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Psalm 46:1-2 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
The last line of T.S. Eliot's poem The Hollow Men says, "This is the way the world ends, Not with a bang but a whimper."
Eliot may be a pretty good wordsmith, but he probably wasn't much of a prophet -- at least according to the researchers from Arizona State University who have been keeping track of the supervolcano which exists under Yellowstone National Park.
Various recent findings have surprised them. Amongst the new, shocking bits of information are
If their mathematics are correct, the Yellowstone volcano could launch 1,000 cubic kilometers of rock and ash into the atmosphere. (Think 2,500 Mount St. Helen's volcanoes going off together.) They believe all this ash would cover the United States and issue in a volcanic winter which would endanger life.
How's that for depressing?
Well, my friends, the truth is, the Bible does talk a lot about earthquakes and such.
When Jesus was speaking about things to come He said, "There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven" (Luke21:11). By the Lord's inspiration, Isaiah prophesied: "Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of His fierce anger" (Isaiah 13:13).
Now the important thing to remember when you read about volcanoes and earthquakes in the paper or in the Bible is this: God is in control. He is always in control. How did the Psalmist say it: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea."
Truly, the Lord who has sent His Son to save us is not going to leave us or forsake us. We are His children and He will always -- because of the Savior's sacrifice -- do what is right and best for us.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we praise Your Name for being an ever-present help in troublesome times. May others learn the joy of knowing You and what it means to have such a God. In the Savior's Name I ask it. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Yaron Steinbuch for the New York Post on October 13, 2017. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written: click here.
Psalm 46:1-2 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
The last line of T.S. Eliot's poem The Hollow Men says, "This is the way the world ends, Not with a bang but a whimper."
Eliot may be a pretty good wordsmith, but he probably wasn't much of a prophet -- at least according to the researchers from Arizona State University who have been keeping track of the supervolcano which exists under Yellowstone National Park.
Various recent findings have surprised them. Amongst the new, shocking bits of information are
- they thought the changes in temperature necessary before a Yellowstone explosion might take centuries; they have seen these changes take place in decades;
- the earth sitting above this supervolcano has begun to bulge; in fact, it has gone up ten inches in seven years;
- they thought it would take a long time to fill the reservoir which fuels Yellowstone's eruption. Now they believe that reservoir can fill quickly, and that reservoir is two and a half times larger than they had thought.
If their mathematics are correct, the Yellowstone volcano could launch 1,000 cubic kilometers of rock and ash into the atmosphere. (Think 2,500 Mount St. Helen's volcanoes going off together.) They believe all this ash would cover the United States and issue in a volcanic winter which would endanger life.
How's that for depressing?
Well, my friends, the truth is, the Bible does talk a lot about earthquakes and such.
When Jesus was speaking about things to come He said, "There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven" (Luke21:11). By the Lord's inspiration, Isaiah prophesied: "Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of His fierce anger" (Isaiah 13:13).
Now the important thing to remember when you read about volcanoes and earthquakes in the paper or in the Bible is this: God is in control. He is always in control. How did the Psalmist say it: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea."
Truly, the Lord who has sent His Son to save us is not going to leave us or forsake us. We are His children and He will always -- because of the Savior's sacrifice -- do what is right and best for us.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we praise Your Name for being an ever-present help in troublesome times. May others learn the joy of knowing You and what it means to have such a God. In the Savior's Name I ask it. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Yaron Steinbuch for the New York Post on October 13, 2017. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written: click here.
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 8-10; 1 Timothy 5Ezekiel 8:1 On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year, as I was sitting in my house, and the leaders of Y’hudah were sitting there with me, the hand of Adonai Elohim fell on me. 2 I looked and saw what seemed like a man made of fire. From what appeared to be his waist downward was fire, and from his waist upward was what appeared to be a gleaming amber-colored brilliance. 3 The form of a hand was put out, which took me by a lock of my hair; and a spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me, in these visions from God, to Yerushalayim, to the entrance of the inner [courtyard] gate that faces north. There stood the idol that [arouses God’s] jealousy and provokes [his] zealous indignation. 4 There before me was the glory of the God of Isra’el, as in the vision I had seen in the valley.
5 Then he said to me, “Human being, raise your eyes toward the north.” I raised my eyes toward the north and saw, north of the Altar Gate, this image that [arouses God’s] jealousy in the entryway. 6 He asked me, “Human being, do you see what they are doing, the horribly disgusting practices that the house of Isra’el is committing here, so that I must distance myself from my own sanctuary? But you will see even worse abominations.”
7 He brought me to the entrance of the courtyard; and when I looked, I saw a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Human being, dig into the wall.” After digging in the wall, I saw a door. 9 “Go in,” he said, “and see the wicked practices they are engaged in here.” 10 So I went in and looked, and there, carved on the walls all around, were every kind of reptile and repulsive animal, along with all the idols of the house of Isra’el. 11 Standing in front of them were seventy of the leading men of the house of Isra’el — in the center stood Ya’azanyahu the son of Shafan. Each man had his incense-burner in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then he said to me, “Human being, did you see what the leaders of the house of Isra’el are doing in the dark, each one in the room of his own carved image, because they say, ‘Adonai can’t see us; Adonai has left the land.’?” 13 He also said to me, “You will see even worse abominations that they are doing.”
14 He brought me to the entrance of the north gate to Adonai’s house; and there before me were women weeping for Tammuz. 15 “Human being,” he asked me, “have you seen this? You will see practices even more disgusting than these.” 16 He brought me into the inner courtyard of Adonai’s house; and there, at the entrance to the temple of Adonai, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of Adonai and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east. 17 He asked me, “Human being, have you seen this? Does the house of Y’hudah consider it a casual matter that they commit the disgusting practices they are committing here, thus filling the land with violence, provoking me still more? Look! They are even putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will act in fury, my eye will not spare, I will have no pity. Even if they cry loudly right in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
9:1 Then he cried loudly right in my ears: “Summon the commanders of the city, each holding his weapon of destruction.” 2 At once, six men approached on the path from the upper gate, to the north, each man holding his weapon of destruction. Among them was a man clothed in linen, with a scribe’s writing equipment at his waist. They entered and stood by the bronze altar. 3 Then the glory of the God of Isra’el was made to go up from over the keruv, where it had been, to the threshold of the house. He called to the man clothed in linen, who had the scribe’s writing equipment at his waist. 4 Adonai said to him, “Go throughout the city, through all Yerushalayim, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and crying over all the disgusting practices that are being committed in it.” 5 To the others I heard him say, “Go through the city after him and strike! Don’t let your eye spare; have no pity! 6 Kill old men, young men, girls, little children, women — slaughter them all! But don’t go near anyone with the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” They began with the leaders in front of the house. 7 Then he said to them, “Defile the house! Fill the courtyards with corpses! Get going!” So they went out, spreading death in the city.
8 While the killing was going on, I was left alone. I fell on my face, cried, and said, “Oh, Adonai Elohim! In pouring out your fury on Yerushalayim, are you going to destroy everyone left in Isra’el?” 9 Then he said to me, “The wickedness of the house of Isra’el and Y’hudah is enormous, the land is full of blood, and the city is full of justice denied; because they say, ‘Adonai has left the land, Adonai doesn’t see.’ 10 But as far as I am concerned, my eye will not spare, and I will have no pity, but I will bring [the consequences of] their ways on their own heads.”
11 At this point the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his waist returned and reported, “I have done everything you ordered me to do.”
10:1 Then I looked, and suddenly, on the dome over the heads of the k’ruvim, there appeared above them something like sapphire that seemed to take the form of a throne. 2 He spoke to the man clothed in linen; he said, “Go in between the wheels under the k’ruvim, fill both your hands with fiery coals from between the k’ruvim, and throw them on the city.” As I watched, he went. 3 Now the k’ruvim were standing to the right of the house when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner courtyard. 4 The glory of Adonai rose from above the keruv to the threshold of the house, leaving the house filled with the cloud and the courtyard full of the brilliance of Adonai’s glory. 5 The sound of the wings of the k’ruvim could be heard even in the outer courtyard sounding like the voice of God, Shaddai, when he speaks.
6 When he ordered the man clothed in linen to take fire from between the wheels, from between the k’ruvim, he went in and stood next to a wheel; 7 and a keruv put out his hand from between the k’ruvim into the fire between the k’ruvim, took some of it, and put it in the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
8 Now there appeared among the k’ruvim the form of a man’s hand under their wings. 9 I looked and saw four wheels next to the k’ruvim, one wheel next to one keruv and another wheel next to another keruv: the wheels had the color of beryl. 10 Their shape was the same for all four, like a wheel inside a wheel. 11 When they moved, they could go in any of the four directions without turning as they moved; rather, wherever the head looked, they followed without turning as they moved. 12 Their whole bodies, including their backs, hands and wings, and also the wheels, were full of eyes all around — even the wheels of the four k’ruvim. 13 As for the wheels, I heard them called “the wheel apparatus.” 14 Every one [of the k’ruvim] had four faces: the first face was the face of a keruv, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15 Then the k’ruvim rose. These were the living creatures I had seen by the K’var River. 16 When the k’ruvim moved, the wheels went with them; and when the k’ruvim lifted their wings to rise off the ground, these wheels did not stop going with them. 17 When [the k’ruvim] stood still, [the wheels] stood still; and when the former rose, the latter rose with them; because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
18 Now the glory of Adonai left the threshold of the house and halted above the k’ruvim. 19 The k’ruvim lifted their wings and rose off the earth — I was watching as they went off with the wheels next to them. They paused at the entrance to the east gate of Adonai’s house, with the glory of the God of Isra’el over them, from above.
20 This was the living creature I had seen beneath the God of Isra’el by the K’var River, so I knew they were k’ruvim. 21 Each of the four had four faces, and each had four wings, and what looked like a man’s hands was under their wings. 22 As for how their faces looked, they were the faces I had seen by the K’var River, identical in appearance. Each one moved straight ahead.
1 Timothy 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man sharply, but appeal to him as you would to a father; treat younger men like brothers, 2 older women like mothers and younger women like sisters, with absolute purity.
3 Show respect to widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, first let them learn to do their religious duty to their own family and thus repay some of the debt they owe their forebears, for this is what is acceptable in the sight of God. 5 Now the widow who is really in need, the one who has been left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in petitions and prayers night and day. 6 But the one who is self-indulgent is already dead, even though she lives. 7 And instruct them about this, so that they will not be open to blame. 8 Moreover, anyone who does not provide for his own people, especially for his family, has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 Let a widow be enrolled on the list of widows only if she is more than sixty years old, was faithful to her husband, 10 and is known for her good deeds — as one who has reared her children well, showed hospitality, washed the feet of God’s people, helped those in trouble, and engaged in all kinds of good work.
11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they begin to feel natural passions that alienate them from the Messiah, they want to get married. 12 This brings them under condemnation for having set aside the trust they had at first. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idle, going around from house to house; and not only idle, but gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t. 14 Therefore, I would rather the young widows get married, have children and take charge of their homes, so as to give the opposition no occasion for slandering us. 15 For already some have turned astray to follow the Adversary.
16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, she should provide relief for them — the congregation shouldn’t be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are really in need.
17 The leaders who lead well should be considered worthy of double honor, especially those working hard at communicating the Word and at teaching. 18 For the Tanakh says, “You are not to muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,”[1 Timothy 5:18 Deuteronomy 25:4] in other words, “The worker deserves his wages.” 19 Never listen to any accusation against a leader unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.[1 Timothy 5:19 Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15] 20 Rebuke before the whole assembly those leaders who continue sinning, as a warning to the others. 21 Before God, the Messiah Yeshua and the chosen angels, I solemnly charge you to observe these instructions, not pre-judging and not doing anything out of favoritism. 22 Do not be hasty in granting s’mikhah to anyone, and do not share in other people’s sins — keep yourself pure.
23 Stop drinking water; instead, use a little wine for the sake of your digestion and because of your frequent illnesses.
24 The sins of some people are obvious and go ahead of them to judgment, but the sins of others follow afterwards. 25 Likewise, good deeds are obvious; and even when they are not, they can’t stay hidden.
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7 He brought me to the entrance of the courtyard; and when I looked, I saw a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Human being, dig into the wall.” After digging in the wall, I saw a door. 9 “Go in,” he said, “and see the wicked practices they are engaged in here.” 10 So I went in and looked, and there, carved on the walls all around, were every kind of reptile and repulsive animal, along with all the idols of the house of Isra’el. 11 Standing in front of them were seventy of the leading men of the house of Isra’el — in the center stood Ya’azanyahu the son of Shafan. Each man had his incense-burner in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then he said to me, “Human being, did you see what the leaders of the house of Isra’el are doing in the dark, each one in the room of his own carved image, because they say, ‘Adonai can’t see us; Adonai has left the land.’?” 13 He also said to me, “You will see even worse abominations that they are doing.”
14 He brought me to the entrance of the north gate to Adonai’s house; and there before me were women weeping for Tammuz. 15 “Human being,” he asked me, “have you seen this? You will see practices even more disgusting than these.” 16 He brought me into the inner courtyard of Adonai’s house; and there, at the entrance to the temple of Adonai, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of Adonai and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east. 17 He asked me, “Human being, have you seen this? Does the house of Y’hudah consider it a casual matter that they commit the disgusting practices they are committing here, thus filling the land with violence, provoking me still more? Look! They are even putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will act in fury, my eye will not spare, I will have no pity. Even if they cry loudly right in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
9:1 Then he cried loudly right in my ears: “Summon the commanders of the city, each holding his weapon of destruction.” 2 At once, six men approached on the path from the upper gate, to the north, each man holding his weapon of destruction. Among them was a man clothed in linen, with a scribe’s writing equipment at his waist. They entered and stood by the bronze altar. 3 Then the glory of the God of Isra’el was made to go up from over the keruv, where it had been, to the threshold of the house. He called to the man clothed in linen, who had the scribe’s writing equipment at his waist. 4 Adonai said to him, “Go throughout the city, through all Yerushalayim, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and crying over all the disgusting practices that are being committed in it.” 5 To the others I heard him say, “Go through the city after him and strike! Don’t let your eye spare; have no pity! 6 Kill old men, young men, girls, little children, women — slaughter them all! But don’t go near anyone with the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” They began with the leaders in front of the house. 7 Then he said to them, “Defile the house! Fill the courtyards with corpses! Get going!” So they went out, spreading death in the city.
8 While the killing was going on, I was left alone. I fell on my face, cried, and said, “Oh, Adonai Elohim! In pouring out your fury on Yerushalayim, are you going to destroy everyone left in Isra’el?” 9 Then he said to me, “The wickedness of the house of Isra’el and Y’hudah is enormous, the land is full of blood, and the city is full of justice denied; because they say, ‘Adonai has left the land, Adonai doesn’t see.’ 10 But as far as I am concerned, my eye will not spare, and I will have no pity, but I will bring [the consequences of] their ways on their own heads.”
11 At this point the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his waist returned and reported, “I have done everything you ordered me to do.”
10:1 Then I looked, and suddenly, on the dome over the heads of the k’ruvim, there appeared above them something like sapphire that seemed to take the form of a throne. 2 He spoke to the man clothed in linen; he said, “Go in between the wheels under the k’ruvim, fill both your hands with fiery coals from between the k’ruvim, and throw them on the city.” As I watched, he went. 3 Now the k’ruvim were standing to the right of the house when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner courtyard. 4 The glory of Adonai rose from above the keruv to the threshold of the house, leaving the house filled with the cloud and the courtyard full of the brilliance of Adonai’s glory. 5 The sound of the wings of the k’ruvim could be heard even in the outer courtyard sounding like the voice of God, Shaddai, when he speaks.
6 When he ordered the man clothed in linen to take fire from between the wheels, from between the k’ruvim, he went in and stood next to a wheel; 7 and a keruv put out his hand from between the k’ruvim into the fire between the k’ruvim, took some of it, and put it in the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
8 Now there appeared among the k’ruvim the form of a man’s hand under their wings. 9 I looked and saw four wheels next to the k’ruvim, one wheel next to one keruv and another wheel next to another keruv: the wheels had the color of beryl. 10 Their shape was the same for all four, like a wheel inside a wheel. 11 When they moved, they could go in any of the four directions without turning as they moved; rather, wherever the head looked, they followed without turning as they moved. 12 Their whole bodies, including their backs, hands and wings, and also the wheels, were full of eyes all around — even the wheels of the four k’ruvim. 13 As for the wheels, I heard them called “the wheel apparatus.” 14 Every one [of the k’ruvim] had four faces: the first face was the face of a keruv, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15 Then the k’ruvim rose. These were the living creatures I had seen by the K’var River. 16 When the k’ruvim moved, the wheels went with them; and when the k’ruvim lifted their wings to rise off the ground, these wheels did not stop going with them. 17 When [the k’ruvim] stood still, [the wheels] stood still; and when the former rose, the latter rose with them; because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
18 Now the glory of Adonai left the threshold of the house and halted above the k’ruvim. 19 The k’ruvim lifted their wings and rose off the earth — I was watching as they went off with the wheels next to them. They paused at the entrance to the east gate of Adonai’s house, with the glory of the God of Isra’el over them, from above.
20 This was the living creature I had seen beneath the God of Isra’el by the K’var River, so I knew they were k’ruvim. 21 Each of the four had four faces, and each had four wings, and what looked like a man’s hands was under their wings. 22 As for how their faces looked, they were the faces I had seen by the K’var River, identical in appearance. Each one moved straight ahead.
1 Timothy 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man sharply, but appeal to him as you would to a father; treat younger men like brothers, 2 older women like mothers and younger women like sisters, with absolute purity.
3 Show respect to widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, first let them learn to do their religious duty to their own family and thus repay some of the debt they owe their forebears, for this is what is acceptable in the sight of God. 5 Now the widow who is really in need, the one who has been left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in petitions and prayers night and day. 6 But the one who is self-indulgent is already dead, even though she lives. 7 And instruct them about this, so that they will not be open to blame. 8 Moreover, anyone who does not provide for his own people, especially for his family, has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 Let a widow be enrolled on the list of widows only if she is more than sixty years old, was faithful to her husband, 10 and is known for her good deeds — as one who has reared her children well, showed hospitality, washed the feet of God’s people, helped those in trouble, and engaged in all kinds of good work.
11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they begin to feel natural passions that alienate them from the Messiah, they want to get married. 12 This brings them under condemnation for having set aside the trust they had at first. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idle, going around from house to house; and not only idle, but gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t. 14 Therefore, I would rather the young widows get married, have children and take charge of their homes, so as to give the opposition no occasion for slandering us. 15 For already some have turned astray to follow the Adversary.
16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, she should provide relief for them — the congregation shouldn’t be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are really in need.
17 The leaders who lead well should be considered worthy of double honor, especially those working hard at communicating the Word and at teaching. 18 For the Tanakh says, “You are not to muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,”[1 Timothy 5:18 Deuteronomy 25:4] in other words, “The worker deserves his wages.” 19 Never listen to any accusation against a leader unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.[1 Timothy 5:19 Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15] 20 Rebuke before the whole assembly those leaders who continue sinning, as a warning to the others. 21 Before God, the Messiah Yeshua and the chosen angels, I solemnly charge you to observe these instructions, not pre-judging and not doing anything out of favoritism. 22 Do not be hasty in granting s’mikhah to anyone, and do not share in other people’s sins — keep yourself pure.
23 Stop drinking water; instead, use a little wine for the sake of your digestion and because of your frequent illnesses.
24 The sins of some people are obvious and go ahead of them to judgment, but the sins of others follow afterwards. 25 Likewise, good deeds are obvious; and even when they are not, they can’t stay hidden.
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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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