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).] "Deserved" for Friday, August 26, 2016
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.[1 Corinthians 15:57]The company Sports Authority is shutting down. Unable to reorganize their debts or do anything else which might have bought the high-end sports clothing and equipment retailer more time, it was decided to sell the stores and let their employees search elsewhere for employment.That means some 14,000 people were let go. That's 14,000!
Now we wouldn't want you to think that nobody profits from such a closing. Those folks who took advantage of the sale prices at the Sports Authority stores came away with some pretty amazing bargains. And there's one other "group" that also expressed a desire to cash in on the store closings.This other group is four of the top executives of Sports Authority who asked for a "bankruptcy bonus." Now if you've never heard of a bankruptcy bonus, let me explain: it's money paid out to people to make sure the company stays on budget as it closes. In the case of Sports Authority these executives wanted to be paid almost $3 million!
The request was not well-received by most of the other ex-employees who are getting zero.
Their reasoning was simple: "Why pay extra to those folks who were entrusted with piloting our company through changing times? Why give a bonus to those who failed at keeping the company competitive?"
Apparently, Judge Mary Walrath agrees and has ruled the request, "Inappropriate."
Over the centuries there have been a great many leaders who have disappointed their followers.
* There have been government officials who promised to fix society.
* There have been medical quacks who said they could heal every disease.
* There have been companies who manufactured products to satisfy our needs.
Tragically, these deals which sound too good to be true have proven themselves to be exactly that. They were promises made by sinners who didn't have the power or ability to deliver on all they suggested.
In contrast we have a Savior who has kept every promise He has ever made. His work of redemption forgives our sins and saves our souls. His promise to be with us always continues to be a source of comfort to millions. His strength has lifted up the helpless; His love has comforted the lonely.
Because of that we agree with the hymn-writer who penned, "Jesus, Savior, pilot me, Over life's tempestuous sea; Unknown waves before me roll, Hiding rock and treacherous shoal. Chart and compass come from Thee: Jesus, Savior, pilot me ... When at last I near the shore, And the fearful breakers roar 'Twixt me and the peaceful rest, Then, while leaning on Thy breast, May I hear Thee say to me, 'Fear not, I will pilot thee.'"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, may we always join with the throng gathered around Your throne in heaven and say, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen" (Revelation 7:12b).
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: 2 Chronicles 1-3; 1 Corinthians 16
2 Chronicles 1: Shlomo the son of David grew stronger in his rulership; Adonai his God was with him, making him greater and greater.
2 Shlomo spoke to all Isra’el — to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges and to every leader in all Isra’el, the heads of clans. 3 Shlomo and the whole community with him went to the high place at Giv‘on, because in that place was God’s tent of meeting, which Moshe the servant of Adonai had made in the desert. 4 But the ark of God David had brought up from Kiryat-Ye‘arim to the place he had prepared for it — he had set up a tent for it in Yerushalayim. 5 The bronze altar crafted by B’tzal’el the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had been placed before the tabernacle of Adonai; and there Shlomo and the community consulted him. 6 On the bronze altar at the tent of meeting Shlomo offered a thousand burnt offerings before Adonai.
7 That night God appeared to Shlomo and said to him, “Tell me what I should give you.” 8 Shlomo said to God, “You showed much grace to your servant David my father and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Adonai, God, you have been faithful to your promise to David my father; for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth. 10 So now, give me wisdom and knowledge; so that I will be able to lead this people. For who is equal to judging this great people of yours?”
11 God said to Shlomo, “Because you set your heart on this — because, instead of asking for riches, wealth, honor, the death of those who hate you, or long life, you asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, so that you would be able to judge my people, over whom I made you king — 12 not only are wisdom and knowledge being given to you, but I will also give you riches, wealth and honor such as no king before you has ever had; and no king after you will have as much.” 13 So Shlomo came away from the high place at Giv‘on, from in front of the tent of meeting, to Yerushalayim; and he ruled over Isra’el.
14 Shlomo amassed chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen; he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Yerushalayim. 15 The king made silver and gold in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees in the Sh’felah. 16 Shlomo’s horses had been brought from Egypt and from Keve, with the king’s agents having bought them from the dealers in Keve at the going price. 17 A chariot brought from Egypt cost fifteen pounds of silver shekels and a horse three-and-three quarters pounds [of shekels]; all the kings of the Hittim and the kings of Aram purchased them at these prices through Shlomo’s agents.
18 (2:1) Shlomo then decided to build a house for the name of Adonai and a royal palace for himself.
2:1 (2) Shlomo enlisted 70,000 men who carried loads, another 80,000 men who were stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 supervising them. 2 (3) Then Shlomo sent this message to Huram the king of Tzor: “[Deal with me] as you dealt with David my father when you sent him cedar logs, so that he could build himself a palace to live in. 3 (4) Here, I am about to build a house for the name of Adonai my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before Him incense made of sweet spices; the house will also be for the continuing showbread and for the burnt offerings presented every morning and evening, on the shabbats, at every Rosh-Hodesh, and at the designated times of Adonai our God. This is a perpetual regulation for Isra’el. 4 (5) The house I will build will be great, because our God is greater than all gods. 5 (6) But who is equal to building him a house? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain him; so who am I to build him a house, except to offer sacrifices before him?
6 (7) “Now, therefore, send me a man skilled at working with gold, silver, bronze and iron; dealing with purple, crimson, and blue dyed materials; and capable of doing all kinds of engraving. He will be with the skilled craftsmen I have with me in Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, whom David my father provided. 7 (8) Also send me cedar, cypress and sandalwood logs from the L’vanon; for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber in the L’vanon. I will have my servants work together with your servants 8 (9) to prepare me an abundant supply of timber, for the house I am about to build must be magnificent and wonderful. 9 (10) I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the timber, 100,000 bushels of cracked wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley, 100,000 gallons of wine, and 100,000 gallons of olive oil.”
10 (11) Huram the king of Tzor wrote this answer and sent it to Shlomo: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.” 11 (12) Huram continued, “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Isra’el, who made heaven and earth, who has given David the king a wise, knowledgeable son with common sense to build a house for Adonai and a royal palace for himself. 12 (13) Now I am sending a man of skill and understanding, my master craftsman Huram, 13 (14) the son of a woman who was one of the daughters of Dan, while his father was a man from Tzor. He is skilled in working gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and timber, as well as purple and blue dyed materials, fine linen and crimson material; he can do any kind of engraving; and he can make all the equipment necessary to accomplish any task assigned to him, with the help of your craftsmen and those of my lord David your father. 14 (15) Therefore let my lord send his servants the wheat, barley, oil and wine he has spoken of; 15 (16) and we will cut wood from the L’vanon, as much as you need; we will float it to you as rafts by sea to Yafo, and you will take it up to Yerushalayim.”
16 (17) Shlomo took a census of all the foreigners in the land of Isra’el, following the pattern of the census of David his father; they were found to number 153,600. 17 (18) He appointed 70,000 of them to carry loads, 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as supervisors to assign the people their work.
3:1 Then Shlomo began to build the house of Adonai in Yerushalayim on Mount Moriyah, where Adonai had appeared to David his father. Provision had been made for this at the place David had chosen, the threshing-floor of Ornan the Y’vusi. 2 He began building in the fourth year of his reign, on the second day of the second month.
3 These are the foundations Shlomo laid for building the house of God: the length in old-standard cubits was sixty cubits [105 feet] and the width twenty cubits [thirty-five feet]. 4 The length of the hall fronting the house was the same as the house’s width, thirty-five feet and the height 210 [feet]; and he overlaid it with pure gold.
5 The larger house he covered with cypress-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold and embossed with palm trees and chains. 6 He also decorated the building with precious stones and gold from Parvayim, 7 overlaying the house and its beams, thresholds, walls and doors with gold and carving k’ruvim on the walls.
8 Then he made the Especially Holy Place; its length matched the width of the house, thirty-five feet, and its width was thirty-five feet. He overlaid it with twenty tons of fine gold. 9 The weight of the nails was one-and-a-quarter pounds of gold, and he overlaid the upper rooms with gold.
10 Inside the Especially Holy Place he made two k’ruvim of cast metal, and they overlaid them with gold. 11 The wings of the k’ruvim were thirty-five feet long — the wing of the one keruv was eight-and-three-quarters feet long and touched the wall of the house; the other wing was also eight-and-three-quarters feet long, so that it touched the wing of the other keruv. 12 The wing of the other keruv was eight-and-three-quarters feet long, touching the wall of the house; and the other wing was also eight-and-three-quarters feet long, touching the wing of the first keruv. 13 The wings of these k’ruvim spread out over thirty-five feet. They stood on their feet with their faces turned inward.
14 He made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson material and of fine linen, with a design of k’ruvim worked into it.
15 In front of the house he made two columns sixty-one-and-a-quarter feet high, with a capital of eight-and-three-quarters feet on top of each. 16 He made chains in the sanctuary and added them to the tops of the columns, and he made a hundred pomegranates and attached them to the chains. 17 He erected the columns in front of the temple, one on the right and the other on the left; the one on the right he called Yakhin, and the one on the left he called Bo‘az.
1 Corinthians 16:1 Now, in regard to the collection being made for God’s people: you are to do the same as I directed the congregations in Galatia to do. 2 Every week, on Motza’ei-Shabbat, each of you should set some money aside, according to his resources, and save it up; so that when I come I won’t have to do fundraising. 3 And when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the people you have approved, and I will send them to carry your gift to Yerushalayim. 4 If it seems appropriate that I go too, they will go along with me.
5 I will visit you after I have gone through Macedonia, for I am intending to pass through Macedonia, 6 and I may stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me continue my travels wherever I may go. 7 For I don’t want to see you now, when I am only passing through; because I am hoping to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows it. 8 But I will remain in Ephesus until Shavu‘ot, 9 because a great and important door has opened for my work, and there are many people opposing me.
10 If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to be afraid of while he is with you; for he is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. 11 So let no one treat him with disrespect. Help him on his way in peace, so that he will return to me, for the brothers and I are expecting him.
12 As for brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to go and visit you along with the other brothers; and although it was not at all his desire to come at this time, he will come when he has the opportunity.
13 Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, behave like a mentsh, grow strong. 14 Let everything you do be done in love.
15 Now, brothers, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first people in Achaia to put their trust in the Messiah, and they have devoted themselves to serving God’s people. 16 I urge you to submit yourselves to people like these and to everyone who works and toils with them. 17 I am glad that Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus are here, because they have helped make up for your not being here. 18 They have refreshed my spirit, just as they have yours. I want you to show appreciation for people like these.
19 The congregations in the province of Asia send greetings to you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you in union with the Lord, as does the congregation that meets in their house. 20 All the brothers send you their greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 Now, I Sha’ul, greet you in my own handwriting.
22 If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse on him! Marana, ta!
[Our Lord, come!]
23 May the grace of the Lord Yeshua be with you.
24 My love is with you all, in union with the Messiah Yeshua.
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The Lutheran Hour Ministries
660 Mason Ridge Ctr Drive
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
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