Sovereign God provides

New Guest: Like this one, most entries are devotional. Those related to Car Biz can be located by searching the blog archives for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first entry, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. I hope you'll record your responses as you read, since these entries serve best as the first remarks in a coversation.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Devotions: Ps 121-26; Jdg 18:1-15; Acts 8:1-13; Jn 5:30-47

When I lift up my eyes to the hills, I realize that my help comes from YHWH, the Maker of heaven and earth. He never sleeps or slumbers; He's always on watch, and He is my Keeper. God will keep me from all evil and preserve my life forever. I am always glad to be encouraged to join God's people for worship. God's earthly throne is Jerusalem, and I pray for the peace of the city and her people. YHWH, I lift my eyes and heart to You; have mercy on me, Lord; too long I have settled for puny satisfactions and forfeited Your joy and blessing. Forgive me! And if You had not been on my side, I'd long ago have been swallowed up by the enmity of wicked people. My help is in the name of YHWH, Master of heaven and earth. He surrounds me like the mountains surround Jerusalem, forever. Let God's peace be upon His people and His city! YHWH has done great things for us, and we are like those who dream; let us sow in tears but reap in joy, bringing our sheaves to God's storehouse with song and celebration.

In the times of the judges, there was no king in Israel. The Danites were still without a territory of their own. They sent out scouts to find a place to settle, and their scouts found their way to the estate of Micah in Ephraim. They discovered there the Levite from Bethlehem whom Micah had hired as his personal priest. They asked him to tell them whether their mission would be successful, and he assured them that their project was under God's blessing. They found a quiet, unsuspecting community at Laish—the land was fertile and the people posed no meaningful barrier to the Danites' ambitions. Six hundred Danite warriors set forth; they encamped first west of Kiriath-Jearim in Judah, in a place still called 'Camp of Dan' [Mahaneh-dan]. From there, they went on into Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. The five who had spied out the land entered Micah's house and took his household gods and the silver image Micah's mother had commissioned. The priest questioned them, but the Danites told him to accompany them, to be their priest, and the priest was happy to do so. He took Micah's ephod, the teraphim, and the graven image, and proceeded in the midst of the Danite war party. Micah was alerted and chased after the Danites, but they outnumbered him, and he turned back rather than be slaughtered by a superior force. The Danites continued on to Laish, attacked the city and burned it to the ground, and killed the peaceable inhabitants of the place. They they rebuilt the city, renamed it Dan after their ancestor, set up the graven image as their own ido, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and Jonathan's sons became the priests to the Danites until the northern kingdom went into exile.

Saul of Tarsus had consented to the stoning of Stephen the deacon, and then he participated in the great persecution of the followers of Jesus that broke out that day. The followers of Jesus were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, although the apostles remained in Jerusalem. Devout men buried Stephen and mourned him greatly. And Saul was ravaging the church; entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and had them imprisoned. But those scattered preached the gospel as they went. The deacon Philip began to preach Christ in Samaria, and multitudes came to Christ through Philip's evangelism. Unclean spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed, and there was much joy in that city. Among the citizens of Samaria was a magus named Simon, who claimed great divine power. His magic amazed many; but when the masses believed Philip as he preached about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Messiah, they were baptized, men and women. Even Simon heard and believed and was baptized, and stayed near Philip and was amazed by the signs and great miracles that God's Spirit was performing through Philip.

Jesus told the Jews who sought to destroy Him, 'I can do nothing on My own authority; I judge only as I hear; and My judgment is just, because I seek not My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me. If I bore witness to Myself, My witness would not be valid; but there is Another Who bears witness to Me, and I know His testimony about Me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony I receive is from mortals; but I say this so that you may be saved. John was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a time in his light. But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted Me to accomplish bear witness that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Who has sent Me has Himself borne witness concerning Me. You have never heard His voice, or seen His form; and you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him Whom God has sent. You search the Scriptures, persuaded that in them you have eternal life. And the Scriptures bear witness to Me. Yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life! I do not receive glory from mortals. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, you who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Don't think I will accuse you to the Father; Moses is your accuser, on whom you set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote of Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?'