Trust in God's protection and do His will fearlessly

Monday, March 17, 2014 Devotions: Ps 56-58; 64, 65; Gen 41:46-57; 1 Cor 4:8-21; Mk 3:7-19a I am scorned and trampled by people around me, Lord, but You care for me, and I trust You. Flesh cannot do me permanent damage, and God protects me. Lord, You keep my tears in a bottle; You Are my hope and stay. I take refuge in You, so I need not flee. You put my enemies to shame. And so my heart is steadfast. Let me praise God in song, for Your steadfast love and faithfulness exceed the bounds of all creation! Be exalted above the heavens, Lord God; let Your glory shine over all the earth. The wicked among angels and humankind go astray from their birth onward. God, break their fangs; dissolve them; sweep them away. There Is a God Who judges on earth! So preserve me against the drygulching foes who seek my destruction. Let the righteous rejoice in God the Lord, and let us praise Him and glorify His holy Name. Praise is Your due, great Lord! You answer us with dread and awesome deeds. You are Master over all creation and every creature. And all creation joins in a paean of praise to you, my God. Joseph was 30 years old when he entered Pharaoh's service. He wasted no time in gathering up the fruits of the seven years of plenty he had foretold. He stored up grain in great abundance. He had two sons by his Egyptian wife Asenath: Manasseh and Ephraim—both by birth and name evidenced God's favor to Joseph, even in exile, making him fruitful and optimistic. The widespread famine brought all the world to Egypt, to buy grain from Joseph. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: the sacrifices and trials of us apostles has prospered you—we are scorned and ridiculed, poor, weak and dishonored. You are honored, prosperous and of good repute. To this moment, we hunger and thirst; we are ill-clad, persecuted, and homeless. We earn our keep by hard work; we bless when reviled, endure when persecuted; seek conciliation when we are slandered; and we remain the refuse of the world, perceived as human trash. I write this to admonish you, as my spiritual children: imitate me, despite my outward humiliation​. I sent my favorite son in the gospel, Timothy, to remind you of my ways in Christ. And I will come soon, and will confront the arrogant among you. We'll find out what real power they command; for God's kingdom is about real power, not about empty prattle. So: shall I come to you in love and a spirit of gentleness, or with a disciplinarian's rod? Facing conspiracy to kill Him, Jesus and His disciples withdrew to the Sea of Galilee, and great crowds pursued him—people from Galilee, Jerusalem, Idumea, Trans-Jordan, Tyre and Sidon. Jesus had His disciples prepare a boat, should the shoreline crowds threaten to crush them, pressing in for the healing Jesus had given many; all who were sick in body, mind and spirit strove to touch Him. Evil spirits fell down before Him and cried out, 'You Are the Son of God!' But Jesus strictly ordered them not to make Him known. [Jesus had no use for the testimony of demons.] Jesus went to a mountain top and called to Himself those He had chosen as close disciples: Simon Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanean, and Judas Iscariot—the one who betrayed Jesus.