The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries with Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour of The Lutheran Hour Ministries "Thankfully, That's the Only Way to Live" for Monday, October 10, 2016

The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries with  Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour of The Lutheran Hour Ministries "Thankfully, That's the Only Way to Live" for Monday, October 10, 2016

Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten lepers cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."[Luke 17:17-19]
Someone said to me one time, "Greg, I know that I should live thankfully, not ungratefully, but how does being a Christian help me do that? How is living life as a Christian any different than anyone else just trying to do their best?"
Wow, pretty deep questions from my friend, wouldn't you say? How would you answer that?
Well, I told him that what makes a Christian's life of thankfulness different, what makes living the Christian life different than just merely living life to the best of one's ability is that we know Who to thank in the midst of all of this stuff. In fact, the source of our thanksgiving isn't the effort we put into trying to be grateful. The source of real thanksgiving isn't to be found in the power of merely changing our perspective on things; no, the source of our thanksgiving are the actions of a merciful God in the person and work of Jesus for us. The source of a Christian's thankfulness is the reality of what God has done for us and will do for us by His grace! What makes a Christian's life of thankfulness different? We know Who to thank for our lives. We know Who to trust for our lives. We know Whoreally is concerned for our lives, not just today, but forever. And, when you live thankfully in that reality, there is nothing else like it in our world today!
I think that is what we see in our lesson today. Jesus healed ten lepers who were outcasts in their society. This was a lonely, detached life. It was one of shame and suffering. All ten get healed in our lesson, but only one saw the bigger picture. Only one realized that Jesus wasn't just a holy man or a religious teacher, He was God in the flesh who came to give him life, not just for the moment, but life forever. Jesus says that this man's "faith made Him well." That doesn't mean his faith somehow earned the healing because others were healed too. It means this man saw his healing as a part of something bigger. It was merely another way to give thanks to the God who loved him, who created him, and redeemed him. It was just another opportunity for Him to realize that his life was in God's hands in Christ, and that was a very good thing in deed.
This text is one of my favorites because it shows the heart of Jesus for those who are hurting. He is One who feels your pain and mine. He is One who wept at the tomb of His good friend Lazarus. He is the One who not only seeks the outcast -- the discarded of this world -- He seeks all who know they are lost without Him. This lesson is the appointed reading for Thanksgiving Day. Wow, imagine that! Even the upcoming U.S. celebration of Thanksgiving is more than thankfulness for divine providence in general. It is more than a day to be thankful for family and friends, for work and leisure. It is surely more than a day to root for your favorite football team, while you stuff yourself with turkey. It is a day to remember that you know exactly Who to be thankful for, for the eternal life and salvation that you have right now by faith. His Name is Jesus. He is the Christ, and there is healing, life and salvation in His gracious hands. Think about that today and put that thankfulness to work!
THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, don't just help me to be grateful in life, help me to see You as the Source of my joy, my strength, and my power to live thankfully because You have done all things well for me, now and forever! Amen!

In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Readings: Hosea 12-14; Romans 16
Hosea 12:1 (11:12) “Efrayim surrounds me with lies

and the house of Isra’el with deceit.

Y’hudah still rules with God

and is faithful with holy ones.

2 (1) Efrayim is chasing the wind,

pursuing the wind from the east.

All day he piles up lies and desolation —

they make a covenant with Ashur,

while sending olive oil to Egypt.

3 (2) Adonai also has a grievance against Y’hudah;

he will punish Ya‘akov according to his ways

and pay him back for his misdeeds.

4 (3) In the womb he took his brother by the heel;

in the strength of his manhood he fought with God.

5 (4) Yes, he fought with an angel and won;

he wept and pleaded with him.

Then at Beit-El he found him,

and there he would [later] speak with us —

6 (5) Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot;

Adonai is his name!

7 (6) So you, return to your God;

hold fast to grace and justice;

and always put your hope in your God.

8 (7) “A huckster keeps false scales,

and he loves to cheat.

9 (8) Efrayim says, ‘I have gotten so rich!

I have made me a fortune!

And in all my profits no one will find

anything wrong or sinful.’

10 (9) “But I am Adonai your God,

from the land of Egypt.

Again I will make you live in tents,

as in the days of the established festival.

11 (10) I have spoken to the prophets;

it was I who gave vision after vision;

through the prophets I gave examples

to show what it would all be like.

12 (11) Is Gil‘ad given to iniquity?

Yes, they have become worthless.

In Gilgal they sacrifice to bulls;

therefore their altars are like piles of stones

in a plowed field.”

13 (12) Ya‘akov fled to the land of Aram.

There Isra’el slaved to win a wife;

for a wife he tended sheep.

14 (13) By a prophet Adonai brought Isra’el up from Egypt,

and by a prophet he was protected.

15 (14) Efrayim has given bitter provocation,

so the penalty for his bloodshed will be thrown down on him,

and his Lord will repay him for his insult.

13:1 “When Efrayim spoke, there was trembling;

he was a power in Isra’el.

But when he incurred guilt through Ba‘al,

he died.

2 So now they keep adding sin to sin,

casting images from their silver;

idols they invent for themselves,

all of them the work of craftsmen.

‘Sacrifice to them,’ they say.

Men give kisses to calves!

3 Therefore they will be like a morning cloud,

like the dew that disappears early,

like chaff blown by wind from the threshing-floor,

or like smoke that goes out the window.

4 Still, I am Adonai your God,

from the land of Egypt;

and you don’t know any God but me

or, other than me, any Savior.

5 I knew you in the desert,

in a land of terrible drought.

6 When they were fed, they were satisfied;

when satisfied, they became proud.

Therefore they forgot me.

7 So now I have become like a lion to them;

like a leopard I will lurk by the road;

8 I will meet them like a bear

whose cubs have been taken away.

I will tear their hearts from their bodies.

I will devour them there like a lion,

like a wild animal ripping them up.

9 It is your destruction, Isra’el,

although your help is in me.

10 So now, where is your king,

to save you in all your cities?

Where are your judges, of whom you said,

‘Give me a king and leaders’?

11 I gave you a king in my anger;

and in my fury I took him away.

12 “Efrayim’s guilt has been wrapped up,

his sin is stored away.

13 The pain of being born will come to him;

but he is an unwise son.

The time has come; and he shouldn’t delay,

there at the mouth of the womb.

14 Should I ransom them from the power of Sh’ol?

Should I redeem them from death?

Where are your plagues, death;

where is your destruction, Sh’ol?

My eyes are closed to compassion.

15 For though he flourishes among the reeds,

an east wind will come, a wind from Adonai,

blowing up from the desert.

Then his water source will dry up,

then his spring will fail —

it will plunder his treasury,

removing every precious thing.”

14:1 (13:16) Shomron will bear her guilt,

for she has rebelled against her God.

They will fall by the sword,

their little ones will be dashed to pieces

and their pregnant women ripped open.

2 (1) Return, Isra’el, to Adonai your God,

for your guilt has made you stumble.

3 (2) Take words with you, and return to Adonai;

say to him, “Forgive all guilt,

and accept what is good;

we will pay instead of bulls

[the offerings of] our lips.

4 (3) Ashur will not save us,

we will not ride on horses,

and we will no longer call

what we made with our hands our gods.

For it is only in you

that the fatherless can find mercy.”

5 (4) “I will heal their disloyalty,

I will love them freely;

for my anger has turned from him.

6 (5) I will be like dew to Isra’el;

he will blossom like a lily

and strike roots like the L’vanon.

7 (6) His branches will spread out,

his beauty be like an olive tree

and his fragrance like the L’vanon.

8 (7) Again they will live in his shade and raise grain;

they will blossom like a vine,

and its aroma will be

like the wine of the L’vanon.

9 (8) Efrayim [will say], ‘What have I

to do any more with idols?’

And I, I answer and affirm him;

I am like a fresh, green cypress tree;

your fruitfulness comes from me.”

10 (9) Let the wise understand these things,

and let the discerning know them.

For the ways of Adonai are straight,

And the righteous walk in them,

but in them sinners stumble.

Romans 16:1 I am introducing to you our sister Phoebe, shammash of the congregation at Cenchrea, 2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord, as God’s people should, and give her whatever assistance she may need from you; for she has been a big help to many people — including myself.

3 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers for the Messiah Yeshua. 4 They risked their necks to save my life; not only I thank them, but also all the Messianic communities among the Gentiles. 5 And give my greetings to the congregation that meets in their house.

Give my greetings to my dear friend Epaenetus, who was the first person in the province of Asia to put his trust in the Messiah.

6 Give my greetings to Miryam, who has worked very hard for you.

7 Greetings to Andronicus and Junia, relatives of mine who were in prison with me. They are well known among the emissaries; also they came to trust in the Messiah before I did.

8 Greetings to Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

9 Greetings to Urbanus, our fellow worker for the Messiah, and to my dear friend Stachys.

10 Greetings to Appeles, whose trust in the Messiah has been tested and proved.

Greet those in the household of Aristobulus.

11 Greet my relative, Herodion.

12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, women who are working hard for the Lord.

Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has done a lot of hard work for the Lord.

13 Greet Rufus, chosen by the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me too.

14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers who are with them.

15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all of God’s people who are with them.

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the Messiah’s congregations send their greetings to you.

17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put snares alongside the teaching in which you have been trained — keep away from them. 18 For men like these are not serving our Lord the Messiah but their own belly; by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the innocent. 19 For everyone has heard about your obedience; therefore I rejoice over you. However, I want you to be wise concerning good, but innocent concerning evil. 20 And God, the source of shalom, will soon crush the Adversary under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Yeshua be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow-worker, sends greetings to you; so do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.

22 I, Tertius, the one writing down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23 My host Gaius, in whose home the whole congregation meets, greets you. Erastus the city treasurer and brother Quartus greet you. 24 [Romans 16:24 Some manuscripts have verse 24: The grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with you all. Amen.]

25 Now to God, who can strengthen you, according to my Good News,

in harmony with the revelation of the secret truth

which is the proclamation of Yeshua the Messiah,

kept hidden in silence for ages and ages,

26 but manifested now through prophetic writings,

in keeping with the command of God the Eternal,

and communicated to all the Gentiles

to promote in them trust-grounded obedience —

27 to the only wise God, through Yeshua the Messiah,

be the glory forever and ever!

Amen.

-------

CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
BE AN AMBASSADOR OR DONATE
The Lutheran Hour Ministries
660 Mason Ridge Center
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141, United States
-------