God speaks, His people hear and obey

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. As you read, I encourage you to add in any reflections or comments you may have.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Friday, February 12, 2010
Devotions: Ps 88, 91, 92; Gen 27:46-28:4, 10-22; Rom 13:1-14; Jn 8:33-47

YHWH my God, I cry to You for help day and night. My soul overflows with troubles, and I draw near to the Pit, dark and deep. Your wrath weighs me down. My companions shun me; You have made me an object of horror to them. I am hemmed in, and from the darkness, I beg You for life. Whoever dwells in Your shelter, Most High, abides in the shadow of the Almighty. You are my Refuge and Fortress. You will cover me with Your wings; Your faithfulness is my shield and buckler. I will fear nothing, day or night. Death cannot take me. Because I have chosen YHWH as my Refuge and my Home, no scourge will come near my camp. God will give His angels charge concerning me, to guard me everywhere I go. Because I cleave to God in love, God will deliver me; He will answer my prayers. He will accompany me in times of trouble, and in His time, He will rescue and vindicate me. He will satisfy me with long life and salvation forever. It is good to thank God and praise His name. Lord, Your works dazzle me; I sing Your praises. How great are Your works, O Lord, and how deep Your thoughts! The wicked are doomed to destruction, for all God’s enemies will perish. I have seen the wicked overthrown, while the righteous flourish, planted in God’s own arbor. I will be fruitful, even in my old age, full of sap and green, to show that YHWH is upright and I am His. He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him!

Rebekah got Isaac to send Jacob away to her brother Laban in Mesopotamia, saying that she refused for her son to marry a Hittite woman. So Isaac summoned and blessed Isaac, and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife among the daughters of Rebekah’s brother. ‘El Shaddai bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you become a company of peoples. May He give Abraham’s blessing to you and your descendants, that you may take possession of the land our God gave to Abraham, and where we now sojourn.’ So Jacob traveled to Paddan-aram, to the home of Laban, his uncle. On his way, he camped at sunset, and using a stone for a pillow, lay down to sleep. He dreamed of a great ladder set up on earth and reaching to heaven, and he say angles of God ascending and descending on this ladder. Behold, the Lord stood at the top and declared, ‘I Am YHWH, the God of Abraham your ancestor and of Isaac. The land on which you lie now I will give to you and to your descendants. Your offspring shall become like the dust of the earth, and spread in all directions, and all families of the earth will bless themselves by you. I Am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; I will not leave you until I have accomplished all that I have spoken.’ Then Jacob woke from sleep; he said, ‘Surely YHWH is in this place. This is God’s house, the gate of heaven!’ So Jacob rose early, took the stone he had used as a pillow, and set it on end as a pillar. He anointed on the stone and named the place Bethel; it had previously been known as Luz. Then Jacob made a vow: ‘If God will be with me, and will give me food and clothing, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then YHWH shall be my God, and this stone will be God’s house, and Lord, of all that You provide to me, I will return to You the tithe.’

Paul wrote: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. There is no authority except from God, and the mortal authorities are created by Him. So, whoever resists human authorities actually resists God, and faces God’s judgment. Rulers don’t intimidate law-abiding citizens; they frighten wrong-doers. If you don’t want to be afraid of the authorities, do what is good and they will approve you, for they are God’s servants for your good. If you offend, be afraid, because the authorities do not bear the sword in vain; as God’s servants, they inflict His wrathful judgment on those who break the law. For the same reason, pay your civil taxes; those authorities also are God’s ministers. Pay everyone his due: taxes, revenue, respect and honor. Owe no one anything except the universal debt of love; for whoever loves his neighbor fulfills the law. All the commandments are summed up in the sentence, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love fulfills the law and does no wrong to others. You know what time it is: it’s time to wake up! Salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, and the dawn is at hand! So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves as becomes the day, not in revelry, drunkenness, debauchery, licentiousness, quarreling and jealousy. Put on the Lord Jesus the Messiah, and make no provision to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Jesus’ Jewish opponents said to Him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham; we’ve never been anybody’s slaves. How can you tell us “You will be made free?”’ Jesus answered them: ‘Truly, truly I tell you: everyone who commits sin is sin’s slave. And slaves don’t get to stay in the household forever; only the true sons continue for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’ I know you are Abraham’s descendants—yet you seek to kill Me, because My word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.’ They repeated, ‘Abraham is our father!’ And Jesus said, ‘If you were truly Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did, but right now you are seeking to kill Me, a Man Who has told you the truth which I heard from God; that is not what Abraham did. You are doing what your father did.’ They answered, ‘We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, namely God.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; He sent Me, I didn’t come on My own accord. Why is it you do not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My message. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks in accord with his nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears God’s words; the reason you do not hear them is that you are not of God.’