Daily Devotions
(Jesus said) “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
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
Roberto is a young man who was in the military when his country was involved in a civil war.
It was a difficult time for Roberto, and for everyone.
After the war, Roberto was sincere in his appreciation of the Lord’s help. Not only was he thankful that the country had, once again, become peaceful, he also felt blessed because he knew God had delivered him and brought him through the conflict and the atrocities he had seen. Indeed, Roberto was convinced the Lord had kept him alive because of his faith and trust.
Although Roberto might not have been able to quote you chapter and verse, he held fast to this truth: when you trust in God, no matter the difficulties you are having, God will give protection to you (see Joshua 5:1).
When the war finished, things did not become easy for Roberto.
He found out just how hard it is to survive in a country where the economic situation is grim and the unemployment level is high. Troublesome memories leftover from the war haunted him, and Roberto was unable to escape an intense feeling of loneliness, which sent him into a great depression.
When Roberto realized he was thinking about committing suicide, he sought out medical attention.
The turning point in Roberto’s life came when he read a chapter in the Bible that told him God will never give a person a load that is so heavy He and His redeemed cannot lift it.
As I said, that passage changed Roberto’s perspective on life. From that day on Roberto has become our partner in sharing his life’s story with others. From experience, he wants others to know that when an individual trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ, when he believes on the Savior with his whole heart, God can work wonders in that person’s life.
“True,” Roberto explains, “God may not answer your question at the exact time or in the exact way you might wish, but that doesn’t change the fact the Lord wants to be involved in your life. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, the Lord wants each of us to know there is forgiveness, salvation and hope for the living of each day.”
Roberto’s heartfelt sharing has shown to others that the Holy Spirit can protect us from doubt and help us through the most difficult adversities of life.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for being my Protector and for sending the Holy Spirit to always be with me. I thank You for all the good things You give, including the adversities of life. Open my eyes so I may see that even in such times I am not alone. Because of Jesus, You are there and, in Your time, will supply an answer for all my needs. In the Savior’s Name I pray it. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today’s international devotion was written by Ricardo Arguello. Ricardo has been the Lutheran Hour Ministries director in Nicaragua since 2000. He is married, has three children, and was born in Managua, Nicaragua. Arguello graduated from the University of Diplomats School in Moscow, Russia. He speaks Russian, English, French and Spanish. He worked in the diplomatic field for many years. In country, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Nicaragua is known as Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones (“Christ for All Nations”). It opened its ministry center in Chinandega in 1999. In this Central American country, LHM works with Project JOEL, Equipping the Saints (ETS) and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC). It also produces radio broadcasts, supplementing these with “Radio CristoNica,” an online program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and helping others in this country of six million people.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.