Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Is God in My Plans?" for Friday, November 27, 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Is God in My Plans?" for Friday, November 27, 2015

(Jesus said) "... And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." [Matthew 28:20b]
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour"God": you may be blessed to have heard people talking about God since you were small.
Maybe God was one of the first words you had learned.
That is all fine and well, but the big question is this: is God part of your life? By that I mean, when you make plans or come to a decision, has the Lord been consulted, and was He an important part of that process? Or is it possible that you, like so many other people, only think of, and come to, the Lord in times of danger and suffering?
As long as we are asking questions, maybe I ought to add, is your Bible a nice, fine-looking volume, which is confined to a position of honor on your bookshelf? Is it a Book you have intended to read, but never have gotten around to? Or did you take a stab at it many years ago and then put it aside because you didn't understand anything and concluded the Scriptures were too complicated for the likes of someone like you?
It is my prayer that you know the Bible is the Word of God.
If that is the case, why not take advantage of this time to open the Bible and find out how it can be of service to you? Remember, it is through the Bible that God, our Creator, wishes to speak to our hearts. In the Bible we are told what price the Heavenly Father was willing to pay so we might be forgiven of our sins and given eternal life.
It is in Scripture we hear of the Savior's life, suffering, death and resurrection. That the Savior was willing to leave heaven and suffer all the injustice and inequity this world could produce shows the depth of the Lord's love.
But that love does not end at the borrowed and empty tomb. In the Bible we also hear God's promise: "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me" (Psalm 50:15).
Again and again, God's Word tells us God wants to be involved in our lives. He wants to help.
When we feel pain, loss and suffering, our whole life is affected. Fear comes in those moments. Are you lost? Is there a solution?
Yes, there is!
The answer to overcoming fear is to hold on to Jesus. At such times we need to hear the Bible which says "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Trust in the promise of God, for He is faithful and remains prepared to help and to save you.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank You for being in my life. I know that You will be always with me in my peaceful time and also in troubling moments. I give thanks that, because of Jesus' sacrifice and victory, because of the Holy Spirit's work, You will always be there. In Jesus I give thanks. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Eliezer Canales. Since 2010 he has been one of our volunteers who has offered his time at our local office in Nicaragua. Today he is bringing the message of Christ to the people of Nicaragua through our radio programs, which are broadcast in FM and distributed online.
Lutheran Hour Ministries-Nicaragua is known in-country as "Christ for All Nations" or Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones in Spanish. Launching its Gospel efforts in Chinandega in 1999, LHM-Nicaragua offers Project JOEL, an educational program helping children and young people make healthy lifestyle choices. High school and university students benefit from this program as well. Offering Equipping the Saints (ETS) evangelism workshops to facilitate Gospel conversations and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) to build up and edify students of Scripture, inroads are being made into people's lives with the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ. Based today in León, this ministry center produces a weekly radio broadcast and 30-second on-air spots. These are augmented by "Radio Cristo Nica," an Internet and radio program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and helping others in this Central American country of six million people.
See how LHM-Nicaragua assisted in a recent get-together of Lutheran youth from various Nicaraguan cities, who met in Chinandega to learn more about God and His Word. You can check this out by clicking here and visiting this country's blog.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.

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 30:1 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, prophesy; say that Adonai Elohim says,

‘Wail, “Oh no! It’s today!”

3 For the day is near,

the Day of Adonai, a day of clouds,

the time of the Goyim.

4 The sword will come against Egypt,

and Ethiopia will be in anguish,

when the slain fall in Egypt,

when they take away her wealth,

and her foundations are torn down.

5 Ethiopia, Put and Lud,

all the mixed population and Kuv,

and the people of allied lands

will die by the sword with them.’

6 “Adonai says this:

‘Those supporting Egypt will fall;

its arrogant power will be brought down;

from Migdol to S’venah they will die by the sword,’

says Adonai Elohim.

7 “They will be desolate even when compared with other desolate countries, likewise her cities in comparison with other ruined cities. 8 They will know that I am Adonai when I set fire to Egypt, and those supporting it are destroyed. 9 When that day comes, I will send out messengers in ships to terrify the unsuspecting Ethiopians; and anguish will overcome them on the day of Egypt. Yes, here it comes!

10 “Adonai Elohim says:

‘I will destroy the hordes of Egypt

through N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel.

11 He and his people, the most barbarous of the nations,

will be brought in to ravage the land.

They will unsheathe their swords against Egypt

and fill the land with corpses.

12 I will dry up the streams of the Nile

and sell the land to the wicked.

Through the power of foreigners I will make the land

and all that is in it desolate.

I, Adonai, have spoken.’

13 “Here is what Adonai Elohim says:

‘I will destroy the idols,

make the false gods in Nof cease to exist.

No longer will there be a prince from the land of Egypt;

I will put fear in the land of Egypt,

14 desolate Patros, set fire to Tzo‘an,

execute judgements in No,

15 pour my fury on Seen the stronghold of Egypt,

and destroy the hordes of No.

16 Yes, I will set fire to Egypt;

Seen will writhe in anguish;

No will be torn apart;

enemies will attack Nof in broad daylight.

17 The young men of On and Pi-Veset

will die by the sword,

while the cities themselves

will go into captivity.

18 At T’chafn’ches the day will grow dark

when I break the yokes of Egypt there,

and the pride she takes in her power ceases.

A cloud will cover her,

and her daughters will go into captivity.

19 Thus will I execute judgments on Egypt.

Then they will know that I am Adonai.’”

20 On the seventh day of the first month of the eleventh year, the word of Adonai came to me: 21 “Human being, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; it has not been bound up with dressings and bandages, so that it can heal and become strong enough again to wield the sword. 22 Therefore Adonai Elohim says this: ‘I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the sound one and the broken one, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Bavel and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh; he will groan like a man mortally wounded. 25 Yes, I will hold up the arms of the king of Bavel; but the arms of Pharaoh will droop. They will know that I am Adonai when I put my sword in the hand of the king of Bavel, and he stretches it out over the land of Egypt. 26 Yes, I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries; and they will know that I am Adonai.’”

31:1 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year, the word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:

‘Whom are you like in your greatness?

3 Like Ashur, a cedar in the L’vanon.

It had beautiful branches, dense foliage,

its tall crown surrounded by leafy boughs.

4 The water nourished it; the deep made it grow,

sending its rivers round the place where it was planted,

sending its streams to all the trees in the fields.

5 So it grew taller than any other tree,

its branches grew in number and spread far and wide,

for it had plenty of water to make them grow.

6 In its boughs all the birds of the air had their nests,

beneath its branches all the wild animals gave birth to their young,

and all great nations lived in its shade.

7 It was beautiful in its greatness and the length of its branches,

because its roots went down to plenty of water.

8 No cedar in God’s garden was like it,

no cypress tree could compare with its boughs,

no chestnut tree could rival its branches,

no tree in God’s garden could match its beauty.

9 I made it so beautiful, with its many branches;

all trees in ‘Eden, God’s garden, envied it.’

10 “Therefore here is what Adonai Elohim says: ‘Because you are so tall, because he has lifted his crown above the leafy boughs, because he has grown so arrogant about his height, 11 I am handing him over to the mightiest of the nations, who will certainly deal with him as his wickedness deserves; I reject him. 12 Foreigners, the most barbarous of the nations, will destroy him and leave him lying where he is. His branches will lie fallen on the mountains and in the valleys, his boughs will lie broken in all the rivers of the land, and all the peoples of the earth will withdraw from his shade and leave him. 13 All the birds will settle on his fallen trunk, and all the wild animals will be on his branches. 14 This is to warn all the trees growing near water not to grow so tall, not to lift their crowns above the leafy boughs, and all that take up water not to reach up in their height.

For they are all given over to death,

to the depths of the underworld,

along with human beings,

with those who descend to the pit.’

15 “Here is what Adonai Elohim says:

‘On the day he descended to Sh’ol,

I caused the abyss to mourn

and cover itself for him;

I held back its rivers,

so that its deep waters were stopped.

I made the L’vanon mourn for him,

and all the field trees withered because of him.

16 At the sound of his fall

I made the nations shake,

when I hurled him down to Sh’ol

with those who descend to the pit.

All the trees of ‘Eden,

the pick of the best in the L’vanon,

all that take up water,

were consoled in the underworld.

17 They descended with him to Sh’ol

to those who were killed by the sword,

to those who were his fighting arm,

those among the nations who lived in his shade.

18 Which of the trees of ‘Eden

was your equal in glory or size?

Yet you will be brought down to the underworld

along with the trees of ‘Eden.

You will lie there among the uncircumcised,

with those killed by the sword.

This is Pharaoh and his hordes,’

says Adonai Elohim.”

32:1 On the first day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year, the word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, raise a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt; say to him,

‘You compared yourself to a lion among the nations;

In fact, you are more like a crocodile in the lakes.

You burst out of your streams,

churn the water with your feet

and foul their streams.’

3 “So here is what Adonai Elohim says:

‘With many nations assembled,

I will spread my net over you,

and they will haul you up in my dragnet.

4 Then I will throw you on the shore,

hurl you into an open field,

make all the birds in the air settle on you

and let the animals of the whole earth eat their fill of you.

5 I will leave your flesh on the mountains

and fill the valleys with your rotting carcass.

6 I will drench the land in which you swim

with your blood, as far as the mountains;

the waterways will be full of you.

7 When I extinguish you, I will cover the sky

and make its stars black;

I will cover the sun with a cloud,

and the moon will not give its light.

8 All the shining lights in the sky

I will darken above you;

I will spread darkness over your land,’

says Adonai Elohim.

9 “‘I will anger many peoples

when I bring your destroyed ones

in among the nations,

into countries you have not known.

10 I will make many peoples aghast at you;

their kings will shudder in horror over you

when I brandish my sword before them.

On the day of your downfall

they will tremble continuously,

each man in fear of his life.’

11 “For Adonai Elohim says this:

‘The sword of the king of Bavel

will come against you.

12 With the swords of the warriors

I will cause your hordes to fall.

They are all the most barbarous of the nations,

and they will shatter the glory of Egypt —

all its hordes will be destroyed.

13 I will destroy all her cattle

beside her plentiful waters.

No human foot will trouble them again,

nor the hoof of any animal.

14 Then I will make their water clear

and cause their streams to flow like oil,’

says Adonai Elohim.

15 ‘When I make the land of Egypt a ruined waste,

a land stripped of all that filled it;

when I strike all those who live there;

they will know that I am Adonai.

16 This is the lament that they will raise;

the daughters of the nations will use it to mourn;

they will chant it for Egypt and all its hordes,’

says Adonai Elohim.”

17 On the fifteenth day of the month in the twelfth year, the word of Adonai came to me:

18 “Human being, wail for the hordes of Egypt;

send them with the daughters of mighty nations

down to the underworld,

with those who descend to the pit.

19 Are you more beautiful than the others?

Go down, lie with the uncircumcised dead!

20 They will fall among those killed by the sword;

she is given to the sword; pull her down with her hordes.

21 From the depths of Sh’ol the mightiest warriors

will speak of him with those who helped him.

They went down; they lie still,

the uncircumcised, killed by the sword.

22 “Ashur is there with her hordes;

their graves are all around them,

all of them slain, killed by the sword.

23 Their graves are in the deepest parts of the pit,

her hordes are all around her grave,

all of them slain, killed by the sword,

those who terrorized the land of the living.

24 “‘Eilam is there, with her hordes around her grave,

all of them slain, killed by the sword,

descended uncircumcised to the underworld,

those who terrorized the land of the living;

they bear their shame together with those

who descended to the pit.

25 They have given her a bed among the slain with her hordes;

her graves are all around them,

all of them uncircumcised, killed by the sword,

because they terrorized the land of the living;

they bear their shame with those who descended to the pit;

they are put among those who were slain.

26 “Meshekh and Tuval with her horde is there,

her graves are all around them,

all of them uncircumcised, killed by the sword,

because they terrorized the land of the living.

27 They do not lie with the fallen warriors

of the uncircumcised who descended to Sh’ol

with their weapons of war,

their swords laid under their heads,

and their crimes upon their bones;

because these warriors terrorized the land of the living.

28 But you will lie broken among the uncircumcised,

with those who were killed by the sword.

29 “There is Edom, her kings and all her princes,

who, despite all their power, are laid with those

who were killed by the sword, with the uncircumcised,

with those who descended to the pit.

30 “There are all the princes of the north, all of them,

and the Tzidoni, who descended with the slain,

ashamed of all the terror they caused by their power;

they lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword,

bearing their shame with those who descended to the pit.

31 “All of these Pharaoh will see,

and he will be consoled about his hordes,

Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword,”

says Adonai Elohim.

32 “For I have put my terror in the land of the living,

and he will lie among the uncircumcised,

with those killed by the sword,

Pharaoh and all his hordes,”

says Adonai Elohim.

1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since the Messiah suffered physically, you too are to arm yourselves with the same attitude. For whoever has suffered physically is finished with sin, 2 with the result that he lives the rest of his earthly life no longer controlled by human desires, but by God’s will. 3 For you have spent enough time already living the way the pagans want you to live — in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, wild parties and forbidden idol-worship. 4 They think it strange that you don’t plunge with them into the same flood of dissoluteness, and so they heap insults on you. 5 But they will have to give an account to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 This is why he was proclaimed to those who have died; it was so that, although physically they would receive the judgment common to all humanity, they might live by the Spirit in the way that God has provided.

7 The accomplishing of the goal of all things is close at hand. Therefore, keep alert and self-controlled, so that you can pray. 8 More than anything, keep loving each other actively; because love covers many sins.[1 Peter 4:8 Proverbs 10:12] 9 Welcome one another into your homes without grumbling. 10 As each one has received some spiritual gift, he should use it to serve others, like good managers of God’s many-sided grace — 11 if someone speaks, let him speak God’s words; if someone serves, let him do so out of strength that God supplies; so that in everything God may be glorified through Yeshua the Messiah — to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

12 Dear friends, don’t regard as strange the fiery ordeal occurring among you to test you, as if something extraordinary were happening to you. 13 Rather, to the extent that you share the fellowship of the Messiah’s sufferings, rejoice; so that you will rejoice even more when his Sh’khinah is revealed. 14 If you are being insulted because you bear the name of the Messiah, how blessed you are! For the Spirit of the Sh’khinah, that is, the Spirit of God, is resting on you! 15 Let none of you suffer for being a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a meddler in other people’s affairs. 16 But if anyone suffers for being Messianic, let him not be ashamed; but let him bring glory to God by the way he bears this name. 17 For the time has come for the judgment to begin. It begins with the household of God; and if it starts with us, what will the outcome be for those who are disobeying God’s Good News? —

18 “If the righteous is barely delivered,

where will the ungodly and sinful end up?”[1 Peter 4:18 Proverbs 11:31]

19 So let those who are suffering according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator by continuing to do what is good.

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