The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States [Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).] "Tomorrow's Uncertainties" for Friday, August 19, 2016
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.[Psalm 23:6]
How is Christianity special?
Look at the prophecies. Mohammed died. Buddha died, as did Confucius, and Jesus. But Jesus is unique. Jesus also rose from the dead. We shouldn't be surprised. Against all logic, against all odds, Jesus died, and three days later He rose from the dead.
Centuries before any of this happened God's prophets foretold that things would come to pass.
They said that Jesus would be rejected by His people, that He would be crucified between criminals, and others would divide up His clothing. All this happened just as had been foretold. It happened so we might be sure Jesus is God's Son, our Savior.
And if you, or someone you know, wants to know why this is so important, I'll tell you.
It is important because you don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. I don't either. But the Lord is the Maker and Master of time. We don't know what tomorrow holds, but believers know that God holds their tomorrows.
Looking into your future, I have little doubt that your life will see a measure of gladness and good times, moments of fear and frustration, sadness and sorrow, danger and, yes, even death. When those days come -- and you don't have to be a prophet to know they're coming -- then hear the Lord say, "Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?" (Isaiah 44:8a).
God knew your troubles and He knew how and when these hurts, these worries will come upon you. He knew, but more than knowing, He cares. Many people refuse to believe that. Looking at the disasters this world produces they get angry with God and believe that He is cruel.
It is not so. It cannot be so.
The Lord who sent His Son into this world to live, suffer, die and rise so that you might be saved, cannot be cruel. God cares. He cares about your eternal destiny and He cares about your immediate tomorrows. He cares and He will help, unless you draw away.
Last week I read about a fireman in England who went up a ladder: three stories up he went to rescue a lady who was trapped in a fire. He broke her bedroom window and through the thick smoke saw her cowering in the corner. He begged, he pleaded, he extended his hand to her. She would not go. She panicked and withdrew to a place where he could not reach her. The floor gave way, and the lady died. In an interview, through his tears, all the fireman could say was, "She wouldn't let me save her."
The Lord Jesus wants to save you. He comes to you, trapped in your unknowns and by your uncertainties. Born according to prophecy, murdered and risen according to God's promise, a living Lord Jesus comes to you and extends His nail-pierced hands to rescue you from tomorrow's terrors and eternal death. And that is something I know will happen.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for the Savior and rejoice that my tomorrows are in Your loving care. May I be at peace no matter what the future holds. In Jesus' Name I rejoice. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours, 
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 73, 85 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Psalms 73:(0) A psalm of Asaf:
(1) How good God is to Isra’el,
to those who are pure in heart!
2 But as for me, I lost my balance,
my feet nearly slipped,
3 when I grew envious of the arrogant
and saw how the wicked prosper.
4 For when their death comes, it is painless;
and meanwhile, their bodies are healthy;
5 they don’t have ordinary people’s troubles,
they aren’t plagued like others.
6 So for them, pride is a necklace;
and violence clothes them like a robe.
7 Their eyes peep out through folds of fat;
evil thoughts overflow from their hearts.
8 They scoff and speak with malice,
they loftily utter threats.
9 They set their mouths against heaven;
their tongues swagger through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return here
and [thoughtlessly] suck up that whole cup of water.
11 Then they ask, “How does God know?
Does the Most High really have knowledge?”
12 Yes, this is what the wicked are like;
those free of misfortune keep increasing their wealth.
13 It’s all for nothing that I’ve kept my heart clean
and washed my hands, staying free of guilt;
14 for all day long I am plagued;
my punishment comes every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will talk like them,”
I would have betrayed a generation of your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
I found it too hard for me —
17 until I went into the sanctuaries of God
and grasped what their destiny would be.
18 Indeed, you place them on a slippery slope
and make them fall to their ruin.
19 How suddenly they are destroyed,
swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakens;
Adonai, when you rouse yourself,
you will despise their phantoms.
21 When I had a sour attitude
and felt stung by pained emotions,
22 I was too stupid to understand;
I was like a brute beast with you.
23 Nevertheless, I am always with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You will guide me with your advice;
and afterwards, you will receive me with honor.
25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?
And with you, I lack nothing on earth.
26 My mind and body may fail; but God
is the rock for my mind and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who adulterously leave you.
28 But for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made Adonai Elohim my refuge,
so that I can tell of all your works.
85:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of the sons of Korach:
2 (1) Adonai, you have shown favor to your land;
you have restored the fortunes of Ya‘akov,
3 (2) taken away the guilt of your people,
pardoned all their sin, (Selah)
4 (3) withdrawn all your wrath,
turned from your fierce anger.
5 (4) Restore us, God of our salvation,
renounce your displeasure with us.
6 (5) Are you to stay angry with us forever?
Will your fury last through all generations?
7 (6) Won’t you revive us again,
so your people can rejoice in you?
8 (7) Show us your grace, Adonai;
grant us your salvation.
9 (8) I am listening. What will God, Adonai, say?
For he will speak peace to his people,
to his holy ones —
but only if they don’t relapse into folly.
10 (9) His salvation is near for those who fear him,
so that glory will be in our land.
11 (10) Grace and truth have met together;
justice and peace have kissed each other.
12 (11) Truth springs up from the earth,
and justice looks down from heaven.
13 (12) Adonai will also grant prosperity;
our land will yield its harvest.
14 (13) Justice will walk before him
and make his footsteps a path.
1 Corinthians 11:17 But in giving you this next instruction I do not praise you, because when you meet together it does more harm than good! 18 For, in the first place, I hear that when you gather together as a congregation you divide up into cliques; and to a degree I believe it 19 (granted that there must be some divisions among you in order to show who are the ones in the right). 20 Thus, when you gather together, it is not to eat a meal of the Lord; 21 because as you eat your meal, each one goes ahead on his own; so that one stays hungry while another is already drunk! 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or are you trying to show your contempt for God’s Messianic community and embarrass those who are poor? What am I supposed to say to you? Am I supposed to praise you? Well, for this I don’t praise you!
23 For what I received from the Lord is just what I passed on to you — that the Lord Yeshua, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; 24 and after he had made the b’rakhah he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this as a memorial to me”; 25 likewise also the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the New Covenant effected by my blood; do this, as often as you drink it, as a memorial to me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.
27 Therefore, whoever eats the Lord’s bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in an unworthy manner will be guilty of desecrating the body and blood of the Lord! 28 So let a person examine himself first, and then he may eat of the bread and drink from the cup; 29 for a person who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. 30 This is why many among you are weak and sick, and some have died! 31 If we would examine ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined, so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
33 So then, my brothers, when you gather together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If someone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it will not result in judgment.
As for the other matters, I will instruct you about them when I come.
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The Lutheran Hour Ministries
660 Mason Ridge Ctr Drive
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
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