YHWH has done great things for us!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Devotions: Ps 121-26; Mic 1:1-9; Acts 23:12-24; Lk 7:1-17

I raise my gaze to the heights—where does my help come from? My help comes from YHWH, Lord of heaven and earth. He keeps me in place; He never slumbers or sleeps. He protects me and covers me, day and night. YHWH will keep me from all evil; He will preserve my life. I am always glad when someone encourages me to go to God's house; and I was blessed to visit Jerusalem, where YHWH's tribes congregated. I pray, Lord, for the peace of Jerusalem and of Israel; may they prosper who love You, and may peace grace the holy city and the holy land. I raise my heart to God my Savior, enthroned in the heavens. I look to You as my Master, Lord; have mercy on me, Your servant. I have had enough contempt, enough scorn from the rulers and leisure class, enough sneers from the arrogant. If You had not been on my side, I would long ago have perished, swallowed up in the anger of Your enemies. Blessed be YHWH, who has not delivered me into the bared teeth of my enemies. My help is in YHWH's name, the Maker of heaven and earth! Those who trust in God cannot be moved; as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so God's love embraces me and all His people, forever. No wickedness can rule over the territory or people of the Holy One. Lord, let peace abide for the Israel of God, and may God do away with all evildoers. When YHWH restored my fortunes, I was like a dreamer, delirious with joy! YHWH has done great things for us, and we are glad. Let YHWH restore our fortunes, like streams in the Negeb. Those who go forth weeping, but with seed to sow, will return home with shouts of joy, bearing their harvest sheaves in their arms.

YHWH's words came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahas and Hezekiah, kingsof Judah. And he prophesied concerning Samaria and Jerusalem: Hear, O peoples of the earth; let the Lord God be a Witness against you. YHWH is coming forth; He will visit the earth. The mountains will melt before Him and the valleys will be cleft like wax before a fire. The cause of this devastation is the many sins of His people Israel. Samaria is a cesspool, and Jerusalem an open grave. God will make Samaria a heap of rubble in open country; her images will be beaten to pieces; her prostitutes burned with fire, and her idols laid waste by God's wrath. Samaria is a harlot, and I will bring down on her the punishment of the harlot. Micah lamented and wailed; he went about stripped and naked, lamenting like a jackal, mourning like an ostrich. For the wound of Israel is incurable, and it has spread, too, to Judah and Jerusalem.

While Jesus was encouraging Paul in a night vision, the Jews who hated him were plotting his murder. More than forty men agreed neither to eat nor drink until they had murdered Paul. They engaged the chief priests and elders in their conspiracy, asking that the Jewish council ask the tribune to bring Paul down to them, so they could waylay and murder him on the road. It happened that Paul's sister's son, his nephew, heard of this ambush; so he went to the barracks and told Paul, who had a centurion take his nephew to the tribune with the news of this murderous plot. The young man told his news to the tribune, who dismissed theyoung man, charging him to tell no one that he had informed the Romans about all this. Then the tribune detailed two centurions, with two hundred foot soldiers and seventy cavalry troops to convey Paul to Caesarea, to the custody of Felix the governor.

Jesus went into Capernaum. Meanwhile, a Roman centurion had a slave who was dear to him, and the slave was mortally sick and near death. He sent elders of the Jews to Jesus, asking Him to come and heal the dying slave. The elders did so, telling Jesus that the centurion was a benefactor to the Jews under his authority; he loved the Jews and had built their synagogue. Jesus went with them, and as they approached the centurion's house, friends of the Roman officer met them with a message from the centuirion: 'Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have You enter under my roof. That is why I have not come before You myself. Simply speak the word, and let my servant be healed. I am a man under authority, and I have authority over the soldiers in my command. I say to one, "Go," and he goes; to another, I say, "Come" and he comes; and to my slave, I say, "Do this," and he obeys.' Hearing this, Jesus marveled; He turned and addressed the crowd that was following Him: 'I tell you, I have not found faith like this even among the peole of Israel!' And when the centurion's messengers returned to his house, they found the slave well. Soon after, Jesus traveled to the city of Nain, with His disciples and a large crowd following Him. As Jesus approached the city gate, he encountered a funeral procession: a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his widowed mother; and they were attended by a large crowd from the city. When Jesus saw her, He had compassion on her and said, 'Do not weep.' Jesus came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. Jesus spoke: 'Young man, I say to you, arise!' And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all the onlookers, and they glorified God, saying 'A great prophet has arisen among us!' And, 'God has visited His people!' This report about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.