Abiding in Love

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Friday, February 20, 2009
Devotions: Ps 102, 107:1-32; Isa 65:17-25; 1 Tim 5:17-25; Mk 12:28-34

Lord, hear my prayer and my cry; stay near, my God! My days blow away like smoke; I’m like a solitary bird in the wilderness or on a housetop. My food is ashes, my drink is tears; Your holy indignation devastates me; I am cast aside by the Holy One. Yet I affirm that You are eternal, majestic, holy, righteous and glorious. I praise You and affirm Your perfection. Set the prisoners free, that all may know and serve you. The universe is Yours, and You are eternal; all we Your servants, and our descendants, will be established before You. We thank YHWH, for He is good; His steadfast love and faithfulness endure forever. We praise God, we whom He has redeemed from everyplace across the earth. He delivers from drought and desert; He delivers from darkness and despair, from prison and hard labor; He delivers from sickness and judgment; He delivers from peril on the land and seas, and in the air; He is Master of every condition and circumstance! Let us thank YHWH for His steadfast love and mighty works!

God has undertaken a new creation and a new covenant; He is making a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. There will be no more weeping or sorrow; no infant will die and no adult pass away prematurely. God’s people will have lovely, fruitful homes in God’s new world—and, God says, ‘like the days of a tree shall be the days of My people.’ Before we call, He will answer; wolves and lambs will feed together; lions will eat hay as oxen do. There will be no hurt or destruction in God’s holy habitation.

Let us redouble honor to God’s servants, particularly those who preach and teach. Never admit charges against an elder unless substantiated by several witnesses. Those who persist in sin, rebuke before the assembly. Shun any form of partiality, and don’t be hasty in commissioning others. Keep yourselves pure! God punishes every sin, and rewards every good deed, however inconspicuous it may seem.

A scribe, listening as Jesus confounded the Pharisees and Sadducees in turn, spoke up and asked Him, ‘Which commandment is the most important?’ Jesus answered: ‘The first is “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” And the second is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no greater command than these.’ The scribe agreed. Seeing this, Jesus told him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ Thereafter, no one dared question Him.