Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your Law. Psalms 119:18
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 of The Lutheran Hour
What you see depends on how you look at it. Some people try to see good when they look around them. They try to be optimistic. They try to be upbeat. Others, however, aren't quite so cheery in their outlook. Their view is often negative, downcast, and expects the worst.
This world is a difficult place to sojourn. Nobody knew that better than Jesus. "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have over come the world" (John 16:33b).
In Christ, we can learn to better handle circumstances, even when times are tough and the world itself seems against us. We can put the best construction on everything because it is Jesus Himself who comforts and sustains us through our ordeals.
Without Christ, however, the world can be a chilling place indeed. Tribulations come with this territory, Jesus said, but that doesn't have to be the end of the story. This life has heartaches, but we are called to more than this life. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
Believing the words of Jesus does change how you look at it. God loves us, but our sin produced a debt that had to be paid if we were to be forgiven. Our sacrifices won't accomplish this. They don't even come close. That's why God sent His Son, Jesus, to die in our place, and through His resurrection, we have life!
As Paul writes, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). It is through the free gift of faith given by the Holy Spirit we know this to be true. How you look at it does matter.
THE PRAYER: Lord, this world is distracting. Help us not to lose sight of You. Walk with us and teach us how to see and know Your goodness, shown in so many ways around us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Biography of Author:
Pastor David Rodriguez serves Christ The King Lutheran Church in Guatemala City. In addition to writing devotions for LHM, he volunteers with Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones ("Christ for All Nations"). Operating out of its LHM offices in Guatemala City, CPTLN utilizes radio, television, the Internet, and printed materials to share the Gospel.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.
Today's Bible Readings: Proverbs 8-9 John 21
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"