I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that You have done; I ponder the work of Your hands. Psalm 143:5

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



Ronald was a driven young man who had been leading a very hectic life.

Since Ronald had never really known much about God and had forgotten the little he once had known, he was convinced that while he was alive he had to fill every waking moment with action. From start to finish, each of Ronald's days had to be lived to the fullest.

Now there is nothing wrong with spending your days in activity, work, and trying to capture some degree of happiness. The great problem comes when those pursuits become your ultimate goal. That was the way it was for Ronald. He wanted everything; he wanted to have it now, and to accomplish part of that he had to have money -- a lot of money.

Once again there is nothing wrong with wanting money. The Bible nowhere says, "Money is evil." It does indicate that love of money is not a good thing. That's what St. Paul wrote to young Timothy. In 1Timothy 6:10 the apostle said, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."

Paul knew that a person's love of cash can keep them away from the things that are really important in life. For such people things like a relationship with the Lord Jesus always seem to get pushed back on the list of personal priorities.

Paul's words would certainly describe Ronald.

They would describe him until the day he attended one of Lutheran Hour Ministries' workshops called Equipping the Saints. There our young friend heard about the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was given a different point of view about the purpose of life and the goals which are given to those who have the crucified and risen Savior in their hearts.

I would love to tell you that everything was turned around in Ronald's life after that seminar. That is not the case. What did happen is a curiosity was awakened within him. Ronald was given a thirst for something better, something more lasting than he had ever known.

With a certain degree of fear, he met with the pastor who had been running the event. In those discussions he came to understand it is far better to put God first in all of your doings. The Holy Spirit touched Ronald during these visits, and He eventually grasped the idea that God, who gave His Son to die for us, would also respond in a timely manner to the requests of His children, which are offered in faith and according to His will. Ronald's newfound faith found expression in the knowledge the Lord always knows what is right and best for us.

As Ronald says, "I give thanks that the Lord has taught me that the best wealth you can have is to trust in Jesus Christ and live out your days in the peace which comes from the forgiveness Christ gave us by dying on the cross, and in His resurrection."

THE PRAYER: Lord, our God, I thank You for all You give me every day. Help me to not put the love of money above the love I have for you. Instead, let me respond faithfully and gladly to the love I have been given in the Savior. In His Name I pray. Amen.

Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Murel Ballestero, who is a young woman who volunteers to teach Bible courses for children for the Lutheran Hour Ministries office in Nicaragua. She is part of our team which visits clinics where she shares the Savior's story of salvation. Murel is also one of the speakers in our FM and online radio programs. In this Central American country of six million people, LHM-Nicaragua, known locally as Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones (Christ for All Nations), shares the Gospel through Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), Equipping the Saints (ETS), and Project JOEL, a values-education program that teaches young people the benefit of making healthy lifestyle decisions and offers information on how to avoid addictive behaviors or bad habits. To learn more about this ministry center, you can check out its blog at cptlnnicaragua.wordpress.com.


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

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 9, 11    John 8:1-27

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