Remember the Light; receive your sight

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

Monday, January 4, 2010
Devotions: Ps 85, 87, 89:1-29; Josh 3:14-4:7; Eph 5:1-20; Jn 9:1-12, 35-38

Lord, You have favored Your people with forgiveness and restoration. Put aside Your anger, Lord; revive us again, that we may rejoice in You! Show us Your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation. Let me hear what God wills for us; God will speak peace to His people—the saints who turn to Him with their hearts. His salvation is near for those who fear him and glory in our land. YHWH will yield what is good, and cover us in righteousness. God especially favors Jerusalem and Mount Zion, His footstool on earth—the wellspring of all human song and dance! YHWH, I will sing of Your steadfast love forever, and proclaim your faithfulness to every generation. Let the heavens praise You, O Lord—Sovereign over the mortals and immortals, Creator of all that exists. God says of me: ‘I will not remove my steadfast love from him, or betray My faithfulness; I will keep My covenant and My word will stand.'

When Joshua led Israel across Jordan to enter Canaan, when the feet of the priests bearing God’s ark touched the brink of the stream, the Jordan River’s flow stopped. Though it was flood season, the waters heaped upstream at Adam, near Zarethan, and the people passed through on dry ground, while the priest stood, bearing the ark, in the middle of the riverbed until all the nation had crossed the river toward Jericho. On Joshua’s orders, twelve men, one representing each tribe, picked up a stone from the riverbed where the priests were standing, to build a monument as a sign to the people commemorating YHWH’s aid in crossing the flooded river: ‘So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever.’

Imitate God, as loving children; walk in love, as the Messiah loved us and gave Himself up for us—both sacrifices fragrant and acceptable to God. Don’t even speak of fornication, impurity or covetousness; no filthiness, silly talk, or levity—all are unfitting for God’s people. Let your elation be expressed in thanksgiving. No idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and God. These sins are the reason God’s wrath falls on the disobedient. You are now children of light; and the fruits of light are found in all that is right and true; work to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Expose the works of darkness, and abstain from the unfruitful works of darkness. It is a shame even to speak of the things sinners do in secret; but when light comes, all is exposed. As an old hymn says, ‘Wake up, sleeper! Rise from death! And Christ will give you light.’ So take care with how you walk; be wise, making the most of every living moment, because the times are evil. Don’t be fools; understand the Lord’s will. No drunkenness and debauchery; be filled with the Holy Spirit; address one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs—make melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and in everything thanking God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.’

As Jesus and His disciples went along, they passed a man blind from birth, begging at the roadside. The disciples asked Jesus, ‘Rabbi, who sinned—this man or his parents?’ For they assumed his blindness was divine punishment for sin. Jesus answered, ‘This not because of his sins or those of his parents; rather, this blindness is an opportunity for God’s work to be manifest in him. We must do the works of Him Who sent Me while we have daylight; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I Am in the world, I Am the Light of the world.’ Saying this, Jesus spat on the ground; He made clay from the moistened soil and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay. And Jesus said to the man, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.’ (The pool’s name means ‘Sent.’) So the man went, washed, and came back seeing! Bystanders said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said yes, some said no. The man himself said, ‘Yes, I’m that man.’ So they asked, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ He told them, ‘The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyers and told me to go to Siloam and wash; so I did, and received my sight’ The crowd asked him, ‘Where is Jesus?’ But the man replied, ‘I don’t know.’ The Jewish authorities, always seeking to discredit or harm Jesus, undertook to investigate the man, repeatedly interrogating him and his parents, looking for grounds to punish them. Eventually, the man born blind confronted the Jewish authorities with their own peculiar blindness: ‘Never since the world began has it even been rumored that a man born blind could receive his sight; and we know God doesn’t listen to sinners, but only to the righteous. If this man Jesus were not from God, He could do nothing.’ They scorned him as a born sinner and cast him out, ignoring his words. Hearing of this, Jesus found the man and addressed him: ‘Do you believe in the Son of man?’ The man replied, ‘Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen Him; it is He Who speaks to you.’ And the man answered ‘Lord, I believe!’ and he worshiped Jesus.