The Lutheran Hour Ministry in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States' Daily Devotion for Sunday, September 18, 2016 "The Language of Love"
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.[1 John 4:7]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 Sunday 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
This year Lutheran Hour Ministries-Latvia's organized film forum, "And the Word Became Film," celebrated its 18th birthday. Each year, around Easter time, we review movies which have received prizes from ecumenical juries at different European film festivals.
We do this because film is a universal language.
You may not be familiar with the language spoken by the main characters of the movie; you may not know the historical background of the events which are being shown, but you can still understand the message that is being shared in the film.
Naturally, each of us often understands a film in our own unique way. That explains why some folks say a film left them cold, while others loved or detested it. All had seen the same film, but it had provoked different emotions in each individual.
Let me demonstrate: once we went to a little village to show one of our movies. This was a small settlement, and there were only a few people in attendance. The film told the love story of a young girl and a boy who admired her. It spent a great deal of time showing their relationship and the obstacles these two youngsters faced along the way.
After the movie we had a discussion about the film we had just seen. Everyone was invited to share their feelings and opinions. Yes, all were invited to share, but there were only three people who were brave enough to express their opinions in public.
Amazingly, each of these three speakers shared a different and unique perspective on love.
The first speaker was an older lady who already had a grandchild. In her opinion true love can't be expressed in words. It must be shown in action. She shared how her husband had built a family house for them and how he always takes care of things which need doing. She said, ''My husband loves me so much that he always mows the lawn around my flowerbeds very carefully. He has never damaged any single flower of mine!"
Her language of love is action.
The next speaker was a young woman who had been married for 10 years. She told us that she fell in love with her future husband during the meetings at her congregation. "He was speaking so passionately" the lady explained. At the same time, it is still touching to her that everyday, even after 10 years of marriage, he tells her how much he loves her.
Her language of love is spoken.
The last speaker was a young man in his early 30s. In his opinion, the best way to show someone your love and appreciation is through gifts. He said, ''I always bring home flowers and small gifts."
His language of love is gift-giving.
Of course, none of these speakers were wrong. Different people see things in different ways. Because we're different some of us need love to be shown in action; others need it expressed in words, and yet others need gifts.Amazingly, God loves each of us and He will always find the right language to address us. Look at the life of the Savior and you will quickly see Him share the Lord's love in words, actions, and the gift of His own life.
THE PRAYER: Dear God we thank You for the love You have given us through Your Son. We rejoice in His love which was shown in words, actions, and the gift of His life. By His love we are reconnected to You and to each other. This we give thanks for in the Savior's Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Eric Laime Babris. He is a project leader for the Lutheran Hour Ministries' office in Latvia. His main responsibility is to organize ministry events all around the country. Lutheran Hour Ministries-Latvia is our mission center which makes its witness through ministry events, Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), and radio broadcasts.
In this European country of more than two million people, LHM-Latvia, known in-country as Lutheran Hour Mission, supports the efforts of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia. Established in 1991 in the city of Riga, this ministry center uses Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops to train Christians to be outreach-minded in respect to their faith. It also uses four different BCC courses, which are tailored to both adults and children, and which are adapted to the concerns of Latvians. Beyond these efforts, LHM-Latvia connects with communities through radio programming, movie night/discussion events, vacation Bible schools, and even features a seminar series on Christian living: the "School of Spiritual Survival."
To see what's going on in Latvia, you can do so by clicking here to visit its blog.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.
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: Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 5:1-16
Isaiah 20:1 In the year that Sargon the king of Ashur sent his commander-in-chief to attack Ashdod, he captured it. 2 It was at that time that Adonai, speaking through Yesha‘yahu the son of Amotz, said, “Go and unwind the sackcloth from around your waist, and take your sandals off your feet.” So he did it, going about unclothed and barefoot. 3 In time, Adonai said,
“Just as my servant Yesha‘yahu
has gone about unclothed and barefoot
for three years as a sign and portent
against Egypt and Ethiopia,
4 so will the king of Ashur lead away
the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia,
young and old, unclothed and barefoot,
with their buttocks exposed, to the shame of Egypt.
5 They will be dismayed and ashamed
because of Ethiopia their hope and Egypt their pride.
6 On that day, the people living
along this coast will say,
‘Look what happened to the people
to whom we fled for help,
hoping they would rescue us
from the king of Ashur!
How will we escape now?’”
21:1 A prophecy about the coastal desert:
Like whirlwinds sweeping over the Negev,
it comes from the desert, from a fearsome land.
2 A dire vision has been shown to me:
the betrayer betrays, and the spoiler spoils.
‘Eilam, advance! Madai, lay siege!
I will end all groaning.
3 This is why my insides are racked with pain;
I am seized by pangs, like a woman in labor;
wrenched by what I hear,
aghast at what I see.
4 My mind reels, shuddering assails me.
The twilight I longed for terrifies me.
5 They set the table, light the lamps,
eat and drink —
“Get going, princes! Oil the shields!”
6 For this is what Adonai said to me:
“Go, post a watchman to report what he sees!
7 If he sees the cavalry, horsemen in pairs,
riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
he must be on alert, on full alert!”
8 He calls out like a lion: “My lord,
I stand on the watchtower all day long,
I stay at my post all night.”
9 Then, as they appeared — the cavalry,
horsemen in pairs — he spoke these words:
“She has fallen! She has fallen — Bavel!
All the carved images of her gods
lie shattered on the ground.”
10 My people, who have been threshed,
grain trodden down on my threshing-floor:
I am telling you what I have heard
from Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el.
11 A prophecy about Dumah:
Someone is calling to me from Se‘ir:
“Watchman, how much longer is it night?
Watchman, how much longer is it night?”
12 The watchman answers:
“Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you want to ask, ask! Come back again!”
13 A prophecy about Arabia:
You caravans of D’danim will camp
in the desert growth of Arabia.
14 Bring water to the thirsty, you who live in Teima,
greet the fugitives with food;
15 because they are fleeing the sword, the drawn sword,
the bent bow and the press of battle.
16 For this is what Adonai has told me: “Within a year [and not a day more], as if a hired worker were keeping track of the time, the glory of Kedar will come to an end. 17 Few of Kedar’s valiant archers will be left. ” Adonai the God of Isra’el has spoken.
22:1 A prophecy about the Valley of Vision:
Tell me what is wrong with you,
that you have all gone up on the roofs.
2 You city full of noise, confusion
and boisterous excitement,
your slain did not fall to the sword,
nor did they die in battle.
3 All your leaders fled together
and were captured without the use of a bow;
all from you who were found were captured,
even though they had fled far away.
4 This is why I said, “Don’t look at me,
leave me alone to weep bitterly,
don’t try to comfort me
over the destruction of my people.”
5 For it is a day of panic,
trampling and confusion
from Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot
in the Valley of Vision.
With walls crashing down,
they cry for help to the mountains.
6 ‘Eilam picks up the quivers,
with cavalry and horsemen,
and Kir uncovers the shields.
7 In time, your choicest valleys
are overrun by chariots,
and the cavalry take their posts by the gate;
8 thus is Y’hudah’s protection removed.
That day you looked for the armor
in the House of the Forest.
9 You saw how many breaches there were
in the City of David,
you collected water from the lower pool,
10 you surveyed the houses in Yerushalayim,
tearing some down to fortify the wall.
11 You also built a reservoir between the two walls
for the water from the Old Pool;
but you didn’t look to Him who made these things;
you had no respect for Him who fashioned them long ago.
12 That day Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot
called on you to weep and mourn,
to shave your heads and wear sackcloth;
13 but instead, one sees joy and celebrating,
killing of oxen, slaughtering of sheep,
eating of meat, drinking of wine —
“Let’s eat and drink now,
because tomorrow we’ll be dead!”
14 Then Adonai-Tzva’ot revealed himself in my ears: “You will not atone for this iniquity until you die.” This is what Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot says.
15 Thus says Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot: “Go and find that steward, Shevna, administrator of the palace, and ask him:
16 ‘What do you own here,
and who gave you the right
to cut yourself a tomb here?
Why do you get such an eminent tomb?
Why are you carving a resting-place
for yourself in the rock?’”
17 Look, strong man! Adonai is about
to throw you out! He will grab you,
18 roll you up, and toss you around
like a ball in the open country.
There you will die, with your fancy chariots,
you disgrace to your master’s palace!
19 “I will remove you from your office,
I will snatch you from your post.
20 When that day comes, I will summon
my servant Elyakim the son of Hilkiyahu.
21 I will dress him in your robe,
gird him with your sash of office,
and invest him with your authority.
He will be a father to the people
living in Yerushalayim
and to the house of Y’hudah.
22 I will place the key of David’s house
on his shoulder;
no one will shut what he opens;
no one will open what he shuts.
23 “I will fasten him firmly in place like a peg, so that he will become a seat of honor for his clan. 24 They will hang on him all the weight of his clan, descendants and offspring, as well as all the vessels of small capacity, from pitchers to cups. 25 When that day comes, the peg fastened firmly in place will give way; it will be cut down and fall, and the weight that was on it will be cut off.” For Adonai has said it.
Ephesians 5:1 So imitate God, as his dear children; 2 and live a life of love, just as also the Messiah loved us, indeed, on our behalf gave himself up as an offering, as a slaughtered sacrifice to God with a pleasing fragrance. 3 Among you there should not even be mentioned sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or greed; these are utterly inappropriate for God’s holy people. 4 Also out of place are obscenity and stupid talk or coarse language; instead, you should be giving thanks. 5 For of this you can be sure: every sexually immoral, impure or greedy person — that is, every idol-worshipper — has no share in the Kingdom of the Messiah and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty talk; for it is because of these things that God’s judgment is coming on those who disobey him. 7 So don’t become partners with them!
8 For you used to be darkness; but now, united with the Lord, you are light. Live like children of light, 9 for the fruit of the light is in every kind of goodness, rightness and truth — 10 try to determine what will please the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the deeds produced by darkness, but instead expose them, 12 for it is shameful even to speak of the things these people do in secret. 13 But everything exposed to the light is revealed clearly for what it is, 14 since anything revealed is a light. This is why it says,
“Get up, sleeper! Arise from the dead,
and the Messiah will shine on you!”
15 Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life — live wisely, not unwisely. 16 Use your time well, for these are evil days.
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CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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Saint Louis, Missouri 63141, United States
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