Sun.’s Devo - Our Witness

Read: Joshua 22:21-23:16: Luke 20:27-47; Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 13:17-19 The warriors from the tribes of Gad, Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh had helped all the tribes get their land and had been released to go home. When they got to the Jordan they had built an altar that greatly offended the rest of Israel. They sent their delegates to investigate this altar and find out their motives for building it. *** The men from Reuben, Gad and Manasseh told them that it was not an altar to burn sacrifices because that would be profane but it was built as a memorial to God that they are his people so they wouldn’t forget. Once the men heard this, they were satisfied and went back home. It would be their “witness” to the world that they followed God. *** Joshua was able to live a long time in peace. When he was about to die, he called for the elders, judges, officers and heads of families. He reminded them of all God had done for them and exhorted them to keep being courageous and obeying God’s laws. They were not to mention the name of the foreign gods or swear by them or bow down them. With God, one of them would chase a thousand. But if they intermarried with the foreigners and go their way, God would no longer fight for them and they would be snares and traps for them. They would eventually lose the land God had given them. God would bring on them all the harmful things until he had destroyed them. *** In Luke, the Sadducees came to pick a fight with Jesus. They were staunch believers that man doesn’t resurrect when he dies. The Pharisees argued they do. So when the Sadducees came to trap Jesus the real question was the resurrection. Jesus knew this and told them that there was a resurrection and that people don’t marry in that age. God proved that he was the God of the living and not the dead. The Pharisees approved of his answer. *** Then Jesus asked them a question. He asked them why they say that Christ is the Son of David when David calls the Christ his Lord. They wouldn’t call their son their lord. They didn’t answer so he went on to tell his disciples in the ears of all the scribes: beware of the scribes who honor themselves and pretend to be holy; behind the curtain, they devour widow’s houses. They will be condemned in the end. *** Jesus told it like it is and wasn’t afraid of a person’s position or status. He feared only God. *** Lord, may we be like Jesus and fear only God. You are the only one who can give us eternal life or take our lives. You are the one who loves us with pure love and protects us from our enemies. You are the one we have chosen to give our lives to and live our lives for. We will never be ashamed or disappointed in you. May we be a witness to the world of your power and magesty.