Humbly receive true knowledge

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Devotions: Ps 49, 119:49-72; Sirach 28:14-26; Rev 12:1-6; Lk 11:37-52

Everyone listen: We who worship YHWH have nothing to fear in times of trouble; no one can ransom himself, but God will deliver those who trust in Him. For God has ransomed us with the priceless gift of His only Son. And He will receive me to Himself when my mortal life is over. Don't envy the rich in this world; their pomp will die with them. Lord, remember Your promises; they are my hope and my stay. Your statutes are my songs, and YHWH is my Portion. I promise, Lord, by Your grace, to keep Your words. I am friend to all who worship You; the creation is full of Your steadfast love. Teach me good judgment and knowledge. It is good that I was afflicted, for that experience causes me to turn to You. You have made and kept me, Lord; and I know that all Your judgments are right! Have mercy on me, that I may live and praise You.

Slander is a great evil, scattering many, destroying cities, stealing fruit from the best workers. They have no peace who attend to gossip; a whip raises a welt, but the blow of a tongue crushes bones! More destructive than swords are sharp tongues. Slander's yoke is crushing; its fetters are bronze; its death is cruel. But slander cannot master the godly. Hold fast to YHWH, and you will be safe from slander. Keep your tongue from gossip and telling lies, lest you fall to the father of lies who lies in wait to devour you!

John saw a great omen in heaven: a woman clothed with sun and the moon under her feet, crowned with twelve stars. The woman was pregnant and about to deliver; she cried out in the pangs of labor. And a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, crowned with seven diadems, one on each head, swept a third fo the stars from heaven with his tail, casting them to earth. He stood before the laboring woman, waiting to devour her child when she brought it forth. She delivered a son, One Who is to rule all nations; and her son was caught up to God and to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness; there, she has a place prepared by God, where He will protect and nourish her for 1260 days.

A Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner; but he was astonished when Jesus did not wash before eating. The Lord said to him, 'You Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. You fools! Did not He Who made the outside make the inside, too? Give alms for those things that are within, and behold, everything becomes clean for you. But woe to you Pharisees. For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, while you neglect justice and the love of God. You should do both, not neglect one for the other. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogue and salutations in the market. Woe to you, for you are like unseen graves; men walk over them without knowing it.' One of the lawyers answered Jesus: 'Teacher, in saying this you reproach us also.' And Jesus said, 'Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with unbearable burdens, but don't touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you, for you build the tombs of the prophets your ancestors killed. So you witness and consent to the sinful deeds of your fathers. God's Wisdom has said, "I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute." So the blood of all the prophets persecuted and slain from the beginning of the world may be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers! You have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hinder those who were entering.'