Now, therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over My people Israel." 2 Samuel 7:8

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



Many great people who are remembered with great respect and whose history is treasured by millions of people started their lives with humble beginnings.

Every nation with which I am acquainted has an example of rags to riches.

One such great name in the United States is that of Abraham Lincoln. Born in a log cabin, his first employment was as a woodcutter. From there he advanced in learning, skill and political acumen to become a great man who changed lives.

The Bible has several such individuals. High on anyone's list would be David. In his father's house, David was the youngest and, presumably, the smallest. When we first meet him, he is "low man on the totem pole," a shepherd boy hardly worthy of a second glance. Yes, that was the way David began, but the Lord raised David up from being a shepherd to being the king of His people.

Biblical examples like David help us understand that the Lord can make a "silk purse out of a sow's ear." The Lord is the One who is in control, and He is the One who can raise up an individual from the most humble of circumstances to accomplish His purposes.

Consider Mary, the mother of Jesus our Lord. In her spontaneous song, which we call the "Magnificat," she says, "For He that is mighty hath done to me great things" (see Luke 1:46-55). Truly, Mary understood that the Lord had selected her for a divine purpose, and she was going to be grateful for what He was doing.

If you take a look at the text above, you will realize that David didn't always have Mary's humble spirit. If you read other places concerning David's life, you will find that every once in a while, David seemed to forget the Lord had been and should remain in control. In other words, the Lord had lifted up David, but David didn't always lift up the Lord.

David offers a reminder to us who have been so very blessed by the Savior. Once we were in sin and condemned to hell, but now, by the suffering, death and resurrection of the Christ, we are forgiven and have been adopted into the family of faith.

We are no longer slaves to sin; we are beloved children of God.

THE PRAYER: Lord God our Father, You have raised us from condemnation to salvation. Help us to understand You are with us and Your strength will lead us throughout our walk of life. Grant us a thankful heart, so we may be equally faithful in lifting you up before this dark and tragic world. This I ask in the Name of the Savior. Amen.

Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by the Reverend P. Chelladurai, a retired pastor from the Nagercoil Synod of the India Evangelical Lutheran Church. He served in various congregations in the Nagercoil Synod and also served as the editor for the official magazine of IELC. He is an active volunteer for Lutheran Hour Ministries in India. Pastor Chelladurai, helps us in the preparation of our daily devotion materials in the Tamil Language and also is part of our panel of writers for the youth vacation Bible school. He lives in the town of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu with his wife, children and grandchildren. In this country of 1.2 billion people, Lutheran Hour Ministries-India is known as Christian Media Centre and began operations in 1951. Using Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) in six languages -- Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi Marathi, Gujarati and English -- this ministry center reaches out with the Gospel. It also utilizes the Internet to broadcast around-the-clock radio messages of love and hope. Beyond this, short dramas, devotional songs, stage plays, and dance routines are offered to convey the Gospel to audiences in remote villages and cities. To find out more about what's happening in India, you can check out its blog at lhmindia.wordpress.com.


To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.

Check out this video for SENT, LHM's Outreach Conference, coming July 24-27, 2014.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 7-9    Luke 18:24-43

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