Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Trilogy of Hope"

Isaiah 40:2 "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for."

Most of us are not like cavalrymen on spirited horses who anxiously wait for the cry "Charge!" Most of us are ready for a word of comfort and hope. So it is good that the Scriptures picture God not like a field marshal pushing us into battle but more like a field physician bending over our wounded spirits and broken dreams to bring us calm and healing.

Isaiah 40:2 gives us three word pictures of comfort and hope. In the first one God declares: "Proclaim to her (God's people, the church) that her hard service has been completed." Each of us daily battles his or her sinful nature. The good intentions we formulate in the morning have usually faded away before noon. Our evil impulses tend to push the new man in us -- the new nature in Christ -- into retreat.

Then God steps forward and tells us that the decisive battle was fought at Golgotha. There Jesus, through His death and resurrection, won not only the battle but also the war. Our sins are forgiven. Death has been defeated. "Our hard service ('warfare' in some translations) has been completed." We live in peace. This is good news for us, and it is also the message our Lord wants us to share with the world.

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"Divine Physician"

Matthew 8:16-17 "(Jesus)...healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.'"

We usually think of the Lord Jesus as a teacher or preacher or redeemer from sin. As He is pictured in the Gospel accounts, however, it would be just as true to look upon Him as medical doctor. The record of His early ministry, at least, indicates that He probably spent as much time healing as He did teaching and preaching.

And Saint Matthew points out that Jesus' healing ministry filled out the prophetic picture of the Messiah found in Isaiah's great 53rd chapter: "Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows" (v. 4).

Though no longer with us visibly, Jesus is still the Great Physician. "Surely I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20), was His final promise. Through the skill of doctors, the care of nurses, the "miracle" of drugs and medical technology, along with the processes of nature, His healing comes to our sick bodies.

By serene trust and faith in the Savior who not only bore our sins but also "took up our infirmities and carried our diseases," we reach out and touch the source of all healing power.

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"Cast All Your Anxiety on God"

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

There's no question but that illness of any kind brings with it a degree of anxiety. Normal life is halted; other members of the family are inconvenienced; one's work or activity schedule is interrupted; an operation may be in the offing; the time of the full restoration to health is unknown. Whatever our worries, fears, and doubts, the apostle urges us to gather them together and cast them all on God, our heavenly Father.

Saint Peter cites the reason for placing our burdens on the Lord: "He cares for you." God cared about each one of us before we were born. He continued to be concerned after our birth, keeping and preserving us from harm. In answer to prayer He freely gave us the blessings we needed. Surpassing all these benefits is the greatest gift: Jesus Christ. A greeting card company urges people who care enough to give the very best. God cared enough that He gave the very best: His own Son to be our Savior and Helper.

Keeping this in mind, we can confidently come to our Lord with all our cares and prayers in time of sickness. He will take care of us. He will be with us when we need Him the most.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Unevenly Yoked"

Matthew 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me"

Strange, isn't it, that God would consider a sinner to be just as innocent as the Sinless One; that for a condemned person, Jesus would dare to die; and that a wayward son would be welcomed home by a forgiving father as if nothing had happened!

Yet here we are, people who have trouble keeping God's will uppermost in our minds and hearts. Like King David of Old Testament days, we are surrounded by problems and troubles on every side. Some of our difficulties are of our own making; some come as a result of the actions of others. All are burdens to carry, and quite often no one seems willing to help.

Yet the Savior's invitation comes to burdened souls with rich assurance. "Come to Me," says the Sinless One. "Take My yoke upon you." Finally, the message sinks in. Someone cares! God sees us in our need. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who was willing to bear our burdens of sin and sorrow, and even to die for us!

"Talk about being "unevenly yoked" -- we who are weak with the One who is strong! Christ carries us with His tender love. He takes on our burdens and shares with us His Holy Spirit so that we have the needed strength to endure whatever befalls us.

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"Heading for Home"

Matthew 11:29-30 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Who can lighten our burdens -- the pains and problems of life that inevitably plague us all?

When a team of horses used to pull a hay wagon out to the fields, they plodded along with little enthusiasm. But when the wagon was stacked high with hay and they were heading for home where there was food and water and rest, the heavy load seemed to be no load at all!

On the road to our heavenly home with Jesus, our burdens become light. Granted, we do wear His yoke. We are His servants. But our Master is the loving Lord Jesus, who gave His life on the cross to redeem us. It is when we lose sight of Jesus and the glory that awaits us that our burdens seem unbearable. Caught up in the cares and worries of this earthly life, we easily chafe even under the light loads.

Do we envy those Christians who bear up so well under their burdens? Jesus' invitation is for us, too: "My yoke is easy." He does not promise to remove every burden. His promise is to guide us safely to the heavenly home.

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"Straying -- Returning"

1 Peter 2:25 "You were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

To be called sheep is not exactly a compliment. Sheep are weak and helpless, stupid and fearful. Take your eyes off them, and they wander away. Scripture always talks about them getting lost or being in danger. We are often called sheep, sheep who stray. And we do, do we not? Not that many of us get into major trouble very often, but we skirt the edges of law and morality enough to be reminded that we are full of sin and that we need a shepherd to rescue us.

And what a shepherd we have! He calls His sheep by name; He leaves the major portion of the flock to attend one who has strayed; He lays down His life for all; He rises again to feed and nourish His flock.

To be returned to such a shepherd is sheer joy, and we are not embarrassed to be called sheep. On the contrary, we recognize our need and are grateful that God has not abandoned us in our lost condition but has sent the Good Shepherd to guard, feed, and lead us. With the sheep of Psalm 23 we are able to say, "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Lost is Found"

Luke 15:5 "And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home."

The shepherd's search for his lost sheep is begun at the moment the sheep becomes lost; it is carried on with great vigor and urgency; and it continues until the sheep is found. Such was the concern of a shepherd in our Lord's day for his sheep. When at last the great moment of discovery comes and the lost sheep is found, this is an occasion for nothing but pure joy over the fact that the lost is no more lost but found; the missing one is safe and sound. As a spontaneous expression of joy and relief, the shepherd tenderly picks the sheep up, examines it for cuts and bruises, and gently lays it on his shoulders as he heads back to the fold.

By this simple illustration our Lord reassures us and all His sheep that each one is very precious in His sight. For each one who strays or wanders from the fold of faith He has an all-consuming concern. Our Good Shepherd goes forth, seeking the lost one and hoping to restore him or her. He does this each time a sheep strays.

What a comfort to all of us wandering sheep! We experience not only our Lord's loving concern and persevering search but also His forgiveness that takes away our lostness. With rejoicing He restores us to the fold of the faithful.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Focusing on Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."

After picking up her photographs at the developer one day, a young traveler was disappointed to discover that many of her vacation pictures were blurry images of unrecognizable objects. She had failed to focus her camera.

The apostle Peter learned about the necessity of proper focusing when Jesus called him to walk on water. When he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. But when he looked around at the wind, fear engulfed him, and he began to sink (Matthew 14: 22-31). He had the wrong focus.

Such is our experience at times. We don't focus on Jesus, but rather on our circumstances. Then we begin to doubt God's care of us. Confusion and fear may drown us.

The writer to the Hebrews counsels us to "fix our eyes on Jesus." We are to look to Him, meditate on Him, and consider the sufferings and shame He underwent to redeem us. Such a focus will assure us of His immeasurable love for us and give us confidence that He will keep us and perfect the faith He has begun in us. God supplies our needs, guides us through our perplexities, and comforts us always. What an encouraging picture!

[Soldier4Christ]

"Don't Leave Home Without It"

Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden Your word in my heart."

When life gets tough, we need something more solid to cling to than feelings and emotions. "In time of trial we should rest not on our feelings but on the Word of God" (Martin Luther). God's Word is like the rock of Gibraltar. In it there is help for every need.

The best we can do is to cling to the promises of God. God will always meet us there -- and effectively so. When it comes to power, nothing can match the power of God's Word. It replaces negative attitudes. It gives attitudes that have altitude.

Here are some words to take with you wherever you go. Hold them and they will hold you. "By this I will know that God is for me" (Psalm 56:9). "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9). "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you " (1 Peter 5:7). "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

The Word is powerful, eternal, imperishable. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away" (Luke 21:33). Nothing on earth can do more for you than the Word that testifies of Christ, our Savior.

[Soldier4Christ]

"His Will, Not Ours"

Matthew 26: 39, 42 "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will. ...My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done."

Many of us are acquainted with Heinrich Hofmann's inspiring painting entitled "Christ in Gethsemane." In this painting Christ is shown kneeling on the ground, with His forearms resting on a large stone, His hands folded, and His eyes directed toward heaven. As we look at the scene, we can almost hear Jesus pleading: "My Father...not as I will, but as You will. ...Your will be done."

At that moment, of course, Christ was more than an example for us to follow. He was our Savior, suffering for the sins of all people. But in a secondary sense, He was on that sorrowful night also an example for us to follow.

How many of us have had to live through our own "Gethsemanes" -- a painful illness, a broken marriage, a friend lost, a wayward child, days of doubt and dark despair? Whatever the tragedy, it was our own "Gethsemane."

In moments like that, may we be given the childlike faith to say: "My Father, You have redeemed me through Your Son. You are my anchor and my stay. Into Your fatherly hands I place my life. Not my will, but Yours be done."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Valuable Bit Of History"

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. Matthew 26:14-15

I think most of us would agree that $1,673,000 is not small change.

Maybe, but that’s the price paid last week at an auction in Gettysburg, PA. True, this is a special sword. The citizens of Kentucky gave the beautiful gold and silver weapon with the diamond monogram to General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant in 1864. It’s a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. But a million-and-a-half dollars is more than I would pay for such an item (if I had a million-and-a-half dollars).

Honesty, and my bank, both compel me to say that I will also not be bidding for the “world’s oldest running car.” The steam-powered vehicle, manufactured in 1884, is going to be placed on the auction block in August at Pebble Beach, Ca. That vehicle is expected to bring in somewhere between $1.5 and $2 million dollars.

You probably agree that while these historical items are of considerable interest, they’re simply not “millions of dollars interesting.”

So let me ask you, “How much is Jesus worth?” The High Priests of Israel were willing to pay thirty pieces of silver to have the Christ placed into their hands. Because Pontius Pilate thought Jesus was worth less than his political career, he was willing to send an innocent man to the cross. Over the centuries, martyrs have thought Jesus was so valuable that they were willing to suffer and die in terrible ways rather than renounce Him.

But what is Jesus worth to you? It is a question that can hardly be considered rhetorical. Remember, Jesus believed your forgiveness and eternal salvation to be of such eternal importance and worth that He was willing to suffer, die, and rise for you. So we ask again, “What is Jesus worth to you?” Will His value be reflected in the way you live your life today? Will your language be respectful and devoid of blasphemy? In all the work you do, will its quality reflect the importance of the Savior who lives within your heart? Will the people who meet you walk away knowing that Jesus is your dearest friend, your greatest strength, your constant companion?

By the Holy Spirit’s power, may the answer to all these questions be, “Jesus is my valued Savior, Counselor, and Lord.” May you be able to say, “This day and every day I shall glorify Him.”

[Soldier4Christ]

"As American As…"

“For I the LORD do not change.” Malachi 3:6a

Years ago, there was an advertisement that still sticks in my mind. It said something like, “American as baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.” On the 4th of July, the most American of all holidays, it’s only natural for us to talk about this country.

But what I want to say is this: we’ve got a problem. Did you know that the all-time hot dog eating champion is a Japanese fellow by the name of Takeru Kobayashi? That’s right. For the last six years, the Forth of July hot dog eating championship on Coney Island has been won by a 165-pound fellow from the “Land of the Rising Sun”. Last year, he set a record by devouring 53 ¾ hot dogs AND buns in a 12-minute period. Now, if you happen to be a follower of major sporting events like hot dog eating, the Associated Press has just sent out a bulletin announcing to all the world that Takeru may bow out of the tournament this year because he has developed arthritis of the jaw.

If the hot dog-eating champion can be Japanese, what else can’t be counted on? Let’s go back to the first paragraph of this devotion. Although baseball remains popular in the US, almost every authority agrees more people watch football. Some even say that basketball, NASCAR, and bird watching have trumped baseball. And as far as Chevrolet is concerned, as of May 2007, Toyota has sold 5,700 more cars in the US than has General Motors.

The only thing left on our list of American favorites is “apple pie”. All the rest have been bumped to the side. This leads me to ask, “If these truly American things are not untouchable, is there anything in which we can believe? Is there anyone in whom we can place our trust? Is there anybody who can always be counted on?” By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and speaking for the Holy Trinity, the Old Testament Prophet, Malachi provides the answer. God says, “I am the Lord, I change not.” (KJV)

While I rejoice in my country, and give thanks to God for the many blessings she offers, I thank the Lord most of all for the Savior whose forgiveness, love, and grace can be counted on forever. Even if the mountains crumble and apple pie is no longer palatable, the Lord will be with me. This is why I will trust in Him as my best friend and truest support.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Emergency"

July 5, 2007

But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive. Jeremiah 13:17

We’ve all heard the obnoxious tone, and then the words, “This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. The broadcasters of your area in voluntary cooperation with the FCC and other authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency.” But what would happen if the alert was not a test, but for real?

Last Tuesday, many Illinois residents found out. Radio and TV stations received an alert. It said that an emergency message was going to be broadcast from the White House. Station engineers were told, under penalty of law, not to disconnect the signal. For many, it was an unnecessary instruction as many stations shut down and others automatically patched into the signal of WGN in Chicago (a Lutheran Hour station).

Spike O’Dell, the morning broadcaster on WGN, was surprised to find PBS was carrying his words along with many other music and talk radio stations. Confused, Spike waited for a White House message that would explain the emergency. It was a message that never came. It never came because the whole thing was a major mistake.

And just how did the public react to the possibility of Armageddon? Did they get hysterical? Did they begin to panic? Those are easy questions to answer. The public did almost nothing. Only a handful of calls were received from concerned listeners. Most people kept on going as if nothing were happening. In short, the system for warning people worked. It’s just that the people didn’t listen.

The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah would have understood that last line. You see, Jeremiah’s life was dedicated to warning people that their sins were going to be punished and bad things were coming. Sadly, folks reacted to Jeremiah’s message in the same way people listened to the emergency warning on their radio. God’s system for warning people worked. It was the listeners who didn’t pay attention.

As Christians, we dare not ignore God. When God talks, we really ought to listen. If He calls us back from sin, we should listen. If He tells us His Son is the sacrifice that will take away our sins, we need to listen. If He tells us to share the Redeemer’s story of salvation with the lost of the world, we should listen to that, too. We should listen because God’s grace wants to make sure as many people as possible survive the coming destruction.

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"Our Help Comes From the Lord"

Psalm 121:1-2 "I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

Most Christians have experienced times when they seemed without help or hope. Health, family problems, financial distress -- whatever the trouble -- there seemed to be no one to turn to.

Yet we know where to seek help. We can confidently approach the throne of Christ, who sympathizes with our weaknesses. His throne is a throne of grace. Our Savior knows our sins. He covers our weaknesses, even our weak faith, with His love and forgiveness. From Him we receive mercy and grace in our time of need. It is to Him we turn in distress.

So the psalmist says confidently, "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Again: The Lord will keep you from all harm -- He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore" (Psalm 121:7-8).

God may not always give us what we want. We may not always understand God's ways, but we can trust Him. He has our earthly welfare and our eternal salvation at heart.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Pain"

Psalm 6:2 "O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony."

The pain strikes suddenly. The lower back aches. The pain spreads up the spine. Movement increases the discomfort. Lying down helps, but even sleep becomes difficult. Day after day the pain continues. Why is this happening? Who can help? When pain leaves, we often forget, but when symptoms persist, we wilt and lie helpless.

The psalmist struggles under affliction and cries out, "O Lord, heal me!" He adds, "I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping" (Psalm 6:6). No pat answers to the problem of pain. No help from philosophical speculation about the inevitability of pain or its maturing benefits. Like the psalmist, we turn to God in our despair. We ask for healing, for relief, for strength.

But most of all, we focus on God's Son, who took on flesh and experienced pain for us. He hurt when roughly handled and scourged. The nails in His hands and feet sent pain stabbing through His system. And the hours of tortured breathing on the cross took their toll. In the process, He conquered sin and death. Pain continues now, but God heals, soothes, and strengthens. Risen and ascended, Jesus will come again to take us to eternal life with Him, where there will be no more pain.