Abide in sovereign God's generous care

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might read 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, in the archives

Wednesday-Friday, May 20-22, 2009
Devotions: Ps 8, 24, 47, 68:1-20, 85, 86, 91, 92, 96,119:97-120; 2 Ki 2:1-15; Baruch 3:24-37; Ezek 1:1-3:3; Heb 2:5-18; 4:14-5:6; Jas 5:13-18; Rev 5:1-14; Mt 28:16-20; Lk 9:28-36; 11:1-13; 12:22-31

My Lord YHWH, how majestic is Your name. You are glorious and Your creation dazzles in its testimony to Your greatness. I am amazed that You notice us humans—but You love us with such a great love! You make us little less than gods; You crown us with glory and honor, and give us dominion and stewardship over Your creation! The right response to Your holy love is holiness and commitment in our lives. Thus I am blessed and vindicated. Open wide the gates and doors, and let God in! YHWH Sabaoth is the King of glory! Let all peoples celebrate our God with songs of joy! YHWH reigns. He scatters His enemies; the righteous rejoice, and the wicked perish before our God! He is Father to the orphan, Husband to the widow, Liberator to the prisoner! How He showers the earth with kindness. Blessed be YHWH, Who daily bears us up; He is God of salvation and of resurrection to eternal life! Restore us again today, O Lord; give us revival and new life in You! I listen for Your instruction; let Your glory fall and fill this land! Gladden my soul, Master; answer my prayers! Show me a sign of Your favor to sustain me in the face of our enemies. I live in God’s shadow and under His protection; I fear no thing—only the Holy One! No evil will befall me, since I have made the Most High my Refuge. God says He will rescue and honor me, and show me His salvation! So it is good to give thanks to the Lord; I sing, my God, before the work of Your hands! You make me fruitful, even in my old age; this proves that YHWH is upright. There is no unrighteousness in You! So, earth dwellers: let us sing a new song to our God. Let us bless His name and proclaim His mighty acts of mercy. Ascribe to Him glory and strength; worship YHWH in holy array. YHWH reigns! Let all creation sing His praises. Lord, I love Your law, for You speak to my heart and soul all day long. You impart wisdom, and Your truth is sweet and nourishes my spirit. You light my way and guide my homeward pilgrimage. You ease my struggles and encourage me to go forward when I am weary. You are the Joy of my heart; uphold me, that I may honor You, my God. Bless my family and save us from times of trial.

God had decided to take Elijah alive to heaven, but he and Elisha were still traveling afoot. Elijah kept trying to get Elisha to tarry, but Elisha stuck tight to his master: ‘I will not leave you!’ In Bethel, several prophets told Elisha that God would soon take away his master. This he already knew: ‘Hold your peace,’ he replied. The same sequence recurred as they traveled from Bethel to Jericho. When they came to the Jordan, Elijah struck the water with his robe, and the flow stopped so they crossed on dry ground. Elijah told Elisha: ‘Tell me what you want from me before I am taken from you.’ Elisha answered, ‘I want a double portion of your spirit!’ Elijah said, ‘This is a tough one; but if you actually witness my being taken up, it will be so—otherwise not.’ Soon a chariot of fire, drawn by horses of fire came between Elijah and Elisha, and Elijah ascended into heaven by a whirlwind. Elisha saw all this, and cried out, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ Elisha tore his own clothes in two, and put on the mantle of Elijah, and returned to the bank of Jordan. He struck the water, as Elijah had done, saying ‘Where is YHWH, the God of Elijah?’ And the water was parted as before, and Elisha crossed over. Fifty Jericho prophets witnessed this, and concluded, ‘The spirit of Elijah now rests upon Elisha,’ and they came and bowed before him.

Baruch was Jeremiah’s amanuensis; the apocryphal book bearing his name says this:
God’s house is immeasurable, boundless! Its earliest inhabitants were giants, but they lacked godly knowledge, and perished for lack of wisdom. No mortal knows how to find or capture Wisdom. She belongs to God, the Creator and Master of all things. No one, no thing, can be compared to our God! He has given Wisdom to those He chose from among the mortals, to the offspring of Israel!

Ezekiel ministered among the Jews in Babylonian exile. His narrative begins around BC 563: As I stood among the exiles along the river Chebar, I was given visions from God. A stormy north wind approached, carrying a great cloud flashing with fire. In the midst of the fire was a bronze glow, revealing four living creatures. They had human shapes, but each had four faces and four wings; their legs ended in feet like those of calves. Under their wings, on all four sides, they had hands like human hands. They moved and changed direction in unison, and without turning. The four faces of each were those of a human, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. They flew together with one pair of wings, and with the other, each covered its body. They were moved by the divine spirit. In their midst was something like burning coals of fire, sending out lightning, and they darted about like lightning. Beside each creature was a complex wheel, like gleaming chrysolite in appearance. Each wheel moved in unison with one of the four creatures. The wheels had rims and spokes; the rims were filled with eyes all around. The spirit of each living creature was in its wheel, so they moved in unison. Over their heads was a gleaming firmament; their movement gave off a sound like the roar of many waters, like the thunder of the Almighty. And a voice spoke from above the firmament. Above the firmament was a throne like a sapphire; seated above was a figure similar in shape to a human. He glowed like molten bronze, and a brightness surrounded Him, similar to a rainbow. This was the likeness of YHWH’s glory! I fell prone, facedown, and the Voice said: ‘Son of man, get up on your feet, and I will speak with you.’ The Spirit set me on my feet, and God said to me: ‘Son of man, I Am sending you to the rebellious people of Israel—an impudent and stubborn people who sin against Me to this day! Whether they heed or disregard what you tell them in My name, they will know My prophet has been among them. As for you, Son of man, fear them not. They are rebels, but I AM Master. As for you, say what I tell you; eat what I provide!’ God put before me a scroll, with writing on both sides; so I opened my mouth and ate the scroll, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

God has shown amazing care for humans; He subjected His creation to us, not to angels. He has made Jesus Ruler of all. But for a time, Jesus was made lower than the angels, too. He has tasted and conquered death, and is crowned with glory and honor now. Nothing is outside His authority and control. Yet, we see the world still in rebellion and disorder. Why should this be? Consider: Jesus was perfected by God through suffering. He is our Pioneer and Brother. He came into human nature to redeem us and deliver us from the devil and from death. In this, He serves as our perfect High Priest in God’s service, making expiation for the sins of the humans. Because He Himself suffered and was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted! Since we have such a great High Priest, Jesus, God’s Son, let us hold fast to our confession. [Our suffering is making us more like Jesus.] And let us draw near to God’s throne of grace with full confidence, to receive His mercy and grace when we need His help! He shares our humanity, and is a perfect Priest for us. Like every priest, Jesus was called and chosen for this office by God, His Father, who proclaimed: ‘You are My Son; I have begotten You, and You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’

James counseled: ‘If any among you suffers, let him pray; let the cheerful sing praises. Let the sick call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over the sick one and anoint him with oil in the Lord’s name—and this prayer of faith will save the sick one, and the Lord will raise him up, and his sins will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. Such righteous prayer has much power. Recall Elijah: a mortal like us; in answer to his prayer, there was a 3 ½-year drought; then he prayed again, and immediately the heavens gave rain and the earth again brought forth its fruit.’

John of Patmos reported his heavenly vision: ‘The Throned One had a scroll in His right hand, with writing on both sides, sealed seven times. A strong angel loudly called forth, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ I wept, since at first no worthy being came forth. But one of the heavenly elders said to me, “Don’t cry! The Lion of Judah, David’s Root, has conquered and is worthy to open and unseal the scroll.” Then I saw among the living creatures and elders, a Lamb, standing though slain, with seven horns and seven eyes—the seven spirits God has sent throughout the earth. The Lamb took the scroll from the Throned One’s right hand, and the four creatures and 24 elders fell in worship before the Lamb; and they sang a new song: ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals; for You were slain, and Your blood ransomed humans for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth.” And around the throne were countless angels, myriads of myriads, multiplied thousands! All proclaimed, ‘Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Then, I heard every creature—in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and in the seas—saying, “To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever.” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.’

As the risen Lord had directed them through the women who met Him on Easter morning, the Eleven apostles went to the Galilee mountaintop He had specified. There, they met Him and worshiped, though some still doubted. Then Jesus said to them: ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I AM with you to the very end of the age.’

Jesus had taken Peter, James and John with him onto a mountain, where they witnessed His transfiguration as they prayed: His countenance was transformed, and His raiment glowed an unearthly, dazzling white. They saw Jesus conferring with Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory, and the three spoke of Jesus’ own coming exodus, which He would accomplish at Jerusalem. As the prophets were departing, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is well that we are here! Let us make three booths for You, for Moses and for Elijah.’ Peter didn’t really know what he was saying. But as he spoke, a cloud overshadowed them, and they were cowed with fear; and a Voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My Son, my Chosen One; listen to Him!’ After that, the cloud and voice departed, and they found themselves with Jesus alone. They did as instructed, and kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had witnessed.

At another time, Jesus was praying, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ So Jesus said to them, ‘When you pray, say this: “Our Father, hallowed be Your name! Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation!”’ Then Jesus continued: ‘You get what you want from friends because of your persistence. So keep on asking, seeking and knocking, and you will get what you request and seek from God; He will open the door to you! You, though sinful, know how to give good gifts to your children; how much more does your sinless Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!’
Jesus also taught His disciples, ‘Don’t be anxious about your life, about getting fed, about your health, or about clothing. Life is more than basic necessities. Consider the ravens: God feeds them, though they neither sow nor reap. And you’re worth much more than they! You can’t add a moment to your life or an inch to your height; so since you have no real control in these small things, leave everything, small and great, in God’s hands. Consider the lilies of the field—they are like grass, yet God makes them more beautiful than Solomon at the peak of his glory. Don’t worry: God will clothe and feed you, the crown of His creation. All people seek food, drink and clothing; God knows you need them. But seek first His kingdom and all these things will be yours as well!’