Wed.’s Devo - God’s Family

Read: Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20; Luke 9:28-50; Psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 12:10 The Levite was set apart in every way. His inheritance came from the Lord. He was welcomed to enjoy the offerings for the priests and Levites any time he was near the place of worship. *** When they come into the land the Lord promised and they possess it, they were to rid it of all evil occult practices. God would not speak to them through the evil ways of their enemies. He would speak to his people through a prophet like Moses. A true prophet’s words will come to pass. *** They were to set apart three cities for cities of refuge to protect the innocent wrongly accused of murder. As they continued to be faithful to the Lord and continued to take more territory, they were to designate three more cities of refuge. *** When the Levites were deciding a case, they were to make their decision on the testimony of at least two witnesses. If a false witness is found, then he will receive what he wanted the man accused to receive. *** When they went to war, they were not to compare the size of their enemies armies, because the Lord was on their side. The priests were to encourage the army before they fought and remind them not to be afraid. It was the Lord who would give them the victory. *** The officers were to ask the soldiers if they had any unfinished business at home, or if they were afraid to fight. If any of this was true, they were excused from serving. *** When they came to the city outside the promised land, they were first to offer it the right to surrender. If they surrendered, they were to make slaves of all the people in the city. If they didn’t want to make peace, then they were to kill all the males and take the women and children and livestock as plunder. In the cities within the promised land, they were to kill everyone in the city and leave nothing alive so that they could not teach them their abominable ways. *** They were to leave all the trees that produced fruit and use the others for siegeworks. *** In Luke, Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain with him to pray. It was the eighth day which refers to the “new millennium.” Jesus transformed into his glory before them. They watched in awe as Jesus talked to Moses and Elijah. *** As Peter was preparing them to stay with them on earth, God spoke and told them to listen to Jesus, he was God’s son. Then, Jesus was there alone, and Moses and Elijah were gone. *** The next day, Jesus cast out an evil spirit from a man’s son. Jesus called them a faithless and twisted generation. When the demon manifested through the son, Jesus rebuked the spirit and healed the boy. He gave him back to his father. *** The crowd marveled at what Jesus did, but he told his disciples he was soon going to be handed over to the hands of men. They didn’t understand what he was telling them. Instead, they argued about who would be there greatest in his kingdom. Jesus brought a child before them and said that whoever receives a child in his name receives him and the one who sent him. The least among them will be the greatest. (I’m sure they didn’t get that one either.) *** John told Jesus that there was a man casting out demons in his name and wanted to stop the man because he wasn’t part of their following. Jesus told him not to stop him because if he is not against him, he is on his side. *** We can learn a lot from today’s reading. We are part of a big family of God’s. The Levite from another city and the believer from another group are all part of the same company of believers. Thou we are in the presence of the greatest prophets that lived like Moses and Elijah, the one we are to hear the most is Jesus. Jesus is the one who links us all together as one big family. *** Lord, may we not compartmentalize ourselves because we don’t go to the same church or believe quite the same. May we see other believers as our family and love and accept them as fellow workers in your kingdom.