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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 in the archives, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. Please share any reflections or comments you may have.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Devotions: Ps 72, 111, 113; 2 Sam 7:1-17; Gal 3:1-14; Lk 1:57-66

Bless the royal Son, O God: may He judge with righteousness; may He preside over prosperity for God’s people and defend the cause of the needy. May He crush all oppressors, and may He live forever! May He be as rain and light to all creation; may He rule from sea to sea, and triumph over His enemies. May all kings and all nations fall down before Him and serve Him. May we pray for Him continually. Prosper Your people, O God; and may all be blessed through Him. Blessed be YHWH, God of Israel; blessed by His holy name forever. May His glory fill the earth! Amen and amen. I will give thanks to YHWH with my whole heart; great are His works, full of honor and majesty. His righteousness endures forever. He feeds and cares for His people; we have a good and godly inheritance. He has redeemed His people. To fear God is the beginning of wisdom; all who stand in awe of Him gain good understanding. May His praise endure forever! Blessed are all who fear YHWH; His light rises and overcomes the darkness. The righteous will never be moved; we will not fear evil tidings, for our hearts are steadfast, trusting the Lord. We can be generous, because our God owns everything, and He provides all we need. Blessed is God’s name, now and forever, here and everywhere. We have hope in our God; praise the Lord!

David rested from his successful warfare, and declared his desire to build a permanent temple as a house for YHWH. But that evening, God spoke to David’s prophet Nathan: ‘Tell David I have not dwelt in a house since I brought Israel out from Egypt; I have been on the move, and a tabernacle has been My dwelling. Tell David, I took you from the sheepfolds and made you king over all My people Israel; I have cut off all your enemies and I will make a great name for you. I will plant My people in a homeland, and give them peace. And I will give you rest from your enemies, too. YHWH will build your house; and when your days are completed, I will raise up a son from your household to rule after you. He will build a house for My name; I will chasten his transgressions, but I will not take My love from him. Your house and kingdom I will establish for ever.’ And Nathan told all these things to David.

Paul addressed the Galatians: ‘Fools! Who has bewitched you? Jesus the Messiah was openly portrayed to you as crucified. Did you receive the Holy Spirit by observing Torah, or by hearing with faith? So, having begun by the Spirit, are you now trying to finish in the flesh? Have you done so much in vain? Does He Who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do this by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Abraham believed, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness; so it is people of faith who are truly Abraham’s children and heir. God said as much in telling Abraham, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So: it is people of faith who receive the blessing of Abraham, the man of faith. All who rely on works of law are under a curse! It is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep every provision of the law.” It’s obvious that no one is justified before God by the law; rather, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” And the law does not rest on faith. The Messiah has redeemed us from the curse of the law; He has become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” So, in the Messiah Jesus, the blessing of Abraham has come upon the Gentiles, so that through faith we may receive the promise of the Spirit.

When the time came for Elizabeth to deliver, she brought forth a son; on the eighth day, they gathered to circumcise the child; the community sought to name him Zechariah after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No; he will be called John.” The assembly asked Zechariah about this, and he wrote on a tablet, “His name is John.” All marveled, and immediately, Zechariah’s tongue was loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. Fear fell on all their neighbors, and news of these things quickly spread through the hill country of Judea; everyone who heard took the news to heart, and asked “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was clearly with him.