Daily Devotions
“Lord, be our light when worldly darkness veils us; Lord, be our shield when earthly armor fails us; And in the day when hell itself assails us, Grant us Your peace, Lord. “Peace in our hearts, where sinful thoughts are raging, Peace in Your church, our troubled souls assuaging, Peace when the world its endless […]
“Lord, be our light when worldly darkness veils us; Lord, be our shield when earthly armor fails us; And in the day when hell itself assails us, Grant us Your peace, Lord.
“Peace in our hearts, where sinful thoughts are raging, Peace in Your church, our troubled souls assuaging, Peace when the world its endless war is waging, Peace in Your heaven.”
These hymn verses are not very cheerful, but the words present a realistic view of circumstances we experience. “Worldly darkness veils us” when we are overwhelmed by fears of earthly violence, trouble, and sorrow. The future is shrouded in darkness, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. When we are in distress, “earthly armor fails us.” Our best efforts, earthly wealth or all the self-confidence in the world cannot save us from illness, sorrow, and death. In terrible hours “when hell itself assails us,” we struggle with sin, guilt, and shame. Satan tries to turn us from Christ and convince us that we cannot be forgiven for things we have said or done.
These grim hymn verses are a prayer to our Lord and Savior, who alone can help us. He is our light in the midst of worldly darkness, but not a distant light at the end of a tunnel. He is the light present with us in the darkness, and He walks through the dark shadows with us. Jesus is our shield when our earthly armor fails. He promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5b).
Only Jesus can grant us peace when hell assails us because, for a time, the darkness of hell and of this world overwhelmed our Savior. No earthly powers could save Him. He was rejected and betrayed. His followers fled to save themselves. Jesus was condemned and nailed to the cross. To all outward appearances, the powers of hell had won. That is the lie that Satan wants the world to believe, but by faith, we know the truth. Jesus rose from the dead in victory, overcoming worldly darkness and the assaults of hell itself.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27a). Jesus gives us peace in our hearts to calm our raging, fearful thoughts. He grants peace to His church as it carries out its ministry of healing troubled souls. Jesus alone can bring peace to this war-torn world, and He will at the right time grant us peace in His presence for all eternity. Jesus’ peace is not like worldly peace that depends on the absence of war, on good health and prosperity, or on positive thoughts and self-encouragement. The peace of Jesus depends always and only on Jesus.
WE PRAY: Lord, grant us Your peace. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, “Lord of Our Life,” which is number 659 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. What did Jesus say about placing our trust in earthly things? (See Matthew 19:16-26.)
2. What kinds of “earthly armor” will likely fail us? How can we keep from relying on such things?
3. How has Jesus brought peace into your life?