“Awake, my glory!  Awake, harp and lyre!  I will awaken the dawn.  I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.”  (Psalm 57:8-9)

Look around and what do you see?  Does not the sun come up each morning?  Is not the Lord giving all that is needed for life to continue?  Has not the Lord provided for You?  Yes and more.  Awaken, and regardless what is happening around you, see that the Lord is always doing His part in the midst of every time and place.  Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and provides always.

Teach me,O Lord, to sing to You with the work of my hands.  Guide me in those gifts You have given to use them for You always.  Lead me in the way I should go that I may go there.  Open my eyes to see the beauty of the earth and all that is in it.  Let my voice raise in song and my heart swell with praise of Your goodness to all.  May others know that it is You that I praise, O Lord.

Lord and Savior, Jesus, You are leading the way for as many as come through You to the Father.  Guide my thoughts and actions this day that I may see the goodness that is all around in spite of the battle of sin that still rages.  Keep my heart in joy and away from lament, and lead me to sing a sing of praise this day through all that I do.  Help me, O Lord, to walk as You would have me walk.  Amen.

“They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they dug a pit before me; they themselves have fallen into the midst of it.  My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!”  (Psalm 57:6-7)

In the midst of the turmoil of the world, many will lament, curse God and join in the fray.  But will that change the rampant sin that prevails?  No, it will not.  Praise the Lord in all seasons and know that You have His promise that everything will work for His glory.  Know that the Lord is good in the midst of all that is not good.  Let your heart be steadfast and praise the Lord at all times.

Lord I often spend time in laments, but not in praise.  Praise is not an emotion, but an attitude.  Guide me to see in You hope and a future.  Lead me into the life to which You have called me that I would go with hope in You.  No matter what happens in this life, lead me O Lord to walk in Your ways, praising You for all that comes.  Keep my heart steadfast upon You.

Lord Jesus, You know the pain and suffering more than any other, for You took it all upon Yourself.  Help me know that this is true that I may walk with You confidently trusting in all that You have done.  Let me work through every adversity while You are shaping me day by day to be more like You.  Lead me, O Lord, and grant my feet the ability to follow.  Amen

“He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.  My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.  Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth.”  (Psalm 57:3-5)

The Lord’s salvation has come, just as He promised.  It is He who came and became one of us.  He knows our weaknesses and He knows our need.  The Lion of Judah, the One from whom the scepter shall never pass, is the One who offers His hand to each of us.  It is the hand of truth and He shall lead all who follow forever in the presence of the glory of God.

Who fears the Lord but the one who encounters truth.  The Lord is truth and He offers grace and mercy to those who seek Him and humble themselves before Him.  His is the everlasting glory, before all time and forever.  Stand fast in His presence and all else that is passing away will seem of no worth in comparison to what He offers in the way and truth He gives which leads to eternal life.

Lord Jesus, the One who has come to end the warfare for those who believe, lead me this day to rejoice in the true glory of the Father You have revealed.  Guide me not so much to know as to understand that all I need do is follow You all the days of my life.  You are the truth revealed, promised long before and in You is the hope of all generations.  May you be exalted through me this day.  Amen.

“Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by.  I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me.”  (Psalm 57:1-2)

Grace is unmerited favor, a gift that the Lord grants to those who turn to Him.  We all need grace, for we all have fallen short of the glory of the Lord.  Cry out to the Lord who hears you and knows all about what He has made.  Know that in Him you can take refuge and He will cover you in the shadow of His wing.  The Lord is more than able to accomplish your salvation.

Lord, in times of trouble I look to You, but often in times of plenty, I simply go my way and ignore You.  Help me realize that this age is a time of great trouble and turmoil.  Lead me into the truth of Your presence that I would know that in You I have an eternal hope and a future.  Guide me in Your will to walk in Your ways all the days of my life, knowing in You alone can I hope.

Christ, the Savior of the World, You have come to be the refuge for all.  Lead me in the grace You have purchased by Your own blood that I may forever walk in the mercy of the Father.  Destruction has already come upon the world, but in You I need not fear anything that comes.  Lead me, O Lord, to stand by Your side and walk where You direct, knowing that only in You will I be made complete.  Amen.

“ . . . so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26)

“Just remember, it’s not about you.”  Those were the last words I heard before I preached for the first time.  A senior at Valparaiso University, I was about to deliver the homily at one of the daily chapel services.  The chaplain assistant leading matins, who could probably see my nerves at work, leaned over and whispered, “Just remember, it’s not about you.”

There’s freedom in those words, whatever our walk of life: the freedom to let go of ourselves, even forget ourselves, and simply hand ourselves over to the task at hand.  And according to the apostle Paul, it is this same freedom that stands behind salvation in Jesus Christ.  Even there, it’s not about us: it’s about God demonstrating that He is just.  

While that promise may irritate our old selves (they always like to be at the center of attention!), it makes God’s forgiveness of you even more true and certain.  His decision to redeem, His sacrifice on the cross, and His proclamation of that redemption for you rest not on you, but entirely on Him who is eternal, the same “yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

LET US PRAY: Lord God of hosts, You have raised up preachers, teachers, and martyrs in every age to bear witness to You.  We laud and magnify Your justice; we adore Your beloved Son; and we pray for Your continued grace upon our way; in Jesus’ name.  Amen

Pastor Steven K. Gjerde

Zion, Wausau

“Your vows are binding upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You.  For You have delivered my soul from death, indeed my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living.”  (Psalm 56:12-13)

In this world of mixed up ideas, the Lord makes promises that only He is able to keep.  Who gives life?  Who can raise the dead?  Whose ability holds all things together?  It is the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.  Trust in the Lord with all of your might and let Him make up for any weakness that you have.  He will deliver your soul so that You can walk with Him forever.

Lord, I become confused by all of the promises, words and persuasions bantered about in this world.  Guide me through the morass of this world to stand before You covered in the righteousness You alone give.  Bring my heart to the place where I render thanksgiving for all of Your goodness and know that in You there is hope and a future.  Lead me, O Lord, for You alone know what is needed.

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead the way for as many as would come by grace through faith, trusting that You have given the words of eternal life.  Lead me this day to see in You the hope of glory and the firmness of the promises You have delivered.  Teach me how to praise and worship, knowing that only in You is there hope and a future.  Keep me from stumbling so I may walk with You now and always.  Amen.

“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.

“Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thess. 4:18)

St. Paul didn’t act as though he had more than he really had.  He had words, and they were good words.  Words can open minds, console hearts, and change futures.  Words from God, founded on the acts of God, can do even greater things: they can raise the dead.

Here in central Wisconsin, we can know how words work just by looking at the great hunting season that unfolds this month.  Consider how much talk accompanies hunting; think of the photos that people post of their kill to illustrate the stories that they tell.  That conversation encourages hunters in their hope and accompanies them into the woods.

It’s a reflection of the greater glory of Jesus Christ.  His life has authored a deathless word, the Holy Gospel that not only speaks of forgiveness now but also of the world to come.  This holy Word we must steadily proclaim, more and more, to encourage one another and reveal to this present world that there is a happy future to be had.  In the end, that sacred conversation of the Church is the hope that will accompany souls into the woods, however dark the woods may be.

LET US PRAY: Speak, O Lord, we will hear You, for Your Word alone is life.  Amen

Pastor Steven K. Gjerde

Zion, Wausau

“You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle.  Are they not in Your book?  Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; this I know, that God is for me.”  (Psalm 56:8-9)

The Lord knows the days of our life.  He knows what we need long before we ask.  He allows all the things that happen to occur for His purposes.  Trusting in the Lord is the result of faith and knowing that all things are in His hands is the truth.  Come then to the Lord and be not afraid.

Lord, all around me is the evidence of a world that is not quite right.  Help me, I pray, to see through the fog of this world the truth of Your Word.  Guide me according to Your never-failing principles to walk humbly on the earth knowing that You alone are God of all.  Your book is written and in it is that page onto which You have written me.  Guide me to live as You would have me live.

Lord Jesus, You are the author and finisher of the faith for all of those who come to You.  Lead me to follow and open my ears to speak as You speak that I would be guided by the truth of eternity.  Though all around me is chaos, settle my heart to simply trust in the grace You provide knowing that only in You is there hope and a future.  May I truly follow You all the days of my life.  Amen.

USE IT OR LOSE IT

Devotional for November 19, 2017 based upon Matthew 25: 14-30

In the parable for this morning Jesus is talking about money.  But He is talking about something far more important than money.  He is talking about life.  In the parable of the talents Jesus is giving us four principles on how we should invest our lives.

First, WE ARE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES ACCORDING TO OUR ABILITIES.  The servants were not given the same amount.  To one servant the master entrusted five talents, to another two, and to another only one.  Just like in life today.  We do not all get equal opportunity because we do not all have equal ability, and we do not all share the same level of commitment.  

So sometimes, instead of looking at all the opportunities that God has given us, we look at all the opportunities that He has not given us.  We look at what He has given to someone else rather than to us.  So then, instead of making the most of what we do have, we fret over what we do not have.  Instead, what we need to do is to take inventory of all that we have been given and then ask ourselves, Am I investing it, or am I burying it?  

Most of us probably feel like either the two-talent guy or the one-talent guy.  Very few, if any of us, feel like the five-talent guy.   The difference in what the one-talent guy and the two-talent guy started out with was not all that much.  But the difference in what they ended up with was substantial.  And why?  Because one took what he had and made use of it, while the other one took what he had and buried it.  If God has given someone else more than He has given you, that is never an excuse to waste it.

SECOND, FAITHFULNESS IS ALWAYS REWARDED.  Did you notice that the master spoke the exact same words to the man who had been given two talents as he said to the man who had been given five talents?  “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”  Both had been faithful with what they had been given.  So both of them were promoted.  Even though their original resources were not equal, their effort and faithfulness were equal.  Whether you are faithful with a little or faithful with a lot, faithfulness is always rewarded.

God is looking for those who will be faithful in the little things so that He can entrust them with bigger things.  In God’s economy, one of the biggest rewards for doing a good job is being given a bigger job.  Being responsible always leads to more responsibility.  

Third, THE ONLY REAL FAILURE IN LIFE IS GIVING UP AND DOING NOTHING.  The servant who had received only one talent might have thought, “What if I were to take this money and lose it?  It’s a whole lot safer just to do nothing.”  So that is what he did – nothing.

The other two servants had doubled the master’s money.  Maybe that was something that the third servant was not able to do.  What could he do?  He could have taken the master’s money and put it into a low-risk, low-return account.  So when the master returned, he could have said, “I know my colleagues doubled your money.  I do not have the ability to do that.  So I did do what I could do.  I put your money into a safe account at a safe bank, and the amount has increased by 3 % a year.”  What do you think the master would have said then?  I believe that if that truly was the best that third servant could do, then the master would have said to him exactly the same thing that he said to the others – “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  The reason why the master was so angry with this third servant was because he had just buried the talent and had done nothing.  He did not even try.  

Someone once said, Our greatest regrets at the end of our lives will be all the missed opportunities.  We will grieve far more over what we did not do than over what we did do.  The only real failure in life is giving up and doing nothing.  Because when we do nothing, we close the door to the possibility of God’s doing something really special in and through us.

Today, as you look back on your life, do you realize that you have squandered some opportunities that God has given you in the past?  Do you realize that you have some ability that lies buried in the sand?  If that is the case, then get out that shovel and start digging.  Unbury what you have buried and put it to use.  Do what you can with what you have left.  For accomplishing a little is far, far better than accomplishing nothing at all.  The only real failure in life is giving up and doing nothing.

And then, fourth, USE IT OR LOSE IT.  In Jesus’ parable the master said, “So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.  For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”  You have been given certain skills – certain abilities.  The more you use them, the better you will get at them.  But if you do not use them, you will eventually lose even what you do have.  

And then I would like to close by looking at five words that Jesus used to describe what the one who had been given the five talents did.  HE WENT OFF AT ONCE.  He went off at once and traded them and made five talents more.  He went off at once.  He got started immediately.  Whatever it is that you want to accomplish in your life – whatever it is in your life that you want to change – whatever it is that you feel God is calling you to do – do something about it today.  To finish it and to fully complete it may take days, weeks, months, even years.  Get started and do something about it today.  

Dennis D. Nelson

President of the Board and Director of Lutheran CORE