The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries with Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Ministries ""Give It to Him"" for Thursday, October 6, 2016

The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries with Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Ministries ""Give It to Him"" for Thursday, October 6, 2016

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"Give It to Him"
Thursday, October 6, 2016
(Jesus said) "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."[Matthew 11:28]
There are good days, and days which are, well, you know ... days when ...
* the alarm doesn't go off and if it did, you shut it off and went back to sleep;
* it's raining and your umbrella is nowhere to be found;
* one child just remembered he is responsible for show-and-tell, and your other child is crying because he has a stomach ache;
* you can't find your keys and when you do, you find one of the tires looks flat.
Stress has a way of taking little things, blowing them out of proportion, and transforming kind-and-gentle you into a touchy, short-tempered grouch. We know we are not fit to be around and we know we should curb our temper, but we just can't manage to pull off nice.
Our stress can break free at the most inconvenient times; it can lash out at any unsuspecting soul who crosses our path.
Now I've looked through a few translations of the Bible and the vast majority of them don't have a single reference to the word "stress." That doesn't mean, however, that stress is confined to our modern age.
* Joseph's string of unfortunate episodes must have put the poor fellow under stress.
* Listening to the continuous complaints of his people must have stressed out Moses.
* In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus sweat, as it were, great drops of blood. I can't imagine a more stressful situation than facing an unfair death while you are carrying the sins of the entire world.
Over the centuries humankind has developed many ways to deal with stress. They can be as uncomplicated as "finding your happy place" or as physically taxing as high-temperature yoga. The problem with all these programs is they depend on the individual to bring about his own healing.
And that "Physician, heal thyself" plan of action doesn't always work so well.
No, if we really want to de-stress ourselves, we would do better to go to our Maker and listen to what He has to say about the matter. If we do, we will be amazed to see the number of times the Lord has dealt with the subject and given us advice. He says we should
* cast all our burdens on the Lord, and He will sustain us (see Psalm 55:22);
* not be anxious, since we can make our needs known to the Lord (see Philippians 4:6);
* remember He is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble (see Psalm 9:9).
God's invitation list shows that our stress has met its match in the Savior's presence.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, a sinful world will produce stress. May I always give thanks for the love of my Savior who asks us to cast our burdens on Him. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Isaiah 65-66; Romans 13
Isaiah 65:1 “I made myself accessible

to those who didn’t ask for me,

I let myself be found

by those who didn’t seek me.

I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’

to a nation not called by my name.

2 I spread out my hands all day long

to a rebellious people

who live in a way that is not good,

who follow their own inclinations;

3 a people who provoke me to my face all the time,

sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks.

4 They sit among the graves

and spend the night in caverns;

they eat pig meat

and their pots hold soup made from disgusting things.

5 They say, ‘Keep your distance, don’t come near me,

because I am holier than you.’

These are smoke in my nose,

a fire that burns all day!

6 See, it is written before me;

I will not be silent until I repay them;

I will repay them to the full,

7 your own crimes and those of your ancestors together,”

says Adonai.

“They offered incense on the mountains

and insulted me on the hills.

First I will measure out their wages

and then repay them in full.”

8 Here is what Adonai says:

“As when juice is found in a cluster of grapes,

and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,

there is still some good in it,’

so I will do likewise for the sake of my servants,

and not destroy them all.

9 I will bring forth descendants from Ya‘akov,

heirs of my mountains from Y’hudah;

my chosen ones will possess them,

and my servants will live there.

10 The Sharon will be a pasture for flocks,

the Akhor Valley a place for cattle to rest,

for my people who have sought me.

11 “But as for you who abandon Adonai,

who forget my holy mountain,

who prepare a table for a Gad, a god of luck,

and fill bowls of mixed wine for Meni, a god of destiny —

12 I will destine you to the sword,

you will all bow down to be slaughtered;

because when I called, you did not answer;

when I spoke, you did not hear,

but did what was evil from my point of view

and chose what did not please me.”

13 Therefore this is what Adonai Elohim says:

“My servants will eat, while you go hungry;

my servants will drink, while you go thirsty.

My servants will rejoice,

while you will be ashamed.

14 Yes, my servants will sing for joy from their hearts,

but you will cry out from the pain in your heart

and howl from an anguished spirit.

15 My chosen will use your name as a curse —

‘May Adonai Elohim strike you dead!’

But to his servants he will give another name.

16 Thus someone on earth who blesses himself

will bless himself by the God of truth,

and someone on earth who swears an oath

will swear by the God of truth;

for past troubles will be forgotten,

hidden from my eyes.

17 “For, look! I create new heavens

and a new earth;

past things will not be remembered,

they will no more come to mind.

18 So be glad and rejoice forever

in what I am creating;

for look! I am making Yerushalayim a joy,

and her people a delight.

19 I will rejoice in Yerushalayim

and take joy in my people.

The sound of weeping will no longer be heard in it,

no longer the sound of crying.

20 No more will babies die in infancy,

no more will an old man die short of his days —

he who dies at a hundred will be thought young,

and at less than a hundred thought cursed.

21 They will build houses and live in them,

they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 They will not build and others live there,

they will not plant and others eat;

for the days of my people

will be like the days of a tree,

and my chosen will themselves enjoy

the use of what they make.

23 They will not toil in vain

or raise children to be destroyed,

for they are the seed blessed by Adonai;

and their offspring with them.

24 Before they call, I will answer;

while they are still speaking, I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,

and the lion eat straw like an ox

(but the serpent — its food will be dust).

They will not hurt or destroy

anywhere on my holy mountain,”

says Adonai.

66:1 “Heaven is my throne,” says Adonai,

“and the earth is my footstool.

What kind of house could you build for me?

What sort of place could you devise for my rest?

2 Didn’t I myself make all these things?

This is how they all came to be,”

says Adonai.

“The kind of person on whom I look with favor

is one with a poor and humble spirit,

who trembles at my word.

3 Those others might as well kill a person as an ox,

as well break a dog’s neck as sacrifice a lamb,

as well offer pig’s blood as offer a grain offering,

as well bless an idol as burn incense.

Just as these have chosen their ways

and enjoy their disgusting practices,

4 so I will enjoy making fools of them,

and bring on them the very things they fear.

For when I called, no one answered;

when I spoke, they did not hear.

Instead they did what was evil in my sight

and chose what did not please me.”

5 Hear the word of Adonai,

you who tremble at his word:

“Your brothers, who hate you and reject you

because of my name, have said:

‘Let Adonai be glorified,

so we can see your joy.’

But they will be put to shame.”

6 That uproar in the city,

that sound from the temple,

is the sound of Adonai repaying

his foes what they deserve.

7 Before going into labor, she gave birth;

before her pains came, she delivered a male child.

8 Who ever heard of such a thing?

Who has ever seen such things?

Is a country born in one day?

Is a nation brought forth all at once?

For as soon as Tziyon went into labor,

she brought forth her children.

9 “Would I let the baby break through

and not be born?” asks Adonai.

“Would I, who cause the birth,

shut the womb?” asks your God.

10 Rejoice with Yerushalayim!

Be glad with her, all you who love her!

Rejoice, rejoice with her,

all of you who mourned for her;

11 so that you nurse and are satisfied

by her comforting breast,

drinking deeply and delighting

in the overflow of her glory.

12 For Adonai says, “I will spread shalom

over her like a river,

and the wealth of nations

like a flooding stream;

you will nurse and be carried in her arm

and cuddled in her lap.

13 Like someone comforted by his mother,

I will comfort you;

in Yerushalayim

you will be comforted.”

14 Your heart will rejoice at the sight,

your bodies will flourish like newly sprouted grass.

It will be known that the hand of Adonai

is with his servants; but with his enemies, his fury.

15 For — look! — Adonai will come in fire,

and his chariots will be like the whirlwind,

to render his anger furiously,

his rebuke with blazing fire.

16 For Adonai will judge all humanity

with fire and with the sword,

and those slain by Adonai will be many.

17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves

in order to enter the gardens,

then follow the one who was already there,

eating pig meat, reptiles and mice,

will all be destroyed together,” says Adonai.

18 “For I [know] their deeds and their thoughts.

“[The time] is coming when I will gather together all nations and languages. They will come and see my glory, 19 and I will give them a sign. I will send some of their survivors to the nations of Tarshish, Pul, Lud (these are archers), Tuval, Greece and more distant coasts, where they have neither heard of my fame nor seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory in these nations; 20 and they will bring all your kinsmen out of all the nations as an offering to Adonai — on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, on camels — to my holy mountain Yerushalayim,” says Adonai, “just as the people of Isra’el themselves bring their offerings in clean vessels to the house of Adonai. 21 I will also take cohanim and L’vi’im from them,” says Adonai.

22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making will continue in my presence,” says Adonai, “so will your descendants and your name continue.

23 “Every month on Rosh-Hodesh

and every week on Shabbat,

everyone living will come

to worship in my presence,” says Adonai.

24 “As they leave, they will look on the corpses

of the people who rebelled against me.

For their worm will never die,

and their fire will never be quenched;

but they will be abhorrent

to all humanity.”

[“Every month on Rosh-Hodesh

and every week on Shabbat,

everyone living will come

to worship in my presence,” says Adonai.]

Romans 13:1 Everyone is to obey the governing authorities. For there is no authority that is not from God, and the existing authorities have been placed where they are by God. 2 Therefore, whoever resists the authorities is resisting what God has instituted; and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are no terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to be unafraid of the person in authority? Then simply do what is good, and you will win his approval; 4 for he is God’s servant, there for your benefit. But if you do what is wrong, be afraid! Because it is not for nothing that he holds the power of the sword; for he is God’s servant, there as an avenger to punish wrongdoers. 5 Another reason to obey, besides fear of punishment, is for the sake of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes; for the authorities are God’s public officials, constantly attending to these duties. 7 Pay everyone what he is owed: if you owe the tax-collector, pay your taxes; if you owe the revenue-collector, pay revenue; if you owe someone respect, pay him respect; if you owe someone honor, pay him honor. 8 Don’t owe anyone anything — except to love one another; for whoever loves his fellow human being has fulfilled Torah. 9 For the commandments, “Don’t commit adultery,” “Don’t murder,” “Don’t steal,” “Don’t covet,”[Romans 13:9 Exodus 20:13–14(17), Deuteronomy 5:17–18(21)] and any others are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[Romans 13:9 Leviticus 19:18] 10 Love does not do harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fullness of Torah.

11 Besides all this, you know at what point of history we stand; so it is high time for you to rouse yourselves from sleep; for the final deliverance is nearer than when we first came to trust. 12 The night is almost over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and arm ourselves with the weapons of light. 13 Let us live properly, as people do in the daytime — not partying and getting drunk, not engaging in sexual immorality and other excesses, not quarrelling and being jealous. 14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah; and don’t waste your time thinking about how to provide for the sinful desires of your old nature.

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CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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