Accept God's care, God's way

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.

Saturday, August 1, 2009
Devotions: Ps 23, 27, 75, 76; 2 Sam 5:22-6:11; Acts 17:16-34; Mk 8:1-10

YHWH is my Shepherd, and I have no unmet needs. He gives me rest, sustenance, healing and holiness. When I face dark trials, even death, I fear no evil, since You, my God, are with me! Your rod and staff comfort me. You make a feast for me, and serve in right in front of my enemies. You fill me with Your Spirit; my fortunes overflow, by Your grace. Goodness and love will pursue me all my days, and I will live in YHWH’s house forever. God is my Light and my Salvation; I have no fears. When enemies assail me, they will fall, not I. I seek only God, and to live forever with Him. In days of trouble, He protects me, and I offer thanks to God with great joy; I will sing and make melody for Him! I seek Your face, my God. Keep me close and teach me Your ways, Lord; guide me and strengthen me, as I abide in You and wait for Your initiatives. All thanks to God, our righteous and eternal Judge! I will rejoice and sing His praises; God will set things right. He will punish the guilty and exalt the fortunes of His own. Lord, You are glorious and majestic! You are fearsome and terrible. Let the wise seek God and bless His holy name.

God guided David in his campaigns against the Philistines. He varied His tactics; and when David sought God’s instruction and obeyed Him, David won great victories. He sought to bring YHWH’s ark to Jerusalem, at the center of the unified kingdom. His first attempt was disastrous; Uzzah and his brother Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were bringing the Ark on a new cart. But when the oxen stumbled, Uzzah presumed to touch the Ark, and he was struck dead. This made David afraid, and he postponed his project, leaving the Ark at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months. During this time, YHWH greatly blessed the Gittite and his household.

As Paul awaited his companions in Athens, he explored the city. It was full of idols, so he began to argue in the synagogue and in the streets. He encountered Jews, but also Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. His audiences were intrigued at the gospel Paul preached, and they invited him to Mars Hill, the Areopagus, to discuss these ideas, which were new and stimulating to the Athenians. Paul noted the religious nature of the community and the proliferation of altars and objects of worship. He pointed out an altar dedicated to an unknown god, and proposed that he, Paul, was revealing this hidden deity to his listeners. The God Who made the world and all in it, Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in manmade shrines, nor is served by human hands as if in need: for He gives life and breath to humankind and all that lives. God is making one every nation of men, that all should seek God and hope that they might seek and find Him. And this great God is also immanent; in Him we live and move and exist, as the Greek poets had written. All of us are His offspring. He lives—He is not a gold or silver statue; no image can represent Him! God has overlooked human ignorance in past times, but now He commands universal repentance, because God has fixed a day to judge the world in righteousness. God will do this through the man God has appointed. And God has attested this by raising Jesus from death! Hearing of the resurrection, some mocked, but others expressed desire to know more. Some men joined Paul in faith, including Dionysius of the Areopagus, the woman Damaris, and others.

A great multitude gathered to hear Jesus, and stayed with Him for three solid days without food. Jesus told His disciples, and told them He had compassion for the people, and that they would faint along the way if He dismissed them. The disciples objected that there was no food sufficient for such a crowd, so Jesus told them to find out what food they had. The result: seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. So Jesus had the crowd seated; He gave thanks and divided the bread and fish. All the multitude, four thousand men plus women and children, ate and were satisfied, and the disciples gathered seven baskets full of leftovers. Jesus and His disciples departed, sailing to Dalmanutha.