Why not simply trust and obey?

Thursday, May 1, 2014 Devotions: Ps 18; Ex 16:10-21; 1 Pet 2:11-25; Jn 15:12-27 I love You, YHWH, my Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, Shield, Stronghold. You Are my power and strength. I call upon YHWH, Who Is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. When I've faced mortal danger, God has delivered me; the Lord on high Is mighty and merciful. Lord, You light my lamp; You guide my steps; You Are my heritage. Your ways are perfect; Your promises are true and can be trusted. You have girded me with strength and perseverance, and I will trust in You today and all my days. YHWH lives; blessed be my Rock; exalted be the God of my salvation, Who has delivered me from violent people. I partake in the victory of my God. Aaron spoke for God to the murmuring people of Israel, and told them that God would provide meat in the evening and bread in the morning, to sustain them on their sojourn from Egypt. So they harvested quail in the evening and manna in the morning—exactly the rations each household needed, and two portions on the sixth day of each week, to provide what they needed for the Sabbaths. Those who disregarded God's words discovered that the extra portions they gathered bred worms and became foul—it is best to do exactly as God instructs. Peter to the Christian diaspora: Beloved, I beseech you, as aliens and strangers in the world to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Act well before unbelievers, so that they may see your good works and glorify God on the day of visitation. For His sake, be cooperative subjects to human institutions. God's will is that you should put to silence the ignorance of fools by spotless public conduct. Live as free men, but as slaves of God. Honor all people; love your Christian brothers and sisters; fear God; honor the secular government. Let servant be submissive to their masters, whether the masters are kind or overbearing. God will reward you for the burdens you bear with equanimity. This is our calling—our Master Jesus also suffered injustice for us, leaving us that example. Follow in His steps: He did not return reviling when reviled; He did not threaten when injured; He put His trust in the One Who judges justly. Sinless Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live in righteousness. By His wounds we are healed. You were straying like lost sheep, bu now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. Jesus told His closest followers, on the night before He was betrayed and crucified: This is My command: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this: that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants; you are My friends. I have told you everything My Father told me—masters don't do that with their servants. You didn't choose Me; rather, I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that abides—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. This is My command: love one another. If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me before you. The world would love you if you belonged to the world; but I chose you out of the world, and so it hates you. I told you, a servant is not greater than his master; and if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also; and those who keep My word will be your friends, also. All this is to My account, because they don't know the One Who sent Me. They'd had no sin-guilt unless I had come and instructed them; but now they have no excuse for their sins. Anyone who hates Me also hates My Father. They'd have no guilt if they had not witnessed the unique works I performed before them; but now that have seen and still hated both Me and My Father. This fulfills what is written in the Torah they revere: 'They hated Me without cause.' But when the Counselor comes, Whom I shall send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth Who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness to Me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning.