Larry Devich
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Thursday in Week 4 of Pentecost
Who are your enemies, O Christian? From whom must the Lord deliver you? Israel of old was rescued from the Egyptians. That was to foreshadow an even greater deliverance, when God would put a wall between us and our sins, our death, and the assaults of the devil.
God has been delivering people by water for a long time. When the world was young, He rescued Noah and his family in the ark. That foreshadowed the Baptism that now saves us; the Baptism that saves us through the resurrection of Christ Jesus.
In the Red Sea, God buried the chariots and horsemen of Egypt. In the waters of Holy Baptism, God buried your sins. What does such Baptism by water now indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die to all sins and evil desires, and that a new man emerge daily and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. That is, in Jesus.
Cry out to the Lord, O sinner, and He will put more than darkness between you and your enemies. He has put Jesus there; the Light which no darkness can overcome. Israel was led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
Christ is now your light and life. He is all that stands between you and your enemies, and He is more than enough. Because of Him, the Lord will hear no curse against you. As the Lord refused to hear the curse of Balaam when that prophet spoke against God’s people, so He shuts His ears against whatever judgment now is brought against you.
Does the Law condemn you? The Lord won’t hear of it! Do your sins demand your death? The Lord has filled His ears with the Voice of Him Who once was cursed for you upon the cross. He can hear no more than this: “Father, forgive them.” And, “It is finished.”
The Lord has been rescuing people by water for a long time, but now, in these last days, He has rescued us by His Son. That is why your Baptism now saves you. Water and Word, you are rescued, plucked out of the depths, and set on dry ground, in Jesus. Because of Him, the Lord’s ears are deaf to anything that speaks about your sins.
Daily Readings
Ecclesiastes 11:1-8
Galatians 5:16-24
Matthew 16:13-20
Trip update
Mike and I made it up to Missoula yesterday afternoon. We hooked up with Lora and Serenity and decided to take a walk in the park since 5 year old Serenity wasn't interested in sitting quietly in the hotel room and chatting :-) It began to rain though so we walked through the local mall instead. Not quite so nice but at least there was a play area for small children and Serenity got to play. Then we visited the Fort Missoula Military History museum. That was pretty interesting. Outside the museum is a large park area, and since it had stopped raining by then, we did a great deal of walking around looking at the outside exhibits of logging railroad equipment. Later in the evening we had dinner at Johnny Corrino's Italian resteraunt. We stayed at the Motel 6. I was trying to figure out the difference between paying $90 at the Best Western and paying $60 at the Motel 6. Noise and sagging beds would be my answer, that and a breakfast and better coffee in the breakfast room, as well as coffee in the rooms.
More and maybe some pictures to come later. ¶ 7/06/2006 05:18:00 AM 0 Comments
“Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.” (Joshua 24:6)
Who are your enemies, O Christian? From whom must the Lord deliver you? Israel of old was rescued from the Egyptians. That was to foreshadow an even greater deliverance, when God would put a wall between us and our sins, our death, and the assaults of the devil.
God has been delivering people by water for a long time. When the world was young, He rescued Noah and his family in the ark. That foreshadowed the Baptism that now saves us; the Baptism that saves us through the resurrection of Christ Jesus.
In the Red Sea, God buried the chariots and horsemen of Egypt. In the waters of Holy Baptism, God buried your sins. What does such Baptism by water now indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die to all sins and evil desires, and that a new man emerge daily and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. That is, in Jesus.
Cry out to the Lord, O sinner, and He will put more than darkness between you and your enemies. He has put Jesus there; the Light which no darkness can overcome. Israel was led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
Christ is now your light and life. He is all that stands between you and your enemies, and He is more than enough. Because of Him, the Lord will hear no curse against you. As the Lord refused to hear the curse of Balaam when that prophet spoke against God’s people, so He shuts His ears against whatever judgment now is brought against you.
Does the Law condemn you? The Lord won’t hear of it! Do your sins demand your death? The Lord has filled His ears with the Voice of Him Who once was cursed for you upon the cross. He can hear no more than this: “Father, forgive them.” And, “It is finished.”
The Lord has been rescuing people by water for a long time, but now, in these last days, He has rescued us by His Son. That is why your Baptism now saves you. Water and Word, you are rescued, plucked out of the depths, and set on dry ground, in Jesus. Because of Him, the Lord’s ears are deaf to anything that speaks about your sins.
Daily Readings
Ecclesiastes 11:1-8
Galatians 5:16-24
Matthew 16:13-20
Trip update
Mike and I made it up to Missoula yesterday afternoon. We hooked up with Lora and Serenity and decided to take a walk in the park since 5 year old Serenity wasn't interested in sitting quietly in the hotel room and chatting :-) It began to rain though so we walked through the local mall instead. Not quite so nice but at least there was a play area for small children and Serenity got to play. Then we visited the Fort Missoula Military History museum. That was pretty interesting. Outside the museum is a large park area, and since it had stopped raining by then, we did a great deal of walking around looking at the outside exhibits of logging railroad equipment. Later in the evening we had dinner at Johnny Corrino's Italian resteraunt. We stayed at the Motel 6. I was trying to figure out the difference between paying $90 at the Best Western and paying $60 at the Motel 6. Noise and sagging beds would be my answer, that and a breakfast and better coffee in the breakfast room, as well as coffee in the rooms.
More and maybe some pictures to come later. ¶ 7/06/2006 05:18:00 AM 0 Comments
