Presenting the Twelfth edition for 2009 of the WEEKLY DEVOTIONS:
Keep on praying, this world is in great need of it. "Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.â€
This edition is dedicated to: From Now On, Do Not Sin Again!!!
Do Not Covet Your Neighbour's Wife!!!!
In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim
He was married to a woman called Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, a woman of great beauty; and she was God-fearing, for her parents were worthy people and had instructed their daughter in the Law of Moses.
Joakim was a very rich man and had a garden by his house; he used to be visited by a considerable number of the Jews, since he was held in greater respect than any other man.
Two elderly men had been selected from the people, that year, to act as judges. Of such the Lord had said, 'Wickedness has come to Babylon through the elders and judges posing as guides to the people.'
These men were often at Joakim's house, and all who were engaged in litigation used to come to them.
At midday, when the people had gone away, Susanna would take a walk in her husband's garden.
The two elders, who used to watch her every day as she came in to take her walk, gradually began to desire her.
They threw reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to Heaven, and forgetting the demands of virtue.
Both were inflamed by passion for her, but they hid their desire from each other,
for they were ashamed to admit the longing to sleep with her,
but they made sure of watching her every day.
One day, having parted with the words, 'Let us go home, then, it is time for the midday meal,' they went off in different directions,
only to retrace their steps and find themselves face to face again. Obliged then to explain, they admitted their desire and agreed to look for an opportunity of surprising her alone.
So they waited for a favourable moment; and one day Susanna came as usual, accompanied only by two young maidservants. The day was hot and she wanted to bathe in the garden.
There was no one about except the two elders, spying on her from their hiding place.
She said to the servants, 'Bring me some oil and balsam and shut the garden door while I bathe.'
They did as they were told, shutting the garden door and going back to the house by a side entrance to fetch what she had asked for; they knew nothing about the elders, for they had concealed themselves.
Hardly were the maids gone than the two elders sprang up and rushed upon her.
'Look,' they said, 'the garden door is shut, no one can see us. We want to have you, so give in and let us!
Refuse, and we shall both give evidence that a young man was with you and that this was why you sent your maids away.'
Susanna sighed. 'I am trapped,' she said, 'whatever I do. If I agree, it means death for me; if I resist, I cannot get away from you.
But I prefer to fall innocent into your power than to sin in the eyes of the Lord.'
She then cried out as loud as she could. The two elders began shouting too, putting the blame on her, and one of them ran to open the garden door.
The household, hearing the shouting in the garden, rushed out by the side entrance to see what had happened to her.
Once the elders had told their story, the servants were thoroughly taken aback, since nothing of this sort had ever been said of Susanna.
Next day a meeting was held at the house of her husband Joakim. The two elders arrived, full of their wicked plea against Susanna, to have her put to death.
They addressed the company, 'Summon Susanna daughter of Hilkiah and wife of Joakim.' She was sent for, and came accompanied by her parents, her children and all her relations.
Susanna was very graceful and beautiful to look at;
she was veiled, so the wretches made her unveil in order to feast their eyes on her beauty.
All her own people were weeping, and so were all the others who saw her.
The two elders stood up, with all the people round them, and laid their hands on her head.
Tearfully she turned her eyes to Heaven, her heart confident in God.
The elders then spoke, 'While we were walking by ourselves in the garden, this woman arrived with two maids. She shut the garden door and then dismissed the servants.
A young man, who had been hiding, went over to her and they lay together.
From the end of the garden where we were, we saw this crime taking place and hurried towards them.
Though we saw them together, we were unable to catch the man: he was too strong for us; he opened the door and took to his heels.
We did, however, catch this woman and ask her who the young man was.
She refused to tell us. That is our evidence.' Since they were elders of the people and judges, the assembly accepted their word: Susanna was condemned to death.
She cried out as loud as she could, 'Eternal God, you know all secrets and everything before it happens; you know that they have given false evidence against me. And now I must die, innocent as I am of everything their malice has invented against me!'
The Lord heard her cry
and, as she was being led away to die, he roused the holy spirit residing in a young boy called Daniel
who began to shout, 'I am innocent of this woman's death!'
At this all the people turned to him and asked, 'What do you mean by that?'
Standing in the middle of the crowd, he replied, 'Are you so stupid, children of Israel, as to condemn a daughter of Israel unheard, and without troubling to find out the truth?
Go back to the scene of the trial: these men have given false evidence against her.'
All the people hurried back, and the elders said to Daniel, 'Come and sit with us and tell us what you mean, since God has given you the gifts that elders have.'
Daniel said, 'Keep the men well apart from each other, for I want to question them.'
When the men had been separated, Daniel had one of them brought to him. 'You have grown old in wickedness,' he said, 'and now the sins of your earlier days have overtaken you,
you with your unjust judgements, your condemnation of the innocent, your acquittal of the guilty, although the Lord has said, "You must not put the innocent and upright to death."
Now then, since you saw her so clearly, tell me what sort of tree you saw them lying under.' He replied, 'Under an acacia tree.'
Daniel said, 'Indeed! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God has already received from him your sentence and will cut you in half.'
He dismissed the man, ordered the other to be brought and said to him, 'Son of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you, lust has led your heart astray!
This is how you have been behaving with the daughters of Israel, and they have been too frightened to resist; but here is a daughter of Judah who could not stomach your wickedness!
Now then, tell me what sort of tree you surprised them under.' He replied, 'Under an aspen tree.'
Daniel said, 'Indeed! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God is waiting with a sword to rend you in half, and destroy the pair of you.'
Then the whole assembly shouted, blessing God, the Saviour of those who trust in him.
And they turned on the two elders whom Daniel had convicted of false evidence out of their own mouths.
As the Law of Moses prescribes, they were given the same punishment as they had schemed to inflict on their neighbour. They were put to death. And thus, that day, an innocent life was saved.
Hilkiah and his wife gave thanks to God for their daughter Susanna, and so did her husband Joakim and all his relations, because she had been acquitted of anything dishonourable.
From that day onwards, Daniel's reputation stood high with the people. Daniel 13
Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin!!!!!!!
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:1-11
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Conclusion:
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? Ezekiel 18:31
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 15:16
Jesus said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
The Good News is Jesus Christ
For He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.
Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John14:6
Keep on praying, this world is in great need of it. “Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.â€
Let us all proclaim the Gospel to all our Brothers and Sisters in the entire world and be witnesses, ready to testify of our Faith in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior!!!!!!!
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-2
Jesus Christ is Our Lord and Savior. Trust and have Faith in Him, today Amen, Alleluia!!!
Go and proclaim to the whole world the awesomeness and greatness of God!!!
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life!!!!!!!
Glory and Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
