Affirming God

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Thursday, January 29, 2009
Devotions: Ps 50, 118; Isa 49:13-23; Gal 3:1-14; Mk 6:30-46

The Mighty One, God the Lord, summons all creation; He shines forth from Zion! He judges all the sentient beings; He owns everything. So God doesn’t need our sacrifices; He just wants us to acknowledge and obey Him: to give Him thanks and love! He loves and blesses those who accept His discipline; others, He considers adulterers, unfaithful to our Maker. To those who offer thanks, God shows His salvation! Let us thank YHWH, Whose love endures forever. In my distress, I call upon Him, and God answers and sets me free. I will look in triumph on those who hate me. YHWH is my Strength and my Song; He has become my Salvation! I will live and tell of His goodness; I live in God’s own household! Jesus has become the King of kings, Whom His own people rejected and sought to destroy. This is God’s day; I will rejoice—I do rejoice in it! Blessed are those who come in God’s name. I affirm: You are my God, and I will give thanks to You!

Let heaven and earth break forth in songs of joy; YHWH has comforted His people and has compassion on His afflicted. God has my name etched on His palms; He will decorate my life and make me fruitful. I have experienced barrenness, but I will be multiplied by the Holy One. He lifts up Jesus as an ensign for the Gentiles and Jews alike. Those who wait upon YHWH will not be put to shame! He contends for us and protects our children. YHWH is my Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob!

We received the Holy Spirit by faith; let us continue by the Spirit, in faith! The faithful are Abraham’s true heirs. No one is justified by works of the law, since everyone fails in some points of the law. The Messiah has redeemed us from the curse of the law—though legally faultless, Jesus bore the punishment we deserve, and by this grace we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith!

After their successful first mission assignment, Jesus tried to take His apostles on a retreat; but multitudes pursued them into the wilderness, and Jesus had pity on them. He told His followers to feed the crowds—though they had only five loaves and two fish. Jesus took over; He had the crowd seated in groups of about fifty, then He blessed and divided the food. All were fed, and there were twelve baskets full of leftovers! When the day was over, Jesus sent His disciples back across the lake, while He went alone up onto the mountain to pray.