God works His will

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

July 13, 2009
Devotions: Ps 9, 15, 25; 1 Sam 18:5-30; Acts 11:19-30; Mk 1:29-45

I thank God with all my heart; Lord, I will exult in You today. You have driven off my enemies and preserved my life. YHWH is enthroned forever; He is the Stronghold for the oppressed; YHWH, those who trust You are prosperous. God remembers and requites—the wicked, He deprives and destroys; the faithful, He saves and prospers. They have fellowship with God who walk blamelessly, act righteously, and speak heart-truth. Let us forgive, keep our word, and be charitable. Then, nothing will move us! Lord, I lift my soul to You. Make me know Your ways; teach me Your paths; remember me according to Your steadfast love. All YHWH’s paths are steadfast love and faithfulness for those who keep God’s covenant and testimonies. Lord, pardon my guilt and bless my family. Relieve my heart’s troubles and my mind’s distresses; forgive my sins, holy Lord. I wait upon You!

David was successful in every mission Saul gave him. The people noticed, and sang, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.’ This irritated Saul, and made him suspicious of David. Twice, as he ministered to Saul with music and lyre, David had to dodge when Saul tried to pin him to the wall with a spear. Actually, King Saul feared David, because YHWH was with David and had departed from Saul. Saul offered David the hand of Saul’s eldest daughter Merab; but he bridled, citing his poverty and insignificant status, and in time she was given to a Meholathite named Adriel instead. Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, so the king planned to give her to David and make the Bethlehemite his son-in-law. David still felt he was too poor to pay a princess’s bride price, but Saul asked of David only the foreskins of 100 Philistines. David and his men quickly obtained 200, and Saul gave him Michal as his wife. But the king remained jealous and awed by his more popular son-in-law, and God continued to prosper David in battle and in the hearts of the people of Israel.

The followers of Jesus were scattered from Jerusalem by persecution. The disciples began by sharing the gospel with the Jewish communities wherever their flight took them. Stephen did this in Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch; but some converts from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch and evangelized among the Gentiles there, too. Many turned to the Lord, and the Jerusalem church sent Barnabas to Antioch to minister to these new Gentile believers. Barnabas had a fruitful ministry among them, and he went to Tarsus and found Saul, and brought Saul back with him to help with the Antioch ministry. There, the followers of Jesus were first called ‘Christians.’ Some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem; one foretold a great famine, to come during the rule of Claudius. The disciples decided to send relief to the Christians in Judea. They sent Barnabas and Saul to convey their offerings to the elders in Jerusalem.

Jesus, James and John stayed with Peter and Andrew in their home in Capernaum. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and when the household told this to Jesus, He came to her, took her hand, and lifted her up. The fever left her, and she served them! At sundown that day, the city and surrounding area brought to Jesus all who were sick of demon-possessed, and He healed them all. He wouldn’t let the demons speak, because they knew Who He is. The next morning, long before dawn, Jesus went out to a lonely place to pray. Simon and those with Him pursued Him; when they found Jesus, they told Him ‘everyone is searching for You.’ But Jesus said, ‘We must go on to the next place, that I may preach there also; that is why I came out.’ He and His followers went throughout Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons. A leper came to Jesus, knelt before Him and begged, ‘If You will, You can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, Jesus touched the man and said, ‘I will; be clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left the man, and he was clean. Jesus sternly charged the man to say nothing to anyone, but to show himself to the priest and offer the ritual offering Moses had commanded, as a proof to the people that he was cured of leprosy. But the man spoke openly about his healing; the news spread rapidly, so that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly; He stayed out in the countryside and people came to Him from every direction.