Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "An Extra Kiss" for Tuesday, January 23, 2018
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 - For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.Even now, nobody seems to know what caused Scott Kologi to murder his parents, his sister, and a 70-year-old family friend this past New Year's Eve.
One of the survivors of the family catastrophe is Scott's older brother, Steven Kologi, Jr. Understandably, Steven has been devastated by his loss and he, like many in his age group, turned to Facebook to share his feelings. Some of his thoughts are reminiscences of past good times with the entire family, which will never come again.
Among the many things Steven has said might be mentioned:
(Mom and dad were) "the greatest parents I could ask for." "They made sure Christmas came every year although they struggled financially. I cannot even describe the type of people they were, so just believe me when I say how great they were." "Never once was I without a hot meal or a roof over my head."
But there's more. Steven has reached into himself and done some serious self-evaluating. He has spoken freely of his regrets. Those are the things I would like you to hear. For example, he has said, "I just wish I could tell all of them how much they meant to me and how much I truly loved each and every one of them because I didn't do that enough." Indeed, that seems to be a theme in Steven's writings. At the end of one Facebook sharing, he encouraged people "to give the ones you love an extra kiss or 'I love you.'"
Over the years, I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard mourning families speak of how they had intended to say, "I love you" to the deceased, but had forgotten; or schedules had gotten busy; or it just didn't seem the right time; or they weren't sure how it would be received; or they hadn't yet made peace over an old conflict, or ....
There are hundreds of reasons not to say, "I love you."
I can think of only four reasons to share your heart's feelings with those who are or should be special:
1. We who are recipients of the Lord's love, forgiveness, and salvation have a wonderful opportunity to share that love with others. You remember, "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
2. We do it because we need to say it.
3. We do it because they need to hear it.
4. We do it because we never know when the last opportunity to say those words may come.
As Steven said, "And please, please, please remember to give the ones you love an extra kiss or 'I love you.'"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, every aspect of Your life has shown us how much You love us. Now may we, as best we are able, reflect some of that love to those around us. This we ask in Your Name. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Danika Fearfs on January 1, 2018 for the New York Post. 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.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Job 36-37; Matthew 15:1-20
Job 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 talmidimbreak the Tradition of the Elders? They don’t do n’tilat-yadayimbefore 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.”
---
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.
Share this email:
No comments:
Post a Comment