Trust God's holy love

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Monday, April 20, 2009
Devotions: Ps 1-4, 7; Dan 1; 1 Jn 1:1-10; Jn 17:1-11

We are blessed when we shun the counsel of the wicked, the pathway of sinners, and the perspective of scoffers; we are blessed when we delight in God and His law, and meditate on His law day and night. This makes us like trees growing near flowing water: fruitful in season, living and green, prospering in all we do. The wicked are like windblown chaff; they cannot face God’s judgment, nor stand among the gathering of the righteous. YHWH knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish! Seeing this, why do the ungodly conspire and plot against God and His people? The Lord holds them in derision, but He will confront them in wrath! He has made His only begotten Son the Master of all creation. Show Him respect; bow to His authority. Blessed are all who take refuge in God! I have many foes, but God is my shield and defender, my glory and encourager. I live because He cares for me. Deliverance and vindication are from YHWH. I will continue to put my trust in God alone, and I will have peace, joy and prosperity. Cleanse me and my life of all offenses, Lord; forgive my sin and folly! Let Your wrath fall on our enemies; I stand in the integrity of Jesus my Lord. I will give YHWH the thanks due to His righteousness and sing His praise: Hallelu Yah!

In 606 BC, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem. He took the king of Judah, Jehoiakim, hostage and despoiled the temple, taking some of the sacred vessels back to Shinar. Nebuchadnezzar also gathered some of the noblest youths in Judah and sought to select some to serve in his administration. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, whom the Babylonian chief eunuch renamed, respectively, Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel resolved not to violate Jewish dietary laws by eating the rich Babylonian foods provided, and asked the chief eunuch to let them eat simple foods acceptable in their faith. The eunuch’s steward was afraid to comply, fearing that the four would decline on the simpler fare, and the steward would be called harshly to account. But Daniel persuaded him to experiment for ten days with the proposal; and after that time, the four Israelites were notably healthier than the other hostages, who had eaten the rich foods provided by the king’s administrators. So the four continued on a diet of vegetables and water. They excelled in all their lessons: language, writing, and wisdom. Moreover, Daniel had a special gift for understanding and interpreting dreams and visions. These four were selected from among the group being examined and became counselors to the king, who ‘found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters…in all his kingdom.’ [God put His chosen agents near the head of the Babylonian empire, as He had done with Joseph in Egypt centuries earlier.]

John the Elder: ‘We write so that our joy—yours and mine—may be complete; I write from direct experience, about what I have heard, seen, witnessed and even touched: the eternal Life Which was from the beginning, with the Father and made manifest to us—this we proclaim to you, so that you may have fellowship with us Christians and with God the Father and His Son Jesus the Messiah. What Jesus taught me is this: God is light; there is no darkness at all in Him. We cannot walk in darkness and simultaneously have fellowship with God. If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of God’s Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. We deceive ourselves and there is no truth in us if we claim to be without sin; to say that is to say God is a liar, and in that case His word cannot be in us. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and He will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’

Jesus finished speaking with His disciples in the Upper Room; then He lifted His eyes to heaven and addressed God, His Father: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that I may glorify You! You have given Me power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have entrusted to Me. And this is eternal life: to know You the only true God and to know Jesus the Messiah Whom You have sent. I glorified You on earth by doing all the work You gave Me to do; now, My Father, glorify Me in Your very presence, with the glory I had with You before the world was made. I have manifested Godhead to the mortals You gave me out of the world; these were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything I have and have shared originates with You; they have Your words; they have heard and understood; they know in truth that I came from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I Am praying for them—not for the world, but for My own, whom You have given Me. Father, You and I share these believers in common, and I Am glorified in them. Now, I am coming to You, and they remain in the world; Holy Father, preserve and protect them in Your name, that they may be one as You and I Are one.’