Thursday, December 9th

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.”  Romans 1:18-23

Dear Heavenly Father, You want to be known and understood by the wonders of creation we behold every day.  In every sunset and sunrise we see your artistic prowess.  In the intricacies of a flower we see your creative wisdom.  In the symbiotic relationships between all living things we see your designer’s strength.  We see your love, your justice and your mercy in the animal kingdom.  We also see the chaos and death caused by sin.  Help us to worship you for who you are when we experience the wonders of creation.  Even though your nature teaches us volumes about you, it cannot tell us about your Son.  Your word has to do that.  When we are paging through your word, help us to marvel at the love that you show us through the cross of your Son.  With these two: nature and the cross, lead our hearts to worship and commune with you in ways that satisfy both you and us.  I want to be your revelation in nature and the word to become like Abraham, the friend of God!  Amen.

If staring down the throat of a hibiscus does not lead you to praise the Lord of heaven, then get on your knees and stare at the cross of Christ. 

Wednesday, December 8th

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.  Isaiah 40:1-2

Dear Heavenly Father, Who does that?  Who gives double blessing to people who have hurt, forgotten and disdained them?  No one human naturally does it.  We all spend so much time that we misrepresent your incomprehensible love to one another.  Instead we teach everyone all about law, retribution and justice.  Grace is foreign, mysterious and seemingly beyond our grasp.  I’m thankful you have given and have taught your grace to all of us.  We can receive it and share it.  Help me to do both today.  Amen.

The height of godliness is to truly forgive and hang in there with people. 

ADVENT, What Does This Mean? (week 2)

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 for 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)

ADVENT, What Does This Mean?

Advent is really a Latin word, advenio, which means 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) left side of the chancel (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, but because they were keeping watch they got to hear that beautiful news. We don’t know when Jesus is going to come again and this world is going to end. That isn’t on any of our calendars. So we have to keep 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.

Saturday December 4th

“Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

Dear Jesus, Having met you in my soul I am a changed person. I used to think I was “hot stuff” by myself. Sometimes I also used to think I was a loser. I was always bouncing between the two. Now, I know I’m a“ special edition,” creation of your father, a child of God who has the “Supreme Being” watching his every move and has a destiny that is out of this world. I am settled, purposed and fulfilled. Therefore, I live in a constant state of thankfulness all because of you. You rescued me from the land of the lost and helped me immigrate to the land of peace, faith, love and hope. Help me to live in this gratitude mindset always. I want to live out the joy of salvation even in the most challenging moments. I cannot do it without you. Amen.

When you know who you are and where you are going in Christ, your life has an undercurrent of thankfulness

Friday December 3rd

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light as dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

Dear Heavenly Father, You give incredible joy to our lives when we have babies you created for us. We can’t even begin to describe it. I’ve always marveled at how it brightens the lives of parents and grand-parents. But I have to confess, I have never felt exactly that way about the birth of your Son until now. But there it is in your word, “Unto us a child is born!” Your Son was born to me! He’s the child given to my family to make everything better. He gives me hope and rescue. He changes my identity, my destiny, my daily peace. I can do all things through this Son you gave me, who gives me strength. That’s why Christmas means so much tome, it’s the boy born to my family for all eternity. Amen. Jesus changes our whole family dynamic!

Tuesday November 30th

“This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Dear Jesus, Criticism is ubiquitous. We all receive it. No one escapes. When I was younger you watched as I let criticism drive me crazy. I wanted to please everyone. I tried desperately to manage my own reputation. I watched my peers get into fights and arguments as they tried to manage theirs. It is futile. No one is spoken well of by everyone all the time. I love how Paul says, “I care very little if I am judged by you.” I have clung to that verse since the day I first read it. It’s my goal to care very little what people think, not because I don’t care about them but because I don’t care so much about me. Since you have justified me through your cross, I can endure criticism, admit my faults and mistakes, apologize to those I hurt and move on knowing that with you it’s settled. With them, well, that’s up to them. I cannot control their thoughts, their tongue or their actions. What freedom the gospel brings to my everyday life. I look forward to judgment day, not because I have been so good but because your grace has been so powerful. It is the spiritual wonder cleanser. My motives have been changed by the adoption and cleansing you have given me. May my life be a thank offering, a tribute to your grace and mercy today. Amen.

When God arrests you and brings you to his court for justification, you care less about what people outside are thinking and saying

Monday November 29th

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “’My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Luke 15:28-32

Dear Lord Jesus, Help me to forget everything I have ever done for you or anyone else. Instead, give me the eyes to stare at all the blessings you give me out of sheer mercy and grace. Free me up from myself so I join you at the party for sinners you have forgiven of grievous errors. I want to welcome home your children with you. If you have someone you want me to go find for you, give me the motivation and the wisdom to go get them for you. In days when I’m weary and selfish and unconcerned for the lost, please come out of the party and call me back in the way you had the father come out to plead with the older brother in your parable. I love being in your family and I pray more people will come to understand that I want them there too. Amen.

There’s room in God’s family for people not like you

Saturday November 27th

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12-13

Dear Jesus, Thank you for working in me both the right desire and the ability to live a godly life for your glory and the benefit of others. As I am challenged today by everything from health problems to uncooperative people, give me the consistent desire and ability to bring goodness to the situation, so that I shine like your star and people are encouraged to seek you because they see your supernatural work of grace in me. When my life feels so much more mundane than this, keep me in the right attitude so I shine for you even if it’s for no other person at all. Amen.

If you live for God and God alone, you’ll be the greatest blessing for yourself and others

Friday November 26th

“But the LORD said, ‘You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left-and also many animals?” Jonah 4:10-11

Dear Heavenly Father, Your concern and compassion for all people and even for all the animals is the foundation of our entire existence. It’s your love that made us and it’s your love that forgives us when we fall. Not one of us lives outside your mercy and yet we so often want justice more than mercy. Give me your heart, which loves all people, even all creation with compassion and grace. Make me long for the restoration of all people more than I do for the satisfaction of justice. Help me find in your cross the payment for sins so I am free to love people as much as you are. Amen.

We live inside of God’s love. In here there is no room for suffocating anger and criticism

Thursday November 25th. Thanksgiving

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm100

Lord of Life, It is our duty to give you thanks. We acknowledge our dependence on you as the source of all good things: For your grace and goodness, we give you thanks. For your Word that gives life and your works that sustain our life, we give you thanks. For faithful friends and the love of family who lighten our earthly journey, we give you thanks. For the joy of young children and the honor of old age, we give you thanks. Free us today from all complaint. Fill our hearts with contentment in every circumstance. Keep us always as your people as we walk through life with thanksgiving. Amen

Wednesday November 24th

“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Luke 15:31-32

Dear Jesus, Like Jonah, I have struggled with how gracious and forgiving you are with all people. I some how think I am more deserving than others. Those thoughts are what make me undeserving of your mercy. Mercy is pure grace and never earned. Help to quit separating myself from other sinners as if my kind of sin is more pleasing in your sight than theirs. We are all recipients of your adopting grace. I love being your child. Help me love all other people as children in the making for you. Amen.

Mercy is wanting God’s grace for others as much as you want it for yourself

Tuesday November 23rd

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’” Luke 16:25-26

Dear Jesus, You told this parable to help all of us realize how short and fleeting earthly life is. Our wealth and possessions are irrelevant to eternal life. None of our personal circumstances will last. This is both a comfort and a confrontation. It makes me wake up and listen to you and whatever you have to say about the meaning of life and the salvation you bring. What you had Abraham saying to the rich man who was in hell, echoes in my mind, “In your lifetime you had good things but now you are in agony.” I don’t want to get caught up living for this life and all that passes away. Help me to enjoy your blessings but to use them for the good of other sand to your glory. Help me to hold them loosely in my heart so I don’t get dislocated when you pull them out of my grasp. Make me a free, powerful, force for gospel goodness in this life. Amen. If you feel discombobulated when God wrenches a blessing from your life, it’s a sure sign that it was not as good for you as you had once thought

Monday November 22nd

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”1 Corinthians 15:19-20

Dear Jesus, Being genuinely tied to what I can experience with my five senses makes me long for the help that you give me for today more than for help you promise when I die. Like the old song says, “Everyone wants to go to heaven but just not right now!” But your faithful Apostle brings me back home to the core of your message. You came to win the battle against sin and death, not just to win over temporal problems. My day will come when you say “No” to every request for earthly rescue. You will let the worst calamity take my body and put it to rest. If I only hope for this life, I am the most pitiable preacher. But in fact, that’s not me. I do have hope that I will cheat death. My soul will never die! My body will rise again on the last day, just like yours did on Easter. Your Easter story foreshadows my own life story. Oh Savior, make me truly trust this good news and so live in hope that people can see, even when I face my own mudslide to the grave. Amen. Every earthly accomplishment will one day appear like a plastic little league trophy compared to the glories of heaven

Wednesday November 17th

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11

Dear Heavenly Father, You have given your word to us as medicine, food and as a weapon. Forgive me for so often thinking I had what I needed within myself to fight temptation on my own. I need you and your word to be my light in the darkness and my power to say “no” when I am tempted. Whenever I read or even commit to memorizing your words, I sense it’s power over everything from worry to lust. Thank you for graciously giving us powerful words to hide in our souls to counter the myriad of evil thoughts that plague us every day. And remind me by your Holy Spirit to tap into your word when I am tempted so I don’t sin against you or anyone else. Amen.

When you pray “lead us not into temptation” do it with the word of God ion your heart and be ready to wield it when prompted

Tuesday November 16th

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” Corinthians 1:8-11

Oh God, These are the perfect passages for any Christian who has had a near death experience. We don’t talk among ourselves enough about it, but when we stare death straight in the face it’s a horrifying and totally defeating experience. I’m learning from this passage that you allow us to come near the edge of death many times before you pull us into heaven. Each time you deepen our understanding of the power of the gospel of eternal life and resurrection to come. Each time you make us value our remaining days more. Each time you increases our gratitude and faith. Health problems or threats from the outside are your servants sent to refine the faith and hope in the hearts of your children. Help us to talk to each other more about the way you draw us near and fill us up with the good news, when we find ourselves in near-death experiences. Help us to live near death but also near you and your good news all our days. Amen.

Monday November 15th

“The LORD works out everything to its proper end—even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Proverbs 16:4

Dear Heavenly Father, Because I know you’re working out everything to its proper end, I don’t need to get too caught up trying to understand the details of my life. I can spend my energy being the best me you want me to be. As you unfold each new situation, I can focus on listening to your words like a player heeds a coach in the heat of a game. Help me to hear your voice over the crowd and even over my own repeating fears and desires. I want to get it right in life, not just try to make life right for me. It’s so comforting to know that when I stroll heaven with you, I will be able to comprehend the magnificent way you worked out all of our lives together. Today is awesome and holy because you have redeemed it from the whims of us mortals. Amen.

Stop trying to make life turn our right and just work on being the best you right where you are

Saturday November 13th

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Dear Jesus, This is the perfect passage for everyday street-level living. You have created a vibrant, stable relationship with me through the pure grace you give to me weaknesses I live close to you because you consistently forgive. Gone is the system of fairness and record-keeping. Gone is the guilt and shame that makes me hide. Gone is the anger and passion for restitution. What is left is the freedom to love and beloved. Help me to translate that same grace to every relationship I have in work, church, family and friends. I want grace to be the commodity with which I do life. Help me live in the sphere of grace. Amen.

Grace postures one to give and forgive even before reasons not to emerge

Friday November 12th

“Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.’” Matthew 22:29

Dear Jesus, I love how you didn’t fall for their logical argument against faith. Instead, you pointed out their lack of knowledge about heavenly things. We know so little about heaven. Why do we try to pontificate about anything regarding the spiritual world? We would serve ourselves best if we just shut up and listened .When we factor in that you are the supernatural, Supreme Being, everything you teach us about creation and eternal life makes perfect logical sense. As humans, our debate with your word is out of ignorance regarding who you really are and what you have really said. How patient you must be when we disagree with your supernatural management of all things. Help me to relax in your claims to create, interfere and finally culminate all of history in your supernatural power. Give me the confidence to challenge my generation with your claims to be God over all things too. Amen.

Fortunately God is as patient as he is supernaturally strong. If he wasn’t it would be toast

Monday November 8th

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 23:17-18

Dear Heavenly Father, Comparing my life with others brings no peace. That horizontal pursuit leads to a dead-end filled with negative emotions. Your word tells me to lead my heart to look vertically up to you and to be zealous for my child/parent relationship with you. The fear you call for is typified by love and respect. You promise me that you have my future mapped out for me. It’s all about you and me and no one else. I long for the freedom you promise that comes from my refusing to compare my life with others. Help me to want what I have from you instead of pursuing what I want when I compare myself to others. That’s the secret to contentment. I can only come close to it if you help me by your Holy Spirit to lead my heart instead of follow it So, help me Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit to accept my life with you just as your Son did when he laid it all down to save me. Amen

Contentment is wanting what you have from God instead of getting what you want after comparing your life with others