Reflections

September 20, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, The Lord’s Prayer: Sixth Petition Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:20-40 , Ephesians 2:1-22 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the wo...

September 19, 2023 Today's Reading: Romans 14:1-12 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:1-19 , Ephesians 1:1-23 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. (Romans 14:7-8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In 1 Corinthians 6 and 7, Paul says, “You were bou...

September 18, 2023 Today's Reading: Genesis 50:15-21 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 16:29-17:24 , 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Do you remember the account of Joseph? I think Joseph’s life is one that most of us remember pre...

September 17, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 18:21-35 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 12:20-13:5, 33-34 , 2 Corinthians 8:1-24 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.” (Matthew 18:23) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Many of our readers are students, so the next thing I write may not be as applicable to you as the rest of the devotion–I hop...

September 16, 2023 Today's Reading: Introit to Pentecost 16: Psalm 143:1-2 ; antiphon: Psalm 143:9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Yahweh! I have fled to you for refuge! (Psalm 143:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In Psalm 143, David is praying for refuge from his enemies and rest. Whether he is thinking of Saul, or the other sons of Solomon, or any number of other enemies, he is being pursued, and...

September 15, 2023 Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-18 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 11:1-26 , 2 Corinthians 6:1-18 Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Do not receive the grace of God in vain,” which means to receive God’s grace to no purpose, for emptiness, or as if it were worthless. Paul’s exhortation to the Cor...

September 14, 2023 Today's Reading: John 12:20-33 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 9:1-9, 10:1-13 , 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 " Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. (John 12:31-33) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Sir, we wish to...

September 13, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, the Lord's prayer: Fifth Petition Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 8:22-30, 46-63 , 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us (SC, LP, Explanation to the Fifth Petition) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian Faith. No forgiveness, no Christianity. I...

September 12, 2023 Today's Reading: Romans 13:1-10 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 , 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We do not often think of our obedience to governing authorities (or any authorities, for that matter) in terms of love. What does obeying the law of the land have to d...

September 11, 2023 Today's Reading: Ezekiel 33:1-10 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 5:1-18 , 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17 How then can we live? (Ezekiel 33:10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When we observe the nature of the world, the sins of people against us, and our sins against others, it is easy to become pessimistic and cynical. We can identify all sorts of problems in the world, but we do not seem to...

September 10, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 18:1-20 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 3:1-15 , 2 Corinthians 1:1-22 “For where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Where is Jesus? He says, “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I among them.” Notice the three parts of that: two or three gathered; in My Name; and there am...

September 9, 2023 Today's Reading: Introit to Pentecost 15: Psalm 92:1-4 , antiphon Psalm 92:5s Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 2:1-27 , 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 How great are Your works, O Yahweh! Very deep are Your thoughts! (Psalm 92:5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Here’s a clue to the theme for each Sunday’s Divine Service: trace the thread from the antiphon of the Introit (the first and last verse of...

September 8, 2023 Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 1:1-4, 15-35 , 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it (1 Corinthians 12:27) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God puts the Church together as He chooses. There is a command here not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought ( Romans 12:3 ), as if the Body of Christ wo...

September 7, 2023 Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 12:1-25 , 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed (1 Corinthians 12:1-13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Corinthians have  a lot of questions. Apparently, they had asked Paul to teach them about “spiritual” things. The word “gifts” is actually not in 12:...

September 6, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, the Lord's Prayer: Fourth Petition Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 11:1-27 , 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 We pray in this petition that God would lead us to…receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. (SC, LP, 4th Petition) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God gives daily bread to everyone, even to the evil. This is the sort of God He is. Daily bread i...

September 5, 2023 Today's Reading: Romans 11:33-12:8 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:19-29 , 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:16 Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Verbs matter. In Romans 12:2, there is one active verb (“present”) and two passive verbs (“be conformed” and “be transformed”). And then...

September 4, 2023 Today's Reading: Isaiah 51:1-6 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:1-17 , 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:22 “My salvation will be forever” (Isaiah 51:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner” (Isaiah 51:6). That soun...

September 3, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 16:13-20 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 6:1-19 , 1 Corinthians 9:1-23 “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Who do you say that I am?” That’s the question, isn’t it? When Jesus asks the disciples about who people say that He is, the disciples respond with the various answers they have heard: John the Baptist, Elijah, J...

September 2, 2023 Today's Reading:   Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 5:1-25 , 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. (1 Corinthians 8:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Knowledge is a gift, until it becomes a weapon. Freedom is a gift, until it too is used as a weapon. You might be wondering, though, how can knowledge or freedom...

September 1, 2023 Today's Reading:   Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 1:1-27 , 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. (1 Corinthians 7:38) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We love when things are straight-forward and are logical. Opposites make sense. You are hot or cold. There is up or down. You turn left or right. We li...

August 31, 2023 Today's Reading: Romans 11:33-12:8 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 31:1-13 , 1 Corinthians 7:1-24 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God’s Word often describes the Body of believers as, well, a body. It talks about each of us making up one united being with Christ as the Head. This is a beau...

August 30, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther's Small Catechism, Lords Prayer: Third Petition Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 28:3-25 , 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 And when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. (How is God’s will done?)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you heard the phrase, ‘battle of wills?’ It means that two (or more) people have their own ideas or plans that are...

August 29, 2023 Today's Reading: Mark 6:14-29 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 26:1-25 , 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 And the king was exceedingly sorry. (Mark 6:26a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John the Baptist’s executioner was exceedingly sorry that he would put John to death. But, punishments follow crimes committed, right? Why would King Herod feel sorry?   In fact, Herod’s interactions with John are con...

August 28, 2023 Today's Reading: Isaiah 51:1-6 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:23-44 , 1 Corinthians 4:1-21 My salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed. Isaiah 51:6b In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Disaster. War. Murder. Slander. Cursed. Defiled. Ugly. These are heavy words. These are words we use to describe horrible things that happen to us or around us. These are words...

August 27, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 16:13-20 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:1-22 , 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 ‘For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’ Matthew 16:17b In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In today’s reading, Jesus asks a question to His disciples: ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ The disciples respond with what they have heard: some say t...