Daily Devotions
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
In many parts of the country, summer brings sweltering heat and high humidity. One walks out of an air-conditioned building and faces a blast furnace of hot, humid air. Soon the sweat begins to pour out. We hurry to complete our business so we can again seek air-conditioned shelter. Heat and humidity create an environment that controls our life.
Christians face the “heat and humidity” of a hostile world. Our Lord repeatedly warned His disciples to expect persecution. Saint Peter speaks of a “fiery trial” the early Christians could expect. We too face a culture that causes us as much trouble as heat and humidity. But within the fellowship of God’s people we gather around Word and sacrament, experiencing God’s cool refreshment before we walk out into the hostile world. As Jesus tells His disciples in John’s gospel, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
When faced with the blast furnace of temptation and ridicule, we begin to sweat. But Jesus, who resolutely faced the world’s hatred and went to the cross in payment for our sins, offers us strength to face the world’s heat and humidity. He has overcome. We can live boldly in the midst of the world’s anti-Christian culture as He continues to refresh us in the air-conditioning of worship with God’s people.
PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help us to face temptation and ridicule with Your strength and continue to receive refreshment in worship with Your people. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988 CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one time emailing of this link to a friend. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit www.cph.org.)