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Devotions

The Ashes of Repentance

COVER STORY – ASH WEDNESDAY

The custom of observing a time of fasting, prayer, and repentance leading up to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection began very early in the Christian church, but practices and customs varied among congregations in different areas. The First Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) unified the Christian church in observing Lent as a period of forty days of fasting and prayer.
In A.D. 601, Gregory the Great decreed that there should be no fasting on Sunday, which was considered a day of celebration of Christ’s resurrection. So in order to maintain the forty days of fasting, he changed the beginning of Lent to Wednesday. Some sources suggest that he was also the one who initiated the practice of smearing ashes on the forehead of worshipers, saying, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (see Genesis 3:19). Thus the first day of Lent became known as Ash Wednesday.
From the most ancient of times in the Bible, ashes have been used to express sorrow and grief. Ashes were used in times of grief over some injustice or loss (2 Samuel 13:19, Esther 4:1), or as a way of humbling oneself before God in prayer (Daniel 9:3, Genesis 18:27), and—perhaps most of all—to express sorrow for sins (Job 42:3–6, Jeremiah 6:26, Matthew 11:21). For these reasons people would sit in ashes, roll in them, or sprinkle them over their head.
The use of ashes can be a vivid reminder that we ourselves are nothing but dust and ashes. They remind us of our sin, one consequence of which is the inevitable prospect of being reduced to dust and ashes again. Fasting can be a very concrete reminder of our repentance over sin. If you remember that your fasting is a sign of repentance, the relentless hunger pains can help keep you mindful of repentance throughout the day.
However, God also warns about the human propensity to corrupt these signs of repentance. On the one hand, we might feel superior and holier for fasting or displaying the ashes on our forehead. On the other hand, it can simply become an empty action that has no corresponding repentance in the heart.Read More »The Ashes of Repentance

Where You Go, I Go

DEVOTION—LENT

At the beginning of the book of Ruth, we’re introduced to three widows: Ruth, Orpah, and their mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi bids her daughters-in-law to go and find new husbands. Orpah does, “But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.’ ” (Ruth 1:16) Ruth swore an oath that she would stay with Naomi. Ruth didn’t choose to stay because of a legal requirement, but because of her love for her mother-in-law and for her God. She showed trust that Naomi would not lead her to destruction and that God would keep them both in His loving-kindness. Ruth went with Naomi and found another husband, Boaz, and Ruth and Boaz were the great-grandparents of King David. Read More »Where You Go, I Go

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS JANUARY 2021

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Jan 1 TLH 114 (LSB 900) John 1:1-5 Jesus is described as both life and light. Think about how these descriptions are so fitting.
Jan 3 TLH 76 (LSB 383) John 1:6-13 Jesus enlightens us and makes us His own. We do not enlighten ourselves. Left to ourselves,
we would reject Him.
Jan 4 TLH 85 (LSB 358) John 1:14 In one verse we have the most profound mystery—Jesus is both human and divine in the
same person. On top of that, grace and truth come from Him!
Jan 5 TLH 86 (LSB 381) Matthew 1:1-25 We end the twelve days of Christmas with a recital of Jesus’ ancestry and a review of the birth
of Him who is called “God with us.” Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS JANUARY 2021

Life Lessons

DEVOTION—PRO-LIFE

Of all the political, social, and moral debates that have gone on for the past forty years, it would be hard to come up with a more sensitive topic than abortion. Since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade in 1973, 60 million children have been ripped from the safety of their mothers’ wombs and brutally murdered. That is not the debate, those are the facts. And many experts believe the true number of abortions has been greatly under reported.
Contrary to many opinions, the debate is not about when life begins. For years people entangled themselves in endless arguments about whether life begins at fertilization, or when the heart starts beating, or when brain waves are detected, or when the first breath is taken, and on and on. Very few would deny that the unborn child is alive. If only our government applied the same standard to humans that it applies to eagles! According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act “provides criminal penalties for persons who ‘take, possess, sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport, export or import, at any time or any manner any bald eagle . . . [or any golden eagle], alive, dead, or any part, nest, or egg thereof.’ ” Is an egg alive? Yes, we would agree there is a baby eagle waiting to be hatched. The act provides penalties of up to $200,000 and a year in prison for the first offense.Read More »Life Lessons

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS DECEMBER 2020

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Dec 1 TLH 75 (LSB 354) 1 Kings 21:1-29 “There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. . . .” Yet when he humbled himself before the Lord, the Lord held off on His immediate judgment. What
mercy! You too will find that He is merciful.
Dec 2 TLH 289 1 Kings 22:1-28 Four hundred false prophets vs. one true prophet. Whose word do you think will be right? Remember that just because “everyone” says it, that doesn’t make it true. Only God’s Word is always
true.
Dec 3 TLH 61 (LSB 347) 1 Kings 22:29-44 Micaiah was right because his word was from the Lord. Ahab was killed while faithful Jehoshaphat became king in Judah.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS DECEMBER 2020

Where is John Pointing?

DEVOTION—JOHN THE BAPTIST

Have you experienced the frustration that comes when you try to point at something exciting, only for your audience to miss it? This happens frequently in my family when we’re on the road. I will see something that I want my young children to see as well. I will point and exclaim, “Look over there!” And my boys will be staring at my hand instead. I will more vigorously thrust my pointed finger back and forth to get them to look in that direction while their eyes will follow the movement of my hand and miss the moment entirely. Toddlers will do this. Don’t adults sometimes do the same? Read More »Where is John Pointing?

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS NOVEMBER 2020

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Nov 2 TLH 393 (LSB 713) 1 Kings 16:29-34 Things weren’t getting better in Israel. Enter Ahab, the worst of their kings to date. Even Joshua foretold that the Lord’s curse would be upon him (Joshua 6:26).
Nov 3 TLH 28 1 Kings 17:1-24 But the Lord is not asleep! To counteract Ahab, the worst of kings, God raised up Elijah, the greatest of prophets. How faithful and loving is our God toward His people!
Nov 4 TLH 612 Amos 1:1-15 The Lord not only had His eye on the sins of Israel, but also on the sins of the nations around her too. Their cruelty and wickedness would bring down judgment from God. The way of the wicked will perish.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS NOVEMBER 2020

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS OCTOBER 2020

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Oct 1 TLH 450 1 Kings 9:1-9 The Lord answered Solomon’s prayer at the temple dedication, reaffirming His faithfulness toward those who put their trust in Him.
Oct 2 TLH 567 1 Kings 10:1-13 The Lord had promised wisdom and wealth to Solomon, and He delivered on both. Even the Queen of Sheba was astonished to see all that Solomon had.
Oct 3 TLH 446 (LSB 663) 1 Kings 11:1-13 The foreign women Solomon married were a bad spiritual influence on him and he began to build shrines to their false gods. The decline and loss of His kingdom was now coming.
Oct 5 TLH 448 Revelation 3:14-22 The congregation here was wealthy and comfortable and it had led to an attitude of indifference toward Christ. They were “neither cold nor hot” but only lukewarm.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS OCTOBER 2020

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS SEPTEMBER 2020

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Sep 1 TLH 578 Acts 22:22-29 Paul’s Roman citizenship was a blessing to him and helped him advance the Gospel. Does God use your citizenship to do the same?
Sep 2 TLH 350 Hosea 1:1-2:1 Hosea’s wife was an illustration of the nation of Israel which committed “blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the Lord.” Yet God’s compassion had not departed entirely (v. 7).
Sep 3 TLH 277 (LSB 699) Hosea 2:2-13 Forgetfulness was the way of Israel. She did not remember nor call to mind Who had blessed her in the past. The people only looked for the next “new” thing.
Sep 4 TLH 282 Hosea 2:14-23 Even though Israel was unfaithful to the Lord, He was always ready to love her, turn her from her sin, and take her as His own.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS SEPTEMBER 2020

Go into All the World and Proclaim the Gospel, Starting Next Door

DEVOTION—CONGREGATIONAL OUTREACH

The beginning of our title should sound familiar, as they are the words of Jesus recorded for us in Mark 16:15. The second half of the title is also an encouragement from our Lord, but more on that later.
I wonder how many of our readers have traveled in foreign lands? And of those who have, how many for the purpose of mission work? I am in no way criticizing anyone for vacationing abroad. I’m simply pointing out the reality that very few of us Christians will actually step on foreign soil for the purpose of bringing the Gospel. This does not, however, let us off the hook for doing foreign mission work. After all, Jesus spoke the Great Commission to all of us. We can give of our treasures to support the work of the church overseas. We can search for and fulfill the needs of Project Kinship and the MEF (Mission Extension Fund). And easiest, but perhaps most important, we can keep our foreign missions and missionaries in our daily prayers. But where does the “rubber meet the road” in your mission life?Read More »Go into All the World and Proclaim the Gospel, Starting Next Door