Praise God our Savior!

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.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Devotions: Ps 66, 67, 116, 117; 1 Sam 2:1-10; Tit 2:1-10; Lk 1:26-38

Let all creatures praise our God; Lord, how terrible and awesome are Your deeds! Your might rules for ever. Let all people praise the Lord, Who has kept us alive and prospered us. We come to You, O God, with sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. If I cherished iniquity in my heart, God would not listen to me; but God has listened, and has answered my prayers. Blessed is God, Who has not rejected my prayers or removed His steadfast love from me. May He bless us with His presence; let us tell all the world of God and His ways, so all people may praise Him. I love God, for He has answered my supplications; I will trust Him and call upon Him all my mortal life, and praise Him for eternity! He has delivered me from death and disaster, from sorrow and stumbling. I walk before the Lord, praising His goodness and paying my vows before His people. Precious to YHWH is the death of His saints; I am God’s servant! Let all the living praise our God! Extol Him, all peoples; great is His steadfast love and eternal His faithfulness. Hallelu Jah!

Hannah’s praises to God: 'My heart exults in YHWH; in Him my strength is multiplied. There is none holy as our God; no Rock like Him! Let us bow to His knowledge and His perfect judgment. He defeats the mighty and lifts up the feeble. He has brought the gourmands to naught, and has fed the starving. The barren bear and the fruitful become forlorn. God kills and gives life. He exalts the poor and the low and the needy. He seats them with princes; He guards the way of His faithful ones, while the wicked are cut off in darkness; God’s adversaries are cut to pieces. God strengthens His anointed and judges all creation.'

Paul instructs his delegate Titus: ‘ Teach what befits sound doctrine. Admonish the older men to be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith and love and steadfastness. Direct the elder women to be reverent, to avoid slander and strong drink; let them teach what is good and train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and respectful toward their husbands, so that God’s word will not be discredited. Urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Model good deeds; teach with integrity, gravity and sound speech, so our opponents will have no grounds to speak evil of us. Direct slaves to submit to their masters and to give satisfaction; they are not to be refractory or to steal, but should show entire and true fidelity, in every way adorning the doctrine of God our Savior.’

In the sixth month [of the year? of Elizabeth’s pregnancy?], the archangel Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth of Galilee, to a virgin named Mary, betrothed to Joseph; both were of Davidic lineage. The angel came and greeted her: ‘Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was troubled, and pondered what she was experiencing. The angel said, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive in your womb, and will bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, to be called th4e Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; of His kingdom there will be no end!’ Mary said to Gabriel, ‘How will this be, since I have no husband?’ He answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. Behold: your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age also has conceived a son; she’s now pregnant six months, whom people called barren. With God, nothing is impossible.’ And Mary said, ‘I am God’s handmaid! Let it be to me as you have spoken.’ And the angel departed from her.