Meditate

Genesis 6

6. Noah

²² Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

²¹ You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

    ²⁰ Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. ¹⁹ You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁷ I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. ¹⁶ Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters high all around. The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. ¹⁵ This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. That is, about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 135 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high ¹⁴ So make yourself an ark of cypress The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. ¹³ So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. ¹² God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. ¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. ¹⁰ Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

    ⁹ This is the account of Noah and his family.

   Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Noah and the Flood

    ⁷ So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” ⁶ The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁵ The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. ⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

    ³ Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with Or My spirit will not remain in humans forever, for they are mortal Or corrupt; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

    ² the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. ¹ When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,

Mark 4:30-34

4. Parables of Jesus

³⁰ Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. ³² Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

    ³³ With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. ³⁴ He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm

   

Psalm 66

66. Psalm 66

¹ Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
    ² Sing the glory of his name;
   make his praise glorious.
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
   So great is your power
   that your enemies cringe before you.
⁴ All the earth bows down to you;
   they sing praise to you,
   they sing the praises of your name.” The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 15.

    ⁵ Come and see what God has done,
   his awesome deeds for mankind!
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land,
   they passed through the waters on foot—
   come, let us rejoice in him.
⁷ He rules forever by his power,
   his eyes watch the nations—
   let not the rebellious rise up against him.

    ⁸ Praise our God, all peoples,
   let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹ he has preserved our lives
   and kept our feet from slipping.
¹⁰ For you, God, tested us;
   you refined us like silver.
¹¹ You brought us into prison
   and laid burdens on our backs.
¹² You let people ride over our heads;
   we went through fire and water,
   but you brought us to a place of abundance.

    ¹³ I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
   and fulfill my vows to you—
¹⁴ vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
   when I was in trouble.
¹⁵ I will sacrifice fat animals to you
   and an offering of rams;
   I will offer bulls and goats.

    ¹⁶ Come and hear, all you who fear God;
   let me tell you what he has done for me.
¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth;
   his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart,
   the Lord would not have listened;
¹⁹ but God has surely listened
   and has heard my prayer.
²⁰ Praise be to God,
   who has not rejected my prayer
   or withheld his love from me!