Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"Times Catch Up With Us"

Psalm 143:3 "The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead."

For me, a pastor, today (the Wednesday of Holy Week) is a day to fine-tune plans for the worship services yet to come. I might even leave the office a little early and relax a bit at home.

What must this day have been like for Jesus? Luke indicates that Jesus spent Monday through Wednesday (and perhaps Thursday) of Holy Week at the temple teaching. Some fine-tuning, I suppose, of His earthly ministry. Then in the evenings He would go to the Mount of Olives to relax, pray, and sleep.

There are times when we need to do the same-today is an excellent day to spend with God in His word and in prayer. Some may ask, "What will happen if I do?" Good question. I do not know the answer to that question, but we learn in Scripture that God will bless you as you meditate on His word and spend time with Him in prayer. Tomorrow, Maundy Thursday, is a significant day. Following that comes Good Friday. Today is a good day for fine-tuning.

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"Who Are You To Say?"

Psalm 143:2 "Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before You."

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ was just like us, except that He never sinned. Like us, Jesus got angry. But His anger was different from ours. The Gospel of Mark gives this account: "And as He taught them, He said, 'Is it not written: "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?" But you have made it "a den of robbers."' The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill Him, for they feared Him, because the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching" (Mark 11:17-18).

They must have demanded, "Who are you to tell us what to do?" Jesus answered plainly by calling the temple His Father's house. Sometimes, this anger of Jesus is called a "righteous anger." Today's psalm says that no one living is righteous before God. This is true-no one is righteous in and of themselves. The only one who is righteous before God is the one who has been forgiven by the righteous one who lived, died, and lives again. The Good News is that Jesus came to declare you "righteous!"

[Soldier4Christ]

"Another Prayer"

Psalm 143:1 "O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in Your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief."

Pilgrim's Progress depicts a man trying to find relief from his sins. He is pictured as a pilgrim carrying a huge burden on his shoulders. At one point, he approaches a hill. Climbing to the top, he finds a cross. At the bottom is an empty grave. All at once his burden falls from his shoulders, rolls down the hill, and disappears into the grave.

We carry a burden with us-the burden of sin. We cry out for God to come to our relief. He answers by bringing us to the cross of His Son. He says, "Here your burden is relieved. Your sin is taken from you." And He buries our sin in the grave with His Son.

But like that grave in Pilgrim's Progress the grave of Jesus Christ is empty. Though He died and was buried, three days later His grave was empty. Guards had been posted to keep everyone out, but they couldn't keep Jesus in! He is alive forever. Jesus conquered sin and death for you! He rose from the dead! And you, too, will live forever because of the faith you have in Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Day of Palms"

Psalm 22:19,21 "But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen."

For centuries this has been known as "Palm Sunday" (in Latin, Palmarum). Praise the Lord!" is the "hosanna" cry this day.

Hosanna is not a word used all that often in everyday conversation! Today you saw palm branches waving in joy, recalling the palm branches spread on the ground so that the "one who comes in the name of the Lord" would not be walking on mere dirt. Palm Sunday is a day to rejoice and to remember why the Lord came in the first place. He came to take the punishment we deserved because of our sins.

The psalm for today is a cry for God to "be not far off." Not far off in our distance is the cross. See, the Lord is not far off-you can almost "see" Him on that lonely hill called Calvary. The "strength" of God-the Son of God-gave it all up for us to save us from our sins. Our cries of praise-Hosanna!-take on special meaning when we see that lonely hill in the distance. As you look to that hill, praise the Lord because He came to make the journey to that cross for you.

[Soldier4Christ]

"He Hears and Accepts"

Psalm 6:9 "The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer."

"Its always darkest before the dawn." The next week will prove to be very dark before the dawn of Easter. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday.

"How much longer, Lord?"

"Not too much longer."

But oh! What we've gone through to get to Easter: the sacrifice of God's Son, the depth of God's love that goes beyond the depths of our despair. Jesus' love is so deep and unfathomable that He takes our sin on Himself and pays the penalty for our sin.

Now you have a new life in Christ. For this the reason God hears and accepts our prayer. For this reason we pray "in Jesus' name." No matter what, God listens with a loving heart. This is Good News!

Throughout the busy-ness of Holy Week and all its services, don't forget to take time to pray, seeking God's love and mercy in His Holy Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Weeping in the Night"

Psalm 6:6 "I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears."

Going to work, which used to be a respite, had become a harrowing experience with the threat of lay-offs. Going to church throughout Lent had been tough with its emphasis on sin and repentance. He didn't know how much more he could take.

Finally, he took two days off. It wasn't a stretch to tell his boss he was sick. He was-sick and tired. He spent the first day with his wife and kids. Time to relax, sit down, eat together, and have fun. He spent the second day by himself in prayer and reading God's Word. Now he was ready to return to worship to hear the Lenten message once again.

Are you tired? The Good News is that there is someone who has told us to come to Him when we are weary. He promises to give us rest.

But where can you go to find Jesus? The best place is still worship! He has promised to be there "where two are three" (or more!) are "gathered" in His name.

The prescription for being "sick and tired" is Jesus Christ!

[Soldier4Christ]

"No One Remembers"

Psalm 6:5 "No one remembers You when he is dead. Who praises You from the grave?"

Some people say that death is the end. There is nothing else beyond the grave. The Good News is that there is life beyond the grave in Jesus Christ!

Death is not our end; but it is the end of all the chances we have to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin. While alive in this world, we have the opportunity to hear that Jesus died for our sin and rose from the dead to give us eternal life. While we are still alive in this world, we have the opportunity to remember what God has done for us. And we have the opportunity to tell others through word and song.

Once dead, the opportunity ends. We will either be condemned to hell because we rejected God and His salvation, or we will spend eternity in heaven because our hearts were open to embrace the Gospel and believe it.

Lent is almost over. Are you ready to remember what Jesus did for you?

[Soldier4Christ]

"When Already?"

Psalm 6:3-4 "My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of Your unfailing love."

I was at the zoo with my wife and three boys. We had been walking around for at least two hours, seeing every animal. We had made our way to the "back" of the zoo-seeing all the animals along the way. With no more new animals to see, we had to walk back through the entire zoo to reach the car. As we walked I watched my 2-year-old make the journey. He struggled to keep up. He was so tired! Finally, I picked him up and carried him on my shoulders.

When I make my way through each Lent, it is at about this time that I really become weary. Lent is less than two weeks from ending. I've been focusing on my sinfulness and God's love and mercy upon me. I'm weary. But then when I come to worship and hear God's love and mercy preached and announced, it's as if He's picked me up and put me on His shoulders to carry me. He picks you up and puts you on His shoulders, too! Don't worry, He's got big shoulders-there's room enough for all!

[Soldier4Christ]

"It Gets To Me"

Psalm 6:2 "Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony."

"Are we there yet?" This is said over and over in every car carrying kids on a trip out of town. It's a running gag for many. It was for me, until last year. My oldest was five, talking quite well. He let out with the "running gag" question 15 minutes into a trip to Grandma's-and it was a l-o-n-g trip!

We've been traveling on our journey through Lent for over a month.

"Are we there yet?"

Like an explorer trudging through a desert, stumbling, falling, we might be so far into this journey that we are crying out to God for mercy.

Are we really that bad that Jesus had to die? Yes, as a matter of fact, we are! Living with that thought, day in and day out, can "get to you." We're weary and we need God's healing in our bones. But don't give up yet! We're almost there! Hang in there; God is with us even now with healing for our weary bones!

[Soldier4Christ]

"Discipline II"

Psalm 6:1 "O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath."

In our devotion for St. Patrick's Day these same words appeared, although in a different psalm. There is a reason God's words are repeated … to catch our attention. God uses this repetition to highlight the importance of His teaching.

One of the important ways God teaches us is through discipline. For the sake of Jesus, God does not rebuke us in anger nor discipline us in His wrath. He pours out His wrath on Jesus as He suffered on the cross for our sins.

Yet, God sometimes allows bad things to happen in the lives of His people. You can cry out with the psalmist as you live through the experience. As God speaks to your heart through His Word, you will hear Him say that He loves you as His own dear child and will use even the bad things to strengthen your faith and teach you His will for your life.

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Dangerous Place"

Psalm 43:1 "Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men."

Judica is Latin for "judge" or the act of judging. The word "vindicate" catches this meaning in English. A person can be vindicated when others know who they are and why they do what they do. Sometimes being vindicated is dangerous.

For example, it has always been dangerous to be Christian. The Romans persecuted Christians in the first century, and in the 21st Century, Christians are still persecuted around the world. In America, we like to think we're safe, but we also suffer persecution. We may not be killed for our beliefs, but we can be ridiculed and condemned for having what others consider a "closed minded" view of the world.

But we should not fear their judgment. God is our only judge. And He vindicates us because Jesus took our sins to the cross. This Sunday such vindication through Christ is remembered, especially as we look toward His resurrection. We are now vindicated and given a reason to live a certain way. We live for God because He gives us eternal life with Him forever in heaven.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Once and Future God"

Psalm 102:27-28 "But You remain the same, and Your years will never end. The children of Your servants will live in Your presence; their descendants will be established before You."

It was a few minutes till the service started. The sunlight streamed in through the stained glass-the same windows the sun has been shining through for 150 years. As he sat, he could "see" his father sitting in the same place. And his father's father. And his father's father's father. This church had seen four generations of his family in worship.

Through the years, people have come and gone. Yet they have worshipped the same God-the Triune God-as He poured out His blessing and forgiveness through Word and Sacrament.

It gives him great comfort and a deep sense of awe to know he worships the same God as his great-great-grandfather-the great God who does not change. The great God, our Father for all generations, whose love for us never changes and whose Son is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Holy Spirit brings comfort and peace to our hearts through this never-changing Good News!

[Soldier4Christ]

"Change Your Clothes"

Psalm 102:25-26 "In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them and they will be discarded."

Prior to 1980, travelers to the National Park around Mount St. Helens, would have seen a majestic, dormant volcano. But on May 18th, in the course of a few short hours, Mount St. Helens erupted and "changed her clothes" forever. Our world can change drastically in but a short time! May 18, 1980, and September 11, 2001 stand as evidence to that.

The world is constantly changing, but God Himself never changes. What He did do, however, was to work a miraculous change in us by removing our sin.

No less powerful than a volcanic eruption, God moved heaven and earth to remove our sin. Literally. For when Jesus died, the earth quaked and the sun darkened.

The blood of Jesus removes our sin. The "old clothes" of our sin are gone forever. The "new clothes" of Jesus' righteousness are now ours forever.

[Soldier4Christ]

"For Us"

Psalm 102:18-20 "Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD: "The LORD looked down from His sanctuary on high, from heaven He viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.""

The Bible makes it very clear that because of sin, we are condemned to die. We know that although these words were written long ago, they also apply to us today: "These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31).

As in the psalm, there are times when our sins cause us to groan. These groans do not go unheard. God hears these groans-all the way from heaven and across the centuries. He looks down on our imprisonment and sends a Savior to release us.

And God still reaches us today through His Holy Word and sacraments. Through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism God gives us the power of Jesus' death and resurrection! Through the Sacrament of Holy Communion He grants the forgiveness of sins! These are the means through which God gives us His grace, the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

"It's About Time"

Psalm 102:13 "You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come."

He had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and had just months to live when I first met him. He was a believer in Jesus Christ, but going to church had not been high on his priority list. As we talked, I knew I could assure him of eternal life. Like I said, he had faith in Christ. A weak faith, perhaps, for it was a faith that didn't take him into a house of worship. But even a weak faith can save. As we talked, he lamented that he did not have a stronger faith, a faith that had sought out God's Word and sacraments.

He had come to repentance. He had enough time. God is waiting for you. He will always be here for you. God shows favor, He pours grace and blessing always "at the right time." He calls each of us "at the right time." Is He calling you today? Do you hear His call to worship, to receive the gift of His sacrament, to serve Him?