Abide Faithfully in Christ

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Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Devotions: Ps 55, 74; Jer 17:5-17; Phil 4:1-13; Jn 12:27-36

Lord, please hear and answer. I’m in trouble, and my heart is in anguish. I’m shaking with fear. Please intervene to destroy my enemies and their plots to harm me. I’m even attacked by former friends. So I will depend on God alone; He will hear and bless me. I cast my burden on God, Who will sustain and establish me. He will cast down the wicked, as I trust in my God. Lord, enemies have desecrated Your holy place; we have no prophet to bring us Your words. Why do You hold back? I know You are Judge, and You will punish the wicked in Your time. I will rejoice for ever and sing praise to my God; He will exalt the righteous!

God announced through Jeremiah: ‘Blessed are those who trust Me; they are like trees planted near water, fruitful in all seasons, green even in the heat of summer. And cursed are those who trust themselves; they are like fruitless shrubs languishing in a dry, salty wilderness. How deceitful and wicked is the fallen human heart! I, YHWH, search the heart and requite each person according to his actions and the fruit of his actions. Those who prosper by wickedness are thieves, and their end will be miserable; they are fools and face a fool’s destiny.’ But the prophet prayed, ‘Heal me, O Lord; save me! You are my Praise; I haven’t sought evil for the wicked—I leave their fate in Your hands. Please protect me when Your prophecies, which I have voiced, come to pass!’

Paul wrote to the Philippian church: ‘My beloved brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord. Be in agreement together; help one another in your work for God. Rejoice in the Lord always; let everyone experience your forgiveness and forbearance. Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, with prayer and supplication, made with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And His peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in the Messiah Jesus. Set your minds on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent and praiseworthy. Apply what you have learned and observed about godliness in character and conduct—and the God of peace will be with you. I thank God for your help, though I have learned to be content in whatever state I experience—I can deal with abasement or abundance, in any circumstance. I have learned to face plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in Him Who strengthens me.’

Jesus continued to expound His situation to His disciples and seekers: ‘My soul is troubled; but what should I say? I will not ask My Father to deliver me from these hard days; rather, I say, “Father, glorify Your name.”’ Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified My Name, and will glorify it again!’ The crowd heard this, and some said it had thundered; others perceived that an angel had spoken to Jesus. Jesus remarked, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not Mine. This world is now under God’s judgment, and the ruler of this world is now cast out. And when I Am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself.’ By this, Jesus indicated the kind of death He would die. Members of the crowd said to Him: ‘Torah tells us that the Messiah remains forever. How can You, then, say that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?’ Jesus responded, ‘The Light is with you only a little longer. Act while you have the Light, lest the darkness overtake you. While the Light is with you, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons and daughters of Light.’ Then Jesus departed, and hid Himself from them.