Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "But He Did" for Thursday, November 26, 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "But He Did" for Thursday, November 26, 2015

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [Colossians 3:15]
A number of years ago I had the opportunity to perform a wedding service for a very special couple. Although the family was relatively well known, the wedding itself was very small. When I asked the bride why, she replied, "I'm not going to hug somebody I don't know."
That feeling was not shared by Greta Peske who married Tony Hokanson at Celebration Lutheran Church in Sartell, Minnesota, this past October 10th. Indeed, Peske reserved a dance at the reception for a man whom she had met only once in her life. Even so, that man was, in some ways, responsible for that wedding taking place.
Let me share: the name of the 51-year-old man from Arkansas was Danny Daniels. In 2007, he was contacted by medical personnel. They told him the tests showed he was a good bone marrow match for a high-school girl who had come down with leukemia. They wanted to know if he would consent to helping her out.
Peske thankfully acknowledges, "He didn't have to do what he did, (that is help her), but he did."
Because of his donation, Peske survived, fell in love, and was married, and she had a dance with Daniels to show her appreciation.
When I read that story, I couldn't forget the line, "He didn't have to do what he did, but he did."
That line described Danny Daniels, and it most certainly describes the work of the Savior. After Adam and Eve's disobedience and sin, they -- with all of their descendants -- were doomed to die. There was no escape; there was no cure; there was nothing they could do other than wait for a bitter and terrible end.
It was then that the Lord decided to help us.
He would do what was necessary to save us. Nobody asked Him to make a sacrifice. He did what He did because -- along with being a just God -- He is also merciful. It was that attribute, along with grace, which had Him send His Son to save us.
Of course, this was not a simple bone marrow transplant.
Not at all.
This procedure which would save us -- the process which would rescue us -- called for Jesus to give up His life in a most painful manner. This He would do after having been rejected by His country, His religion, and even His own hometown.
He didn't have to do what He did, but He did.
Now all who are given faith in the Redeemer, with repentant hearts, are forgiven and saved. Now, those who are redeemed and rescued show their thanks to the Lord, not with a dance at their wedding, but by living every day of their lives as if it were a real Thanksgiving Day.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, You didn't have to do what You did, but You did. May my life reflect the thanksgiving I feel in my heart. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
PASTOR'S NOTE: Soon you will be receiving Advent Devotions written by my good friend and fellow Lutheran Hour Ministries' Pastor, the Reverend Wayne Palmer. He is an excellent writer and a beloved brother. May God bless His writing and your reading. Pastor Ken Klaus

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:
Ezekiel 27:1 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “You, human being, raise this lament for Tzor; 3 say to Tzor, located at the gateways to the sea, merchant for peoples to many coastlands, that Adonai Elohim says:

‘Tzor, you have said,

“My beauty is perfect.”

4 Your borders are in the heart of the sea,

your builders perfected your beauty.

5 They used cypress logs from S’nir

to fashion all your planking.

They took cedars from the L’vanon

to make masts for you.

6 Out of oaks from Bashan

they made your oars.

Your deck they made of ivory

inlaid in larch from the coasts of Kittim.

7 Richly woven linen from Egypt

was used for your sail, which was also your banner.

Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah

was used to cover your deck-tent.

8 The people of Tzidon and Arvad

served as your oarsmen.

Your own skilled men, Tzor,

were there as your pilots.

9 The leaders and craftsmen of G’val

sealed the cracks between your boards.

“‘Every seagoing ship and its crew

came to you to trade in your wares.

10 Men from Paras, Lud and Put

were [mercenaries] in your army;

hanging shield and helmet on you,

they showed off your splendor.

11 Men from Arvad and your own army

were posted around on your walls.

The Gamadim were in your towers;

they hung their shields all around your walls,

making your beauty perfect.

12 “‘Tarshish did business with you because of the quantity and variety of your resources; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your goods. 13 Greece, Tuval and Meshekh traded with you, exchanging slaves and articles of bronze for your wares. 14 The people of Togarmah traded for your merchandise with horses, horsemen and mules. 15 The men of D’dan traded with you. Many coastlands were your customers, giving you ivory tusks and ebony in payment. 16 Aram traded with you, because you were so wealthy; for your goods they exchanged green feldspar, purple stuff, embroidery, fine linen, coral and rubies. 17 Y’hudah and the land of Isra’el also traded with you, exchanging for your goods wheat from Minnit, millet, honey, olive oil and resin for healing. 18 Because you were so wealthy, with such a variety of valuable merchandise, Dammesek traded wine from Helbon and white wool with you. 19 V’dan and Yavan from Uzal traded ironwork, cassia and aromatic cane for your goods. 20 D’dan traded with you for riding gear. 21 Arabia and all the princes of K’dar were your customers; for your goods they traded lambs, rams and goats. 22 The traders of Sh’va and Ra‘mah exchanged the best quality spices, all kinds of precious stones and gold for your goods. 23 The merchants of Haran, Kaneh and ‘Eden, who traded also with Sh’va, Ashur and Kilmad, 24 brought you in exchange for your goods rich clothes, cloaks made of blue material and embroidery, and cedar-lined chests filled with multicolored clothing and bound with cords. 25 “Tarshish” ships transported your imports and exports.

“‘So you were full, loaded down,

surrounded by the sea.

26 Your oarsmen brought you

through heavy seas.

But the east wind will break you

surrounded by the sea.

27 Your riches, your goods, your merchandise,

your crew, your pilots, your ship-sealers,

your traders, all your warriors aboard,

and all the others in the ship with you

will sink surrounded by the sea

on the day of your shipwreck.

28 When they hear the cries of your pilots,

the mainland coasts will tremble.

29 The oarsmen, crew and pilots

will disembark and stand on shore,

30 mourning aloud at your fate,

crying bitterly,

throwing dust on their heads,

rolling in the ashes,

31 shaving their heads bald for you,

wrapping themselves in sackcloth,

with heartfelt bitterness weeping for you

in bitter lamentation.

32 Wailing, they will raise a lament for you;

this will be their lament for you:

“‘“Who anywhere in the sea

has ever been silenced like Tzor?

33 When your wares came forth from the seas,

you satisfied many peoples;

with your vast wealth and variety of goods

you enriched the kings of the earth.

34 But now you have been wrecked by the waves,

sunk in the watery depths;

your merchandise and all your people

have gone down with you.

35 All who live along the coasts

are aghast at you;

their kings are horribly afraid,

their faces are convulsed;

36 the merchants among the peoples

are gasping at your fate;

you are an object of terror,

and you will cease to exist.”’”

28:1 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, tell the prince of Tzor that Adonai Elohim says:

‘Because you are so proud

and have said, “I am a god;

I sit on the throne of God,

surrounded by the sea”;

yet you are a man, not God,

even though you think that you think like God.

3 Sure, you are wiser than Dani’el!

No secret can be hidden from you!

4 By your wisdom and discernment

you have acquired wealth,

you have gathered gold and silver

into your treasuries.

5 By your great skill in trading

you have increased your wealth,

and it is because of your wealth

that you have become so proud.

6 “Therefore Adonai Elohim says,

‘Because you think that you think like God,

7 I will bring foreigners against you,

the most barbarous of the nations,

to draw their swords against your fine wisdom

and defile your splendor.

8 They will lower you into the pit to die

a violent death surrounded by the sea.

9 Will you still say, “I am God,”

to them who are about to kill you?

You are a man, you are not God,

in the hands of those who defile you.

10 You will die the deaths of the uncircumcised

at the hands of foreigners.

For I have spoken,’

says Adonai Elohim.”

11 The word of Adonai came to me: 12 “Human being, raise a lament for the king of Tzor, and tell him that Adonai Elohim says:

‘You put the seal on perfection;

you were full of wisdom and perfect in beauty;

13 you were in ‘Eden, the garden of God;

covered with all kinds of precious stones —

carnelians, topaz, diamonds,

beryl, onyx, jasper,

sapphires, green feldspar, emeralds;

your pendants and jewels were made of gold,

prepared the day you were created.

14 You were a keruv, protecting a large region;

I placed you on God’s holy mountain.

You walked back and forth

among stones of fire.

15 You were perfect in your ways

from the day you were created,

until unrighteousness

was found in you.

16 “‘When your commerce grew,

you became filled with violence;

and in this way you sinned.

Therefore I have thrown you out, defiled,

from the mountain of God;

I have destroyed you, protecting keruv,

from among the stones of fire.

17 Your heart grew proud because of your beauty,

you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.

But I have thrown you on the ground;

before kings I have made you a spectacle.

18 By your many crimes in dishonest trading,

you have profaned your sanctuaries;

therefore I brought forth fire from within you,

and it has devoured you;

I reduced you into ashes on the ground

in the sight of all who can see you.

19 All who know you among the peoples

will be aghast at you.

You are an object of terror,

and you will cease to exist.’”

20 The word of Adonai came to me: 21 “Human being, turn your face toward Tzidon, and prophesy against it. 22 Say that Adonai Elohim says:

‘I am against you, Tzidon;

but I will be glorified in you.

They will know that I am Adonai,

once I execute judgments in her

and show my holiness in her.

23 For I will send plagues into her,

and blood will flow in her streets;

attacked from all sides by the sword,

the wounded will fall within her.

Then they will know that I am Adonai.

24 “‘The house of Isra’el will no longer have a briar pricking away at them, no longer will any of its contemptuous neighbors be a thorn to stab them. Then they will know that I am Adonai Elohim.’

25 “Adonai Elohim says, ‘Once I have gathered the house of Isra’el from the peoples among whom they are scattered, once I have shown my holiness in them as the Goyim watch, then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Ya‘akov. 26 They will have security when they live there, building houses and planting vineyards; yes, they will live in safety, once I have executed judgments against all their contemptuous neighbors. Then they will know that I am Adonai their God.’”

29:1 On the twelfth day of the tenth month of the tenth year, the word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, turn your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt; prophesy against him and against all Egypt; 3 speak out; and say that Adonai Elohim says:

‘I am against you,

Pharaoh king of Egypt,

you big crocodile

lying in the streams of the Nile!

You say, “My Nile is mine;

I made it for myself.”

4 But I will put hooks in your jaws

and make your Nile fish stick to your scales.

Yes, I will bring you up from your Nile,

with all your Nile fish sticking to your scales,

5 and leave you in the desert,

you and all your Nile fish.

You will fall in the open field

and not be gathered or buried;

but I will give you as food

to wild animals and birds.

6 Then all who live in Egypt

will know that I am Adonai,

because they have been a support made of straw

for the house of Isra’el.

7 When they grasped you in hand, you splintered

and threw all their shoulders out of joint;

when they leaned on you, you broke

and made them all wrench their backs.’

8 “Therefore Adonai Elohim says, ‘I will bring the sword against you and eliminate both your people and your animals. 9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate waste, and they will know that I am Adonai; because he said, “The Nile is mine; I made it.” 10 So I am against you and your Nile; and I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate waste from Migdol to S’venah, all the way to the border of Ethiopia. 11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for forty years. 12 Yes, I will make the land of Egypt desolate, even when compared with other desolate countries, likewise her cities in comparison with other ruined cities; they will be desolate forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries.’

13 “For this is what Adonai Elohim says: ‘At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered — 14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of their origin, Patros. But there they will be a humble kingdom, 15 the humblest of kingdoms. It will never again dominate other nations; I will reduce them, so that they never again rule other nations. 16 Moreover, they will no longer be a source of confidence for Isra’el to turn to; rather, it will only bring to mind their guilt in having turned to them before. Then they will know that I am Adonai Elohim.’”

17 On the first day of the first month of the twenty-seventh year, the word of Adonai came to me: 18 “Human being, N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel had his army mount a massive expedition against Tzor; [the loads of dirt they carried] made every head bald and every shoulder raw; yet neither he nor his army derived any benefit from Tzor out of this expedition against it. 19 Therefore Adonai Elohim says, ‘I will give the land of Egypt to N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel. He will carry off its riches, take its spoil and its prey; and these will be the wages for his army. 20 I am giving him the land of Egypt as his wages for which he worked, because they were working for me,’ says Adonai Elohim. 21 ‘When that day comes I will cause power to return to the house of Isra’el, and I will enable you [Yechezk’el] to open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am Adonai.’”

1 Peter 3:1 In the same way, wives, submit to your husbands; so that even if some of them do not believe the Word, they will be won over by your conduct, without your saying anything, 2 as they see your respectful and pure behavior. 3 Your beauty should not consist in externals such as fancy hairstyles, gold jewelry or what you wear; 4 rather, let it be the inner character of your heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit. In God’s sight this is of great value. 5 This is how the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves and submit to their husbands, 6 the way Sarah obeyed Avraham, honoring him as her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not succumb to fear.

7 You husbands, likewise, conduct your married lives with understanding. Although your wife may be weaker physically, you should respect her as a fellow-heir of the gift of Life. If you don’t, your prayers will be blocked.

8 Finally, all of you, be one in mind and feeling; love as brothers; and be compassionate and humble-minded, 9 not repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, but, on the contrary, with blessing. For it is to this that you have been called, so that you may receive a blessing. 10 For

“Whoever wants to love life and see good days

must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit,

11 turn from evil and do good,

seek peace and chase after it.

12 For Adonai keeps his eyes on the righteous,

and his ears are open to their prayers;

but the face of Adonai is against

those who do evil things.”[1 Peter 3:12 Psalm 34:13-17(12-16)]

13 For who will hurt you if you become zealots for what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for being righteous, you are blessed! Moreover, don’t fear what they fear or be disturbed, 15 but treat the Messiah as holy, as Lord in your hearts;[1 Peter 3:15 Isaiah 8:12-13] while remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you — yet with humility and fear, 16 keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are spoken against, those who abuse the good behavior flowing from your union with the Messiah may be put to shame. 17 For if God has in fact willed that you should suffer, it is better that you suffer for doing what is good than for doing what is evil.

18 For the Messiah himself died for sins, once and for all, a righteous person on behalf of unrighteous people, so that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but brought to life by the Spirit; 19 and in this form he went and made a proclamation to the imprisoned spirits, 20 to those who were disobedient long ago, in the days of Noach, when God waited patiently during the building of the ark, in which a few people — to be specific, eight — were delivered by means of water. 21 This also prefigures what delivers us now, the water of immersion, which is not the removal of dirt from the body, but one’s pledge to keep a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. 22 He has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God,[1 Peter 3:22 Psalm 110:1] with angels, authorities and powers subject to him.

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