Daily Devotion for September 29, 2006

God Knows

 

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4

 

Who is God the Father? We have an image of him as kind, elderly gentleman with a long white beard, sitting peacefully amongst the clouds. But who is he really?

 

God is our heavenly Father, the one who sees everything that we do. He sees us whether we are out in public or locked away in secret.

Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)

We are expected to be humble before him in all that we do, even those acts that are done for others; to Him belongs all of the glory.

 

Matthew 6:17-18  tells us:

But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

When we are in service, or when we are going through those difficult periods in our lives, we need to not let on to others. We need to be humble in our hearts and our outward actions. God knows what our real intentions are.

 

Prayer
Almighty God, as I walk upon this earth, you know what is in my heart and in my mind. Help me to be humble before men and in your sight in all that I do. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 28, 2006

Note from Tim:
The below devotion is one that was sent to me some time back from someone on the devotion list.  She wrote it after I did a devotion about seeing Jesus in others.  I saved it because it was beautiful (and it was nice to have a devotion someone wrote to and for me).  Well,  I asked for permission to share it with others because it touched me and pray it will touch you also.  I did a few additions of Bible verse and title and such – but the rest is from this dear friend.

 

I Saw the Gift

 

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your sins, and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. Psalm 103:1-4

 

I saw Jesus. I saw Him when I was a child who could not speak and was taunted and teased by other children. I saw Him every night through my tears and everyday through my prayers. Praise the Lord, for he never left me alone. He revealed Himself to a child who hadn't even been taught to know him. He sought me out and comforted me, and I clung to him so tightly that sometimes I thought I would burst. I saw Jesus everyday as a child.

 

 I saw Jesus as a young mother, raising a child, mostly alone. I saw Him when I was afraid, wondering how I would raise this boy with no one to help, wondering how I would make it, questioning whether I could do it. I saw Jesus when I looked at my son and often thought he deserved so much better than he had been given, yet loving that boy beyond anything or anyone on earth. I saw Jesus in him. Praise the Lord, for he gave me the gift of a loving child, and through my son I have seen Jesus everyday of our life together.

 

 I saw Jesus when I listened to my son say his prayers, and when I received help even though I had been too proud to ask. When I lost my lips in the kisses on my son’s chubby, cold cheeks, I saw Jesus there as well. When tragedy touched our lives, I saw Jesus as we found refuge and hope in Him alone. I saw Jesus when godly men came and said the things to my son that a father should have, when they saw beyond his imperfections and they embraced my boy. I saw Jesus in each of those men, in each disciple that was sent to my boy. Praise the Lord for He heard my sorrow, my deepest need and He sent his disciples to lead my son when I was not enough. Praise the Lord for His compassion I have seen.

 

 I saw Jesus in my grandmother, whose life was never easy, but whose infinite gratitude and joy lifted me forever. I saw Jesus in her eternal love for me when I could not love myself. I saw Jesus in her open arms for 47 years of my life. I saw Jesus in her lips that puckered when she kissed me as if she had just eaten sour grapes and who spoke only joy and acceptance for every friend as well as every stranger. I saw Jesus with every word she spoke. I saw Jesus on her run down farm where I could lose myself in the woods and feel safe. He was always there, and I saw Him, and spoke to Him and we shared the vista over the hills together. Yes, I saw Jesus there. And praise the Lord I even saw Jesus in her death. A poor woman in her nineties whose funeral was like that of royalty. Flowers filling every inch of space in every room, people crowding in the huge building all waiting to pay respects to a women whose reflection was to me like that of Christ. I saw Jesus there that day as well.
 
I have seen Jesus throughout my life, and I see Him today. Praise the Lord for he has not given me the life I deserved. I am never alone, and I have been given a life greater than I could ever have hoped for. Praise the Lord, for I have witnessed the Holy and Compassionate Father who has provided for all my deepest needs. And thank you Tim for me seeing Jesus in your daily devotions that keep my eyes on HIM!

 

Prayer
Father God I am so thankful for who You are. You have given me gifts beyond what I ever imagined. Forgive me when I take You for granted or put other things in front of You. I am ashamed of my busyness and my thoughtlessness. Thank You, Father, for You have provided all I ever needed and more. You sent Your son to die for me and I have seen Him every day of my life. I am a witness that You are the Great Provider, the Great Comforter, and the Giver of all good things. You are Holy Father. Help me to be humble and faithful all the days of my life, and not to forget the love and mercy I have been given from You.  In your precious name, Amen

 

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 27, 2006

Prodigals

 

“And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming.” Luke 15:20

 

The most familiar passages in the Bible are often the hardest places for me to find meaning. I read them, heard them, been there before.  I feel like I heard it a few times too many. It gets to the “yada, yada, yada” stage.

 

So today I’m challenged to reach into that oh so familiar story from the perspective of my present childhood as a Christian. Frankly, I rejoice in this opportunity.

 

The first thing I notice, reading the story now, is that there is not an issue of whether it is a true story. It states clearly that it is a parable that Jesus invents to illustrate the joy of God when a sinner repents. That is interesting to me because it fills every detail of the story with Jesus’ intentions. It says to me, “Read carefully, Tim. Every word has intended meaning.”

 

The Life Application Study Bible that I rely on gives a lot of support in that direction if you’re interested in that sort of thing. But I did notice one thing: the word “prodigal” does not appear in the New Living Translation of the parable. Not once.

 

“Prodigal” is a word you don’t hear a lot these days. In fact, I think my experience with the word stems almost entirely from this one parable. So I had to look it up. I found it has two related but very different meanings. One fits very much within the phrase “prodigal son” in this story. That meaning of “prodigal” is “reckless, extravagantly wasteful.” That definition made me wonder if other nations of the world think of us as the prodigal country!

 

Then, though, there is the other meaning of “prodigal.” It can also mean “very generous.” The parable could just as well have become identified as the story of the prodigal father under this meaning! Because we have a prodigal God, don’t we, most generously eager to welcome us back when we see where our reckless living has taken us. For this we must give thanks!

 

Prayer
Dear Prodigal God,
 That you for welcoming me back every time I wander into sin.  This is the greatest grace I know. Forgive me when I am a “prodigal” and help me be a “prodigal” to others.  I thank and praise you for that. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 26, 2006

God Creates, God Loves

 

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3-4

 

Recently I have been reflecting back on my “growing up days”.  I remember taking family vacations at a place in the UP of Michigan at a town called Paradise.  How’s that for a name for a vacation place!  It was always so quiet and beautiful right on Lake Superior's Whitefish Bay.  I can understand the magnificence of the heavens when one is looking out over water.   Miles from civilization and its accompanying lights, the late night sky is spectacular. Sprinklings of stars, twinkling stars and glowing planets, constellations and frequent shooting stars entertained us for hours.  To listen to silence!

 

Who is God that He creates so incredibly? Who is He that would consider my needs in the scheme of the greater plan? Who is this God who would hear my pleas for help when my palm pilot isn’t working right or when I am lost driving? This Creator God, who created galaxies and solar systems, microbes and atoms, is invested in the miniscule details of my life and yours!  Wow – that is great news!

 

Prayer
Father God, I cannot comprehend the awesomeness of Your creation nor the vastness of Your love. All I know is that I don’t have to understand Your love to receive it. You are a great and mighty God, worthy to be praised. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 25, 2006

A Father’s Response

 

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” Luke 11:11-13

 

The Holy Spirit is a way the Father is with us, continually. Sometimes I feel like it is the very voice of God whispering to my soul. Some people tell me they don’t hear God’s voice, and I wonder if it’s just because they don’t recognize it.  Sometimes it is because they don’t recognize his voice because they are not daily reading his word.

 

There was a time in my life when I didn’t realize that God could speak to me. I remember a time when I was a youth that I was emotionally hurt by the actions of a coach.  I was angry at God on how he could allow something like that to happen.  I was hurt, angry and turned my back on everything I thought God was, because I felt He’d turned his back on me.

 

I’m older now and I realize how untrue that really is. God didn’t make the person that hurt me do the things he did.

 

When I confronted this person twenty-some years later, I found out he was totally unaware that he had injured me so deeply. God did not cause the pain, human sin did.
My Heavenly Father would not hand me a scorpion or even a snake when I was a youth crying out to him and asking him for help. Instead he sent his Holy Spirit to bring healing, courage, and strength to a frightened and confused youth. Never did He abandon or forsake me. He provided gentle and loving Christians, to be His flesh in my life even while I was angry at Him. How is that for loving and merciful? As I kicked and screamed and denied Him, He was busy wrapping his arms of love around my screaming soul.

 

It is all so clear to me now exactly how loving and merciful God is. I think that is why He calls us to love those who are so difficult to love. God knows their hurts. He knows their confusion. He has the big picture, and all we can see is a “flash” in a moment in time- their screaming and spitting, their anger and their fear all seething in confusion.

 

This Father loved us so much that even while we were behaving badly, he sent his one and only son to die for us. (Romans 5:8) That is a Father’s Response!

 

Prayer
Father God, I thank you that you loved me first, that you never leave me nor forsake me, and that your heart is to love me and for me to know you and your love. It is all so simple and I try to make it so difficult. Thank you for your patient love that quiets my soul. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 22. 2006

The Sustaining Spirit

 

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20

 

Today’s scriptures point us to the sustaining Spirit, which has guided people of God from the early prophets through people today. We have been given the “Great Commission”, of Matthew 28 to “…go and make disciples of all nations.” The Holy Spirit is our guiding force, empowering us to do the things of God. That same Spirit has been guiding people throughout time, leading them to discern God’s will and to spread the good news of God’s love through His son, Jesus Christ.

 

We read in 1 Peter that the prophets of old were led by the Spirit to write what they wrote, not for their benefit, but for the benefit of future generations. In the same way, we are charged with the great commission to make disciples throughout the entire world. This charge will keep the torch passed from one generation to the next, giving life to future generations.

 

The prophets of old were simply obedient to write what the Spirit guided them to write, not knowing all of the future readers who would be encouraged and challenged by their words. We too, do not know the impact of our actions of today. We are assured that the Holy Spirit of God knows the future, and has given us power to do the things we are commanded to do- to reach the world for God.  Remember, you may be the only Jesus someone knows!

 

Prayer
Father, we thank you for your son who died for us, and for your Spirit, who leads us to do your will. May that Spirit guide our actions today for your glory to touch lives with your presence.  May they always see you through me. Amen

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 21, 2006

Get Ready, Get Set, Go!

 

Remind the people…to be ready to do whatever is good. Titus 3:1

 

 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Thessalonians 1:3

 

The believers in the Thessalonica church were ready to do whatever was good, because they had first built up faith, hope, and love in our Lord Jesus Christ. Time spent with Jesus is the answer to doing good (good always as Jesus defines good). Jesus himself said, “Apart from me you can do nothing,” nothing good anyway. Just pondering a portion of today’s passage from Titus 1 can help prepare our hearts for doing good. When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

 

 Let God’s goodness get you ready, set and going for doing good today.   Do you know someone who is lonely?  Someone who needs some help?  Someone who needs a hug?  Someone who is in need?  When we do “good” for and to others in the name of Christ, it is God’s way of ministering not only to others but also to ourselves.  All are built up!  So get set and GO!

 

Prayer
God and Father strengthen us by Your Spirit to go about doing good as Your Son and our Savior did when He was here. Let us be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all. Let our work be produced by faith, our labor prompted by love, and our endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. And may You, Great God, receive all the glory. Thank you. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 20, 2006

Timing Is Everything

 

But when the right time came, God sent his Son… Galatians 4:4
 
 And this is his [God’s] plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-everything in heaven and earth.  Ephesians 1:10

 

The Bible is teeming with examples of humans not on God’s time schedule.
 My past has many examples of the same thing.

 

 I can do the right thing and get horrible results because it was done at the wrong time. Sometimes I think it would be so nice if God would do things in my time frame, my ways, and just bless what I am doing.  But He doesn’t work that way – and that I am sure is good!  When I look back at the last year of my life – even the last month and see all the things that have happened that weren’t on my list, I am amazed at how little I am in control!  Good thing I have a God whose timing of events is always what’s best, even when I don’t understand it at the time.  The farther I look back in my life I always see that God’s timing of events is always what was needed.  So for me, it is a matter of trusting my Heavenly Father with my life and letting Him do what is best for me at the time.  Believe it or, I find comfort in knowing that someone other then myself is in control!  (Actually I am finding out how little I am actually in control of – other then a submission to Him!) I need to stop trying to kick open doors and let God open them at the right time.  In fact, many of the doors that He opens up are not doors I would have even considered going through had He not opened them.

 

 I can’t always predict God. He doesn’t always make sense to me. He doesn’t always move at my pace. It is so very important that I listen to him. Otherwise I move too fast, too slow or not at all.

 

 It doesn’t matter if I’m just right. What matters is if I’m right at the right time – HIS time!

 

Prayer
Father, I am so ignorant of right timing. I don’t know when to exercise grace and when to exercise justice. When do I encourage and when do I correct? Part of me wishes life were easy. But then it’s not about an easy life. It’s about a relationship with you. And that’s how it works; my dependence on you for guidance builds our relationship. Thank you for this double blessing. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 19, 2006

Be Ye Nice

 

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3

 

I’m not patient by nature. Consequently, it is easy for me to get angry when things are not done on time (my timing of course). I have struggled with this my whole life. I sometimes think I wasn’t being understood when I asked someone to get something done. “What is WRONG with them?” I’d fume, “Can’t they see what I am trying to say?” I think that perhaps that is why I like writing. I can convey so much more. I don’t have to get mad, and if I do, I can choose not to send the correspondence until I have reread it and changed things here and there. I wish I could do that with the sentences before they leave my mouth. So many times with my children I wish I could hit the edit button, re-read it, re-think it, then hit SEND.

 

 The above scripture reminds me what the Holy Spirit tells me all the time, to be gentle and to be nice, and to be patient! I have to learn so much more patience. When my blood gets churning and something upsets me I tend to shoot off my mouth before I have aimed it. How much more gentle and understanding and patient has the Lord been with me?

 

 I can say that I have come a long way, but I yearn to be more of a nurturer. I long to be gentle in nature. I long to be more longsuffering and patient.  This will be my scripture for this week. Being completely (that means completely, not mostly) humble and gentle, patient and longsuffering, keeping the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Why not make it yours, too?

 

Prayer
Thank you for your whispers of calmness and peace. Help me to sow seeds of patience and grace in all my dealings today and forward. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 18, 2006

One Citizenship

 

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two thus making peace and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one spirit. Consequently you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit.” Ephesians 2:13-22

 

Belonging to a country is a very important thing. It is also important to which country you belong. The latter determines the level of protection you receive from abuse, the level of freedom that is assigned to you, the level of decision-making power through your vote. It determines which values you are taught as a child, and what things you will hold dear and respect in the future. In general, it means that there is a stronger power behind you that you have helped build. Millions of people risk and some lose their lives in pursuit of a citizenship or residence from a Western country. For many it means the life or death of their families in the countries they come from. For others it means greater freedom to think, write, and express their political, religious, or philosophical opinions without the fear of persecution. Paul knew very well the importance of his Roman citizenship, and he knew how to use it. In very dangerous times in his life the mere fact that he was born a Roman citizen was enough to grant him a fair trial.

 

God in Christ has united all believers under one citizenship. The cost of this citizenship was nothing less than his blood. It was his blood that ensured the acceptance, the reconciliation, and the peace among those who enter his kingdom, and also between them and God. As such, this kind of citizenship is precious beyond compare, and beyond any kind of explanation. In Ephesians Paul describes a future that the Lord God is preparing for his people. He says that, “you are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit”. The hostility between man and God, between man and man, is laid to rest at the cross, so that as one people we can become a place for the spirit of God to dwell, for God himself to live in.

 

 Have you ever noticed that when you invite a very important person into your home your attitude towards your household chores suddenly changes? Everything has to be immaculate and flawless. Children have to be on their best behavior. When a very important personality comes to town the whole town comes out to greet him or her. At that point, there are no hostilities. In a beautifully decorated city, there is a celebrity to greet and to impress. In our midst, there is God who wants to dwell. He is not passing by or wanting to be impressed; he is dwelling, living, staying, in our midst, sharing meals, bringing together those “who were by nature, children of wrath (2:3) and disobedience (2:2)”. He has made us part of what used to be the promise of hope to the children of Israel.

 

 Now that you and I have a new citizenship under Christ, we are no different in our rights and obligations, than any other citizen. I would like for us to think about the following questions in a serious manner, like we would think about our own country of citizenship. How is our attitude towards those outside the protection that we enjoy? Do we consider ourselves fully emerged in our new home, or do we still linger outside its walls? Are we building a place in our churches and homes where the Spirit is dwelling, where God is the sun and the water, the very source of life? Or is our dwelling being torn apart by the “desires of the flesh and of the mind”? People come to America and want to become part of it because it has so much to offer, freedom, riches, and hope for a better life. Is our life portraying those things in Christ, or has our faith become a burden of rules and regulations? Are we dedicating our energy to studying, protecting, and teaching our new constitution, the testament of Jesus Christ, or has it become a relic that is collecting dust on a shelf? To whom are you swearing your true allegiance today, to Christ, or to the world?

 

Prayer
Lord Jesus, through your blood you have bought what we could never purchase, our citizenship in the glory of God. And it was painful, but you set the first example. You showed us what the values of importance were in this new country where we got accepted. Help us to learn from you the true virtues that you possess. Help us act in responsibility towards God, our brothers and sisters, and towards those outside, so that they may see, believe and give glory to God.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 15, 2006

One Creator, One Creation

 

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

 

God created both men and women in His image. Instead of celebrating such an awesome fact, men and women focus on our differences and the “inequalities” created from such differences. Rarely is there a day that goes by that I don’t hear a man or a woman gripe about favoritism and “unfair” treatment at the expense of the opposite sex. Once that starts then there’s no stopping the all too familiar arguments of women’s suffrage, equal opportunity, preferential treatment, etc.

 

 One can spend days arguing about the petty reasons why men and women are/are not equal. It’s too bad that most of these conversations are centered on the world’s view and ignore the Biblical truth. We are all equal in God’s eyes as we were created in His image. No fancy advice column or Mars verses Venus book can invalidate God’s truth. Neither can any word(s) that come from the mouths of a male/female debate on the subject.  So instead of wasting precious time on Earth arguing about the irrelevant worldview, focus on God’s word and His kingdom as we are all created in HIS image.

 

Prayer
Lord, thank you for making me a part of you. Thank you for equally creating both women and men in your image. We certainly don’t deserve your gift and grace, but are thankful for it. Lord, please open our eyes to your image in each and every one of us whether we are male or female. Help us to see beyond the distorted worldview that makes us complain selfishly about things that are out of our control. While we may never be equal in the eyes of the world, we know that we are all equal in your eyes. Give us the strength, courage, and conviction to glorify you through our words and actions. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 14, 2006

Not Good Enough

 

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17

 

Benjamin Franklin used to begin each morning asking himself this question: “What good will I do today?” I like that. It’s a great way to begin a day. There are a lot of people that I know who do good. I am even going to be so bold as to say that I’m one of them! Yes, I do have some problems here and there (ok a lot of them!)  – but all in all, I’m a pretty good guy.  At least that’s what some people have told me.

 

There’s nothing wrong with being “good.” In fact, we should strive to be. But, goodness is not going to get us to heaven. A lot of people think that Christianity is about being and doing “good.” I think that they’ve confused the kingdom of heaven with an episode of Oprah. The truth is; I don’t get to heaven because of my goodness.

 

 I get to heaven because of Jesus’ goodness. I can’t “earn” my way to heaven because Jesus already paid the price with His Blood on the Cross.

 

 Having a Lord that has given me His all is the very reason why I’ve got to give Him my all. It’s the very least I could do. The goal is not to be “good” but instead the goal is to honor Christ with your life and to point people to see Jesus and not you. Are your good works the result of your relationship with God or are they your futile attempt to gain a salvation that Jesus already gained for you?  Do you realize that you can do nothing “good” by yourself, that it is always, and only, God working through and most times in spite of you?

 

Prayer
Lord, You have done so much for me. You took my affliction when You were blameless. Because You gave me your all, I owe You my all. May my deeds be to honor You, not to gain honor from You. Amen

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 13, 2006

Spoken of God

 

"Moses said to the Lord, ‘O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.' The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.'" Exodus 4:10-11

 

Being used by God requires allowing Him to use us. God uses people in many different ways. Some appear to be great, like God's use of Moses to speak for Israel and God to Pharaoh, and subsequently lead them out of Egypt. Others seem much smaller, like speaking a kind word or gentle instruction to a friend in need. While they may seem smaller, however, they are just as important. Every person is important to God, and reaching every person - touching every person for God - is fulfilling His vision for the world and His people.

 

 Moses was concerned about taking on this task for God - he wanted God to find another recruit. Sometimes I feel like Moses, and it isn't the leading people out of Egypt part of his story. Moses had some great excuses. Israel probably hadn't heard directly from God in the 430 years they were in Egypt, so who was this Egyptian prince to tell them God was appearing to him and speaking to him with instructions for an apparent insurrection?

 

In my version, who am I to interfere with some else's spiritual life? What do I know, anyway? It takes a great leap of faith for me to acknowledge that God can speak through me. When I speak, it is not with any authority on my part, but with and from the power of the living God. Moses also claimed to be slow of tongue, although Stephen took issue with that claim much later. This is another excuse that fits well with me. As God told Moses, however, He gave me my mouth, and He can use it as He sees need to. Christ gave His apostles the same message, comforting them that they would not need to fumble for their own words, but that the Spirit would speak through them. Where I need to focus is in letting God use me every day, to recognize where His word is needed, and to speak for Him.

 

Prayer
Lord God, give me a humble heart that I might bend before you, and allow you to use me. Grant me the wisdom to recognize when you are trying to use me, and the courage to set aside my excuses and let you work through me.  In your precious name, Amen

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 12, 2006

Faithful Friend

 

Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, “The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to town. 1 Samuel 20:41-43

 

The friendship between Jonathan and David was a covenant friendship. Ok, so maybe it was a little more one sided on Jonathan’s part towards David than David towards Jonathan.  Never the less – it was a covenant friendship.  King Saul, Jonathan’s father, wanted David killed, for Saul feared that David was rallying to be the next King of Israel, which he was. However, God had other plans and Jonathan helped David escape from Saul. God was the strength behind their covenant.

 

If we are to be faithful in our agreements with others we also need God’s strength. Without the love of God as our motivation we cannot be a faithful and true friend. Our personal relationship with Jesus will determine the character of all our close relationships. We need the wisdom of God to be a Godly friend. Unless we humbly submit to God’s way, we will be too self-centered to be a true friend. Our motivation must be God-centered, not self-centered.

 

 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

 

Prayer
Lord, help us to be faithful and true as we keep our eyes on you. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 11, 2006

Walkin’ the Walk

 

"John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' John 1:23

 

As Christians we all are servants of God. One of our jobs as servants is to point those who do not know Jesus towards Him and salvation. It can be a thankless job and we can become targets for slings and arrows from believers and non-believers alike. But through all of this, we must continue to be true to our beliefs and our faith. We must be content to do what God wants us to do and let Jesus Christ be honored for it. By doing this, God will do great things through us.

 

 John the Baptist was a fearless and uncompromising messenger, touting the arrival of Jesus. He called himself, in the words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah: A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness
 a highway for our God (Isaiah 40:3).” He felt inadequate to be Jesus’ slave: “He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie (John 1:27).” Here was a man with a true intimate connection to God; a man that understood how the relationship was supposed to work.

 

 Ask yourself this question: Am I truly humble in the eyes of God concerning my area of service, or am I doing this for my own personal gain? I asked myself that question and I don’t know that I liked the answer. Serving God feels good and right and I get a great blessing from it. It is very easy for me to sit at my computer and write this devotion or to talk about Jesus with my Christian friends because I am in the safe haven and friendly surroundings of my faith. Being in that so-called ‘safe haven,’ I sometimes forget that it is not about me and I am not the one responsible for the work getting done. It is God and God alone. When was the last time that you stepped out in faith and ventured into your own ‘wilderness,’ to make straight the highway for our God?

 

 We don’t have to wear odd clothes or eat strange foods like John the Baptist did, but wouldn’t it be great if we could all have the same conviction and fire in our lives that he had? God does not guarantee an easy or safe life to those who serve him: in the end, John the Baptist was beheaded at the request of Herod’s wife. God has a purpose for each one of us. Let him know that you are willing to follow him and trust him completely.

 

Prayer
God, I want to draw closer to you. I am ready to follow you; to go where you want me to go and do what you want me to do. Through all of this, help me to remember that it is not about me. I give you glory and praise, Father, in all situations. Amen.

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 8, 2006

Deliverance

 

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD , who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! Ruth 4:13,14

 

Deliverance.  What a wonderful thing.  Ruth had a kinsman-redeemer.  There is where she found her salvation!

 

I have come to realize that God frequently does things with a flourish. This is a shock to my rigid, well ordered, compartmentalized life. So, my challenge is always to let go and let God handle things. For all of you impetuous people out there you probably cannot relate too well but I know that I am not the 'Lone Ranger' and some of you understand. We can rest assured that what God does and inspires us to do works. Let us continue with Ruth and Boaz.

 

As Boaz took Ruth to be his wife, so the Lord Jesus has taken chosen sinners to be his bride (vv. 13-15). Thank God, he has not left us without a kinsman-redeemer. Christ is the Restorer of our lives. He is the Nourisher of our old age. Like Boaz, our Lord Jesus will not rest until he has settled the matter: 

" Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."  Ruth 3:18  ."
" The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.  1Thessalonians 5:24  ."
" being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6  "
" To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy -  Judges 1:24  ;"
and he will! Christ will, at last, present you who are his holy, unblameable, and unreproveable before the presence of his glory.

 

Prayer
Father, thank you for being my kinsman-redeemer.  Without you, there isn’t a chance of me making it.  I need your deliverance and your salvation that only you can give.  Help me always to place myself at your feet.  Amen

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 7, 2006

Whatever You Ask

 

"I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. Ruth 3:5

 

Whatever you say? Wow that's a pretty powerful statement. Yet, that very night Boaz spoke the same intention to Ruth, (and now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask.... Ruth 3:11).

 

 The bible is filled with many examples, people who were simply people of integrity while also sinners, those who were willing to do the right thing when faced with a choice. Daniel did that over and over when he refused to give up prayer to God for even a short time. Joseph did that when he took for his wife Mary, a young woman who was already with child. Hannah kept her promise and gave up her son Samuel freely to God.

 

 Being able to say to God, "Whatever you ask, Lord, I will do," that is my goal. How difficult I find it to follow when it means giving up my own plans and desires, when it means facing possible persecution, humiliation or hardships. I struggle and I pray, and sometimes I'm even tempted to try and bargain with God. When it comes down to it however and I do the right thing, I can feel it within my own soul, whether I ever see the impact or not.

 

 The simple action of Boaz had great consequences later although he had no way of knowing then that his legacy would become the lineage of Jesus. The steadfast faith of Daniel led the very king who sent him to the lion's den to issue a decree that all must fear and give reverence to Daniel’s God. The willingness to do the right thing may have far reaching consequences which you or I will never know.

 

 A friend sent me a saying that I have at work that says, “A person of integrity does what's right just because it's right.” The simple decisions we make to do the right thing now can have consequences far beyond that of our wildest dreams or imagination. We only need to be willing to say, "Yes, Lord, I will do for you whatever you ask."

 

Prayer
Jesus, You are my Lord. Lord of my present and of my future. Help me, Jesus, to focus on you daily so I may be ready for whatever you may ask of me each and every day. Give me the wisdom to discern your voice and the courage to follow it wherever it may lead. Forgive me when I fail and thank you for new starts.  Thank you, Father. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 6, 2006

Come to Trust

 

Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband - how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before.  May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."  Ruth 2:11-12

 

When Naomi’s family went to another land during a famine in their own country, they took their faith and traditions with them. Their daily lives demonstrated their faith. So much so that when their sons married women of Moab, at least one of them also came to know the Lord God of Israel. Ruth’s faith became real and translated into her thoughts and actions toward her mother-in-law Naomi and the Lord. Those same actions are what caused Boaz to ask about her when she was working in his fields.

 

 The God who adopted her into his family and provided for her is the same God we love, worship and serve today. He provided then for Ruth and Naomi as he does for each of us now. We never know who is watching us. We never know who is listening to us. We never know who is asking others about us. And yet, our thoughts, words and actions all count for or against the Lord. We need to live and love and speak and act in such a way that others may come to trust him as well.

 

 Who has come to trust the Lord Jesus as savior from seeing and hearing about your life?

 

Prayer
Father, we thank you for using Ruth to show us how our actions affect others. Thank you for allowing her to be part of the lineage of Jesus Christ. Thank you for allowing both Jews and Gentiles to be a part of your family both before and after Jesus. What a gracious and providing God you truly are. You take our failures and our victories and, with your grace, use them to show others how to trust you. Please use me.  Amen

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for September 5, 2006

Faithful

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16, 17

Life couldn’t have looked like Ruth expected it to in her childhood dreams. She’d risked it all and married a foreign man. Now he was gone, dead before his time. His brother and father were gone, too. Why not go back home and start over? But Ruth was faithful.
 Ruth had struggled to adapt to her husband’s family and their odd customs and religious rituals. She’d grown to love her husband’s God, the God of Israel. She loved her husband’s family, especially her mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth was faithful.

 Financially, they were cleaned out with no likely solution. They were the poorest of the poor, not sure where their next meal would come from. Naomi explained that the custom of her people was to care for their widows. She desperately wished to return to her homeland. It would have been so much easier for Ruth to return back to her father’s home with familiar customs, a warm bed and predictable meals. But her conscience nagged her. How would the aging Naomi make it on that long journey alone? After all they’d been through, how could she return to a life without Naomi and her God? Ruth was faithful.

 God calls us to be faithful when life looks uncertain. He wants us to hold true to our faith and trust Him when we can’t see a logical reason for doing so. He wants to shower us with blessing, but needs for us to take the first step. Ruth was faithful. Am I brave enough to trust God and be faithful, too?

Prayer
Lord Jesus, life isn’t always like I’d dreamed it would be as a child. Help me to hold onto You when times are tough. I trust that You will see me through. I want to be faithful like Ruth, Lord. Amen.

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom