SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
READINGS, PRAYERS and DEVOTION
MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2022
REFORMATION DAY
NEWS: A great day in God’s house yesterday as 41 attended in person and even more worshipped with us online. A big Thank You to all who served us in our service, plus before and after. We are also thankful for and blessed to have our Pastor Joel as he leads our Sunday Bible study and leads our worship.
Note that the Tuesday evening Bible study at the Kolkman’s WILL NOT MEET tomorrow evening.
This Thursday is the first Thursday of the new month, November, and that means the Board of Directors will be meeting, online, at 7 PM.
On this 505th Anniversary of the Reformation, here is an article, published in The Lutheran Witness magazine, on Wittenberg today: https://witness.lcms.org/2022/wittenberg-today-a-walking-tour-of-the-reformation-town/
PRAYERS: Today we especially pray for Allen and Margie Latall. We ask prayers as Allen sees his prosthetic specialist on Tuesday, goes to UCSD on Wednesday to set up surgery for his right eye and sees his pulmonologist on Thursday.
READINGS: Psalm 46; Psalm 11; Deuteronomy 32:28-52; Matthew 20:17-34
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“Pleased”
Psalm 149:2-4 – Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise His Name with dancing, making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre! For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation.
It’s an all-out celebration, the kind of party with music and dancing that continues late into the night. We may wonder—especially if we live next door and are trying to sleep—if the occasion for the joy might be a birthday, a wedding, or an anniversary. Perhaps it is a “welcome home” party for a friend or family member. These are all good excuses for a party, but the psalmist summons us to the celebration for a different reason.
We are rejoicing in our Maker and King. We have good reason to celebrate because “the LORD takes pleasure in His people.” We know that we are sinners. We are not always very delightful. Why would the Lord take pleasure in us? God in His grace, His undeserved favor for sinners, takes pleasure in us because He takes pleasure in His Son, who offered up His life as the sacrifice to atone for our sins. At Jesus’ Baptism, God the Father spoke His favor: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17b). After His Baptism, the beloved Son began His public ministry of teaching and healing and, at the right time, took up His path to the cross. Jesus’ enemies took no pleasure in Him; they rejected Him as their Savior and rejoiced to see Him condemned and crucified. As the Savior hung on the cross, His enemies mocked Jesus’ obedience to His Father and ridiculed the Father’s pleasure in His Son, saying, “He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He desires Him” (Matthew 27:43a). God did not deliver His beloved Son. Jesus suffered and died for us so that through faith in Him we would be delivered from sin, death, and the power of Satan.
The Lord who takes pleasure in His people “adorns the humble with salvation.” We can do nothing to save ourselves. No good works, no efforts of our own, could ever be sufficient to establish for ourselves a right relationship with God. It is the humble who are adorned with salvation, those who are moved by the Holy Spirit to repent of their sins and humbly acknowledge their need for a Savior. For Jesus’ sake, God takes pleasure in us. He forgives our sins and clothes us—as if dressing us for a party!—in the righteousness of Jesus His Son. We may or may not praise the Lord with dancing and tambourines, but however we choose to celebrate, we have every reason to be glad and rejoice in our Maker, King, and Savior!
WE PRAY: My Maker and King, I will celebrate Your love and mercy forever! Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
1. What’s the last really great party you went to?
2. How has God shown that He takes pleasure in us?
3. Clearly, praising God with music and dancing is in the Bible. Is this something you would feel comfortable doing—why or why not?
Today’s Bible Readings: Jeremiah 50 Hebrews 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 Monday and new week to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us
Pastor Joel at pastor@svlchurch.org
