Costs and Consolations

Monday, May 27


Devotions: Ps 9, 15, 25; Deut 4:9-14; 2 Cor 1:1-11; Lk 14:25-35

I will thank God with my whole heart; I will tell of Your wonderful deeds, my God. I will exult in You and sing praises to Your name, God Most High. You have protected and restored me; my enemies stumble and fall to their ruin before Your might and righteousness. You blot out the names and memories of the wicked; our enemies vanish completely. But YHWH remains enthroned forever; His Is Judge over all that exists, a Stronghold for the oppressed and those in trouble YHWH, all who know Your name put our trust in You, for You do not forsake those who seek You. Let all praise God, our God; let every person hear of His goodness. Lord, please, have mercy; be good to me, for I suffer before those who hate me. The nations have sunk into the nets they wove for others; and God has executed judgment, releasing the righteous and ensnaring the wicked by their own sin and folly. So, YHWH: who may sojourn in Your tent, or live on Your holy hill? It is those who walk blamelessly, who do what is right, who speak truth from their hearts, who speak no slander, who do no evil. They do not blame their neighbors, but despise the ungodly; they honor YHWH; they keep their promises, even when it is costly to them; they do not practice usury; they protect the innocent. Such people will never be moved! YHWH, I lift my heart and soul to You; I put my trust in You; let me not be shamed; keep my enemies from triumphing over me. Guide me into deeper knowledge of You and Your ways, Lord; lead me into Your truth and love; for You Are the God of my salvation; I wait upon You all day, every day. Remember Your mercy, Lord; your eternal, steadfast love. And keep me in Your love, not remembering the sins of my youth, the follies of my old age—for Your goodness' sake YHWH Is good and upright; He instructs sinners in the Way; He leads the humble in what is right. All God's paths are steadfast love and faithfulness for all who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your sake, Lord, pardon my immense guilt; turn me to Your holy ways, and prosper me according to Your manifold kindnesses. YHWH is my Friend; He reveals His covenant to me. My eyes, Lord, ever turn to You; be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart; bring me out from distress; forgive my sins and set me free. Recall my many foes, and the violence of those who hate me Guard my life, YHWH, and deliver me; keep me from shame as I take refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait upon You. Redeem Your people, O God, from all our troubles.

Moses told the people of Israel: Pay attention; be diligent! Don't forget what you have seen; don't let your hearts lose what YHWH has shown you; make Him and His ways known to your children and grandchildren. Tell them about the day you stood before YHWH your God at Horeb, and He said to me, 'Gather the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words, and learn to fear Me, so that all their days on earth, they may fear Me and teach their children also to fear the living God.' You came near; the mountain was awesome, burning with fire to heaven, wrapped in darkness, clothed in cloud and gloom. You heard God's words, but saw nothing of His likeness. There God told you His covenant and gave you the Ten Words, to be carried out when you came into the land He has promised to you.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians and all those in Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah. Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah; He Is the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we are made capable of comforting those in any affliction; we offer them the comfort with which God comforts us. Just as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, just so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort! If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience as you patiently endure suffering, alongside God's people. Our hope for you is not shaken, since we know for certain that as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort. I want you to understand what I've been through in Asia: we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. I felt as if I had been sentenced to death; but that made us give up trusting ourselves and rely on God, Who raises the dead. He delivered us from that deadly peril, and He will deliver us. We have set our hope on Him, so that He will deliver us again, as in days past. You also must help us, by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers.

Great crowds were following Jesus wherever He went. He said to them: 'To be My disciple, you must put Me first, hating your parents, spouses and children. And you must carry your own cross, and follow Me wherever I go. Consider the cost! One contemplating a major construction project first sits down and reckons the cost, and asks himself, ''Do I have the resources to carry this to completion?'' Otherwise, he wastes what he has, attracts the scorn of the community, and has nothing to show for his efforts. A king, considering whether to go to war with an enemy, takes counsel whether he has the forces to overcome his opponent. If not, he'll seek to negotiate a settlement. So I tell you again: you cannot be My disciple until you renounce everything else that you have. Salt is good, but if it loses its savor, that saltiness cannot be restored. Then it is useless; it can't be sowed in the earth or even cast on a dungheap; people just throw it away. Let all who have ears to hear, hear and take to heart what I have spoken.'