All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever. 1 Peter 1:24-25
A brief note for those receiving this Daily Devotion for the first time:
This Daily Devotion from Lutheran Hour Ministries has been sent to you by someone who thinks you will find them as helpful as he or she has. There is no cost involved. Please read, or listen to what follows. If you would like the Daily Devotion delivered to your mailbox, you can sign up at this link: http://www.lhm.org/email/register.asp.
"Stuff." Most of us have some amount of stuff.
For a great many people, their stuff helps define who they are, how they think of themselves, and how they hope others will regard them.
Sadly, the stuff of advertisements doesn't always deliver. They promise us much, but really give us little. They promise to raise our standard of living, but often they only raise our standard of longing.
In all probability, if you check your basement, garage, attic, or closet you will find a lot of stuff that once seemed to be incredibly important, but now has been totally forgotten.
In short, stuff can let us down. It almost always lets us down; it withers and the flower falls.
I imagine that's the way it was for the fellow in Colorado who brought his vehicle into the recent Cash-For-Clunkers program. That vehicle, with less than 19,000 miles on the odometer, was an almost mint-condition 1985 Maserati.
For those of you who aren't car fans, that is a very, very expensive car.
Maybe once that vehicle was the apple of his eye, but now, well, he got $3,500 for it so he could buy a Subaru.
And as for the very, very expensive car -- it will be crushed.
Having said all this about stuff, maybe it's time to talk of the Savior.
In contrast to the limited ability of stuff to answer our lasting needs, we have Jesus Christ. Every promise He has made to us He keeps. Every gift He gives to us is precious.
And now -- pay attention because this is important -- when you get to heaven, nobody is going to ask whether you got there in a Maserati, a Mercedes, or a muscle car. The only thing you will need that day is faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, my attic and garage say there are many things in my life that come and go. You are the only Person who has eternal permanence. Grant me the grace to appreciate You and let others know how valuable You are. This I ask in Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
A brief note for those receiving this Daily Devotion for the first time:
This Daily Devotion from Lutheran Hour Ministries has been sent to you by someone who thinks you will find them as helpful as he or she has. There is no cost involved. Please read, or listen to what follows. If you would like the Daily Devotion delivered to your mailbox, you can sign up at this link: http://www.lhm.org/email/register.asp.
New York's 10-year-old Clementine Lee is a young lady who likes classical music and has played the violin since she was four.
Clementine Lee is also an entrepreneur.
For the last year she and her father have been planning on selling lemonade in a park near their home. When beautiful weather came to New York, they set up their stand.
Business was good. In 20 minutes they sold 10 glasses of lemonade and most of the dozen chocolate chip cookies they had baked.
That's when disaster struck. Three agents of the Parks Department surrounded them and demanded to see their permit to sell. The father confessed they didn't have the necessary piece of paper.
That's when they shut down the father-daughter team and served the two a $50 ticket.
Dozens of people were outraged, and I was, too, when I first read the story. But then I read an update. The New York City Commissioner of the Department of Parks & Recreation, Adrian Benepe said, "The ticket would be set aside, the agent would be re-trained on rules and regulations and he would personally love to have a glass of Clementine's lemonade."
Good move, Mr. Benepe! Apparently, he is a man who understands a confession can often change things. In this case, Mr. Benepe's confession has changed a public-relations nightmare into some solid goodwill for the Department of Parks & Recreation.
Sadly, too many people have too much pride to follow Mr. Benepe's example. They refuse to apologize to another person, and they most definitely won't confess their sins to God. Indeed, they feel the Lord is being pretty pushy expecting them to make confession.
They miss the point, don't they? The Lord knows the gravity of our sins, and He sent His Son to live, die, and rise to take our sins away. When folks minimize and ignore their sins, they minimize the sacrifice.
On the other hand, when we confess our sins, we admit the intensity of our need and the immensity of God's grace. This is why, in our prayer today, we make this confession:
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, be merciful to me a sinner. Forgive what I have done wrong and the many times I have done those wrongs. Thank You for the sacrifice of the Savior and accept my joy at sins which are no more. Because of Jesus may this day be blessed and lived in thanksgiving and joy. In His Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? Luke 9:25
This devotion is not about a man who recently tossed money from his car onto a Los Angeles freeway.
Nor is this devotion about the fact the police department asked all the folks who had picked up the man's cash from the freeway return it to the Azusa Police Department or the California Highway Patrol.
Truly, either of those topics would have made a good devotion, and I regret not being able to write them.
This devotion centers on the folks who stopped their cars on a Los Angeles freeway so they could get out and pick up the man's money. To all those folks, I have a question and that question is this: "Have you folks lost all touch with reality? Don't you know the kind of things that can happen to you on a busy expressway? Is your life really worth the few bucks you collected which are not your own?"
I guess that was three questions, and I feel better having asked them. Maybe you feel the same way. We all know having cash is nice, but there's no amount of money worth risking your life, is there?
That's the point Jesus was trying to make in today's Daily Devotion verse. He wants us to know we're not ahead if we manage to own the entire world but end up losing our souls.
That ought to be pretty basic thinking, but as the folks picking up cash on the highway show us, people don't always get the simple things. All around us we see folks who forget about their souls and spend all their time taking care of their bodies and minds.
Maybe that's why Jesus regularly encouraged people to have the right priorities. The Savior had come to give His life so we might be saved from our sins and spend eternity with Him. He didn't want us to forget Him, to ignore His sacrifice, or put eternal life way down on the list of things we are going to do someday.
Jesus wants us to keep first things first. That means believe on Him while today is still today. Now I'm pretty sure you do that, so let's pray for those who don't.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks You have saved me and the Holy Spirit has put faith into my heart. Today I speak for some special people in my life whose priorities seem confused. Be with _________, dear Lord, so they might see the wonders of Your love and the greatness of Your sacrifice. In Your Name I pray it. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
(Jesus said) "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Recently, the staff and volunteers of Lutheran Hour Ministries in Lebanon distributed Bibles and food parcels to needy people in southern Lebanon. At one church, the pastor invited people to come forward. He said, "Come, Jesus is here, and He is ready to heal every wound, wipe every tear, and mend every broken heart."
A nine-year old boy named Ibrahim, a refugee from the 2006 war, asked, "Is He really here? Is Master Christ really here?
An LHM volunteer replied, "Yes, He is here, but we don't necessarily see Jesus with our eyes-we see Him with our heart."
Ibrahim asked if Jesus could be sitting next to him. The volunteer said, "Not only can He be right next to you, but even within your heart." Ibrahim said he wanted to know God and trust Him completely. By God's grace, Ibrahim acknowledged his sins and placed his trust in Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant us childlike faith so that we might trust Your love and feel Your presence all the time. Amen.
Biography of Author:
Michel Matar is a guitarist in the Worship Band, a Christian music group performing since 1990 that has toured several countries with its Arabic, English, and French music. Jesus' love and forgiveness radically changed Matar's life in 1989. Since then, he has dedicated his life, his music, and his talents to serve the Lord. He and his wife Nuna-who sings and plays keyboards in the Worship Band-have five children.
O Lord, You have searched me and know me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down. You search out my path and are acquainted with all my ways. Psalm 139:1-3
I have a friend whose work requires him to make frequent business trips to Japan.
Although he has always been impressed by the honesty of the people who are employed at the hotel where he stays, he doesn't believe in tempting people more than they can bear.
To that end, and so as not to place any enticement before the cleaning people, my friend has always hidden his expensive digital camera before he goes out.
He always hid that camera -- until the day came when he overslept and had to rush out for an appointment. His camera was left out in plain view.
Sure enough, when he returned to his room, the camera was gone. I don't need to tell you my friend was upset. He was upset with the cleaning lady; he was upset with life and, mostly, he was upset with himself.
He stayed upset until, quite by accident, he discovered the maid had put his camera back in his super-secret hiding place. His attempts to hide that camera had been foolish. All along the maid had known what he was hiding and where he was hiding it.
I think a lot of people try that same hiding stunt on the Lord. Because they have been able to keep many of their sins and shortcomings hidden from their families and business associates, they're sure they can do the same with God.
They may think they can fool God, but they can't. The Lord knows. Like that Japanese maid, He knows. He knows about all our sins and He knows where we try to keep them hidden. We try, but nobody can successfully hide anything from an all-knowing God.
Fortunately, we don't need to hide our sins. Those who call Jesus, "Lord," know He has taken away all their sins. When we believe in Jesus as our Savior, we can be at peace. Our sins are forgiven, and there's no longer a need to hide something that doesn't exist.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You all my sins are washed away. Your sacrifice, Your death, and Your resurrection let me know my soul has been made whiter than snow. Now may I live my life in the freedom You give, and offer up the thanks You deserve. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Psalm 107:28-29
During my vacation in the mountains, I came across a very interesting pamphlet. It was so interesting I kept a number of free copies.
Maybe I should explain why.
The pamphlet gives advice on what a person is supposed to do if he ever gets caught in the open during a bad lightning storm. The directions say he should kneel down; he should bend forward and then put his hands on his knees.
While it doesn't say so in so many words, the idea seems to be that a person can increase his safety by reducing his profile. In short -- make yourself a smaller, shorter target.
Now I kept those pamphlets not because I'm petrified of lightning. I'm not. I set aside those booklets because the wisdom they contain seems to be equally applicable to other areas of life.
Think about it. On a spiritual level, haven't we all seen the lightning strike around us?
Lightning can blaze into our lives in the form of an illness, or some kind of problem at work, or an ongoing conflict at home, or through unanticipated financial difficulties or, well, you get the idea.
Now there are a number of things we can do when the lighting starts zapping.
We can stand upright and face the problem on our own, or we can do as the pamphlet suggests: we can drop to our knees, bow our heads, and pray to the Lord for His protection, His assistance, and His guidance. Actually, the pamphlet doesn't say that.
Now I can't say what kind of lightning storm is headed your way. I don't know how strong it will be, or how long it will last. I don't know a lot of things, but I'm pretty sure a storm is coming. If it is, the Lord wants you to be informed as to what you should do.
Like God's people, cry to the Savior in your trouble. Then, be sure that the Savior -- who lived His life to save you -- will bring you through the storm.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for delivering me from past storms, I give thanks. Now I am bold to request that You will also bring me through the tempests and squalls that sin, Satan, and death are sure to send my way. When the thunder rolls and the lightning flashes, may I be sure You will keep me secure. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven. Matthew 5:11-12a
"Falsely." That's the active word in this Daily Devotion.
On July 30th, mosque loudspeakers of Faisalabad, Pakistan, called on the faithful to defend their faith against Christians who had desecrated pages of the Qur'an. Fifty homes were destroyed in the rioting.
On August 1st, mosque loudspeakers in Pakistan's Punjab province called for a defense of the faith. The word echoed over the housetops that Christians had dishonored the Qur'an at a recent wedding. The mob ended up killing eight believers, a number which includes a seven-year-old-child.
Falsely. That's the active word in this Daily Devotion.
Government officials have condemned the violence. They have criticized security forces for not defending the Christians, and the government has also said there is no truth to the allegations of blasphemy. The charges were false.
Falsely. That's the active word in this Devotion, and it is also the word Jesus used when He described what would happen to those who would follow Him.
He warned His people would be reviled and persecuted and falsely accused.
But Jesus also said other things that are just as true. The Savior said His people would be blessed if they endured these pains. He said they would have a great reward in heaven if they, by the Holy Spirit's power, remained faithful.
And that's the second word worth remembering: Faithful. Jesus is faithful in keeping His promises. Today, while we continue to struggle in a sad and sinful world, those Pakistani believers who were martyred have already received their great reward in heaven.
So there you have a complete devotion. Satan is still spreading his lies and still saying all manner of falsehoods. The Savior is still bestowing His strength, support, and blessings. Satan's falsehood or the Savior's faithfulness . . . .
I know which one I will follow.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, Satan is still spreading his lies and half-truths. Today I pray for brothers and sisters around the world. Keep them secure in their faith and faithful in their witness to You who gave Your life so they might have life. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
(Jesus said, referring to an Old Testament passage) "'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh?' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." Matthew 19:5-6
Not so long ago Frank and Anita shared their recipe for a successful marriage.
They agreed that matrimony was always a matter of "give and take." It was also a matter of making up after an argument with a "kiss and a cuddle."
If that sounds a little hokey, please allow me to introduce this pretty average-looking couple to you. Frank and Anita first met at a YMCA dance in Plymouth, Devon, Great Britain. They liked each other. Eventually, they found they liked each other a lot.
Two years later they were married.
That marriage took place 81 years ago.
Frank and Anita spent their entire married life in the same town; they had children and they managed to survive the WWII bomb that fell on their home.
Recently, after more than eight decades Frank went home to the Lord. Anita was holding her husband's hand when he died.
Both had reached the age of 101. By God's grace they had managed to get it right.
Now I'm not exactly sure why I share the story of Frank and Anita.
Certainly, most of us aren't going to reach the age of 101; even fewer will manage to be married 81 years. Maybe I pass on their story because I believe that when God joins a couple together He can also make it so they stick together.
As I say, Frank and Anita were an average husband and wife. The day when they made their vows, they weren't wondering if they could set a record together. That record came about because -- every day -- this ordinary couple was blessed in some extraordinary ways by God.
The same Savior who gave His life upon the cross so the world might be forgiven and saved, the same Savior who rose from the grave and defeated death has the power to help us -- single or married -- with the living of each day.
And He also has the power to comfort Anita with a reunion in heaven -- a reunion which death can never destroy.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, for the cloud of witnesses around us, we give thanks. For Your being with us and transforming ordinary people and making them into extraordinary examples, I praise You. Now may I listen to Your directions and follow where You lead. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 1 John 3:16
It was just a few minutes before 7 a.m. when the 14-year-old girl got on the Yazoo County, Mississippi, school bus and made her way toward the back.
She managed to get half way. That's when she stopped; that's when she reached into her flower-print bag; that's when she pulled out a chrome-plated 38-caliber pistol.
Those around her said she started waving the gun, ordering the driver to pull over, shouting and threatening the other children on the bus.
That's when Yazoo County football player Kaleb Eulls stood up and started walking toward the disturbed young lady. As Kaleb walked, in low tones, he kept repeating, "Put the gun down, put the gun down."
The girl didn't put the gun down, but she did look away from Kaleb. She looked away for just a second.
And that second was just what Kaleb needed.
The 6-foot, 4-inch, 255-pound football player did what he had been trained to do: he tackled that 14-year-old girl.
A second later, Kaleb was standing up with the gun in his hand -- a bona fide hero.
Of course, there are times when things don't go that way. There are times when the hero ends up dying.
That's the way it was almost 2,000 years ago when our innocent Savior stood up against sin, death, and devil. His was a grand and gracious gift of love, an incredible act of bravery, which called for Him to be sacrificed so we might be forgiven. His life was the present that made it possible for everyone who believed on Him as Savior to be given eternal life.
Yes, sometimes these stories end up with the hero dying on a cross. Or do they end that way?
Of course, that wasn't the end of Jesus' story was it? Jesus' third-day resurrection says that He is victorious. He has conquered and He is our Redeemer.
Thanks be to God!
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus I give thanks that the young man who was willing to risk his life to save others has been saved. Even more I give thanks that Your sacrifice for me has been accepted and with Your resurrection I am saved. May I live my life in a way that reflects my appreciation. In Your Name I pray it. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust is a wonderful thing if the person you trust is trustworthy.
The young woman first met 23-year-old "Chris" at a Detroit casino. His real name was Terrance McCoy.
On April 24th, they went out for dinner at Buffalo Wild WingsŪ. Since it was a date, Chris said he should pay for the meal. "The only problem is," he said, "I left my wallet in your car." Actually, his wallet was in his pocket.
Chris asked his date for the keys to her car so he could get his wallet. Actually, he wanted the keys so he could steal her Chevrolet Impala.
Before she knew what had happened, the young lady from Ferndale, Michigan, found herself
· stood up in the restaurant.
· with an unpaid dinner bill.
· with no car to get home.
The only happy part of the entire story is Chris was quickly caught. You see, he had sent a picture of himself to the young lady's cell phone, along with his home telephone number.
Trust is a wonderful thing if the person you trust is trustworthy.
While most of us may not have been taken for a ride as quickly as the woman in this Associated Press story, most of us must admit to having been conned by a charlatan or two.
We invest ourselves, our faith, and our trust in someone who is not worthy of it. When we realize what has happened, we are emotionally embarrassed and mentally battered.
Thankfully, we also know someone who can be trusted. Absolutely. Totally. 100 percent of the time. Jesus' sacrifice of Himself to save us from sin, death, and devil gives proof of His level of commitment.
When He says He loves us, He means it. When He says He is with us, you can be sure He is present at our side. When Jesus says we can call upon Him, trust in Him, rely on Him, and believe in Him, well, we can. Friends, in a world filled with people like Chris, Jesus' commitment counts for a lot.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks Your Word is solid and Your promise is reliable. Send Your Holy Spirit upon me so that I may be faithful to You. This I pray in Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this. Psalm 37:5
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
While a lady was visiting her neighbor, she allowed her six-year-old son to go out and play in the yard. After a while, she went out to see what the child was doing. Nearby, was a painter on a high scaffold. To her dismay, the lady observed that her son had gone up to the last rung of the ladder.
"Arthur, get down!" the nervous woman yelled, alarming the child who began to look down full of fear. The painter immediately realized the danger the child was in and very calmly spoke to the mother saying, "Your boy is all right. I will take care of him." Then he told the child, "Look up and climb to where I am."
With a smile, and watching the man's eyes, the boy arrived safely to where the man was waiting. He took the boy in his arms and carefully started to climb down, finally handing him over to his mother.
How often do we look down when we face dangers and conflicts, rather than focusing on Jesus and trusting our lives to His care and guidance? When we are threatened by dangers and conflicts, we cling to our own strengths instead of looking to Him. We often forget to let Him guide us with His love through the difficulties of this life.
When it is your turn to face difficult tests, and you think you are sinking in misfortune, stop looking down and look up to Jesus with confidence. Remember the psalmist's words: "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this."
Always remember, dear friend, that in the midst of adversity, the promises of our beloved Father are greater than the conflicts we experience in life.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love to help us confront our tests with great peace and the assurance You have provided protection. Help us savor the great blessings and immense love You have for us. Amen.
Biography of Author:
Alexander Jesus Perez Leon, the director of Lutheran Hour Ministries' Venezuelan office, wrote today's devotion. Established in 1953 in Caracas, LHM-Venezuela or Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones (CPTLN) meaning "Christ for All Nations," operates a radio and print ministry addressing issues like anxiety, sex, drugs, depression, occultism, and family relations. These programs are broadcast to more than 30 million people over 40 stations in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Spain, and Cuba.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:12-13
If the Lord has blessed you with good health, I hope you spend some time giving thanks today.
It would be the appropriate thing to do.
On the other hand if you, or someone you love, has been battling sickness, this story may be just the ticket. Most of us remember the writings of Robert Louis Stevenson. What most people may not know is that Stevenson was bedridden for much of his life with tuberculosis.
One day his wife heard him hacking and coughing away. Wishing to test the resilience of his spirit, she asked, "And my dear, do you still believe this is a wonderful day?"
Stevenson looked at the pile of medicine bottles sitting on the windowsill in front of his sun-filled bedroom window. After a moment he replied, "I do. I will never let a row of medicine bottles block my horizon!"
I like that answer.
Following the example of the apostle Paul, Stevenson had learned to be content in whatever situation he found himself.
That's not a bad idea for all of God's people. Think for a moment. Has a row of medicine bottles been blocking your view of God's blessings and bounty? Is it possible financial reverses have been blocking the joy which comes in Jesus?
Most certainly there are things in life that can do their best to throw a shadow between God and His people.
When that happens, we need to lift up our eyes and look past the medicine bottles, the boss, the whatever. God is still there. We need to see the face of the Savior, His nail-scarred hands, and His spear-pierced side.
We need to see the risen Redeemer reaching out to us and lifting us up so we may see past the medicine bottles and gaze upon the great grace and love of God.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, help me to see all of the ways You have blessed me. When I feel something is blocking my relationship with You, send Your Holy Spirit so my eyes may be refocused on Your presence. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Visit here to be refreshed through a meditation on God's Word. The devotions are updated daily, and you can also receive these devotions daily via e-mail. If you would like to read a devotion from a previous date, please visit our devotion archives.
En Espaņol
"Life Is A Gift"
September 13, 2009
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
Recently, a pastor wrote me about a man in his congregation who was celebrating his one-hundredth birthday.
During the party, a friend came up to the centenarian and said, "Fred, I congratulate you on this wonderful milestone. The only thing I regret is that you won't be around to celebrate your second hundredth."
The birthday boy looked shocked. If he was, his surprise lasted for only a second.
The pastor shared the old man's reply. With a chuckle, he said, "I wouldn't be so sure I won't be around for that two-hundredth birthday party. The truth is, I'm feeling much stronger beginning my second century than I did when I began the first."
Bravo!
The truth is, nobody knows what his or her future will hold. Most certainly there will be joys and sorrows, sad days and glad days. The only thing of which we can be absolutely certain is that the Lord is in control and the Savior, who has won the last and final victory for us, has promised to be by our side.
Those are truths each of us should believe in.
After all, we can't change the past; we don't know what tomorrow will bring, or even if tomorrow will come at all. All we can do is say, "The Lord has given me this day; He has given me the strength to enjoy it or to survive it -- or to come home to be with Him in paradise forever."
Whichever way things turn out, I will put this day into the hands of the Savior who gave His life so I might be blessed with an abundant life now and a perfect life in the everlasting hereafter.
It seems to me if more people adopted that viewpoint, most of our worries about the future could be put to rest, and the regrets of the past would be forgotten. We would be able to live our lives saying, "This is the day that the Lord has made."
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, each day that we wake up and live in Your love is a gift. Help me appreciate Your presence, Your grace, and Your Son. In Jesus' precious Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Then the devil set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down, for it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning You,' and 'On their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.'" Matthew 4:5-6
Do you remember Jesus' reply to that sinful suggestion of the devil? The Savior said, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test" (Matthew 4:7b).
It's good advice -- advice most applicable to a story that recently appeared in the Chicago Tribune. Let me begin that tale by asking this question: Have you ever, at the end of a vacation, said to yourself, "I wish this trip would never end"?
If so, I hope you never take that wish as far as did the man who was returning from a four-day cruise to the Bahamas. On the last night of the voyage, as his ship -- the Carnival Sensation -- was returning to port, the man jumped from his stateroom balcony into the sea.
He didn't fall; he wasn't pushed. He jumped. The ship turned around and searched for the man. The Coast Guard was called and sent out a helicopter, a cutter, and another boat to look for him. They all came up dry.
This might have been the end of the man's story, if it had not been for a Disney cruise ship passing by. Against all odds, the exhausted man was spotted, fished out of the water, and was taken to the port at Cape Canaveral. Talk about testing the Lord! You don't jump from a ship and expect to be picked up.
And if you're wondering about the man -- well, he asked to be returned to the ship from which he had jumped. Apparently, he wanted to take the same cruise again.
Testing the Lord. It's something we don't often talk about, but it's something most of us do. When God tells us to avoid something -- something that we want -- you know what's usually going to happen. Most of the time we will follow our will, not His.
And then? Then we expect the loving Lord to bail us out of our dilemma, our disaster, our calamity, our catastrophe. That kind of attitude also puts God to the test.
Testing God in this way is a terribly unfair thing for us to do. The Father doesn't have to prove His love, His care, or His compassion for sinful humanity. In His Son's life, suffering, death, and resurrection He has shown just how much He cares.
Far better, I think, for us is to trust the Lord, not test Him, to rely upon His Word, not rebel against it. Far better for the redeemed to remember Jesus words: "Not My will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42b).
THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me for inventing hoops for You to jump through and prove Your love. Grant me the grace to see the wisdom of Your Word and the wonderful depth of Jesus' sacrifice. This I pray in His Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
That evening they brought to Him many who were oppressed by demons, and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases." Matthew 8:16-17
What were they thinking?
That was my reaction when I read a Reuters report that recently came out of Tampa, Florida.
Please let me explain: Steve Valdez went to that city's Bank of America branch for the purpose of cashing a check on his wife's account.
Knowing he would have to prove his identity, Steve came equipped with two photo IDs. Having looked at the identification provided, the cashier said Steve would also have to place his thumb on an electronic scanner to prove himself.
It was a request that caused Steve a problem. You see, Steve doesn't have hands and the prosthetic hands he does own don't come equipped with fingerprints.
Steve's case was taken to a higher court when the bank manager was called in. The manager said Steve either had to provide a thumbprint, open his own account, or bring in his wife.
Steve told them he didn't have thumbprints, he didn't want a separate account, and his wife wasn't anywhere near. And what was the end of the story? Well, Steve didn't get the check cashed.
To its credit, Bank of America has publicly said that while the thumbprint is a requirement for those who don't have accounts, the bank should have made accommodations.
You know, when our Savior walked this earth, He did more than make accommodations for those who were brought to Him with physical and spiritual problems. As the text indicates, Jesus "cast out the (evil) spirits with a word and healed all who were sick."
Those healings were a visible manifestation of the changes Jesus was bringing to a lost and sinful world. The healing of a body, the forgiving of a soul, the calming of a conscience, the defeat of death and devil were God's proof that He was -- by His Son's life, death, and resurrection -- reclaiming that which had been stolen from Him in the fall.
Even today, Jesus doesn't make accommodations for our infirmities, our faults, flaws, and transgressions. He conquers them. He eliminates them, and in so doing He forgives, redeems, and restores all who believe.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, it is impossible for us to understand why You would love Your disobedient children. Still, we give thanks for Your grace that comes to us by the Savior's victory over sin, death, and devil. May our lives reflect to others the hope we have been given. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
SEPTEMBER ~ Daily Devotion
