Verse for the week:
“…the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16It is he alone
who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever
seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. I
Timothy 6.15-16
Prayer for the week:
“O Lord, our most gracious Redeemer and King, dwell and reign within
us, take possession of us by your Spirit, and reign where you have a right to
reign; spread your kingdom throughout the world, now and forever. Amen” (Father John of the Russian Church
Bible reading for the day: Ezekiel 34.11-24 (note: Ezekiel was a priest
exported to Babylon with other elite of Judah 10 years before the final Exile
began in 587 B.C. In down-to-earth language, the Lord indicts his greedy sheep
and their bad shepherds (bad kings) who have led them astray. And the Lord makes
a promise to his sheep…)
11 “For thus says the
Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will
seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock
when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my
sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered
on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And
I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries,
and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains
of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the
country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and
on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they
shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the
mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the
shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the
Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I
will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen
the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them
in justice.
17 “As for you, my flock,
thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep,
between rams and male goats. 18 Is it not
enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your
feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy
the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must
my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have
muddied with your feet?
20 “Therefore, thus says
the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat
sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with
side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till
you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will
rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge
between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up
over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall
feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I,
the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among
them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.
Prayer (based on
T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you: with
your Son Jesus as our King and Shepherd, I and my fellow sheep are no longer
prey for the evil one, no longer scattered... and yet still in this world for
now. Repent us daily of growing fat on ourselves, trusting in our own strength,
and of being greedy, inconsiderate sheep. Each day rescue us from ourselves, feed
us on the good pasture of your word…shepherd us like only You can. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hymn: follow this
link to a simple rendition of a beloved classic which gives further voice to
today’s conversation with the Lord and gives you opportunity to singJ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcNLvufzbz0
“Thy kingdom come…
What does this
mean?
The kingdom of God comes indeed by itself, without our prayer,
but we pray in this petition that it may also come to us.
How is this done?
God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us his
Holy Spirit, so that by his grace we believe his holy Word and live a godly
life now and in eternity. (from The
Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
Benediction: The
peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Phil 4.7
*There are many patterns for devotions. This pattern has been followed by God’s
people for centuries.
**The T.R.I.P. approach to
prayer is based on the way Martin Luther prayed and taught others to pray. It was later developed by Walter and Ingrid
Trobisch and then adapted by Mount Carmel Ministries (Alexandria , MN
R:
regret (repentance)
I:
intercession (asking God to take a specific action)
P:
plan or purpose
Reading a biblical text and
then applying this method gives one a sound, simple way to form one’s
prayers...not to mention that it helps one learn how to faithfully reflect on
God’s Word and talk to God.
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