O Sing Unto the Lord - Part 2
Isaiah 12:2
04/30/2024
2 ``Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and
will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my
strength and my song, and he has become my
salvation.'' (ESV)
This last Sunday, which is known as ``Cantate Sunday,'' was
named for the first verse of Psalm 98, which we used to enter
into God's presence at His invitation. ``O sing to the LORD a
new song, for He has done marvelous things.'' The prophet Isaiah
told us of the reason for this song, the marvelous things the
LORD has done for His people.
``Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will
not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my
song, and he has become my salvation.''
Certainly for the children of Israel, part of the salvation
in which they would rejoice is the restoration of Jerusalem and
the Temple. After seventy years, they returned from Babylon and
rebuilt their homeland.
For the Christina, we rejoice in Jesus, whose name means
``God is my salvation.'' What greater song can we sing than of
the grace of God, than of the love of Jesus Christ who willingly
took upon Himself our sin? He indeed is our strength against the
assaults of the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. We
believe, teach, and confess that our redemption from sin and
death is a gift from God, freely given to us for the sake of the
bitter suffering and death of Jesus Christ. In this Easter
season, we rejoice and sing God's praise that Jesus burst forth
from the tomb, thus assuring us that we, too, shall rise again.
There is no better reason to sing, to give glory to God, that by
His undeserved love we are given the hope of the resurrection and
everlasting life.
May our Lord bless you with the comfort which comes from
knowing His love as found in Christ Jesus. Amen.Author: admin
O Sing Unto the Lord — Part 1: April 29, 2024
O Sing Unto the Lord - Part 1
Isaiah 12:1
04/29/2024
1 You will say in that day: I will give thanks to
you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.
(ESV)
The Sundays following Easter are named for the first word of
the Introit, the Psalm sung by the faithful entering the church.
Last Sunday was named ``Cantate,'' ``Sing,'' from Psalm 98. ``O
sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things.''
What is this song of the faithful, the song of praise and
thanksgiving? What are the marvelous things accomplished by the
LORD our God? For the answer to these questions, we turn to the
prophet Isaiah and his first song of praise.
You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O
LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger
turned away, that you might comfort me.
As you remember, Isaiah was the prophet who called the
children of Israel to repent, showing them their sins. He also
told them of God's wrath, of the seventy years they would spend
as exiles in Babylon. Yet, in spite of being torn from their
land, removed from Jerusalem, God would restore them to this land
of promise.
This song of praise also is fitting for those who have
sinned against God and neighbor, but have received the comfort of
the forgiveness of their sins. This ultimate comfort comes not
from possessing a particular plot of ground, but from receiving
the redemption from sin and death earned for us by the suffering,
death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to the LORD for His anger has turned to
comfort. This week we will rejoice with Isaiah, and all of God's
redeemed people for the freedom given to us for the sake of the
Son of God.
May our Lord richly bless and keep you as you give Him
thanks for all His blessings. Amen.
The Incomparable Lord — Part 5: April 26, 2024
The Incomparable Lord - Part 5
Isaiah 40:30-31
04/26/2024
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young
men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings like
eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they
shall walk and not faint. (ESV)
This week we have been looking at the power of God versus
the power of the world. ``To whom then will you compare me, that
I should be like him? says the Holy One.''
The prophet Isaiah was writing to bring comfort to those in
exile, to those who thought they had been forgotten by God. They
had grown weary and discouraged. Yet, Isaiah brought them hope.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men
shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD
shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with
wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
God our heavenly Father gives us tangible proof of His love,
grace, and mercy. By sending Jesus to bear our sin, to redeem us
from our transgressions as well as from the power of the devil
and even death, we now have hope. Although in life we will grow
weary, and we will sleep for a while, yet we have the sure and
certain hope of life everlasting because we have been forgiven.
That forgiveness is not because of our strength, for ``even
youths shall faint and grow weary.'' That forgiveness is a gift
given to us for the sake of Christ Jesus.
Join us at Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunday morning at 9:00
a.m. to hear more of God's rich grace, love, and mercy. May our
Lord continue to bless you. Amen.The Incomparable Lord — Part 4: April 25, 2024
The Incomparable Lord - Part 4
Isaiah 40:28-29
04/25/2024
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD
is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of
the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his
understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no
might he increases strength. (ESV)
In times of trouble we often wonder if God can and will
overcome the evil in this world. Through the prophet Isaiah, God
gives us this comfort: ``To whom then will you compare me, that I
should be like him? says the Holy One.''
What does our Lord promise through His holy prophet, Isaiah?
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is
the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the
earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his
understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the
faint, and to him who has no might he increases
strength.
The power that created all things with just His Word has the
power to uphold and save His people. His plans unfold in ways we
cannot imagine, for His ways are not our ways. You and I cannot
see how our immediate situation fits into the overall path of
history.
Frequently we hear people say, long after the fact, that the
problems and tribulations they experienced became the greatest
blessing. The fire that leads to new adventures because all the
worldly goods which tie someone to a specific place are gone.
The health diagnosis which focuses our attention on that which is
truly important rather than the day-to-day trivia which seems to
take all our time and energy. The changed situation which causes
us to truly cling to God's promise that He will never leave us
nor forsake us.
Isaiah was bringing hope to the exiled children of Israel.
Isaiah brings us hope. He points us to our loving heavenly
Father who is revealed to us by the life, death, and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. May our Lord strengthen us at all times to
trust in Him. Amen.
The Incomparable Lord — Part 3: April 24, 2024
The Incomparable Lord - Part 3
Isaiah 40:27
04/24/2024
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ``My
way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is
disregarded by my God?'' (ESV)
We believe, teach, and confess that we were created by the
Triune God. We also believe, teach, and confess that He still
keeps us and sustains us, even in times of trouble. The devil,
the world, and our own sinful flesh have no power over Him. ``To
whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says
the Holy One.''
Yet, in times of trouble, such as experienced the the
children of Israel to whom Isaiah was writing, God seems far off.
Yet He says:
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ``My way
is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by
my God?''
The trials of this life show that we are not in control of
our own fate and destiny. As hard as we try, we cannot overcome
the ravages of time, much less the combined forces of evil which
daily attack us, which daily try to pull us from our only Help.
Yet, Isaiah confesses that God sees our distress and hears
our prayers and is there even when we feel scared and alone. Our
Lord uses the trials in our life to bring us closer to Him, to
trust in Him and not our own feeble strength.
Knowing of His love, we look not to our distress, but to the
love which He show through Jesus Christ. As we fix our eyes on
Jesus we are strengthened to endure all the world can do to harm
us. In the end, for Christ's sake, we have eternal life with our
heavenly Father.
May our Lord strengthen and keep you in all trials. Amen.The Incomparable Lord — Part 2: April 23, 2024
The Incomparable Lord - Part 2
Isaiah 40:26
04/23/2024
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created
these? He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name, by the greatness of his
might, and because he is strong in power not one
is missing. (ESV)
God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, has tossed a
challenge to all people. ``To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.''
What powers do we have to create from nothing, to control
nature? Yet, in our arrogance, we suggest that the universe is
the result of a random process, denying the obvious design of
everything from the conditions which allow for life to the
complexity of an individual cell. If chance can cause life to
spring from inanimate substances, shouldn't we be able to
recreate the conditions to bring forth life?
But Isaiah, writing as inspired by the Holy Spirit,
proclaimed:
Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these?
He who brings out their host by number, calling them
all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because
he is strong in power not one is missing.
In spite of our rejecting Him, this creator God, all
powerful and mighty, looks upon each one of His created humans
with love. Because they rejected Him, because they ran in fear
at the sound of His voice, God has called them back to Himself.
He sent His Son to redeem us from sin and death, to earn for us
the right to stand forever in His presence, to be showered with
His grace.
May our Lord grant that we recognize His great and almighty
love for our eternal benefit. Amen.The Incomparable Lord — Part 1: April 22, 2024
The Incomparable Lord - Part 1
Isaiah 40:25
04/22/2024
25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be
like him? says the Holy One. (ESV)
We are halfway through the Easter season, a celebration of
seven weeks during which we see God's power over sin, death, and
the grave. No one, except God, Himself, claims to have the power
to raise the dead, much less to forgive the sins of those who
call upon Him. No human, no created entity, surpasses the
strength of our Creator.
The prophet Isaiah wrote as inspired by the Holy Spirit:
``To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him?
says the Holy One.''
Humans desire to be like God, to have power and strength
over nature and all of creation. This is the lure of original
sin, the lying promise of the serpent in the Garden of Eden who
promised that defying God would bring the joy of knowledge.
Maybe the eyes of our first parents were opened, but all they saw
was destruction.
Man-made religions claim that we have the strength and power
to overcome the evil that clings to our human nature. By hard
work, feats of great faith, we can pay the price our our sin.
Yet there is no comfort, for we can never do enough good to
balance the sins we have committed.
There is no comparison to the God who created and sustains
us. This week we will look at Isaiah's words to discover God's
rich grace, love, and mercy as found in Christ Jesus alone.
May our Lord grant you His richest blessings. Amen.The Good Shepherd — Part 5: April 19, 2024
The Good Shepherd - Part 5
Ezekiel 34:16
04/19/2024
16 ``I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the
strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I
will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the
strong I will destroy. I will feed them in
justice.'' (ESV)
God, speaking through Ezekiel, promises to seek and save the
lost. He also promises to judge the wicked, those sheep who
bully and harm the others in the flock.
``I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the
strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will
strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will
destroy. I will feed them in justice.''
Jesus was once asked, ``What is the greatest commandment?''
He answered, ``You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart... and your neighbor as yourself.''[1] The lost sheep,
rescued by the Good Shepherd, were incapable of joining the
flock. They were lost, injured, weak, and helpless. As sheep of
God's pasture, we were called from the darkness of sin to the
glory of His presence, not by our works, but because we heard of
His love, were joined to Him through baptism, and enjoy the
blessings of being in His presence.
As members of the flock of God, we are privileged to reflect
His love by serving one another, by seeking the good of our
neighbor. Our good works flow from the grace of our Good
Shepherd.
A portion of God's beloved flock gathers at Trinity Lutheran
Church on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. There we are fed by God's Word,
blessed with the forgiveness of our sins, and comforted by the
good news of Jesus Christ. The Good Shepherd invites you to join
Him for your eternal blessing. Amen.
____________________
1. Drawn from Matthew 22:37-40The Good Shepherd — Part 4: April 18, 2024
The Good Shepherd - Part 4
Ezekiel 34:15
04/18/2024
15 ``I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I
myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord
GOD.'' (ESV)
Ezekiel, as inspired and instructed by God, told the exiled
children of Israel about God's rich love and mercy. He spoke of
the restoration of Jerusalem, the return to Israel. This is the
work of God, not of the corrupt, ineffective rulers and leaders
of the people.
God told Ezekiel to say: ``I myself will be the shepherd of
my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord
GOD.''
Part of the heritage of the exiles were the songs of David,
which they knew by heart. Ezekiel's words echoed the description
of the Shepherd of the Twenty-Third Psalm. Even today, many
people who know nothing of God's rich grace and mercy, of His
desire that we should not perish but have everlasting life, know
the words of David. ``The LORD is my Shepherd,'' is used at
countless funerals to bring the hope of the resurrection.
God calls us to Himself through the proclaimed Word, the
Gospel of reconciliation. He shows us His love by sending Jesus,
His Son, to pay the price of our sins, a price that we are
absolutely unable to pay. His message is not of our works to
appease an angry God, but a message of pleading to allow Him to
care for us.
What does God call the sheep to do? To lie in green
pastures, to feed upon the very body and blood of the sacrificed
Son of God, to bathe in the waters of baptism. We are privileged
to reflect the love which we receive. God seeks the lost sheep.
The one who is tangled in the briers, who has cuts and bruises,
who cannot care for himself, that is the sheep that God rescues.
He rescues sinners who are in despair, and gives them comfort and
hope. May our Lord grant that we recognize, know, and trust in
the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Amen.The Good Shepherd — Part 3: April 17, 2024
The Good Shepherd - Part 3
Ezekiel 34:14
04/17/2024
14 ``I will feed them with good pasture, and on the
mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing
land. There they shall lie down in good grazing
land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the
mountains of Israel.'' (ESV)
Ezekiel, as given the message from God, proclaimed hope and
comfort for the children of Israel who were exiled in Babylon.
They had been failed by both the rulers and the religious
leaders. They had been enticed from the truth of God's love to
the worship of worthless idols. They were given religious
burdens rather than the peace of God.
Now they were longing for the day they could return to
Jerusalem. God's promise was not only about the restoration of
Judah, but of His Son being the Good Shepherd of the flock, the
people of God.
``I will feed them with good pasture, and on the
mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land.
There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on
rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of
Israel.''
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the
redemption of His flock. While Ezekiel's words remind us of the
Twenty-Third Psalm, they also are a reminder of Jesus' words.
``Take and eat, this is My body given for you for the forgiveness
of your sins. Take and drink, this is My blood, shed for you.''
Why does our Lord and Savior bestow upon us the forgiveness
of our sins and the promise of everlasting life? Is it because
we are particularly good sheep? No, it is because of His love,
His grace, and His mercy.
This promise is for you. God has said that He longs for us
to return to Him, to trust in Him, and to receive His love. May
our Lord richly bless you with the comfort that He is our
Shepherd who cares for us. Amen.