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Psalm 105:1 - Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples!Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- that special time of year when most of us fight crowds, high gas prices, and crowded airport security lines, so we might come together with family and friends for a few days of relaxation, reunion, and renewal.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- a time for families and friends to roll themselves up to tables which are groaning under the weight of every culinary delicacy our taste buds could imagine.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- the day when many will plot their assault upon the Black Fridaybargains which are too good to pass up. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so we've replaced the batteries in the TV's remote control and memorized the channel numbers and kickoff times of every bowl game being played.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I've listed some of the things many folks will do.
Now I have one more suggestion. I think we ought to give thanks. You see, none of the activities I've listed do that -- offer thanks to the Lord. A few years ago, I heard about one family which always chose one of their membership to say a special prayer before the family ate their Thanksgiving dinner. One year the lot had fallen to six-year-old Rosalyn.
She began, appropriately enough, by thanking mother for preparing the turkey and dad for his job which gave them the money to buy the turkey. The family sat patiently as she thanked the clerk for selling the turkey and the store for stocking the turkey. She thanked the trucker who had brought her turkey to the store. She thanked the farmer who had raised the bird, as well as the feed store which had made it so the turkey could be plump. Then at the end of the lengthy litany, she solemnly asked, "Have I forgotten anyone?"
Her impatient eight-year-old brother, grunted, "You've forgotten God."
With an icy gaze, Rosalyn looked at her brother and announced, "I was just going to get to Him."
And that's the problem. When it comes to Thanksgiving Day, most people don't start their day with God, they just, kind of get around to Him. And that's sad. We shouldn't spend more time preparing stuffing for a dead bird than we actually spend thanking the Lord.
All of this takes me to the point of this devotion. Why not start out thanking the Lord ... in church.
Now I know, I know, to that idea some of you would think that going to worship is a major speed bump to getting everything done which needs to get done if a proper Thanksgiving is to be celebrated.
Or, are you among those who believe a pastor's Thanksgiving Day sermon should, like the afternoon's turkey, be equipped with a pop-up timer to let him know when he's done? We know we shouldn't feel that way, but some of us do. Well, folks, that bird is going to be done when it gets done -- and so is the sermon.
With the right attitude you can enjoy both. And God will be thanked first, not last.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive us for those times when we want more of the world and less of You. This year let us begin by thanking You and not just getting around to it. In the Name of Jesus who is our greatest cause for thanks, we pray. Amen.
Psalm 105:1 - Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples!Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- that special time of year when most of us fight crowds, high gas prices, and crowded airport security lines, so we might come together with family and friends for a few days of relaxation, reunion, and renewal.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- a time for families and friends to roll themselves up to tables which are groaning under the weight of every culinary delicacy our taste buds could imagine.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- the day when many will plot their assault upon the Black Fridaybargains which are too good to pass up. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so we've replaced the batteries in the TV's remote control and memorized the channel numbers and kickoff times of every bowl game being played.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I've listed some of the things many folks will do.
Now I have one more suggestion. I think we ought to give thanks. You see, none of the activities I've listed do that -- offer thanks to the Lord. A few years ago, I heard about one family which always chose one of their membership to say a special prayer before the family ate their Thanksgiving dinner. One year the lot had fallen to six-year-old Rosalyn.
She began, appropriately enough, by thanking mother for preparing the turkey and dad for his job which gave them the money to buy the turkey. The family sat patiently as she thanked the clerk for selling the turkey and the store for stocking the turkey. She thanked the trucker who had brought her turkey to the store. She thanked the farmer who had raised the bird, as well as the feed store which had made it so the turkey could be plump. Then at the end of the lengthy litany, she solemnly asked, "Have I forgotten anyone?"
Her impatient eight-year-old brother, grunted, "You've forgotten God."
With an icy gaze, Rosalyn looked at her brother and announced, "I was just going to get to Him."
And that's the problem. When it comes to Thanksgiving Day, most people don't start their day with God, they just, kind of get around to Him. And that's sad. We shouldn't spend more time preparing stuffing for a dead bird than we actually spend thanking the Lord.
All of this takes me to the point of this devotion. Why not start out thanking the Lord ... in church.
Now I know, I know, to that idea some of you would think that going to worship is a major speed bump to getting everything done which needs to get done if a proper Thanksgiving is to be celebrated.
Or, are you among those who believe a pastor's Thanksgiving Day sermon should, like the afternoon's turkey, be equipped with a pop-up timer to let him know when he's done? We know we shouldn't feel that way, but some of us do. Well, folks, that bird is going to be done when it gets done -- and so is the sermon.
With the right attitude you can enjoy both. And God will be thanked first, not last.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive us for those times when we want more of the world and less of You. This year let us begin by thanking You and not just getting around to it. In the Name of Jesus who is our greatest cause for thanks, we pray. 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: Ezekiel 18-19; 2 Timothy 3Ezekiel 18:1 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “What does it mean, that you keep quoting this proverb in the land of Isra’el —
‘When parents eat sour grapes,
their children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As I live,” says Adonai Elohim, “I swear that you will never again quote this proverb in Isra’el. 4 Look, all lives belong to me — both the parent’s life and the child’s life are equally mine — so it is the person who sins, himself, who must die.
5 “Consider someone who is righteous, who does what is lawful and right. 6 He doesn’t eat on the mountains or raise his eyes toward the idols of the house of Isra’el; he doesn’t defile his neighbor’s wife or touch a woman during her time of menstrual impurity; 7 he doesn’t wrong anyone; he returns any pledged property a debtor has given as collateral for a loan; he takes nothing by robbery, but gives his food to the hungry and clothing to those who need it; 8 he neither demands nor accepts interest on a loan; he refrains from what is evil; and he judges honestly between one person and another. 9 In short, he lives according to my laws and observes my rulings, so as to act faithfully. Such a person is righteous, and he will certainly live,” says Adonai Elohim.
10 “Now suppose he is the father of a son who is a robber, a murderer, or who does any of these things to a brother — 11 whereas the father himself does none of them. He eats on the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 wrongs the poor and needy, takes by robbery, doesn’t restore pledged property, raises his eyes toward the idols, engages in disgusting practices, 13 demands and accepts interest. Should he live? He will not live, because he has engaged in all these disgusting practices — he must be put to death; his blood is on him.
14 “But now suppose he has a son who sees all the sins his father committed, thinks about them, and behaves differently. 15 He doesn’t eat on the mountains, raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Isra’el, defile his neighbor’s wife, 16 wrong others, keep pledged property or take by robbery, but gives his food to the hungry and clothing to those in need of it; 17 he refrains from oppressing the poor; and he neither demands nor accepts interest. He obeys my rulings and lives according to my laws. So he will not die for his father’s sins but will certainly live. 18 Yet his father, because he oppressed so cruelly, committed robbery against his brother and never did anything good among his people — he will die for his sins.
19 “You ask, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear his father’s guilt?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, has kept all my laws and obeyed them, he will certainly live. 20 The person who sins is the one that will die — a son is not to bear his father’s guilt with him, nor is the father to bear his son’s guilt with him; but the righteousness of the righteous will be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked will be his own.
21 “However, if the wicked person repents of all the sins he committed, keeps my laws and does what is lawful and right; then he will certainly live, he will not die. 22 None of the transgressions he has committed will be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done, he will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure at all in having the wicked person die?” asks Adonai Elohim. “Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?
24 “On the other hand, when the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness by acting in accordance with all the disgusting practices that the wicked person does, will he live? None of the righteous deeds he has done will be remembered; for the trespasses and sins he has committed, he will die.
25 “So now you say, ‘Adonai’s way isn’t fair.’ Listen, house of Isra’el! Is it my way that is unfair? or your ways that are unfair? 26 When the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness, he will die for it — for the wickedness he commits he will die. 27 And when the wicked person turns away from all the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he will save his life. 28 Because he thinks it over and repents of all the transgressions he committed, he will certainly live, not die. 29 Yet the house of Isra’el says, ‘Adonai’s way isn’t fair.’ House of Isra’el, is it my ways that are unfair, or your ways that are unfair? 30 Therefore, house of Isra’el, I will judge each of you according to his ways,” says Adonai Elohim. “Repent, and turn yourselves away from all your transgressions, so that they will not be a stumblingblock that brings guilt upon you. 31 Throw far away from yourselves all your crimes that you committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why should you die, house of Isra’el? 32 I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” says Adonai Elohim, “so turn yourselves around, and live!
19:1 “Moreover, raise a lament for the leaders of Isra’el; 2 say:
‘What a mother you had —
a lioness among lions!
She lay down among young lions
and reared her cubs.
3 One of her cubs she singled out:
he became a young lion,
he learned to seize his prey,
he became a man-eater.
4 The nations sounded an alarm against him;
and he was caught in their pit.
With hooks they dragged him off
to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she had been thwarted,
that her hope was lost,
she took another of her cubs
and made a young lion of him.
6 He prowled among the lions,
grew to be a young lion,
learned to seize his prey
and became a man-eater.
7 He raped their widows
and destroyed their cities;
the land and all in it were appalled
at the sound of his roaring.
8 The nations set a snare for him
from the provinces all around,
they spread their net over him,
and he was caught in their pit.
9 With hooks they put him in a cage
and brought him to the king of Bavel
to imprison him in a fortress,
so that his roar would be heard no more
on the mountains of Isra’el.
10 “‘Your mother was like a strong grapevine
planted by the water.
It was fruitful and luxuriant
because of the abundant water.
11 It had strong branches
to be used as scepters by rulers;
besides having thick foliage,
it grew taller and taller,
until its height was noticed,
with its mass of branches.
12 But it was torn up in fury
and flung on the ground.
An east wind withered her fruit,
her strong branches were broken off;
they dried up; and fire consumed the vine.
13 It has been transplanted to the desert,
to a dry, thirsty land.
14 Fire has gone out from its own branches,
burning up its fruit,
so that now it has no strong branch
to be a ruler’s scepter.’”
This lamentation became very well known.
2 Timothy 3:1 Moreover, understand this: in the acharit-hayamim will come trying times. 2 People will be self-loving, money-loving, proud, arrogant, insulting, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, uncontrolled, brutal, hateful of good, 4 traitorous, headstrong, swollen with conceit, loving pleasure rather than God, 5 as they retain the outer form of religion but deny its power.
Stay away from these people! 6 For some of them worm their way into homes and get control of weak-willed women who are heaped with sins and swayed by various impulses, 7 who are always learning but never able to come to full knowledge of the truth. 8 In the same way as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moshe, so also these people oppose the truth. They are people with corrupted minds, whose trust cannot pass the test. 9 However, they won’t get very far; because everyone will see how stupid they are, just as happened with those two.
10 But you, you have closely followed my teaching, conduct, purpose in life, trust, steadfastness, love and perseverance — 11 as well as the persecutions and sufferings that came my way in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 And indeed, all who want to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.
14 But you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, recalling the people from whom you learned it; 15 and recalling too how from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which can give you the wisdom that leads to deliverance through trusting in Yeshua the Messiah. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; 17 thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.
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their children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As I live,” says Adonai Elohim, “I swear that you will never again quote this proverb in Isra’el. 4 Look, all lives belong to me — both the parent’s life and the child’s life are equally mine — so it is the person who sins, himself, who must die.
5 “Consider someone who is righteous, who does what is lawful and right. 6 He doesn’t eat on the mountains or raise his eyes toward the idols of the house of Isra’el; he doesn’t defile his neighbor’s wife or touch a woman during her time of menstrual impurity; 7 he doesn’t wrong anyone; he returns any pledged property a debtor has given as collateral for a loan; he takes nothing by robbery, but gives his food to the hungry and clothing to those who need it; 8 he neither demands nor accepts interest on a loan; he refrains from what is evil; and he judges honestly between one person and another. 9 In short, he lives according to my laws and observes my rulings, so as to act faithfully. Such a person is righteous, and he will certainly live,” says Adonai Elohim.
10 “Now suppose he is the father of a son who is a robber, a murderer, or who does any of these things to a brother — 11 whereas the father himself does none of them. He eats on the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 wrongs the poor and needy, takes by robbery, doesn’t restore pledged property, raises his eyes toward the idols, engages in disgusting practices, 13 demands and accepts interest. Should he live? He will not live, because he has engaged in all these disgusting practices — he must be put to death; his blood is on him.
14 “But now suppose he has a son who sees all the sins his father committed, thinks about them, and behaves differently. 15 He doesn’t eat on the mountains, raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Isra’el, defile his neighbor’s wife, 16 wrong others, keep pledged property or take by robbery, but gives his food to the hungry and clothing to those in need of it; 17 he refrains from oppressing the poor; and he neither demands nor accepts interest. He obeys my rulings and lives according to my laws. So he will not die for his father’s sins but will certainly live. 18 Yet his father, because he oppressed so cruelly, committed robbery against his brother and never did anything good among his people — he will die for his sins.
19 “You ask, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear his father’s guilt?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, has kept all my laws and obeyed them, he will certainly live. 20 The person who sins is the one that will die — a son is not to bear his father’s guilt with him, nor is the father to bear his son’s guilt with him; but the righteousness of the righteous will be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked will be his own.
21 “However, if the wicked person repents of all the sins he committed, keeps my laws and does what is lawful and right; then he will certainly live, he will not die. 22 None of the transgressions he has committed will be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done, he will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure at all in having the wicked person die?” asks Adonai Elohim. “Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?
24 “On the other hand, when the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness by acting in accordance with all the disgusting practices that the wicked person does, will he live? None of the righteous deeds he has done will be remembered; for the trespasses and sins he has committed, he will die.
25 “So now you say, ‘Adonai’s way isn’t fair.’ Listen, house of Isra’el! Is it my way that is unfair? or your ways that are unfair? 26 When the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness, he will die for it — for the wickedness he commits he will die. 27 And when the wicked person turns away from all the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he will save his life. 28 Because he thinks it over and repents of all the transgressions he committed, he will certainly live, not die. 29 Yet the house of Isra’el says, ‘Adonai’s way isn’t fair.’ House of Isra’el, is it my ways that are unfair, or your ways that are unfair? 30 Therefore, house of Isra’el, I will judge each of you according to his ways,” says Adonai Elohim. “Repent, and turn yourselves away from all your transgressions, so that they will not be a stumblingblock that brings guilt upon you. 31 Throw far away from yourselves all your crimes that you committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why should you die, house of Isra’el? 32 I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” says Adonai Elohim, “so turn yourselves around, and live!
19:1 “Moreover, raise a lament for the leaders of Isra’el; 2 say:
‘What a mother you had —
a lioness among lions!
She lay down among young lions
and reared her cubs.
3 One of her cubs she singled out:
he became a young lion,
he learned to seize his prey,
he became a man-eater.
4 The nations sounded an alarm against him;
and he was caught in their pit.
With hooks they dragged him off
to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she had been thwarted,
that her hope was lost,
she took another of her cubs
and made a young lion of him.
6 He prowled among the lions,
grew to be a young lion,
learned to seize his prey
and became a man-eater.
7 He raped their widows
and destroyed their cities;
the land and all in it were appalled
at the sound of his roaring.
8 The nations set a snare for him
from the provinces all around,
they spread their net over him,
and he was caught in their pit.
9 With hooks they put him in a cage
and brought him to the king of Bavel
to imprison him in a fortress,
so that his roar would be heard no more
on the mountains of Isra’el.
10 “‘Your mother was like a strong grapevine
planted by the water.
It was fruitful and luxuriant
because of the abundant water.
11 It had strong branches
to be used as scepters by rulers;
besides having thick foliage,
it grew taller and taller,
until its height was noticed,
with its mass of branches.
12 But it was torn up in fury
and flung on the ground.
An east wind withered her fruit,
her strong branches were broken off;
they dried up; and fire consumed the vine.
13 It has been transplanted to the desert,
to a dry, thirsty land.
14 Fire has gone out from its own branches,
burning up its fruit,
so that now it has no strong branch
to be a ruler’s scepter.’”
This lamentation became very well known.
2 Timothy 3:1 Moreover, understand this: in the acharit-hayamim will come trying times. 2 People will be self-loving, money-loving, proud, arrogant, insulting, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, uncontrolled, brutal, hateful of good, 4 traitorous, headstrong, swollen with conceit, loving pleasure rather than God, 5 as they retain the outer form of religion but deny its power.
Stay away from these people! 6 For some of them worm their way into homes and get control of weak-willed women who are heaped with sins and swayed by various impulses, 7 who are always learning but never able to come to full knowledge of the truth. 8 In the same way as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moshe, so also these people oppose the truth. They are people with corrupted minds, whose trust cannot pass the test. 9 However, they won’t get very far; because everyone will see how stupid they are, just as happened with those two.
10 But you, you have closely followed my teaching, conduct, purpose in life, trust, steadfastness, love and perseverance — 11 as well as the persecutions and sufferings that came my way in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 And indeed, all who want to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.
14 But you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, recalling the people from whom you learned it; 15 and recalling too how from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which can give you the wisdom that leads to deliverance through trusting in Yeshua the Messiah. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; 17 thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.
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Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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