"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Sunday, 1 January 2017 "In the Bleak Midwinter" (ELW 294, verse 3)

"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Sunday, 1 January 2017 "In the Bleak Midwinter" (ELW 294, verse 3)
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"In the Bleak Midwinter" (ELW 294, verse 3)
1. What can I give him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
if I were a wise man
I would do my part;
yet what I can give him--
give my heart.
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Today is a day when many of us are looking for an opportunity for a fresh start. We want to take better care of ourselves. We want to commit to making changes that will last. But of course we also all know that we often fall short of our expectations and plans. The same might be said for us in our relationship with God. We want to commit more time to prayer and the reading of scripture. We want to form faith habits that will have a lasting impact. But in the end our efforts will always fall short. God knows this about us, which is why it is so important to cling to the promise that we are saved by grace and not our good works. In the end, what do we really have that we can give to Jesus, poor as we are? Just our love for God and our love for one another. And when all that fails we can still rest in God's love for us. 
Great God of heaven, help your people to understand that true joy comes not from getting things right, but from a deep and abiding relationship with you. We pray that your churches will be communities overflowing with the love of your son Jesus, sharing that love with those they are called to serve. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Sarah Sumner-Eisenbraun, '07
Associate and Campus Pastor, Salem Lutheran Church and School, Glendale, Calif.
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