“In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.  What can man do to me?”  (Psalm 56:10-11)

What can anyone do to you in the face of Almighty God who holds all things in His hand.  Yes, there are storms in this world, but learn from Jesus to be calm in the midst of every storm.  Though they kill you, yet will you live.  Trouble is for a time, but being in the truth of the Lord is forever.  Do not be swayed by temporary things, but live in the eternal truth of the Lord.

Lord, You know the times and seasons.  You know all that is needed.  Guide me according to Your never-changing Word to abide in You and You in me that I would walk humbly in all of Your ways.  Help me now and always to seek Your will in all things and know that You alone are to be thanked, praised and worshiped.  Guide me now and always in Your Holy Spirit.

Lord and Savior of all, You have come to lead the way for as many as would follow You.  Help me now and always to seek the Father’s will and walk humbly where You lead.  You have made clear the way I should go and You have given the direction – to hold Your hand – so I need not worry about what any day will bring.  Lead me, O Lord, that I may follow where You lead.  Amen.

WE ALL HAVE TO GET OUR OWN OIL

Devotional for November 12, 2017 based upon Matthew 25: 1-13

At one point all ten had brightly burning lamps. All ten had oil. But five ran out of oil. So five were not ready when the bridegroom came.

All ten had lights. Which probably were not some kind of small clay vessel with a little wick sticking out. Small clay vessels do not use much oil, but they also would not have been able to put out much light for a wedding party. They probably were torches – long poles with rags soaked in olive oil tied at the top. That kind of a torch produces a lot of light, but it also consumes a lot of oil, so the rags would have to be re-soaked in oil every certain number of minutes.

The oil that enables us to live our Christian lives is abundant. We can all be filled with the Holy Spirit every day. There is no energy shortage in heaven. And the oil is free. It has already all been paid for. But still, if we want our lives to keep on shining, we must receive a daily in-filling of God’s Holy Spirit. And so, in verse 4, “The wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.” The wise had reserve oil. The wise enjoyed a deep, personal experience of the grace of Jesus. The wise had a deeper prayer life – a deeper Bible study life. The wise had a depth to their faith – a depth in their relationship with Jesus – that the five foolish bridesmaids did not have.

Verse 5 tells us, “As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.” All ten had thought that the bridegroom would have been there a lot sooner. But he wasn’t there. So they became drowsy and slept. Preparing for a wedding can wear you out. There’s a lot that goes into getting ready for a wedding. Not just the bride – and the bride’s mother – but also the bridesmaids spend hours and hours getting ready for the wedding. No wonder brides and bridesmaids get all stressed out and tired out. Even the five wise bridesmaids were so tired that they fell asleep because of the delay.

Spiritually are you asleep? Are you asleep even though you know that the King of kings is coming? True, there has been a delay. Jesus the Bridegroom has not come yet. And yet the longer the delay, the closer we are to the time of His coming.

Verse 6 tells us, “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out and meet him!’” When did the bridegroom come? At midnight. Jesus will return at the darkest time of the night. Jesus will come to you in your darkest hour. Sometimes I wonder how much darker it could get than it is right now. The bridegroom will come at midnight. In our hour of deepest need – at a time of greatest spiritual darkness – Jesus Christ will come.

Verse 7 – “Then all the bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.” All ten bridesmaids needed to refill their lamps with oil. But only the wise had brought along spare reserves of oil. What is that extra oil? It is an extra measure of God’s presence and grace in your life. It is the depth and strength of faith that you need to live in those toughest of times.

Christian parents and grandparents may wish that they could just give their faith to their children and grandchildren. And many Christian people wish that they could transfer their Christian faith to their non-believing husband or wife. But each person must go to the source for himself or herself. The Christian faith can neither be transferred nor sold. Each must get the saving oil straight from the source.

No one can be a Christian for you. Your parent or grandparent can’t. Your spouse can’t. Your best friend can’t. And even your pastor can’t. We all have to get our own oil.

In the same way, if you wait until you really need it to get that saving and strengthening relationship with Jesus – if you wait until midnight, you may have waited too long. The Bible says, Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to restock on oil. Today is the day to make your life right with Jesus. If you wait until midnight, you may have waited too long.

What about you? Is your lamp getting dimmer? Is your light beginning to flicker? Is your walk with Jesus lacking or even non-existent? Are you spiritually asleep? Don’t wait too long.

In verse 13 Jesus concludes this parable by saying, “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” I want to be there and ready. And I want you to be there and ready too. I want all of us to be seated at that table that will spread for miles in God’s great heavenly banquet room. Jesus, our Bridegroom and Host, will be there to welcome us. So what should we do? Before your lamp begins to go out – on a regular basis – stop and get a fresh supply. Daily repent of your sins and receive God’s grace. Daily renew your relationship with Jesus. And always remember – we all have to get our own oil.

Dennis D. Nelson

President of the Board and Director of Lutheran CORE

“Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?  The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.  Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.”  (Psalm 52:1-2)

Wickedness has always been around and in the midst of our comfort we do not see the evil plotted by those who are bent upon destruction.  From the heart and out of the mouth comes deceit, malice, envy and bitterness.  The call of the Lord is to have a new and clean heart that abandons the heart of this age for the eternal goodness of the Lord.  Be not wicked, but come into the righteousness of the Lord.

At many levels, there is within me that which can and does behave like those who practice wickedness.  You, O Lord have called me into a new life that no longer rebels against the goodness You have established, but desires to come into the truth that in You alone is hope.  Come Holy Spirit and renew in me a right spirit that I would hold fast to You and the goodness You give.

Lord Jesus, in the face of the rebellious age, You have given the means of forever escaping the self-destructive ways of this world.  Guide me O Lord that I would live in Your grace and live into a life that seeks righteousness.  Help me now and always to hold fast to the truth You have revealed that I might become like You and do the Father’s will on earth as it shall be done in heaven.  Amen.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”  (Psalm 51:10-11)

For those who are liturgical, this familiar passage, offered as an offertory, speaks the need we all have that our gifts would be a sacrifice of the heart and not just a motion we go through.  Knowing that it is our hearts toward Him in all things that the Lord is after, we do well to meditate on His presence and the offer of grace we have received.  Do not take it for granted.

Lord, throughout Scripture, You have made the offer of grace if we will turn to You.  Help me to take this matter to the heart that I would meditate on Your Word day and night and realize that in You alone is there hope and a future.  Lead me O Lord and grant by grace that I would follow.  Renew daily the need I have and the means You give that I would continue the journey.

Lord Jesus, You are the one who cleans the heart from the inside out.  Help me see that in You alone and by Your grace alone is this possible.  I cannot, but You can.  Fill me with the presence of Your Spirit and day by day, renew in me a right spirit that looks to You, the author and finisher of my faith, as the guide, source, means and hope of the future.  Lead me Lord Jesus where I should go.  Amen.

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.  Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.”  (Psalm 51:5-6)

Where we begin is the same for all of us.  Yes, we may try to pretend that it is not so, but we all were born in a world steeped in sin.  What the Lord desires is for us to come into the truth, to know the truth and be set free from the bondage of this world.  You go, you do not go, that you can determine, but the invitation has been given.  He will bring you to know wisdom.

Lord, lead me on the path away from sin, death and the devil and to the path of seeking wisdom.  Keep me from wandering in meaningless circles that I may forever hold fast to the eternal truth You have revealed for the ages.  Guide me by Your Spirit to seek the better portion and leave behind the way of the world into which I was born.  Keep me from denial and help me live truth.

Lord Jesus, Word Incarnate and the One who has introduced wisdom into the world, guide me by Your grace to live the life to which I have been called.  Help me see more clearly the ways of this world and the alternatives You grant by grace for those who follow You.  Lead me in the way I go and remove the obstacles before me that would hinder me from learning wisdom from You.  Amen.

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High; call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”  But to the wicked God says, “What right have you to tell of My statutes and to take My covenant in your mouth?”  (Psalm 50:14-16)

What is it you can give the Lord?  What is it He needs?  The Lord desires to be in a love relationship with you.  What you can give Him is yourself.  Make the sacrifice and give your life to Him.  See what He will do with what you give Him.  Is He not more than able to do all things through Christ who strengthens you?  Can He not do as He wills with what is His own?

Lord, this simple principle is hard to understand, yet this is the very thing that You ask.  You ask me to give myself to You that I would become like Christ.  Help me to do this very thing through Your Holy Spirit.  Lead me in the way I should go that I may go there and be one who walks in Your will.  It is truly no sacrifice to be whom You have created me to be.  Help me get out of the way.

Author and finisher of my faith, lead me in the steps You have me walk this day to accomplish the Father’s will on earth as it shall be done in heaven.  Lead me away from the never-changing circles of this world to seek first Your kingdom knowing that everything else that is needed shall be added after this.  Lead me today in the way I should go and help me to follow Your steps.  Amen.

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.  Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.”  (Psalm 50:1-2)

Look around and what do you see?  All around you is splendor and beauty.  Is this an accident?  Is this mere chance?  The fool says it is.  There is the hand of the Lord in all that you see.  Look plainly and see the magnificence of the Lord’s handiwork.  Be guided by the Holy Spirt and understand more fully the author of all that exists.  Know the Lord and come to know His handiwork.

Lord, the skeptics are all around.  They deride and jeer, mock and make much ado about nothing.  Help me move beyond this foolishness to come into Your presence and walk humbly with You, the One who made all things.  Lead me O Lord that I may follow You wherever You would take me.  Help me see in You the hope of glory and the way of living life now and forever.

Lord Jesus, God who took on flesh, You have come to lead the way of glory for all those who would follow where You lead.  Guide me O Lord today to walk humbly in Your ways.  Teach me O Lord to follow You wherever You would lead me.  May I be faithful to the calling You have given me knowing that only in You is there hope and glory now and for all time and eternity.  Amen.

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (St. Paul, writing in Philippians 2:3)

As our nation faces another shocking set of murders, it’s good to pause and remember why Christians walk a different path.  After all, it’s one thing to know your morals, and quite another to know why they’re your morals.  Why should we reject rivalry and conceit?

We can surely see the danger of both sins.  Rivalry led to the first murder on earth: Cain killing his brother Abel because Abel had the more acceptable sacrifice.  Conceit abetted the worse murder on earth: Jesus on the cross, arrested by those who thought themselves better than him.  The spirit of rivalry and pride—the hatred of our neighbor—lurks beneath every murder.  

But knowing a sin’s potential danger is not enough.  Our sinful hearts can quickly imagine an exception for ourselves, a justification for sin that makes us imagine that we can manage the risk. Better to know the true foundation of our morality: God gave His Son for sinners.   

Because God stands at the center of all reality, that sacrificial love for all people stands there, too.  God counted sinners more significant than Himself, so significant that He gave His life for theirs.  Being His children, and thus desiring to live in harmony with Him, we follow on that same path: no rivalry, no conceit, no murder, but only loving neighbors as our true selves.  

LET US PRAY: Forgive me, Lord.  I’d rather love myself than my neighbor, and so I do, on most days.  I am not You, Lord, as You know full well, and I often forget.  Yet since it is Your glory to have compassion on the sinner, have compassion on me.  By Your Holy Spirit grant that I would learn to find my true self not in myself, but in Your Son, and so also in His neighbors, and thus forgetting myself, love You and neighbor alike; through Christ Your Son.  Amen

Pastor Steven K. Gjerde

Zion, Wausau