Daily Devotions
And that from childhood you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15
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
The Bible is our most precious treasure on this earth. That is because it has been given to us by our living God, and it is the way He has used to tell us salvation’s story.
For many years God has been using the holy Scriptures to communicate with people, transforming their lives, offering salvation, and bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ. It is an amazing book, for it tells everyone that the Lord loves them and wishes to save them through the Savior’s blood.
I just said God’s Word brings salvation to those who hear and believe in it.
When St. Paul wrote his second letter to young Timothy, he was reminding him to stick to the basics. In today’s busy world people are tempted to forget those basics, the things which are most important. They have time to do many things in their lives but do not have time to read and mediate on God’s Word.
They forget the basics and do not know that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. That’s another one of those basics. It was clearly stated by Peter when he said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Our Lord’s desire is for His people to convey this message to everyone who lives in this world.
It is a duty, certainly; but it is also an opportunity, a holy trust. We at the Lutheran Hour Ministries’ office in Sri Lanka are grateful to our Lord for giving such a wonderful opportunity to us. We rejoice that we have a chance to share the Gospel message to the people of our own country in a language they understand.
If I might, allow me to share just one story of a young girl whose life was changed by the Holy Spirit using such a witness.
There was a young girl who lived on a tea estate near the city of Nuwara Eliya. She came from a strong Hindu religious background. Her family is poor, and they are facing many challenges in their daily lives. This young girl first came to one of our Christmas programs and enrolled in the Bible Correspondence Course. As she went through the Bible lessons, a transformation began to take place in her life through the power of the Holy Spirit. After her conversion she received holy Baptism through one of our local Lutheran congregations. Now, she regularly attends Sunday worship and is very active in church activities.
This is a good example of how God’s Word is making an impact on human lives. We can’t change anyone’s life, but God’s Word has that power. Jesus knew that power, and that was the reason why He said in John 5: 39, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you believe that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures which testify about Me.”
The holy Scriptures testify about Jesus as the Savior of this world. It is our responsibility to passionately share that message to the people of our nations. For your help and support in doing so, we in Sri Lanka are most thankful.
THE PRAYER: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for bringing salvation to my life through your living Word. Help me to convey this message to my friends and family members who are still living without the Savior. In His Name I ask it. Amen.
Biography of Author: The author of today’s devotion is Mr. Sathiyabalan, who has served as director for the Sri Lankan office of Lutheran Hour Ministries since it opened in 2001. Over the years hundreds of non-Christians have been reached by our programs, amongst which are listed Weuses, a Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) in Sinhalese, Tamil and English languages; Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops, youth gatherings, and special events in fellowship with local congregations.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.