The Righteous One knows what is going on in the homes of the wicked; he will bring disaster on them. 13 Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need. 14 A secret gift calms anger; a bribe under the table pacifies fury. 15 Justice is a joy to the godly, but it terrifies evildoers. 16 The person who strays from common sense will end up in the company of the dead. (Personal note - Talking about prudence)
17 Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich. 18 The wicked are punished in place of the godly, and traitors in place of the honest. 19 It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife. 20 The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get. 21 Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. 22 The wise conquer the city of the strong and level the fortress in which they trust. 23 Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. 24 Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance. 25 Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work. 26 Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! 27 The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives. 28 A false witness will be cut off, but a credible witness will be allowed to speak. 29 The wicked bluff their way through, but the virtuous think before they act. 30 No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord. 31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. Revelation 3 The Message to the Church in Sardis
1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.
2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. 4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. 6 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
The Message to the Church in Philadelphia 7 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open: 8 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. 9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love. 10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name. 13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. The Message to the Church in Laodicea 14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: 15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”
