10 Trinity – Thursday – Concordia Lutheran Conference (CLC)

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Daily Devotional Materials

for the

Week of the

Tenth Sunday after Trinity

– Thursday –

Devotion

Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me;

nevertheless, not my will, but Thine, be done. – Luke 22:42.

We must observe a distinction in offering up our prayers. When asking for things that are necessary for our salvation, we must simply ask without affixing any condition to our prayer. And God will surely grant our prayer, for He has promised to do so. Our Lord and Savior says: “If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13.) And “this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us.” (2 John 5:14.) It is otherwise when we ask for something that is not absolutely necessary for our salvation, and something that God has not expressly promised us. Faith of such high degree as Paul, for instance, or even Luther possessed, and particular gifts of the Holy Ghost, are precious spiritual gifts indeed, but not absolutely necessary for our salvation, and the Holy Spirit “divides unto every man severally as He will.” (1 Corinthians 12:11.) The same thing holds true with regard to immediate deliverance from spiritual temptation or bodily affliction. Is this necessary for our salvation? On the contrary, is not such temptation and affliction wholesome for us? And do you think that the constant enjoyment of good health, good fortune, and an abundance of this world’s goods is always wholesome for us and our loved ones, or even necessary for our salvation? When asking for such things; and surely you may do so, – then learn of Jesus, the very best of teachers. When in the Garden of Gethsemane He had to drink that cup of bitterest soulagony, He prayed most fervently, indeed, that this cup might be removed from Him, but He added: “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but Thine, be done.” Thus you, too, must pray in all matters not necessary for your salvation. Leave it to the will of your heavenly Father, who dearly loves you, and who surely desires your salvation, whether, and when, and how many of these things He wishes to give to you.

PRAYER. – My dear Heavenly Father, faithful God, I know of a certainty that You dearly love me and desire my salvation, and profusely and abundantly give to me all things necessary for my salvation. For this I thank You with all my heart. Give to me, dear Father, Your Holy Spirit, that I may be willing to leave everything else to Your loving-kindness and Your divine wisdom, firmly believing that with tender love and faithfulness You will keep me and lovingly take care of me, until You will gather me to the community of Your elect in heaven, who praise and glorify You in all eternity. Amen.

LORD, as Thou wilt, deal Thou with me,No other wish I cherish;

In life and death I cling to Thee, O Lord, let me not perish!

Let but Thy grace ne’er from me part, Else as Thou wilt; grant

patient heart: Thy will the best is ever.

Hymn 383, 1. (ELHB)

Bible Readings

MORNING:

Galatians 5 1-15

5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

EVENING:

1 Kings 12:1-33

12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. 20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,23 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,24 Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. 33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

Additional Materials

Source materials used for these Daily Devotions
Read the KJV Bible Online
Read the book of Psalms

Comments / Suggestions / Corrections