Praise the Lord! - Sunday, April 7, 2019

Psalm 103:1–3 (NIV84)

1 Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

My sister-in-law is undergoing treatments for a malignant brain tumor. My daughter has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since she was eleven years old. My aunt has completely lost her eyesight. I’m currently battling a nasty cold. So how are things in your family? Oh, my! I’m so sorry to hear that!

Ever find yourself swapping accounts of family illnesses?  Some folks do that merely to wallow in self-pity. For others, though, such conversations prompt expressions of sympathy, medical advice, words of encouragement, prayers for healing and recovery, and, yes, even heartfelt praise to the Lord. Let me explain:

Every sickness arrives as an uncomfortable reminder that you are a fallen creature. Mankind’s first parents sinned against God; so have you. The consequences of sin include a litany of aches, pains, sicknesses, and seemingly countless diseases. And that’s not going to change, is it? You’ve noticed that for every triumphant announcement that a deadly disease has been pushed off the world’s stage, another deadly disease comes onto the scene.

Jesus came to drive out fevers, to cure leprosy, to put the paralyzed on their feet, to give sight to the blind, and to bring hearing to the deaf. People came to the Great Physician from all over the region, and why not? He was “healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23), again and again showing his compassion and proving his identity as the Son of God.

But Jesus didn’t eradicate every illness from the face of the earth, did he? He had a much higher priority. My greatest problem is not my sniffles. My aunt’s worst ailment is not her blindness. Your most dangerous disorder is not what most recently had you sitting in your doctor’s office. It’s rather that we have offended our holy God in our thoughts, words, and actions. Those sins should lead to more than a trip to the emergency room or a frightening diagnosis at the hospital. They should result in eternal suffering in hell.

Remarkably, the Son of God was willing to suffer in my place for all my offenses against God. Praise the Lord! On the cross, he shed his blood to set you free from guilt. Praise the Lord! For his Son’s sake, our heavenly Father forgives all our sins. Praise the Lord! In this life, the Great Physician is going to heal all our diseases whenever such healing is in keeping with his good and gracious plan for our eternity. Praise the Lord! In the life to come there will be no more sickness, sorrow, suffering, or pain. “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”

PRAYER:  Whenever we petition you on behalf of those who are suffering from an illness of the body, merciful Lord, accept our prayers. Whenever we hear that you have forgiven all our sins, gracious Lord, accept our praises. Amen.

Praise God, Who Saves Us from Death - Saturday, April 6, 2019

Psalm 68:20 (NIV84)

20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

“I’m not really sure what to say.” So many of us struggle to find appropriate words for funerals. Expressing one’s condolences can indeed be a frustrating, helpless kind of experience. There are no magic words to cheer people up—funerals are not for cheer. They’re for mourning and reflection, for closure and hope.

“I wasn’t sure what to tell them.” Speaking to the terminally ill can also be uncomfortable. Do I reuse the cliché I’ve heard before? Or would it be better to just sit with them? Do I try to remind them of the good times or talk about heaven?

We face many enemies in this world, and few have been defeated. The human race continues to struggle against itself. We struggle against ourselves—our own sinful flesh. The dark, supernatural powers of this world work beyond our reach. On top of that, diseases, hurt, and suffering surround us daily.

And then there’s death, an enemy that makes the powerful feel helpless, an enemy that punches vast holes in the fabric of our lives—holes that may never fully heal this side of heaven. Our enemy, death, has fought against us since the fall into sin. And as long as death has haunted man, man has struggled against it. He’s struggled to defend himself from others, struggled to keep himself healthy, struggled to protect loved ones, and struggled against disease. And death has always won. Sure, death can be delayed. Hospitals can restore us; hospices can rend some comfort and dignity to the dying, but death will always take its due.

Except. Except when God steps in. When God steps in, his enemies melt like wax, they are blown away like smoke (Psalm 68:2). When God steps in, he saves. He took the unyielding force of death and made it submit. Almighty God wrestled death and turned it into the steps to heaven. He created hope where there was none.

He did so with his own death. To save sinners from death, he had to find a sacrifice. And, when no other sacrifice would do, Jesus himself went. He went to surrender himself to death at the hands of wicked men. But instead of lying helpless in the grave, he rose again to crush death, to snap off its sting. His death led to a resurrection, and so will ours. And until we taste our new life, he continues to be the God who also bears our burdens (Psalm 68:19).

And now, knowing how death died, we don’t have to stay silent in the face of death. Grief can’t silence our praise and death can’t strangle our hope. Although our celebration is somewhat muted in the season of Lent, treasure the joy and the victory we find in Christ’s sacrifice.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, conqueror of death, you surrendered yourself to death yet rose again to proclaim your victory. Comfort us with the news of your power and resurrection, that we might find peace in this broken world. Amen.

Finding Courage in Trouble - Friday, April 5, 2019

John 16:33 (NIV84)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Put yourself in the sandals of the disciples during holy week. What emotions would you have felt? What feelings would have reigned in your heart? Would it have been growing anxiety as the glory of Palm Sunday turned into tension and trouble by Thursday? Perhaps you would have felt the grip of fear as Jesus is arrested and everyone flees. Perhaps you would’ve tumbled into the deep despair of a world that seemed to have lost its Light. Fear, despair, anxiety, desperation—you or I might have felt any of these. But peace? Serenity? Courage? They seem entirely inappropriate.

So often, the most realistic or relatable part of John 16:33 is the part about trouble: “In this world you will have trouble…” That much we can verify on a daily basis. Far from feeling like we have “overcome the world,” we often feel as though we have lost. Family aspirations can be crushed by accidents or disease. Professional aspirations can lead us to self-destruct (not to mention destroying others). Health can slowly deteriorate or outright abandon us. As we walk this world’s hall of mirrors or stare at our neighbor’s social media highlights, our troubles can just about crush us. You can imagine the emotions that go along with those misfortunes.

As Christians, we know that in this world we will have trouble. And yet, in the most troubling scene of all, we find our victory. We find God in human flesh, troubled before his death. He would, to every human eye, suffer a humiliating defeat. The slander against him would go unchallenged. The death sentence would be handed down. Even on the cross, his enemies would gloat. And yet, on the eve of his suffering, he gave a message of peace to his disciples

Trouble they had and trouble they would continue to have but make no mistake, those same disciples would have peace. They would understand what it meant that Jesus was the sacrifice that brought them peace. They would understand what it meant to take courage in troubled times.

And they would understand victory as well. John would ponder and repeat that phrase elsewhere in his epistles. The world and all its daggers and arrows had been overcome. Whatever disease or terror or suffering you or I go through, Jesus’ message is clear—this world has been defeated.

So take heart. Find your courage in Jesus’ victory. Find peace in his sacrifice. In this world, you will have trouble, but in Jesus you have peace.

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, giver of peace, come into our hearts, strengthen our faith, and increase our hope so that, even in trial and trouble, we might take heart in the Jesus’ victory. Amen.

Painted Into the Picture - Thursday, April 4, 2019

Romans 6:5–7 (NIV84)

5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

The Raising of the Cross by Rembrandt, 1633. Rembrandt painted himself into the depiction (in blue), partly to represent that he was (spiritually) present at the crucifixion.

In 1633, the Dutch artist Rembrandt painted “The Raising of the Cross.”  The painting shows many hands pushing and pulling a large wooden cross to raise it into its place.  The body of Jesus is already attached to that cross with spikes through his hands and his feet. Jesus is being raised so that he may undergo his punishment of death by crucifixion.  But as you look at the painting, something stands out very clearly. At the base of the cross is a strange looking man wearing a blue hat and a blue shirt who definitely does not look like anyone else in the painting.  The colors alone stand out in contrast to the rest of the painting. As he was famous for, Rembrandt had painted himself into “The Raising of the Cross.” By placing himself at the base of the cross and the middle of the painting, Rembrandt was obviously saying something very clearly: “I was there too.  I am as responsible as anyone for Jesus going to the cross.”

The Bible tells us the same.  Our sins led Jesus to the cross.  If God has given us that skill, we could all paint ourselves into our own portrait of the crucifixion.  Each one of us would have to say, “I was there too. I put Jesus on the cross.”

But the Apostle Paul makes a different application of that truth in Romans chapter six.  Yes, it was our sins that led to the cross, but also understand what Jesus did to our sins through that cross. “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—”  Paul says not only were we there at the cross of Jesus but in his crucifixion, we have undergone a crucifixion too—our sin has been put to death.

And it gets even better!  “If we have been united like this with him in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.”  Not only are united with Jesus in his crucifixion, but we are also united with Jesus in his resurrection! As Jesus died on Calvary’s cross, so did our slavery to sin.  As Jesus was raised on Easter, so we were raised from everlasting death to eternal life.

I don’t know if Rembrandt painted a scene of the resurrection with his figure curiously added, but God tells us here in Romans that is exactly the case.  We are united with Jesus. His death means the death of our sin. His resurrection is our resurrection. We don’t have a painting, but we have the very Word of God which comforts us: “I was there too.  I have been raised with Jesus!”

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus Christ, you set us free—Accept our thanks eternally! Forgiven through your precious blood, We now are reconciled to God. For thus the certainty we gain That you will always true remain And not forsake us in our strife But lead us out of death to life. Amen.    (Christian Worship, 123, v. 1,4)     

Nothing to Fear - Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Hebrews 2:14 (NIV84)

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—

I admit it.  I am a coward.  When it comes to scary movies, I want no part of them.  Give me sports, give me drama, action, romantic comedy, I would rather watch a documentary on a quilting convention than a horror film.  And I think at least part of the reason that I dislike them is that I realize that there are truly horrible things in this world. And there is also a horrible cause.

As scary as a horror movie may be, the writer to the Hebrews talks about some of the most frightening things that we can ever imagine.  He is talking about death and sin, and the power of the devil. These are not things to dismiss or laugh off. The devil is real and he holds the power of death.  The chances that you and I will die one day is still 100%. Unless the Lord returns before that day, you and I will one day breathe our last breath.

But I believe the author here is talking about more than the eventual end of our heartbeats.  He is talking about the ultimate horror—spiritual death in hell. The devil is all about death—he wants us to experience hell.  He wants our souls to die. There can be no greater enemy of humanity and no greater horror than being eternally separated from God.

But even in the scariest of movies, someone has to have the courage to take on the enemy.  Jesus had that courage. But in order to defeat the devil, Jesus also had to take on something else first.  “He shared in their humanity,” the writer to the Hebrews says. We have a Savior who did not look at our plight from on high and sadly shake his head at our condition.  We have a Savior who got dirty and bloody and fierce in his fight against the devil. But for every temptation that the devil threw at him, Jesus never failed, Jesus never gave in.  And then in one great act of sacrifice at Calvary’s cross, Jesus set us free from the devil’s power. He can’t touch us. He can’t have us. We are safe.

Sometimes scary things still happen in life.  And I guess sometimes people still like to scare themselves too.  But you and I have Jesus. He took on flesh and blood to save us. And he has defeated our greatest enemy.  Through Jesus, we have nothing to fear.

PRAYER: He sent no angel to our race, Of higher or of nobler place, But wore the robe of human frame, And to this world himself he came. For us baptized, for us he bore His holy fast and hungered sore; For us temptation sharp he knew, For us the tempter overthrew. Amen.   (Christian Worship, 371, v.2,3)

His Victory Is Our Victory - Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Zephaniah 3:14–17 (NIV84)

14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel!

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

15 The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy.

The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.

16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.

17 The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Show of hands- who knows more than a handful of things specific to the Prophet Zephaniah and the occasion for his Old Testament book?  While most are more familiar with prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and maybe even Ezekiel, our glimpse into Zephaniah’s book today is worthwhile because it helps us see how the Savior who came into the world both eliminated our enemies and gives us the confidence to live for him.

While much of Zephaniah’s prophecy is God speaking directly through him, the verses before us are Zephaniah’s response to God’s goodness and mercy.  He speaks for us all when he proclaims, “Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!” We don’t have to wait long to understand why there is reason to rejoice, “The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.”  What an amazing God we have! Even before the promise of a Messiah was fulfilled in Bethlehem, Zephaniah speaks of God’s promise as if it had already been fulfilled in Christ alone. Zephaniah writes knowing that sin’s eternal consequences have been washed away. He writes knowing the fear of death has been erased. Oh, how true. The Lord is victorious. Christ has conquered death.  His victory is our victory.

Because of this, we are renewed in our faith. We know that “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love, he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”  Think about that. God Almighty rejoices because we are his and he is ours. The Lord of all is on our side. What could be better?! What could remind us more that victory is ours in him alone?!

Dear friends, this Lenten season is one of solemnity and repentance.  We travel to the cross, reminded of our sins and need for a Savior. We also travel there, though, knowing that when Christ went to Calvary, he eliminated all our enemies.  The price he paid has taken away our punishment. Never again do we have to fear any harm because he’s got us. He’s with us. He continues to fight on our behalf. Hold on to the words of Zephaniah that “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.”  They are words which drive away fear. They are words which remind us our enemies have no power over us. They are words which assure us of a victory earned by the blood of the One who went to Calvary on our behalf. All praise his holy name.

PRAYER:  Lord God, you use a little-known Old Testament prophet today to remind us of who we are in Christ and we can rejoice in him as our Savior. Build us up in this timeless truth, O Lord, and take away the temptation to be fearful in this life and woeful when things don’t go our way.  Remind us of your love. Fill us with your mercy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Battleground - Monday, April 1, 2019

1 Samuel 17:45–47 (NIV84)

45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Michael Buffer is an announcer known for one phrase, “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble.”  Wow, are those words fitting as we peak into the Valley of Elah and watch David make his way to battle Goliath.  The story is well known- Israel and Philistia are encamped on either side of the valley. Philistia’s giant champion, Goliath, taunts Israel for someone to come out and fight him.  David hears the taunts and is disgusted that this heathen would dare defy Israel’s God. With Saul’s blessing, the shepherd boy, there only to bring his brothers some food and supplies, enters the ‘ring’ for a battle to the death in which all odds were stacked against him.

David, though, knew something that neither Goliath nor the Philistines did. “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” Philistia’s champion didn’t stand a chance.  God would defeat Goliath just like he had done for his people since the beginning of time. Philistia’s champion didn’t stand a chance because he had set himself up in opposition to God Almighty.

We sometimes forget that in the battles of life, don’t we?!  We forget who fights on our side. Rather, we look at how we measure up and cower at the sight of God’s enemies. We determine there is no chance of withstanding their attacks.  How short-sighted we so often are when temptations come alluring, or when push comes to shove, or when Satan rears his ugly head to give us grief.

Satan, like Goliath, is no match for the God who fights for us.  While our battles do not take place against a real-life giant in a valley, the same God who brought David victory that day is the One who fights for us and assures us that victory is ours.  And this God knows something about victory. His sent his own Son to battle Satan on our behalf. The victory won on Calvary’s cross and triumph declared by an empty tomb is a battle won, once and for all.  This same God arms and equips us to fight day after day. More than that, he announces to all our enemies the same battle cry as did an Israelite shepherd boy, “ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”  What a victory we see in 1 Samuel 17. What a victory we have in Christ alone.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, as the world, death, and the devil stand over me as Goliath did over David, I cry to you for mercy.  There are so many things that I am not equipped to handle on my own. And yet, in your mercy, you sent your son, Jesus, descended from David, who has won us victory by your mighty name and with your endless power.  Strengthen me by the power of your Word, dear God, to boldly face the challenges of this life, confident that you are always with me. Build in me the faith to know that you will keep me close to you and be joyful that my home is with you for eternity in heaven.  Amen.

He Eliminated My Enemies - Sunday, March 31, 2019

Psalm 27:1 (NIV84)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

Are you a fan of scary movies?  Do you cover your eyes when the music gets ominous?  Do you bury your head in a pillow anticipating what’s around the corner or what might happen next?  It’s easy to live life that way, isn’t it?! Instead of cherishing the freedom that is ours in Christ alone and celebrating the gift of life he gives us to live in praise of his holy name, we cower in fear of what might be waiting around the next corner or fret about things over which we have no control.

Here’s an important lesson King David teaches us with the words of Psalm 27:1.  Seeing who the Lord is and what the Lord does helped him understand these big questions, “whom shall I fear,” and, “of whom shall I be afraid.” Without God, even King David could only respond, “anyone and everyone!”   Without our God as “my light and my salvation” we are in the dark and on our own. Without the Lord as “the stronghold of my life” we are not protected from the devil’s schemes or even our sinful self. David understood that. He knew that he needed his God in all things… or else. Whether running for his life from King Saul or heading into battle with Israel’s army or fleeing from his own son, Absalom, who sought to take over the kingdom, David needed his God to lead him, to guide him, to protect him… or all would be lost.

David, though, was never alone. Neither are we -  in this life or in eternity. God is always with us. He never ever leaves us to fend for ourselves. Rather, he guides us by the power of his Holy Word and leads us forward in glory to his holy name. Our devotions this week build off the theme, “When Christ Went to Calvary… He Eliminated My Enemies.”  He really did. He conquered death. He crushed Satan’s head. He made it so that we – his precious blood-bought children - never need to fear anything- or anyone- again. Why? Because the same One who sent his one and only Son to die for us does not abandon us in our daily struggles of life. Because he loves us.  Because he cares for us. That truth alone is what allows us this Lenten season to join with David and proclaim “The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid.”

PRAYER:  Thank you, Lord God, for reminding me through your Word that you are with me always. Continue to keep me in your tender care and protect me from Satan, this world, and even my own sinful flesh. Embolden me to live for you, confident that you lead me where you want me to go. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

God's Gracious Feedback - Saturday, March 30, 2019

Lamentations 3:22 (NIV84)

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

I recently had to do some repair work on our refrigerator.  Well, at least I tried. The water line wasn’t putting out any water.  Since I’m not a refrigerator repairman, I did what everyone does these days.  I Googled it. The easiest diagnostic test suggested was to check if the water line was frozen.  So lying at the bottom of the fridge I found the water line and connection to pop open. But with only an inch of clearance and possibly quite a bit of water in the line waiting to come flowing out if it wasn’t frozen, I was concerned about leaking water all over my floor and me.  As suggested, I pulled the connection back only slightly. Water immediately started to leak out and I pushed it back together. Then I pushed harder. But there was no click. I had tried one little thing, and now if I failed to get that part back together I would know it with water all over my floor.  But since there wasn’t a puddle I figured I must have got it back together okay.

Often times when we do something sinful we get immediate feedback about our failure.  When we say something back to a teacher with disrespect we get disciplined. If we say something insensitive to our spouse they give us the cold shoulder.  Sinful failures bring about actions from other people that often let us know we’ve done something sinful. As often as that happens it would seem that we’re always in trouble.  Even when we’re being careful we can be sinning in our minds. We might not say what we really want to, but that doesn’t make it less sinful.

Beyond the immediate feedback we get from others, God could give us his feedback.  He has every right to punish us for every sin we commit. Failure should lead to total destruction.  We deserve to be consumed for the sins we commit. That kind of immediate feedback would get our attention and cause us to not last long.

Except, that’s not what you face.  You are not consumed for your failures.  There’s only one reason why. The Lord’s great love.  His love is more than just a good feeling towards you.  His love means action. You are not consumed because Jesus was consumed.  Hanging on the cross, Jesus was facing the wrath of God. Sin was being punished.  Jesus faced it instead of you. He faced the wrath of God. He died. That was God’s great love for you.  His Son dying in your place. The innocent one for the guilty. Fixing your failures.

You don’t have to wonder, were those failures really fixed?  You have immediate feedback. Listening to the Word of God, remembering your baptism, participating in the Lord’s Supper.  God’s grace is given to you. The Lord’s great love doesn’t fail. His compassion for you in Christ doesn’t fail. Your failures are all fixed.

PRAYER:  Jesus, you are God’s great love in action.  Thank you for not failing. Thank you for fixing my failures and forgiving my sins.  Because of you, I can be confident that the Lord’s great love is for me. Lord, help me live in the reality of my failures being fixed in Christ.  Amen.

Dressed to Impress - Friday, March 29, 2019

Isaiah 61:10 (NIV84)

10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

What bride and groom would show up at their wedding wearing their dirtiest clothes?  Just finished working on the car or in the yard and head straight for the wedding? Most people getting married treat their wedding like it’s the most special day of their lives.  They show up wearing a beautiful wedding dress, a debonair tuxedo, something that everyone will notice. A sparkling gown, a colorful bow tie, and no one notices if the flowers aren’t exactly right on the tables or if the band doesn’t start playing at exactly the right time.  Those minor failures all get fixed by the bride and groom, dressed in their best, getting married.

In life, it was your failures that were all noticeable to you.  Every little one stood out because of how ugly it seemed. You may have tried to avoid making mistakes, failing to live up to God’s standards.  But you made them anyway. That time going overboard drinking and making the fateful decision to get behind the wheel of the car. The actions taken in the darkness to try and hide the websites no one should see.  Letting eyes wander in a crowd or taking advantage of a traveling spouse’s trust. Whatever they may be, whether big moral failings or a whole bunch of hopefully little failings, these sins all add up to burden our hearts and souls.  It’s not a beautiful dress or handsome looking tuxedo you’re wearing. It’s the dirtiest clothes, caked in guilt, and covered in the filth of sin.

So how is it that your soul can rejoice?  You can delight in the Lord because Jesus clothes you in garments of salvation and gives you a robe of righteousness.  Clothes that weren’t yours naturally become yours as a gift from Christ. He has them to give because he wore them first.  Jesus took your place with all your guilt and failures before the judgment of God. Jesus followed the plan of the Lord and won forgiveness for all your failings.  He fixed them in his life and death. Wearing a perfect robe of righteousness he achieved by living perfectly and dying sacrificially, he has this robe to give. He gives it to his bride, the church.  You. You adorn yourself with Christ’s righteousness. You dress up in the best Christ Jesus gives you to wear. The garments of salvation are yours. Delight in them.

What Jesus has done means you won’t have to show up to the wedding wearing dirty sinful clothes.  You’ll be able to arrive at the gates of heaven, for the wedding feast of the Lamb, wearing the best.  Dressed and adorned like a bride or groom on their wedding day. All your sinful failings will be fixed in Christ, and you’ll be dressed in the best: the garments of salvation won for you by Christ.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you once wore my failings as though they were your own.  My sins and guilt are forgiven in your life and death. Now I wear your robe of righteousness as though it were mine because in your victory it is.  Thank you for my new clothes, let me rejoice in them always. Amen.

One Act - Thursday, March 28, 2019

Romans 5:18 (NIV84)

18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

“I only did it once!” We try to downplay our failures, don’t we? It only happened one time. Don’t get so bent out of shape over it! But once is enough, isn’t it?! The angry person who pulls a gun and shoots may only fire one shot one time, but the person who dies is no less dead. The spouse who only cheats once still destroys the trust in the marriage. The first man who lived only needed to sin once in the Garden of Eden to make this world a world of sin. And because of that one sin, that one failure, we are all failures!

It affects every part of our life from the moment we are conceived. Complications during pregnancy, miscarriages, stillbirths, tense moments during delivery – all are a result of Eden’s tragedy. The sinful traits we see in our children are like looking in a mirror. The guilt we have over the sins we commit is an admission and agreement: God was correct when he called these things sinful. And all it took was one trespass, one step over the line of what God said: “don’t eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.” Ever since that moment, everything in this world – people, animals, the world itself – is condemned. As the apostle Paul says a few chapters after these words, “What a wretched man I am! Who will save me from this body of death?” One act condemned the entire world - guilty as charged!

Just as … so also. One act made us failures. One act removes our failures. One was a trespass, a step in the wrong direction. The other was a righteous act, the one right action that undid everything sinful mankind has committed and ever will commit. Adam messed up the world. Jesus saved the world. Because of the one act of salvation the Son of God accomplished, all offenses and failures of every human being are paid in full. God’s declaration of ‘NOT GUILTY’ is recorded and signed in Jesus’ blood. Adam brought death; Jesus brings life, or as he says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

That means that for every single one of my failures, Jesus paid the price. He removed the guilt and set me free from the death-grip sin wants to have on us. All are condemned by their failures; all have the guilt of their failures paid by Jesus. That’s a message that brings life. That’s a message that brings joy. That’s a message all need to hear.

PRAYER:  Dear Jesus, Thank you for your one righteous act that brings life to the world, and to me. Help me to live a joy-filled life in you and reflect that love to others. Amen.

He Revealed His Righteousness - Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Romans 1:16–17 (NIV84)

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Our God is a mighty God! He has plenty of power. He spoke and the world came into existence. He condemned, and fire rained down from heaven to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He parted the Red Sea and Israel crossed on dry land. He brought the sea back together and the entire Egyptian army was defeated. Of course, God is powerful! He proves it on the pages of his word.

So, what is God’s greatest power? His power lies not in destroying but saving. The gospel, the good news of Jesus’ death on Calvary and real resurrection is the ultimate power of God that brings salvation. The Lord describes his power for what it truly is: the good news of Jesus is his power that breaks through hearts that are ignorant, hearts that fail, hearts that don’t believe. It powerfully changes them into hearts that do believe, trust and cling to the One who never failed. It is the good news that he has removed the guilt of those who have failed.

In the gospel, God reveals his righteousness – his holiness and perfection – and gives it to us free of charge through Jesus. Jesus is the one who provides everything we need for salvation, the perfection God demands, and the payment for our failures. It’s all found in the gospel, God’s 100% reliable message of love, forgiveness, and righteousness.

Since it is so reliable, there is no hesitation to share, no doubt that would cause us to keep it to ourselves. It’s God’s power for the salvation of everyone who believes. This is what God uses to change people’s hearts and create the gift of faith. Through faith, we possess the righteousness of God, won for us by Jesus.

The Holy Spirit gave these words to the apostle Paul. The gospel was the reason he was eager to visit the people in Rome. He was not ashamed to share the gospel with them, or with anyone. Neither are we. We also have the privilege to share the gospel, knowing that the power lies in the good news of Jesus, and not in the person who is sharing the good news.

We’ve seen the power in our lives. We live as God’s righteous people by faith in Jesus. Don’t be ashamed to share it.

PRAYER:  Dear Savior, thank you for the complete reliability of your gospel message. Continue to use your powerful good news in my heart, so I can be bold to share your righteousness with others. Amen.

The Great Exchange - Tuesday, March 26, 2019

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV84)

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Whenever a professional sports team trades a player, fans like to discuss whether or not the trade was fair. Sportswriters often weigh in with a “trade grade” for each team involved. They debate which team “won” the trade. Who got the better end of the deal? Who came out worse? Professional sports leagues often put stipulations into place – like players’ salaries matching – to help make sure that trades are not lopsided, but balanced for each team. No matter what the context, when it comes to trading, we want the trade to be fair. In general, we like our exchanges to be equal. In God’s Word for today, the Apostle Paul describes a trade that is far from fair. It’s an exchange that is anything but equal. But for you and me, it’s the best trade there could ever be.

You and I know sin. We know it because we have experienced in our thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes. Those things we do that we never should…those things we don’t do that we always should…they make us feel the burden of guilt. Guilt is the realization that I have failed to hit God’s mark and there’s a price to pay for my failure. Somebody has to pay and that somebody should be me. And the price that I owe can never be paid, except by an eternity separated from God and everything good in hell.

But then God proposed a trade. It’s the kind of trade no owner or general manager of any professional sports franchise would ever even think about making. God offered the absolute best player on his team – one who was flawless in every respect – for a bunch of scrubs, for people who have no trade value whatsoever. To be precise, he traded the righteousness of his one and only Son for each and every one of our sins. Jesus Christ never knew sin from experience like you and I do. Yet, God treated him like he was the greatest sinner in the world like every sin belonged to him. That’s because he put our sins on Jesus at the cross and, in exchange, God gave us Jesus’ perfect righteousness. That means since he treated Jesus according to our sins, he now treats us according to Christ’s righteousness. He calls us perfect.   

My friends, that’s not fair. Thank God! You and I get to trade everything that is bad about us for everything that is perfect about Jesus – our worst for his best. There is no other trade like that in the world. Through it, our Savior fixes our failures forever. He makes us winners for all eternity. A great exchange, indeed.               

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, may I always marvel at the great exchange you have made for me.

The Righteous One Suffered for You - Monday, March 25, 2019

1 Peter 3:18 (NIV84)

18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

Yesterday’s devotion described how the Christian life is marked by struggle. The Apostle Paul explained there is a war that rages inside the Christian as the sinful nature and the new self do battle over whether we will do what God wills or what the devil, world, and our sinful flesh desire. Today we hear from the Apostle Peter that the Christian life is marked by another “s” word – not struggle, but suffering.

Suffering comes into our lives for any number of reasons. Sometimes, it comes just because the world is broken and that brokenness touches our life. Other times, suffering comes into our lives by our own doing. Our own sins often have harmful consequences – broken relationships, the scorn of others, even the loss of physical health.

In the previous verses, Peter encourages Christians to live lives of love, lives of service to others as a result of the faith we have in the One who came to serve and save us. Certainly, we will avoid suffering if we live good lives like that, right? Who would ever want to do us harm for doing good? It seems like no one would, but Peter tells us something different. He says in this world suffering often comes into our lives precisely because we are doing what is right. So whether what we do is good, bad, or neutral, in this life we will suffer. Suffering in this life is unavoidable.

But then Peter tells us this: “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17). Suffering is never pleasant. It’s never enjoyable. But it is better for Christians to suffer for being Christians than for any other reason. Why? Because it teaches us to appreciate our Savior’s suffering, which is the only thing that gets us through this life of suffering to the place where we will never suffer again. That’s because Jesus’ suffering was done in our place.   

In his life, Jesus Christ suffered. He lived in a broken world just as we do. Yet, unlike you and me, Christ never suffered for the evil he had done because he is righteous. He is absolutely good in God’s eyes. He is perfect. Nevertheless, Christ suffered and died. Peter tells us Christ did that for the unrighteous, for sinners like you and me, to bring us to God. Jesus Christ went through the ultimate suffering that our failures deserve so that we might never face that kind of suffering ever.

Here is the ultimate comfort. After Christ’s suffering and death in our place, he rose again. Christ now lives in exalted glory, never to suffer again. No matter the reason for your suffering here, now you look forward to your own resurrection when you will no longer suffer for anything at all for the sake of Christ.

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, when I must suffer teach me that you once suffered, too, and that by your suffering you have guaranteed for me a life to come where I will never suffer again. Amen.

The Real You is Found in Christ - Sunday, March 24, 2019

Romans 7:18–19,21-25 (NIV84)

18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Can you relate with Paul? Some say with the words of Romans 7 Paul is speaking about the time before he became a Christian. They believe that once you become a Christian, once you have been given that new life, you no longer struggle with sin the way Paul describes here. Does that ring true for you? Has that been your experience? I bet not.

The truth is the Christian life is marked by struggle. How could it be any other way? We are born into this world completely controlled by the sinful nature inside of us. We are God’s spiritual enemies who can’t do God’s will and don’t really want to anyway. Through the good news of Jesus, we find out that God has chosen to forgive and befriend us. Through that good news, the Holy Spirit brings us to trust in our Savior and creates a new spirit inside of us that delights in living according to God’s will in thanksgiving for the gift of his Son.

Unfortunately, on this side of heaven, the sinful nature remains. That’s why Paul describes the Christian life as a struggle. Actually, it’s more serious. It’s a war. The sinful nature inside of us continues to hate God’s word and will and wages war against our new person, that part of us who delights in God’s word and will. In a very real sense, the Christian is the battleground on which these two opposing forces do battle every day. And the outcome of this war is a matter of life and death. What’s at stake is the eternal destination of our souls.

What a tremendous struggle we are involved in daily! It’s frustrating. It’s agonizing. We hate it. As we look at our lives we sometimes wonder if we are even Christians. We keep doing things we’d rather not. We fall and fail. We feel the burden of our guilt. We know that we deserve death. Our hearts cry out, “I can’t do it! I’m miserable! Help!”

The truth is you have more than help. You have a Savior. The Christian life is not about getting the help that sets you on the trajectory to eventually be perfect on your own. It’s about our sinful nature dying over and over again on that battlefield and the new person in us being raised up continually by the One who has saved you through his life, death, and resurrection in your place. It’s in Christ that we are made new. It’s his work in our place that fixes all our failures. It is Christ who makes the new you (what Paul calls the “inner being”) the real you. The real you knows that as you experience the struggle…when you fall and fail…when you feel like a wretch, you have a Savior who has rescued you. Thanks be to God!

PRAYER:  Lord, in my agonizing daily struggles with my old self, teach me today to look to Christ, who has delivered me eternally. Amen.

Things Are Not Always As They Seem - Saturday, March 23, 2019

2 Kings 6:15–17 (NIV84)

15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.

16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

The army from Aram was after Elisha. Elisha had been providing intelligence to the king of Israel about the movements of the Aramean army. Now the Aramean army was going to eliminate this problem of Elisha and his cohorts. They surrounded the city of Dothan where Elisha and his servant were staying.

How could this be? They were servants of the true of God of Israel. This should not be happening. Why wasn’t there any special intelligence from the Lord to let them know the Aramean army was advancing? They were servants of the Lord Almighty after all, they should have the upper hand. This was not supposed to happen to them.

But Elisha knew that in God’s kingdom things are not always the way they seem. Elisha had already learned what the Apostle Paul would write for Christians hundreds of years later, “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31). Even though the situation looked bleak, God gave eyes of faith to Elisha and his servant. They got to see the reality. God’s forces far outnumber the forces of the world. If there was any doubt that God was working on their behalf, it was wiped away when Elisha’s servant saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire.

There are times in life when it seems like God leaves us in a difficult spot. We might doubt his care and protection. Today God opens our eyes of faith to see that his angels are doing battle with the forces of evil on our behalf. Things were not as they seem when God conquered our greatest enemy on a cross. Ponder it every day: “If God is for us, who can be against us. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31,32).

PRAYER:  Lord Almighty, give me confidence that you are watching over me and protecting me even when I can’t see all you are doing. Amen.

An Unshakeable Covenant - Friday, March 22, 2019

Isaiah 54:10 (NIV84)

10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Not too long ago, Alaskans experienced the earth shaking underneath them. Roads caved in and buildings crumbled. Even if one lives in an area prone to earthquakes, I would imagine you never really get used to the earth trembling below your feet. Each time it happens there is the fright that accompanies the quake.

Have you ever felt the ground quake under your spiritual life? It can happen if we focus on the problems of the moment. Fear creeps into our life. It can happen when we step away from regular contact with God’s Word and promises. Faith begins to fade.

We long for unshakable foundations. Even the strong and lofty terrain around us cannot provide the refuge we seek. Mountains totter. Hills crumble. Nothing can stand in the way of God’s surging anger. But in the midst of mountains shaking and crumbling there is a something that cannot be removed, there is something that will never teeter or totter – the covenant of peace from God.

“The punishment that brought us peace was on him” (Isaiah 53:5). God’s surge of punishment over our sin landed on Jesus. All who trust in this Suffering Servant have a covenant from God that cannot be shaken. They will never suffer the surge of God’s anger over sin. Instead, they find a surge of unfailing love and compassion in God’s Word and Sacraments that lasts forever.

PRAYER:  Lord, in your Word I find a flood of your compassion and love. When doubts arise and faith fades, graciously lead me back to your unshakable covenant of peace in Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.

The Biggest Guy in the Room - Thursday, March 21, 2019

Romans 8:31 (NIV84)

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

When I was in high school, I wanted to be big and strong. Unfortunately, genetics were against me. My freshmen year I might have tipped the scales at 130 pounds soaking wet. I didn’t have noticeable stomach muscles you could count, but my ribcage was easily tallied. Sometimes when I turned sideways people forgot I was in the room.

Being a wee little man was not a problem during wrestling season. Everyone in my weight class was as puny as I was. Football season, however, was a different story. In football, there is no such thing as a weight class.  There are simply those who do the tackling and those who get tackled. I often found myself in the latter group. I quickly realized that the only way I was going to survive the season was for me to get bigger. So, I hit the weights; bench press, leg press, curls, squats, you name it, I lifted it.

After a few weeks in the weight room there were some minor improvements to my physique, but still, I was not what anyone would call big. That is when my father gave me some of the best advice of my teenage years. He said, "Son, you don't have to be the biggest guy in the room. All you have to do is make sure the biggest guy in the room is your friend."

30 years later, that’s still good advice. Though very few of us need to worry about a 250-pound linebacker chasing us down, every one of us has reason to listen to a father’s advice. In the spiritual arena, there is no such thing as a weight class. There are wolves and sheep; those who do the devouring and those who are to be devoured. On our own, we are pitifully puny compared to the devil who seeks to devour us. But the devil who wants to devour us is not the biggest guy in the room.

Jesus stood toe-to-toe with the devourer in the wilderness, Jesus stood face-to-face with him atop Calvary, and Jesus (as God promised Adam and Eve in Genesis 3) crushed his head. A blood-stained cross proves the greatness of Jesus’ love for us as he laid down his life for his friends. His empty tomb proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the biggest guy in the room.

The devil may try to frighten you and intimidate you. He will point out that he is bigger than you. But you have nothing to worry about. The devil is not the biggest guy in the room. Jesus is. And the biggest guy in the room is your friend.

PRAYER:  Dear Jesus, Beyond a shadow of a doubt, you are the biggest guy in the room. The devil works hard to frighten and intimidate me. On my own, I know that I am no match for him. But because of your mercy and grace, I am not on my own. Help me to remember that because you are with me, nothing can stand against me. Amen.

We Have an Ever-Present God - Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Psalm 46:1–3 (NIV84)

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

There are times in the life of the believer when it feels like the ground is crumbling beneath your feet. You had solid plans. You had a clear vision of who you were going to be and how your life would look. But often those plans don’t feel so solid and that vision is not so clear. Things happen in life which you do not anticipate. The struggles in a sinful world and with a sinful heart leave you feeling vulnerable and exposed.

There are times in the life of the believer when it feels like waves are crashing down upon your head. You can barely keep your head above water. If one more conflict arises, if one more bill comes due, if one more demand is placed upon your time, you are sure to sink. With each wave of worry, your strength fades and you are unsure how much longer you can endure.

There are times in the life of a believer when it feels as though the earth is giving way as waters roar and foam. But even in those times, we need not fear or doubt our God. We need not fear or doubt because God is an ever-present help in trouble. That means God is not just a God who is present on happy trails and for smooth sailing, but he is with us on rocky roads and amidst surging seas. We need not doubt, for our God is the defender of the vulnerable and the protector of the exposed. He lifts up the weak, carries the weary, forgives the sinful, and bolsters the burdened.

There are times in the believer’s life when the path is uncertain, and the future is unsure. If today is one of those times, take refuge in your God and his promises shared in Psalm 46. Your God promises to be your refuge and strength, your ever-present help in trouble.

PRAYER:  Dear Heavenly Father, You are my refuge and strength, my ever-present help in trouble. Forgive me for the times I allow my uncertain and unsure life to fill me with anxiety and worry. Defend me when I am vulnerable, protect me when I am exposed, lift me up when I am weak, carry me when I am weary, bolster me when I am burdened. Help me to trust in you as my ever-present God. Amen

Choices - Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Luke 5:17–26 (NIV84)

17 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

While living overseas, it was interesting to see how other people viewed Americans. The regular stories of Americans’ lives were quite amusing to others. When the story broke about the airlines not allowing a pet ostrich onto a flight as an emotional support animal, many could not believe this was even an issue. A common tag line developed to describe such stories: “That sounds like a first world problem.”

There is no shame living where we do and enjoying the blessings God has given. But it doesn’t take long for shame or worry or regret to show up wherever you live. For Americans, this can happen with the many decisions we face.

We face decisions about careers, houses, spouse, cars, and so much more. The many choices can quickly give way to doubt. “Did I make the right decision?” In fact, decision-making can become so crippling, there’s even have a term for it - decidophobia.

It’s comforting to know that wherever we live, we have a God who deals with our worst problem and lovingly concerns himself with all of our problems.

A group of good friends brought their paralyzed friend to the place where Jesus was teaching. They had hoped he would heal their hurting friend. But Jesus started with the real problem and the bigger issue. He was not addressing first world problems or third world problems. He was tackling that man’s and all humanity’s problem. The first thing he said was, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

This enraged those who were there. Jesus knew it and called them on it. “I just fixed the biggest problem this man had. But so, there would no doubt, I am going to fix his physical, earthly problem too. Get up and walk.”

Doubts and regrets are crippling. Looking back, who knows if we made the right career choices, the right car choices, the right whatever it happens to be choices. What we do know is that the Lord has taken care of humanity’s problem. He has taken care of your problem. He will work all things out for your good, both here and for eternity. Enjoy the physical, earthly blessings God provides. But keep your eye on the big picture which lies ahead. Live at peace, for you are forgiven.

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, I strive to do all things to your glory. When a choice is given, let me consider how this will give you glory and show love to my fellow man. And in the end, when doubt comes, remind me that I am forgiven in your sight. The greatest problem that I face you have already taken care of through your death and resurrection. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.