IS JESUS AMAZED AT YOU?
Devotional for July 8, 2018 based upon Mark 6: 1-13

If you were to ask people about their favorite hymn, how many do you think would say, “Amazing Grace”? I have a feeling more people would say that hymn than any other hymn. We all identify with the words of John Newton – “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found; was blind but now I see.”

Many times during my years in ministry I officiated at a graveside service where the family arranged for someone to play bagpipes. They always played “Amazing Grace.”

Charles Wesley wrote a hymn about God’s amazing love, “And Can It Be That I Should Gain.” The chorus goes like this – “Amazing love, how can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

Yes, God’s grace and love are amazing. May we never stop being amazed by them.

But did you know that the Bible tells of times when Jesus was amazed? Our Gospel lesson for this coming Sunday is among them. In Mark 6: 5 it says that Jesus could do no deed of power in His hometown of Nazareth, except that He did lay His lands on a few sick people and cure them. And then it says in verse 6, “He was amazed at their unbelief.”

How much better is the situation in Luke 7 when Jesus was on His way to the home of a centurion, who had a slave whom he valued highly who was close to death. The centurion sent some friends to Jesus to tell Jesus that He did not need to actually come to and enter into the centurion’s house. (I have a feeling that the centurion was wanting to be sensitive to Jewish purification laws and did not want Jesus to have to defile Himself by coming into the centurion’s house.) Rather he knew that all Jesus would need to do would be to “speak the word, and let my servant be healed.” (verse 7) The centurion related to this personally by saying that just as people obeyed his orders, so he knew that whatever or whoever was causing his servant’s terminal illness would obey Jesus’ orders. Luke tells us, “When Jesus heard this He was amazed at him and said, ‘Not even in Israel have I found such faith.’” (verse 9)

May we always be amazed by God’s grace and love. May we never get so used to them that we stop being amazed by them. And may Jesus be amazed by our faith rather than by our lack of faith.

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

“O Lord, You showed favor to Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin.” (Psalm 85:1-2)

Are you worried about times, seasons and events? The Lord who knows all things has told us there are seasons and events and that all of them fulfill His purpose. Come into the Lord and know His goodness is with us each and every day. Amidst even the most difficult time. There are blessings. All sins are covered b y the blood of Christ. Come into His presence and live in the blessing of the Lord.

Lord, You know all things. When the time came for release, the children of Jacob grumbled, but You loved them anyway. When we grumble, You love us anyway. I tend to see things from the moment, but You see them as they are from eternity. Guide me O Lord to know that only in You is there hope. Only in You can I know that no matter what happens here, You have a purpose.

Lord Jesus, You have come as our hope and You have provided for the covering of all sin. Lead me in the way of salvation that I would now and always walk in Your goodness. Help me see that in You my captivity is over. Help me see that though I wander in this age, You are with me and will lead me, providing all that is needed. Lead me in the way You know I need to go. Amen.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!” (Psalm 84:11-12)

The source of all things is the Lord through whom all things have been made. He is the light shining in the darkness. Through the One who created all things we have our life and our being. Come into His presence and dwell securely in Him. Know that He is the One through whom you have your being and in Him alone is your peace. How blessed you are if you dwell with the Lord.

Lord God, grant that I would hold fast to the truth You have revealed once for all. Guide me, O Lord, in the way I should go that I would forever walk in Your ways. Grant that I be as one blessed because I dwell in Your house. Guide me all the days of my life to walk in the light of Your countenance doing those things which are pleasing in Your sight, for You alone are God.

Lord Jesus, You have come that I may dwell in the light of Your presence and walk in the grace You have purchased. Lead me, O Lord, in Your way of truth that I would become as You have shown me. You have promised to be with me always and how blessed I am knowing that You are right beside me, ahead of me and leading the way. You are the Savior of the world and in You I trust. Amen.

“Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:9-10)

Look to Christ, our shield, and see what He has accomplished on behalf of those who love You. Standing in Your presence is better than anything this world could ever offer. There is nothing on earth greater than You, for You created all things. Lead me, O Lord, in the way of truth which You have established that no wickedness would take root in my house. You are God and there is no other.

Lord, the wicked all around me tempt me and seek to lead me astray. Keep my heart in Your presence and help me to think on the goodness of your mercy and the truth of Your Word. Your Word abides forever and Your ways are good and true. Help me to not waver from the faith You have given me that I would dwell in Your house now and forever. You are my God.

Thomas said of You, Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” Help me see through the clouds of this world and the wickedness that is all around me to know the simple truth that in You alone can I trust. You have accomplished all that needs to be done that I would dwell in the house You have prepared for all who love You. You are my strength and my shield and in You alone can I and do I trust. Amen.

“Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, every one of them appears before God in Zion. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!” (Psalm 84:6-8)

The promise of the Lord is that the day will come when all who are in Him will walk in His presence and they will see as they have always been seen. In Him, they will no longer be afraid, for the wickedness of this age will be banished. Come into His presence now and prepare for the day when the city of Zion is the abode for all who become children of the light and stand in the presence of the Lord.

Lord, You have made possible redemption for all who come by Your grace and mercy and walk with You. Guide us in the upward call of grace to walk in Your mercy and lead us to do those things which are pleasing in Your sight. Help me now and always to hold fast to Your presence and purpose and keep me from straying from the path upon which You have set me.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for making the way of salvation possible. Guide me now and always in the way You would have me go that I would walk forever in Your footsteps and become whom You are creating me to be. Lead me now and always according to Your goodness to live the life to which You have called me. Teach me how to be thankful and to praise You in all circumstances. Amen.

“How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion!” (Psalm 84:4-5)

Those who walk with the Lord do influence and bless those who come into their house. The children of light may not be known for Whose they are, but their countenance reflects the truth to those who are with them; how much more so the ones who dwell in the house of the Lord, for it is His light which radiates through them and into this world. Come, O People of Zion, and praise the Lord.

Lord, You are worthy of honor and praise. You have called together the saints into Your house, Zion. Lead me away from the foolishness of this world and into Your presence that I may abide as Your child of light. Let me be blessed by simply living in the truth of Your presence that I would worship You all the days of my life. Guide me, O Lord, in the upward call You have given me.

Light of the World, who has shone into darkness, let my eyes see clearly the path You have laid before me. Guide me in the truth You have revealed that I may now and always walk with You in the way You would have me go. Keep me from straying and hold me up when I stumble lest I fall. You are the One who saves and apart from You I am unable to proceed in the way of light. Keep me close to You. Amen.

“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2)

I suppose the best answer is simply to raise one’s own hand.  I am the one who darkens counsel by words without knowledge.  I rush to speak where I should be silent, to explain where I do not know, and to offer my opinion where God’s Word is better.  For what are my thoughts compared to God’s?

Every Christian should pause and sit with this reality for a bit, taking it to heart.  Many people extol the virtue of being still and silent for meditation, but we’re not truly silent until we have pondered the futility of our own thoughts compared to God’s—yes, even our pondering of our ponderings is a chasing after wind.  Until we extinguish our love for our own opinions and discernment, we’re still yakking away in the arrogance of our hearts, however still our mouths may be.

Yet once we have confessed our ignorance and said, “Your thoughts, O Lord, are higher than my thoughts,” then we are truly silent, however much we may speak.  Those who make God’s Word their counsel are quiet and still before Him, even though they may make a great noise, because they have silenced their minds in favor of God’s mind and refrained from exalting their judgments over His.  Here is the joy and gift of the Church: always having a better Word than our own, because it carries so much greater consolation and wisdom.

LET US PRAY: Silence the imaginations of my heart, O Lord, so that I may truly speak and speak the truth.  Amen

Pastor Steven K. Gjerde

Zion, Wausau

“The bird also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.” (Psalm 83:3)

Lord, You provide for all the creatures of the earth, for You are the One who made all things. In Your hands are the ages. The people clamor for what You already give. Guide me, O Lord, in the way I should go that I would forever walk in the way You have established. Lead me, O Lord, that I may go according to Your never-failing word and walk in Your grace and mercy all the days of my life.

Lord, You have walked the earth and You know the difficulty of this place. Hold fast to me that I may walk according to Your Spirit and live the way You would have me live. Lift me up to see in You the hope of glory and to look beyond the insanity of this age. In You, O Lord, is the hope of the ages. As You take care of all the creatures, I thank You for caring for me.

Lord Jesus, You have come into the world to lead as many as would follow into the presence of the Father. You through and for whom all things were created must lead the way. Come to me in times of trouble and come to me in times that are good that at all times I may know that it is You who leads. Guide me by Your grace to see in You the eternal hope of glory which You have purchased for those who love You. Amen.

“How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” (Psalm 84:1-2)

The world imagines a place that is perfect. The perfect place is the dwelling place of the Lord. The world, filled with imperfect people want a perfect place and they imagine they can build it. Why try to build what can never be perfect if created by imperfect people? Why not come to the Lord who has already prepared a place for those who love Him? Let your soul long for the Lord.

Lord, I see the madness of this world where people crawl on top of each other wanting what You are already offering. Guide me, O Lord, in the goodness of Your mercy to walk humbly in the path You have laid before me. Lead me to see most clearly that the way of perfection is You who is my Savior. Guide me in the upward path of salvation that I may walk in Your ways.

Lord Jesus, the only perfect man to walk the earth, Who came down to lift up with You those who follow in the way You have established, guide me in the upward path of grace and faith. Help me overcome the obstacles of this world which seek to ensnare me in traps of vain imagination when You are right here. Lead me today in the way I should go that I would walk with You always. Amen.

PUT ON HOLD
Devotional for July 1, 2018 based upon Mark 5: 21-43

Picture the frantic father in our Gospel lesson for this morning. His little girl was at the point of death when he hears that there is someone who just might be able to save her life. So even though he is a man of power, prominence, and prestige – he is Jairus, leader of the synagogue – in desperation he lays aside all pride, falls at Jesus’ feet, and begs Him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she made be made well and live.” His request is specific, focused, and intense.

Will Jesus go? Of course He will go. Mark tells us, “He went with him.” But then look at what happens next. Beginning with verse 25 Mark tells us, “There was a woman who had been suffering from bleeding for twelve years. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak. Immediately her bleeding stopped.” There is a break in the story. An interruption happens. Jairus’ obtaining help from Jesus is put on hold.

Now just imagine how you would feel if you were Jairus. Here is a woman whose problem is far less serious than your daughter’s problem. But she is interrupting your being able to get help from the one person in the whole world who might be able to help you. Can you imagine the panic that this frantic father must have been feeling at that particular moment? Here is the Master, ministering to someone else, whose problem is far less serious than mine, and His doing so is putting me on hold.

Why does the Master sometimes seem to delay? Why isn’t He quicker to respond to my needs? Doesn’t He know that the matter is urgent? Why does He sometimes put me on hold? These are questions that go right to the heart of the nature of prayer. Why does it sometimes seem that my prayers go no higher than the ceiling?

Picture this frantic father, waiting for Jesus to minister to the woman with the flow of blood, when, according to Mark, his worst fears happen. Some friends come from the house. As soon as he sees their faces, he knows what has taken place. It is the news no parent ever wants to hear. “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

Up to this point Jairus had had a faint glimmer of hope. But now there seems to be no hope. His friends try to support and comfort him as best they can. But there is a limit to the help that even your best friend can give at a moment like this. Something much more is needed. Something that only Jesus can give.

Fortunately, Jesus is still there. He may have been delayed, but He is still there. Just like Jesus is still there in your times of greatest need. I have a feeling that Jesus touched him gently on the shoulder as He said, “Do not fear; only believe.” Which admittedly is asking a lot of this man.

Whenever we feel put on hold is when we need to hold on even tighter to the promises of God.

And so Jesus makes His way to Jairus’ house, accompanied by His three closest friends – Peter, James, and John. When He comes to the house, He sees family and friends gathered there. He sees hired mourners and hears a great crowd weeping and wailing loudly. “Why do you make a commotion and weep?” He asks. “The child is not dead but sleeping.”

They laugh at Him. They ridicule His diagnosis. He asks them to leave the house and then goes into the room where the little girl is lying. He takes her by the hand and says, “Little girl, get up!” Immediately she gets up and begins to walk around.

Today do you feel like you have been put on hold? Do you feel like your prayers are going no higher than the ceiling? Do you feel like Jesus must be responding to someone else because He certainly is not responding to you?

Know this. Whenever we feel put on hold is when we need to hold on even tighter to the promises of God. Whenever you feel put on hold, do not let go of Him. He will never let go of you. He loves you with a love that will not let you go.

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