Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Confusing Times" for Wednesday, 3 June 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Confusing Times" for Wednesday, 3 June 2015 

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.[Joshua 24:15]
Most of us have times when we get confused.
When I see Hawaii has an Interstate road system, I get confused. I get confused when I think there is such a thing as a jumbo shrimp and a small crowd. I get confused to hear someone is pretty ugly, and I see Braille dots on the outside of the bank's drive-up ATM.
Maybe you can think of things which confuse you, too.
Recently, I was confused by an announcement made by the Girl Scouts of America, a U.S. of A. organization which exists for our girls who want to be part of the Scout's program.
That I could understand. I got confused when the Scouts said they are accepting boys who identify as girls. Andrea Archibald, a Scout's spokesperson, didn't help when she said the Girl Scouts exists to serve "all girls" no matter what they look like or their biological gender.
You can see how I was confused. I thought biological gender decided if we were boys or girls. I'm glad, after my children were born, and I asked the doctor, "Is it a boy or a girl?" he didn't reply, "How should I know? You'll just have to wait to find out."
Now this devotion is not about young people who have a gender identification problem.
This devotion is about the fact that a very large organization in our country, an organization which was designed to shape the minds and the outlook of young girls, feels it has an obligation to redefine girlness. Assuming that obligation will be reflected in all they do, I think I would have a difficult time joining that group, if I were a girl, which I'm not ... I think.
You see why the Girls Scouts of America have confused me.
There is no such confusion in Scripture. The Lord made male and female. To each He gave unique biological and spiritual duties and responsibilities. History has shown the closer people live to God's plan, the happier and more fulfilled they will ultimately be. Similarly, the further they wander from God's plans, the more incomplete and lost they will be.
That's simple to understand, but God's plans are almost always simple. For example, if you wish to be saved, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Redeemer. Do you wish to glorify the Lord whose Son was sacrificed for your forgiveness? Then love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.
It's simple: God calls us from what we once were to be recycled and saved. For any other good they might do, in this, the Girl's Scouts are encouraging children to stay right where they are -- wherever that might be at the moment.
This is why I'll say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, the world has become a very confusing place. If it's confusing for experienced Christians, what must it be for the young? Grant that we may teach them -- no matter what the world may say -- to follow You and Your blood-bought plan of salvation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Pastor's Note: Since 2003, the membership in the Girl Scouts of America has decreased by about 27 percent, equaling about one million girls.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Psalms 61:(0) For the leader. With stringed instruments. By David:

2 (1) Hear my cry, God;

listen to my prayer.

3 (2) From the end of the earth, with fainting heart,

I call out to you.

Set me down on a rock

far above where I am now.

4 (3) For you have been a refuge for me,

a tower of strength in the face of the foe.

5 (4) I will live in your tent forever

and find refuge in the shelter of your wings. (Selah)

6 (5) For you, God, have heard my vows;

you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

7 (6) Prolong the life of the king!

May his years go on for many generations.

8 (7) May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever!

Appoint grace and truth to preserve him!

9 (8) Then I will sing praise to your name forever,

as day after day I fulfill my vows.

62:(0) For the leader. Set in the style of Y’dutun. A psalm of David:

2 (1) My soul waits in silence for God alone;

my salvation comes from him.

3 (2) He alone is my rock and salvation,

my stronghold; I won’t be greatly moved.

4 (3) How long will you assail a person

in order to murder him, all of you,

as if he were a sagging wall

or a shaky fence?

5 (4) They only want to shake him from his height,

they take delight in lying —

with their mouths they bless,

but inwardly they curse. (Selah)

6 (5) My soul, wait in silence for God alone,

because my hope comes from him.

7 (6) He alone is my rock and salvation,

my stronghold; I won’t be moved.

8 (7) My safety and honor rest on God.

My strong rock and refuge are in God.

9 (8) Trust in him, people, at all times;

pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us. (Selah)

10 (9) Ordinary folks are merely a breath

and important people a sham;

if you lay them on a balance-scale, they go up —

both together are lighter than nothing.

11 (10) Don’t put your trust in extortion,

don’t put false hopes in robbery;

even if wealth increases,

don’t set your heart on it.

12 (11) God has spoken once, I have heard it twice:

strength belongs to God.

13 (12) Also to you, Adonai, belongs grace;

for you reward all as their deeds deserve.

Psalm 65:(0) For the leader. A psalm of David. A song:

2 (1) To you, God, in Tziyon, silence is praise;

and vows to you are to be fulfilled.

3 (2) You who listen to prayer,

to you all living creatures come.

4 (3) When deeds of wickedness overwhelm me,

you will atone for our crimes.

5 (4) How blessed are those you choose and bring near,

so that they can remain in your courtyards!

We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house,

the Holy Place of your temple.

6 (5) It is just that you answer us with awesome deeds,

God of our salvation,

you in whom all put their trust,

to the ends of the earth and on distant seas.

7 (6) By your strength you set up the mountains.

You are clothed with power.

8 (7) You still the roaring of the seas,

their crashing waves, and the peoples’ turmoil.

9 (8) This is why those living at the ends of the earth

stand in awe of your signs.

The places where the sun rises and sets

you cause to sing for joy.

10 (9) You care for the earth and water it,

you enrich it greatly;

with the river of God, full of water,

you provide them grain and prepare the ground.

11 (10) Soaking its furrows and settling its soil,

you soften it with showers and bless its growth.

12 (11) You crown the year with your goodness,

your tracks overflow with richness.

13 (12) The desert pastures drip water,

the hills are wrapped with joy,

14 (13) the meadows are clothed with flocks

and the valleys blanketed with grain,

so they shout for joy and break into song.

John 13:21 After saying this, Yeshua, in deep anguish of spirit, declared, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that one of you will betray me.” 22 The talmidim stared at one another, totally mystified — whom could he mean? 23 One of his talmidim, the one Yeshua particularly loved, was reclining close beside him. 24 So Shim‘on Kefa motioned to him and said, “Ask which one he’s talking about.” 25 Leaning against Yeshua’s chest, he asked Yeshua, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Yeshua answered, “It’s the one to whom I give this piece of matzah after I dip it in the dish.” So he dipped the piece of matzah and gave it to Y’hudah Ben-Shim‘on from K’riot. 27 As soon as Y’hudah took the piece of matzah, the Adversary went into him. “What you are doing, do quickly!” Yeshua said to him. 28 But no one at the table understood why he had said this to him. 29 Some thought that since Y’hudah was in charge of the common purse, Yeshua was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or telling him to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as he had taken the piece of matzah, Y’hudah went out, and it was night.

31 After Y’hudah had left, Yeshua said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If the Son has glorified God, God will himself glorify the Son, and will do so without delay. 33 Little children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and, as I said to the Judeans, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ now I say it to you as well.

34 “I am giving you a new command: that you keep on loving each other. In the same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other. 35 Everyone will know that you are my talmidim by the fact that you have love for each other.”

36 Shim‘on Kefa said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Yeshua answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow later.” 37 “Lord,” Kefa said to him, “why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” 38 Yeshua answered, “You will lay down your life for me? Yes, indeed! I tell you, before the rooster crows you will disown me three times.

The Lutheran Hour
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St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
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