Maybe you remember the story of Balaam. Balaam was a seer who was hired by Balak the king of Moab to curse the people of Israel. The king of Moab was worried because Israel had come out of Egypt, and they were traveling north. They were a force to be reckoned with and the king of Moab knew that he needed all the help he could get if he was going to defeat this threat coming up through the desert, so he hired Balaam to speak a curse over the people. The king of Moab believed that Balaam’s words were more than just words. He believed that Balaam’s words had power to hurt the people of Israel. Perhaps you remember how it went though. Each time Balaam began to speak a curse against the people of Israel God made him speak blessings. The king of Moab was furious but this was Balaam’s response, (from Numbers 24:13), “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD-and I must say only what the LORD says”. All the blessings that Balaam spoke over God’s people came true. There is one that is particularly important to us during this Advent season. Balaam said, (from Numbers 24:17), “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Though he didn’t know it, Balaam was talking about Jesus. Jesus was the one who was coming and generations of God’s people from that time on continued to BEHOLD him by faith, seeing him over and over again in the word of God, till one day he came. Now we behold him. We behold him coming at Bethlehem in a lowly manger, to be our savior from sin and death. Like Balaam we continue to see him but not now to behold him, but not near, for Jesus is coming again.
Friday, December 20th
“I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.” John 17:26
Dear Father, Your love for me is beyond all knowing and all expression and yet your Son wants me to know it better. He is the one who makes known your love for me. By his coming, his living and his dying you show me that there is nothing that you wouldn’t do for me. You deeply loved your own Son, yet you gave him up for me! Me! I can hardly believe it sometimes. That you would love me so deeply and cherish me so dearly and would give up your Son for me is hard to fathom. You loved your Son from all eternity. He was and is your dearest treasure. Fill me with a higher and fuller understanding of your love. More than that, let your love dwell in my heart and spill over into my life so that my whole life is moved by your love for me. Let your love dwell in me and move my whole life. Amen.
Thursday, December 19th
“The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’ “John 4:9-10
Dear Jesus, That woman threw poo at you and you stayed in the conversation and loved her through it all. When you ignored the poo and reached out again boldly with your love and truth, I’m sure she could feel it. But she held to her hard hearted guns for a few more moments. Then you outlasted her and got behind the walls to rescue her lost soul. Help me to ignore the poo that people throw at me in conversations and to stick to a loving course of communication so I can reach behind their walls to either save or encourage their hearts. Help me to hang in there and not just walk away. And maybe more importantly, keep me from throwing poo at others. Instead, give me the courage to humbly accept their help even if it makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Amen.
God constantly pursues our hearts with love and truth through people. Give up the fight and embrace it.
Wednesday, December 18th
“Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.” Isaiah 32:2
Dear Jesus, I love how you tell me that you will make me a shelter in the storm for other people. I am yours Lord. Lead me to the people that you want me to show this to. And make me a stream of freshwater for their soul. I will not be such a blessing if you don’t do this through me. I need your words, I need your wisdom and strength. Are you my savior and their Savior at the same time? Make this day useful and a blessing. Amen.
God loves to help others through his own people.
Tuesday, December 17th
“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent-Jesus Christ.” John 17:3
Dear Lord Jesus, You had one thing on your heart and mind when you came to earth. You wanted us to know God, our Father. You wanted us to know you, the one sent by the Father to save the world. You wanted us to know you and your Father that we might live with you forever in all glory. Dearest Jesus, continue to reveal yourself to me in your Word that I might know you better. Continue to make my Father known to me that I might grow closer to him. Holy Spirit, keep teaching me that my eyes might be enlightened to see and know how long and wide and deep and high your love for me is, to know your power that passes all understanding, and to know your presence in any and every circumstance of life. Dearest Jesus, continue to work in me to know you and to make you known. Just as it was your mission to make your Father known, so let this be my main endeavor to make sure that people know who you are that by hearing they may believe. Work this in me, O Spirit, and keep me in this faith until my dying breath. Amen.
Monday, December 16th
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18
Dear Jesus, Give me this wisdom from above. I cannot produce it on my own. Make me peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Help me see the supreme value of unity and togetherness. Produce this wisdom between others AND ME. Make it fun and peaceful for us to live and work together. I want to live in the peaceful fruit of righteousness and help others experience it too. Amen.
Godly wisdom always heals, always helps, and always unites.
Saturday, December 14th
The third candle on the banner has the word BELIEVE printed on it. This probably sounds like the most obvious one, of course we have to believe. Yet we ought not take the faith that we have for granted. Think about Mary, about to start the next phase of her life. She is betrothed to Joseph. She is about to be a wife and if God will it a mother. She likely had all these plans in her head about what life would be like. Then an angel appears to her with a very strange message. The angel tells her that even though she is a virgin, that she is going to become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God. If that happened to you, what would you think? We might think it was a very strange dream, or maybe we might wonder if there was a gas leak in the house that is making us hallucinate. Yet Mary believes the angel (Luke 1:38), “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Even though what she has just been told is impossible and ridiculous to human reason, yet Mary believes it. By his grace God overcomes her unbelief and brings her to faith. God has done the same for you. You believe that it was not just an ordinary birth in Bethlehem, but that in the manger rests true God and true man in one person. That you believe this is God’s gracious gift to you. That faith also believes that this same Jesus will come again, but not as before in humility. Instead we believe that Jesus will come again in glory with all the angels and end this world. When that day comes we believe that he will take us to be with him forever.
Friday, December 13th
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.” 1 Peter 2:13-16
Dear Jesus, You modeled how to submit to leaders in government and in the streets even when they are oppressive and represent causes you don’t approve. You lived for a higher mission. I want to live by your higher mission too. I realize that makes me forego my opinion about the more menial rightness or wrongness of more common things. Don’t let me become disrespectful and disobedient to officials during this pandemic just because I have a certain opinion about what they say about masks, vaccines or anything else for that matter. Help me to respect police and clerks behind city desks. I trust you to preserve my good behavior in their memory so you can remind them later that they should listen to your people because they saw my good life before them. Amen.
Don’t be tempted to think that any political cause old or new can be the mega-guide for your behavior.
Thursday, December 12th
“Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating or doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you. Leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.’” 1 Peter 2:18-25
Dear Jesus, From heaven you decided to come to earth and endure the most foolish and cruel hardship to buy my salvation. It never was about you. It was always about me. Give me your Spirit so I purposely follow your example when I experience hardship in my job. I will commit my life and behavior to your care. You can use my story to encourage others in the same way your life encourages me. Don’t let me fall short by whining, quitting or trying to get even. Amen.
Loving someone who has hurt you is supernatural behavior with supernatural consequences
Wednesday, December 11th
“Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’” 1 Peter 2:7-8
Dear Jesus, You and your love have become the rock that my life is built on. You give me stability, purposes and peace. But I know people who scorn your name, ignore your message and make fun of people like me. It’s comforting to see your apostle Peter reminding me that all this was spelled out in Scripture thousands of years ago. You are the dividing line for all social grouping. If a person is in Christ, he is my friend and family. If not, he’s not. Case closed. Help me have an open heart to those who have closed theirs to you and me. Make me comfortable being grouped with your people while being open to friendships with pagans. Amen.
The trick of living as a Christian in the world is to take punches from people ignorant of Christ while not swinging back in frustration.
Tuesday, December 10th
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:1-3
Dear Jesus, Just as great food satisfies my tongue, your great words satisfy my soul. I marvel that you have chosen me of all people to understand the beautiful truths of your living word. Every time I read them, they change my thinking, repair my attitude and restore my faith. They satisfy a hunger deep within me. I see people every day that are starved for your word. They live in anger, bitterness, envy and fear. They struggle with the power of selfishness and despair. I have all those struggles too, but I have your word to combat them and to push them back out the door for my heart. Help me to crave your words so I take time to “eat” them every day. I want to live in the strength of the powerful gift you have given us. Amen.
If you are tired of mulling through your own thoughts today, get off the merry-go-round and sit quietly with God’s word and ingest the newness of life.
Monday, December 9th
“Love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field, the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:22-25
Dear Jesus, It’s easy for me to think that if big things will change in my circumstances, then I can really live. But that’s not true. The truth that you teach me here shows that the gospel changes me so that in all circumstances I can live a purposeful life of love toward all people. I can do that when I am a small child with little influence and an old man in a death bed, and everything in between. My flesh is like grass and will soon fade. But the word about your love and the gift you bring, it endures forever. So, help me to live out the gospel love you have given me today ad not to wait for changes in my circumstances to really start living. Amen.
The gospel enables us to blossom where we are planted. So, stop paying to be transplanted.
Saturday, December 7th
There are a million things to do before Christmas, sometimes we even start in September preparing. There are gifts to buy, travel plans to make, meals to plan and let’s not forget worship services to attend. Yet what so easily gets lost is that we need to take time to PREPARE ourselves too. With everything going on we don’t always take the time to make sure we are preparing our hearts to meet Jesus. The primary way we prepare to meet Jesus is through repentance. Repentance is more than just feeling bad about the things we do wrong. Repentance is turning away from our sin. Yes, that means we feel bad about the things that we do wrong, but it also means resolving to not repeat our mistakes. The other part of repentance is turning to God to forgiveness. Our hearts are prepared to meet Jesus when we recognize our sins, all the foolish things we have done, and trust in Jesus to forgive us. The hymn writer said it so beautifully, “Then cleansed be ev’ry life from sin and furnished for a guest within, and let us all our hearts prepare for Christ to come and enter there.” (CW93 #16)
Friday, December 6th
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:18-21
Dear Heavenly Father, Since you are eternal, the sacrifice you and Jesus made is an “ever present” event for you. It’s as fresh in your mind as the morning dew. I confess that it isn’t always as fresh in my mind. But your word through Peter is helping make it more imminent. My sins are current. So, it’s very comforting to know your grace is fresh in your mind. Help me to live today with holy fear and gratitude for what you give up every day for me in your heart. Amen.
To the eternal God, Jesus died on the cross this very minute. When was it to you?
Thursday, December 5th
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:17-21
Dear Jesus, How easily I fall into getting even. It’s sometimes so subtle, only I and you know about it. Other times I selfishly want it to be painfully obvious to the one who hurt me that I’m evening the score. Either way, I see that I’m far from the faith filled “hands off” attitude you want from me. I know that you want me to be grace filled and to leave justice to you. I can’t do it without a supernatural makeover from your Holy Spirit. Fill my heart with the Spirit’s love and make me a goodness factory. I’m tired of keeping score and I’m tired of getting even. I just want to love and be loved. Only you can make that happen for me. Amen.
Getting even is a myth. It’s really a downward spiral into emptiness.
Wednesday, December 4th
“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20
Dear Jesus, It’s one of the biggest choices I make every day. Who will my friends be? Who will I spend my time with? How will I let them influence me? I can see this passage coming true for me in both scenarios. I’ve let some people be my friends indeed. In my remaining days help me to make the tough choices of who my friends will be in real time and in my digital consumption. Give me friends that will be grace-filled, word-of-God-driven, and exuding the fruit of the spirit. In the same vein, make me that kind of friend for those who choose me for a friend too. Finally, thank you for being the friend of sinners, even a sinner like me. Amen.
Choose your friends carefully. They will shape who you become in good times and bad.
Tuesday, December 3rd
“In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the most gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Dear Lord, I never tire of needing this reminder from my friend, the Apostle Paul. You send challenges and difficulties my way from all angles in order to keep me humble. You make me weak so I need your strength. You want to be my everything, not just my something. Your grace is your benevolent promise to meet all my needs in your time and way. Help me to hold on to your grace and avoid treating you like the big vacation planner in the sky. I know that my eternal rest will begin when this epic struggle is over. Be my rest internally today while I wait for my rest eternally that will come at the end. Amen.
God isn’t just a big thing in our lives. He’s everything.
Monday, December 2nd
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:1-3
Dear Jesus, Just as great food satisfies my tongue, your great words satisfy my soul. I marvel that you have chosen me of all people to understand the beautiful truths of your living word. Every time I read them, they change my thinking, repair my attitude and restore my faith. They satisfy a hunger deep within me. I see people every day that are starved for your word. They live in anger, bitterness, envy and fear. They struggle with the power of selfishness and despair. I have all those struggles too, but I have your word to combat them and to push them back out the door for my heart. Help me to crave your words so I take time to “eat” them every day. I want to live in the strength of the powerful gift you have given us. Amen.
If you are tired of mulling through your own thoughts today, get off the merry-go-round and sit quietly with God’s word and ingest the newness of life.
Saturday, November 30th
“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” 1 Peter 1:10-12
Dear Jesus, By grace you chose me to learn what you had your prophets write down for centuries about your life and sacrifice for mine. By grace you had apostles tell their stories about how you lived out the prophecies right in front of you. By grace you had family and Sunday school teachers faithfully teach me the grand story of the Bible. By grace you had mentors available to talk me through my doubts and guide me to your promises. By grace you sent your Holy Spirit who used your word from the prophets, apostles and my mentors to give me faith in your salvation for me. Here in the first chapter of Peter’s he leads us in a word of praise (doxology) over the grace you have showered on us through all these people. I am “wowed” by your grace. I am privileged not because of race but because of grace. Help me to live this grateful and graceful mindset all day today. Amen.
Live in gratitude for grace today or destine yourself to be a confused, ignorant, curmudgeon.
Saturday, November 30th
Advent is really a Latin word, advenio, which mean to approach or draw near. During this season we reflect upon the coming of Jesus. We see him come to us first at Christmas, but we also know that he is coming again on the last day. Advent then looks at Jesus coming from those two perspectives reminding us to prepare our hearts for his coming to our world at Christmas and for his coming on Judgement Day.
One of the ways we prepare our hearts is through the decorations that we put up. They are more than just beautiful to look at, they also carry a message. For example, the banner that now hangs on the (from your perspective) right side of the chancel (the chancel is the front part of the church) has four candles on it, representing the four candles of the Advent wreath and therefore the four weeks of the Advent season. Each candle has a different word printed on it. The first word is WATCH. During the season of Advent we watch for the coming of Jesus. We know when we are going to celebrate Jesus coming; December 25th of course! It is on our calendar, but it wasn’t on the shepherd’s calendar. They were out in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night. They were surprised to hear from the angels that the savior had been born to them, because they were keeping watch for his coming. We keep watch for Jesus glorious return not by staying awake forever or going up some mountain and staring at the sky. We keep watch for Jesus by listening to his word and using the sacraments. Through word and sacrament the Holy Spirit keeps our faith strong, faith that is constantly watching for Jesus return.