SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
DEVOTION, READINGS and PRAYERS
MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2023
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
NEWS: We dried out for a few hours as we came into God’s house yesterday. There were 49 who attended in person and more who joined our service online. Thank you to all who participated in Bible study and/or worship; thank you to all who served before, during and after our service too. A big THANK YOU also to Pastor Joel, for conducting our Bible study and leading our worship!
Tuesday evening the study of the parables of Jesus continues at the home of Debbie and Allen Kolkman. Start time is 6:30 PM when a short devotion is said. The study follows and then fellowship time takes place, with coffee and some goodies. The evening concludes at about 8. All are invited to come!
PRAYERS: Today we pray for Allen and Debbie Kolkman. They request prayers for all those dealing with illness and give thanks for the guests who attended worship yesterday. We also add Margie, as she is dealing with severe pain.
READINGS: Psalm 36:1-6, 10; Psalm 54; Ezekiel 38:1-23; Romans 7:1-20
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“Sought and Found”
Psalm 27:8-9 – You have said, “Seek My face.” My heart says to You, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” Hide not Your face from me. Turn not Your servant away in anger, O You who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
So often we are the ones trying to hide. We try to cover up our shame and guilt and want to hide our sins from others and even from God. After sinning against God, Adam and Eve tried to hide from Him among the trees of the garden, as if a few trees could shield them from their all-knowing and all-seeing Creator! Our attempts at concealing our sins from God are just as foolish as the failed effort of our first parents. In our psalm, though, the psalmist is not trying to hide. He is afraid that God is hiding from him. The psalmist does not want to be cast off, to be tossed aside. He does not want to be forsaken by God.
We know the feeling. When we are in distress and living through difficult days, when we are frightened in the face of illness or death or oppressed by guilt and shame, we may think that God has forsaken us. Does He hear our prayers? Has He tossed us aside in anger and disgust over our sins? God has not turned away. In fact, He has said, “Seek My face.” He tells us that He wants to be found. We join in the psalmist’s desperate prayer: “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” “I am looking for You,” we pray, “Where are You, Lord?” The psalmist gives us a clue: “O You who have been my help.” When God does not seem to be present, we look back and remember His help and presence in the past. We turn to the cross, to that day when God did hide His face.
Jesus was cast off. He was betrayed and unjustly condemned to death. Although He had prayed in Gethsemane that the cup of suffering might pass from Him, it did not. As He hung dying on the cross, our Savior cried out in words from a psalm, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1a, Mark 15:34b). For the sake of our salvation, the Heavenly Father turned His face away from His beloved Son, abandoning Him to the suffering of the cross. Jesus drained the cup of God’s wrath against sin so that we would never have to drink from it. He was forsaken so that we will never be forsaken by God.
In times of joy or in days of distress, when we seek the face of God, we will find Him in remembering, in turning to the cross and the empty tomb. In Jesus we have the assurance that God has not cast us aside. God has said, “Seek My face,” and He is waiting to be found because, in Christ, He first sought and found us.
WE PRAY: God and Savior, when I seek Your face in prayer, please hear and answer me. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
1. Why does trying to hide our wrongdoings from God never work?
2. How was Jesus forsaken on the cross by the Heavenly Father? Why was that necessary?
3. Is there comfort in knowing that God wants us to seek Him, to come running after Him?
Today’s Bible Readings: Job 20-21 Matthew 11
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 Monday and new week to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us
Pastor Joel at pastor@svlchurch.org
