Focused Faith

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.

Monday, June 8, 2009
Devotions: Ps 56, 57, 64, 65; Deut 30:1-10; 2 Cor 10:1-18; Lk 18: 31-43

Lord, be gracious to me as I struggle with the attacks of hostile and wicked opponents; I will trust in You, my God. Mortals cannot harm me if I am protected by the Almighty Eternal One. But they sure try! I know that God is for me, because I am still standing. He fulfills His purposes for me and puts my enemies to shame. My heart is steadfast, O YHWH. I stir my soul to praise You. Let Your glory be over all creation. I leave my enemies to God; He will bring them to ruin. Let the righteous rejoice in God; let the upright glorify our Lord! God, praise is due to You; You are holy and mighty, and we fear Your wrath; but You serve us according to Your mercy, not our sins. God is Master of all creation, and all nature sings Your praise.

God restores the fortunes of His people whenever we recall His goodness and return to Him with all our hearts and souls—when we turn to God and do what He commands, by the power He provides. YHWH God will circumcise my heart and the hearts of my children, so that we will love YHWH with all our heart and soul, that we may truly live. True obedience, real faith, issues in eternal, abundant life. YHWH our God will prosper us, if we obey Him. Let us turn to God with all our heart and with all our soul, and so truly live!

Our life and our warfare are not of this mortal world, but of the eternal, supernatural world. We destroy every prideful obstacle to the knowledge of God, every barrier that blocks or reduces our power and our joy in Him. Let us take every thought captive to the Messiah, and move toward complete obedience. Our capacity is in proportion to our obedience and faithfulness. Let anyone who boasts, do so in the Lord alone! Human approval means nothing; only God’s judgment counts.

Jesus addressed the Twelve: ‘Listen up! We’re headed up to Jerusalem, where everything the prophets have written concerning the Son of man will be accomplished. He will be delivered to the Gentiles, mocked, shamefully treated and spat upon. They will scourge and kill Him, and on the third day, He will rise!’ The apostles heard, but didn’t understand what Jesus said. [In contrast:] As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man sat begging on the roadside. When the crowd told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, the blind man shouted out: ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Though the crowd tried to hush him, the man cried all the louder, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stopped and directed that the man be brought to him; when the blind man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?’ He replied, “Lord, let me receive my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately, the man received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And the witnesses, when they observed this, gave praise to God.