Daily Devotions
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
One of the stories in the book One Thousand and One Nights is “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.” In this story, Aladdin finds a lamp which, when rubbed, unleashes a genie who will grant the lamp’s master three wishes.
My question is would you be satisfied with only three wishes? And if you did have just one wish, what would that wish be?
Wealth? Fame? Health? Winning the lottery?
In Psalm 27, the Bible poet says there is only one thing he wants from God. Looking at verse four, he states, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.”
To live in God’s house!
He was surrounded by enemies and could ask for protection. He could ask for a better family. He could ask for a life without trouble or trial. But he asked to dwell in the Lord’s house.
Why?
Because he wants to feel the goodness of God, to wonder at the Lord’s love, to receive His guidance. To be in God’s house, in His presence, is to live under His promises and grace day after day, recalling His care and support.
To be with God gives us freedom, even when the enemy attacks, even if the family forsakes us (see Psalm 27:10). When He came to the world, Jesus didn’t deliver us from earthly sufferings and afflictions. Instead, He offered eternal life, His company through the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Along with that He gives us love, every second of our existence. That love and forgiveness means that one day, we will live with Him at His house.
Now I am sure you won’t find a lamp like Aladdin’s. On the other hand, you have already been found by the Lord of life. And He wants you to live with Him: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).
THE PRAYER: Lord, let me live in Your house all the days of my life. Your goodness and Your love give all I need, and in You my heart finds peace. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today’s international devotion was written by Fernando Henrique Huf. Pastor Huf graduated in 1997 from Concordia Institute in São Paulo. He served as a pastor in Recife for seven years and in São Paulo for eight. Since March of 2012, he has been the pastor of The Lutheran Hour of Brazil. In that position he writes short daily messages, answers questions of respondents, receives prayer requests, and presents online Bible study every Wednesday. He travels with the Evangelism Training for Saints program and represents The Lutheran Hour at those events. He is married to Magda and they have two daughters: Tábata and Muriel. In this South American country of 200 million people, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Brazil operates as Hora Luterana. Outreach programs include “Five Minutes with Jesus,” a radio program; “Messages of Hope,” a voicemail response service delivering more than 10,000 Gospel replies each month; and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC).
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.