Come to God as a Child; Serve God Faithfully

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Devotions: Ps 81, 82, 119:97-120; Isa 59:15b-21; 2 Tim 1:15-2:13; Mk 10:1-16

Let us sing aloud to God, our Strength! He answers when I call and delivers me. He cares for me so well! Yet we, His people, repeatedly fail to listen and heed His words. When that recurs, He turns us over to our own ways, and we stmble. How God longs for us to hear and obey, so He can feed and satisfy us! He confronts other spiritual powers with the demands of justice and mercy. Let God be our Judge and our Caregiver.

Lord, Your law is my treasure; by this, I am made wiser than my teachers and the ancients. I will walk by Your word, in Your grace, by Your Spirit. Your word lights my way. Please, give me life and accept my offering of myself and my service, Lord. Let me not be put to shame; hold me up, that I may obey Your precepts and avoid Your wrath.

God sees that there is no justice among humankind, so He takes leadership. He clothes Himself in righteousness, salvation, vengeance and fury. He requites His adversaries, and blesses His faithful people. He comes as our Redeemer; He anoints us with the Holy Spirit, and hides His word in our hearts, forever.

Paul trusts that God will judge others on the basis of their response to God’s messengers like himself. Let us bear our testimony, and share the truth with those ready to receive it! Let us keep focused on the work of God—on task for the Almighty. Share the story of Jesus: God incarnate, crucified, risen, ascended and coming again. We share in His sufferings, but also in His glory and eternal life. Our God is faithful!

As Jesus taught in Trans-Jordan, the Pharisees sought to test Him. They asked Him to comment on the Mosaic version of divorce. Jesus said, ‘Moses made this concession to your weakness and hardness of heart. But from the beginning, God made humans to be married faithfully; divorce is not godly; what God joins, let mankind respect and sustain!’ His disciples later asked for further clarification of this matter. Jesus said that divorce and remarriage constitute a form of adultery. Likewise, He rebuked those who impeded children from approaching Him: ‘Let the children come to Me! You can only receive God’s kingdom in a childlike manner.’ And He took the children in His arms and blessed them.