|
MEDITATIONS
|
archive of past meditations can be found
at the bottom of this page |
MOST RECENT MEDITATIONS
psalm 18 meditation 1 (introductory)--psalm 18.1-2a
tuesday, april 22, 2025
1For the director. Belonging to YHWH’s servant, Dāwid, who addressed the words of the following song to YHWH at a time that YHWH delivered him from the grasp of all his enemies, including the power of Še’ô l and he said, 2"I adore You, YHWH, my strength."
Verses 1-2a represent a superscript to Psalm 18. I have said little about the superscripts that accompany previous psalms--all but psalms 1, 2, and 10 possessing a superscript. Most of the superscripts seem administrative, some perhaps provide direction on performance. Up to this point, only the superscripts of Psalms 3 and 7 have, like this psalm, offered a suggested historical setting for the psalm.
Scholars and interested readers have approached the proposed historical settings in the superscripts differently. Some believe that the superscripts indicate that the Psalm was actually written in light of the proposed event, and that the event should guide one’s interpretation of the entire Psalm. Others feel that the superscripts were not original, but added later. Both positions have their strengths and weaknesses. I tend to side with the latter position that the superscripts were added later. I rarely use them to interpret any psalm so headed.
In addition to my general reluctance to utilize any superscript as a cipher for interpreting any psalm, I find other reasons to be skeptical about this Psalm’s superscript. First, there is no compelling reason for connecting the psalm with the events surrounding the conflict between David and Saul. Even the psalms presence in 2 Samuel 22 seems contrived and certainly misplaced. Without the superscript, it is doubtful that one would read the psalm and connect it with that conflict.
Second is the issue of translation. The superscript, as it reads in the KJV, claims that the psalm was written “in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the power of Saul.” This is in line with the Masoretic text as we have it today, specifically its vowel pointing of Š’l . As opposed to this translation, I translate, “at a time that YHWH delivered him from the grasp of all his enemies, including the power of Še’ôl.” The translation “Še’ôl” rather than “Saul,” is the result of changing vowels without any alteration of the consonantal text--remembering that for many centuries the text existed without vowels.
In reading Psalm 18 independent of the superscript or its contrived location in Samuel, one would never think of Saul as the enemy discussed in the psalm. However, one would absolutely think of death and Še’ôl as the threat the Psalmist faced. It is most certainly from Še’ôl’s power that God delivers the Psalmist--the suggestion that it was death at the hands of Saul is not persuasive. Thus, if the superscript is to be kept and utilized for interpretive purposes, it makes more sense to understand the enemy of the superscript as Še’ôl rather than Saul. Indeed, the enemy that threatens the Psalmist and from which he is delivered is so obviously Še’ôl that the superscript is superfluous. At least, that is how I see it.
In previous psalms and, indeed, in many, many more to follow, the Psalmist finds himself under a variety of threats. These threats bring him to call upon God for His help and deliverance. Many a psalm contains praise of God as He responds to the pleas, and delivers the Psalmist. This psalm’s superscript informs us that God has already delivered the Psalmist. Because of this deliverance, the Psalmist “adores” God and looks to Him for strength in whatever challenges he may face.
I too adore God. I adore Him for what He has done and meant in my life. Just as with the Book of Mormon figure, Lehi, there is a sense in which He “hath redeemed my soul from hell,” or from Še’ôl-- death and hell.
But, more than this, I adore my God for who and what He is, in and of Himself. Even if He did not act in my life, I would find His character worthy of adoration. He is magnificent. And, as the Psalmist will later exclaim, “His character alone is excellent.”
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Verses 1-2a represent a superscript to Psalm 18. I have said little about the superscripts that accompany previous psalms--all but psalms 1, 2, and 10 possessing a superscript. Most of the superscripts seem administrative, some perhaps provide direction on performance. Up to this point, only the superscripts of Psalms 3 and 7 have, like this psalm, offered a suggested historical setting for the psalm.
Scholars and interested readers have approached the proposed historical settings in the superscripts differently. Some believe that the superscripts indicate that the Psalm was actually written in light of the proposed event, and that the event should guide one’s interpretation of the entire Psalm. Others feel that the superscripts were not original, but added later. Both positions have their strengths and weaknesses. I tend to side with the latter position that the superscripts were added later. I rarely use them to interpret any psalm so headed.
In addition to my general reluctance to utilize any superscript as a cipher for interpreting any psalm, I find other reasons to be skeptical about this Psalm’s superscript. First, there is no compelling reason for connecting the psalm with the events surrounding the conflict between David and Saul. Even the psalms presence in 2 Samuel 22 seems contrived and certainly misplaced. Without the superscript, it is doubtful that one would read the psalm and connect it with that conflict.
Second is the issue of translation. The superscript, as it reads in the KJV, claims that the psalm was written “in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the power of Saul.” This is in line with the Masoretic text as we have it today, specifically its vowel pointing of Š’l . As opposed to this translation, I translate, “at a time that YHWH delivered him from the grasp of all his enemies, including the power of Še’ôl.” The translation “Še’ôl” rather than “Saul,” is the result of changing vowels without any alteration of the consonantal text--remembering that for many centuries the text existed without vowels.
In reading Psalm 18 independent of the superscript or its contrived location in Samuel, one would never think of Saul as the enemy discussed in the psalm. However, one would absolutely think of death and Še’ôl as the threat the Psalmist faced. It is most certainly from Še’ôl’s power that God delivers the Psalmist--the suggestion that it was death at the hands of Saul is not persuasive. Thus, if the superscript is to be kept and utilized for interpretive purposes, it makes more sense to understand the enemy of the superscript as Še’ôl rather than Saul. Indeed, the enemy that threatens the Psalmist and from which he is delivered is so obviously Še’ôl that the superscript is superfluous. At least, that is how I see it.
In previous psalms and, indeed, in many, many more to follow, the Psalmist finds himself under a variety of threats. These threats bring him to call upon God for His help and deliverance. Many a psalm contains praise of God as He responds to the pleas, and delivers the Psalmist. This psalm’s superscript informs us that God has already delivered the Psalmist. Because of this deliverance, the Psalmist “adores” God and looks to Him for strength in whatever challenges he may face.
I too adore God. I adore Him for what He has done and meant in my life. Just as with the Book of Mormon figure, Lehi, there is a sense in which He “hath redeemed my soul from hell,” or from Še’ôl-- death and hell.
But, more than this, I adore my God for who and what He is, in and of Himself. Even if He did not act in my life, I would find His character worthy of adoration. He is magnificent. And, as the Psalmist will later exclaim, “His character alone is excellent.”
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
luke 24.1-12 meditation #47 for lent
sunday, april 20, 2025
1Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4*As they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5and as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them,
“Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7saying, ‘The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
8And they remembered his words, 9and returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
Right out of the shoot, Luke, like the other Gospel writers, seeks to instill within his readers a sense of wonderment, of amazement, of astonishment, of marvel and bewilderment. Their message is no ordinary message. The Man about whom they write is no ordinary man.
Amazingly, an elderly couple, barren even in their prime, are to have a baby; a boy who will prepare the way for Messiah.
A crowd, awaiting Zachariah’s exit from the temple and the pronouncement of the priestly blessing, “marvelled that he tarried so long.” Angelic visits cannot be rushed.
Family, gathered for a son’s blessing, “marvel all” at the choice of name: Yohanan, Yahweh is merciful, a foreshadow of what is to come.
Acquaintances of humble shepherds, who were audience to a choir of angels, “wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”
Exploring religious insights with the twelve-year-old Jesus, a group of wizened theologians “were astonished at his understanding and answers.” Even his parents “were amazed” to find him so occupied.
All that wonder in Luke’s introductory chapters, and before Jesus has even begun his public ministry! Luke wants to be sure that we understand the extraordinary nature of the tale he has to tell. As the opening act in his ministry, Jesus attends his hometown synagogue and reads from the highly regarded Isaiah. “And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.”
Soon after, Jesus enters Capernaum’s synagogue. There, worshipers “were astonished at his doctrine.” Their astonishment only increased as they witnessed Jesus deliver a man from the enslavement of “an unclean spirit.” “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, ‘What a word is this!”
Peter “was astonished, and all that were with him” when Jesus produced a “draught of the fishes” after a toilsome but fruitless night of fishing on Lake Galilee.
Later, on that same lake, Jesus’ always bewildered disciples grew even more so as he “rebuked the wind and the raging of the water” until “there was a calm.” “And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, ‘What manner of man is this! For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”
Well, we could keep going, for Luke never lets up. He goes on and on with one amazement, one wonder, one astonishment after another, until, finally, even in dying, Jesus performs the greatest wonder of all. Indeed, even all the wonderful things he has said and done during his unparalleled ministry don’t, can’t prepare us for the wonder of today’s reading.
Faithful women, seeing that the entrance stone to Jesus’ tomb has been removed, enter Jesus’ tomb but “found not the body of the Lord Jesus.” Then, Luke reports, “they were much perplexed thereabout.” What did they think when two men in “shining garments” asked, and then announced, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen”? Whatever other effects this announcement had on the women, it sent them rushing back to the disciples to report their findings. Though the women’s report sent Peter dashing off to repeat the women’s journey to Jesus’ tomb, and allowed him to view the same empty tomb that they had seen, it could not undo the wonder—Peter “wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”
Soon thereafter, Jesus would amaze the disciples by suddenly standing “in the midst of them.” Even then, “they yet believed not for joy, and wondered.”
I, for one, can understand all this wonderment, amazement, and even bewilderment. There are times that I find the hugeness of Jesus’ soul incomprehensible. I marvel that such a great and noble Being would associate with, and that happily and eagerly, with a soul “so proud and rebellious as mine.” Nevertheless, I feel a little bit of what the Psalmist felt when he confessed,
“Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works
which thou has done,
and thy thoughts which are to us-ward;
they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee:
if I would declare and speak of them,
they are more than can be numbered.”
Jesus’ resurrection leaves me speechless. I cannot begin to fathom what it means for me, for those I love, and for our future. No doubt, even the reality of it will leave me in wonder, amazement, and astonishment. The Lent and Easter Season is the perfect time to put the wonder back into our lives. It is as good a time as any—but any time is a good time—to read, nay, to conduct a concentrated search of Luke and his fellow Gospel writers in order to more deeply appreciate the wonder that they found in Jesus. It is as good a time as any to “view his wonder,” to close our eyes and open our heart and imagine. Yes, the Lent and Easter Season is as good a time as any to enter Jesus’ world of wonder and amazement and let the wonder of him fill our heart and mind and soul to overflowing.
So, have a happy and blessed Easter!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
“Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7saying, ‘The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
8And they remembered his words, 9and returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
Right out of the shoot, Luke, like the other Gospel writers, seeks to instill within his readers a sense of wonderment, of amazement, of astonishment, of marvel and bewilderment. Their message is no ordinary message. The Man about whom they write is no ordinary man.
Amazingly, an elderly couple, barren even in their prime, are to have a baby; a boy who will prepare the way for Messiah.
A crowd, awaiting Zachariah’s exit from the temple and the pronouncement of the priestly blessing, “marvelled that he tarried so long.” Angelic visits cannot be rushed.
Family, gathered for a son’s blessing, “marvel all” at the choice of name: Yohanan, Yahweh is merciful, a foreshadow of what is to come.
Acquaintances of humble shepherds, who were audience to a choir of angels, “wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”
Exploring religious insights with the twelve-year-old Jesus, a group of wizened theologians “were astonished at his understanding and answers.” Even his parents “were amazed” to find him so occupied.
All that wonder in Luke’s introductory chapters, and before Jesus has even begun his public ministry! Luke wants to be sure that we understand the extraordinary nature of the tale he has to tell. As the opening act in his ministry, Jesus attends his hometown synagogue and reads from the highly regarded Isaiah. “And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.”
Soon after, Jesus enters Capernaum’s synagogue. There, worshipers “were astonished at his doctrine.” Their astonishment only increased as they witnessed Jesus deliver a man from the enslavement of “an unclean spirit.” “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, ‘What a word is this!”
Peter “was astonished, and all that were with him” when Jesus produced a “draught of the fishes” after a toilsome but fruitless night of fishing on Lake Galilee.
Later, on that same lake, Jesus’ always bewildered disciples grew even more so as he “rebuked the wind and the raging of the water” until “there was a calm.” “And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, ‘What manner of man is this! For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”
Well, we could keep going, for Luke never lets up. He goes on and on with one amazement, one wonder, one astonishment after another, until, finally, even in dying, Jesus performs the greatest wonder of all. Indeed, even all the wonderful things he has said and done during his unparalleled ministry don’t, can’t prepare us for the wonder of today’s reading.
Faithful women, seeing that the entrance stone to Jesus’ tomb has been removed, enter Jesus’ tomb but “found not the body of the Lord Jesus.” Then, Luke reports, “they were much perplexed thereabout.” What did they think when two men in “shining garments” asked, and then announced, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen”? Whatever other effects this announcement had on the women, it sent them rushing back to the disciples to report their findings. Though the women’s report sent Peter dashing off to repeat the women’s journey to Jesus’ tomb, and allowed him to view the same empty tomb that they had seen, it could not undo the wonder—Peter “wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”
Soon thereafter, Jesus would amaze the disciples by suddenly standing “in the midst of them.” Even then, “they yet believed not for joy, and wondered.”
I, for one, can understand all this wonderment, amazement, and even bewilderment. There are times that I find the hugeness of Jesus’ soul incomprehensible. I marvel that such a great and noble Being would associate with, and that happily and eagerly, with a soul “so proud and rebellious as mine.” Nevertheless, I feel a little bit of what the Psalmist felt when he confessed,
“Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works
which thou has done,
and thy thoughts which are to us-ward;
they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee:
if I would declare and speak of them,
they are more than can be numbered.”
Jesus’ resurrection leaves me speechless. I cannot begin to fathom what it means for me, for those I love, and for our future. No doubt, even the reality of it will leave me in wonder, amazement, and astonishment. The Lent and Easter Season is the perfect time to put the wonder back into our lives. It is as good a time as any—but any time is a good time—to read, nay, to conduct a concentrated search of Luke and his fellow Gospel writers in order to more deeply appreciate the wonder that they found in Jesus. It is as good a time as any to “view his wonder,” to close our eyes and open our heart and imagine. Yes, the Lent and Easter Season is as good a time as any to enter Jesus’ world of wonder and amazement and let the wonder of him fill our heart and mind and soul to overflowing.
So, have a happy and blessed Easter!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
dc 138.11-12, 15-16, 18-19 meditation #46 for lent
saturday, april 19, 2025
11I saw the hosts of the dead, both small and great. 12And there were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just… 15I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand. 16They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death… 18While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful; 19and there he preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from individual sins on conditions of repentance.
Jesus’ amazing power to gladden and encourage and deliver was on constant display during his mortal ministry. His ministry surpassed that of any other in this regard. I don’t know how many dead people have the power to gladden and encourage and deliver, but Jesus did. Even in death, his impact on people was electrifying. We see this in his “advent… into the spirit world” and the jubilation his arrival caused. At his appearing, an “unnumerable company,” a “vast multitude” was filled with joy and gladness,” “rejoicing together.”
With this, we come full circle, of sorts. At Christmas we enjoy reading (though it should be more often, but several times a year) about the humble group of shepherds who were, at Jesus’ birth, visited by a choir of angels and were privileged to hear its most incredible performance. Among the lyrics that the choir sang were these
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.”
This beginning and ending to Jesus’ mortal life serves as a reminder of something that can, at times, seem somewhat trite: that “men are, that they might have joy.” A few centuries after Nephi’s insight, the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, asserted that “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” Many centuries later, Joseph Smith would say something very much like it: “Happiness is the object and design of our existence.” It was not a choir of angels that woke King Benjamin from his slumber one night in hopes of delivering this same message. It was but one solitary, lone angel. But, this lone angel’s purpose was no different than that of the heavenly choir of angels who visited the lowly shepherds.
“Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy. For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.”
King Benjamin was true to his charge. He faithfully delivered the angelic message to his people. As a result, the angel’s hopes were fulfilled.
“The Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.”
Truly, it is an understatement of gigantic proportions to say that the glad tidings about Jesus and the willing fellowship he extends to us is joyous. Fellowship with him always results in this sort of peace and joy. Just imagine. Day in and day out for three years Jesus’ disciples had joyous fellowship with Jesus. It must have been addictive. Little wonder, then, that on the last night of his earthly ministry, and just hours before his jubilant advent into the spirit world, Jesus was under necessity of comforting his disciples as the realization that he would not always be with them came crashing down on them, crushing them. Among the comforting promises Jesus made them on that last night was this,
“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
One of that night’s participants and recipients of the promise was John. He must have experienced the fulfillment of the promise, for he was anxious to pass it along to others and have others join him in the joy of fellowship with Jesus.
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
No one brings the kind and level of joy and happiness that Jesus brings.
“Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!”
This is gospel. I hope it is the gospel you experience. If not, the Lent and Easter Season is the perfect time to ask, “Why not?” It is the perfect time to seek Jesus and the joy he so richly promises. If it is the gospel you have experienced and do experience, then the Lent and Easter Season is a good time to share the wealth. It is a good time to do as King Benjamin did, as John did, as angels have done, and above all as Jesus himself always does. Become a bearer of glad tidings so that others “may also be filled with joy” so that, together, our joy may be full.”
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Jesus’ amazing power to gladden and encourage and deliver was on constant display during his mortal ministry. His ministry surpassed that of any other in this regard. I don’t know how many dead people have the power to gladden and encourage and deliver, but Jesus did. Even in death, his impact on people was electrifying. We see this in his “advent… into the spirit world” and the jubilation his arrival caused. At his appearing, an “unnumerable company,” a “vast multitude” was filled with joy and gladness,” “rejoicing together.”
With this, we come full circle, of sorts. At Christmas we enjoy reading (though it should be more often, but several times a year) about the humble group of shepherds who were, at Jesus’ birth, visited by a choir of angels and were privileged to hear its most incredible performance. Among the lyrics that the choir sang were these
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.”
This beginning and ending to Jesus’ mortal life serves as a reminder of something that can, at times, seem somewhat trite: that “men are, that they might have joy.” A few centuries after Nephi’s insight, the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, asserted that “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” Many centuries later, Joseph Smith would say something very much like it: “Happiness is the object and design of our existence.” It was not a choir of angels that woke King Benjamin from his slumber one night in hopes of delivering this same message. It was but one solitary, lone angel. But, this lone angel’s purpose was no different than that of the heavenly choir of angels who visited the lowly shepherds.
“Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy. For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.”
King Benjamin was true to his charge. He faithfully delivered the angelic message to his people. As a result, the angel’s hopes were fulfilled.
“The Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.”
Truly, it is an understatement of gigantic proportions to say that the glad tidings about Jesus and the willing fellowship he extends to us is joyous. Fellowship with him always results in this sort of peace and joy. Just imagine. Day in and day out for three years Jesus’ disciples had joyous fellowship with Jesus. It must have been addictive. Little wonder, then, that on the last night of his earthly ministry, and just hours before his jubilant advent into the spirit world, Jesus was under necessity of comforting his disciples as the realization that he would not always be with them came crashing down on them, crushing them. Among the comforting promises Jesus made them on that last night was this,
“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
One of that night’s participants and recipients of the promise was John. He must have experienced the fulfillment of the promise, for he was anxious to pass it along to others and have others join him in the joy of fellowship with Jesus.
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
No one brings the kind and level of joy and happiness that Jesus brings.
“Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!”
This is gospel. I hope it is the gospel you experience. If not, the Lent and Easter Season is the perfect time to ask, “Why not?” It is the perfect time to seek Jesus and the joy he so richly promises. If it is the gospel you have experienced and do experience, then the Lent and Easter Season is a good time to share the wealth. It is a good time to do as King Benjamin did, as John did, as angels have done, and above all as Jesus himself always does. Become a bearer of glad tidings so that others “may also be filled with joy” so that, together, our joy may be full.”
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
mark 15.22-38 meditation #45 for lent
friday, april 18, 2025
22And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. 23And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. 24And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, “And he was numbered with the transgressors.”
29And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30Save thyself, and come down from the cross.”
31Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”
And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
35And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he calleth Elias.”
36And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, “Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.”
37And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
In a laudable desire to comfort, the writer of Hebrews assured his readers that “we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Thus, we have a tutor to direct us through life’s labyrinth of temptation. The writer succeeded in comforting, at least, he did with me. I believe his witness and make use of it constantly. But, in declaring that Jesus “was in all points tempted like as we are,” it seems to me that he was not being exactly accurate. It is saying far, far too little of Jesus’ temptations.
It seems certain that Jesus temptations went well beyond, infinitely beyond any temptation any other human being ever faced or will face. Indeed, he “descended below them all.” It is, in fact, impossible to imagine the sorts and levels of temptation that Jesus assuredly endured and transcended. But, as usual, the impossibility shouldn’t stop us from imagining as much as we are capable.
Imagine, for example, having the power to deliver oneself from any discomfort, any suffering, any form of death. Imagine then experiencing the worst possible discomfort and the worse possible suffering, and facing the worse possible sort of death. Imagine, finally, not using the power you possess to deliver yourself from that discomfort, that suffering, and that death. What willpower! What love!
And then, imagine that nearly everyone around you, friend and foe alike, tempts you to demonstrate the power you claim to possess to deliver yourself from discomfort, suffering, and death. Imagine the appeal to action at the time of your arrest. Imagine the appeal to action at the time of humiliation. Imagine the appeal to action during your suffering. Imagine the appeal to action, not only to relieve yourself from the discomfort, suffering, and death, but from the humiliation of ridicule. Imagine how tempting it is to prove yourself right and everyone else wrong. Imagine how tempting it is to justify all that you have said and done, indeed, to justify your very existence. Or, if you are better than all of that, imagine how tempting it is to act so that others will be convinced of your righteous claims and thereby be saved.
It is no accident that the Gospels record the temptations that Jesus faced to ease himself of and deliver himself from all discomfort, suffering, and death. Though the first recorded incident of this temptation took place in the desert at the urging of Satan, it seems almost certain that it was part of his life long before that. Though it might seem the temptation ended with his death, I often wonder. Does he suffer still? Does he suffer because of us? Is he ever tempted to end the suffering by eliminating us, the cause of so much divine suffering? But, no, he continues to suffer with an eye towards others’ advancement.
In Jesus’ final, “‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is, being interpreted, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’” we hear, perhaps, Jesus at his lowest, deepest suffering. He found out what all the rest of us so often feel, alienation from God. But, oh how much worse for him; for he had always lived in an intimacy with God that is beyond our present experience or even imagination.
“And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”
If there was ever a moment when he examined the possibilities of self-preservation, this must have been it. But, he endured. He resisted. He conquered. And thereby, he revealed the unimaginable grandeur of the Divine Character. And by that revelation, we are, or can be saved. So, focusing on Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross is most certainly not an exercise in morbid focus on the dying and dead Christ.
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God… But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”
Good Friday and the Easter Season are times to more deeply examine, learn, and apply the many, many lessons Jesus taught us from his high and lofty cross. It is a time to discover that humble portion of power that we have and commit ourselves to use it, not for self-preservation, but for the betterment of all those around us. Lent and Easter represent a time to commit ourselves to “deny” ourselves and “take up [our] cross, and follow” Jesus. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, “And he was numbered with the transgressors.”
29And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30Save thyself, and come down from the cross.”
31Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”
And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
35And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he calleth Elias.”
36And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, “Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.”
37And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
In a laudable desire to comfort, the writer of Hebrews assured his readers that “we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Thus, we have a tutor to direct us through life’s labyrinth of temptation. The writer succeeded in comforting, at least, he did with me. I believe his witness and make use of it constantly. But, in declaring that Jesus “was in all points tempted like as we are,” it seems to me that he was not being exactly accurate. It is saying far, far too little of Jesus’ temptations.
It seems certain that Jesus temptations went well beyond, infinitely beyond any temptation any other human being ever faced or will face. Indeed, he “descended below them all.” It is, in fact, impossible to imagine the sorts and levels of temptation that Jesus assuredly endured and transcended. But, as usual, the impossibility shouldn’t stop us from imagining as much as we are capable.
Imagine, for example, having the power to deliver oneself from any discomfort, any suffering, any form of death. Imagine then experiencing the worst possible discomfort and the worse possible suffering, and facing the worse possible sort of death. Imagine, finally, not using the power you possess to deliver yourself from that discomfort, that suffering, and that death. What willpower! What love!
And then, imagine that nearly everyone around you, friend and foe alike, tempts you to demonstrate the power you claim to possess to deliver yourself from discomfort, suffering, and death. Imagine the appeal to action at the time of your arrest. Imagine the appeal to action at the time of humiliation. Imagine the appeal to action during your suffering. Imagine the appeal to action, not only to relieve yourself from the discomfort, suffering, and death, but from the humiliation of ridicule. Imagine how tempting it is to prove yourself right and everyone else wrong. Imagine how tempting it is to justify all that you have said and done, indeed, to justify your very existence. Or, if you are better than all of that, imagine how tempting it is to act so that others will be convinced of your righteous claims and thereby be saved.
It is no accident that the Gospels record the temptations that Jesus faced to ease himself of and deliver himself from all discomfort, suffering, and death. Though the first recorded incident of this temptation took place in the desert at the urging of Satan, it seems almost certain that it was part of his life long before that. Though it might seem the temptation ended with his death, I often wonder. Does he suffer still? Does he suffer because of us? Is he ever tempted to end the suffering by eliminating us, the cause of so much divine suffering? But, no, he continues to suffer with an eye towards others’ advancement.
In Jesus’ final, “‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is, being interpreted, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’” we hear, perhaps, Jesus at his lowest, deepest suffering. He found out what all the rest of us so often feel, alienation from God. But, oh how much worse for him; for he had always lived in an intimacy with God that is beyond our present experience or even imagination.
“And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”
If there was ever a moment when he examined the possibilities of self-preservation, this must have been it. But, he endured. He resisted. He conquered. And thereby, he revealed the unimaginable grandeur of the Divine Character. And by that revelation, we are, or can be saved. So, focusing on Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross is most certainly not an exercise in morbid focus on the dying and dead Christ.
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God… But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”
Good Friday and the Easter Season are times to more deeply examine, learn, and apply the many, many lessons Jesus taught us from his high and lofty cross. It is a time to discover that humble portion of power that we have and commit ourselves to use it, not for self-preservation, but for the betterment of all those around us. Lent and Easter represent a time to commit ourselves to “deny” ourselves and “take up [our] cross, and follow” Jesus. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
matthew 26.26.36-46 meditation #44 for lent
thursday, april 17, 2025
36Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, “Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.”
37And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38Then saith he unto them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
39And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
40And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”
43And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.”
Scripture struggles to adequately describe and explain Jesus’ atonement, what it means, how it impacts us, and how it impacted him. This is understandable. Human language is not up to the task of talking about Beings who are infinite or the infinite works they perform. Our resort to metaphor is the best we can do. However ingenious the metaphor, we must always remember that it is only and just that— metaphor—and thus merely approximate, and always inadequate to the reality of the divine.
I have always been intrigued at Jesus’ resort to the metaphor of a “cup” in regard to his suffering and pain even as he discusses it with his Father, an infinite Being capable of understanding infinite things: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” Perhaps he resorted to metaphor more for our benefit than for any benefit it might bring to his communication with his Father. We know what he meant, of course, by “let this cup pass from me.” “Let this pain pass.” “Stop the pain.” “Isn’t there some other way?” Some such sentiment. But, perhaps you have wondered, as I have, why he resorted to the image of a cup to represent his pain? Scripture uses this metaphor of a cup to represent a pain and suffering that is hellish, literally. There is a cup that is a metaphor for the pain and destructiveness of hell. King Benjamin so uses it in his famous sermon at the temple.
“And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls. Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup of the wrath of God…”
Here, I understand Benjamin to refer to a deeply painful mental or psychological state, either in life or in death. Those so suffering feel extraordinarily guilty and believe that God is angry with them—a belief that, while intensely painful and “real” to sufferer, is likely false. But, whether God is actually angry or not, the thought of his anger is real enough to be called “hellish.”
In his Atonement, Jesus became at-one with us. He experienced everything all the rest of us have, do, or will feel. This includes the sense of God’s “anger” or “alienation” with us. Jesus was so thoroughly united with us that he felt the guilt of sin. Paul goes further and says that Jesus was “made… to be sin for us.”
Here are a few more passages that speak of a cup. These bear some semblance, I contend, with the cup of which Jesus spoke.
“Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem,
which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury;
thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling,
and wrung them out.”
“But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God; but they are cast out, and consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or their works, which have been evil; and they drink the dregs of a bitter cup.”
“For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad… Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more.”
The emotional, psychological, and spiritual turmoil of the hellish cup is a most hateful brew. It is brutal and brutish. It brings fear and trembling and sickness. It is enough to drive one mad—and indeed, during his earthly ministry, Jesus had seen and healed many so maddened by their guilt and sense of alienation from God. In becoming one with his brethren, Jesus partook of the brew and entered the madness of the cup.
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night…”
To drink the cup is like being burned alive. Yet Jesus rejected any drug that might have lessened the pain and put out the fire. He had to know the human condition to its deepest depths. He had to descend below all things so that he might know how to succor his people. Otherwise, his Atonement would not be “infinite.”
Well, we could go on. There are many other references to the horrific cup that Jesus so willingly drank. The reader might want to take some time to examine this hateful cup and its poisonous brew. Such an examination is not conducted out of morbid curiosity, but out of a desire to deepen our appreciation for Jesus and the great sacrifice it was for him to come to earth and live the life that we all live—live to know the depths of the most hellish of lives. Yes, the Lent and Easter season is a good a time to “view his death” and to know and experience more deeply the new life that his death brings.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
37And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38Then saith he unto them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
39And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
40And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”
43And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.”
Scripture struggles to adequately describe and explain Jesus’ atonement, what it means, how it impacts us, and how it impacted him. This is understandable. Human language is not up to the task of talking about Beings who are infinite or the infinite works they perform. Our resort to metaphor is the best we can do. However ingenious the metaphor, we must always remember that it is only and just that— metaphor—and thus merely approximate, and always inadequate to the reality of the divine.
I have always been intrigued at Jesus’ resort to the metaphor of a “cup” in regard to his suffering and pain even as he discusses it with his Father, an infinite Being capable of understanding infinite things: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” Perhaps he resorted to metaphor more for our benefit than for any benefit it might bring to his communication with his Father. We know what he meant, of course, by “let this cup pass from me.” “Let this pain pass.” “Stop the pain.” “Isn’t there some other way?” Some such sentiment. But, perhaps you have wondered, as I have, why he resorted to the image of a cup to represent his pain? Scripture uses this metaphor of a cup to represent a pain and suffering that is hellish, literally. There is a cup that is a metaphor for the pain and destructiveness of hell. King Benjamin so uses it in his famous sermon at the temple.
“And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls. Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup of the wrath of God…”
Here, I understand Benjamin to refer to a deeply painful mental or psychological state, either in life or in death. Those so suffering feel extraordinarily guilty and believe that God is angry with them—a belief that, while intensely painful and “real” to sufferer, is likely false. But, whether God is actually angry or not, the thought of his anger is real enough to be called “hellish.”
In his Atonement, Jesus became at-one with us. He experienced everything all the rest of us have, do, or will feel. This includes the sense of God’s “anger” or “alienation” with us. Jesus was so thoroughly united with us that he felt the guilt of sin. Paul goes further and says that Jesus was “made… to be sin for us.”
Here are a few more passages that speak of a cup. These bear some semblance, I contend, with the cup of which Jesus spoke.
“Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem,
which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury;
thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling,
and wrung them out.”
“But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God; but they are cast out, and consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or their works, which have been evil; and they drink the dregs of a bitter cup.”
“For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad… Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more.”
The emotional, psychological, and spiritual turmoil of the hellish cup is a most hateful brew. It is brutal and brutish. It brings fear and trembling and sickness. It is enough to drive one mad—and indeed, during his earthly ministry, Jesus had seen and healed many so maddened by their guilt and sense of alienation from God. In becoming one with his brethren, Jesus partook of the brew and entered the madness of the cup.
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night…”
To drink the cup is like being burned alive. Yet Jesus rejected any drug that might have lessened the pain and put out the fire. He had to know the human condition to its deepest depths. He had to descend below all things so that he might know how to succor his people. Otherwise, his Atonement would not be “infinite.”
Well, we could go on. There are many other references to the horrific cup that Jesus so willingly drank. The reader might want to take some time to examine this hateful cup and its poisonous brew. Such an examination is not conducted out of morbid curiosity, but out of a desire to deepen our appreciation for Jesus and the great sacrifice it was for him to come to earth and live the life that we all live—live to know the depths of the most hellish of lives. Yes, the Lent and Easter season is a good a time to “view his death” and to know and experience more deeply the new life that his death brings.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
meditation archives
OLD TESTAMENT
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ot_genesis3_1-5_meditation.pdf |
genesis 4.9
| ot_genesis4_9_meditation.pdf |
genesis 6.5-6, 11-13
| ot_genesis6_5-6_11-13_meditation.pdf |
genesis 13.1, 5-12
| ot_genesis13_1_5-12_meditation.pdf |
genesis 29.15-30
| ot_genesis29_15-30_meditation.pdf |
genesis 31.43-55
| ot_genesis31_43-55_meditation.pdf |
exodus 13.3-10
| ot_exodus13_3-10_meditation.pdf |
leviticus 19.33-34
| ot_leviticus19_33-34_meditation.pdf |
2 samuel 21.1-14
| ot_2samuel21_1-14_meditation.pdf |
psalms introductory meditations
| ot_psalm0_introduction_meditation.pdf |
psalm 1 (16 meditations)
| ot_psalm1_meditations.pdf |
psalm 2 (9 meditations)
| ot_psalm2_meditations.pdf |
psalm 3 (6 meditations)
| ot_psalm3_meditations.pdf |
psalm 4 (5 meditations)
| ot_psalm4_meditations.pdf |
psalm 5 (10 meditations)
| psalm5_meditation.pdf |
psalm 6 (4 meditations)
| psalm6_meditation.pdf |
psalm 7 (5 meditations)
| ot_psalm7_meditation.pdf |
psalm 8 meditation
| ot_psalm8_meditation.pdf |
psalms 9 & 10 (15 meditations)
| ot_psalm9-10_meditations.pdf |
psalm 11 (3 meditations)
| ot_psalm11_meditations.pdf |
psalm 12 (3 meditations)
| ot_psalm12_meditations.pdf |
psalm 13 (3 meditations)
| ot_psalm13_meditations.pdf |
psalm 14 meditations (6 meditations)
| ot_psalm14_meditations.pdf |
psalm 15 meditations (6 meditations)
| ot_psalm15_meditations.pdf |
psalm 16 (11 meditations)
| ot_psalm16_meditations.pdf |
psalm 17 (7 meditations)
| ot_psalm17_meditation.pdf |
psalm 22 meditations (11 meditations)
| ot_psalm22_meditations.pdf |
psalm 32
| psalm32_meditations.pdf |
psalm 46 (5 meditations)
| ot_psalm46_meditations.pdf |
psalm 51
| ot_psalm51_meditations.pdf |
psalm 102.17-21
| psalm102_17-21_meditation.pdf |
psalm 103.8-12
| psalm103_8-12_meditation.pdf |
psalm 115.4-8
| psalm115_4-8-meditation.pdf |
psalm 119
| ot_psalm119_meditations.pdf |
psalm 130
| psalm130_1-8_meditation.pdf |
psalm 143.1-2, 4, 6-9
| psalm143_1-2_4_6-9_meditation.pdf |
all other psalm meditations
| 02_ot_meditations_psalms_24_05_15.pdf |
isaiah 1.21-23
| ot_isaiah1_21-23_meditation.pdf |
isaiah 3.4-8
| ot_isaiah3_4-8_meditation.pdf |
isaiah 3.9-11
| ot_isaiah3_9-11_meditation.pdf |
isaiah 9.3-7
| ot_isaiah9_3-7_meditation.pdf |
isaiah 40.1-2
| ot_isaiah40_1-2_meditation.pdf |
isaiah 60.1-2
| ot_isaiah60_1-2_meditation.pdf |
isaiah 61.1-3
| ot_isaiah61_1-3_meditation.pdf |
jeremiah 5 (7 meditations)
| ot_jeremiah5_meditation.pdf |
jeremiah 6.1-6
| ot_jeremiah6_1-5_meditation.pdf |
joel 2.12-14
| ot_joel2_12-14_meditation.pdf |
amos 5.10-13
| ot_amos5_10-13_meditation.pdf |
amos 6.3-6
| ot_amos6_3-6_meditation.pdf |
micah 7.18-20
| ot_micah7_18-20_meditation.pdf |
NEW TESTAMENT
matthew 2.1-3, 7-11
| nt_matthew2_1-3_7-11_meditation.pdf |
matthew 3.15 ("jesus' first words series)
| nt_matthew3_15_meditation.pdf |
matthew 5.23-28
| nt_matthew5_23-28_meditation.pdf |
matthew 6.9-13
| matthew6_9-13_meditation.pdf |
matthew 6.24
| nt_matthew6_24_meditation.pdf |
matthew 11.28-30
| nt_matthew11_28-30_meditation.pdf |
matthew 20.25-28
| nt_matthew20_25-28_meditation.pdf |
matthew 21
| matthew21_meditation.pdf |
matthew 22.34-40
| matthew22_34-40_meditation.pdf |
matthew 24.42, 44, 46
| nt_matthew24_42_44_46_meditation.pdf |
matthew 26.26-46
| matthew26_36-46_meditation.pdf |
mark 5.1-5
| nt_mark5_1-5_meditation.pdf |
mark 5.14-20
| nt_mark5_14-20_meditation.pdf |
mark 5.24-34
| nt_mark5_24-34_meditation.pdf |
mark 15.22-38
| mark15_22-38_meditation.pdf |
luke 1
| nt_luke1_meditations.pdf |
luke 2
| nt_luke2_meditations.pdf |
luke 4.40-44
| nt_luke4_40-44_meditation.pdf |
luke 6
| nt_luke6_meditation.pdf |
luke 8.26-39
| nt_luke8_26-39_meditation.pdf |
luke 10.38-42
| luke10_38-42_meditation.pdf |
luke 15.1-7
| luke15_1-7_meditation.pdf |
luke 17.3-6
| luke17_3-6_meditation.pdf |
luke 18.9-14
| luke18_9-14_meditation.pdf |
luke 22
| luke22_meditations.pdf |
luke 23
| luke23_meditations.pdf |
luke 24
| nt_luke24_meditation.pdf |
john 1
| nt_john1_meditations.pdf |
john 4
| nt_john4_meditations.pdf |
john 10
| nt_john10_meditations.pdf |
john 13.36-38
| nt_john13_36-38_meditations.pdf |
john 14.16-21, 23
| john14_16-21_23_meditation.pdf |
john 15.4-5
| nt_john15_4-5_meditations.pdf |
john 18
| nt_john18_meditations.pdf |
acts 2.14-21
| nt_acts2_14-21_meditations.pdf |
acts 3.12-18
| nt_acts3_12-18_meditations.pdf |
acts 5.29-32
| nt_acts5_29-32_meditations.pdf |
acts 7.2-8
| nt_acts7_2-8_meditations.pdf |
romans 1.18-23
| nt_romans1_18-23_meditation.pdf |
romans 5.6-11
| nt_romans5_6-11_meditation.pdf |
romans 8.31-34
| nt_romans8_31-34_meditation.pdf |
romans 8.35-39
| nt_romans8_35-39_meditation.pdf |
1 corinthians 1.1-3
| nt_1corinthians1_1-3_meditation.pdf |
corinthians1.4-9
| nt_1corinthians1_4-9_meditation.pdf |
1 corinthians 12.14-27
| nt_1corinthians12_14-27_meditation.pdf |
galatians 3.24
| nt_galatians3_24_meditations.pdf |
philippians 2.5-11
| nt_philippians2_5-11_meditation.pdf |
colossians 1.12-20
| nt_colossians1_12-20_meditation.pdf |
colossians 2.1-5
| nt_colossians2_1-5_meditation.pdf |
colossians 2.13-19
| nt_colossians2_13-19_meditation.pdf |
colossians 3.1-4
| colossians3_1-4_meditation.pdf |
hebrews 13.1-2
| nt_hebrews13_1-2_meditations.pdf |
1 john 1.1-5
| nt_1john1_1-5_meditations.pdf |
1 john 1.8-10
| nt_1john1_8-10_meditations.pdf |
1 john 3.16-19
| nt_1john3_16-19_meditations.pdf |
1 john 5.9-13
| nt_1john5_9-13_meditations.pdf |
revelation 21.3-7
| nt_revelation21_3-7_meditations.pdf |
"jesus' first words (new testament series)
| nt_jesus_first_words_meditation_series.pdf |
BOOK OF MORMON
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| bm_1nepi11-14_meditation.pdf |
1 nephi 19.23
| bm_1nephi19_23_meditation.pdf |
1 nephi 25.23, 26-27
| bm_2nephi25_23_26-27_meditation.pdf |
jacob 1.8
| jacob1_8_meditation.pdf |
jacob 2.17
| bm_jacob2_17_meditation.pdf |
mosiah 4.26-27
| mosiah4_26-27_meditation.pdf |
mosiah 15
| bm_mosiah15_meditation.pdf |
mosiah 16.3-7
| bm_mosiah16_3-7_meditation.pdf |
mosiah 29.17, 21-23
| bm_mosiah29_17_21-23_meditation.pdf |
alma 7.7
| bm__alma7_7_meditation.pdf |
alma 26.16
| bm__alma26.16_meditation.pdf |
alma 31.24-28
| bm__alma31_24-28_meditation.pdf |
alma 31.27-29
| bm__alma31_27-29_meditation.pdf |
alma 33
| bm__alma33_meditation.pdf |
alma 34.15-18
| alma34_15-18_meditation.pdf |
alms 37.9
| bm_alma37.9_meditation.pdf |
alma 39.8-9
| alma39_8-9_meditation.pdf |
3 nephi 1.13-14
| bm_3nephi1_13-14_meditation.pdf |
3 nephi 6.10-12, 14
| bm_3nephi6_10-12_14.pdf |
3 nephi 11.9-11
| bm_3nephi11_9-11_meditation.pdf |
3 nephi 17.11-18
| bm_3nephi17_11-18_meditation.pdf |
3 nephi 27.30-32
| bm_3nephi27_30-32_meditation.pdf |
ether 3.2
| bm_ether3_2_meditation.pdf |
ether 12.32-34, 41
| bm_ether12_32-24_41_meditation.pdf |
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS / PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
dc 3
| dc3_meditation.pdf |
dc 10
| dc10_meditation.pdf |
dc 19.18-19
| dc19_18-19_meditation.pdf |
dc 20
| dc20_meditation.pdf |
dc 37
| dc37_meditation.pdf |
dc 38.23-27
| dc38_23-27_meditation.pdf |
dc 49.5-7
| dc49_5-7_meditation.pdf |
dc 49.20
| dc49_20_meditation.pdf |
dc 76.1-4
| dc76_1-4_meditation.pdf |
dc 76.5-10
| dc76_5-10_meditation.pdf |
dc 84.112
| dc84_112_meditation.pdf |
dc 88.123
| dc88_123_meditation.pdf |
dc 101.37-38
| dc101_37-38_meditation.pdf |
dc 101.46-51
| dc101_46-51_meditation.pdf |
dc 128.22-23
| dc128_22-23_meditation.pdf |
dc 138.11-12, 15-16, 18-19
moses 7.18
| pgp_moses7_18_meditation.pdf |
Hymn #72
| hymn_72_meditation.pdf |
MEDITATION SERIES
Jjesus' first words
| nt_jesus_first_words_meditation_series.pdf |