The Way of Wisdom -- Part 4
Proverbs 9:7-9
06/13/2024
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and
he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be
still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will
increase in learning. (ESV)
Wisdom has called us to partake of the banquet, to sit at her
table, to eat and drink and listen to those who are wise so that
we leave our foolishness behind. Everyone is invited to hear the
Word of God, to gain as much insight and wisdom as they can. The
Holy Spirit uses the Word of God, the Wisdom of God, to call us
to faith, to enlighten us with His gifts of understanding and
trust, and to keep us in a firm relationship with the Triune God.
Not all who sit at Wisdon's table will benefit. Many hear
the truth of God's Word and reject it because they believe they
are wiser than the Almighty. Thus Wisdom says:
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he
who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not
reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise
man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise
man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man,
and he will increase in learning.
The fool argues belligerently for his errors of judgment.
He seeks to justify himself, rejecting all correction, demanding
that the world conforms to his sense of right and wrong. The
fool is never in error, and will defend his ways by getting
louder and violent. Not so the wise man. He will consider that
which is said and will learn from the interaction. The wise man
recognizes and knows that there is much in this world of which he
is ignorant, so he seeks and appreciates all opportunities to
learn and to hear informed opinions. The way of the foolish
leads to dissension and fighting. The way of wisdom leads to
understanding and cooperation.
May our Lord make us wise through His Word, that we may live
at peace with one another, seeking the good of our neighbor with
thanksgiving. Amen.Category: Moments of Meditation
Daily devotions as heard on KJOE 106.1 FM
The Way of Wisdom — Part 3: June 12, 2024
The Way of Wisdom -- Part 3
Proverbs 9:6
06/12/2024
6 Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the
way of insight. (ESV)
What is the goal of Wisdom's invitation to all people to
join in the banquet she has prepared? ``Leave your simple ways,
and live, and walk in the way of insight.''
As we mature we start asking the difficult questions of
life. ``Why are we here?'' ``What does the future hold?''
Wisdom, the Word of God, calls us to leave the company of
those who are unaware of the dangers and opportunities of life.
Wisdom calls on us to experience and understand that which is
good and right and beautiful and true. Wisdom calls on us to
look outside of ourselves, our own interests, our own delights
and see how we can serve both God and neighbor.
Wisdom says that we are given the gift of knowledge about
God, the gift of faith which holds to His promises of forgiveness
and life everlasting. Therefore, we change from people who are
turned in upon ourselves to ones able to embrace God's rich love,
grace, and mercy. Wisdom says that for the sake of the death and
resurrection of Jesus, we are reconciled to God our heavenly
Father.
May our Lord grant that we leave our simply ways and walk in
Him. Amen.The Way of Wisdom — Part 2: June 11, 2024
The Way of Wisdom -- Part 2
Proverbs 9:3-5
06/11/2024
3 She has sent out her young women to call from the
highest places in the town,
4 ``Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!'' To
him who lacks sense she says,
5 ``Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I
have mixed.'' (ESV)
Wisdom, identified by Solomon as the Word of God, was
present at the creation of the world. Wisdom is available to all
people, free and without asking.
She has sent out her young women to call from the
highest places in the town, ``Whoever is simple, let
him turn in here!'' To him who lacks sense she says,
``Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have
mixed.''
God's grace, love, and mercy is always free. He invites us
into His presence to give to us the forgiveness of all our sins
and the hope of life everlasting. We don't need to seek out
Wisdom, God's Word, and His undeserved love. It is not hidden
from our sight, but visible to all people of all times and
places.
The call is the invitation of the Gospel to come to the rich
heavenly banquet. Wisdom charges no admission fee, nor does
Wisdom present a bill after dinner. This is the call of Jesus,
``Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.''
Why would we not accept this gracious invitation? Do we
think we are not in need of God's rich love and mercy? Are we
without sin, without problems, without conflict? Are we wise
enough in our own eyes to not need that which God offers? Yet,
many hear God's plea that we come into His presence and ignore
the voice of His servants who proclaim His goodness.
May our Lord grant that we hear, understand, and accept His
loving invitation to dine at His banquet table for all of
eternity. Amen.The Way of Wisdom — Part 1: June 10, 2024
The Way of Wisdom -- Part 1
Proverbs 9:1-2
06/10/2024
1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven
pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her
wine; she has also set her table. (ESV)
The Bible is filled with special meals. In Exodus, the
children of Israel ate the Passover while being protected from
the angel of death. They also ate manna in the wilderness,
provided by God for forty years to sustain the people. We speak
of heaven as the ``Wedding Feast of the Lamb in His kingdom,'' as
an ongoing banquet where the celebration never ends. On the
night Jesus was betrayed, He took bread and wine, saying, ``This
is My body; this is My blood,'' thus instituting the Lord's
Supper.
King Solomon, writing in the book of Proverbs, spoke of
Wisdom as a woman giving a feast. Everyone is invited to the
feast, young and old, but especially those who are weak and
foolish.
``Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven
pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.''
Who is this Wisdom? Saint Paul said of Jesus,
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we
preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and
folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom
of God.
This week we will explore the Wisdom of God and the lessons
which come from knowing our Lord. May He bless you richly as you
learn of Him. Amen.Father Abraham — Part 5: June 7, 2024
Father Abraham -- Part 5
Genesis 15:6
06/07/2024
6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him
as righteousness. (ESV)
Faith has three elements. Faith requires knowledge. We
cannot believe in something of which we do not know. Because
faith requires knowledge, we daily hear and study God's holy Word
so that we are well versed in His promise of eternal life because
of the forgiveness of our sins earned by Jesus Christ.
Faith requires agreement. We can know a fact, but not agree
that the fact we were given is true or accurate. Only as we
agree that God's Word is the truth can we continue on this
journey to eternal life through Christ Jesus.
Faith requires trust. If we know something, and agree that
what we know is accurate, we will trust it. This is true of
getting in the car to drive to Sioux Falls, we know the car will
run, we agree that it has adequate maintenance and fuel,
therefore we trust that it will get us to our destination.
God told Abram that his descendants would outnumber the
stars. ``And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as
righteousness.''
Abram had knowledge of God's promise. Abram knew that God
fulfills all His promises. Abram trusted in God even though the
promised son was not born for several more years.
``For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten
Son that whosoever believes in Him shall have eternal life.''
Come join us on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran
Church to gain more knowledge of the truth of God's love, that
you may be blessed with agreement and trust for your eternal
salvation. Amen.Father Abraham — Part 4: June 6, 2024
Father Abraham -- Part 4
Genesis 15:5
06/06/2024
5 And he brought him outside and said, ``Look toward
heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to
number them.'' Then he said to him, So shall your
offspring be.'' (ESV)
Abram, who heeded God's call to leave the area around the
Euphrates River to live in the land of Canaan, believed God's
promises. He had heard that God would bless the world through
his descendants. Yet, Abram and Sarai, his wife, remained
childless.
God repeated this promise.
And he brought him outside and said, ``Look toward
heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number
them.'' Then he said to him, ``So shall your offspring
be.''
Even now, when Abram was well into his eighties, God
encouraged him with the promise of future blessings. For Abram,
all the wealth he had accumulated, all the power he had, were
meaningless without a child which would inherit his wealth, a
child who would also inherit the promise made to Abram, ``through
you the world will be blessed.''
The fulfillment of the promise would require a miracle.
This miracle of giving a child to the elderly couple would again
be mirrored when a virgin conceived and bore a Son. Even if we
do not see how God will fulfill His promises, we can be assured
that He will do as He says.
May our Lord grant us the wisdom to trust only in Him, to
rely on His love and mercy as found in Jesus Christ. Amen.Father Abraham — Part 3: June 5, 2024
Father Abraham -- Part 3
Genesis 15:4
06/05/2024
4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him:
``This man shall not be your heir; your very own
son shall be your heir.'' (ESV)
God had called Abram when he was seventy-five years old to
travel from the region of Haren towards Canaan. Eventually,
Abram set up his tents near the city of Hebron where his wealth
grew as his flocks increased. The LORD appeared to Abram and
promised, ``your reward shall be very great.''
Abram and his wife, Sarai, remained childless. Although God
had promised that the world would be blessed through his
descendants, Abram was not certain how that would work. After
all, his wife was well past the age of childbearing. In speaking
with God, Abram reminded Him that his servant would inherit his
property.
``And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: `This man
shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.'''
This seemed impossible, and as Abram and Sarai tried to take the
fulfillment of this promise into their own hands, things did not
work out well. The promise was that Abram and Sarai would have a
child through whom would come the Redeemer of the world.
May our Lord grant us patience when we fail to see how He
will fulfill His rich promises and blessings. Amen.Father Abraham — Part 2: June 4, 2024
Father Abraham -- Part 2
Genesis 15:2-3
06/04/2024
2 But Abram said, ``O Lord GOD, what will you give
me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my
house is Eliezer of Damascus?''
3 And Abram said, ``Behold, you have given me no
offspring, and a member of my household will be my
heir.'' (ESV)
God promised Abram His richest blessings. He repeated this
promise, that the whole world would be blessed through Abram's
line. However, Abram had a problem.
But Abram said, ``O Lord GOD, what will you give me,
for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is
Eliezer of Damascus?'' And Abram said, ``Behold, you
have given me no offspring, and a member of my
household will be my heir.''
In ancient society, and even today, the infertile couple
feels left out of the mainstream of life. They withdraw from
friends and family because they grow weary of hearing about the
children they cannot have. More cruelly, Abram's name meant
``exulted father,'' which was a reminder he had no children. His
wife was well past childbearing age, so Abram was resigned to
pass his great wealth to his trusted servant.
At times we question whether God will actually fulfill that
which He has promised. If we are His beloved children, why do we
suffer various illnesses, problems, and rejection by the world?
We are promised the forgiveness of our sins, we are declared holy
in God's sight, why then to we continue to selfishly turn from
Him to our own desires?
The promise is now, the fulfillment is yet to come. This is
the lesson which Abram will learn.
May our Lord grant you faith in His grace and mercy, even
when that grace seems hidden. Amen.Father Abraham — Part 1: June 3, 2024
Father Abraham -- Part 1
Genesis 15:1
06/03/2024
1 After these things the word of the LORD came to
Abram in a vision: ``Fear not, Abram, I am your
shield; your reward shall be very great.'' (ESV)
God called Abram out of idolatry in which he deserved
nothing but condemnation and eternal death. Yet, God was
gracious to Abram and said, ``And I will make of you a great
nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that
you will be a blessing.''[1] Abram, who was seventy-five,
accepted God's call and moved from near the Euphrates River in
the land of Haren and journeyed towards the land of Canaan.
For ten years or longer, Abram, his wife, his nephew Lot,
and their servants wandered in the land between Canaan and Egypt.
``After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a
vision: `Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be
very great.'''
This comforting word of God given to Abram reinforced that
God's plan of salvation for all people would come from Abram's
descendants. Jesus Christ traced His ancestors to David and back
to Abram, showing that indeed God's promise did come true.
Yet, when the LORD spoke these words to Abram, the
fulfillment of the promise was still far off. God protected
Abram and his possessions, but Abram and his wife Sarai remained
childless.
This week we will see God's promise both to Abram and to us,
encouraging us to trust in Him. May our Lord richly bless you
this coming week. Amen.
____________________
1. Genesis 12:2 (ESV)The Throne of God — Part 4: May 31, 2024
The Throne of God -- Part 4
Isaiah 6:6-7
05/31/2024
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his
hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs
from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth and said: ``Behold, this
has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away,
and your sin atoned for.'' (ESV)
Isaiah, seeing God upon His throne in heaven, was aware of
his guilt and sin. All he could say was, ``Woe is me! For I am
lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of
a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the
LORD of hosts!'' Yet, as Saint John later wrote, ``If we say we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.''
Isaiah told of God's rich love, grace, and mercy. He spoke
of the forgiveness of sins, the Word of God mediated through a
messenger of the Most High, the LORD of Hosts.
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand
a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the
altar. And he touched my mouth and said: ``Behold,
this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away,
and your sin atoned for.''
This is the message of the Church. The Father who created
us sent His only-begotten Son to bear the price of our guilt by
dying on the cross and rising again. The Holy Spirit, who
proceeds from the Father and the Son makes us holy in God's sight
by giving us the benefit of Jesus' death and resurrection as He
creates and sustains the faith which holds to God's grace and
mercy. Like Isaiah, we hear that our sins are forgiven, that is
is atoned for by the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Come join
us at Trinity Lutheran Church at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday to hear more
of this marvelous news, May our Lord grant you the wisdom and
faith to join with His people of all time and places in receiving
His rich love and mercy. Amen.