Holy relationships

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.

Friday, December 18, 2009
Devotions: Ps 40, 51, 54; Zech 7:8—8:8; Rev 5:6-14; Mt 25:14-30

I have waited patiently upon YHWH, and He has inclined to me, heard and answered my cries. God drew me up from the pit; He set me on a rock and gave me a new song to sing, praise to our God. Many will note and be encouraged to trust the Lord. Happy are all who trust YHWH. God has multiplied His goodness to me; He has given me an open ear. Lord, I take joy in doing Your will. And I will tell of Your goodness to all who will listen. May all who seek You rejoice, my God. By Your steadfast love, my God, show me mercy. I know that You desire truth inwardly; so wash me in the blood of the Lamb; fill me with Your joy and gladness. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and upright spirit within me; Cast me not away from Your presence, nor take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. And I will teach sinners to return to You—it’s the least I can do! How good You are, my God! God is my Helper, the Upholder of my life. I give myself to Him.

YHWH’s word came to Zechariah: ‘Render true judgments; show kindness and mercy, each to his brothers and sisters; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the stranger or the poor; let none devise evil against others in your hearts.’ But God’s people were adamant, resistant to God’s grace and His message. So God scattered them among the Gentile nations and the holy land was desolate. But God spoke to the prophet again: ‘I Am jealous, greatly jealous for Zion. I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem—it shall be called God’s city and Zion will be God’s holy mountain. The elderly will sit in her streets at leisure; children playing will fill the streets! I will save My people from every corner and bring them to dwell with Me in Jerusalem; and they shall be My people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and righteousness.’

John’s heavenly vision continues: ‘Between God’s throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb, standing, though appearing to have been slain; it had seven horns and seven eyes, the sevenfold Spirit of God, sent into the world. The Lamb stepped forward and took the scroll from God’s right hand, and the four creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each hold a harp and with golden bowls filled with incense. And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals; for You were slain and by Your blood You ransomed humans for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth.” And I heard around the through and creatures and elders the voices of many angels—myriads of myriads—saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea—all saying, “To Him Who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Jesus spoke of the times of trial to come for His followers: ‘It will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants together and entrusted them with his property—five talents to one, two for another, one to another—to each according to his ability. Then he departed. The one entrusted with five talents immediately put them to work in trade, and earned five more. The one with two talents made two more. But the servant who had received one talent buried it in the ground. A long time passed, and the master returned. The man who had received five talents returned them, with five more. The master responded, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much; enter your master’s joy!” The same passed with the servant who had doubled his two talents. Finally, the third servant came forward: “Master, I know you’re a hard man, so I was afraid to lose your money. I hid it in the ground; here it is.” But the master answered, “Wicked and slothful servant! You knew I reap and gather where I have not sown or winnowed, eh? Then you should at least have invested my talent with the bankers, so it earned some interest in my absence.” He directed others to take the one talent from the fearful servant, and give it to the one who had ten talents.’ Jesus concluded: ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and they’ll have abundance! But from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away; and they’ll be cast into outer darkness, where men will weep and gnash their teeth.’