Devotional for the Third Sunday in Advent, December 17, 2017, based upon John 1: 6-8, 19-28

“He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.”  (John 1: 8)

I have read that the Gospel writer John refers to Jesus as the light of the world no fewer than twenty-one times.  No wonder the star shone so brightly over Bethlehem.  No wonder our Christmas trees and our homes are decorated with hundreds of lights.  No wonder we light more Advent candles the closer we come to Christmas.  Light is what Christmas is all about.  Advent is a celebration of light coming into our very dark world.

When John wrote his Gospel, the world was in darkness, just like our world is in darkness today.  John wanted the world to know that a light had come that had penetrated the darkness.  Jesus is the light of the world.  That is good news for this Third Sunday in Advent.

The light of Jesus never stops shining.  Through wars and famine, through fire and flood, through all sorts of natural disasters, through good times as well as through bad, the light continues to shine.  Our parents and grandparents saw its glow in the darkest days of the depression.  Soldiers have seen it on distant battlefields.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

The darkness of the world cannot extinguish the light of Christ.  It shines in hospital rooms and in funeral homes.  It shines in the midst of poverty, unemployment, hunger, despair, disease, death, and every other kind of heartache, hardship, or setback that you could ever imagine.  It shines in every one of the dark and discouraging situations that you have ever had to deal with.  Nothing can keep it from shining.

The greatest privilege in the world is to share that light with someone else.  “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,” the song says.  John the Baptist was not the light, just like we are not the light.  His job was to bear witness to the light.  And that is our job as well.

The best gift to give someone who is in darkness is the gift of light.  That is our calling as followers of Jesus.  To let His light shine in us and through us.  To light up the world around us.

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”  That’s what each one of us needs to do this coming week – this coming Christmas season.  Let the light of Christ shine through you.

Dennis D. Nelson

President of the Board and Director of Lutheran CORE

Tuesday, December 12, 2017 Devotion

“For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy.  Let me dwell in Your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.”  (Psalm 61:3-4)

Have you noticed how every circumstance is resolved.  Perhaps not to your liking, but the Lord is constantly teaching us through every circumstance.  He will lead you wherever you need to go and He is more than faithful.  Trust in the Lord in all of your ways and lean on the understanding He gives through His Word.  He is the refuge for every weary soul and will keep you under His wings.

Lord, let me not wander into fields of danger, but in spite of the danger all around, lean upon You.  Guide me in the wisdom You have revealed for the ages and help me see in You the hope of glory.  Guide me, O Lord, that I may walk in Your ways and be guided by Your Spirit to become Your child according to the promise of Christ.  Lead me, O Lord, while I am in the presence of every enemy.

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead the way for as many as believe.  Help me now and always to be guided by Your eternal principles to walk in a way that is pleasing to the Father.  Now and always may I look to You as the author and finisher of my faith, knowing that only in You and through Your grace can I ever be sanctified and become what has always been intended.  Lead me, O Lord, now and always.  Amen.

Monday, December 11, 2017 Devotion

“Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer.  From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”  (Psalm 61:1-2)

This life is filled with difficulty, trials and travail.  We each reach the end of ourselves and in those moments of lament cry out.  The Lord knows what we shall say and do.  The Lord knows what we think.  In Him is the only refuge there is.  In Him alone is the hope of all ages.  Come into the presence of the Lord and know the comfort of the One who made all things.

Lord in You alone can we hope.  Come and meddle in my life.  No, take my life that I may be wholly thine and as You made me to be.  Guide me in the eternal wisdom of the ages You have revealed that in You I may find all I need to persevere in this age of rebellion.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way I should go that in You my hope and my life would unfold.  Lead me to the rock of my salvation.

Rock of salvation, Jesus, the Ebenezer of us all, grant that in every time of trouble I would stand on You, the rock of my salvation.  Keep me from the wiles of the wicked one and help me see more clearly that You have come to lead us through the fog of this age to become like You, the willing, obedient child of the Heavenly Father.  In every place and time, may I be found in You Jesus.  Amen.

Sunday, December 10, 2017 Devotion

“Have not You Yourself, O God, rejected us?  And will You not go forth with our armies, O God?  O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain.  Through God we shall do valiantly, and it is He who will tread down our adversaries.”  (Psalm 60:10-12)

The nations of this world toil against one another.  Men dream dreams of unity through conquest, forcing peoples to join where there can be no unity.  You have established the peace that surpasses all understanding.  You have come to eternally deliver all who turn to You from wickedness to walk in the ways that have always been.  You alone can save, and have saved, the people from their self-destruction.

Lord, I know these words and they are soothing, but in times of trouble it seems little comfort.  Lead my mind to begin to grasp the significance that it is You who is working through all things for Your glory.  Guide me away from the way the world thinks to begin to see Your hand in all things.  Lead me, O Lord, in Your ways that I may be delivered from the vanity of this world.

Lord Jesus, You have come to liberate all the captives from sin, death and the devil.  Guide me this day, O Lord, in the way You would have me go.  Help me overcome the obstacles that will get in the way and lift me up from the pit of despair.  Only through You can we walk in the way of salvation which You have established and which shall last forever.  Help me this day, my Savior.  Amen.

Saturday, December 9, 2017 Devotion

“Moab is My washbowl; over Edom I shall throw My shoe; shout loud, O Philistia, because of Me!”  Who will bring me into the besieged city?  Who will lead me to Edom?”  (Psalm 60:8-9)

Who is able to counsel the Lord?  Who can speak to Him words He does not already know?  What secrets are there that are hidden?  The Lord knows the days of us all and has planned for all that shall come about.  Do not worry about what tomorrow will bring, but come into the counsel of the Lord and walk in His ways.  Learn from the One who made all things and grow in wisdom.

Lord, Creator and Sustainer of all things, You know, yet You allow for the wicked ones to rail against You.  Help me, O Lord, to see through the darkness of this world and be as one who is Yours.  You have come to lead me through the ups and downs of this world and to walk humbly with You my Maker.  Guide me, O Lord, that I may have Your praise upon my lips all the day long.

Lord Jesus, You have called as many as believe to walk with You now and always.  Lead me, O Lord, to humbly submit and learn to listen as the Holy Spirit speaks.  Guide me in the eternal ways already established and form them in me.  Master, walk with me this day, leading me into the eternal wisdom You have brought for those who turn to You. Teach me Your ways.  Amen.

“. . . the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . .”  (1 Corinthians 1:7)

We sometimes speak of the “coming” or “second coming” of Jesus.  Another way to describe it is to speak of His “revealing.”

Imagine children gathering for a party.  As they come into the room, they see a large box, far larger than any of them, gift-wrapped and waiting to be opened.  They cannot see what’s in the box, but they know it will be good!  The gift is there, very near, and their enjoyment of it is certain—they already enjoy it, just knowing it’s there and ready for them!  But still they await its revealing.     

So it goes with our Lord Jesus Christ.  He is here, very near, speaking in the words that He’s given, poured out in the water, giving His flesh and blood beneath the bread and wine, and abiding in the body and soul of His people—He’s wrapped up in His Church!  We enjoy His presence, and His nearer presence is certain.  Yet still we wait for the day when what we believe shall become sight.

Take time this Advent to pause and wait on Him.  As you hear those words, touch that water, eat and drink that Supper, and love His people, be sure to praise and thank Him who personally dwells in and through it all.  You shall see Him soon, and how your eyes shall rejoice on that day!

LET US PRAY: Blessed are You, Lord Jesus, who has come to dwell among us.  Reveal Your sacred face at last, and by Your glory liberate this whole creation from the shadows that cover it; from Your live and reign with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God forever.  Amen

Pastor Steven K. Gjerde

Zion, Wausau

(c) 2017

E-MAIL FROM GOD

Devotional based upon Isaiah 40: 1-11

How many unwanted telemarketing calls, how much junk mail, and how many unrequested email messages do you receive every day?  While we are sorting through all of this clutter, it would be easy for us to overlook the encouragement mail e-mail that we receive from God.  On this Second Sunday in Advent your Heavenly Father is sending you some encouragement mail e-mail.  And He does not want you to miss it or delete it.

Many scholars believe that Isaiah 40 and following were written during the Babylonian captivity in the sixth century B. C.  Israel needed encouragement.  For fifty years they had been captive in Babylon – in present day Iraq.  They were living in tough times and were feeling displaced and discouraged.  So God through His prophet was sending them some encouragement.

We also are living in very tough times.  Many feel displaced and discouraged.  So God is sending us some encouragement e-mail.  “Comfort, O comfort my people,” the prophet begins.  And then he gives us four words of encouragement and comfort.

First, A WORD OF PARDON.  Verse 2 – “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, her penalty has been paid, she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  Israel is like an inmate whose time in prison is about to be over.

For centuries before the Babylonian captivity, Israel had been unfaithful to their God.  They had been following after the false gods of their day and practicing a social injustice that only made the rich richer and the poor poorer.  They had been guilty of gross immorality.  So for the past several decades they had been paying the price for their sins.  They had been held captive in a foreign land, and were being compelled to serve a hated people.  They needed to receive encouragement mail from God.

And we also need to receive encouragement mail from God.  We also need the message that our God is a God who will forgive.  Realizing our sin, we cry for mercy.  We need to hear that God’s deepest desire is not to condemn but to forgive and to save.

Second, A WORD OF PROMISE.  Verse 3 – “A voice cries out: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”  When we are in the deepest of distress, God comes to us with His greatest of help.  Like He did for the Israelites in Egypt, and like He will do for the Israelites who are being held captive in Babylon, God hears our cries and knows our misfortunes.  He comes to us at our time of greatest need.

This email from God says, “Get ready; get straight with God by repenting.”  One of the main messages of Advent is that one of the main ways in which we need to get ready for Christmas is by repenting.  Repent means to change your mind.  Change your mind about sin.  Stop doing what you need to stop doing, and start doing what you need to start doing.  Stop walking on the crooked path and start walking on the straight path.  For the e-mail from God to be encouragement mail, we need to repent.  And we need to repent today.

Third, A WORD OF SECURITY.  Verse 8 – “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of our God will stand forever.”

Life is short.  You do not have as many years left as you once did.  As the beloved hymn says, “Change and decay in all around I see.”  The only thing certain is uncertainty.

This encouragement mail e-mail from God says, The only thing absolutely safe and secure is the Word of God.  God’s Word is as sure as God Himself.   God’s truth is an everlasting truth.  His Word contains His promises, and He always keeps His promises.

To have certainty in life and security in changing times, we need strong convictions based upon God’s Word.  We need to know what we believe and why.  Those who put their trust in God and His Word will find stability in life.

Fourth, A WORD OF HOPE.  Verse 9 – “Here is your God!”  He is coming in strength, and He is coming in love.  Verse 11 – “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will gently lead the mother sheep.”

People ask, Is there any hope?  This encouragement mail e-mail from God says, “Yes, there is hope.  Here is your God.”  He is greater than your problems.  He can hold your world together.  He is the answer to all of your needs.  There is no problem so complex that He cannot solve and no pit so deep that He is not deeper still.

A word of pardon, a word of promise, a word of security, and a word of hope.  Which word do you most need to hear from God today?  Whichever word you most need to hear God has for you today.

Dennis D. Nelson

President of the Board and Director of Lutheran CORE

Friday, December 8, 2017 Devotion

“That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and answer us!  God has spoken in His holiness: “I will exult, I will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth.  “Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter.”  (Psalm 60:5-7)

The Lord has spoken once for all.  In Him is the forgiveness, mercy and kindness to deliver.  Trust in the Lord and all His goodness.  We have been created to praise, thank and worship the Lord Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.  Everything belongs to the Lord.  We do well to walk in His ways, know the truth of the ages and rejoice in all that He is doing.  He is mighty and will deliver.

Lord, Your goodness comes anew each day, yet all around are those who seek destruction.  Guide me through the wilderness of this world to see in You the hope of glory and glimpses of what You are creating.  Lead me into Your salvation that I may walk as righteously as possible in this life, preparing for the life to come.  Lead me, O Lord, now and forever in Your goodness.

Savior, for that is the name You have been given Yeshua, Jesus.  You are the Savior who delivers as many as believe out of the captivity of this world and into the glorious presence of the Father.  Lead me through the hills and valleys of this world to simply walk with You all the days of my life.  Let me be a witness of Your presence to all around me that they too may see and believe.  Amen.

Thursday, December 7, 2017 Devotion

“You have made Your people experience hardship; You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger.  You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth.”  (Psalm 60:3-4)

The Lord has a purpose in everything.  We think that we should be exempt from that which comes for all people, but the Lord uses the cauldron of this world to build the character of Christ in those who fear Him.  Rejoice in what the Lord is doing even in the midst of hardship.  The truth will one day become clear and all will see that the Lord is God and His ways are eternally good.

Lord, grant wisdom that I may see more clearly Your hand in all things.  Through You and the ways You have established, guide me in the paths of righteousness knowing that You are working all things together for good for those who love You.  Lead me, O Lord, that I may walk in Your ways and follow You through all this world brings.  May I be found in You always.

Lord Jesus, You know hardship, turmoil and trouble.  Lead me, O Lord, now and always in the way of truth.  Help me see with clear eyes the way You would have me go this day.  Guide me into the truth You have revealed and help me hold fast, rejoicing in all circumstances.  You are the Savior and You alone must lead all of us who believe in You through the troubles of this world.  Lead me, O Lord.  Amen.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017 Devotion

“O God, You have rejected us. You have broken us; You have been angry; O, restore us.  You have made the land quake, You have split it open; heal its breaches, for it totters.”  (Psalm 60:1-2)

Woe to those who say there is no God.  The Lord knows the land that honors Him.  The Lord knows those who look to Him as the source of their being.  Turn to the Lord and do not remain broken, but healed and restored.  Come to the Lord and you will find rest.  Know that the Lord is good and that He binds up broken hearts and lifts up the lowly.  Turn to the Lord and live.

Lord, all around are those who jeer and mock You, yet You remain faithful to those who believe in You.  Guide me in the way of goodness that I would simply stand fast in the truth You have revealed for the ages.  Lead me in Your righteousness that I would not walk through the wide gate of those who reject You and mock You.

Lord Jesus, You came despite all those who mocked You and would not receive the grace and mercy You brought.  Lead me to be faithful in the midst of this troubled and mixed up world.  Help me always look to Your grace first and know that in You is life and hope.  Help me to see my way clearly through the faith You have given me that I would stand fast and be a witness of Your grace and mercy in the world.  Amen.