The greatest distance in the world

What's the greatest distance in the world? Not the miles across the Atlantic or down to Antarctica, but the distance between the human head and heart.  Those 18 inches are the most difficult in the world.  Why? Because only God the Holy Spirit can travel them.  Millions hear about Jesus Christ as their only Savior, but only some believe.  The rest shake their heads in rejection or nod in seeming approval, only to go their own ways.  Their ears have heard but not their hearts.

What about me? Can I say with my heart, "Jesus is my Savior whom God raised from the dead?" Can I say with conviction: "His death counted for me.  His resurrection assures my resurrection.  Because He lives, I also will live, body and soul, in heaven some day?" Then thank God the Holy Spirit.  Through the gospel he carried the message from my head to my heart.  My faith is His gift.  Through that gospel He still works when my faith wavers to bridge the distance between head and heart.

The Spirit helps me travel another distance, the one between my heart and mouth.  When Jesus has moved from my head to my heart, then he'll also move from my heart to my mouth.  I'll proclaim gladly what I believe and thank Him for it.  I'll tell others what I believe and ask them to join me.  By God's grace it'll be head to heart to mouth, with the name of Jesus my precious Savior.

Richard E. Lauersdorf
"Together with Jesus - Daily Devotions for a Year"
Northwestern Publishing House

Read Holy Scripture!

 

The devil's evil schemes

Reading a great Old Testament survey book written by John Jeske, a WELS pastor and professor.  I really appreciated this paragraph:

(Satan's goal) is to rob us of our thankfulness for God's good gifts.  If it was within Satan's power, he wouldn't let us have a single piece of bread, not a single penny of income, not even a single hour of life.  But since that's not in his power, he'll try to rob us of God's blessings by making us ungrateful and unappreciative of them.

Isn't that what Satan did to the Israelites? They had God's constant attention and protection, they received everything they needed and more from God's gracious hand, and still they grumbled and complained.  God has done the same for you and me.  If an ancient Israelite could be thrust into our world, the Israelite wouldn't believe it - we have so much! Yet, how often are we prone to grumble about the stuff we don't have or the stuff that someone else has? 

Don't fall prey to the devil's evil schemes.  Let this prayer be on your lips today: Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever!  Amen.

Could you use an 8-ball?

 When I was growing up I had a friend who had one of those big, black "Eight Balls."  Remember them? You could ask the Eight Ball questions like "Will I hit a home run in the Little League game?" or "Will my parents ever increase my allowance?" and then turn the big, black ball over and wait for the answer.  We kids never put much stock in the answers we'd get.  But it was kind of fun to mess around with it.

You wouldn't have found an "Eight Ball" in the apostle Paul's traveling bag.  He traveled by faith, trusting in God's presence and power to help him finish the race and complete the task given him by Jesus - "the task of testifying to the Gospel of God's grace."  (Acts 20:24)

There are times when a reliable "Eight Ball" could be helpful, wouldn't it? Being able to know about our health or finances or how our kids and grandkids are doing would seem to be a benefit for us.  But there is nothing in this life - no person or thing - that can tell us the future with any certainty.

How shall we then live? Paul offers a fine example for us.  He explained to the Ephesians Christians that he did not know what would happen to him as he traveled from place to place.  But he believed that the Holy Spirit would direct and help him.  He learned that he could trust God no matter where he might travel or what he might face.

We can do the same.  God has given us faith to trust in Him for forgiveness, new life and salvation.  We have God's promise that He will provide us with daily bread and help us meet our needs.  The Scriptures assure us that God is faithful.  His Word is certain and true.  God bless you as you follow Him day by day!

God will not break our backs

 A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out.

 I've never had to do backbreaking work.  I've never worked with heavy equipment.  I haven't had to move blocks of granite or bricks.  I've never had to work all day under a suffocating sun.

 But I've had times when I felt like my back was breaking and probably you have too.

 Working double shifts or two jobs trying to make ends meet, so to speak, and still not getting ahead financially.  Trying every treatment facility to help an addicted child with absolutely no positive results.  Hearing that a loved ones treatment for disease is not working and the word from the doctor is to prepare for the worst.

 Some days we feel like our troubles are about to crush us.  It seems our backs are going to break under the pressure of life's troubles and challenges.

 A reed is usually found in a marshy swamp.  It's stalk is so thin that is seems that very little pressure would break it in two.  A smoldering wick is a candle that is about to go out.  A person's thumb and index finger could put it out completely.

 What a friend we have in Jesus.  In Isaiah 42:3, God is assuring His people that He is not the one who will break our backs when we feel that we can't take any more pressure or pain.  

 Just the opposite.  Remember these tender words from Isaiah 40:11 - He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.

 Jesus is our good shepherd, the One who lays down His life for His sheep.  It was Jesus who took upon Himself the backbreaking work of carrying our sins to the cross.  In carrying out His Father's will, Jesus did what you and I could never do - work hard enough or be good enough or be righteous enough to earn God's favor.  By dying for our debts and rising from the dead, Jesus lightens our load by helping us know that no matter how trying our lives our, no matter how difficult the news is, we have One who will protect us and care for us as if we were sheep on the verge of being scattered.

 The words from the hymn make sense: Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge - Take it to the Lord in prayer...In His arms He'll take and shield thee; Thou will find a solace there.

 Take your concerns and worries to Your Lord.  Trust Him.  A bruised reed He will not break.  A smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

 

 

You are not alone

 I read this devotion from the WELS website and it really comforted me.  It's based on Isaiah 42:6-7.  Maybe it will be a comfort to you today.

 When you've been hurt, you can feel like a captive. Long after its over, your mind may be a prison of memories. You can feel that you are all alone. Does anyone care to understand> Can anyone understand?

 You are not alone. God called His Son, Jesus, to set you free.  He faced the same evil and sin that we do. He was betrayed, abandoned, manipulated, and ridiculed. He was beaten and bloodied and nailed to a cross. He was forsaken by His Father. Jesus understands.

 He could have slipped away from His betrayer and slipped through the hands of His captors. He could have come down from that cross; but He did not because He cares for you. He would not come down until it was over. Until all your guilt, shame and pain had been drowned in His blood. Until He had been help captive by death and broken free for you.

 That's how much He loves you. You are the apple of His eye, His joy and delight. Take His hand and walk with Him. Bask in His light.

Wear Your Baptism

 Thus we see how splendid a thing Baptism is.  It snatches us out of the devil's jaws, makes God our own, defeats and puts away sin, daily strengthens the new man in us, keeps functioning, and remains with us until we leave our present troubles to enter glory everlasting.

 Everyone should therefore look upon his Baptism as his everyday wear, to be worn constantly.  He should at all times be found in faith and surrounded by its fruits.  He should every day suppress the old man and grow toward maturity in the new man. For if we want to be Christians, we must carry on in the work that makes us Christians.  But if someone falls away from it, let him come back to it again.  For just as Christ, the throne of divine mercy, does not withdraw from us nor prevent us from coming back again to Him, though we sin, so also all His treasures and gifts remain.

 Martin Luther, from the Large Catechism, page 218 in "For All the Saints" volume one.