Category: Devotion

Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1–15

What kind of life pleases our good and gracious God? It is a mysterious one indeed. It is characterized by unpretentious piety with a quiet spirit. It is one awed by His majesty, neither quick-tempered nor anxious to adorn itself with material goods and the opinions of men. Seizing authority not given, especially within the house of God, has not the slightest appeal. It is that of Christ Jesus, the root of Jesse—the promised Davidic heir foretold from ages past—in whom God delights. Let us kneel, then, before our humble King who laid lowly in a manger.

Prayer: O Lord, You bless Your people with peace. Grant us meek and quiet hearts as those being conformed to the image of Your Son, in whom You are well pleased, so that we can proclaim the wonders of Your blessed kingdom even to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn LSB 354:3

The humble heart and lowly
God raises up on high;
Beneath His feet in terror
The haughty soul shall lie.
The heart sincere and right,
That heeds God’s invitation
And makes true preparation—
It is the Lord’s delight.

(Nicholas Belcher, Sem I)

Reading: Isaiah 43:1–7

God, our Lord and Creator, tells us repeatedly to fear not. He has called us by name. The flame of the burning bush did not consume Moses. Although they feared the Egyptians, God safely led the Israelites through the Red Sea into the Promised Land. God keeps His covenant promise. God has redeemed us. He has bought us back from slavery and sin. He paid the ransom with His blood on the cross. He declares, “I am your Savior.” He formed us for His glory and will not let anything stand in His way. As God and ruler, He will gather us safely from the ends of the earth to Himself through His Son.

Prayer: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, You brought Your chosen people out of Egypt safely into the Promised Land. Deliver us from all obstacles and fears which cause us to stray, that we may rejoice as redeemed children in the precious blood of Your Son, our King and Savior; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn LSB 728:2

“Fear not! I am with you, O be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.”

(Dale Krienke, Sem I)

Reading: Isaiah 33:13–24

Isaiah 33 tells us that the Lord’s coming will be a terror of a sight for some. The hypocrites ask, “Who can dwell with the fire?” The question is answered, however, with a description of the Zion to come: those who are penitent, those who have repented, will dwell. We hear echoes of the Baptizer’s call to repent and be baptized. In so doing, we can look to our Lord’s return not with the fear of the hypocrites, but having the peace of the baptized. We will dwell with our Lord, forgiven of our iniquity, in Zion, the new Jerusalem, our quiet home.

Prayer: O Lord, give us the gift of Your Holy Spirit that we in repentance might walk righteously and speak uprightly; that we who look longingly for the coming of Your Son, our King who saves us, will dwell with Him in His majesty; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn LSB 333:4

Come, then, O Lord Jesus,
From our sins release us.
Keep our hearts believing,
That we, grace receiving,
Ever may confess You
Till in heav’n we bless You.

(Brett Witmer, Sem IV)

Reading: Jeremiah 10:1–10

As the Creator and King of the universe, God has a universal dominion over the creation and its principalities. While the men of these principalities may fashion idols in place of God, none are like the true God. Jesus in His incarnation became the image of the true and invisible God, physically bringing the kingdom of the heavens to earth. He took on flesh and was crucified with a crown of thorns. From His bloody death the Sacraments flow—only there can the Kingdom be found. Christ the cornerstone of the church uses the water, flesh, and blood to unite all believers together in the Church and together into the kingship and eternal reign of Christ the King.

Prayer: O Lord our God, You are the heavenly king of the universe. Unify Your church in Christ through the life-giving Sacraments that, in this union, man may enter the eternal kingdom of God; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

Hymn LSB 338:2

Born Thy people to deliver;
Born a child and yet a king!
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

(Luke Otten, Sem I)

Reading: Malachi 4:1–5

The Sun of Righteousness brings healing even as the wicked and evildoers are burned in the fires of God’s wrath. This Sun of Righteousness knows the pain and death of God’s wrath, as He has suffered the flames of God’s judgment on the cross. This Sun of Righteousness is our Jesus, the one who comes as our Savior and Redeemer. He is the one who gave us the Law and frees us to delight in it. Let us, then, repent from our evil deeds and turn to the radiant Dayspring, delighting in the words of Him who enlightens us.

Prayer: Lord of hosts, You give our darkened world healing in the light of Your Christ. Turn us from the darkness of our sinful ways and deliver us from death that we might rejoice in the life-giving light of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn LSB 513:2

Arise, O true disciples;
Let wrong give way to right,
And penitential shadow
To Jesus’ blessed light:
The light that has no evening,
That knows no moon or sun,
The light so new and golden,
The light that is but one.

(Isaiah Armbrecht, Sem I)

Reading: Numbers 24:15–19

The key and scepter have been traditional symbols of kingly power and authority. In this final oracle, Balaam announces that one will rise up out of Israel, a scepter, an anointed one with kingly authority to crush the forehead of its enemies. Jesus Christ the Messiah, He alone has crushed and still restrains our greatest enemies, sin, death, and the devil. With eyes joyfully fixed upon His coming, we look to our King of kings who unlocks the fetters of sin that keep us tightly chained in darkness and gloom. Only the Key of David brings light and freedom to a dark, captive world that no one can close.

Prayer: O Key of David and scepter of Israel, what You open no one else can close again; what You close no one can open. Come, lead the captives who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and bring them to eternal life for You alone have set us free with Your holy, innocent, precious blood; in Your holy name we pray. Amen.

Hymn LSB 334:3

I lay in fetters, groaning;
You came to set me free.
I stood, my shame bemoaning;
You came to honor me.
A glorious crown you give me,
A treasure safe on high
That will not fail or leave me
As earthly riches fly.

(Jeffrey Kazmierski, Sem IV)

Reading: Isaiah 11:1–12

Before Christ, all kings are mute. What’s there to say? What power does a king of this world possess before one who, in an instant, can destroy the earth with a mere word? Who can claim authority over the One who possesses all authority? No king has a word to speak before the Word Himself. And it’s a smart king who shuts up when God speaks, because only the meek and poor receive righteousness. Whoever realizes that we are nothing, and that Christ is everything: upon that person Christ’s own righteousness rests, and our prayer, “deliver us,” is answered.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your Son Jesus Christ is the king above all kings, and yet His crown was of thorns and His throne, a cross. Daily crucify us with Him, that our sinful selves might die and that our new selves might yet be raised to eternal life, receiving heavenly crowns of righteousness that never fade; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn LSB 525:5

Crown Him the Lord of heav’n,
Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the king to whom is giv’n
The wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns
As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns,
For He is king of all.

(Berett Steffen, Sem IV)

Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15–20

It is the darkest nights wherein lights are most clearly seen. The darkest rooms are enlightened by the most dim flame. The Light of the World is coming, and the world is dark—and so are you. Yet, the Light is coming, and you shall see Him as He is—a bush burning, yet not consumed; stone tablets with words engraved on them, broken words and intact stones. Here you are, a person darkened by sin. Such is your darkened state, yet He who is the Light fears not the darkness of death, for He has overcome it. He shines in your darkness, and not even your sin nor death can bind the light.

Prayer: Most merciful God, enlighten us by Your Word, and preserve us by Your Sacraments until that day when we stand in Your Light unhindered by sin and death. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Hymn LSB 888:1
O gladsome Light, O Grace
Of God the Father’s face,
Eternal splendor wearing:
Celestial, holy, blest,
Our Savior Jesus Christ,
Joyful in Thine appearing!

(Nathan Wille, Sem IV)

Reading: Daniel 2:27–45

There is a painting called Age of Augustus, Birth of Christ, commissioned to flatter Emperor Napoleon III of France. Augustus Caesar sits high under olive branches in the temple of Janus, praised by all nations, while the infant Jesus lays in straw below, ignored by almost all. This world in its own wisdom attempts to construct a kingdom of iron and clay that always falls apart, but God who foresees all—who carved the stone, Jesus Christ, from the flesh of the virgin Mary—at the proper time established Christ’s kingdom, the mountain that will last forever.

Prayer: Almighty God, in Your wisdom You build up and tear down rulers and kingdoms, and none can withstand Your mighty ordering. Be merciful to us and direct all things to our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn TLH 26:4

God the Almighty, the great Creator,
Ruler of sky and land and sea,
All things ordained, and sooner or later
They come to pass unfailingly.
His rule is over rich and poor,
His promise ever standeth sure.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

(Christopher Antonetti, Sem IV)