Text: Psalm 10:12-18
Focus Verses: “O God, life your hand; forget not the afflicted…to you the helpless commits himself” (v. 12, 14).
All of us can identify a time when we have felt helpless and alone—powerless to act and at the mercy of someone who has the capacity to decide our fate, whether it has been in a work setting, a situation with a friend, or circumstances in school. What a pitiful feeling to recognize that no matter what we do, someone else controls how things will turn out for us. The results can be anything from a feeling of discomfort to a life-changing action affecting our future for a very long time.
Consider being truly helpless and alone and unable to even vocalize opposition to someone who would exercise control over your very existence. This is indeed the case of the unborn. Yet the Psalmist recognizes that these humble little ones who have no voice cry out within the confines of God’s Word and He does hear them. Moreover, He not only hears them but also promises to give them justice and to remove oppression from them.
As those who have been given voice, we join the hue and cry to Him from whom this justice comes, that He may come swiftly and soon so that our unborn brothers and sisters who lay in bondage to this dark oppression may be soon released from its dark bands.
Let us pray: Gracious and loving Lord, we pray daily for Your protective hand to fall swiftly to preserve those who look to You for life. Though we may not be able physically to hear their voices, make our ears ache with their cries for aid which resound in Your Word. Be quick to answer their prayers and ours so that Your power and glory may be made apparent to all. In the name of Your Son, who died and rose again that all who believe in Him may live. Amen.
(Richard “Neely” Owen, Sem II)
Life Devotion
The Circumcision and Naming of our Lord
Text: Psalm 29
Focus Verses: “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness…O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might” (v. 1-2; Psalm 54:1).
Today the Church commemorates the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus; today we ascribe to the Lord the glory due the name of Jesus, which means “salvation.” At just eight days old, our Lord shed His holy blood in circumcision so that He might be placed fully under the Law of Moses, fulfilling it for you. At just eight days old, He was prophetically named “salvation” for you. Jesus, by His birth, sanctifies all life. From the tiny infant in the womb to the old man at death’s door, Jesus has lived through all stages of human life and sanctified it. And you, as a little baby, are brought into that name of Jesus by Holy Baptism. By your baptism, He sanctifies your life in His holy name. Salvation is placed upon you and all who are in Christ. As baptized children of God whose name has been given to us, we pray that in all places and at all times the sanctity of life would be upheld by all, that all would ascribe to the Lord the glory due His Name.
Let us pray: Lord God, You made Your beloved Son, our Savior, subject to the Law, and caused Him to shed His blood on our behalf. Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit, that our hearts may be made pure from all sins; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
(Kyle Brown, Sem IV)
Circumcision and Naming of Jesus
The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine…”
“When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
Exodus 13:1-2, 11-15
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
“So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
Numbers 6:22-27
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Luke 2:21
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Galatians 3:23-29
Life Devotion
Text: Psalm 10:1-11
The devil, prowling around like a roaring lion, watches us, looking for weak spots that he may attack most effectively. Attacking when we are alone and separated from our flock, feeling like we have been forgotten, he whispers in our ear, “God has forgotten, he does not see you,” and, “There is no God, trust in yourself—you know what is best for you.” And so it begins for the lonely person, sick in the hospital, having been given a death sentence to live out until he dies. He hears the whispers, “It’s okay, you could still die with dignity—it’s your life, take control!”
These whispers saying that we are in control are often loud, coming at us from all directions. The soft word that it is, in fact, God who holds all things in His hand can get drowned out in all the noise. But when our ears fail, our eyes may see even more clearly the cross. We see that God Himself became man and came down from heaven to take control of all things, even death itself. He is Lord of all. He has made all of our life dignified until the end He brings—even through sickness and pain. We are His children. He never forgets His children. Satan’s words are just that: words, lies. Meant to cause us little ones to stumble. But our Father’s Word is truth, giving us strength to bear through—especially when our lives are out of control.
Let us pray: Lord of all, we confess that we are often deceived and believe that we are the authority in our lives, with control over all things. Please forgive us for falling into this trap of sin. We thank You, that You are the God who came down to us to fight for us and defeat Satan and eternal death, that we may die in the dignity of Your death and be raised up into the dignity of Your Life! In Jesus name. Amen.
(Brittni Brown, Deaconess Intern)
Life Devotion
Text: Psalm 8
God is mindful of man because He is the God with the human face. He cares for man because He is the God-man. In the incarnation He crowned humanity with glory and honor and anointed our humanity with His divinity, thereby making us one with Him. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many were made righteous. Sure, the law came and man sinned, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. As sin once reigned in death, grace now reigns through the righteous man, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Lord’s name is majestic in all the earth. He has built himself a majestic name in the God with a human face. The Son of Man is mindful of men. They are redeemed and they are called to grow up into sanctity. With His human hands, He placed the moon and the stars and pulled Eve from the side of Adam. And with those same hands, God Himself climbed upon the tree of life and gave Himself as the eternal sacrifice. He is mindful of His people. He knows the name of every miscarried, stillborn, and aborted child—those martyred by death and the devil. Man is not meant for death. He is meant for life. We mourn for those unborn martyrs who knew not life, and all the more for those who, because of faithless parents, had no chance to know the Man who is the Life.
Let us pray: Blessed Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have made humanity in Your image, which you received from the blessed Virgin Mary, and every breath we have is of Your grace. Grant that as You have created us in Your image and redeemed us in Your death, that we would grow into a sanctity that is worthy of the glory and honor with which You have crowned us. Through you, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
(Ian Kinney, Sem II)
Life Devotion
Text: Psalm 6:6-10
“A man with no enemies is a man with no character.”
~Attributed to American entertainer and salad dressing persona, Paul Newman.
To be yourself you’ve got to ruffle feathers and blaze your own trail. Imagine a lifetime of “It’s my way or the highway!” That’s exhausting. If this is the case, everyone is a hothead! It might seem like “hotheads,” those who scream the loudest, are the ones getting attention and succeeding in getting a message across.
Christians could spend a lifetime confronting and creating “enemies” of those who believe differently. Yet such a strategy would do no good for advancing the Gospel. Instead, God desires you to live and love everyone with gentleness. Still, you feel weary, worn down, and defeated—like you’re getting nowhere and not changing anyone’s mind.
But God hasn’t asked you to make enemies or shout louder than the opposition. Rather, He desires you to love with confident humility everyone who He has ordered into your life. Our true enemies are not those with whom we disagree, though we certainly grieve over those who oppose God’s will. What a relief! God has defeated our true enemies for us by Jesus’ death on the cross. The joy you know in Jesus’ saving work is of far greater value to your character and identity than being a hothead. With boldness, confidence, and a gentle spirit, you steadfastly share God’s loving will for human life to everyone—though they may shout and rage. God will handle the rest.
Let us pray: Almighty God, You sent Your Son to befriend us sinners who were once your enemies. By His humble death and steadfast love, even among His enemies, we are at peace with you. Grant to us humble and steadfast hearts of service, though they seem as weak and powerless. Help us to continually witness Your saving love to those who see You as their enemy. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
(Joseph McCalley, Sem IV)
Life Devotion
Text: Psalm 6:1-6
Trials and torments of despair crush those who search for answers. Why did this have to happen? What consequences are going to afflict me, O Lord? When anxiety and depression remain, a quick, “It’s going to be okay,” won’t suffice. Lives outside of us and life inside of us seem marked by evil works. And yes, this is the very weakness the enemy uses to craft opposites of love, mercy, hope, and healing.
The world tells you that your life and inward decisions are a matter of rights and freedom, yet such words end up driving our heart towards misery. In this cry, the psalmist’s prayer of realization displays our lives on the line, crying out for help. And in this cry the hands of our Creator Lord reach out for His troubled children. When our hands can no longer grip our own resolve, there is a Master Crafter who is the splint for our broken bones. Our high Deliverer, Christ Jesus, broke the bonds of death, unraveling the ropes of hell, to save those greatly troubled by sin, darkness, and death.
In your weakness His great mercy draws near, and it is here where He chose to redeem your soul from all shame and affliction. Faith that is greatly troubled, aware of our soul’s unmerited condition, clings to the merit of Christ alone who suffered God’s anger on the cross for our desperation.
Here, the greatly troubled receive the Great I AM’s rescue. Call upon Him and He will restore you. He reaches you from uncertainty and reveals mercy from the cross. For how long? Until He returns with sure life everlasting, uniting the grave-stricken with His steadfast promise: you are forgiven. Replacing your cries with blessed reunion.
Let us pray: Merciful Father, who comforts all the raging seas of life, bestow Your calming hand over all my regrets and strife, that I may hold fast to Your anchor which buries my sin, safe in the knowledge of the salvation and life everlasting which on the cross You dost win. Through Jesus Christ, my Healer, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
(Dan Schuetz, Sem II)
The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:13-18
Life Devotion
Day of the Holy Innocents
Text: Psalm 54
Focus Verse: “O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by Your might” (v. 1).
Afraid that he might lose his throne, King Herod sought to kill the King of kings. The tyrant missed his mark, but the baby boys of Bethlehem were caught in the crossfire. Still today unborn baby boys and girls continue to pay the price for our sin. We have come to see our own children as obstacles, intrusions, and inconveniences. The children might sing, “O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by Your might,” but children have no voice, and they have no choice. We must be their advocates, even as Christ is ours.
Remember what we’re up against. In every ultrasound, Satan sees a picture of the baby Jesus; in every birth, a little Christmas. But don’t lose hope. Christ, the Son of David, comes as our true King. He has the power to help us, to uphold our lives. He who delivers us from sin and death has triumphed over Satan. Therefore, repent, and pray for the children’s deliverance.
Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to be our King. Have mercy upon the little ones. Forgive us for what we have done and left undone. Embolden us to speak for the little ones, even as Your Son has spoken for us. Amen.
(Dr. Peter Scaer, Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology)
St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 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. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 1:1–2:2
