The Judge, the journey and Jesus

Tuesday, April 1, 2014 Devotions: Ps 94, 97, 99; Gen 49:29-50:14; 1 Cor 11:17-34; Mk 8:1-10 YHWH, God of vengeance, shine forth; as Judge of the earth, rise up and render their just portion to the arrogant. See how the proud mistreat Your people and dishonor Your name. Let these fools understand: the One Who made ears can hear; the One Who created eyes can see everything. He is Judge of nations but also of individuals. He knows we mortals are a passing breath. YHWH does not forsake His people or abandon His heritage; He keeps His promises; God is good all the time, and for all time. When I have believed I was failing, God has sustained me; His consolations cheer my cluttered mind and bruised soul. YHWH is my Stronghold, the Rock of my refuge, and I will leave myself and my enemies in His mighty hands. Let the earth rejoice that God is our Ruler. Idolaters are put to shame; those who honor and worship the true God rejoice and sing His praises. YHWH loves those who hate evil; He preserves the lives of those He sets apart for Himself. Light dawns for the righteous, joy for those of true hearts. We thank You, Holy Lord! You are the mighty King of kings, Maker of law and of truth; YHWH our God is holy! Jacob charged his sons to bury him in the field of Machpelah with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and with Leah. And then he died. Joseph fell upon his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. Then he directed his servants and physicians to embalm his father—that took forty days, and the Egyptians joined in mourning Jacob for 70 days. Then Joseph asked Pharaoh's leave to return his father's remains to Canaan, and the king granted him permission. And a great procession accompanied Jacob's body. As they approached the Jordan, they raised a mighty lament on the threshing floor of Atad, mourning for seven days, and causing the Canaanites of that region to christen the place Abel-Mizraim ('Mourning-meadow of the Egyptians'). And the brothers buried their father in the ancestral tomb at Machpelah east of Mamre, and then all returned to Egypt. Paul scolded the Corinthians about disorder in their assemblies: You divide into factions, and you deface the Lord's Supper: everyone brings their own food and drink; some gorge, others starve; some are drunk and others remain thirsty. I cannot commend this! I taught you the proper way, as the Lord taught me: On the night He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying 'This is My body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise, after supper, He took the cup of wine, gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink this, all of you. For this is My blood of the New Covenant, shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of Me.' As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes again. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let each person examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink of the cup accordingly. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body and blood of Jesus is eating and drinking judgment upon himself. That is why many of your are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened, so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So, brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another; if someone is famished, they should eat at home before the assembly, lest you come together to be condemned. I'll have more instructions when I visit you in person. A great crowd had gathered to Jesus, and He had compassion on them. He said to His disciples, 'I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with Me now for three days, and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry, they will faint on the way home, for some have journeyed far.' The disciples asked, 'But how can we feed them here in the wilderness?' Jesus asked them, 'How many loaves do you have?' They said, 'Seven.' Jesus commanded the crowd to sit down; He took the seven loaves, gave thanks, and broke them and gave the fragments to the disciples to set before the people. They also had a few small fish; having blessed these, Jesus commanded that these also be set before the people. All ate and were satisfied, and the disciples took up seven baskets full of leftovers, having fed more than four thousand men, with additional women and children. Then Jesus dismissed them all, got into a boat with His disciples, and traveled to the region of Dalmanutha.