God transforms

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

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Devotions: Ps 81, 82, 119:97-120; Gen 27:1-29; Rom 12:1-8; Jn 8:12-20

Sing with joy to God our Strength; let us celebrate Him. He has relieved my burdens; He has delivered me from my distress. Let us have no idols; let us focus on God and receive His bounty. How God longs that His people would listen and walk in His ways; He would soon subdue our enemies and crush our foes. He wants to feed us richly, with honey from the rock. God also admonishes the spiritual beings that judge unjustly or show partiality to the wicked. Let God protect the weak and fatherless, the afflicted and destitute, and let Him rescue the weak and needy from the wicked. Let God arise and judge His creation! Lord, how I love Your law; You make me wiser than my adversaries; I have more understanding than my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I have understanding surpassing the elders of my community because God teaches me. With God’s help, I keep myself from sinful habits and immoral side-trips. Lord, Your word is a lamp and a guide for me along my path. Give me life, Lord, and accept my offered praise. You keep me from the snares the wicked set out. Uphold me according to Your covenant, my God! I am in awe of You and Your holy judgments.

In his old age, Isaac was nearly blind. He called his son Esau and told him to go out into the field and hunt game, then to prepare some savory food and bring it to him, that before he died, Isaac might bless Esau. Rebekah overheard this and plotted with Isaac for her favorite son to get his elder brother’s blessing. She sent Jacob to bring her two good kids from the flock, and she prepared savory food and had her son, disguised as his brother, take it to her dying husband. Jacob appeared before his father, served him the food Rebekah had prepared, and claimed to be his brother Esau. When Isaac felt his hairy hands and smelled his clothing, he believed that Jacob was Esau, and blessed him accordingly: ‘May God give you the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, plenty of grain and wine. May peoples and nations serve and bow before you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed everyone who blesses you.’

Paul writes: Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer Him your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may be able to do God’s will—His good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me, I bid you each not to think more highly of yourself than you should; rather, think with sober judgment, according to the unique measure of faith which God has assigned to you. For just as in one body we have many members of diverse functions, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Since we have differing gifts, according to the grace given to each of us, let us use them accordingly. If prophecy, prophesy in proportion to your faith; if service, in serving; whoever exhorts, in exhortation; those who are gifted with generosity, to give freely; whoever gives aid, with zeal; and whoever is merciful, with cheerfulness.

After Jesus delivered and forgave a woman taken in adultery, He again addressed His followers: ‘I Am the Light of the world; whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ The Pharisees replied, ‘You are witnessing to yourself; your testimony is not valid or true.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify concerning Myself, My testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going. You judge according to the flesh, but I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true, for I do not judge alone, but along with Him Who sent Me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; I bear witness to Myself and the Father Who sent Me bears witness to Me.’ They said, ‘Where is your father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.’ Jesus said these things in the temple; but no one arrested Him, because His hour had not yet come.