Seeing is Believing is Seeing...

Friday, September 3, 2010

Devotions: Ps 31, 35; Job 19:1-27; Acts 13:13-25; Jn 9:18-41

YHWH, I take my refuge in You, my Rock and Fortress. For Your glory, lead and guide me to do Your will, for You have redeemed me, and I am Yours. I trust in YHWH, not in any idol. My life seems a waste many days, Lord, for I am so unproductive and unloving. I disappear from the minds of those around me, without a trce. My times are in Your hand; deliver me from all enemies and into the highlands of serving You in love. Blessed is YHWH, Who has wondrously showed His steadfast love to me. God hears; God answers. I will be strong and take courage as I wait upon my Lord. Let God content with my adversaries, and my soul will rejoice in the victory He has. Those who rejoice at my stumbling will be disappointed when God vindicates and delivers me. Let those who pull for me rejoice, and my enemies blow away like chaff, as I tell of the wonders and goodness of my God.

Job again answered Bildad: 'How long will you torment me with your words? There's no need to magnify my humiliation. I have protested, but God is silent. I am overmatched, of course. No one can contend with the Almighty One. No one comes to my defense or aid. I am repulsive to my wife; even young children despise me. My intimate friends gossip and abhor me. My very flesh hates me. God, why do You pursue me? I know that my Redeemer lives and at last He will stand upon the earth. After my skin has been destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God, on my side. My heart is faint within me, but I await God's judgment and justice.'

Paul and his company set forth from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabase contined to Pisidian Antioch, and there went into the synagogue on the Sabbath. The synagogue rulers invited them to speak, and Paul addressed the assembly: 'Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen: The God of Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in Egypt, and led them forth with an uplifted arm. He bore with them as they wandered forty years in the wilderness. When God had destroyed seven nations in Canaan, He gave them their land as an inheritance, for about 450 years. Then He gave them judges, until the day of Samuel the prophet. Then the people demanded a human king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years. When God removed Saul, he raised up David, a man after God's own heart, who would obey God's will. From David's posterity, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as God promised. Before Jesus's coming, John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his mission, he testified: "Do you suppose that I am the Messiah? I am not He. But after me One is coming the sandals of Whose feet I am not worthy to untie."'

The Jewish authorities refused to believe that the man whom Jesus healed had truly been blind from birth. They questioned the man's parents. They admitted that the man was their son, and he had been blind from birth and now could see. 'But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, and can speak for himself.' They said this because they feared the Jews, who had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. So the Jewish council called the man himself a second time: 'Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.' He answered, 'I don't know whether he is a sinner or not; I know only this: I was blind and now I see.' They persisted: 'What did he do to you?' The man replied, 'I told you that already, but you would not listen. Why hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?' They reviled hiim: 'You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man comes from.' The man replied, 'This is a marvel! You don't know where He comes from, yet he opened my eyes! We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to that person. Never since the word began has it been told that any one opened the eyes fo a man born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.' They answered, 'You were born in utter sin, and would you presume to teach us?' And they cast out the man they had called to witness. Jesus heard about this and found the man; Jesus said to him, 'Do you believe in the Son of man?' He answered, 'Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?' Jesus said, 'You have seen Him, and it Is He Who now speaks to you.' The man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and worshiped Jesus. Jesus said, 'For judgment I came into this world, that whose who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.' Some Pharisees nearby heard this, and addressed Jesus: 'Are we also blind?' Jesus said, 'If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but since you say "We can see," your guilt remains!'