The Lutheran Hour Ministries in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States Daily Devotion by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour - Wednesday, June 7, 2017 "Nothing New"
Donate
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
"Nothing New"
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 - What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us.
The book of Ecclesiastes tells us there is "nothing new under the sun."
When it comes to matters philosophical and theological, the author to that inspired book is right on the money. On the other hand, in matters of technology, well, there is a lot of new stuff on store shelves -- stuff that even the wisest mind from the ancient world could never have imagined.
Goodness, forget the ancient mind; I'm amazed by the new stuff displayed at just one event!
That one place was the recent one-day new-stuff expo that was held in Amsterdam at the historic Westerkerk. If you were given the rest of the day, you would be hard pressed to come up with the theme of that event.
Ready? Here it is: the new stuff that was featured dealt with death. Yes, that's right: death.
And if you, like most, are thinking when it comes to death and dying there really isn't anything new under the sun, well, dear Daily Devotioner, you'd be wrong. Among the many new and interesting things featured were
• a three-dimensional urn, which was shaped to look like the head of the person whose cremains were contained therein;
• a hollow walking stick that with a button's touch, opens and scatters the remains wherever you wish and then, using a GPS, records the exact location.
• the mail-order coffin, which is delivered to a family and can be assembled when the need arises;
• a casket whose lid could be used by mourners to play the game of mini-shuffleboard.
In my list I would not like to omit the children's toy that has building bricks that can be turned into a hearse and a crematorium. The crematorium also has a pretend "fire" at the back.
Having read the above bullet points, the writer of Ecclesiastes would still say that those things don't change anything and he still sticks by his original statement: "There is nothing new under the sun."
Then he would share the Lord's facts. This world is still made up of sinners who, left to their own devices, are never going to make it into heaven. He would tell us that our Lord of grace still wants all people to be saved, and the Holy Spirit still beckons and points to the Savior, whose sacrificial life wiped out our debt and opens the doors to eternity.
Then, if we gave him time, the writer would say that no there is nothing new. People still turn their backs on the Lord, and believers still do their best to witness to locked and bolted hearts.THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks the old Gospel story has become a part of my life and the Savior my only hope for salvation. Grant that others may also be brought to the cross and empty tomb where they can see Your saving grace. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by for Yahooo News by Jan Hennop on May 24, 2017. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written. Please click here.
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: Psalms 139-141; John 17
Print this Devotion
Subscribe to this Podcast
Psalms 139:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I stand up,
you discern my inclinations from afar,
3 you scrutinize my daily activities.
You are so familiar with all my ways
4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai,
you know all about it already.
5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front
and laid your hand on me.
6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me,
far too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there.
9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn
and land beyond the sea,
10 even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me,
let the light around me be night,”
12 even darkness like this
is not too dark for you;
rather, night is as clear as day,
darkness and light are the same.
13 For you fashioned my inmost being,
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I thank you because I am awesomely made,
wonderfully; your works are wonders —
I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo,
but in your book all my days were already written;
my days had been shaped
before any of them existed.
17 God, how I prize your thoughts!
How many of them there are!
18 If I count them, there are more than grains of sand;
if I finish the count, I am still with you.
19 God, if only you would kill off the wicked!
Men of blood, get away from me!
20 They invoke your name for their crafty schemes;
yes, your enemies misuse it.
21 Adonai, how I hate those who hate you!
I feel such disgust with those who defy you!
22 I hate them with unlimited hatred!
They have become my enemies too.
23 Examine me, God, and know my heart;
test me, and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is in me any hurtful way,
and lead me along the eternal way.
140:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) Rescue me, Adonai, from evil people,
protect me from violent people.
3 (2) They plan evil things in their hearts —
they continually stir up bitter strife.
4 (3) They have made their tongues as sharp as a snake’s;
viper’s venom is under their lips. (Selah)
5 (4) Keep me, Adonai, from the hands of the wicked,
protect me from violent people
who are trying to trip me up.
6 (5) The arrogant hide snares for me;
they spread nets by the side of the road,
hoping to trap me there. (Selah)
7 (6) I said to Adonai, “You are my God;
listen, Adonai, to my plea for mercy.”
8 (7) Adonai, Adonai, my saving strength,
my helmet shielding my head in battle,
9 (8) Adonai, don’t grant the wicked their wishes;
make their plot fail, so they won’t grow proud. (Selah)
10 (9) May the heads of those who surround me
be engulfed in the evil they spoke of, themselves.
11 (10) May burning coals rain down on them,
may they be flung into the fire,
flung into deep pits,
never to rise again.
12 (11) Let slanderers find no place in the land;
let the violent and evil be hunted relentlessly.
13 (12) I know that Adonai gives justice to the poor
and maintains the rights of the needy.
14 (13) The righteous will surely give thanks to your name;
the upright will live in your presence.
141:1 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, I have called you; come to me quickly!
Listen to my plea when I call to you.
2 Let my prayer be like incense set before you,
my uplifted hands like an evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard, Adonai, over my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.
4 Don’t let my heart turn to anything evil
or allow me to act wickedly
with men who are evildoers;
keep me from eating their delicacies.
5 Let the righteous strike me, let him correct me;
it will be an act of love.
Let my head not refuse such choice oil,
for I will keep on praying about their wickedness.
6 When their rulers are thrown down from the cliff,
[the wicked] will hear that my words were fitting.
7 As when one plows and breaks the ground into clods,
our bones are strewn at the mouth of Sh’ol.
8 For my eyes, Adonai, Adonai, are on you;
in you I take refuge; don’t pour out my life.
9 Keep me from the trap they have set for me,
from the snares of evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.; John 17:1 After Yeshua had said these things, he looked up toward heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son may glorify you — 2 just as you gave him authority over all mankind, so that he might give eternal life to all those whom you have given him. 3 And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah.
4 “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me alongside yourself. Give me the same glory I had with you before the world existed.
6 “I made your name known to the people you gave me out of the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 because the words you gave me I have given to them, and they have received them. They have really come to know that I came from you, and they have come to trust that you sent me.
9 “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given to me, because they are yours. 10 Indeed, all I have is yours, and all you have is mine, and in them I have been glorified. 11 Now I am no longer in the world. They are in the world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, guard them by the power of your name, which you have given to me, so that they may be one, just as we are. 12 When I was with them, I guarded them by the power of your name, which you have given to me; yes, I kept watch over them; and not one of them was destroyed (except the one meant for destruction, so that the Tanakh might be fulfilled). 13 But now, I am coming to you; and I say these things while I am still in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.
14 “I have given them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world — just as I myself do not belong to the world. 15 I don’t ask you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth — your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 On their behalf I am setting myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the truth.
20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will trust in me because of their word, 21 that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. 22 The glory which you have given to me, I have given to them; so that they may be one, just as we are one — 23 I united with them and you with me, so that they may be completely one, and the world thus realize that you sent me, and that you have loved them just as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am; so that they may see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these people have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will continue to make it known; so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I myself may be united with them.”
-------
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
| |||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
-------
The Lutheran Hour Ministries in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States Daily Devotion by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour - Tuesday, June 6, 2017 "Graduation"
Donate
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
"Graduation"
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
2 Corinthians 5:21 - For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Marty O'Connor was a healthy young man until the age of 24.
In 2012 O'Connor fell down a flight of stairs. It was a fall which made him a quadriplegic. Understandably, the fall was devastating. Plans had to be put on hold, and initially it seemed as if his dream of earning an MBA at Chapman University was over almost before it had begun.
In those days of reevaluation and redirection, O'Connor found himself blessed by two things:
1. advancements in technology made it possible for him to get around, and voice-recognition software on his computer translated his spoken words into a written format;
2. more importantly, his mother, Judy, a retired teacher, volunteered to help him.
I like that word, "help." To different people it means different things. To Judy it meant she would take class notes for her son; it meant she would transfer his answers on to the test sheets; it meant that for the next four years whenever Marty was in class, Judy was there, too.
Last month O'Connor graduated and received his MBA.
And the officials of Chapman University also called Judy onto the stage. There, in front of everyone, they presented an honorary degree to a mother who wanted to see her son succeed.
I like that story, probably, because it is the story of humanity.
You see, a good many years ago, we took a serious fall. It wasn't a fall down a flight of stairs; it was a fall from fellowship with our Maker.
That fall changed everything. Our perfect life was at an end. The things that once had been easy for us now were difficult. We had fallen and we had to pay the price. Thankfully, the despair and desperation of the hours after our fall were not permanent. It was changed by our Father in heaven, who, looking at His helpless children, volunteered His Son to save us.
This Jesus did by becoming one of us.
Beginning in Bethlehem and ending 33 years later in Jerusalem, Jesus experienced all the emotions, all the insults, and all the pains that we do. As one of us, He experienced the pains of temptations and suffered the insults thrown at Him by hateful minds. Eventually, Jesus had completed the work given to Him. On the cross of Calvary, He was able to look back and confidently say, "It is finished" (see John 19:30). His lifeless body was put into the grave, and that should have been the end of the story.
It should have been, but three days after His death and burial a living Lord Jesus came out of His tomb. That event became our graduation service. From that moment on, all who believed on Him were saved, not lost; they were delivered, not damned; they were heaven-destined and not hell-bent. And for the life He lived for us, Jesus needs to be honored -- not with a degree, but with all the honor His saved children can give Him.THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there was a time when I was helpless. You have changed that through my Savior. Now, by His grace and sacrifice, I am restored, I am forgiven, and I am destined for heaven. May I always give thanks for what You have done. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by for Newser by Evann Gastaldo on May 23, 2017. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written. Please click here.
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: Psalms 109-110,138; John 16
Print this Devotion
Subscribe to this Podcast
Psalms 109:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
(1) God, whom I praise, don’t remain silent!
2 For wicked and deceitful men
have opened their mouths against me,
spoken against me with lying tongues,
3 surrounded me with hateful words,
and attacked me without cause.
4 In return for my love they became my accusers,
even though I prayed for them.
5 They repay me evil for good
and hatred for my love.
6 [They say,] “Appoint a wicked man over him,
may an accuser stand at his right.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
may even his plea be counted a sin.
8 May his days be few,
may someone else take his position.
9 May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
10 May his children be wandering beggars,
foraging for food from their ruined homes.
11 May creditors seize all he owns
and strangers make off with his earnings.
12 May no one treat him kindly,
and may no one take pity on his orphaned children.
13 May his posterity be cut off;
may his name be erased within a generation.
14 May the wrongs of his ancestors be remembered by Adonai,
and may the sin of his mother not be erased;
15 may they always be before Adonai,
so he can cut off all memory of them from the earth.
16 For he did not remember to show kindness
but hounded the downtrodden, the poor
and the brokenhearted to death.
17 He loved cursing; may it recoil on him!
He didn’t like blessing; may it stay far from him!
18 He clothed himself with cursing
as routinely as with his coat;
May it enter inside him as easily as water,
as easily as oil into his bones.
19 May it cling to him like the coat he wears,
like the belt he wraps around himself.”
20 This is what my adversaries want Adonai to do,
those who speak evil against me.
21 But you, God, Adonai,
treat me as your name demands;
rescue me, because your grace is good.
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart within me is wounded.
23 Like a lengthening evening shadow, I am gone;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from lack of food,
my flesh wastes away for lack of nourishment.
25 I have become the object of their taunts;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, Adonai, my God!
Save me, in keeping with your grace;
27 so that they will know that this comes from your hand,
that you, Adonai, have done it.
28 Let them go on cursing;
but you, bless!
When they attack, let them be put to shame;
but let your servant rejoice.
29 Let my adversaries be clothed with confusion,
let them wear their own shame like a robe.
30 I will eagerly thank Adonai with my mouth,
I will praise him right there in the crowd,
31 because he stands alongside a needy person
to defend him from unjust accusers.
110:1 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai says to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies
your footstool.”
2 Adonai will send your powerful scepter
out from Tziyon,
so that you will rule over
your enemies around you.
3 On the day your forces mobilize,
your people willingly offer themselves
in holy splendors from the womb of the dawn;
the dew of your youth is yours.
4 Adonai has sworn it,
and he will never retract —
“You are a cohen forever,
to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.”
5 Adonai at your right hand
will shatter kings on the day of his anger.
6 He will pass judgment among the nations,
filling it with dead bodies;
he will shatter heads
throughout an extensive territory.
7 He will drink from a stream as he goes on his way;
therefore he will hold his head high.
138:1 (0) By David:
(1) I give you thanks with all my heart.
Not to idols, but to you I sing praise.
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your grace and truth;
for you have made your word [even] greater
than the whole of your reputation.
3 When I called, you answered me,
you made me bold and strong.
4 All the kings of the earth will thank you, Adonai,
when they hear the words you have spoken.
5 They will sing about Adonai’s ways,
“Great is the glory of Adonai!”
6 For though Adonai is high, he cares for the lowly;
while the proud he perceives from afar.
7 You keep me alive when surrounded by danger;
you put out your hand when my enemies rage;
with your right hand you save me.
8 Adonai will fulfill his purpose for me.
Your grace, Adonai, continues forever.
Don’t abandon the work of your hands!
; John 16:1 “I have told you these things so that you won’t be caught by surprise. 2 They will ban you from the synagogue; in fact, the time will come when anyone who kills you will think he is serving God! 3 They will do these things because they have understood neither the Father nor me. 4 But I have told you this, so that when the time comes for it to happen, you will remember that I told you. I didn’t tell you this at first, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to the One who sent me.“Not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Instead, because I have said these things to you, you are overcome with grief. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I don’t go away, the comforting Counselor will not come to you. However, if I do go, I will send him to you.
8 “When he comes, he will show that the world is wrong about sin, about righteousness and about judgment — 9 about sin, in that people don’t put their trust in me; 10 about righteousness, in that I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 about judgment, in that the ruler of this world has been judged.
12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative but will say only what he hears. He will also announce to you the events of the future. 14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and announce it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine; this is why I said that he receives from what is mine and will announce it to you.
16 “In a little while, you will see me no more; then, a little while later, you will see me.” 17 At this, some of the talmidim said to one another, “What is this that he’s telling us, ‘In a little while, you won’t see me; then, a little while later, you will see me’? and, ‘I am going to the Father’?” 18 They went on saying, “What is this ‘little while’? We don’t understand what he’s talking about.”
19 Yeshua knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you asking each other what I meant by saying, ‘In a little while, you won’t see me; and then, a little while later, you will see me’? 20 Yes, it’s true. I tell you that you will sob and mourn, and the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she is in pain; because her time has come. But when the baby is born, she forgets her suffering out of joy that a child has come into the world. 22 So you do indeed feel grief now, but I am going to see you again. Then your hearts will be full of joy, and no one will take your joy away from you.
23 “When that day comes, you won’t ask anything of me! Yes, indeed! I tell you that whatever you ask from the Father, he will give you in my name. 24 Till now you haven’t asked for anything in my name. Keep asking, and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
25 “I have said these things to you with the help of illustrations; however, a time is coming when I will no longer speak indirectly but will talk about the Father in plain language. 26 When that day comes, you will ask in my name. I am not telling you that I will pray to the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
28 “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and returning to the Father.”
29 The talmidim said to him, “Look, you’re talking plainly right now, you’re not speaking indirectly at all. 30 Now we know that you know everything, and that you don’t need to have people put their questions into words. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 Yeshua answered, “Now you do believe. 32 But a time is coming — indeed it has come already — when you will be scattered, each one looking out for himself; and you will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone; because the Father is with me.
33 “I have said these things to you so that, united with me, you may have shalom. In the world, you have tsuris. But be brave! I have conquered the world!”
-------
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
-------
The Lutheran Hour Ministries in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States Daily Devotion by Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour - Monday, June 5, 2017 "Drink Deeply; You are Going to Need It!"
Donate
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
"Drink Deeply; You are Going to Need It!"
Monday, June 5, 2017
John 7:38-39s - (Jesus said) "Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive ....
It's that time of year again for me. It's time to try to get in shape. Have I talked about this with you before? Maybe this is an ongoing discussion for you like it is for me. It seems that every time I go to the doctor lately he says things like "Everything looks okay, but you could lose a little weight." Thanks, doc, like I didn't see that myself. And, of course, when I talk about the aches and pains that I'm experiencing with trying to get back in shape then he, of course, says that phrase that's becoming a chorus line: "Those are the things that happen when you get older." Oh, yes, and there's one more thing he tells me. "If you want some help with that workout thing -- running, lifting weights -- then remember to drink lots of water!"
Drink deeply a half-hour before you workout or run. Why? You are going to need it.
Yesterday's sermon focused on the power of being satiated with the spiritual blessings that come from Jesus Christ alone. He said it, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink."
Yes, how bold, yes, but how clear and to the point. Some might call it "arrogance" to say such a thing. But, if you can deliver what you offer, if you offer it as a gift, and you offer it to all who ask -- that's not arrogance, that's grace. And, that is the forgiveness, life, and salvation that Jesus is offering to you and to me today.
He knows what it is like to be parched in this sinful world. Even though He was sinless, even though He had a perfect harmony with the Heavenly Father by His own righteousness, He entered our brokenness. He took on our pain. He entered the aridness of the desert of our sin and rebellion. Why? It was in order to give us living water to drink, living water to empower our new life with Him, living water to satiate our thirst for God's righteousness, justice, and peace. He knows the thirst but, more importantly, He knows that water that can quench that thirst: faith in Him as your Savior.
Have you ever been on a long run or a long hike where you pushed yourself beyond what your body was capable of doing? I've had those days when I barely made it back from the run or when I went out to exercise in heat and humidity that was overwhelming. At the end of that kind of exercise, it would be crazy to even consider coffee or soft drinks or alcohol. What tastes best then? It's lots of water. Wow! There are times in life when you know it's true: it's back to the basics with everything.
So if you are struggling at the moment, kind of lost in life, or feeling emotionally parched, it's time to get connected to Jesus through the words of the Bible. There's a message of grace, love, and life that will quench your ultimate thirst. Keep listening with me and we'll drink this living water together. God bless.THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, give me the kind of faith, hope, and love that flows out of my life because I know and trust You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.
Today's Bible in a Year Readings: Psalms 101, 103, 108; John 15
Print this Devotion
Subscribe to this Podcast
Psalms 101:1 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) I am singing of grace and justice;
I am singing to you, Adonai.
2 I will follow the path of integrity;
when will you come to me?
I will run my life with a sincere heart
inside my own house.
3 I will not allow before my eyes
any shameful thing.
I hate those who act crookedly;
what they do does not attract me.
4 Deviousness will depart from me;
I will not tolerate evil.
5 If someone slanders another in secret,
I will cut him off.
Haughty eyes and proud hearts
I cannot abide.
6 I look to the faithful of the land,
so that they can be my companions;
those who live lives of integrity
can be servants of mine.
7 No deceitful person can live in my house;
no liar can be my advisor.
8 Every morning I will destroy
all the wicked of the land,
cutting off all evildoers
from the city of Adonai.
103:1 (0) By David:
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul!
Everything in me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless Adonai, my soul,
and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses,
he heals all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the pit,
he surrounds you with grace and compassion,
5 he contents you with good as long as you live,
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moshe,
his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.
9 He will not always accuse,
he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve
or paid us back for our offenses,
11 because his mercy toward those who fear him
is as far above earth as heaven.
12 He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he understands how we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 Yes, a human being’s days are like grass,
he sprouts like a flower in the countryside —
16 but when the wind sweeps over, it’s gone;
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the mercy of Adonai on those who fear him
is from eternity past to eternity future,
and his righteousness extends
to his children’s children,
18 provided they keep his covenant
and remember to follow his precepts.
19 Adonai has established his throne in heaven;
his kingly power rules everything.
20 Bless Adonai, you angels of his,
you mighty warriors who obey his word,
who carry out his orders!
21 Bless Adonai, all his troops,
who serve him and do what he wants!
22 Bless Adonai, all his works,
in every place where he rules!
Bless Adonai, my soul!
108:1 (0) A song. A psalm of David:
2 (1) My heart is steadfast, God.
I will sing and make music with my glory.
3 (2) Awake, lute and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
4 (3) I will thank you, Adonai, among the peoples;
I will make music to you among the nations.
5 (4) For your grace is great, above heaven,
and your truth, all the way to the skies.
6 (5) Be exalted, God, above heaven!
May your glory be over all the earth,
7 (6) in order that those you love can be rescued;
so save with your right hand, and answer me!
8 (7) God in his holiness spoke,
and I took joy [in his promise]:
“I will divide Sh’khem
and determine the shares in the Sukkot Valley.
9 (8) Gil‘ad is mine and M’nasheh mine,
Efrayim my helmet, Y’hudah my scepter.
10 (9) Mo’av is my washpot; on Edom I throw my shoe;
Over P’leshet I shout in triumph.”
11 (10) Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
12 (11) God, have you rejected us?
You don’t go out with our armies, God.
13 (12) Help us against our enemy,
for human help is worthless.
14 (13) With God’s help we will fight valiantly,
for he will trample our enemies.
; John 15:1 “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit. 3 Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned. 4 Stay united with me, as I will with you — for just as the branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can’t bear fruit apart from me.
5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can’t do a thing. 6 Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up.
7 “If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you. 8 This is how my Father is glorified — in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my talmidim.
9 “Just as my Father has loved me, I too have loved you; so stay in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will stay in my love — just as I have kept my Father’s commands and stay in his love. 11 I have said this to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy be complete.
12 “This is my command: that you keep on loving each other just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends, if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is about; but I have called you friends, because everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in my name he may give you. 17 This is what I command you: keep loving each other!
18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would have loved its own. But because you do not belong to the world — on the contrary, I have picked you out of the world — therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they kept my word, they will keep yours too. 21 But they will do all this to you on my account, because they don’t know the One who sent me.
22 “If I had not come and spoken to them, they wouldn’t be guilty of sin; but now, they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done in their presence works which no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now, they have seen them and have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this has happened in order to fulfill the words in their Torah which read, ‘They hated me for no reason at all.’[John 15:25 Psalms 35:19; 69:5(4)]
26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send you from the Father — the Spirit of Truth, who keeps going out from the Father — he will testify on my behalf. 27 And you testify too, because you have been with me from the outset.
-------
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
| |||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
-------
The Lutheran Hour Ministries in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States Daily Devotion by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour - Sunday, June 4, 2017 "The Growing Seed"
| |||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
No comments:
Post a Comment