God saves the best for last!

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. I invite to you add in any reflections or comments you may have.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Friday, January 15, 2010
Devotions: Ps 16, 17, 22; Gen 6:1-8; Heb 3:12-19; Jn 2:1-12

Lord, keep me; You and Your people are my delight. Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows, and I will not worship with them or take their names on my lips. YHWH is my chosen Portion and Cup; You, Lord, determine my present and future; and in You, I have a good inheritance. My heart is happy; my soul rejoices, and even my body dwells secure because of You, God. You show me the path of life; in Your presence is complete joy, and You give me pleasures for evermore. Lord, keep me as the apple of Your eye; regard me with Your favor; hide me from harm and drive away my deadly enemies. They have no pity, no shame; they are eager to harm and to slay. Confront and overthrow them, YHWH! Give them what they plan for me and others of their prey. I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake from the sleep of this mortal life, I will be satisfied to behold Your form. Jesus faced desolation for me: ‘My God, My God, why have Your forsaken Me? I cry, but You ignore Me. You are perfect, exalted, holy. I am a worm, not even a man, scorned and despised by mortals, who mock Me. They know I committed My life to you; they watch to see how my faith in You plays out in experience—they scorn You and me alike, Lord. I am poured out like water, surrounded by enemies, beaten, thirsty, dying! They have pierced My hands and feet; they divide My garments by lot. Hasten to My aid, Father! I will declare Your praise to all my brothers and sisters, to all who fear and honor God. God blesses the afflicted; may our hearts live forever! God has won, and all creation will witness it.’

As humankind multiplied, sons of God married daughters of men. God limited human lifespan to 120 years. And the children of these unions, the Nephilim, became mighty men of long renown. God noted that human wickedness was very great. He was sorry that He had created humankind; it grieved God’s heart. And He declared, ‘I will blot out humanity from the ground, along with wild animals, creeping things, and animals that fly, since I regret making them.’ Among the living mortals, only Noah found favor in YHWH’s eyes.

Christians, take care lest any of you have an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. Exhort one another every day, that none become hard-hearted through sin’s deceit. We share in the Messiah, if only we hold fast to our first confidence. As it was written, ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’ That referred to all in the first Exodus, who left Egypt under Moses’ leadership. Except for Caleb and Joshua, everyone fell in the wilderness because of sin. They were unable to enter God’s promise, or the Land, because of unbelief.

Jesus and His earliest followers together attended a wedding in Cana of Galilee; Mary, mother of Jesus, was also there. When the wine gave out, Mary told Jesus about it. Her replied, ‘Dear woman, what have you to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.’ But Mary said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’ Nearby were six large stone jars, normally used to hold water for the Jewish mikvah, the waters of purification. Jesus told the servants to fill the jars to the brim; next, He said, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the steward of the feast.’ They did all this. When the steward tasted the sample—water now turned to wine—he called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Typically, hosts serve the best wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, they bring out the poorer wine. But you have saved the best until now!’ Jesus did this, the first miraculous sign manifesting His glory, at Cana in Galilee. His disciples’ faith in Him was strengthened. Soon after, Jesus went down to Capernaum with Mary His mother and His brothers and His disciples, and stayed there a few days.