SVLC DEVOTION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2023

by | Aug 15, 2023 | Daily Devotions

SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH

DEVOTION, READINGS and PRAYERS

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2023

 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

 NEWS: Here is the link to an interesting article that appears in the latest edition of The Lutheran Witness Magazine, The title is, “Prosperity Gospel: A heresy of false promises.” https://witness.lcms.org/2023/prosperity-gospel-a-heresy-of-false-promises/

 PRAYERS: Today we remember Kathy Andrews in our prayers. Her and Ian are spending some time in Palm Springs and they request prayers for safe travels back home on Friday. In our Summer of Prayer series, we pray that Christians in Oceanside may shine God’s light through their speech.

 READINGS: Jeremiah 52:24-34; Psalm 44; Philippians 2:12-30

 DEVOTION:

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

“Trash Picking”
August 16, 2023

 

Romans 11:13-15, 28-32 – Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? … As regards the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that He may have mercy on all.

The last sentence disturbs a lot of people: “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that He may have mercy on all.” It sounds like God is dealing with people wholesale, not looking at every individual soul, every individual sin. And to be truthful, that sounds kind of unfair. If God is just going to hand everybody over to disobedience, and then have mercy on everybody, why should I personally bother trying to live a good life? Why bother growing in faith? (If I sound cranky, that’s because I am.)

And of course there are other places in the Bible that emphasize how God deals with each one of us individually. You can start with Ezekiel 18 if you want to read some of that. But what is going on in today’s passage? I think God is trying to make a point about sin and mercy. And that point is one I think of as “No trash picking.”

What I mean is this: it’s super easy to get caught up in thinking about our sins, or the sins of other people, and tallying them up on a kind of mental list. “Well, I’ve done this and this, but not that, like that person over there!” “Oh, I keep doing this and this and I can’t seem to stop—God must be so frustrated with me.” “I wonder if God can ever forgive me when I’ve sinned, not just seven times or seventy times seven, but seven zillion times!” Sound familiar?

But think of it for a moment from Jesus’ perspective. When He laid down His life for our salvation, He did it wholesale—completely—as a single great act. When He shed His blood for us, it wasn’t “This many drops for this sin, and that many drops for the other one.” No, it was “My life for everyone.” It was complete. And His last words to us were “It is finished.”

If all of our sins are forgiven—if trusting in Jesus, crucified and risen from the dead, is enough to clear the accounts of every human being on earth—then what sense does it make to obsess over details? Making lists of sins, comparing sins, arguing about who’s guiltier—from Jesus’ perspective, it must look a lot like picking through the trash. He died to take out the trash—not to make us sit down and go through it piece by piece, calculating. Sin is behind us. Life is ahead. Forget the trash. Look at Jesus only.

WE PRAY: Lord, set my eyes on You alone. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you ever fall into the trap of thinking more about sin than Jesus?

2. How does it make you feel?

3. How do you feel when you focus on Jesus instead?

 

Today’s Bible in a Year Reading: 1 Chronicles 16; Psalms 42,44; 1 Corinthians 10:1-18

 

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 hour  s: 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 Wednesday to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us

 Pastor Joel, pastor@svlcchurch.org