Trust God

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Monday, March 16, 2009
Devotions: Ps 77, 80; Jer 7:1-15; Rom 4:1-12; Jn 7:14-36

Lord, as I think about You, I realize my great need for You; I meditate and search my spirit. And I recall Your faithfulness—You have never let me down. Your promises are true and can be trusted. You are ever gracious, always merciful, completely holy and righteous. You are my Redeemer, Master of all that exists. Let Your face shine upon me, that I may be saved! Restore us, as You delivered Israel from Egypt and raised Jesus from death. With Your hand on me, I will fear nothing and persist in my path toward Your holy city.

YHWH stationed Jeremiah in the temple gate, and gave him these words: ‘Amend your ways and doings, and I will let you dwell here; do not oppress the aliens, widows and orphans among you. Shun other gods, and don’t shed innocent blood. No theft, murder, adultery, false testimony, or idolatry. Don’t make My house a den of brigands—or I’ll level this temple as I have leveled the wicked shrine at Shiloh. You face obliteration for your unholiness—choose God or oblivion!’

Consider Abraham: his blessing was predicated on his faith in God’s promises—which faith God reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. This was settled long before Abraham was circumcised in his flesh. So Abraham’s offspring are those who have faith in God, not those physically descended from his loins, or those who conform to Jewish traditions like male circumcision. The implication: be a believer, not merely a religious legalist.

About the middle of the celebration of Succoth, Jesus went up to Jerusalem and began teaching at the temple. Listeners inquired about the source of His learning; Jesus answered, ‘I teach what I was given by the One Who sent Me. Those who are committed to God’s will know My teaching is valid and authoritative. I glorify God. You legalists claim to follow Moses, yet you recurrently disobey God! Moses gave you circumcision (from the patriarchs), and you circumcise on the Sabbath. So how can you be angry with Me, when I heal a whole man on the Sabbath? Employ right judgment!’ The people debated whether Jesus was Messiah or not. But they foundered on the very issue Jesus had highlighted; they assumed they knew that Jesus came from Galilee, and they had been taught that they would not know where Messiah came from. They also didn’t understand where Jesus was going next, even when He told them. (See Jn 3:8—those moved by the Spirit cannot be pinned down as to origin or destination, and the ungodly often reach false conclusions about the believers).