Walked the Road

photo by Jennifer Cabrera

O Christ, You walked the road our wandr’ing feet must go.  You faced with us temptations power and fought our ancient foe.

No bread of earth alone can fill our hung’ring hearts.  Lord, help us seek Your living Word, the food Your grace imparts.

No blinding sign we ask, no wonder from above.  Lord, help us place our trust alone in Your unswerving love.

When lures of easy gain with promise brightly shine, Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first; our will with Yours align.

O Christ, You walked the road our wand’ring feet must go.  Stay with us through temptation’s hour to fight our ancient foe.

Hymn text by Herman Stuempfle, Jr. 1923-2007

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will  be able to endure it.  Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-14.

February 11 Tired of Waiting?

Photo by Brandi Wood

Exodus 32:1-33:23;  Matthew 26:69-27:14;  Psalm 33:1-11;  Proverbs 8:33-36

“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us.  As for this Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

Exodus 32:1

* * * * *

These people whom God had

miraculously saved,

delivered out of Egypt,

sustained in the desert

now

doubted,

grew tired of waiting,

wanted visible assurance,

something to believe in.

But a calf?

Covered in gold?

Absurd!

* * * * *

A ‘god’ according to Marin Luther

is anything that we fear, love,

and trust

more than the true God.

* * * * *

I, whom God miraculously saved

from slavery to sin

through the waters of Baptism

am guilty of

golden-calf worship:

When I trust my bank account

more than the God of limitless resources;

when I trust in myself,

my strengths, my ‘gifts’

rather than the Giver;

when I look to famous “experts”

at living

rather than to the Creator

of all the living.

I am guilty.

* * * * *

God’s anger burns against me

and my idolatry.

But I have One who interecedes

for me;

Who goes before the Almighty Father

and pleads with Him,

“Have mercy.

I died for her sins

on the cross.

My blood was shed for her.

Forgive her for my sake.”

* * * *

In repentance I confess my sins

and know that I am washed clean

by the blood of the Lamb.

* * * * *

Today is a new day.

I pray that I will wait patiently

for Him,

for His answers to my prayers;

that I will remain faithful

and not turn aside

to the golden calves of this world.

I will remember my release

from sin’s captivity

in the waters

of Baptism.

I will remember that I am free.

* * * * *

“And God spoke all these words saying,

‘I am the Lord your God,

who brought you out of Egypt.

You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image

or any likeness of anything that is in heaven

or that is in the earth beneath

or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not bow down to them

or serve them,

for I the Lord your God

am a jealous God.

Exodus 20:1-5

Thank you, Jesus, for delivering me, for saving me, for preserving me in the one true faith!  Amen.

December 5 Just Jesus

 

Image by Megan Isaacson

 

 

Hosea 1:1-3:5;  1 John 5:1-21;  Psalm 124:1-8;  Proverbs 29:5-8

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true;  and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ.  He is the true God and eternal life.  Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”  1 John 5:20-21

 

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”  1 Corinthians 10:14

 

“You shall have no other gods before me.”  Exodus 20:3

What idols sit on the shelf of my life?  What occupies the space of my devotion?  What do I spend the most of my time and money and attention on?  Would I be willing to die for these idols?

There is not room for idols and Jesus in my heart.  I cannot serve two masters.

Thanks be to God that He has freed me from my sin, from idolatry, from myself.

By the cleansing blood of his Son Jesus, God has swept away falsehood and has filled me with understanding.  I confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and that there is none other by which I can be saved–

                        no other person

                        no “right” formula

                        no better philosophy

                        no special knowledge

                        –just Jesus.

Lord God, thank you for your saving Grace.  Forgive me for times I have misplaced my faith and trust in you–relying on myself or someone or something else other than you.  You are a jealous God.  And you are a compassionate and merciful God.  Anyone who comes to you, acknowledging their sin and confessing Jesus as their Lord will never be turned away.  May we be found faithful this day–loving you and others, for Jesus’ sake, Amen.