Following, filled; Believing, seeing.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Devotions: Ps 85, 87, 89:1-29; Josh 3:14-4:7; Eph 5:1-20; Jn 9:1-12, 35-38

Lord, You have been favorable to Your land and people, pardoning our sin and restoring our faith. Don't be angry forever, Lord; let me hear what You would say. Your salvation is near for all who fear You, so that glory may dwell in our land. Let our faith rise up to meet Your love and mercy, Your faithfulness and righteousness. Open a straight way before me, and help me to go in Your joy and Your strength. What a blessing it is to live in Jerusalem, source of song and dance, of exultation and faith! Lord, I will sing of Your love forever, and of Your faithfulness and mercy. Let all creation praise our Maker and Master. There is none like You, YHWH: Creator, Sovereign, Source of wisdom and courage and every virtue. Your throne rests on righteousness and justice; steadfast love and faithfulness go before You. You are glorious, and our shield is Your love and power. You have crowned Jesus as King everlasting; and no enemy can withstand Him! God's steadfast love will keep Him forever.

Joshua led the people of Israel across the Jordan into the land God had promised them. When those who bore God's ark came to the water's edge, the river parted, even though Jordan was at flood stage. The waters coming down stood in a heap far upstream at Adam near Zarethan; and the downstream waters flowed on toward the Salt Sea. And the people crossed over opposite Jericho. When all the people had crossed, the Lord told Joshua to have a man from each of the twelve tribes to take up a stone from the river bed and carry them to the west bank, and there to make a shrine of the twelve rocks. Joshua did this, and told them people, 'When your children ask in times to come, "What do these stones mean to you?", you will tell them that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of YHWH's covenant, and these stones are an everlasting memorial of that great miracle.'

Paul tells the church: Be imitators of God, as His beloved children. Walk in love, as the Messiah loves us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Don't even mention fornication, or any impurity, or covetousness—such discipline is fitting for those set apart for God. No filthiness, no silliness or empty giggles. Rather, give thanks! No fornicator or impure person or covetor—all these are idolators—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Messiah and of God. Don't let anyone deceive you, because these deceptions are what draws the wrath of God down on the sons and daughters of disobedience. Don't associate with them! Once you were darkness; now you are light in the Lord. So walk as children of the light—its fruit is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to learn what pleases the Lord; shun the unfruitful works of darkness; instead, expose them. It is a shame even to speak of what sinners do in secret; but when anything is exposed to the light, it becomes visible, and can be transformed. For this reason, it is said, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Messiah will give you light.' Therefore, take care how you walk, not as unwise people, but as wise; make the most of the time you have, because the days are evil. Don't be foolish; rather, understand what God's will is. Don't get drunk on wine—that is debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, and address one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make melody to the Lord with all your heart! Always and for everything give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah to God the Father.

As Jesus went along, He encountered a man born blind. His disciples asked, 'Rabbi, who sinned—this man or his parents—that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'Neither this man nor his parents caused his blindness; he is blind so that the works of God may be manifested in him. We must work while we have the lilght; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I Am in the world, I Am the light of the world.' Having said this, Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the man's eyes with the clay, saying to him,' Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.' Siloam means 'sent.' So the man did as Jesus told him, and he came back seeing! All those who knew the man as a blind beggar said, 'Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?' Some confirmed it, but others said, 'No, he just resembles that guy.' The man himself spoke up: 'I am the man!' They asked, 'Then how were your eyes opened?' He answered, 'The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes told me to wash in Siloam pool—so I did that, and received my sight.' They asked, 'Where is He?' He said, 'I don't know.' All this brought the man to the attention of the authorities who were seeking to discredit and destroy Jesus. They cross-examined the man and his parents, and reviled him as a sinner and liar. As the man defended Jesus, he seemed to grow in insight about the Lord: 'He is a prophet....He may be a sinner—I don't know—but I know He gave me sight...I am His disciple...If He were not from God, He could do nothing.' After the Jewish authorities cast the healed man out, Jesus found him and said, '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; He is the One speaking to you.' And the man said, 'Lord, I believe.' And he worshiped Jesus.