Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "Silly Suggestions? I Don't Think So." for Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.With all of North Korea's saber rattling, a few weeks ago some of her nearby neighbor nations decided to review the programs they use to prepare their people for a nuclear attack.
In these lists of things people should do and not do are things like
1. DO NOT be at ground zero;
2. DO get as much dense stuff as you can between yourself and the fallout;
3. DO NOT go out for groceries for a few weeks; going out exposes yourself to radiation;
4. DO wash your clothes and body with soap and water to get rid of the fallout;
5. DO NOT use hair conditioner.
Wait! What was that last one? Don't use hair conditioner? Are you serious? That doesn't make any kind of sense at all. What was that Guam government thinking?
Well, when the nation of Guam put out its instructions, the no-hair-conditioner clause was, most-definitely printed out for all to see. Now I know the rule sounds like a silly one, but the Guam government is standing by what it wrote.
And, for two reasons, the scientific community is in agreement.
Reason 1: Don't use hair conditioner because it is sticky and will catch those radioactive isotopes and hold them next to your brain.
Reason 2: Don't use hair conditioner because it employs chemicals to close up the hair follicle and, once again, hold those radioactive isotopes next to your noggin'.
So, you see, the suggestion isn't as silly as it once sounded.
You know, over the years I've met a fair number of people who think the Lord has given His people some silly suggestions. And if you're curious, I'll tell you what I mean.
How about the one in our text above, which reminds us to be faithful in worship? There's a ton of people whose actions show they think the Lord was silly when He inspired that to be written. Talk to them about worship and they respond, saying, "I can worship God in the woods (shop, cabin, golf course) just as easily as I can in church." They say, "I don't get anything out of the sermon." They say, well, they say a lot of things, which show they think the Lord's got it wrong.
Folks, He didn't get it wrong. You see, the Lord didn't make that suggestion just for the individual. He made it for the church. When you worship, you show the world whose side you are on. When you worship, your fellow church member is strengthened. When you worship, you are showing your willingness to obey the Lord whose Son was sacrificed for your salvation.
And besides, you're not that good a prophet to tell whether some sermon is going to be just the one for you.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, You see that which I cannot. Let me have the faith and the spirit of humility to acknowledge that You know what You are doing and Your ways are best. This I ask in my Savior's Name. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore for Newser on August 19, 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: 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: 2 Chronicles 10-12; 2 Corinthians 3
2 Chronicles 10:1 Rechav‘am went to Sh’khem, where all Isra’el had come in order to proclaim him king. 2 When Yarov‘am the son of N’vat heard of it, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from Shlomo. 3 They sent and summoned him, so Yarov‘am and all Isra’el came and said to Rechav‘am, 4 “Your father laid a harsh yoke on us. But if you will lighten the harsh service we had to render your father and ease his heavy yoke that he put on us, we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” So the people left.
6 King Rechav‘am consulted the older men who had been in attendance on Shlomo his father during his lifetime and asked, “What advice would you give me as to how to answer these people?” 7 They said to him, “If you will treat these people kindly, pleasing them and giving them favorable consideration, they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he didn’t take the advice the older men gave him; instead he consulted the young men he had grown up with, who were now his attendants. 9 He said to them, “What advice would you give me, so that we can give an answer to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us’?” 10 The young men he had grown up with said to him, “The people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter for us’ — here’s the answer you should give them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Yes, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will make it heavier! My father controlled you with whips, but I [will control you] with scorpions!’”
12 So Yarov‘am and all the people came to Rechav‘am the third day, as the king had requested by saying, “Come to me again the third day”; 13 and the king answered them harshly. Abandoning the advice of the older men, King Rechav‘am 14 addressed them according to the advice of the young men and said, “I will make your yoke heavy, and I will add to it! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!” 15 So the king didn’t listen to the people; and that was something God brought about, so that Adonai could fulfill his word, which he had spoken through Achiyah from Shiloh to Yarov‘am the son of N’vat.
16 When all Isra’el [saw] that the king wasn’t listening to them, the people answered the king,
“Do we have any share in David?
We have no heritage in the son of Yishai!
Everyone to your tents, Isra’el!
Care for your own house, David!”
So all Isra’el left for their tents.
17 But as for the people of Isra’el living in the cities of Y’hudah, Rechav‘am ruled over them. 18 King Rechav‘am then sent Hadoram, who was in charge of forced labor; but the people of Isra’el stoned him to death. King Rechav‘am managed to mount his chariot and flee to Yerushalayim. 19 Isra’el has been in rebellion against the dynasty of David to this day.
11:1 When Rechav‘am arrived in Yerushalayim, he assembled the house of Y’hudah and Binyamin, 180,000 select soldiers, to fight Isra’el and bring the rulership back to Rechav‘am. 2 But this word of Adonai came to Sh’ma‘yah the man of God: 3 “Speak to Rechav‘am the son of Shlomo, king of Y’hudah, and to all Isra’el in Y’hudah and Binyamin; tell them 4 that this is what Adonai says: ‘You are not to go up and fight your brothers! Every man is to go back home, because this is my doing.’” They paid attention to the words of Adonai and turned back from attacking Yarov‘am.
5 Rechav‘am lived in Yerushalayim and built cities for defense in Y’hudah — 6 he built Beit-Lechem, ‘Eitam, T’koa, 7 Beit-Tzur, Sokho, ‘Adulam, 8 Gat, Mareshah, Zif, 9 Adorayim, Lakhish, ‘Azekah, 10 Tzor‘ah, Ayalon and Hevron; these are fortified cities in Y’hudah and Binyamin. 11 He fortified the strongholds, appointed captains in charge of them and supplied them with food, olive oil and wine. 12 In every city he put shields and spears, making them very strong. Y’hudah and Binyamin stuck with him.
13 The cohanim and L’vi’im from wherever they lived throughout all Isra’el made themselves available to Rechav‘am. 14 The L’vi’im left their pasture lands and property and came to Y’hudah and Yerushalayim; since Yarov‘am and his sons had thrown them out, not allowing them to function as cohanim for Adonai, 15 and had appointed for himself cohanim for the high places and for the images of goat-demons and calves that he had made. 16 Those from all the tribes of Isra’el who had set their hearts on seeking Adonai, the God of Isra’el, followed them to Yerushalayim to sacrifice to Adonai, the God of their fathers. 17 For three years they strengthened the kingdom of Y’hudah and made Rechav‘am the son of Shlomo strong, because for three years they followed the way of life of David and Shlomo.
18 Rechav‘am married Machalat the daughter of Yerimot the son of David and Avichayil the daughter of Eli’av the son of Yishai; 19 and she became the mother of his sons Ye‘ush, Sh’maryah and Zaham. 20 After her, he married Ma‘akhah the daughter of Avshalom; she became the mother of Aviyah, ‘Atai, Ziza and Shlomit. 21 Rechav‘am loved Ma‘akhah more than all his other wives and concubines — for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 Rechav‘am appointed Aviyah the son of Ma‘akhah chief, the leader of his brothers, because he intended to make him king. 23 He was wise in his treatment of his sons, sending all of them throughout the territory of Y’hudah and Binyamin, to every fortified city, providing them with plenty of supplies and seeking for them many wives.
12:1 But in time, after Rechav‘am had consolidated his rulership and had become strong, he, and with him all Isra’el, abandoned the Torah of Adonai. 2 In the fifth year of King Rechav‘am, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Yerushalayim, because they had acted faithlessly toward Adonai. 3 He came out of Egypt with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen and a numberless army including Luvim, Suki’im and Ethiopians. 4 He captured the fortified cities of Y’hudah, then went to Yerushalayim.
5 Now Sh’ma‘yah the prophet came to Rechav‘am and the leaders of Y’hudah who had gathered in Yerushalayim because of Shishak and said to them, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Because you have abandoned me, I have abandoned you to the hands of Shishak.’” 6 In response, the leaders of Isra’el and the king humbled themselves; they said, “Adonai is right.” 7 When Adonai saw that they had humbled themselves, this word of Adonai came to Sh’ma‘yah: “Because they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will grant them a measure of deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Yerushalayim through Shishak. 8 However, they will become his slaves, so that they will come to appreciate the difference between serving me and serving earthly kingdoms.”
9 So Shishak king of Egypt attacked Yerushalayim. He took the treasures in the house of Adonai and the treasures in the royal palace — he took everything, including the gold shields Shlomo had made. 10 To replace them, King Rechav‘am made shields of bronze, which he entrusted to the commanders of the contingent guarding the gate to the royal palace. 11 Whenever the king went to the house of Adonai, the guard would come and get the shields; later they would return them to the guardroom.
12 After he humbled himself, the anger of Adonai turned away from him, so that he did not altogether destroy him; moreover, some good things were found in Y’hudah. 13 So King Rechav‘am consolidated his rule in Yerushalayim.
Rechav‘am was forty-one years old when he began his reign; and he ruled seventeen years in Yerushalayim, the city Adonai had chosen from all the tribes of Isra’el to bear his name; his mother’s name was Na‘amah the ‘Amonit. 14 He did what was evil, because he had not set his heart on seeking Adonai. 15 The activities of Rechav‘am from beginning to end are written in the genealogically organized histories of Sh’ma‘yah the prophet and ‘Iddo the seer. But there were continual wars between Rechav‘am and Yarov‘am. 16 Rechav‘am slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Then Aviyah his son became king in his place.
2 Corinthians 3:1 Are we starting to recommend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation either to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You make it clear that you are a letter from the Messiah placed in our care, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on human hearts.
4 Such is the confidence we have through the Messiah toward God. 5 It is not that we are competent in ourselves to count anything as having come from us; on the contrary, our competence is from God. 6 He has even made us competent to be workers serving a New Covenant, the essence of which is not a written text but the Spirit. For the written text brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if that which worked death, by means of a written text engraved on stone tablets, came with glory — such glory that the people of Isra’el could not stand to look at Moshe’s face because of its brightness, even though that brightness was already fading away — 8 won’t the working of the Spirit be accompanied by even greater glory? 9 For if there was glory in what worked to declare people guilty, how much more must the glory abound in what works to declare people innocent! 10 In fact, by comparison with this greater glory, what was made glorious before has no glory now. 11 For if there was glory in what faded away, how much more glory must there be in what lasts.
12 Therefore, with a hope like this, we are very open — 13 unlike Moshe, who put a veil over his face, so that the people of Isra’el would not see the fading brightness come to an end.
14 What is more, their minds were made stonelike; for to this day the same veil remains over them when they read the Old Covenant; it has not been unveiled, because only by the Messiah is the veil taken away. 15 Yes, till today, whenever Moshe is read, a veil lies over their heart. 16 “But,” says the Torah, “whenever someone turns to Adonai, the veil is taken away.”[2 Corinthians 3:16 Exodus 34:34] 17 Now, “Adonai” in this text means the Spirit. And where the Spirit of Adonai is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us, with faces unveiled, see as in a mirror the glory of the Lord; and we are being changed into his very image, from one degree of glory to the next, by Adonai the Spirit.
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Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM). -------
The Lutheran Hour Ministries of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States for Monday, 28 August 2017 "Get Ready to go to Cambodia!"
Jesus calls us to "make disciples of all nations."
Many of us may never travel to another point on the globe, but we can still share the Gospel with people in foreign lands. Lutheran Hour Ministries created the Online Mission Trip (OMT) so you can explore unique cultures and see how the Gospel is shared in other countries. Seeing God work through His people around the world can inspire us to trust Him to do more in our lives.
Each year, tens of thousands of families, schools, churches and more take part in the Online Mission Trip experience. They connect to the world and support God's global mission through giving, activities and spreading the word.
This year, Lutheran Hour Ministries is traveling to the asian nation of Cambodia.
What can you do?
- Pray for OMT
- Pray that God will open people's eyes and show them how to grow His kingdom every day.
Click here to sign up and go to Cambodia during Lutheran Schools Week, January 22-25, 2018.
Share the Impact
Watch and share the video below with someone who may want to be part of the OMT experience.
CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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