With God, power; without Him, disaster!

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.

Thursday, August 6, 2009
Devotions: Ps 85, 86, 145; 2 Sam 11:1-27; Acts 19:11-20; Mk 9:2-13

God has forgiven His people, but we have offended Him, over and over. YHWH, forgive us, and show us Your steadfast love. Speak peace to Your saints; let Your glory abide in our land. Let us respond faithfully to Your righteousness and love. Preserve my life, Lord; I depend on Your entirely. Hear my supplication, and give Yourself to me. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk by Your truth and glorify You with my whole heart. You are my Help and Comforter. I will praise You, my God and King, forever. YHWH is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. God raises up the downtrodden and preserves those who love Him. But all the wicked He will destroy!

One spring, David did not go afield with his armies. One late afternoon, he strode on the roof of his house, and noticed a beautiful woman bathing nearby. He discovered that her name was Bathsheba; she was the wife of his soldier Uriah the Hittite. He sent for her, and lay with her, and she became pregnant. David sent word to his field commander to send Uriah the Hittite to the king. When Uriah reported, the king exchanged military news with him and encouraged him to go down to his house ‘and wash your feet’ [an Hebraic euphemism for having intercourse]. But Uriah slept at the entrance to the king’s house, with the other servants of David. David questioned him, and Uriah said he wouldn’t take advantages for himself that were currently unavailable to the other soldiers and commanders. On the second night, David had Uriah to dinner and got him drunk, thinking he’d go home and make love with Bathsheba. But Uriah’s faithfulness kept him away from his home and his wife. So David wrote a letter to Joab, instructing him to set Uriah in a vulnerable position, in the place of the hardest combat, then withdraw from him, so he would be killed by the enemy. Uriah carried the dispatch to Joab, who fulfilled the king’s order. And Uriah died in battle. Joab sent this news to David by a messenger. David received the news with equanimity. Bathsheba mourned her husband; but when the lamentation was completed, she became David’s wife and bore him a son. All this displeased YHWH exceedingly!

God did extraordinary things through Paul. Handkerchiefs and aprons that he had touched were carried to the sick, and when they touched the cloths, they were healed! Some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to adopt Paul’s methods, pronounced the name of Jesus over the demon-possessed. Among these were seven sons of a Jewish priest named Sceva. But the evil spirit replied, ‘Jesus I know and I have heard of Paul; but who are you?’ And the possessed man overmastered all seven, and beat them, so that they fled naked and wounded. When the Ephesians heard about this, it enhanced the reputation of the Lord Jesus among both Jews and Gentiles. Many converts came forward, confessing their former sinful practices. Magicians burned their manuscripts, valued at fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the Lord’s word grew and prevailed powerfully!

Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him to an isolated high place. In their presence, Jesus was transfigured; He garments became intensely white, glistening as no earthly medium could cause. With Jesus appeared Moses and Elijah, and the three conferred. Peter babbled: ‘Master, it is well that we are here! Let us make three booths, one each for You and for Moses and Elijah.’ The apostles were terrified! A cloud overshadowed them, and a Voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!’ When they dared again to look, they saw only Jesus. As they came down the mountain, Jesus told the three apostles to tell no one what they had experienced, until the Son of man had risen from death. They couldn’t even figure out what Jesus meant by that. So they asked Him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come before the Messiah?’ And Jesus said, ‘Elijah does come first, to restore all things. How is it written about the Son of man that He should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you: Elijah has come already, and they did to him as they pleased, just as it was written.’