Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour "Confidence to Face Whatever Comes Our Way" for Monday, July 31, 2017
Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
Confidence. They say it can make all the difference in one's life. Oftentimes athletes with similar skills and abilities perform vastly different under pressure. Why? Confidence -- it's the abundance or its absence that matters. Confidence in your abilities, in your strength, in your talents -- it can make a big difference in how well you deal with the issues you are facing today. But this text speaks of an infinitely greater confidence -- one that you can have when you are overwhelmed, beaten down, without hope. How can you be so confident then? Well, if you are a Christian, a believer in Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul says that even there, you have a God who is "for you" in Christ, who promises you that all things do indeed work together for good to those who love Him. I call that "Christ confidence." It's a confidence in the Resurrected One, the Lamb who was slain, but who has now begun His reign; all things are indeed under His feet. It's a confidence in the One who says that nothing in this world will separate you from His love. It's a confidence in His Word no matter the dangers and distresses that seem to be all around us.
During World War II, a passenger ship set sail from Great Britain, heading to the port in New York City. The captain of the ship was, shall we say, not very confident in his ability to navigate the dangerous waters of the ocean for the safety of his passengers on board. He was rightly afraid of enemy vessels, dangerous ships, and submarines. So he sought the advice and guidance of the British admiral. The admiral calmly assured the captain that no matter what happened, he should be sure to sail his ship straight ahead. He gave the anxious captain these words: "Don't take any detours. Sail the ship straight ahead. Continue onward, heading straight towards the intended mark."
But after several days of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, waters filled with submarines and enemy vessels of all kinds, the captain spotted an enemy destroyer off his forward bow. Nervously, he grasped the handset and called for assistance. Again, he heard a calm voice saying, "Keep on straight. Do not detour. Just sail the ship straight ahead. Everything will be just fine. Just keep on going straight to mark."
After a couple more uneasy days, the ship pulled safely into the great harbor of New York City. Shortly after the ship's docking, the great British battleship man-of-war pulled into port behind the passenger vessel. The captain realized that while he did not see the British battleship, she was there, standing by, ready to come to his defense at any time.
There are times when we feel we are sailing on the oceans of our life all alone. But Romans 8 reminds us that it's not man-of-war on our starboard bow that protects us, it's the resurrected Savior Jesus who is with us always. Faith in Christ breeds Christ confidence for life. As Martin Luther says, "Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. Indeed, He did, and we can too in those Reformation proclamations of grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, give us the confidence that comes through faith in You and not mere faith in ourselves. Give us Christ confidence to face the challenges of life each day until we see You face to face. Amen.
In Christ,Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Readings: Psalms 116-118; 1 Thessalonians 4
Psalms 116:1 I love that Adonai heard
my voice when I prayed;
2 because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death were all around me,
Sh’ol’s constrictions held me fast;
I was finding only distress and anguish.
4 But I called on the name of Adonai:
“Please, Adonai! Save me!”
5 Adonai is merciful and righteous;
yes, our God is compassionate.
6 Adonai preserves the thoughtless;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 My soul, return to your rest!
For Adonai has been generous toward you.
8 Yes, you have rescued me from death,
my eyes from tears and my feet from falling.
9 I will go on walking in the presence of Adonai
in the lands of the living.
10 I will keep on trusting even when I say,
“I am utterly miserable,”
11 even when, in my panic, I declare,
“Everything human is deceptive.”
12 How can I repay Adonai
for all his generous dealings with me?
13 I will raise the cup of salvation
and call on the name of Adonai.
14 I will pay my vows to Adonai
in the presence of all his people.
15 From Adonai’s point of view,
the death of those faithful to him is costly.
16 Oh, Adonai! I am your slave;
I am your slave, the son of your slave-girl;
you have removed my fetters.
17 I will offer a sacrifice of thanks to you
and will call on the name of Adonai.
18 I will pay my vows to Adonai
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courtyards of Adonai’s house,
there in your very heart, Yerushalayim.
Halleluyah!
117:1 Praise Adonai, all you nations!
Worship him, all you peoples!
2 For his grace has overcome us,
and Adonai’s truth continues forever.
Halleluyah!
118:1 Give thanks to Adonai; for he is good,
for his grace continues forever.
2 Now let Isra’el say,
“His grace continues forever.”
3 Now let the house of Aharon say,
“His grace continues forever.”
4 Now let those who fear Adonai say,
“His grace continues forever.”
5 From my being hemmed in I called on Yah;
he answered and gave me more room.
6 With Adonai on my side, I fear nothing —
what can human beings do to me?
7 With Adonai on my side as my help,
I will look with triumph at those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in Adonai
than to trust in human beings;
9 better to take refuge in Adonai
than to put one’s trust in princes.
10 The nations all surrounded me;
in the name of Adonai I cut them down.
11 They surrounded me on every side
in the name of Adonai I cut them down.
12 They surrounded me like bees
but were extinguished [as quickly] as a fire in thorns;
in the name of Adonai I cut them down.
13 You pushed me hard to make me fall,
but Adonai helped me.
14 Yah is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.
15 The sound of rejoicing and victory
is heard in the tents of the righteous:
“Adonai’s right hand struck powerfully!
16 Adonai’s right hand is raised in triumph!
Adonai’s right hand struck powerfully!”
17 I will not die; no, I will live
and proclaim the great deeds of Yah!
18 Yah disciplined me severely,
but did not hand me over to death.
19 Open the gates of righteousness for me;
I will enter them and thank Yah.
20 This is the gate of Adonai;
the righteous can enter it.
21 I am thanking you because you answered me;
you became my salvation.
22 The very rock that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone!
23 This has come from Adonai,
and in our eyes it is amazing.
24 This is the day Adonai has made,
a day for us to rejoice and be glad.
25 Please, Adonai! Save us!
Please, Adonai! Rescue us!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai.
We bless you from the house of Adonai.
27 Adonai is God, and he gives us light.
Join in the pilgrim festival with branches
all the way to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I thank you.
You are my God; I exalt you.
29 Give thanks to Adonai; for he is good,
for his grace continues forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Therefore, brothers, just as you learned from us how you had to live in order to please God, and just as you are living this way now, we ask you — indeed, united with the Lord Yeshua, we urge you — to keep doing so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Yeshua. 3 What God wants is that you be holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality, 4 that each of you know how to manage his sexual impulses in a holy and honorable manner, 5 without giving in to lustful desires, like the pagans who don’t know God. 6 No one should wrong his brother in this matter or take advantage of him, because the Lord punishes all who do such things — as we have explained to you before at length. 7 For God did not call us to live an unclean life but a holy one. 8 Therefore, whoever rejects this teaching is rejecting not a man but God, indeed, the One who gives you the Ruach HaKodesh, which is his.
9 Concerning love for the brothers we do not need to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other; 10 and you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do it even more.
11 Also, make it your ambition to live quietly, to mind your own business and to earn your living by your own efforts — just as we told you. 12 Then your daily life will gain the respect of outsiders, and you will not be dependent on anyone.
13 Now, brothers, we want you to know the truth about those who have died; otherwise, you might become sad the way other people 14 do who have nothing to hope for. For since we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, we also believe that in the same way God, through Yeshua, will take with him those who have died. 15 When we say this, we base it on the Lord’s own word: we who remain alive when the Lord comes will certainly not take precedence over those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God’s shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise; 17 then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
-------
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM). CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
No comments:
Post a Comment