SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
READINGS, PRAYERS and DEVOTION
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st, 2022
NEWS: A Happy, Blessed September and first day of meteorological fall, although with the Excessive Heat Warning, a cool down is something to look forward to! Our year is two thirds over and we will start shifting into fall mode with mid-week Bible classes resuming next week.
TONIGHT we have our Board of Directors meeting, online, at 7:00 PM. Bruce Woodward sent out the Zoom link via email on Tuesday. If you have not received it, please contact him. A Meeting Agenda was also included.
PRAYERS: Today we especially pray for the Zarnesky family: Heather, Jeff, Jack, Siari, Angel and Ana. We also pray for our Board of Directors, who meet this evening to discuss the various ministries, needs and operation of our church and congregation.
READINGS: Psalm 47; Psalm 8; 1 Kings 18:1-19; Ephesians 1:1-23
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“Is Any Cost Too High?”
Luke 14:27-33 – [Jesus said] “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
This is a strange passage to me. Jesus is clearly talking about the Christian life, and advising people to consider what it will cost them before they embark on a lifetime of being His disciple. Clearly He wants us to take the costs very, very seriously.
And yet, who can really do that? I had no clear idea of what it would cost me when I became a Christian. Oh, I knew the basics—it was going to mean laying down my right to rule myself, to do whatever I wanted to do. I would be submitting to Jesus instead. And it was going to mean the death of any number of sins and bad habits. And that would hurt!
But I didn’t know the other things it would cost me—the friendships, the jobs, even a boyfriend in my teens who was clearly not a person God would want me dating. The move cross-country, when God called my husband into ministry. The permanent change into a person caught between two cultures, half mainstream American, half Vietnamese—never fully at home in either, ever again.
How is it possible to count the cost when you don’t know half of what will happen to you?
Jesus knows we can’t. He is looking for a heart change—what He refers to when He says that we must “renounce all that we have.” Clearly this doesn’t mean that each and every Christian is to give away all their worldly goods and take to the street as a homeless, family-less person. But it does mean that each of us puts Christ first in our hearts in such a way that, if He should call us to lose something in His service, we are able to give it up at that time.
Of course, this is not a thing that human beings can do on their own. Give up family, friends, home, job? No. That can only happen if the Holy Spirit is living in us, working in us to do the impossible—to bring us to a point where we treasure Jesus above all else, however beloved.
What is it, then, that we are putting above everything else in our life—what is it that we are preferring to all these other gifts? It is Jesus, the One who counted the cost of saving us and said, “Yes, I’ll do it.” Of His own free will He became a human being, born to live the same hard life that we have—born to work hard, to suffer, and finally to die on a cross, all to bring us back to God. With His death He bought us back from the power of death; and with His resurrection He made us His own forever. This is how much He loves us. For such a Savior, is any cost too high?
WE PRAY: Dearest Lord, keep me forever Yours. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. When have you had to “count the cost” to get something you wanted?
2. Was it worthwhile?
3. What did you cost Jesus? What does this say about your value to Him?
Today’s Bible Readings: 2 Chronicles 17-18 2 Corinthians 6
Luther’s Morning Prayer
In the morning, as soon as you get out of bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ your dear son, that you have protected me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you that you would also protect me today from sin and all evil, so that my life and actions may please you completely. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
After singing a hymn or whatever else may serve your devotion, you can go about your day joyfully!
Luther’s Evening Prayer
In the evening, when you go to bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously protected me today, and I ask you to forgive me all my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously to protect me tonight. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
You can now go to bed quickly and cheerfully.
OTHER RESOURCES:
Our church website is: https://www.svlchurch.org/
Below is our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/shepherdofthevalleyoceanside
Here is the website for Lutherans for Life: https://lutheransforlife.org/
Here is the website for Lutheran Hour Ministries: https://www.lhm.org/
Lutheran Public Radio is listener supported and has two channels, one for sacred music and the other for talk, including news, current issues, politics and spiritual matters from a Lutheran perspective. Hosted by Pastor Todd Wilken, Issues, Etc. airs live Monday thru Friday from 1 to 3 pm Pacific, with the “Best Of” running at other hours: https://lutheranpublicradio.org/
KFUO is the listener supported radio station owned and operated by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Based in St. Louis, their format consists of teaching, preaching, ministry and sacred music: https://www.kfuo.org/
A very blessed Thursday to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us
Pastor Joel at pastor@svlchurch.org
