God's will, human will

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Devotions: Ps 94, 97, 99; Hos 4:1-10; Acts 21:1-14; Lk 5:12-26

God, Judge of all, arise and discipline the proud and the wicked who exult against You. They crush Your people; they oppress widows and orphans and the powerless migrants. They claim that You cannot see and don't care. They are fools, of course: the One Who made eyes can see, and He Who created ears can hear! God is the Master, and He will not forsake His people. If God had not helped me, I'd long ago have perished. YHWH is my Stronghold, the Rock of my refuge, and He will turn their iniquity back upon them and wipe them out fro their wickedness. Let the earth rejoice as YHWH reigns. Heaven and earth resouned with His praise; YHWH is Most High over all creation. He loves those who hate evil and delivers them from the wicked. Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Give thanks to God and praise His holy name! Extol YHWH our God and worship before Him; Holy is He!

Hear YHWH's word, you people of Israel. God chose you, but you have rejected Him. The land languishes for lack of faithfulness, kindness or faith. There is swearing, lying, killing, stealing and adultery. Murder follows murder and the land mourns. God's people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; we have forgotten God and His law. Drunkenness and fornication foul the land; idolatry draws God's wrath. How stubborn are God's faithless people! They will know shame because of their idolatries!

Luke details the travels of Paul and his party: they sailed from Miletus to Cos, then Rhodes, then Patara, then Phoenicia, then past Cyprus to Syria. They landed at Tyre, and stayed with the local Christians for a week. Through the Spirit, they begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. Still, Paul and his party continued; they spent one day at Ptolemais, and then traveled to Caesarea. There, they stayed with Philip, the deacon and evangelist; he had four unmarried daughters who were also prophets. While at Philip's home, the group was visited by a prophet named Agabus from Judea. He took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet with it, saying, 'Thus says the Holy Spirit: "So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this girdle, and they will deliver him to the Gentiles."' Paul's companions and friends begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. But he persisted: 'Why do you keep crying and breaking my heart? I am ready both to be imprisoned and to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.' At this, all desisted, saying 'The Lord's will be done.'

A leper came to Jesus and fell at His feet, saying 'Lord, if You will, you can make me clean.' Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the man, saying, 'I will. Be clean!' And immediately the leprosy left the man. Jesus charged him not to discuss the matter with anyone, except: 'Go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, as a proof to the people.' But the news about Jesus spread even more, and great crowds gathered to hear and to be healed of their infirmities. But Jesus withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.