Larry Devich
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Wednesday in the 3rd Week of Pentecost
In the Name of Christ. Amen. There have been innumerable articles written about this psalm and how important its words were to Martin Luther. Author after author mentions how many times Luther rewrote verses and tunes to “A Mighty Fortress” because the words of this psalm had such a great impact on him.
Maybe they aren’t that far off the mark. Think about it: the earth and everything in it can fall apart around us, and what does that do to us from an eternal standpoint? Nothing.
“And take they our life, Goods fame, child, and wife, Let these all be gone, They yet have nothing won; The Kingdom ours remaineth,” Luther writes (LW #262, v. 4). Even if everything we have and love vanishes around us, a la Job, this has no consequence for us eternally because “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
The psalmist writes of the city of God and how the city “shall not be moved.” No matter what the world throws at her, no matter how much the nations rage, no matter how much the waters of the sea roar, “she shall not be moved.”
There is real comfort in these words, comfort that we might not recognize right away, but comfort nonetheless. Our citizenship in God’s eternal Kingdom protects us from the raging of the earth and nations.
The work of Christ Jesus for our salvation confirms that we are safe in the midst of the city of God. Because we bear the mark of His Cross on our foreheads and hearts, the trouble we see now will not last, and we can look forward to the day when God our Father says “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Amen.
“O Lord, who never fails to help and govern those whom You bring up in Your steadfast fear and love, make us to have a perpetual fear and love of Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” (Collect for Second Sunday in Trinity)
Daily readings
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Galatians 2:11-21
Matthew 14:1-12
Commemoration for today: Irenaeus of Lyons, Pastor
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, thought the mountains tremble at its swelling.’” (Psalm 46:1-3)
In the Name of Christ. Amen. There have been innumerable articles written about this psalm and how important its words were to Martin Luther. Author after author mentions how many times Luther rewrote verses and tunes to “A Mighty Fortress” because the words of this psalm had such a great impact on him.
Maybe they aren’t that far off the mark. Think about it: the earth and everything in it can fall apart around us, and what does that do to us from an eternal standpoint? Nothing.
“And take they our life, Goods fame, child, and wife, Let these all be gone, They yet have nothing won; The Kingdom ours remaineth,” Luther writes (LW #262, v. 4). Even if everything we have and love vanishes around us, a la Job, this has no consequence for us eternally because “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
The psalmist writes of the city of God and how the city “shall not be moved.” No matter what the world throws at her, no matter how much the nations rage, no matter how much the waters of the sea roar, “she shall not be moved.”
There is real comfort in these words, comfort that we might not recognize right away, but comfort nonetheless. Our citizenship in God’s eternal Kingdom protects us from the raging of the earth and nations.
The work of Christ Jesus for our salvation confirms that we are safe in the midst of the city of God. Because we bear the mark of His Cross on our foreheads and hearts, the trouble we see now will not last, and we can look forward to the day when God our Father says “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Amen.
“O Lord, who never fails to help and govern those whom You bring up in Your steadfast fear and love, make us to have a perpetual fear and love of Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” (Collect for Second Sunday in Trinity)
Daily readings
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Galatians 2:11-21
Matthew 14:1-12
Commemoration for today: Irenaeus of Lyons, Pastor
Irenaeus (ca. A.D. 130-200), believed to be a native of Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey), studied in Rome and later became pastor in Lyons, France. Around 177, while Irenaeus was away from Lyons, a fierce persecution of Christians led to the martyrdom of his bishop. Upon Irenaeus's return, he became bishop of Lyons. Among his most famous writings is a work condemning heresies, especially Gnosticism, which denied the goodness of creation. In opposition, Irenaeus confessed that God has redeemed his creation through the incarnation of the Son. Irenaeus also affirmed the teachings of the Scriptures handed down to and through him as being normative for the Church. [From "Commemorations Biographies," Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]
¶ 6/28/2006 05:02:00 AM 0 Comments
Wednesday in the 3rd Week of Pentecost
In the Name of Christ. Amen. There have been innumerable articles written about this psalm and how important its words were to Martin Luther. Author after author mentions how many times Luther rewrote verses and tunes to “A Mighty Fortress” because the words of this psalm had such a great impact on him.
Maybe they aren’t that far off the mark. Think about it: the earth and everything in it can fall apart around us, and what does that do to us from an eternal standpoint? Nothing.
“And take they our life, Goods fame, child, and wife, Let these all be gone, They yet have nothing won; The Kingdom ours remaineth,” Luther writes (LW #262, v. 4). Even if everything we have and love vanishes around us, a la Job, this has no consequence for us eternally because “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
The psalmist writes of the city of God and how the city “shall not be moved.” No matter what the world throws at her, no matter how much the nations rage, no matter how much the waters of the sea roar, “she shall not be moved.”
There is real comfort in these words, comfort that we might not recognize right away, but comfort nonetheless. Our citizenship in God’s eternal Kingdom protects us from the raging of the earth and nations.
The work of Christ Jesus for our salvation confirms that we are safe in the midst of the city of God. Because we bear the mark of His Cross on our foreheads and hearts, the trouble we see now will not last, and we can look forward to the day when God our Father says “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Amen.
“O Lord, who never fails to help and govern those whom You bring up in Your steadfast fear and love, make us to have a perpetual fear and love of Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” (Collect for Second Sunday in Trinity)
Daily readings
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Galatians 2:11-21
Matthew 14:1-12 ¶ 6/28/2006 05:02:00 AM 0 Comments
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, thought the mountains tremble at its swelling.’” (Psalm 46:1-3)
In the Name of Christ. Amen. There have been innumerable articles written about this psalm and how important its words were to Martin Luther. Author after author mentions how many times Luther rewrote verses and tunes to “A Mighty Fortress” because the words of this psalm had such a great impact on him.
Maybe they aren’t that far off the mark. Think about it: the earth and everything in it can fall apart around us, and what does that do to us from an eternal standpoint? Nothing.
“And take they our life, Goods fame, child, and wife, Let these all be gone, They yet have nothing won; The Kingdom ours remaineth,” Luther writes (LW #262, v. 4). Even if everything we have and love vanishes around us, a la Job, this has no consequence for us eternally because “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
The psalmist writes of the city of God and how the city “shall not be moved.” No matter what the world throws at her, no matter how much the nations rage, no matter how much the waters of the sea roar, “she shall not be moved.”
There is real comfort in these words, comfort that we might not recognize right away, but comfort nonetheless. Our citizenship in God’s eternal Kingdom protects us from the raging of the earth and nations.
The work of Christ Jesus for our salvation confirms that we are safe in the midst of the city of God. Because we bear the mark of His Cross on our foreheads and hearts, the trouble we see now will not last, and we can look forward to the day when God our Father says “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Amen.
“O Lord, who never fails to help and govern those whom You bring up in Your steadfast fear and love, make us to have a perpetual fear and love of Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” (Collect for Second Sunday in Trinity)
Daily readings
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Galatians 2:11-21
Matthew 14:1-12 ¶ 6/28/2006 05:02:00 AM 0 Comments
