The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker 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).] "God's Refreshing Rest Can Be Yours Today!" for Monday, August 29, 2016
Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that he had done.[Genesis 2:3]"I'm not tired."
Every parent has heard those words as their child slips into a much-needed slumber. Children seem to fight sleep, even though it's good for them. I suppose they are afraid they will miss something. By the time we become adults, a nap sounds great -- just some rest. But the cares of this life are pressing. The concerns of work and family and medical needs will not wait for us to catch up on our sleep. And so we walk around knowing that we are tired, but also comprehending the reality that rest will simply have to wait.
Yet, in the Small Catechism Luther says something that has always stuck in my mind. After teaching believers to nightly say the Creeds, the Lord's Prayer, and a final evening prayer, he said, no matter what happened that day, "Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer."
Yes, get some rest!
You are probably saying, like me, "I wish I could." Well, you can! Just think about rest for a moment. It's even deeper, more revitalizing than mere refreshment from our exhaustion.
Genesis 2 says on the seventh day, God rested. We know how the creation story goes. After six days of creating, God rested on the seventh. But He wasn't tired. God wasn't worn out from the work of creating. God rested because the creation was complete as it should be. God rested because the goal of the creation week was achieved. It was good. Things were in harmony; everything was as it should be: at rest.
What if God's goal for your life is rest? Peace? What if the point of this life is that kind of rest with Him?
First, we need to realize our rest depravation doesn't just come from the fast pace of our modern world or the items on our to-do lists that never seem to end. Our rest depravation comes from our sin -- our brokenness -- our lives in an ever rebelliousness with the God who created us, redeemed us, the One who is the only true Source of refreshment and rest!
When Luther says to pray and "Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer," it wasn't that he didn't have a care in the world, at that moment. He had a lot of issues running through his mind. He was constantly in the middle of community and church squabbles and problems, often as the judge of an issue, or the one who was called upon to solve very real problems in people's lives.
No, he had some restless nights to be sure, but always in a restful, grace-filled confidence with the God who loved him and redeemed him.
If you need some rest today, the first place to start is with a clean conscience before God. And the way that can happen is to put your faith in the One who not only made all creation good, but the One who redeemed all creation from sin, death and the devil himself, on the cross of Calvary.
God the Father's goal in creation was rest. He had accomplished that goal in His Son Jesus. He gives that rest and peace to you. You might say it this way: Jesus is the Goal of creation. He is the Goal of the Scriptures. He is the Goal of our life. He is the Source of your needed rest, right now too.
So, after your prayers tonight, go to sleep at once and in good cheer; but if you find yourself struggling to sleep, then rest in the promise that whatever you are facing, Christ has already conquered it for you.
THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, in my exhaustion -- an exhaustion that comes from a rat race kind of life or with worry I can't seem to overcome -- give me the rest and peace that comes from knowing that my life is ultimately secure in Your hands. You created me. You redeemed me, and You are with me. That's a recipe for rest, for sure. Amen.
In Christ,Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Readings: 2 Chronicles 10-12; 2 Corinthians 3
2 Chronicles 10:1 Rechav‘am went to Sh’khem, where all Isra’el had come in order to proclaim him king. 2 When Yarov‘am the son of N’vat heard of it, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from Shlomo. 3 They sent and summoned him, so Yarov‘am and all Isra’el came and said to Rechav‘am, 4 “Your father laid a harsh yoke on us. But if you will lighten the harsh service we had to render your father and ease his heavy yoke that he put on us, we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” So the people left.
6 King Rechav‘am consulted the older men who had been in attendance on Shlomo his father during his lifetime and asked, “What advice would you give me as to how to answer these people?” 7 They said to him, “If you will treat these people kindly, pleasing them and giving them favorable consideration, they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he didn’t take the advice the older men gave him; instead he consulted the young men he had grown up with, who were now his attendants. 9 He said to them, “What advice would you give me, so that we can give an answer to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us’?” 10 The young men he had grown up with said to him, “The people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter for us’ — here’s the answer you should give them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Yes, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will make it heavier! My father controlled you with whips, but I [will control you] with scorpions!’”
12 So Yarov‘am and all the people came to Rechav‘am the third day, as the king had requested by saying, “Come to me again the third day”; 13 and the king answered them harshly. Abandoning the advice of the older men, King Rechav‘am 14 addressed them according to the advice of the young men and said, “I will make your yoke heavy, and I will add to it! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!” 15 So the king didn’t listen to the people; and that was something God brought about, so that Adonai could fulfill his word, which he had spoken through Achiyah from Shiloh to Yarov‘am the son of N’vat.
16 When all Isra’el [saw] that the king wasn’t listening to them, the people answered the king,
“Do we have any share in David?
We have no heritage in the son of Yishai!
Everyone to your tents, Isra’el!
Care for your own house, David!”
So all Isra’el left for their tents.
17 But as for the people of Isra’el living in the cities of Y’hudah, Rechav‘am ruled over them. 18 King Rechav‘am then sent Hadoram, who was in charge of forced labor; but the people of Isra’el stoned him to death. King Rechav‘am managed to mount his chariot and flee to Yerushalayim. 19 Isra’el has been in rebellion against the dynasty of David to this day.
11:1 When Rechav‘am arrived in Yerushalayim, he assembled the house of Y’hudah and Binyamin, 180,000 select soldiers, to fight Isra’el and bring the rulership back to Rechav‘am. 2 But this word of Adonai came to Sh’ma‘yah the man of God: 3 “Speak to Rechav‘am the son of Shlomo, king of Y’hudah, and to all Isra’el in Y’hudah and Binyamin; tell them 4 that this is what Adonai says: ‘You are not to go up and fight your brothers! Every man is to go back home, because this is my doing.’” They paid attention to the words of Adonai and turned back from attacking Yarov‘am.
5 Rechav‘am lived in Yerushalayim and built cities for defense in Y’hudah — 6 he built Beit-Lechem, ‘Eitam, T’koa, 7 Beit-Tzur, Sokho, ‘Adulam, 8 Gat, Mareshah, Zif, 9 Adorayim, Lakhish, ‘Azekah, 10 Tzor‘ah, Ayalon and Hevron; these are fortified cities in Y’hudah and Binyamin. 11 He fortified the strongholds, appointed captains in charge of them and supplied them with food, olive oil and wine. 12 In every city he put shields and spears, making them very strong. Y’hudah and Binyamin stuck with him.
13 The cohanim and L’vi’im from wherever they lived throughout all Isra’el made themselves available to Rechav‘am. 14 The L’vi’im left their pasture lands and property and came to Y’hudah and Yerushalayim; since Yarov‘am and his sons had thrown them out, not allowing them to function as cohanim for Adonai, 15 and had appointed for himself cohanim for the high places and for the images of goat-demons and calves that he had made. 16 Those from all the tribes of Isra’el who had set their hearts on seeking Adonai, the God of Isra’el, followed them to Yerushalayim to sacrifice to Adonai, the God of their fathers. 17 For three years they strengthened the kingdom of Y’hudah and made Rechav‘am the son of Shlomo strong, because for three years they followed the way of life of David and Shlomo.
18 Rechav‘am married Machalat the daughter of Yerimot the son of David and Avichayil the daughter of Eli’av the son of Yishai; 19 and she became the mother of his sons Ye‘ush, Sh’maryah and Zaham. 20 After her, he married Ma‘akhah the daughter of Avshalom; she became the mother of Aviyah, ‘Atai, Ziza and Shlomit. 21 Rechav‘am loved Ma‘akhah more than all his other wives and concubines — for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 Rechav‘am appointed Aviyah the son of Ma‘akhah chief, the leader of his brothers, because he intended to make him king. 23 He was wise in his treatment of his sons, sending all of them throughout the territory of Y’hudah and Binyamin, to every fortified city, providing them with plenty of supplies and seeking for them many wives.
12:1 But in time, after Rechav‘am had consolidated his rulership and had become strong, he, and with him all Isra’el, abandoned the Torah of Adonai. 2 In the fifth year of King Rechav‘am, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Yerushalayim, because they had acted faithlessly toward Adonai. 3 He came out of Egypt with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen and a numberless army including Luvim, Suki’im and Ethiopians. 4 He captured the fortified cities of Y’hudah, then went to Yerushalayim.
5 Now Sh’ma‘yah the prophet came to Rechav‘am and the leaders of Y’hudah who had gathered in Yerushalayim because of Shishak and said to them, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Because you have abandoned me, I have abandoned you to the hands of Shishak.’” 6 In response, the leaders of Isra’el and the king humbled themselves; they said, “Adonai is right.” 7 When Adonai saw that they had humbled themselves, this word of Adonai came to Sh’ma‘yah: “Because they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will grant them a measure of deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Yerushalayim through Shishak. 8 However, they will become his slaves, so that they will come to appreciate the difference between serving me and serving earthly kingdoms.”
9 So Shishak king of Egypt attacked Yerushalayim. He took the treasures in the house of Adonai and the treasures in the royal palace — he took everything, including the gold shields Shlomo had made. 10 To replace them, King Rechav‘am made shields of bronze, which he entrusted to the commanders of the contingent guarding the gate to the royal palace. 11 Whenever the king went to the house of Adonai, the guard would come and get the shields; later they would return them to the guardroom.
12 After he humbled himself, the anger of Adonai turned away from him, so that he did not altogether destroy him; moreover, some good things were found in Y’hudah. 13 So King Rechav‘am consolidated his rule in Yerushalayim.
Rechav‘am was forty-one years old when he began his reign; and he ruled seventeen years in Yerushalayim, the city Adonai had chosen from all the tribes of Isra’el to bear his name; his mother’s name was Na‘amah the ‘Amonit. 14 He did what was evil, because he had not set his heart on seeking Adonai. 15 The activities of Rechav‘am from beginning to end are written in the genealogically organized histories of Sh’ma‘yah the prophet and ‘Iddo the seer. But there were continual wars between Rechav‘am and Yarov‘am. 16 Rechav‘am slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Then Aviyah his son became king in his place.
2 Corinthians 3:1 Are we starting to recommend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation either to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You make it clear that you are a letter from the Messiah placed in our care, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on human hearts.
4 Such is the confidence we have through the Messiah toward God. 5 It is not that we are competent in ourselves to count anything as having come from us; on the contrary, our competence is from God. 6 He has even made us competent to be workers serving a New Covenant, the essence of which is not a written text but the Spirit. For the written text brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if that which worked death, by means of a written text engraved on stone tablets, came with glory — such glory that the people of Isra’el could not stand to look at Moshe’s face because of its brightness, even though that brightness was already fading away — 8 won’t the working of the Spirit be accompanied by even greater glory? 9 For if there was glory in what worked to declare people guilty, how much more must the glory abound in what works to declare people innocent! 10 In fact, by comparison with this greater glory, what was made glorious before has no glory now. 11 For if there was glory in what faded away, how much more glory must there be in what lasts.
12 Therefore, with a hope like this, we are very open — 13 unlike Moshe, who put a veil over his face, so that the people of Isra’el would not see the fading brightness come to an end.
14 What is more, their minds were made stonelike; for to this day the same veil remains over them when they read the Old Covenant; it has not been unveiled, because only by the Messiah is the veil taken away. 15 Yes, till today, whenever Moshe is read, a veil lies over their heart. 16 “But,” says the Torah, “whenever someone turns to Adonai, the veil is taken away.”[2 Corinthians 3:16 Exodus 34:34] 17 Now, “Adonai” in this text means the Spirit. And where the Spirit of Adonai is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us, with faces unveiled, see as in a mirror the glory of the Lord; and we are being changed into his very image, from one degree of glory to the next, by Adonai the Spirit.
-------
The Lutheran Hour Ministries
660 Mason Ridge Ctr Drive
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment