Daily Devotions from October 1 to December 31, 2016

by

A. Trevor Sutton, Haslett, Michigan Devotions for October

Jonathan Schkade, Jefferson City, Missouri Devotions for November

Rose E. Adle, Collinsville, Illinois Devotions for December

Edited by Rev. Scot A. Kinnaman

Vol. 79, No. 433

For Personal and Family Devotions

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Meet the Authors

A. Trevor Sutton is a pastor in Haslett, Michigan, and a graduate student in Writing and Rhetoric at Michigan State University. Previously, Trevor attended Concordia University, Ann Arbor, and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two young daughters, Grace and Han-nah. Trevor is author of Being Lutheran (CPH, 2016) and Why Should I Trust the Bible? (CPH, forthcoming). He enjoys being a husband and father, pastor and graduate student, fly-fisherman and cyclist. More of his writing can be found at www.atrevorsutton.com.

Jonathan Schkade is a procrastinator and pardoned sinner and was previously a copy editor at Concordia Publishing House. His days are spent caring for his joyful daughters and writing children’s books, including CPH’s Icky Sticky, Hairy Scary Bible Stories and Not-So-Nice Bible Stories: Gory Deaths. He delights in his lovely and competent wife, Kristi, sings in two choirs at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Honey Creek, Missouri, and spends his free nanoseconds reading, cooking, going to movies, and trying not to be too much of a nuisance.

Rose E. Adle is a blessed wife and mother in Collinsville, Illinois. Her husband, Scott, is a pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School. Their children are James, Maria, John, and Joel. Rose works from home to assist the online deaconess program of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She is thankful for Pastor Burns and the women of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Eureka, Illinois. There she studied the Book of Isaiah, on which her devotions are based.

ORDER OF FAMILY WORSHIPLeader: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Leader (With all repeating each phrase): Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

A PSALM may be read by the leader or by the family in response.

All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

THE SCRIPTURE READING THE MEDITATION THE PRAYER THE LORD’S PRAYER: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Leader: Let us bless the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Leader: The almighty and merciful God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us.

All: Amen.

Martin Luther’s Morning PrayerMake the sign of the holy cross and say:

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Martin Luther’s Evening PrayerMake the sign of the holy cross and say:

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

—Adapted from Luther’s Small Catechism

Mealtime PrayersAsking a Blessing

The children and members of the household shall go to the table reverently, make the sign of the holy cross, fold their hands, and say:

The eyes of all look to You, [O Lord,] and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. (Psalm 145:15–16)

Then shall be said the Lord’s Prayer and the following:

Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts, which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Returning Thanks

Also, after eating, they shall, in like manner, reverently make the sign of the holy cross and with folded hands say:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. [He] gives food to every creature. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. (Psalm 136:1, 25; 147:9–11)

Then shall be said the Lord’s Prayer and the following:We thank You, Lord God, heavenly Father, for all Your benefits, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. —Adapted from Luther’s Small Catechism

Saturday, OctOber 1k

Read Colossians 2:16–23 Psalm 75We give thanks to You, O God; we give thanks, for Your name

is near. We recount Your wondrous deeds. Psalm 75:1

Casting a Shadow of Grace

A shadow points to something real. Lanky limbs of a tree cast a sprawling shadow across the ground. Tall towers

slice through the sunlight and spread shadows across the cityscape. Silhouettes follow people as they walk through the park in the afternoon sunlight. Without the presence of something real, there is no shadow to be cast. Shadows need something of substance in order to exist.

There are shadows of Christ in many places. The Old Testament feasts are a shadow of Christ’s mercy seen on the cross. The love you share with others is a shadow of Christ’s love shown to His people. The forgiveness you offer to your neighbor is a shadow of Christ’s forgiveness offered to all.

To be certain, our hope is not in the shadows. Rather, our hope is in the One casting the long shadow throughout all time and eternity: Jesus Christ. Without Christ, we are merely chasing after shadows. Without His mercy, love, and forgiveness, we have nothing. We not only recount His deeds, but also through us, He enacts deeds of mercy, love, and forgiveness. His presence in our lives lets us cast God’s grace into all things.

Gracious God, fill me with Christ’s presence to spread Your grace. Amen.

Sunday, OctOber 2k

Read Numbers 29:1–6 Psalm 98Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous

things! His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him. Psalm 98:1

The Call to Rejoice

The vuvuzela is a noisy instrument. This long, plastic horn produces a sustained and thunderous B-flat. Sporting

events around the world—ranging from soccer and rugby to cricket and tennis—feature the deafening cry of the vuvu- zela. The vuvuzela is so loud that it has been banned from many sporting events.

The Old Testament Feast of Rosh Hashanah used trum-pets to make noise. The trumpet blast was a herald of God’s mercy. Its cry was loud and sustained and signaled a loud and sustained turn from sin toward God’s grace. The noisy song of Rosh Hashanah was not the only sound calling God’s people to celebration.

God’s people in Christ Jesus await the new song of the final trumpet blast when His mercy will be fully realized. He has worked our salvation through the death and resurrec-tion of Christ Jesus. The cry of the final trumpet blast will be forever deafening to sin and death. It will usher in a new song of God’s new heaven and new earth. The cry of the final trumpet blast will be an eternal call to rejoice in the marvel-ous things He has done.

Heavenly Father, grant me strength and perseverance as I await the new song of the final trumpet blast. Amen.

MOnday, OctOber 3k

Read Genesis 1:1–5 Psalm 52And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the

light from the darkness. Genesis 1:4

Fruit from Light

Days, months, and years of sunlight come together in one tasty apple. Years before you sink your teeth into that

mouth-watering bite of fruit, sunlight caused a tiny sprig of life to grow into a tree. Months before you enjoy a little snack, sunlight nourished the tree and its bountiful blooms. Days before it resides in your fruit bowl, sunlight ripened the apple just right. The fall harvest is the fruit of many, many hours of sunlight.

Just as the fall harvest is the fruit of many hours of sunlight, goodness needs light to grow. The darkness of sin squelches the growth of goodness in our lives, but the light of God causes godly goodness to grow, blossom, and ripen just right. Christ Jesus brings the light of healing into a world dimmed by disease and despair. He shines a light on our false self-righteousness. He separates us from the darkness of death and rolls away the stone of death by shining the light of His death and resurrection into our lives.

Yet, seeing the light of Christ is not just a future hope; His light is a present gift shining into our otherwise darkened lives. Christ’s light causes goodness to grow today.

Holy Lord, let Your light cause goodness to thrive in my life. Amen.

tueSday, OctOber 4k

Read Revelation 21:22–27 Psalm 43And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it,

for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:23

The Light of the Lamb

Why are all these lights on?!” Have you heard that before? Perhaps you heard it as a child when your mother or

father walked into an unoccupied living room with every light shining bright. Perhaps you have said it yourself when you walk from room to room in your house realizing why your electric bill is so expensive. The answer to this question is obvious: having every light in the house shining bright is not needed.

In Revelation, we are told that in the presence of God, no additional light is needed. John’s vision of heaven revealed that the glory of God provides light enough for all of His creation. Sun and moon, lamps and flashlights are not need-ed in the presence of God’s glory. In Christ, no other light is needed.

No human invention—power plants, solar panels, or light bulbs—can provide the light that God provides. No human effort—charity, positive thinking, or meditation—can replace the light of God’s glory. Not even the sun can shine as brightly as the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. In Christ, you have no need for any other light shining into your life.

Lamb of God, let Your light shine bright in heaven and on earth. Amen.

WedneSday, OctOber 5k

Read Exodus 10:21–29 Psalm 37:21–40Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward

heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” Exodus 10:21

A Light to Be Felt

Darkness is seldom felt. Darkness is typically a visual expe-rience. Nevertheless, you certainly know the feeling of

extreme darkness. Walking in complete and utter darkness is an unsettling feeling. An unknown number of hazards lie in wait to trip you up. Fear rises up and catches in your throat as you wonder what might be lurking in the darkness. Yet, a single source of light could make all those uncomfortable feelings go away in an instant.

In the midst of a plague, God still provided light for His people. As God passed judgment upon Egypt, a darkness that could be felt covered the whole land. As this com-plete and utter darkness rolled in and caused hearts to race, God provided light for His people Israel. The light of God comforted them.

In the midst of hardship, God will provide you with the light you need. Illness, toil, stress, and sin will surround you with a darkness that you can feel. Christ Jesus, however, has pierced the darkness and brought a great light into God’s creation. Surrounding you with the light of His forgiveness, Jesus drives out the darkness of sin and surrounds you with the light of God.

Lord, surround me with Your light so as to drive away the darkness of sin. Amen.

thurSday, OctOber 6k

Read Proverbs 4:10–19 Psalm 18:1–15But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which

shines brighter and brighter until full day. Proverbs 4:18

A Sure and Certain Future

Light on a path: sometimes you can see the whole path and the forest as well; sometimes you can see only a few feet

in front of you. If you hold a lantern up high, the light will pour over the whole path and outward into the woods. If you hold a lantern down low, the light will remain close and illuminate just the immediate area.

God promises to shed light on your path as you walk in Him. He does not, however, promise how much light He will cast on your path. Sometimes, God sheds light on your whole life, blessing you with a clear view of your future. Other times, God grants you just enough light to view your future hour-to-hour or day-to-day. Regardless of how much light is shining on your path, God promises that your path will have light to illuminate your steps.

No matter how dim the future is, you can take heart in Jesus. Through faith in Christ Jesus, you have the good gift of a sure and certain future in the kingdom of God. You may not know what tomorrow will bring for you. However, you do know what eternity will bring for you: new life in Christ!

Heavenly Father, assure me of my sure and certain future in the safety of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Friday, OctOber 7k

Read Romans 13:8–14 Psalm 101The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Romans 13:12

Relief in the Light

Creak! Clash! Crash! Strange noises in the night wake up the whole family. Armed with just a flashlight, you go

out and investigate the source of the noise. When you were a child, this experience would have been terrifying. As an adult, this experience is . . . still terrifying! Even for an adult, hearing a strange noise in the night is scary. Your mind begins to concoct outlandish sources for the noise. Relief, however, always comes in the morning light.

God has plucked you from the dark night of sin and made you a child of the daylight. In Jesus Christ, God has removed the unsettling darkness of sin, death, and the devil. His death and resurrection have given rise to a new day!

Whether you are young or old, God has shined a bright light on the terrifying darkness of sin and brought eternal relief for you. Therefore, put on the armor of light given to you through faith in Christ. Whether it is day or night, you can confront the darkness of sin with confidence, knowing that your Savior Jesus Christ has overcome it all for you.

Lord, clothe me in Your armor of light so that I can confront the darkness of sin in my life. Amen.

tueSday, nOveMber 1 all SaintS’ day

kRead Revelation 7:9–17 Psalm 106:43–48

And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end

of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31

Gathering

Picture the biggest concert crowd ever. Then multiply it by a thousand and another thousand. More epic than a

scene from The Lord of the Rings, more multicultural than a United Nations meeting, more excited than a million die-hard football fans—the great multitude of saints before the throne of the Lamb erupts with His praises. But this is no one-time event. The praise continues for eternity as believers serve the One who fills every need.

This collection of individuals is beyond number from everywhere and every time. And though they are now noble, they were unkempt, undeserving, and unloved before Jesus claimed them with His death. In His blood, their robes are cleaned, and His Spirit gathers them in His Church. But they are not gathered because they are innately better than anyone else; they are gathered because they have received the free gift of faith in Christ Jesus.

Even now, as we await the final heavenly gathering, we come together in worship as a snapshot of one tiny part of this vast crowd—believers all, gathered together by the One whose love leaves no one behind.

Lord, guide and uplift Your family, Your Church, as we gather in Your name. Amen.

WedneSday, nOveMber 2k

Read Acts 8:1–8 Psalm 107:4–32Now those who were scattered went about preaching

the word. Acts 8:4

Dispersing

The Early Church in Jerusalem was on a roll. The events of Pentecost forged the disheveled, doubting disciples

into dynamic proclaimers of Christ. Thousands had joined the ranks of believers, who gathered together in regular fel-lowship. Healings and other miracles were performed, and the Gospel was preached publicly in the temple. Attempts at silencing and arresting the apostles failed, and the commu-nity of believers shared with and took care of one another. Then came Stephen’s bold preaching and his stoning. Sud-denly, persecution arose, and the believers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

While this surely felt like a great defeat, time would prove it instead to be a great opportunity. The believers were dispersed, giving them new neighbors to preach the Word to and new friends to bring into the flock.

We may love our congregations too. We may feel there is no better place to be than in them with our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we do not stay put in the safety of the church building. Instead, we are dispersed throughout our communities so that when we return, we can bring others back in. No matter what adversity scatters us, the Spirit’s plan to build Christ’s Church never wavers.

Sent by You, Lord, we spread the seed of Your Word wherever we go. Give us humility to seek Your guidance in every moment.

Amen.

thurSday, nOveMber 3k

Read 2 Corinthians 7:8–16 Psalm 31:7–24For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salva-tion without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

2 Corinthians 7:10

Grieving

Good grief!” Many people think Charlie Brown’s favorite phrase is an oxymoron. They can’t believe that grief could

ever be good. This is an interesting opinion from a culture that encourages grieving for almost everything. We grieve for our youth, for minor misfortunes, and even for the wrong choice off a menu. We grieve because we can, achieving nothing more than wallowing in our mistakes.

Yet when faced with something worth grieving, we are easily overwhelmed. Death and disaster leave us clutching our heads in confusion and despair as we struggle to define what makes our grief so sharp. Meanwhile, we avoid grieving the thing that should grieve us the most: our sin.

Our sin is worth great grief and good grief because it separates us from God and His will. Sin equals death—not just physical death but eternal, spiritual death in hell. Godly grief, which is repentance, leads us to see our need for for-giveness that only God can grant. Through this grieving, our potential for joy is awakened as our burdens are removed by the One who carried them all for us long ago. Fear not, for in our darkest hours, God will bring good from our grief.

Father, thank You for sending Jesus to turn our grief into repentance and joy. Amen.

Friday, nOveMber 4k

Read Luke 15:1–10 Psalm 90:14–17Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one

sinner who repents. Luke 15:10

Rejoicing

Parents smiling at their wrinkle-faced newborn. A child watching bubbles float in the air for the first time. A man

whose “Will you?” to the woman he loves is answered with an exuberant “Yes!” The recipient of the words “total and complete remission.” Joy has many faces, but we all know what it looks like: the ever-widening smile, the tears that cleanse, the relief of a hardship at long last shed.

Joy doesn’t know limits, for that would defy its nature. Rather, joy is spread ever outward by words, by actions, and merely by sharing space with someone bursting with joy. What a delight, then, to know there is joy in heaven over each forgiven believer!

Our joy, too, should overflow at this, for we are the subjects of God’s joy, the targets of His love. We are the ones for whom Christ lived and died. This is not cause merely for small joy. This is reason to have joy with abandon. And just as God puts such joy within us, we revel over His Word work-ing in others. From God, to us, to others, and back to God, the joy of salvation rejuvenates and refreshes, opening our lips again for a song of joy.

Lord, let Your joy pour through us so our rejoicing may never end. Amen.

Saturday, nOveMber 5k

Read Numbers 23:1–12 Psalm 129But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who

abuse you. Luke 6:27–28

Cursing

How many inanimate objects do most people curse in a lifetime? Just think of encounters with shin bumps,

missed hammerblows, or unexpected bills. All but the most self-controlled let careless words slip far too often.

Don’t think, though, that such cursing is a small thing. To curse something is to call forth a heinous fate upon it, often damnation itself. This is far beyond our authority. Indeed, God is the only one with the right to curse, but even He does not follow that path lightly.

We were cursed by our own sin and have had that curse lifted. As Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” He released us from the fate of eternal damnation by dying in our place and by bearing separation from His Father as He hung on the cross. Yet, because He was sinless and He was God, this was not the end of Him. Instead, He went from curse to blessing, giving us the promise of eternal life by binding us into His resurrection. Take heart, for our curse has been reversed!

We honor You, Christ, for taking our curse and making us the blessed ones of God. Amen.

Sunday, nOveMber 6k

Read Matthew 5:1–12 Psalm 128Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Ephesians 1:3

Blessing

What’s the most common blessing bestowed in our soci-ety? Odds are it’s the offhand “bless you” that follows a

sneeze. While not exactly the holiest blessing ever bestowed, this practice does a great job of capturing a key truth about blessings. God does not bless us with gifts because we are naturally worthy of them; He blesses us because we need His blessing.

Consider how different life would be if every infirmity, annoyance, or trouble of our neighbors led us to bless them verbally or, even crazier, led us to loving action on their behalf. Such a focus on others couldn’t help but change us from the inside.

God’s focus is always upon us. From our minor scrapes to our insurmountable debts, God focuses on leading us through our troubles by blessings He gives freely. Moreover, He knows that offering blessings to those who don’t want them isn’t enough. With this in mind, God’s Spirit changes our hearts by planting faith in Christ within us. In so doing, God makes us worthy of receiving His gifts as bearers of His Son’s righteousness. And as bearers of righteousness, we now live as sharers of blessings.

Lord, as You have blessed us, make us a blessing to others. Amen.

MOnday, nOveMber 7k

Read Matthew 16:21–28 Psalm 143Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me,

let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

Denying

What’s better: front-row seats or standing in the back, a supersize sundae or just one bite, a brand-new car or a

clunker? The answers are clear: closer, bigger, and newer. We live in an age of excess, where self-denial has no meaning for anyone not on a weight-loss program, and even those fail at an outlandish rate.

Though we cannot deny our tiniest desires, God calls us to deny our very selves by not selfishly trying to avoid the difficulties and crosses given us. These are given for a reason, to keep our eyes on Jesus as we follow Him. In our reading, Peter denied the deadly road Jesus would travel, but Jesus would have none of this. He was there to do His Father’s will. So it is with us. We all have challenges we’d rather do without, but God teaches us to use them as opportunities to follow Him and direct others in His way.

Still, God doesn’t just say, “Deny yourself, and in heaven you’ll be blessed.” He provides for our needs now, giving joy in the journey. Of course, the heavenly rewards of faith in Christ will be ours as well. God will never deny us entry into His kingdom.

Lord, undeniably You save us. Destroy all our doubt. Amen.

thurSday, deceMber 1k

Read Isaiah 1:24–27 Psalm 81I will turn My hand against you and will smelt away your dross

as with lye and remove all your alloy. Isaiah 1:25

Made Pure

If you go digging for gold, you’ll find that what you dig up isn’t pure. You’ll have to burn off all the impurities from the

precious metal to make it valuable. The first chapter of Isaiah (and the entire book, really) speaks of Israel as an unfaithful people, unworthy of the Lord’s love. Only the Lord, in His great compassion, would value the people of Israel even with their corrupting dross of sin.

The Lord, in His perfection, cannot and does not tolerate filth. The people of Israel couldn’t purify themselves. Because of the Lord’s mercy, though, the unfaithful people of Israel would once again be called “the city of righteousness, the faithful city” (Isaiah 1:26).

None of us can be clean of sin’s filth without Christ’s work. All the impurities—the alloy of our soiled hearts and minds and deeds—have to be smelted for us. This was the agonizing work of our Lord as He carried His cross and was lifted up for the sins of the world. For His sake, we are called righteous and faithful.

You relieved our shoulder of the burden, O Lord. You carried on Your own shoulders the weight of the cross, and You shed Your

blood to cleanse us completely. Amen.

Friday, deceMber 2k

Read Isaiah 2:1–5 Psalm 27O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Isaiah 2:5

Let There Be Light

Practice saying, “Let there be light.” How did that go? Did anything light up? We can’t create light out of nothing.

Only the one true God can do that. For us, it doesn’t happen spontaneously.

It is foolish to grope in the darkness of our own hearts, hoping to find a revelation to lead us to the truth. How sense-less to say on a dark night, “Let there be light,” and then walk forward without anything to illumine the path ahead of us. At best, we would get lost. At worst, we would fall down flat and quite possibly come to great harm.

The Lord wants people to come to Him—to His moun-tain. He doesn’t expect us to find our own way. He knows that we won’t get there spontaneously, so He lights our path by His Word. He gives us the directions we need so that we end up where He is. We do not need to grope and stumble. It will never work! We can only walk ahead confidently with the truth of the Lord’s Word to guide us.

Apart from the Word, there is disorientation and danger. Held firm in the Word, the light of Christ, the Word made flesh leads us to the holy mountain and everlasting life.

O Lord, my light and salvation, keep me firm in Your Word. My confidence is in You. Amen.

Saturday, deceMber 3k

Read Isaiah 6:8–13 Psalm 119:65–72“And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again,

like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump. Isaiah 6:13

A Stump of Hope

Isaiah’s audience is a people of dull hearts, heavy ears, and blind eyes. Even in his willingness of “Send me!” there is

also wariness: “How long?” Isaiah knows that the people do not want to hear the Law of the Lord.

Isaiah’s message would cut down the people. He must have been incredibly unpopular. We are no more eager to hear the sternness of the Law from the pulpit. Our pastors have to be faithful. Their ratings may nose-dive when the Law fells us, as it did the people of Israel.

Thankfully, Isaiah also had good news. The holy seed would prevail. This is Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the Law per-fectly for us. Christ hung upon a tree of death that we might be grafted to the tree of life. This is the same Gospel that our pastors preach to us. The Law does not drive us to despair but to the arms of our Lord. Our desolation and death brought on by our sin give way to new growth in this life and eternal salvation beyond, thanks to Christ’s perfection.

O Lord, may Your Law be better to me than gold and silver. Teach me to receive the preached Word with gratitude to Christ.

Amen.

Sunday, deceMber 4k

Read Isaiah 11:1–10 Psalm 72:1–7There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1

We Are the Fruit

What kind of fruit would you be if you could pick just one? This sounds like a question we might be asked

during an awkward icebreaker. Let’s focus our thoughts not on what kind of fruit we might be, but on the fact that we are fruit.

In Isaiah 6, we read about a stump remaining. In chapter 11, we read that the stump will sprout and bear fruit. What fruit might that be? We are the fruit that Christ bears!

A tree lives to produce fruit. Christ’s work—His perfect life, death, and resurrection—produces believers. Christ bears this fruit across the globe. He draws all the nations to Himself, establishing righteousness, understanding, fear of the Lord, and peace in creation. As we are held firm in the one true faith through the Word and the Sacraments, we are secured to a branch of the Lord’s kingdom. The sanctuary of these blessed boughs is our place of rest, where we are gathered together with all the others who have been borne by our Savior.

The righteous flourish and peace abounds, because of Your great love and mercy, Lord. Hold me in the promises of my Baptism that I may never fall from the branches of Your grace. Amen.

MOnday, deceMber 5k

Read Isaiah 9:18–10:4 Psalm 83:13–18What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will

you leave your wealth? Isaiah 10:3

Fire Safety 101

Most people understand the importance of an escape plan in the event of a fire. Even if we’d rather not think about

it, it’s wise to prepare for such things. Leave everything. Run.In Psalm 83 and Isaiah 10, a fiery blaze lights up the pages of our reading. “What will you do?” A day of wrath and destruc-tion is coming. Can’t we read about something else? Who wants to torture themselves with such thoughts?

This is important, though. There is a reason for the fire. We are, in fact, the fuel according to Isaiah 9:19. Our sinful flesh ignites the blaze and keeps it burning. Again, the ques-tion: “To whom will you flee for help?” Psalm 83:16 provides the answer. There is only one escape: “that they may seek Your name, O Lord.” God is just. He is also merciful.

When you feel the heat at your back, run. Leave your wealth behind. None of it can save you. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

O Lord, my sin is shameful, but You put Your name on me in Baptism and cooled my burning face. You saved me from the

eternal fire. Amen.

tueSday, deceMber 6k

Read Isaiah 10:20–27 Psalm 37:1–11In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house

of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. Isaiah 10:20

Lean on the Lord

Strong people stand up straight without any help. They don’t slouch. They don’t slump. They don’t lean on any-

thing or anyone. Those who are weak, though, need to lean. For example, a person with a broken leg leans on crutches. It’s the only way to keep from collapsing.

The survivors of the house of Jacob are weak. They were spared the Lord’s wrath by grace alone, but they aren’t strong. They need to lean on the Lord for support.

So it is with all of us in our daily struggle with sin. We are weary. We are weak. We cannot stand alone. The Lord calls us as He called the remnant of Israel. He calls us to lean on Him. Psalm 37:1 repeats, “Fret not yourself.” Don’t try to do it alone. Don’t worry. Lean on the Lord.

He upholds us and strengthens our feeble faith through His Word and Sacrament, which are far better than a pair of crutches. They strengthen us in faith, they keep us from collapsing in this fallen world, and they are the very Means of Grace by which we are carried unto life everlasting.

Hold me, O Lord, as I lean on You. Your Word in my heart and Your true body and blood strengthen me. Amen.

WedneSday, deceMber 7k

Read Isaiah 12 Psalm 118:14–24You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to You, O Lord,

for though You were angry with me, Your anger turned away, that You might comfort me.” Isaiah 12:1

No Longer Enemies

Forgiveness in this world isn’t perfect among broken peo-ple. Sometimes even after we have asked for forgiveness,

we may worry that the person is still angry with us. It’s a horrible, uncomfortable feeling not knowing. There is no joy in this.

With the Lord, we need not and should not have such misgivings. We have no reason to dwell on our past sins and wonder if God is still angry. He knows that we need assur-ances, and that is precisely what He gives us.

There’s no candy coating though. There’s no pretending that we’ve never done wrong. For, in fact, we were all ene-mies of God because of our sin. Because of Christ, though, and His precious blood, God’s anger turned away. It turned away completely. We believers hold to the promise that noth-ing “in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

We are comforted by God’s plain words in Isaiah 12. For this reason, we join the inhabitants of Zion. With thanksgiv-ing, we shout and sing for joy!

O Lord, my strength and my song, I thank You that You have answered me. You have become my salvation. Amen.