Make the most of this moment

Monday, September 13, 2010

Devotions: Ps 56, 57, 64, 65; Job 40:1-24; Acts 15:36-16:5; Jn 11:55-12:8

Lord, I am crushed by the disdain of those around me; but I put my trust in You—worthy of praise, eternal, compassionate. I know that God is for me, and I am delivered from death and darkness into light and life! YHWH, be merciful as I take refuge in You. Save me by Your steadfast love and faithfulness. Let God be exalted, and let me heart and soul be steadfast and immovable. I celebrate God's goodness to me and exalt Him in my heart and with my lips. Protect me from the evil plots of the wicked around me. Let the righteous rejoice in God our Savior. Glory be to You, O Lord Most High! You are eternal Judge of all the living; You are mighty beyond knowing, holy and good. You care for the earth and for all living things. Let all creation sing God's praise and shout for joy to Him!

YHWH addressed Job: 'Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God now answer!' And Job answered: 'I am of small account; how can I answer You? I have had my say.' So YHWH again addressed Job from the whirlwind: 'Gird yourself like a man, and answer Me. Would you condemn Me so that You might be justified? Have You God's strength and power? Can you deck yourself with majesty and dignity, with glory and splendor? Can your anger abase the proud and the wicked? If you could, I would acknowledge that your own hand can give you victory. Consider Behemoth—I made him as I made you: he eats grass like an ox; how mighty and unyielding he is! His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like iron bars. He is unconquerable, and the river, even at flood stage, causes him no unease.'

After a time back in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas wanted to revisit the Christians in the cities where they had planted churches and preached God's gospel. Barnabas wanted to take along his nephew John Mark, but Paul did not, because Mark had left them in the middle of the previous missionary journey. This sharp contention divided the apostles, and Barnabas took Mark with him and saild away to Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas, and departed, commended by the brothers to God's grace. Paul proceeded through Syria and Cililcia, strengthening the churches there. At length, Paul came to Derbe and Lystra. There he encountered a disciple named Timothy, the son of Jewish woman who was a believer and a Greek father. Timothy was well-spoken of by the brotherrs in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so in view of the Jews who knew Timothy's father was a Greek, Paul circumcised the young man. As they passed through the cities, the missionaries delivered the decision of the Jerusalem Council. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.

The Jewish Passover was at hand, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country. They were looking for Jesus and speculating whether He would come, since the chief priests and Pharisees were seeking to arrest Him. Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus, Martha and Mary provided supper for Jesus. During the meal, Mary took a pint of costly ointment of pure nard, and anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. The whole house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would betray Jesus, objected: 'Why was this ointment not sold? It would bring three hundred denarii to support the poor.' He said this because he kept their cashbox, and often helped himself to what was entrusted to him—not because he cared about the poor. Jesus replied to his objection, 'Leave her alone. Let her keep it for the day of My burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.'