Verse for the week: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23.1
Prayer for the week: Almighty and merciful Father, we your sheep can safely graze where Christ
the good shepherd watches over us. Where rulers govern well, we may have a bit
of peace and rest; make it so, dear Father. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. (Salomon
Franck)
Bible reading for the day: II Samuel 12.1-25 (the continuation of the story that began in
chapter 11 with David taking the woman the Lord had not given to him.)
12.1 And
the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to
him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other
poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and
herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one
little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with
him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup
and lie in his bosom and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now
there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his
own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the
poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then
David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to
Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves
to die, 6 and he shall restore the
lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
7 Nathan said to David,
“You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed
you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And
I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave
you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add
to you as much more. 9 Why have you despised the
word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have
struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be
your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now
therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have
despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your
wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will
raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives
before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your
wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it
secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the
sun.’” 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned
against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also
has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 Nevertheless,
because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the
child who is born to you shall die.” 15 Then Nathan
went to his house.
And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah's
wife bore to David, and he became sick. 16 David
therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went
in and lay all night on the ground. 17 And the
elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he
would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 On the
seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him
that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive,
we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the
child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” 19 But
when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood
that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?”
They said, “He is dead.” 20 Then David arose from
the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he
went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his
own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. 21 Then
his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted
and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose
and ate food.” 22 He said, “While the child was
still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether
the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But
now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to
him, but he will not return to me.”
24 Then David comforted his
wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son,
and he called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved him 25 and
sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah,[1] because
of the Lord.
Prayer for the day: Gracious and almighty Father, I
am the man. My sin is not only against my family and my neighbors, but against
you. Yet behold, this wonder: I am
beloved to you and dressed anew by your righteousness. Did you not put away my
sin in Christ, I would be long dead in my old rags. Thank you, dear Father. Each
day, afflict my old Adam unto his death, create in me a clean heart, restore me
to the joy of your salvation, and sustain me with the spirit you will. In
Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that
gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF2M8nvKK9k&ab_channel=Koine
“I believe in Jesus Christ…”
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ – true God, son of the Father from eternity,
and true man, born of the virgin Mary – is my Lord.
At great cost he has saved and redeemed me, a lost and
condemned creature. He has freed me from sin, death, and the power of the devil
– not with silver or gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his
innocent suffering and death.
All this he has done that I may be his own, live under him
in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and
blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally.
This is most certainly true. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)
Benediction: Blessed be the Lord, the God of
Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord! Psalm 106.48
*This is now
our congregation’s 99th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading
from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.
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