Timothy, do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth. (The Voice translation)
TO PONDER
The words of this text were written by the apostle Paul to his protégée, Timothy. Timothy travelled with Paul on some of Paul’s missionary journeys, but then Paul sent Timothy off to encourage the Christians left behind when Paul moved on. Here Paul is giving guidance to Timothy in this role.
We might argue that Paul’s advice does not specifically apply to us since we are not ordained Pastors, Ministers or Teachers. However, the Bible has a different understanding. In 1 Peter 2:9, we read, ”But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” And in Revelation 5:9,10, we read, “with your blood you [Jesus] purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God”. So, I would suggest that Paul’s advice applies to us as well.
We need to remember that God uses ordinary people, doing ordinary things in their homes, businesses, recreation, etc. to reveal His love and concern for people. As we live in that genuine close relationship with God, trusting Him to guide us in what to do and say, we show people what the heart of God is like. But God does not want us to fake it since people will see through our hypocrisy very quickly. The daily living close to God changes us so that we become more like Jesus, revealing his love to others.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the way your Holy Spirit is working in my life to change me to become more like your Son, Jesus, in living out your purpose for me. I don’t want to be resisting the work of you Spirit, but to grow in trusting your promises and letting your Spirit have full access. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
TO PONDER
We have a reasonably modern expression that parallels the verse for today: “walk the talk”. If you are older, you may be more familiar with the expression, “practise what you preach”. I suspect that a small part of why the Christian church is losing its relevance in today’s society is that many of us in the church don’t live up to the standards we seem to demand of society.
Even as I write this, I am being challenged with the question, will what I write next be just my advice to you or will it be a sharing of how I actually live my life. Well, to be honest, it will have to be a bit of both. When I write, I pray that God will give me words to write that are His words to my readers. Then often, after I have written something, I find that God has spoken some very pertinent truths to me. Ouch!
So, I will bravely write what I believe God is giving me, knowing that He is speaking to me as much as He might be speaking to you.
If I try hard to live to God’s standards, I find I go through a cycle of trying hard, failing, feeling a failure, getting discouraged and giving up. After some time, when the memory of my failures fades, I might get inspired and start the whole cycle again.
What I find God has been teaching me, is that I cannot change myself, no matter how hard I try. I really need God’s intervention, and that is the work of the Holy Spirit. My role is acknowledging my utter helplessness to change myself and then surrendering my whole life into God’s love and purpose for me. It is not a once off thing but a whole new relationship with a loving Father God. And it takes time, which is not a problem for God, although at times it may be frustrating for us that God doesn’t snap his fingers and change us immediately. And God, in His amazing love, may even let us regularly relapse, just to remind us that we need to daily re‑surrender our lives to Him.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your love for me. And thank you that your love is not a distant positive attitude towards me, but an intimate involvement in every aspect of my life so that I grow into the person you planned for me to be – even before I was born. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Eppings
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body.
TO PONDER
How much emotion is attached to your beliefs? Let me explain. When you are having a discussion with someone (either one-on-one or in a group discussion), do you find that some people get defensive over the positions they take on an issue? Maybe you have even become quite animated yourself during a discussion. I have to admit that I have definitely expressed some emotion at times over issues. And I have had to apologise over some of the emotive things I have said and gone into print with.
It is interesting that in some groups, discussion of politics and religion have been banned due to the emotions that are sometimes expressed by people. Being the scientific inquisitive type, I have often wondered why we attach strong emotions to certain issues. I suspect that the reason we get emotional about some issues is because some part of our perceived value as a person is tied to the issue. We perceive that an “attack” on our beliefs or position on an issue is an attack on us personally. Best friends have stopped talking to each other over differences of opinion.
So, my question to myself (and you) is this, can the love of our Heavenly Brother change us so that our differences do not come between us? When I find myself getting emotionally stirred up by what someone else is saying, how do I respond in the love of Jesus? How do I let go of my emotions while continuing to listen attentively to the other person so as to better understand them?
By the way, I am not suggesting that we ignore lies and deliberate falsehoods. But a yelling match either in words or in text is unlikely to change anyone’s opinion.
God has a reasonably standard answer to many situations like this: firstly, to acknowledge when our emotional response is not in accordance with God’s will for us; secondly, we ask God for His forgiveness; and thirdly we surrender ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit to change us to be more like Jesus.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we have to admit that we are complicated people with many attributes that we don’t fully understand. I ask for your help to respond to people with your love even when I don’t agree with them on issues I perceive as important. Amen
All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
TO PONDER
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. It is probably also the longest chapter in the Bible too – 176 verses. It is constructed as 22 groups of verses, with each group 8 verses long. Each verse in a group begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet, with each letter of the alphabet successively used in a group. The technical term for this arrangement is an acrostic poem.
The recurring theme in this Psalm is how the psalmist relies on God to rescue His children from the attacks by other people who do not respect God’s rules and directions. God’s children can rely on God because they have made themselves very familiar with both God’s regulations and His promises. The psalmist also acknowledges their own failings to live to God’s standards, but knowledge of God’s love and guidance enables them to come to God for forgiveness and healing. And, although the psalmist is already very familiar with God’s directives for life, there is the realisation that there is so much more to learn.
One of the things that amazes me is that this psalm was written over 2,500 years ago, yet the truths it conveys are as relevant today as back then. God has designed us for a relationship with Him. We have a whole Bible to describe that relationship and how to live in that relationship. The Bible also tells us about the experiences of hundreds of people who tried either to live in that relationship or to deliberately live outside that relationship. And in all those relationships, God was not a distant onlooker or judge, but was intimately working to draw the person closer into that relationship.
PRAYER: Thank you, Heavenly Father that the truths that the psalmist wrote about all those years ago are still valid today. I too want to grow in knowing how to live as you beloved child. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
TO PONDER
Today’s verse is part of a discussion between Jesus and His disciples where he is starting to prepare them for His impending departure. Jesus is explaining that after He leaves the disciples, He will be busy preparing their new home and He will come back to get them to join Him for eternity. Jesus suggests to the disciples that they already know how to get to where He will be going. Faithful Thomas, always ready to voice the concerns that the other disciples are afraid to ask, has to admit that he doesn’t know what Jesus suggests that he already knows.
I know this verse quite well, but usually concentrate on the “way” part and the exclusive claim by Jesus that He is the only way. We generally understand the “way” part quite well. We can never live up to God’s highest standards of perfection by our own efforts, but Jesus lived a perfect life and has attributed that perfection to us. We could also not do anything about the huge debt we had accumulated by our failures to live to God’s standards, so Jesus died on the cross in our place to erase the debt. The “way” is accepting these free gifts from Jesus.
We probably also have a good handle on the “life” part. We have been adopted into the heavenly family as brothers and sisters of Jesus, and we have the Holy Spirit to be our guide and teacher. In this life we are learning how to live as God’s children.
But I am not sure that I always have a proper grasp of the “truth” part of Jesus’s claim. We live at a time when “truth” can be somewhat arbitrary. Something can be true for me but not for you. We have to be careful that we are not misled by “Fake News”. A photo used to be able to be used as evidence, but now with Artificial Intelligence (AI), we can no longer be sure. But Jesus claims He is Truth, Absolute Truth. And I don’t have an issue with accepting this intellectually. But when I am honest with myself, I must acknowledge that I often respond to situations as if I don’t believe that all Jesus said is all that true. Let me give you an example. When I feel the nudging of the Spirit to go to someone and talk to them, and I am reminded of Jesus’s promise to be with me and guide me in what to say, I can get all tense and nervous and tentative until the opportunity passes. Deep down I am acting as if I don’t believe Jesus’s promise.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we would like more than just your forgiveness for the times we fail to believe your promises, but your help to change so that we live out our beliefs in your truth and promises. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
TO PONDER
Jesus spoke the words of our text in the temple in Jerusalem while having a lively discussion with the Jewish religious leaders. The crux of the discussion was that Jesus was explaining that his teaching was from God himself, Jesus actual father. However, the Jewish religious leaders couldn’t get their heads around the fact that this very human person was claiming to be God’s son. He was either a liar, a fraud, or a madman to be making such claims.
Jesus performed many miracles to demonstrate His love and compassion for people. But all of these miracles were also to prove He was God’s son and that He had been sent by God. So having established His credentials through His miracles and His blameless life, He could now bring to the people a very important message from God.
God’s message was that He was breaking down all the barriers that were stopping us from having an intimate relationship with God. These barriers were in a sense like locking us up in a prison which we couldn’t get ourselves out of. In our prisons, we were free to try to do whatever we liked, even if it hurt others. And others were free to inflict hurt on us too.
When Jesus freed us by His perfect life, His death on the cross and His resurrection, we are invited to now become God’s children, adopted brothers and sisters of Jesus. We now have the Holy Spirit to teach us how to live as God’s children. We have been set free.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, such love and graciousness to us that we are now your children. Please help us to live in the joy and excitement of the new life you have given us. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
TO PONDER
I’ve spent all my working life as an engineer, designing communication equipment and systems. Part of the design process is the building of prototypes which are similar to but not an identical copy of the final product. The purpose of the prototypes is to test the design to see if the design works as intended; and it never (and I mean never) does. So, much time is spent working out why the design does not work as intended and then working out how to change the design so its performance more accurately matches the design goals. So, I am well trained in solving problems.
This creates an issue for me in my personal relationships. As soon as I am aware that someone has a problem, my automatic reaction is to try to come up with solutions. I’m slowly learning that often what people need is just a listening ear so that they can verbalise their problems and in the process either find encouragement and support or come up with solutions themselves. I’m also learning, and unfortunately even more slowly, to silently commit the situation to God in prayer while doing the listening. The solutions, or ways forward, that God provides, are mostly quite different from the answers I would offer, and usually meet the people’s needs much better. Obviously, God’s more intimate and complete knowledge of the situation than mine means that His answers are perfectly matched to each person’s need.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing love for us that is always seeking to guide us along paths that bring fulfilment and a closer relationship with you and your blessings to others. Amen
Today's devotions written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
TO PONDER
My experience has been that spiritual warfare and spiritual oppression are not topics that generally get a lot of 'air time' in the Lutheran Church. And so I want to preface today's reflection with a disclaimer, that the thoughts and opinions expressed here are based on the reading and also from my limited experience and professional reading in the area.
Among those whom God seems to have called into a ministry of delivering people from spiritual oppression, there is a general consensus that an understanding and recognition of levels of authority is an important part of the process. My very limited experience, and also this passage from James would also support this idea. To put it another way, submitting to the authority and power of God in our lives is the first order of business when it comes to anything to do with spiritual warfare.
James is spelling out for us, something of the order of operations when it comes to spiritual battle. We can try all we like in our own strength and by our own efforts to resist the devil, but if we forget the first step, submission to the will of God the Father, then there's a good chance all our efforts will be limited at best. Authority is only effective if it is recognised. For example, if I recognise and accept the authority of a police officer, I might be more inclined to follow their directions or instructions. If however, I refuse to acknowledge their authority, I'm not likely to pay much heed when they give me a directive. If I continue to deny their authority, there are likely to be consequences.
This is why in the Lutheran rite of baptism, we always include a renunciation of the devil and a confession of faith in the proceedings. One rejects any influence that the enemy may have had in the life of the person prior to baptism, and the other acknowledges and establishes God as the new Lord over this person's life. Now of course over the course of a lifetime people have opportunities to reject God's authority or to grant authority to other philosophies or world views to influence and direct their lives. That is why daily submission and alignment with the will of God is so important. When we acknowledge Him as the authority over us, the devil has no option but to also recognise that authority and as John says, 'he will flee from you'. Question or reject the authority of God in any area of your life and you can bet that something else will come and claim it.
What parts of your life might you still need to submit to the power and authority of God?
PRAYER: Lord God, Heavenly Father, I ask you to forgive me for any of the time I have tried to hold back parts of my life from you. Forgive me for the times I have fooled myself into thinking that I can be righteous and resist the devil all in my own strength. Yet you also promise that your strength is made perfect in my weakness. Lord take all of me, especially my weaknesses and through them, demonstrate your strength, power, and authority to all. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
TO PONDER
This verse from 1 John needs a bit of context. Here John is talking about spirits that do not come from God, we would most often call the evil spirits or devils or something along those lines. John is telling the recipients of this letter that they have already overcome these things because we are from God; the Apostle Paul might have said the same thing but used the phrase 'in Christ'.
Because we are 'in Christ' and he, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, is in us, we now have living in us the one whose name is above all names, the one who said to his disciples, "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me". That same poor is now alive and present in us. The one who is you you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Of course we still live in the world and bump into and interact with all sorts of powers and authorities. Children live under the power and authority of their parents, school teachers, and any other adult charged with having some level of responsibility for their care and safety. Adults experience and live under the authority of their employers and the governments that rule and govern their communities and their delegated representatives, like police. These are not the things John is telling us to overcome. In fact, throughout the New Testament, Christians are encouraged to recognise good government and right leadership as a gift from God for the good and right ordering of society.
However, the world is often blind to the spiritual reality that surrounds us, and so our Lord Jesus has established his people, his church, as a means by which his authority over the spiritual world can still be manifested in the world. If we can do it without developing an inflated ego, it would do each of us well to hear that not only are we 'from God' as John puts it, but we are sent from God or put another way, we are a gift from God to the world, through which he has a plan to continue his redemptive work by continuing to reveal himself to the world, through his people, through his church.
What would change in your attitude or your life today, if you saw yourself as a gift of God to your community?
PRAYER: Lord, it is hard to see yourself as a gift to the world when so much of the world seems to not want to know you or have anything to do with you. So today I simply ask that you would help me to see and to do the things you have in store for me to do so that I might truly be your gift to those who cross my path today. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle