Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States for Friday, 10 April 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States for Friday, 10 April 2015

(Jesus said) "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."[Matthew 6:33]
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
In January 2015 our Lutheran Hour Ministries-Cambodia team went to Banteay Mean Chey province to do an Equipping the Saints workshop. While there, we spent time with many pastors and church leaders who attended the workshop. One pastor, who helped coordinate the films and the puppet show, became quite familiar to us.
This is what he shared with us. "In 2010 my wife gave birth to a girl, and I did not have enough money to pay the hospital. At the time I was serving a congregation which paid me a small salary because we had many projects to help the poor."
As I am a pastor, I cannot complain to the church, but I planned to quit the ministry and go to Thailand to find a better job there. So my wife and I started to pray to God together. We both said to God: "Father, we love You and we want to serve You with joy, but there is no joy now as we owe the hospital money. Please help us to know Your way so that we can do what is right. We need to have money to support the family, and that is why we feel we should go to Thailand and give up the ministry."
About a month later the authorities decided to move the market close to the pastor's rented house.
Seeing an opportunity, the pastor and his wife sold juice by the glass to the shoppers. Amazingly, they had many customers and sold 300 glasses of juice a day. Soon they were making between 20 and 25 U.S. dollars every day. That was a big amount for them. From month to month, the business kept growing and growing.
Today the pastor and his wife also sell vegetables and have two stores in the new market.
The business, which was started in 2010, has given a good income to the pastor and his wife. They now own their own home and are earning $1,000 to $1,300 each month. It is a big amount for a Cambodian who is living in Banteay Mean Chey.
Most importantly, the pastor and his wife still serve the Lord, even as they teach others how to begin a business like they have. We praise God for working among His people in such a beautiful way.
We shouldn't be surprised. Look at God's Word: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we live in this sinful world. Many times we do not want to pray, nor do we wish God's approval. Because of that we face self-made hardship in our lives. It is a sad situation and it creates suffering, hatred and anger in our hearts. Some even have accused God of being uncaring and having abandoned them.
How sad.
The Lord, who gave His Son to die on the cross to take away our sins and win our salvation, is not going to forget us. He wants all to be brought to faith in Him and confidently rely on and pray to Him who has saved us at such a great cost.
He wants us to remember He is still alive and loves us, even as we should love and serve Him.
THE PRAYER: Dear God, please forgive us for our several mistakes that we have done in the past and those we do even now. In Your mercy and love, help us turn to You and ask Your guidance so we may seek first that which is most important. This we ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Rev. Phin Naro, director of the Lutheran Hour Ministries office in Cambodia. Since its establishment in 2000, the ministry center staff and volunteers at LHM-Cambodia have used programs like Equipping the Saints (ETS) and Bible Correspondence Courses(BCC) to communicate the message of God's eternal love to the 14 million Cambodians. The center also cooperates with churches in reaching the lost through puppet shows, music events, and youth programs.
In country, LHM-Cambodia is known as Cambodia Christian Media Center. It's headquartered in Phnom Penh City. In addition to utilizing BCC and ETS workshops, this ministry center is active in evangelism training and educating this county's citizens in Christian teachings. Using a values-education program, young people are taught the benefit of making healthy lifestyle choices. The ministry center also provides clothing and other materials to school-age children.
Read how a small group Bible study led to two people accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior by clicking here to visit its blog.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Joshua 13:1 Now Y’hoshua was old; the years had taken their toll. Adonai said to him, “You are old, and the years have taken their toll; but there is yet a great deal of land to be possessed.

2 “This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the P’lishtim and all the G’shuri, 3 from the Shichor which fronts Egypt, to the border of ‘Ekron (northward from there the land is considered as belonging to the Kena‘ani) — that is, the territory of the rulers of the P’lishtim in ‘Azah, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gat and ‘Ekron; also the ‘Avim 4 to the south; all the land of the Kena‘ani; Me‘arah, which belongs to the Tzidonim, as far as Afek and on to the border with the Emori; 5 the land of the Givli; all the L’vanon eastward, from Ba‘al-Gad at the foot of Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamat.

6 “As for the inhabitants of the hills between the L’vanon and Misrefot-Mayim, that is, all the Tzidonim, I myself will expel them ahead of the people of Isra’el; all you have to do is assign it to Isra’el as an inheritance, as I have ordered you. 7 So now, divide this land as an inheritance for the nine tribes and the half-tribe of M’nasheh.”

8 With the half-tribe of M’nasheh, the Re’uveni and the Gadi received their inheritance, which Moshe had given them, beyond the Yarden eastward, just as Moshe the servant of Adonai had given them — 9 from ‘Aro‘er on the edge of the Arnon Valley, the city in the middle of the valley, all the plateau between Meidva and Divon, 10 and all the cities of Sichon king of the Emori who ruled in Heshbon to the border with the people of ‘Amon; 11 and Gil‘ad, the territory of the G’shuri and Ma‘akhati, all Mount Hermon, all Bashan as far as Salkhah — 12 that is, all the kingdom of ‘Og in Bashan, who ruled in ‘Ashtarot and Edre‘i. ‘Og was one of those remaining from the Refa’im, whom Moshe defeated and expelled. 13 However, the people of Isra’el expelled neither the G’shuri nor the Ma‘akhati, with the consequence that G’shur and Ma‘akhat have lived among Isra’el to this day.

14 Only to the tribe of Levi did Moshe give no inheritance; because the offerings made by fire for Adonai the God of Isra’el are its inheritance; as [Adonai] had said to Moshe.

15 Moshe gave land to the tribe of the descendants of Re’uven by clans. 16 Their territory included ‘Aro‘er on the edge of the Arnon Valley, the city in the middle of the valley, all the plateau near Meidva, 17 Heshbon and its villages on the plateau, Divon, Bamot-Ba‘al, Beit-Ba‘al-M‘on, 18 Yahatz, K’demot, Mefa‘at, 19 Kiryatayim, Sivmah, Tzeret-Shachar at the top of the valley, 20 Beit-P‘or, the slopes of Pisgah, Beit-Yeshimot, 21 all the cities of the plateau — all the kingdom of Sichon king of the Emori, who ruled in Heshbon. Moshe defeated him with the chiefs of Midyan, along with Evi, Rekem, Tzur, Hur and Reva the princes of Sichon who lived in the land. 22 Along with the others the people of Isra’el killed with the sword, they also struck down Bil‘am the son of B‘or, who practiced divination. 23 The Yarden formed the border for the descendants of Re’uven. This was the inheritance of the descendants of Re’uven by clans, with its cities and villages.

24 Moshe gave land to the tribe of the Gad, to the descendants of Gad by clans. 25 Their territory included Ya‘zer; all the cities of Gil‘ad; half the land of the people of ‘Amon, as far as ‘Aro‘er fronting Rabbah — 26 that is, from Heshbon to Ramot-Mitzpeh and B’tonim; and from Machanayim to the border of Lidvir; 27 while in the valley it included Beit-Haram, Beit-Nimrah, Sukkot and Tzafon — in other words, the rest of the kingdom of Sichon king of Heshbon; with the Yarden to the far end of Lake Kinneret as its border, their territory extended eastward. 28 This is the inheritance of the descendants of Gad by clans, with its cities and villages.

29 Moshe gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of the M’nasheh; it was for the half-tribe of the descendants of M’nasheh by clans. 30 Their territory included Machanayim and all of Bashan — that is, all the kingdom of ‘Og king of Bashan; all the villages of Ya’ir in Bashan, sixty cities; 31 half of Gil‘ad; and ‘Ashtarot and Edre‘i, the cities of the kingdom of ‘Og in Bashan. All this was for the descendants of Makhir the son of M’nasheh, or, rather, for half of the descendants of Makhir, by clans.

32 These are the inheritances which Moshe distributed in the plains of Mo’av, beyond the Yarden and Yericho, eastward. 33 But to the tribe of Levi Moshe gave no inheritance; Adonai the God of Isra’el is their inheritance — as he told them.

14:1 These are the inheritances which the people of Isra’el took in the land of Kena‘an, which El‘azar the cohen, Y’hoshua the son of Nun and the heads of the ancestral clans of the tribes of the people of Isra’el distributed to them 2 by lot for them to inherit, as Adonai ordered through Moshe, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. 3 Moshe had already given the inheritances to the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Yarden; to the L’vi’im he gave no inheritance among them. 4 The descendants of Yosef constituted two tribes, M’nasheh and Efrayim; and they gave no portion of the land to the L’vi’im except cities to live in, with the open land surrounding them for their livestock and crops. 5 As Adonai had ordered Moshe, so the people of Isra’el did — they divided the land.

6 The descendants of Y’hudah approached Y’hoshua in Gilgal, and Kalev the son of Y’funeh the K’nizi said to him, “You know what Adonai told Moshe the man of God about me and you in Kadesh-Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moshe the servant of Adonai sent me from Kadesh-Barnea to reconnoiter the land, and I brought back to him an honest report. 8 My brothers who went up with me discouraged the people, but I followed Adonai my God completely. 9 On that day Moshe swore, ‘Surely the land where your foot has been will be the inheritance for you and your descendants forever, because you have followed Adonai my God completely.’ 10 Now, look: Adonai has kept me alive these forty-five years, as he said he would, from the time Adonai said this to Moshe, when Isra’el was going through the desert. Today I am eighty-five years old, 11 but I am as strong today as on the day Moshe sent me — I’m as strong now as I was then, whether for war or simply for going here and there. 12 Therefore, give me this hill, the one Adonai spoke about on that day; for on that day you heard how the ‘Anakim were there with great, fortified cities; perhaps Adonai will be with me, and I will drive them away, as Adonai said.”

13 Y’hoshua blessed him and gave Hevron to Kalev the son of Y’funeh as his inheritance. 14 So Hevron became the inheritance of Kalev the son of Y’funeh the K’nizi, as it is to this day; because he followed Adonai the God of Isra’el completely. 15 (Hevron was formerly called Kiryat-Arba; this Arba was the greatest man among the ‘Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.

15:1 The territory chosen by lot for the tribe of the descendants of Y’hudah according to their families extended to the border of Edom in the Tzin Desert, toward the Negev in the far south.

2 Their southern border began at the far shore of the Dead Sea, from the bay facing southward, 3 and went out south of the Scorpion Ascent, passed toward Tzin, went up south of Kadesh-Barnea, passed Hetzron, went up toward Adar, turned toward Karka, 4 passed toward ‘Atzmon, and went out at the Vadi of Egypt, with the border ending at the sea; this will be your southern border.

5 The eastern border was the Dead Sea to where the Yarden entered it.

The northern border began at the bay of the sea at the end of the Yarden; 6 then the border went up to Beit-Hoglah and passed north of Beit-‘Aravah; next the border went up to the Stone of Bohan the son of Re’uven; 7 then the border went up to D’vir from the Akhor Valley, then northward facing Gilgal (that is, across from Ma‘alei-Adumim, which is on the south side of the vadi); next the border passed to the ‘Ein-Shemesh Spring and went out at ‘Ein-Rogel. 8 Then the border went up the Ben-Hinnom Valley to the south side of the Y’vusi (that is, Yerushalayim), and the border continued up to the top of the hill in front of the Hinnom Valley on the west (which is also at the northernmost end of the Refa’im Valley) 9 From this hilltop the border was drawn to the source of the Neftoach Spring and continued out to the cities of Mount ‘Efron; next the border was drawn to Ba‘alah (that is, Kiryat-Ye‘arim). 10 Then the border turned from Ba‘al westward to Mount Se‘ir, passed the spur of Mount Ye‘arim (also called K’salon) on the north, went down to Beit-Shemesh and passed Timnah. 11 Next the border went out toward the side of ‘Ekron northward; and finally, the border was drawn to Shikron, passed Mount Ba‘alah, and went out at Yavne’el, with the border ending at the sea.

12 As for the west border, the Great Sea was its border. These were the borders of the territory of the descendants of Y’hudah, by clans.

13 To Kalev the son of Y’funeh he gave a portion with the descendants of Y’hudah, as Adonai had ordered Y’hoshua, namely, Kiryat-Arba (Arba was the father of the ‘Anak), also called Hevron. 14 Kalev expelled from there three descendants of ‘Anak — Sheshai, Achiman and Talmai, children of ‘Anak. 15 From there he went up to fight the inhabitants of D’vir (D’vir was formerly called Kiryat-Sefer). 16 Kalev said, “To whoever overpowers Kiryat-Sefer and captures it I will give my daughter Akhsah as his wife.” 17 ‘Otni’el the son of K’naz, Kalev’s brother, captured it; so he gave him ‘Akhsah his daughter as his wife. 18 After becoming his wife, she persuaded him to ask her father to give them a field; when she got off her donkey, Kalev asked her, “What do you want?” 19 She said to him: “Give me a blessing: since you gave me land in the Negev, also give me sources of water.” So Kalev gave her the Upper Springs and the Lower Springs.

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Y’hudah, by clans.

21 The cities at the outer part of the tribe of Y’hudah toward the border with Edom in the south were: Kavtze’el, ‘Eder, Yagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, ‘Ad‘adah, 23 Kedesh, Hatzor, Yitnan, 24 Zif, Telem, Be‘alot, 25 Hatzor, Hadatah, K’riot, Hetzron (which is Hatzor), 26 Amam, Sh’ma, Moladah, 27 Hatzar-Gadah, Heshmon, Beit-Pelet, 28 Hatzar-Shu‘al, Be’er-Sheva, Bizyot-Yah, 29 Ba‘alah, ‘Iyim, ‘Etzem, 30 El-Tolad, K’sil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmanah, Sansanah, 32 L’va’ot, Shilchim, ‘Ayin and Rimmon — twenty-nine cities in all, together with their villages.

33 In the Sh’felah: Eshta’ol, Tzor‘ah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoach, ‘Ein-Ganim, Tapuach, ‘Enam, 35 Yarmut, ‘Adulam, Sokhoh, ‘Azekah, 36 Sh’arim, ‘Aditayim, G’derah and G’derotayim — fourteen cities, together with their villages. 37 Tz’nan, Hadashah, Migdal-Gad, 38 Dil‘an, Mitzpeh, Yokte’el, 39 Lakhish, Bozkat, ‘Eglon, 40 Kabon, Lachmas, Kitlish, 41 G’derot, Beit-Dagon, Na‘amah and Makkedah — sixteen cities, together with their villages. 42 Livnah, ‘Eter, ‘Ashan, 43 Yiftach, Ashnah, N’tziv, 44 Ke‘ilah, Akhziv and Mareshah — nine cities, together with their villages. 45 ‘Ekron, with its towns and villages — 46 from ‘Ekron to the sea; all those near Ashdod, with their villages; 47 Ashdod, with its towns and villages; ‘Azah, with its towns and villages, to the Vadi of Egypt, with the Great Sea as its border.

48 In the hills: Shamir, Yatir, Sokhoh, 49 Danah, Kiryat-Sanna (that is, D’vir), 50 ‘Anav, Esht’moh, ‘Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon and Giloh — eleven cities, together with their villages. 52 Arav, Dumah, Esh’an, 53 Yanum, Beit-Tapuach, Afekah, 54 Humtah, Kiryat-Arba (that is, Hevron) and Tzi‘or — nine cities, together with their villages. 55 Ma‘on, Karmel, Zif, Yutah, 56 Yizre‘el, Yokde‘am, Zanoach, 57 Kayin, Giv‘ah and Timnah — ten cities, together with their villages. 58 Halchul, Beit-Tzur, G’dor, 59 Ma‘arat, Beit-‘Anot, Elt’kon — six cities, together with their villages. 60 Kiryat-Ba‘al (that is, Kiryat-Ye‘arim) and Rabbah — two cities, together with their villages.

61 In the desert: Beit-‘Aravah, Middin, S’khakhah, 62 Nivshan, ‘Ir-Hamelach and ‘Ein-Gedi — six cities, together with their villages.

63 As for the Y’vusi, who lived in Yerushalayim, the descendants of Y’hudah could not drive them out; so the Y’vusi live with the descendants of Y’hudah in Yerushalayim to this day.

Luke 10:25 An expert in Torah stood up to try and trap him by asking, “Rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?” 26 But Yeshua said to him, “What is written in the Torah? How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your understanding; and your neighbor as yourself.”[a] 28 “That’s the right answer,” Yeshua said. “Do this, and you will have life.”

29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Yeshua, “And who is my ‘neighbor’?” 30 Taking up the question, Yeshua said: “A man was going down from Yerushalayim to Yericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him naked and beat him up, then went off, leaving him half dead. 31 By coincidence, a cohen was going down on that road; but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levi who reached the place and saw him also passed by on the other side.

33 “But a man from Shomron who was traveling came upon him; and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. 34 So he went up to him, put oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he set him on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day, he took out two days’ wages, gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Look after him; and if you spend more than this, I’ll pay you back when I return.’ 36 Of these three, which one seems to you to have become the ‘neighbor’ of the man who fell among robbers?” 37 He answered, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Yeshua said to him, “You go and do as he did.”

38 On their way Yeshua and his talmidim came to a village where a woman named Marta welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Miryam who also sat at the Lord’s feet and heard what he had to say. 40 But Marta was busy with all the work to be done; so, going up to him, she said, “Sir, don’t you care that my sister has been leaving me to do all the work by myself?” 41 However, the Lord answered her, “Marta, Marta, you are fretting and worrying about so many things! 42 But there is only one thing that is essential. Miryam has chosen the right thing, and it won’t be taken away from her.”[Footnotes:

Luke 10:27 Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18]

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