Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4
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 of The Lutheran Hour
In the worst of times, headlines may scare us. Issues like global economic crises, stock market crashes, and people running out of money all generate fear about our future. These are hard and uncertain times for all of us.
This unsettling news may come from newspaper or Web headlines, what we hear on the radio or TV, or even in the words of an ordinary conversation: "The market's tanking again today. Did you hear?" "We'll be getting a memo today about a salary freeze." In all cases, these messages paint a not-so-pleasant picture.
It's easy to become overly concerned-even overwhelmed-in the face of such crises. After all, we know nothing about the future; we can't reach back into the past, and we can barely control what's in the present. The result is that fear of the unknown and preoccupation with things beyond one's control can easily dog a person throughout the day. In fact, for some, these unwelcome pests can persist all day.
But as Christians we know that headlines come and go and are very soon forgotten.
Now is the time to stop dwelling on that which changes minute by minute and turn to an everlasting God whose love is constant and dependable from beginning to end.
• "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow" (Hebrews13:8).
• "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11).
• (Jesus said) "... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b).
Now these are headlines you can trust, written on the pages of Scripture and in our hearts. When we place faith in God's promises, we find a safe haven from any storm. Don't pay attention to what changes with each passing wind. Instead, listen to God and read about His work in this world. His news report is always what our hearts need to break through the bad news of this world.
Headlines fade; our God doesn't.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, sometimes the world's headlines may drive us to go the wrong direction, making us fearful and scared. Strengthen us, through Jesus Christ, to keep our eyes always on your Good News. In Jesus' Name, I ask this. Amen.
Biography of Author: This devotion is based on a text written by Pastor Lucas André Albrecht from Brazil. In that South American country, Lutheran Hour Ministries operates as Cristo Para Todas as Nações (CPTN)-Brazil. Outreach programs include "Five Minutes with Jesus," a radio program; "Messages of Hope," a voicemail response service that delivers 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.
Today's Bible Readings: Leviticus 6-7 Mark 6:1-29
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"