Help, Lord!

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Devotions: Ps 87, 90, 136; Joel 3:9-17; Jas 2:1-17; Lk 16:10-18

Jerusalem surrounds God's holy mountain, and is His favorite place on earth. The Bible says it's a blessing to be born and to die in Jerusalem; even more to live there, the wellspring of dance and song, God's holy city. Moses wrote: YHWH, You Are our dwelling place—eternal, omniscient, almighty, while we are dust, evanescent and perishing in a moment. Life here is toil and trouble, and too soon over. Come again to us, Lord God; have pity on Your servant. Make us glad as many days as we have languished; manifest Your power and Your will to me, Your servant. And let Your favor rest upon me today; Lord, establish the work of my hands, I pray! Let us all give thanks to the Lord, for He Is good! Lord, Your steadfast love endures forever. You work wonders; You made the heavens and the earth, galaxies and ground. You chose and delivered Your chosen people, and through them brought Your Son into this world. You remember me in my low estate and rescue me. Lord, I need that strong mercy, that everlasting love, right now!

The prophet Joel spoke for God: Let humankind prepare for war! Let the nations gather, the warriors band together. It's time to reap the harvest! Tread out the winepress of God's wrath. Multitudes gather in the valley of decision. YHWH's Day draws near, and the lights fail. YHWH roars from Zion, shaking earth and sky. He Is a Refuge for all His people. Let all who live under His authority know that YHWH Is God, and we are His!

James, brother of Jesus, wrote: Brothers and sisters, show no partiality for rich or poor. All are alike before the Holy One. God has chosen the poor of the world to be His vessels, rich in faith and heirs to His eternal kingdom. Take your current poverty as a sign of God's favor; honor everyone alike. Love your neighbor, each one, as yourself. Partiality is sin. Speak and acts as one already judged by God's perfect law; He has mercy for the merciful, and mercy triumphs over judgment. So don't judge. And show your faith in behavior; 'faith without works is dead.' Take care of people, don't just offer them a stray word of kindness or encouragement. 

Jesus taught: Be honest in small and in large matters; character is consistent across situations. We serve only one Master—God or the evil one, holiness or greed. Jesus confronted the hypocritical Pharisees, who justified themselves in public, but practiced abomination in their hearts—not least, pride, false piety, and greed. Jesus said that the Torah and prophets held sway until the coming of John the Baptist; and since then, the good news of God's kingdom, the holy gospel, is proclaimed, and people struggle to enter it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the law to become void. And He added: those who divorce commit adultery, as do those who marry a divorced person.