The God Pause Daily Devotional Saturday, 8 July 2017 - The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (ELW 631, verse 2)

The God Pause Daily Devotional Saturday, 8 July 2017 - The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (ELW 631, verse 2)“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (ELW 631, verse 2)
2. Breathe, oh, breathe thy loving Spirit
into ev'ry troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit;
let us find thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
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This hymn emphasizes that rest we contemplated yesterday in the gospel reading. The rest, here, is a consequence of the relieving breath of the Holy Spirit in our "troubled breasts." The writer seems to be suggesting that much of our distress comes from our worrying about our sinful natures. God's grace and forgiveness release us from our bondage to sin and free us to "set our hearts at liberty." No longer do we have to be fearful that we may be condemned for our shortcomings. We can rest assured. This freedom is two-sided, though, according to Martin Luther. We are freed to serve. Instead of being turned in on ourselves and our own level of righteousness, we are able to turn our focus outwards to our neighbors. What a shift from the current culture, which tells us to look out for ourselves and our own success and well-being.
God of love, live in us. Make your presence known in our very bodies so that we may show your love to all whom we meet. Amen.
Joshua Kestner, '17
Admissions Counselor, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
The Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
Telephone: 651-641-3456
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