​1-19-22
You are loved
 
Today's devotion is based on the second half of Jeremiah31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."
 
God does not give up on his people. His love is everlasting, and his kindness is unfailing. He has proved this as we read the history of the Jewish nation in the Old Testament. And yet, they turned their backs on him, preferring to worship other gods, such as the golden calf and fertility gods like Baal in Canaan. To bring the Israelites back to him, he disciplined them, but he always promised to restore them.
 
In many ways, our western societies are like the Israelites of old, turning their backs on God and worshipping ourselves, knowledge, and achievements. We have 'itching ears' for every new 'ism' that pervades our society.
 
The good news is that God does not give up on us. When the prevailing ideology of the world tempts us to turn away from him, God reminds us that he loves us with everlasting love. We are his baptized children, and he will never let go of us. Praise God for his unfailing kindness.
 
Please pray with me; Loving Father, your love for me is constant and unfailing. Forgive me for the times I have not been consistent in my love for you. Restore me through your word and sacraments to strengthen my faith and love. In Jesus' blessed name, I pray. Amen.
 

​1-18-22
 Today's devotion is based on Jeremiah 33:11 "The voice of joy and the voice of gladness … 'Praise the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever."
 
The Babylonians have destroyed the cities of Judah. The wind blows across empty places with no sign of life. All is lost, but then God speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, tells the people that they need to remember God's promise of redemption and restoration. They need to quit dwelling on the past and the present but praise God for what he will do in the future.
 
I love reading the Old Testament verses about redemption and restoration for God's promises to those people still apply to us today. We too, are not to dwell on the past or the troubles of the present but praise God for what he will do for us in the future. 
 
Christ loves his church made up by multiple peoples who have been brought to faith by the Holy Spirit in the washing and words of baptism and are cleansed daily by these waters as they repent and are forgiven and presented spotless before the throne of God.
 
Please pray with me; Lord, you have been good to us as you have shown your enduring mercy through your saving death and brought us into your family through our baptism. You have taken us from desolation to joy, and we thank and praise you for your enduring love. Amen.

1-17-22
Today's devotion is based on Isaiah 61:10-11, “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness.” 
The prophet’s words should also be our words, for they clearly show us who our gracious God is and what he has done for us. We are so blessed in our present time to have the good news freely preached to us, to have it in our hands so that we can read it every day as we wish. So many people in ages past would have loved to have the same access. 
This precious word is with us in times of sorrow and despair; it tells us that we are free from the power of sin and enables us to live every day knowing that we live with God’s favor and blessing. As we say in the Aaronic blessing, the Lord’s face shines on us. Our response is to delight greatly in the Lord. 
Please pray with me today’s prayer; Gracious God, it is hard to believe that you think so much of me that you have clothed me in Jesus’ righteousness, so dearly won for me on the cross. Amen.

​1-16-22
Today's devotion is based on John 2:11, “What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he reveals his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”
What John is talking about here is Jesus making wine from water at the wedding.  In this account, we learn that Jesus is truly human. Here, he is seen as a man enjoying the wedding of a friend or relative, at home with everyone. These were probably people he had known and worked with, played with, and shared in their everyday life.
Most importantly, it is revealed that Jesus, as truly God, gives the best to us in abundance. Christians are not cup-half-full or half-empty people but are blessed people whose cup is always full and overflowing. We are triply blessed. We have a loving Father who showers us with his love. We have Jesus, our brother, who gives us his hard-won forgiveness and clothes us with His righteousness. We have the Holy Spirit, our friend, and guide, walking beside us every day to strengthen and protect us. Praise God for his abundant goodness!
Please pray with me; Loving Savior, my brother, and Lord thank you that through your love and saving death, I have lived in all its fullness as you shower me with an abundance of blessings. Amen.

1-14-22
Today's devotion is based on 1 Corinthians 1:4-9: "I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
We can learn from Paul's writings. It's difficult at times to have a focused prayer. Life offers so many distractions.  What seems critical and urgent is often all but forgotten in a few short hours. Perhaps the thing to remember when it comes to prayer is to just "pray without ceasing," as Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17—to keep our prayers constant, frequently speaking with God regardless of where we're at and what we're doing. He knows we are often focused on our own needs first, but He tells us to pray at all times anyway. Simply put, God wants to hear from us! That's the kind of God we have; that's the kind of God who loves us.
Please join me in praying; Heavenly Father, may our prayers be pleasing to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

​1-14-22
Staying Connected
Today's devotion is based on 1 Corinthians 1:4-9: "I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
We can learn from Paul's writings. It's difficult at times to have a focused prayer. Life offers so many distractions.  What seems critical and urgent is often all but forgotten in a few short hours. Perhaps the thing to remember when it comes to prayer is to just "pray without ceasing," as Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17—to keep our prayers constant, frequently speaking with God regardless of where we're at and what we're doing. He knows we are often focused on our own needs first, but He tells us to pray at all times anyway. Simply put, God wants to hear from us! That's the kind of God we have; that's the kind of God who loves us.
Please join me in praying; Heavenly Father, may our prayers be pleasing to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

1-13-22
Today's devotion is based on Isaiah 49:7. "Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings and princes shall see and arise. They shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."
Isaiah did not think he could do what God asked.  But along the way, Isaiah also offered some of the Bible's most beautiful words concerning God's love and forgiveness. He spoke of God's future plan of redemption. And in Isaiah 52-53, he gave the touching description of the "Suffering Servant," the One through whom our salvation will be carried out and accomplished.
Isaiah's message is just as important today, for people are still people. Just like ancient Israel, we, too, have gone our own way and heaped up our sins. But the Lord calls us home—to Jesus—the One who would carry our sins to the cross and triumph over the grave forever.
Please pray with me the prayer for today. Heavenly Father, make us into people who hear Your voice, turn from our sinful ways, and follow you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

1-12-22

Today's devotion is based this morning on Malachi 3:1, "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts."
The incarnate Lord had been to His temple before, as an infant carried in the arms of His parents. At that visit, faithful Simeon and Anna recognized Him for who He was—the Lord and Messiah of Israel—the Lord whom they sought, the Lord for whom they had been waiting.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, we know and believe that Jesus—the infant in Bethlehem's manger, the 12-year-old boy in the temple, the crucified and risen Savior—is who He claimed to be. He is the promised Messiah of Israel, the Son of God, and our Lord and Savior. Still, we wait for our Lord's "full epiphany" when He comes again in glory on the Last Day. With "faithful hearts," we wait in hope for that great day when we will see and recognize our Lord:
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Lord Jesus, as we wait for your appearance on the Last Day, may we, like You, find a home in our Father's house. Amen.

1-11-22
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Today’s devotion is based on 1 Samuel 16:1, “The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
Pastoral vacancies or other leadership vacuums in our lives are never fun. We can find ourselves trying to drive forward while looking in the rear-view mirror instead of the windshield. “Oh, I wish our old pastor, boss, or beloved family member was still here; life would be better.”
You might think, even believe, that your present congregation is leaderless. But that’s not what God sees. When there is a void in leadership, it may just be God’s way of reminding us that he is the ultimate leader. God is still in control. He knows your needs and how he will meet those needs.
God’s words, “I have chosen.” are an incredible comfort when we feel leaderless in our congregation or any other part of our life. Listen to God speaking to you today, “I have chosen you to be my child… I have a plan for your future… I will work all things out for your good.” Find comfort in knowing that no matter how you might feel right now, the Lord still decrees, “I am King.”
Please pray with me; Lord, open my eyes when I feel that I have no one to guide and help me in life to see that you are in control. Please help me to have confidence in your leadership. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen