Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
by By Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "More than a Piece of Peace" for Monday, January 23, 2017
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She will bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins ... "and they shall call His Name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).[Matthew 1:21, 23b]
In the new year, we tend to talk about hope, don't we? But today in the world in which we live it's good to remind ourselves of the Christmas-Easter message of peace: peace that lasts. And, when we talk about peace, we tend to mean peaceful circumstances, right? We want the peace that comes with bills paid, relationships intact, body/health doing fine, and purposeful work to do. That's the kind of peace that folks are striving for with all that they do -- day in and day out. So, when something interrupts those peaceful circumstances, we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of anxiety, anxiousness, fear and discord. And, as you get older, you begin to realize that those circumstances seem to arise out of nowhere, more and more often, with a clear awareness that we don't have the capability to handle all things, at all times.
People often tell me if you have enough money, you can buy all the peace you need. But I remember a very wealthy man who had everything, but still lived in fear. He had to stash his money in several hidden places so that people wouldn't steal it, so that he would have money when his health started to fade. And even before all those fears eventually happened, he was living in the daily fear of potentially losing it all everyday anyway. If you are satisfied with just having a piece of this world's peace, if you are satisfied with this world's best offers, its limited promises -- the only news the Bible has for you is that peace won't last.
That's why Christmas and Easter are so important to you, to me, to all of us. It's the promise of peace we really need. It's an offer of peace that is beyond our control and greater than our circumstances. And that's what our Bible verse is talking about today. It tells us about the peace of God that He brings when He comes into our life and He promises to be with us in all circumstances in this world -- ultimately promising that in Him we will live forever in heaven. It's the peace that comes when you know One that is able, One that is capable, and that One is with you in all things to bring you blessing. That's peace that lasts. That peace comes when you realize that Jesus is "Immanuel," God with us -- God with you.
When you realize in Him, you have enough, then the way you face the issues of the day changes. I tell you too that when you realize that in Him you have everything -- even more than enough -- then life becomes a journey that ends in His abundant joy, eternal life, and a peace that lasts: circumstances included.
THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, give me courage and wisdom not to settle for the pieces of peace that this world offers because I know they don't last. Let me rather put my faith in You and follow You in all things, with the knowledge that having You in my life -- that's the peace I need! Amen!
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Readings: Job 36-37; Matthew 15:1-20Job 36:1 Elihu added:
She will bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins ... "and they shall call His Name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).[Matthew 1:21, 23b]
In the new year, we tend to talk about hope, don't we? But today in the world in which we live it's good to remind ourselves of the Christmas-Easter message of peace: peace that lasts. And, when we talk about peace, we tend to mean peaceful circumstances, right? We want the peace that comes with bills paid, relationships intact, body/health doing fine, and purposeful work to do. That's the kind of peace that folks are striving for with all that they do -- day in and day out. So, when something interrupts those peaceful circumstances, we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of anxiety, anxiousness, fear and discord. And, as you get older, you begin to realize that those circumstances seem to arise out of nowhere, more and more often, with a clear awareness that we don't have the capability to handle all things, at all times.
People often tell me if you have enough money, you can buy all the peace you need. But I remember a very wealthy man who had everything, but still lived in fear. He had to stash his money in several hidden places so that people wouldn't steal it, so that he would have money when his health started to fade. And even before all those fears eventually happened, he was living in the daily fear of potentially losing it all everyday anyway. If you are satisfied with just having a piece of this world's peace, if you are satisfied with this world's best offers, its limited promises -- the only news the Bible has for you is that peace won't last.
That's why Christmas and Easter are so important to you, to me, to all of us. It's the promise of peace we really need. It's an offer of peace that is beyond our control and greater than our circumstances. And that's what our Bible verse is talking about today. It tells us about the peace of God that He brings when He comes into our life and He promises to be with us in all circumstances in this world -- ultimately promising that in Him we will live forever in heaven. It's the peace that comes when you know One that is able, One that is capable, and that One is with you in all things to bring you blessing. That's peace that lasts. That peace comes when you realize that Jesus is "Immanuel," God with us -- God with you.
When you realize in Him, you have enough, then the way you face the issues of the day changes. I tell you too that when you realize that in Him you have everything -- even more than enough -- then life becomes a journey that ends in His abundant joy, eternal life, and a peace that lasts: circumstances included.
THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, give me courage and wisdom not to settle for the pieces of peace that this world offers because I know they don't last. Let me rather put my faith in You and follow You in all things, with the knowledge that having You in my life -- that's the peace I need! Amen!
In Christ,Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Readings: Job 36-37; Matthew 15:1-20Job 36:1 Elihu added:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
that there is more to say on God’s behalf.
3 I may search far and wide for my arguments,
but I will ascribe righteousness to God my maker.
4 For the fact is that my words are true;
you have with you a man whose views are pure.
5 “Look, God is powerful and despises no one,
powerful in his strength of understanding.
6 He does not preserve the lives of the wicked,
but he gives justice to the poor.
7 He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous;
but when he sets kings on their throne forever,
they may become proud;
8 if, then, they are bound in chains,
held in oppressive cords,
9 he shows them the results of their doings,
the crimes caused by their pride.
10 He sounds a warning in their ears
and orders them to repent of their evil.
11 “If they pay attention and obey him,
they spend their days in prosperity;
their years pass pleasantly.
12 But if they don’t pay attention,
they perish by the sword
and die without learning their lesson.
13 The godless in heart cherish their anger,
not crying for help when he binds them.
14 Their soul perishes in their youth,
and their life becomes depraved.
15 “God, with his affliction,
delivers the afflicted;
and he gets their attention
by pressing on them.
16 Indeed [Iyov], he is drawing you
away from distress
to an untroubled open place,
with rich food on your table.
17 But the judgment on the wicked
applies fully to you,
judgment and condemnation
take hold [of them].
18 For beware of wrath
when abundance entices you;
don’t let a big bribe
turn you aside.
19 Will your great wealth help you?
or all your efforts, no matter how strong?
20 Don’t desire the night,
when people suddenly die.
21 Be careful; turn away from wrongdoing;
for because of this, you have been tested by affliction.
22 “Look, God is exalted in his strength;
who is a teacher like him?
23 Who ever prescribed his course for him?
Who ever said, ‘What you are doing is wrong’?
24 Remember, rather, to magnify his work,
of which many have sung.
25 Everyone has seen it,
[but] humans see it [only] from a distance.
26 Look, God is great, beyond what we can know;
the number of his years is uncountable.
27 “He makes the droplets of water,
which condense into rain from his mist.
28 The clouds pour it down
upon humankind in abundance.
29 Can anyone fathom the spreading of the clouds,
or the crashes that come from his canopy?
30 See how he scatters his lightning over it
and covers the roots of the sea.
31 By these things he judges the people
and also gives food in plenty.
32 He gathers the lightning into his hands
and commands it to strike the target.
33 Its crashing announces its presence
and apprises the cattle of what is coming.
37:1 “At this, my own heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2 Just listen to the rumbling of his voice,
to the thunder that comes from his mouth!
3 He sends it out under all of heaven,
his lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 There follows a sound, a roar —
he is thundering with his majestic voice,
and he keeps releasing [the lightning]
even while his voice is being heard.
5 “God thunders wonderfully with his voice,
he does great things beyond our understanding.
6 He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth!’ —
likewise to the light rain, also to the downpour.
7 He brings all human activity to a stop,
so that everyone he has made can know it.
8 Then the animals go into their lairs
and hibernate in their dens.
9 “Out of its chamber comes the storm,
with cold out of the north.
10 By the breath of God, ice is given,
and the wide waters freeze over.
11 He weighs the clouds down with moisture,
and they flash forth his lightning.
12 He, by his plans, turns them around,
so they do what he commands them anywhere on earth;
13 he brings them forth on the earth
sometimes to punish, sometimes to express his grace.
14 “Listen to this, Iyov!
Stop, and consider God’s wonders.
15 Do you know how God puts them in place,
how he causes lightning to flash from his cloud?
16 Do you know how he balances the clouds?
These are marvels of him who knows everything!
17 “You, sweltering in your clothing
as the earth lies still under a sultry south wind,
18 can you, with him, spread out the sky,
hard as a cast metal mirror?
19 Teach us what we should tell him,
for the darkness keeps us from organizing our case.
20 Is he to be told that I will speak?
Can a man speak at all when he is already swallowed up?
21 Now people don’t see the light,
which is bright in the sky;
but then the wind blows
and clears [the clouds] away.
22 Out of the north comes a golden glow,
fearsome majesty surrounding God.
23 Shaddai, whom we cannot find,
whose power is immense,
in his great righteousness
does not pervert justice.
24 This is why people fear him;
he does not consider those
who think of themselves as wise.”
Matthew 15:1 Then some P’rushim and Torah-teachers from Yerushalayim came to Yeshua and asked him, 2 “Why is it that your talmidim break the Tradition of the Elders? They don’t do n’tilat-yadayim before they eat!” 3 He answered, “Indeed, why do you break the command of God by your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16] and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’[Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9] 5 But you say, ‘If anyone says to his father or mother, “I have promised to give to God what I might have used to help you,” 6 then he is rid of his duty to honor his father or mother.’ Thus by your tradition you make null and void the word of God! 7 You hypocrites! Yesha‘yahu was right when he prophesied about you,
8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away from me.
9 Their worship of me is useless,
because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.’”[Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13]
10 Then he called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand this! 11 What makes a person unclean is not what goes into his mouth; rather, what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean!”
12 The talmidim came to him and said, “Do you know that the P’rushim were offended by what you said?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that my Father in heaven has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Let them be. They are blind guides. When a blind man guides another blind man, both will fall in a pit.”
15 Kefa said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 So he said, “Don’t you understand even now? 17 Don’t you see that anything that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and passes out into the latrine? 18 But what comes out of your mouth is actually coming from your heart, and that is what makes a person unclean. 19 For out of the heart come forth wicked thoughts, murder, adultery and other kinds of sexual immorality, theft, lies, slanders. . . . 20 These are what really make a person unclean, but eating without doing n’tilat-yadayim does not make a person unclean.”
that there is more to say on God’s behalf.
3 I may search far and wide for my arguments,
but I will ascribe righteousness to God my maker.
4 For the fact is that my words are true;
you have with you a man whose views are pure.
5 “Look, God is powerful and despises no one,
powerful in his strength of understanding.
6 He does not preserve the lives of the wicked,
but he gives justice to the poor.
7 He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous;
but when he sets kings on their throne forever,
they may become proud;
8 if, then, they are bound in chains,
held in oppressive cords,
9 he shows them the results of their doings,
the crimes caused by their pride.
10 He sounds a warning in their ears
and orders them to repent of their evil.
11 “If they pay attention and obey him,
they spend their days in prosperity;
their years pass pleasantly.
12 But if they don’t pay attention,
they perish by the sword
and die without learning their lesson.
13 The godless in heart cherish their anger,
not crying for help when he binds them.
14 Their soul perishes in their youth,
and their life becomes depraved.
15 “God, with his affliction,
delivers the afflicted;
and he gets their attention
by pressing on them.
16 Indeed [Iyov], he is drawing you
away from distress
to an untroubled open place,
with rich food on your table.
17 But the judgment on the wicked
applies fully to you,
judgment and condemnation
take hold [of them].
18 For beware of wrath
when abundance entices you;
don’t let a big bribe
turn you aside.
19 Will your great wealth help you?
or all your efforts, no matter how strong?
20 Don’t desire the night,
when people suddenly die.
21 Be careful; turn away from wrongdoing;
for because of this, you have been tested by affliction.
22 “Look, God is exalted in his strength;
who is a teacher like him?
23 Who ever prescribed his course for him?
Who ever said, ‘What you are doing is wrong’?
24 Remember, rather, to magnify his work,
of which many have sung.
25 Everyone has seen it,
[but] humans see it [only] from a distance.
26 Look, God is great, beyond what we can know;
the number of his years is uncountable.
27 “He makes the droplets of water,
which condense into rain from his mist.
28 The clouds pour it down
upon humankind in abundance.
29 Can anyone fathom the spreading of the clouds,
or the crashes that come from his canopy?
30 See how he scatters his lightning over it
and covers the roots of the sea.
31 By these things he judges the people
and also gives food in plenty.
32 He gathers the lightning into his hands
and commands it to strike the target.
33 Its crashing announces its presence
and apprises the cattle of what is coming.
37:1 “At this, my own heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2 Just listen to the rumbling of his voice,
to the thunder that comes from his mouth!
3 He sends it out under all of heaven,
his lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 There follows a sound, a roar —
he is thundering with his majestic voice,
and he keeps releasing [the lightning]
even while his voice is being heard.
5 “God thunders wonderfully with his voice,
he does great things beyond our understanding.
6 He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth!’ —
likewise to the light rain, also to the downpour.
7 He brings all human activity to a stop,
so that everyone he has made can know it.
8 Then the animals go into their lairs
and hibernate in their dens.
9 “Out of its chamber comes the storm,
with cold out of the north.
10 By the breath of God, ice is given,
and the wide waters freeze over.
11 He weighs the clouds down with moisture,
and they flash forth his lightning.
12 He, by his plans, turns them around,
so they do what he commands them anywhere on earth;
13 he brings them forth on the earth
sometimes to punish, sometimes to express his grace.
14 “Listen to this, Iyov!
Stop, and consider God’s wonders.
15 Do you know how God puts them in place,
how he causes lightning to flash from his cloud?
16 Do you know how he balances the clouds?
These are marvels of him who knows everything!
17 “You, sweltering in your clothing
as the earth lies still under a sultry south wind,
18 can you, with him, spread out the sky,
hard as a cast metal mirror?
19 Teach us what we should tell him,
for the darkness keeps us from organizing our case.
20 Is he to be told that I will speak?
Can a man speak at all when he is already swallowed up?
21 Now people don’t see the light,
which is bright in the sky;
but then the wind blows
and clears [the clouds] away.
22 Out of the north comes a golden glow,
fearsome majesty surrounding God.
23 Shaddai, whom we cannot find,
whose power is immense,
in his great righteousness
does not pervert justice.
24 This is why people fear him;
he does not consider those
who think of themselves as wise.”
Matthew 15:1 Then some P’rushim and Torah-teachers from Yerushalayim came to Yeshua and asked him, 2 “Why is it that your talmidim break the Tradition of the Elders? They don’t do n’tilat-yadayim before they eat!” 3 He answered, “Indeed, why do you break the command of God by your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16] and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’[Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9] 5 But you say, ‘If anyone says to his father or mother, “I have promised to give to God what I might have used to help you,” 6 then he is rid of his duty to honor his father or mother.’ Thus by your tradition you make null and void the word of God! 7 You hypocrites! Yesha‘yahu was right when he prophesied about you,
8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away from me.
9 Their worship of me is useless,
because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.’”[Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13]
10 Then he called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand this! 11 What makes a person unclean is not what goes into his mouth; rather, what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean!”
12 The talmidim came to him and said, “Do you know that the P’rushim were offended by what you said?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that my Father in heaven has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Let them be. They are blind guides. When a blind man guides another blind man, both will fall in a pit.”
15 Kefa said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 So he said, “Don’t you understand even now? 17 Don’t you see that anything that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and passes out into the latrine? 18 But what comes out of your mouth is actually coming from your heart, and that is what makes a person unclean. 19 For out of the heart come forth wicked thoughts, murder, adultery and other kinds of sexual immorality, theft, lies, slanders. . . . 20 These are what really make a person unclean, but eating without doing n’tilat-yadayim does not make a person unclean.”
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660 Mason Ridge Center
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141, United States
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BE AN AMBASSADOR OR DONATE
The Lutheran Hour Ministries
660 Mason Ridge Center
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141, United States
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