“May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust!” (Psalm 72:8-9)

What is the goal of the Lord? Is it not that the nations live in peace with each other and that their people love one another as neighbors? Is this not what He has said from the beginning? We are to live toward this goal, for this is the command of the Lord. It does not matter in this age what actually happens; we are to strive for what is right in the Lord’s sight knowing He will make of us what He wills if we trust in Him.

Lord help me to not get caught up in the despair of a world that is in constant conflict, but have the goal of living according to Your will. Let me learn how to press on and simply do what is right in Your sight though all I do goes down in flames. Lead me, O Lord, according to Your purpose to be the kind of person You are creating me to be, knowing that our hope is in You alone.

Lord Jesus, as You walked the earth the crowds gathered around You in hope. Then You were crucified and they scattered. Help me to see the simple truth that You are up to bigger things than we can at first see that I may not become disappointed at what I think are setbacks. Grant the ability to persevere that I may continue to fight the good fight of faith knowing the Father’s will is being done. Amen.

“May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!” (Psalm 72:5-7)

Have compassion on those who do not know the Lord. The Lord desires that none would perish. Those who act wickedly do not know what they are doing. This is no excuse, but the truth. In the Lord, there is love and love covers a multitude of wrongs. The righteous do flourish and the wicked will perish. Live the way life is meant to be lived and be blessed by the Lord.

Lord there are those who do wrong and I react with anger. Lead my heart to be compassionate, gentle, and caring. Teach me what to do in every circumstance, knowing that in all I do, You are to be praised. Lord, water the earth with Your goodness and bring to peace those who do not know it, that we may live in peace and be content in the circumstances in which You have placed us.

Jesus, from the cross You said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Help me as one who does not know what He is doing to take Your hand and follow wherever You lead. Help me grow in wisdom and lead me in Your righteousness. Grant me a heart of compassion by which I do not see enemies, but only those who do not yet know You. Amen.

“Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!” (Psalm 72:3-4)

The world has always been filled with those who take and oppress. They do these things and twist words to proclaim that it is good. The Lord gives to all freely and takes care of the orphan and widow. The wicked look at the exception and say God is not good. They lift up that exception to say they are good. See through the lies in this world to perceive how the Lord does provide for all every day.

Lord open my eyes to see through all of the garbage that gets thrown around to see clearly that this world that You have made provides for us all. The wicked one perverts truth and people run amok with lies; but guide me into truth that I would see through the lies and humbly share with others what You have given to me. You are the eternal prosperity for all. Lead me into You.

Lord Jesus, You came humbly into the world to show goodness and mercy and to make possible the eternal salvation for all. You healed the sick, bound up the broken hearted and raised the dead. Let me see and rejoice in the provision You give that I may fill my days with praise and thanksgiving. Lead me, Lord Jesus, into the new life You have given me to help others as You have helped me. Amen.

THERE IS A CURE FOR THE SNAKE BITE
Devotional for March 11, 2018 based upon Number 21: 4-9 and John 3: 14-21

Our Old Testament reading for this coming Sunday starts out by telling us that God’s people “became impatient on the way” because they were now going to have to go back into the desert and around the land of Edom in order to get to the Promised Land. And so they began complaining. Have you ever become “impatient on the way” and so you began complaining?

One more time the Israelites said, “Moses, why did you make us leave Egypt?” Which simply was not true. How often are our complaints based upon information or perceptions that simply are not true? Moses had not forced them to leave Egypt. Rather they were desperately clamoring to escape slavery in Egypt. But still the people said, “Moses, why did you make us leave Egypt? Why have you brought us out here to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water here, and we are so tired of manna.”

Now I do not believe that God deserves our complaints. God desires and deserves our thanks and praise. The Israelites should have been thankful for all that God had been doing for them. But instead, they were complaining.

What about you? Should you be spending more time and effort thanking God for all that He has done for you, and less time and effort complaining?

How about this one? If you were an Israelite during the time of Moses, you would have lived in the desert for almost forty years by now. Most of your friends would be dead. You would have eaten the same food three times a day for almost forty years. You would not have been able to take a shower for almost forty years. And you would have been wearing the same clothes – which you would not have been able to wash – for almost forty years. All of which seems like plenty of reasons to let Moses – and God – really have it and complain.

But look at all this from God’s perspective. God is the one who had brought them out of slavery and was leading them through the desert to the Promised Land. He was leading them to a place where they could have entered forty years before if only they had had more faith in Him. And so, because one more time they complained instead of giving thanks, God sent snakes into the camp.

What if the same thing were to happen to us every time we complain? Well, the truth of the matter is that we are all snake-bitten. God has been so good to each one of us in so many ways. But we will not stop complaining. He puts food on our tables – and not just manna – three times every day. He gives us His guidance and blessing, but we will not stop complaining. He gives us a place to live and the health and strength to go to work, but we will not stop complaining. We are all snake-bitten.

And for all who are snake-bitten, our story for this morning from Numbers 21 has good news. There is a cure for the snakebite. Let me give it to you in the form of an equation. CONFESSION + INTERCESSION = HOPE.

First, CONFESSION. Numbers 21: 7 tells us, “The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” They confessed their sin. If you want to have hope, you must confess your sins.

Now confession is not talking about somebody else – what they have done – which is far worse than anything that I have ever done. Confession is not complaining about what other people have done to me. Rather confession is my talking about me. Confession is about what I have done. And notice something. The people did not say, “We have made a mistake.” Or, “We have made an error in judgment.” Even a very bad error in judgment. Rather they said, “We have sinned.” If you want the cure for the snake bite, you must confess your sins to God, as well as to any other person whom you have sinned against. We need to stop complaining and start confessing.

Second, INTERCESSION. Also in Numbers 21: 7 – “So Moses prayed for the people.” Intercession is praying for the people. Intercession is the job of every baptism-washed, blood-bought, and Spirit-filled child of God. Intercession is not telling God about something that somebody else did to you so that now you feel that you should be able to complain. No, intercession is my asking God to help, heal, forgive, restore, lift up, bless, lead, comfort, and keep another person. Moses is a great example of someone who engaged in the ministry of intercession. In fact, Moses often interceded for the people, even when they did not ask him to. Sure, Moses got fed up with their attitudes and got tired of their complaining. But he was always willing to stand in the gap and intercede for them.

And as children of God we also are to intercede for other people. We do not have the option of badmouthing those who bad mouth us. Instead of cursing them, our Heavenly Father tells us that we are to bless them and intercede for them. Being a Christian means that we are to be intercessors – for each other, as well as for our local community, our nation, and the entire world.

So let’s get back to our original formula. CONFESSION + INTERCESSION = HOPE. According to Numbers 21: 8, the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent and set it on a pole. Everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” Now one thing that is really interesting here is that God did not do what the people had asked Moses to ask God to do. In verse 7 the people asked Moses to ask God to remove the snakes. But there is no indication that God ever removed the snakes. Rather God provided a way for people to live in spite of being bitten by a snake. Why? Why did God not get rid of the snakes?

I believe for two reasons. First, so that the people would have a constant reminder of what could happen again if they were to start complaining again. And second, because the serpent on the pole was a picture of a future, greater event that would give even greater hope to the entire human race for all time. For we all are snake-bitten. We have all been bitten by the serpent of sin. But because of the one who was lifted up on another pole – on a cross – we all can have hope.

In our Gospel lesson for this coming Sunday from John 3 Jesus is having a conversation with a man by the name of Nicodemus, a leader of the Jewish people. In that conversation Jesus tells about the second reason why God had Moses make a pole and put a bronze serpent on the pole. In John 3: 14 and 15 Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”

The snake on a pole was a symbol of the cross of Jesus. On the cross He who had never sinned took on our sin so that we could have hope. Because He died, we can be forgiven. We can have peace and hope.

Now the Bible tells us that when the people got to the Promised Land they took the serpent on the pole and placed it in the Ark of the Covenant. In the same way, after Jesus died, He was taken down from the cross and laid in a borrowed tomb. And then on Easter Sunday morning He rose from the dead and came out of the tomb. And now we can have hope because Jesus is alive.

All we need to do is to look to Him in repentance and faith. All we need to do is to look and live. For looking and living is lifting high the cross.

Dennis D. Nelson
President of the Board and Director of Lutheran CORE

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Please note: it’s the word of the cross that strikes some people as folly, and not the cross itself.  The world has a weird ability to justify punishment, suffering, and death.  Such crosses are necessary, people say, to discipline society, or to strengthen our character, or to make us appreciate our blessings.  Something in the human soul wants to make the cross reasonable.

But the word of the cross, the preaching of Christ crucified—now here is something wholly unreasonable.  This word proclaims that rule and might, wisdom and power belong to the One whose cross did nothing good.  Who shall dare to justify the murder of God’s Son?  The word of the cross renders all explanations absurd and unmasks the foolishness of the human race.  What horror to hear that the salvation of our race comes from such absurdity!

Yet to you who are being saved, surely this word is the power of God.  By the proclamation of Christ’s absurd death, you are given a Savior who redeems you in your own foolishness.  For now, having risen from the death that did nothing good, He has the authority to bind or release those who do nothing good—and for you, His word is, “Release!”

LET US PRAY: Speak Your word into my flesh daily, O Lord, that my body and soul would revive in faith, endure in hope, and shine with love, to the glory of Your Name.  Amen

Pastor Steven K. Gjerde

Zion, Wausau

“Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!” (Psalm 72:1-2)

Lord, the nations battle one against the other. Peoples vie for power. Bring justice that the nations may live in righteousness. Unless the Lord influences the kings and rulers, there will be war and destruction. The poor suffer and innocent children are murdered. The cry for justice has always been present in this age of wickedness. Bring righteousness to those who lead.

Lord, I hear Your Word which speaks of it getting worse before the end. I do not want to experience the suffering of wicked rulers. I do not want my children or grandchildren to suffer. Lord, everything is in Your hands, but do bring to power those who will not bring mass destruction and ruin among the nations. Lift up rulers that benefit the people, the poor, and the children.

Lord Jesus, You came at a time when the rulers were wicked and turned a blind eye to the thievery that was all around. You know corruption and have seen it over the ages. Help me trust that where we are today is in the Father’s will and that I am still able to do my part. Where it befits Your purpose, bring those who lead into Your will and not the will of this age, so that all may see glimpses of Your goodness. Amen.

“My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.” (Psalm 71:23-24)

This world is filled with vanity and the patterns, though they appear different, are the same. People do unjustly and then scream at others, vying for power and do injustice themselves. Do not be caught up in the wickedness, but come to the One who is just and will make all things the way they have always been intended. Look to the Lord and your life will be one of praise and thanks amidst the turmoil.

Lord, the world is crazy and the people scramble around in hypocritical fashion chanting this, that, and the other thing. I have been caught up in the nonsense. Free me from the merry-go-round of insanity to live as You created life to be lived. Lead me in Your ways of living that I would know the joy of Your creation according to Your will. You will vindicate the persecuted.

Lord Jesus, You have come to make all things new. Guide me, O Lord, to see in You the hope of glory that You have revealed and the way of life that You alone have shown me. Guide me according to the Father’s will to see the hope that You have given by grace that I might live therein. Let me be at peace amidst the turmoil of this world, looking to You for all things. Amen.

“You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 71:21-22)

Greatness is not wealth or power, but humbleness, peace and walking faithfully with the Lord. He frees us to be joyous in His creation and calls us to walk with Him all of our days. Come to the Lord and walk humbly with your God. Sing your praises and let your life be an instrument that makes music to the Lord. Learn to walk in the way of faithfulness and know that God is Your comfort.

Lord, the world beats me down and I am constantly barraged with the nonsense of this age. Clear my mind and set before me a path that I can walk which will bring me close to You. Clear my eyes to see the beauty of the earth and help me overcome the wiles of the wicked one. Set me free from the bondage of this age to be Your faithful servant, walking in the light of Your glory.

Lord Jesus, You have forever set me free from the bondage of death that sin brings, yet unrepentant sinners remain all around me. Help me focus my eyes to see in You the hope of glory that You have brought for those who love the Father through You. Guide me in the way of peace and illumine my footsteps to walk in the direction Your Spirit leads me. Help me learn from You faithfulness. Amen

“Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.” (Psalm 71:19-20)

The world continues on its course of rebellion and the righteousness of the Lord shines in the minority position in this world. God, who made everything, holds all things together and allows the seasons to proceed. Nations rise and kingdoms fall, but the Lord is forever. In whom will you trust? Who is your hope and your rock? The Lord will raise up in Him those who will be righteous.

Lord, I get caught up in the insanity of this age and get carried away by the vanity that never changes. But here You are in the midst of it all showing Your goodness and mercy. Lead me, O Lord, to hold fast and stand firm in Your goodness that I would walk humbly with You and learn Your ways. You have already made me rise in the hope of that final day when I shall rise again as Christ arose.

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead the way and You are the example of the promise fulfilled. Help me now and always to look to You first and above all things. Teach me Your ways day in and day out that I would see the great things You have done and know Your promises from my heart. Guide me, O Lord, so I may walk in Your ways and know the truth You reveal. Amen.

“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” (Psalm 71:17-18)

Lord, as a child, I heard the stories of what You did for those whose names are familiar. As you provided for Your people of old, so You do today. There are others who can tell similar stories. Help me remember and always proclaim Your acts that have provided goodness and salvation to all who believe, that they too would thank and praise You for all You do.

Lord, I get older and get caught up in worldly and even wicked stories. I hear the world’s focus on all that is bad, seeking to keep me from seeing all that You do each day that is good to counter sin in the world. Help me have a change of heart that I would focus on Your goodness and proclaim Your goodness to the world to counter the wickedness of this age. You are Mighty to save.

Lord Jesus, Savior of the world, in humble ways You walked upon the earth and have led as many as believe to live humble lives too. Join me with them in following You in humble ways to do what is right in the Father’s sight. Guide me to simply do what You give me to do and to praise You for every opportunity to be obedient and fulfill Your Word of hope and praise. Amen.