MARY: A MODEL OF MOTHERHOOD
Devotional for Mothers’ Day 2018 based upon Luke 1: 26-38

If you were looking for the perfect mother to leave your one and only child with, who would she be and what would she be like? Would she be wealthy? Would she live in a nice house? Would she be famous, well educated, experienced, and mature? Well, think about the young woman whom God chose to give birth to and to raise His Son. As we look at Mary, the mother of our Lord, I believe we see a model of motherhood.

Two times in our Bible reading the angel Gabriel tells Mary that she is favored by God. Why? What was there about Mary that caught the Creator’s attention? I believe that God chose Mary partly because of what she already had and partly because of who God knew she would become.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, the Gospel writer Luke tells us that Mary was much perplexed and greatly troubled. I am sure that she was troubled simply by the fact that an angel was speaking to her. But even more, the message that the angel was bringing to her was a very disturbing message. After all, she was already engaged to Joseph, and engagements in those days were taken very seriously. If an engaged woman were found to be unfaithful, she could be put to death. As her pregnancy began to become known, Mary, a young teenage girl, would be facing many troubling possibilities. Such as rejection by Joseph, a ruined reputation, and the prospect of raising a child alone in a culture that was not supportive of women.

Mary had many things to be troubled about. Not to mention the fact that Mary probably felt very insecure, unworthy, and insufficient for this great task of being the mother of the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Mary could have easily said, “Lord, I am just a young girl. I am not ready to be a mother. I am not worthy. I am neither wealthy, nor well educated, nor well situated. You need to find someone else.” But instead Mary said, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to your word.”

Mary had the right perspective. She knew who God is – the Lord Almighty. And she knew who she was – a servant of the Lord. And in her saying, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord,” she was also accepting what the angel was saying, “Nothing will be impossible with God.” If God said it, Mary knew it would happen. And even if she did not really understand all the how’s, she would go along with the what because she was the servant of the Lord.

And Mary also had the right perspective about her role as a mother. She saw being a mother as an honor and as a blessing from God. Luke 1 also contains Mary’s song in which she tells how her soul magnifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God her Savior. She sees herself as being blessed by God in what He was going to be doing in her life. Mary saw being a mother as an honor and a gift.

And mothers today need to be like Mary in seeing being a mother as an honor and a gift. Mothers, you too are God’s servants in all things, including in your raising God’s children. And though there will be times when you, like Mary, will feel overwhelmed and totally inadequate for the task, along with Mary remember that “nothing is impossible with God.” And though there will be times when your children will totally frustrate you, they really are a gift from God and it really is an honor that God has entrusted them to you and your care.

And then I believe that God looked upon Mary with favor also because she had a solid foundation. She knew the Scriptures. In her song of praise she recognizes God as the Mighty One who has done great things for her. She knows God as the Holy One whose mercy reaches out, who lifts up the lowly, and who fills the hungry with good things. Mary’s solid foundation is an example for mothers today. For a mother who praises God and who knows His Word is going to make a huge difference in her child’s life.

Mothers, how solid is your foundation? Do you know God? Do you know God’s Word? Do you know it well enough to be able to quote it and pass it on to your children? Do you set a good example for your children as one who loves, worships, and praises God?

And then I believe that God also chose Mary because of what He knew she would become. First, she would be unrelenting in her protection. From the very moment that Jesus was born, His life was in danger. Mary protected Jesus from wicked King Herod and from many other people and things that could have done Him harm.

And mothers today need to be unrelenting in their protection of their children. Which is obvious when they are very young, when there are many potential dangers everywhere. So mothers must protect their children from germs, electric outlets, sharp things, stoves, and stairs.

As your children grow, they still need your protection. Oh, they may be able to climb the stairs and keep their fingers off a hot stove. But there are many new dangers out there as they grow. And these new dangers can be even more deadly. There are new dangers like low self- esteem, substance abuse, peer pressure, sexual immorality, and thoughts of suicide. Children need their mothers to protect them from the world’s value system, which is being marketed all around them and which stands in total opposition to the Christian faith. And they need their mother’s protection from all the subtle things that really do not seem all that bad, but which totally crowd God out of your life.

Mothers, your children may not always want your protection. They may think they do not need it, and they may even resent it. But, mothers, don’t stop protecting them, for the dangers out there are very real.

And then God knew that Mary would be unwavering in her love and devotion. Mary’s love and devotion for Jesus began before He was born and lasted beyond the cross. The final time the Bible mentions Mary is not at the foot of the cross and not at the empty tomb – though she was present at both. In fact, the last time we see Mary is not in any of the Gospels, but instead in the book of Acts. In Acts 1: 14 it says that the disciples “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as His brothers.” Thirty-three years later Mary is still right where she is supposed to be. Jesus is still the center of her attention. He is still the focus of her being.

Mothers, may God look with favor upon you as He looked with favor upon Mary. May you have the proper perspective and see yourself as a servant of God. May you see being a mother as an honor and as a gift. And may you know and experience that nothing is impossible with God. May you build your life upon the solid foundation of God and His Word. And may you be unrelenting in your protection and unwavering in your love and devotion for your children. For if you do, then you and your children will be blessed by God.

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

“Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing; can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?” (Psalm 78:20-21)

The Lord provides. Daily around the world and throughout the ages, the Lord provides. We sometimes focus on times of need and forget about all of the times of plenty. Look to the One who has provided for all. He causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. He brings good things and asks that we share of His bounty. Will the Lord provide? He always has and always will.

Lord, let me see through the sin of this world to understand that You have always provided for us all. Grant that I would have a gracious heart and see in others the gift You have given me. Lead me to have a heart for You and one that loves others as You love. Guide me, O Lord, in the way You would have me go and then keep me on the path of Your goodness and mercy.

Lord Jesus, You came intentionally to a time and place where You could teach us to take joy in life and all its circumstances and see the truth in You and what You accomplished. Lead me this day in the way of thankfulness for the many good things that You give for all. Amen.

“And in their heart they put God to the test by asking food according to their desire. Then they spoke against God; they said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” (Psalm 78:18-19)

The Lord is able to fulfill all desires, but He loves us enough to grant only what we need and not what we want. We do not even know what we want. We live in this flesh and seek to have its desires filled. Move away from being driven by slavery of the body to live the life for which you have been created to live. Know that only in the Lord will the desire of righteousness be fulfilled.

Lord, You have given me a heart that desires You and yet there still remains this fleshly heart that battles against the Word You have spoken. Save me from myself and the conflict within that I may be guided by Your Spirit and walk upright before You all the days of my life. Lead me, O Lord, to become what You know I will be and guide me according to Your never-failing truth.

Truth made flesh, Jesus my Savior, I need You each and every day to hold my hand and guide me from where I am to where I need to be. Lead me this day in the way I need to go and help me not to rebel against Your leading. In the love of the Father, lift me up from the pit and hold me fast that I may do what is pleasing in Your sight and listen as the Holy Spirit speaks to me. Amen.

“He brought forth streams also from the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers. Yet they still continued to sin against Him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.” (Psalm 78:16-17)

No matter how the Lord has provided, the miracles He has done, or the ways in which He has saved people, there are those who reject Him and will not follow after the Lord. The rebellion is that people will do what they believe is right in their own minds. They will not follow after the ways of the Lord. Come to the One who is gracious and kind and loves those whom He has made.

Lord, You have loved me in spite of my rebellion and given me what I needed even when I have ignored You. Lead me away from the rebellion in my heart to surrender to You and know that only in You is there hope and a future. Lift me up out of the pit of despair that is the result of the rebellion that I may know the peace You give which surpasses all understanding. Create in me a new and clean heart, O Lord.

Savior of those who believe, lead me this day in the way I should go and that fulfills the Word that has been spoken. Take me away from the place of having a rebellious heart that I may be guided by You who has come to save as many as believe. Lord Jesus, apart from You I can do nothing, but in You all things are possible. Lead me this day in Your established way of righteousness. Amen.

“Then He led them with the cloud by day and all the night with a light of fire. He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.” (Psalm 78:14-15)

In the beginning, God separated the light from the darkness. He has made His light to shine for all who see to see. He leads those who believe by the light of His countenance and will bring with Him those who follow Him to be with Him forever. He gives to those who ask and provides for all in the abundance of His grace and mercy. Come then and drink of His goodness.

Lord, You have come that we may have light and life now and forever. Guide me through the pitfalls of this life which get in the way that I may now and forever be guided by Your presence. Help me see each day Your goodness and kindness and live humbly in the way You have established. Lead me, O Lord, and guide my footsteps to follow You in all of Your ways.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the grace You have made available to all that we may walk in the way established from the beginning. Help me now and always to see in You the hope of glory and live according to Your never-failing promises. Day by day, You are with all who call upon Your name, and in Your promise, You provide all the grace that is needed. Let me walk with You today in thankfulness. Amen.

“He wrought wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters stand up like a heap.” (Psalm 78:12-13)

The Lord has done many miracles and people still do not believe. Every day He causes the sun to shine and people do not believe. He who made all things and keeps all things in His hands is worthy of all honor and praise. He who is able to accomplish all that He determines is the One to worship, for it is He alone that gives life and is able to fulfill all that He has promised.

Lord, I too look and see, and then ignore all that You have done. There are times I marvel and then go back to things as usual. Help me, O Lord, to see that in You alone do I have my life and my being. Grant that I would forever hold fast to You alone knowing that the promises You have given are more true than anything I see around me. Lead me to praise and honor You above all things.

Lord Jesus, You have come as the ultimate promise. In You there is grace and mercy and a hope that is forever. Guide me, O Lord, into the way You have established that I may now and always live in praise and thankfulness for all that You have accomplished. Guide me today in the way You would have me go and let me see how much Your presence is all around and within me. Amen.

So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”  And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”  (Acts 8:30-31)

St. Philip was listening to the Ethiopian eunuch, a royal official, read aloud in his chariot.  He could read the words, but could he understand them?  “How can I, unless someone guides me?”

God does not call us to faith all by ourselves.  He reveals His righteousness “from faith to faith,” from the Gospel preached by some sinners to be heard by other sinners who in turn speak what they have believed.

He therefore gives us the Scriptures, that we may hear the prophets and apostles bearing their witness; and He gives us teachers, that we may read, know, and inwardly digest this witness; and He gives us each other to confess, sing, and pray this word together and for our neighbors.  By revealing Himself in words, God chose to reveal Himself in a Church, a fellowship of speakers and listeners.

As God said in the beginning, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18).  He speaks not only to be heard, but also to gather, setting His newborn children within a communion that not even hell can quiet.

LET US PRAY:  Speak, O Lord, and I will listen; and whenever I don’t listen, please forgive me, and speak again; through Jesus, the Word-made-flesh.  Amen

Pastor Steven K. Gjerde

Zion, Wausau

“The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, yet they turned back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in His law; they forgot His deeds and His miracles that He had shown them.” (Psalm 78:9-11)

Nothing is impossible with the Lord, yet in a moment when faith is required, many will fall upon what they know and not trust in the leading of the Lord. Come then into the truth of the Lord and know that if He leads, whatever He asks shall be accomplished. Come into His presence and know that the ways of the Lord are forever and shall not fail. Forget not His ways and live in truth.

Lord, what You have set before me is so simple, but it is not easy. Guide me in the way You would have me go and lead me according to Your never-changing word to walk in the way I should go. Help me overcome the temptation to limit myself  to what I know so that I trust in what You say above all the voices of this earth. Guide me out of myself and into Your Word that I may walk as You would have me walk.

Lord Jesus, You have already overcome the obstacles that are in the way of my steadfastly walking with the Father. Guide me in the way You have established that I may walk in the statutes that You have laid down from the beginning. Lift me up when I stumble and help me keep my side of the covenant You have given by the grace You have purchased that I may live according to Your eternal Word. Amen.

“That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments, and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God.” (Psalm 78:6-8)

Generation after generation comes and they forget the ways of the Lord that the faithful taught them. Yet there always remains the remnant, who walk with the Lord. Those who walk in the ways of the Lord have confidence, for the promises of the Lord are upon them. Be not as those in the world who walk in the ways of the world, but as one who knows that the Word of the Lord is forever.

Lord, I see Your hand on generation after generation. There are those who have always hated You and Your ways and scoff at those who walk with You. Their influence in strong upon those of weak flesh. Help me be one who trusts in You that I may overcome the temptations of this world and see in You the hope for every generation. Guide me in Your ways that I may walk with You.

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead me in the way I should go. Guide me according to Your Word to live into the life You have set before me and walk according to the changeless ways established in the beginning. Help me now and always to live into the life to which You have called me that I may hold fast to Your promises. Be my Savior, Lord Jesus. Amen.

I HAVE CALLED YOU FRIENDS
Devotional for May 6, 2018 based upon John 15: 9-17

On the eve of His crucifixion Jesus gave an astonishing invitation. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. I do not call you servants any longer. I have called you friends.” At the cross Jesus laid down His life not primarily for His followers, students, or servants. Rather Jesus laid down His life for His friends.

Now if I were to guess what kind of word Jesus would use to describe me, I would probably come up with words like “follower,” “servant,” “student,” or “disciple.” But “friend”? That is not a word I would have expected. But Jesus’ invitation here is to something far more – something far better – than we ever would have expected. Jesus invites us to be His friends.

What does it look like to be Jesus’ friend? Here are seven characteristics of a true friend. Jesus more than fulfills each of those characteristics in His friendship with us.

First, A FRIEND ALWAYS LOVE YOU. Proverbs 17: 17 says, “A friend loves at all times.”

Second, A FRIEND ALWAYS STICKS BY YOU. Even though the disciples were riddled with shortcomings, Jesus always stood by them. He stood by them, even when they did not stand by Him. He focused on His love for them rather than on their falling short for Him.

Third, FRIENDS SPUR ONE ANOTHER ON. Proverbs 27: 17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one friend sharpens another.” Friends bring out the very best in each other. Which, admittedly, is not always easy. Sparks fly when iron sharpens iron. But it is worth the discomfort. A true friend challenges you to move forward – to step out of your comfort zone and pursue God’s greatest purposes for your life.

Fourth, A FRIEND WILL TELL YOU THE TRUTH. Proverbs 27: 6 says, “Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” Jesus was a consummate truth teller. He never spared any punches when it came to telling it like it is. He was far more concerned about conveying truth than about being considered “nice.” With straightforward honesty, he sought change in those He cared about. In the words of last Sunday’s Gospel, He pruned His branches because of His love.

Fifth, A FRIEND IS INTERESTED IN WHAT INTERESTS YOU. Philippians 2: 4 says, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but instead to the interests of others.” Jesus always engaged people at their point of interest. Looking at Jesus as our friend will affect what we talk about with Him. If we see Him primarily as our teacher, then we will bring to Him our questions. If we see Him primarily as our master, then we will bring to Him our lists of completed assignments. But if we see Him as our friend, we will feel free to talk with Him about anything. Seeing Him as our friend will change the way we pray.

Sixth, A FRIEND OPERATES ACCORDING TO YOUR SCHEDULE OF NEED. Real friends are there for you when you need them, even when it is inconvenient. Jesus was that kind of a friend. Romans 5: 6 and 8 say, “While we were weak, Christ died for the ungodly. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Ephesians 2: 5 says it even more strongly. “When we were dead through our trespasses, He made us alive.” When we needed Him the most – even before we knew we needed Him – even before we knew Him – Jesus already was our true and faithful friend.

Seventh, A FRIEND IS A PART OF YOUR LIFE. Jesus said in John 10: 10, “I came that (you) might have life and might have it abundantly.”

But in our Gospel reading for this coming Sunday Jesus gives an even more astonishing characteristic of a true friend. John 15: 13 – “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” It was at the time when He was on His way to the Garden of Agony and the Hill of Crucifixion that He said this. He said it when He was about to lay His life down for His friends.

A Savior is someone you need. A King is someone you obey. Jesus is certainly our Savior and King. But here Jesus is saying that He wants us to be His friends. A friend is someone you know and love.

We all long for a relationship like that. We all long for a relationship with someone who will love us and understand us and challenge us to reach our full potential. We all long for someone who will encourage us in our dreams, confront us in our foolishness, strengthen us in our times of insecurity, and guide us in our moments of boldness.

Jesus wants to be that kind of friend for you. He does not call you merely to be His servant to come before His throne on occasion for a new list of assignments. Rather He calls you to be His friend. The Christian life is not so much about working harder as it is about coming closer to Jesus, the perfect friend.

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Do you know Jesus as your friend, who laid down His life for you?

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