Side with God, and live

Tuesday, August 27 Devotions: Ps 5, 6, 10, 11; Job 6:1-21; Acts 9:32-43; Jn 6:60-71 Let God hear my groans and cries! I know, Lord, that You do not delight in wickedness, or in human pride or arrogance. You Are Truth, and You hate lies. By the overflow of Your steadfast love I come before You; lead me, YHWH, in Your righteousness and let all who seek You rejoice as you bless and favor and protect Your own flock. Be gracious to me, Lord, and to my household; save and deliver us for the sake of Your steadfast love, to honor Your covenant. YHWH has heard and answered every prayer; He accepts my prayer because of the righteousness of my Lord Jesus. Every enemy will be turned back and put to shame in a moment. Draw near to me, my God, and deliver from the wicked. Strengthen my heart to do Your will. Let earthy men terrify no more! YHWH is my Temple; He loves righteousness and right actions. The upright shall behold His face. Job cried out in his vexation and suffering; he recognized that God had permitted him to suffer, and he was in agony. He pleaded that God would release him and console him, for he had nothing left in himself. No mortal sought to comfort him—they shied away from Job's calamity in fear that something similar would befall themselves—that Job's misery might be contagious. Peter was itinerant, and came to the Christian community in Lydda; among them was a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden and paralyzed for eight years. Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.' And immediately, the man was healed; he rose, and all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and turned to the Lord. In Joppa had lived a disciple named Tabitha—also called Dorcas. Both names suggest 'the gazelle'. She was full of good works, but in those days she sickened and died. The local believers summoned Peter to come without delay, and he did so. When he arrived, they conducted him to an upper room where the woman's body was lying; the widows wept and showed Peter many of the tunics and other garments Dorcas had made. Peter put the party outside; he knelt and prayed. Then he turned to the body and spoke: 'Tabitha, arise!' And she opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He called the saints and widows and presented her to them, alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many came to the Lord. Peter remained in Joppa for many days, staying with a tanner named Simon. Jesus had spoken of His death and alluded to the need for His followers to eat His flesh and drink His blood. This divided His followers—some could not sustain faith, counting its cost. Jesus then asked the Twelve: 'Do you also wish to depart?' Simon Peter answered Him: 'Lord, You have the words of eternal life—to whom else could we go? We have believed; we have come to know that You Are the Holy One of God.' Jesus replied, 'Even though I chose you myself, one of you is a devil.' He referred to Judas, Simon of Iscariot's son—one of the Twelve, yet destined to betray Jesus.