Jesus said to them, "I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out." John 6:35-37

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



Thanks be to God!

This past Christmas we had a chance to present our ministry programs in Da Nang, a city located in the central part of Vietnam.

On the night of December 13th, we hired a bus to take us to various localities around the city. In the time between our presentations we took advantage of the time and shared the Gospel with our driver.

As you will see, later on that night, the Holy Spirit changed his life.

We started our conversation by telling him the truth about our modern age. He agreed when we spoke of life being absolutely hectic with people doing all they can to make sure their physical needs and wants are being met. He didn't argue when we observed most people do not really think about how they will be in the future and where they will go after they die. That means people are neglecting the spiritual part of themselves.

Even some Christians have managed to get caught up in the search for things.

That's why many Vietnamese people follow Jesus or other religions. They want the Lord to bless them with earthly gifts. They believe the Lord will give them every delicacy to eat; He will give them an abundance of food, and He will guarantee they never get sick.

But I'm not done yet. Many come to the faith because they think the Lord is obligated to make them rich.

Now they are not entirely wrong in that assumption, are they?

You and I know we have a great many riches when we are given faith in the Redeemer. But those riches are not always the kind we can take to the bank. True, the Lord does provide many earthly blessings to most of us, but He does not want these things to be the ultimate aim and purpose of our faith.

Jesus wants us to see Him as the Bread of Life who nourishes our spiritual hunger. The Holy Spirit wants us to know that when we are brought to the Bread of Life we will never be spiritually hungry again. Because of the Savior's sacrifice we rejoice that our sins are forgiven, and we are made part of the Lord's family of faith.

Of course, this devotion is not just about the folks in Vietnam, is it? I wonder what are you seeking God for. Is it to satisfy your physical life or to enjoy the spiritual purpose with Him in Heaven? Whatever your purpose is, His will is to have you trust in Him completely because He is the One who nurtures your spiritual life and satisfies your earthly needs too.

When you come to God and receive what He wishes to give -- what His Son's life, death and resurrection made possible -- your life will be blessed.

Yes, that was the message we shared last Christmas with our bus driver. At the end of our conversation, the driver was touched by God's Spirit, and we invited him to attend a church. We invited him, and he came.

Today, I am proud to say the driver is a Christian.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we sometimes seek You with the wrong purpose. Please help us recognize Your grace and gifts. Let us follow Jesus so we might walk on Your God-pleasing path. This I ask in the Savior's Name. Amen.

Biography of Author: Because of the political climate and government regulations, we can only share that today's international devotion was authored by someone who works at the Lutheran Hour Ministries office in Vietnam. Since radio is not available for LHM-Vietnam to use in outreach, the center uses its website to broadcast radio-style programming. In addition, the center continues to use more traditional activities such as print media, musical performances, puppet and film shows, drama and rallies to share the Christian message. Those who respond to the center's outreach activities are invited to enroll in LHM's Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC). Lutheran Hour Ministries-Vietnam also provides Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops to train lay Christian volunteers in personal witnessing.

Known in-country as Globalinks, LHM-Vietnam's ministry center's holistic outreach includes conducting eyeglass clinics and children's nutritional programs in an effort to build community relationships. Soccer tournaments are used as a model to demonstrate Christian values to youth. To check out what's going on at the Globalinks blog, click here.


To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 27-29    John 11:1-29

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