Faith Work

Friday, January 3 Devotions: Ps 68, 72; 1 Ki 19:9-18; Eph 4:17-32; Jn 6:15-29 Let God arise and scatter His enemies. He Is Father to the orphan, Husband to the widow, Host to the homeless, Liberator to the imprisoned, and Scourge to the godless and oppressors. Blessed is YHWH, Who daily bears me up, my Savior and King. Let all who understand sing praises to our God and ascribe to Him the majesty due His name. Our God is awesome and worthy of our worship and praise. He gives justice to the Royal Son; all glory, honor, power and dominion to Jesus the Messiah, King of kings and Lord of lords. Blessed be His glorious name forever and ever; may His glory fill the universe! Amen. Elijah had vanquished and slaughtered the priests of Baal, but he panicked when Jezebel threatened him, and fled into the Negev, eventually fleeing to the mountain of God, where he found a cave to settle in. Then the Lord addressed His prophet: 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' Elijah described his lonely struggles in the kingdom of Ahab and Jezebel; he concluded, 'And I alone am left—just me! And now they seek to take my life.' God directed Elijah to stand in the mouth of the cave, and God passed by in glory: a great wind tore the rocks of the mountains—but God was not in the wind. Then came a mighty earthquake; but God was not in the earthquake. Then came a raging fire; but God was not in the fire. Finally came 'a still small voice. Again God addressed him: 'Elijah, what are you doing here?' And Elijah repeated his story, concluded again: 'And I, even I alone, am left; and they seek to take my life.' And YHWH said, 'Go! Return to Damascus; there, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, and anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat to succeed you as My prophet. These three will work My judgment and vengeance on My enemies. Yet, I will spare seven thousand in Israel: all those who have not bent the knee to Baal, and who have not kissed him.' And Elijah proceeded to obey God's directions. Paul wrote: This I affirm and testify in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds, darkened in understanding, alienated from the Life that Is in God because of their ignorance, the fruit of hardened hearts. They have become callous and have given themselves over to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness. That is not what you have learned in Christ and in His truth. Put off your old nature, which belongs to your former ways of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts. Be renewed in the spirit of your minds; put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God, in true righteousness and holiness. Let everyone speak truth with his neighbor, for in truth we all are members of one another! Be angry, but don't let anger cause you to sin; don't let the sun set on your anger; give no opportunity to the devil. Let those who steal do so no longer, but labor, doing honest work with their own hands, enabling them also to give to those in need. Let no evil talk come from your mouths; say only what is good for edifying, what is fitting and imparts grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, in Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put far from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Jesus had fed 5000 men and many women and children on a mountainside overlooking the Sea of Galilee. And He perceived that the people wanted to make Him their king by force. So He withdrew alone to the mountain. At evening, His disciples went down to the shore, boarded their boats, and began to cross the lake to Capernaum. When it was dark, Jesus still had not come to them, and they were rowing against a strong wind. When they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, approaching the boats from the east. They were frightened, but He assured them: 'It Is I ('I AM'); do not be afraid.' Then they rejoiced to take Him into the boat and immediately they arrived where they had been bound. The next day, the people who lingered on the eastern shore noticed that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not departed with it—yet He was nowhere to be found. Boats from Tiberius came near the place where Jesus had fed the multitude after He had given thanks. So they got into boats and crossed to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found Him, they said, 'Rabbi, when did You come here?' And as usual, Jesus replied by addressing their inmost concerns, not their conversation: 'Truly, truly I say to you: you seek Me, not because you witnessed signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. But do not labor for the food which perishes, but fo rthe food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you; for on Him has God the Father set His seal.' So they asked Jesus, 'What must we do, to be about the works of God?' And Jesus replied, 'This is the work God sets before you: believe in Him Whom God has sent.'