Godly living

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching the blog archives for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. As you read, I encourage you to record any reflections or comments you may have, for the entries here serve best as the first remarks in a conversation.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Devotions: Ps 26, 28, 36, 39; Prov 17:1-20; 1 Tim 3:1-16; Mt 12:43-50

Lord, vindicate me because of the righteousness of my Lord Jesus. Your steadfast love is always with me, and I desire to walk in faithfulness to You. I will not side with evil. I will cleanse myself of all offense, and stay near Your altar, praising You in song and telling of all your wonderful deeds. Lord, I love Your house, the place where Your glory dwells. Keep me near You, I pray. Those who ignore God and Your works are bound for destruction. YHWH is my Strength and Shield; my heart trusts in Him. YHWH is the strength of His people, the saving refuge of the anointed. Lord, be our Shepherd and guide is for ever. Sin tempts the wicked; there is no fear of God before him. He believes God cannot discover his sins; he is saturated with deception; he devotes himself to mischief and harm. But God’s steadfast love is my refuge. Lord, how well You care for us! You are the fountain of life, and in Your light, we see light. Continue Your love and salvation to us. Preserve us from the force of the wicked; let their plots turn back on them. Evildoers lie prostrate, unable to rise, thrust down by the holy God. I repeatedly resolve to refrain from sin; I bridle my mouth; but the pressure builds inside me, and eventually I burst forth. Lord, let me know my end and the measure of my days; keep me aware of my fragile, brief mortality. We are wisps of shadow, so fleeting! So my whole hope is in God; Lord, deliver me from all my transgressions. Hear me, Lord, and answer, for I am Your passing guest, a sojourner seeking a way home to You.

Solomon said: Better is a dry morsel taken in peace than a feast amid strife. A wise slave will rule over a shameful son. The crucible and furnace purify gold and silver, and God tries human hearts. Lies and mischief appeal to the evil and to liars. Whoever mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever celebrates calamity will not go unpunished. Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, as the glory of sons is their fathers. Fine speech ill becomes a fool; still less is false speech in a prince. Bribes work magic in the world. Whoever forgives an offense multiplies love; but one who repeats a matter alienates a friend. A rebuke to a man of understanding goes deeper than a hundred blows to a fool. Evildoers seek rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against them. Better to meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly. If a man returns evil for good, evil will fasten on his household. To begin strife is to breech a dike; leave the field before a quarrel breaks out. Whoever justifies the wicked or condemns the righteous is an abomination to YHWH. Fools can’t pay for wisdom, since they have no minds. A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for times of adversity. A senseless man gives a pledge and so becomes surety in his neighbor’s presence. Whoever loves transgression loves strife; whoever raises his door high seeks destruction. A man of crooked mind cannot prosper; one of perverse tongue falls into calamity.

Paul writes to Timothy: Whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task. A bishop must be above reproach, a one-woman man, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, sober, gentle, peaceable, and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well; his children must show fitting submission and respect. He must not be a recent convert, lest he fall into conceit and the condemnation of the devil. He must be well thought of by outsiders, lest he suffer reproach and the snares of the devil. Likewise, deacons must be serious, truthful, sober, free from greed. They must hold the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. Let them be tested, and if they pass, serve as deacons. Women in the church must be serious, honest, not given to slander, temperate, and faithful in all things. Deacons, too, must be one-woman men who manage their children and households well. Those who serve as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great confidence in the faith that is in the Messiah Jesus.
Jesus taught: ‘When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, the spirit passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then, the spirit decides to return to the dwelling it had left. When the spirit returns, it finds the house empty, clean and in order; so it gathers seven more demons more evil than itself and all enter the person and dwell there together; and the final condition of that person is worse than the first. It will be just like this for this present evil generation.’ While Jesus was teaching this, His mother and brothers arrived, standing outside, asking to speak to Him. Jesus answered the man who brought Him this news: ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother.’