God's message of mercy

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December 10, 2008
Devotions: Ps 38; 119:25-48; Isa 6:1-13; 2 Thess 1:1-12; Jn 7:53-8:11

Lord, spare me Your anger and indignation. My sin-burdens bear me down; my folly infects my life and being. There is no soundness in my flesh. All my longing is known to You; only You stand by me, Lord. Those who want to destroy me meditate treachery. But I wait only for You. I confess my iniquity; I sorrow over my sin and foolishness. Stay near, Lord! Help me, my Lord and Savior. Help me understand Your ways, and conform me to Your character through Your word, God. I am a sojourner on earth, so I want to learn all I can while I’m here! Spare me the contempt of the insolent; fill me with the delight of Your testimonies, which give me wisdom. Make me understand the ways of Your precepts, and I will reflect on Your wonderful works. I have chosen the path of faithfulness; I run in Your direction as soon as I understand it! I want to live a wholehearted and holy life; incline my heart to Your words, and turn me from vanities. By Your righteousness and steadfast love, O Lord, give me life! I live by Your will and covenant. Fill me with the word of truth, so I may walk freely, in the liberty of integrity. I will meditate on You today, God.

In the year that King Uzziah died [~742 BC], Isaiah had a mighty vision of God: ‘Sitting on a throne, highly exalted, and His robe’s train filled the temple. Above Him were seraphim, six-winged—flying with two, covering their faces and bodies with the other four wings, and calling out: “Holy, holy, holy is YHWH Sabaoth; the whole earth is full of His glory.” The temple was shaken and filled with smoke. And I said, “Woe to me! I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; and now my eyes have seen the King, YHWH Sabaoth!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding with tongs a burning coal from God’s altar. He touched my mouth and said, “Behold! This has touched your lips; your guilt is removed and your sin is forgiven.” Then I heard God’s voice: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” I replied, “Here I am! Send me.” God told Isaiah, “Tell these people, ‘Listen, but don’t understand; see, but don’t perceive.’ Make their hearts fat and their ears heavy—or they will repent and be healed.” The commissioned prophet asked, “How long, O Lord?” And He said, “Until the cities lie wasted and empty, and the land is utterly desolate, and the people are in exile. The remnant repeatedly will be reduced, like a tree stump after the tree is cut down.” The holy Seed remains in the stump!

Paul, Silas and Timothy wrote a second time to the Thessalonian church, in a time they were troubled by false teaching: ‘Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We continue to pray for you and give thanks for your growing faith; we boast of your steadfastness against persecution and afflictions. God will use these challenges to strengthen you, and will repay those who afflict you. They face eternal destruction and exclusion from God’s presence and His glory. So we pray for you, that our God will make you worthy of His call and fulfill your every good resolution and work of faith by His power. The end is that Jesus’ name may be glorified in you, and you in Him, by the grace of God and our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.'

Early in the morning, Jesus came to the Jerusalem temple and sat down to teach the multitude who came to Him. The Torah scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been captured in the act of adultery, and confronted Jesus: ‘Teacher, the law of Moses commanded us to stone such as her to death. What do you say about her?' Jesus bent down and began to write with His finger in the dust; they continued their questions, and He stood and said to them: ‘Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone at her.’ And again, He bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. The crowd of accusers began to melt away, beginning with the eldest present. Jesus was left alone with the woman; He looked up and said to her: ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.’