Colossians 1:28-29 - Him [Jesus Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me.
This devotion pairs with this weekend's Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lutheranhour.org.
The turquoise-blue waters of the Dead Sea have much in common with those of the Sea of Galilee, 60 miles to the north. Both bodies of water are mentioned in the Bible. They're both called "seas," but are, in fact, land-locked lakes. And both are fed by the same source, the Jordan River. These two lakes have much in common, but there is one crucial difference. The Sea of Galilee shares what it gets. The Dead Sea doesn't. In the Sea of Galilee, water flows in and out and is teeming with life. With many species of fish, the Sea of Galilee has supported generations of fishing villages. But with the Dead Sea, water only flows in. It just takes and takes and takes. Water escapes from this desert basin only through evaporation. And what remains is heavy, salty, and aside from some strains of bacteria, lifeless.
Strangely, the Bible presents the Dead Sea as an image of hope. The prophet Ezekiel gives us the vision. It came at a time when God's people felt hopeless. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Their nation was no more. But Ezekiel saw a time when God would build a new temple. From the side of this temple there would flow a stream of living water. The river would flow into the desert and give life. Because this water goes there, says the LORD, so the waters of the [Dead] Sea will be healed (see Ezekiel 47:8-9).
Hundreds of years later, when Jesus died on the cross, a soldier pierced His side with a spear, bringing a flow of blood and water—water flowing from Jesus' side (see John 19:34). Earlier, Jesus had said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19b). They had said to Him, "It has taken 46 years to build this temple! And You will raise it in three days?" (John 2:20b). They meant the temple built by human hands. But the temple of which Jesus spoke was His body. And after He rose from the dead, His disciples remembered His words and they believed the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken (see John 2:19-22).
Jesus is the new temple, the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy, our Source of healing water. He baptizes us in that water. On our own, we're like the Dead Sea, lifeless, hopeless, floating in a tepid pool of our own neediness. But in Jesus, we become like the Sea of Galilee. Jesus restores that outflow of faith in God and love for neighbor that you and I need to truly live. And now, you have His Spirit flowing through you. You have gifts to share. You can say as Paul said in today's reading, "I labor, struggling with all His energy which He so powerfully works within me." And not even a sea of death can stop it.
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, pour Your Holy Spirit into me so that streams of living water would flow from my heart, according to Your promise. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour.
Reflection Questions:
1. What gifts, talents, and abilities do have to share? Try out this free, online Gift Inventory available through Lutheran Hour Ministries: everygift.org. Which were your top gifts?
2. Did the "Every Gift" inventory confirm, expand, or supplement what you knew about yourself?
3. In the past, when have you found joy in using your vocational gifts to bless others?
Today's Bible Readings: Job 11-13 Matthew 9:18-38
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