LHM Daily Devotion - November 22, 2017 "Getting Around to God"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

"Getting Around to God"

November 22, 2017

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples!

~ Psalm 105:1 (ESV)

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- that special time of year when most of us fight crowds, high gas prices, and crowded airport security lines, so we might come together with family and friends for a few days of relaxation, reunion, and renewal.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- a time for families and friends to roll themselves up to tables which are groaning under the weight of every culinary delicacy our taste buds could imagine.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- the day when many will plot their assault upon the Black Friday bargains which are too good to pass up. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so we've replaced the batteries in the TV's remote control and memorized the channel numbers and kickoff times of every bowl game being played.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I've listed some of the things many folks will do.

Now I have one more suggestion. I think we ought to give thanks. You see, none of the activities I've listed do that -- offer thanks to the Lord. A few years ago, I heard about one family which always chose one of their membership to say a special prayer before the family ate their Thanksgiving dinner. One year the lot had fallen to six-year-old Rosalyn.

She began, appropriately enough, by thanking mother for preparing the turkey and dad for his job which gave them the money to buy the turkey. The family sat patiently as she thanked the clerk for selling the turkey and the store for stocking the turkey. She thanked the trucker who had brought her turkey to the store. She thanked the farmer who had raised the bird, as well as the feed store which had made it so the turkey could be plump. Then at the end of the lengthy litany, she solemnly asked, "Have I forgotten anyone?"

Her impatient eight-year-old brother, grunted, "You've forgotten God."

With an icy gaze, Rosalyn looked at her brother and announced, "I was just going to get to Him."

And that's the problem. When it comes to Thanksgiving Day, most people don't start their day with God, they just, kind of get around to Him. And that's sad. We shouldn't spend more time preparing stuffing for a dead bird than we actually spend thanking the Lord.

All of this takes me to the point of this devotion. Why not start out thanking the Lord ... in church.

Now I know, I know, to that idea some of you would think that going to worship is a major speed bump to getting everything done which needs to get done if a proper Thanksgiving is to be celebrated.

Or, are you among those who believe a pastor's Thanksgiving Day sermon should, like the afternoon's turkey, be equipped with a pop-up timer to let him know when he's done? We know we shouldn't feel that way, but some of us do. Well, folks, that bird is going to be done when it gets done -- and so is the sermon.

With the right attitude you can enjoy both. And God will be thanked first, not last.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive us for those times when we want more of the world and less of You. This year let us begin by thanking You and not just getting around to it. In the Name of Jesus who is our greatest cause for thanks, we pray. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- that special time of year when most of us...

CPTLN Devocional de 22 de Noviembre de 2017 - Cambios

Alimento Diario

Cambios

22 de Noviembre 2017

Hijos de Jacob, yo soy el Señor, y no cambio. Por eso ustedes no han sido consumidos.

~ Malaquías 3:6 (RVC)

¿Se han dado cuenta que cuando le cambian el nombre a un artículo, a menudo también le cambian su valor? Por ejemplo, yo he visto que en una tienda donde se vende "calzado", los precios son más altos que en una tienda donde se venden "zapatos". Un "jornal" es generalmente más caro que una "revista". Y una organización que atiende "asociados" es a menudo mucho más cara que una que atiende "clientes" o "usuarios".

Cuando le mencioné estos ejemplos a un amigo, él inmediatamente agregó: "no te olvides que ir al "salón de belleza" es tres veces más caro que ir a la "peluquería".

Ese mismo principio probablemente se aplica también a las personas. Me pregunto si un "guardia de cárcel" gana menos que un "oficial de seguridad", o si un "basurero" gana menos que un "recolector de basura". ¿Es una "ama de casa" de menor valor que una "supervisora de la economía del hogar"?

Por supuesto que hay algunas cosas que nunca cambian. Cosas como la muerte, o el pagar impuestos.

También hay otra cosa que jamás cambia: la mayoría de nosotros llevamos encima pecados, defectos, dolores y problemas. Y es por eso que necesitamos también otra cosa que nunca cambia: el perdón que podemos recibir y que nos da la salvación comprada con la sangre del Salvador Jesucristo.

Gracias al sacrificio de Jesús, sabemos que no hay nada que pueda separar a los creyentes del amor de Dios. No hay absolutamente nada.

ORACIÓN: Amado Señor, te damos gracias porque nunca cambias. Gracias a tu amor inmutable somos perdonados de nuestros pecados y ya no esperamos la condenación que una vez nos aguardaba. Gracias por el amor incondicional que nos das a través de Jesús, en cuyo nombre oramos. Amén.

De una devoción escrita originalmente para "By the Way"

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. ¡Utilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL.
¿Se han dado cuenta que cuando le cambian el nombre a un artículo, a menudo también le cambian su valor?

The Daily Readings for TUESDAY, November 21, 2017

Jesus Cures a Boy with a Demon

Daily Readings

1 Maccabees 3:25-41

Then Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and terror fell on the Gentiles all around them. His fame reached the king, and the Gentiles talked of the battles of Judas. When King Antiochus heard these reports, he was greatly angered; and he sent and gathered all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army. He opened his coffers and gave a year's pay to his forces, and ordered them to be ready for any need. Then he saw that the money in the treasury was exhausted, and that the revenues from the country were small because of the dissension and disaster that he had caused in the land by abolishing the laws that had existed from the earliest days. He feared that he might not have such funds as he had before for his expenses and for the gifts that he used to give more lavishly than preceding kings. He was greatly perplexed in mind; then he determined to go to Persia and collect the revenues from those regions and raise a large fund. He left Lysias, a distinguished man of royal lineage, in charge of the king's affairs from the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt. Lysias was also to take care of his son Antiochus until he returned. And he turned over to Lysias half of his forces and the elephants, and gave him orders about all that he wanted done. As for the residents of Judea and Jerusalem, Lysias was to send a force against them to wipe out and destroy the strength of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem; he was to banish the memory of them from the place, settle aliens in all their territory, and distribute their land by lot. Then the king took the remaining half of his forces and left Antioch his capital in the one hundred and forty-seventh year. He crossed the Euphrates river and went through the upper provinces. Lysias chose Ptolemy son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, able men among the Friends of the king, and sent with them forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judah and destroy it, as the king had commanded. So they set out with their entire force, and when they arrived they encamped near Emmaus in the plain. When the traders of the region heard what was said to them, they took silver and gold in immense amounts, and fetters, and went to the camp to get the Israelites for slaves. And forces from Syria and the land of the Philistines joined with them.

Revelation 21:1-8

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

Matthew 17:14-21

When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, and said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him." Jesus answered, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me." And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

Prayer of the Day for TUESDAY, November 21, 2017

Mighty Father God, we thank You for this day — that it even exists, and especially, that we can live in it, that we can know it through the sense you gave us and breathe the air you have made. Your bounty and goodness to us is beyond understanding. We worship and praise you above all things, because you are above all things. Your hand has made them and your love has forgiven us and blessed us.

Keep us and those we love from danger, sickness, accident this day, we pray. Help us to turn our back on evil in all of its myriad forms, to turn aside from the temptation that besets us from within ourselves and from our reaction to the world outside. Broaden our minds and give us the gift of hearing truth even when we do not want to hear it, when a false thought is embedded in our minds and the truth disagrees with our preconceptions.

Fill us with gratitude. Give us the courage to change the things that are contrary to your Word, even when they are ingrained and it is painful for us to give them up. Let us realize our sins and give us the grace to repent it and seek your forgiveness. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, November 21, 2017

1 Corinthians 1:4-5 (NIV)[Thanksgiving] I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—

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Listen to 1 Corinthians 1

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - A Thanksgiving Prayer

A Thanksgiving Prayer 

Most of us here in the United States will be celebrating the upcoming national holiday of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 23th. For many it's a day of feast to share with family and friends with a holiday turkey and an afternoon of watching sports on TV. For many it will be a day of loneliness for those who have no one to share this holiday with or a day to remember a loved one that they used to share this holiday with. For some it will be a day to give to our communities and help feed those who otherwise might go hungry this day. For many it's a day to remember and give thanks for our achievements this past year. For many it's the day to get a jump-start on their Christmas shopping. And for many it's a day to give Thanks to God for all He has done for us and the blessings that we have received from Him.

The following is a Thanksgiving prayer that I will share with everyone for the next few days. I will share a new Thanksgiving prayer each day through Thanksgiving Day. You may copy them and share them with your friends and family and may even use them as a prayer of grace for your Thanksgiving feast.

Mighty Father God, we thank You for this day — that it even exists, and especially, that we can live in it, that we can know it through the sense you gave us and breathe the air you have made. Your bounty and goodness to us is beyond understanding. We worship and praise you above all things, because you are above all things. Your hand has made them and your love has forgiven us and blessed us.

Keep us and those we love from danger, sickness, accident this day, we pray. Help us to turn our back on evil in all of its myriad forms, to turn aside from the temptation that besets us from within ourselves and from our reaction to the world outside. Broaden our minds and give us the gift of hearing truth even when we do not want to hear it, when a false thought is embedded in our minds and the truth disagrees with our preconceptions.

Fill us with gratitude. Give us the courage to change the things that are contrary to your Word, even when they are ingrained and it is painful for us to give them up. Let us realize our sins and give us the grace to repent it and seek your forgiveness. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, Amen.

Un Dia a la Vez - Digamos «NO» al divorcio (primera parte)

Digamos «NO» al divorcio (primera parte)

El esposo debe amar a su esposa como a su propio cuerpo. El que ama a su esposa se ama a sí mismo.

~ Efesios 5:28 (NVI)

Solo en nosotros está la decisión de decirle «NO» al divorcio. En su Palabra, Dios deja bien clara varias advertencias. Por ejemplo:

• «No os unáis en yugo desigual con los incrédulos» (2 Corintios 6:14, rv-60). Antes de dar el paso del matrimonio, la pregunta es la siguiente: «¿Por qué te casas con un inconverso?». Si lo consideras, no todos los casos terminan felices, pues muchos no van jamás a la iglesia aunque se casen porque uno no puede cambiar a nadie.
• «El hombre deja a su padre y a su madre, y se une a su mujer» (Génesis 2:24). Muchos matrimonios llegan al divorcio por los suegros. Si te casas, debes «dejar» la falda de mamá. Claro, hay casos preciosos donde la suegra es de bendición en el hogar.
• «Y los dos se funden en un solo ser» (Génesis 2:24). Se trata de un solo ser, pues no son parejas de tres ni de cuatro. Es decir, debe ser de una sola mujer y un solo hombre porque ya somos uno en Cristo.
• «¡Goza con la esposa de tu juventud!» (Proverbios 5:18). Por eso debes disfrutar a tu cónyuge aun en la vejez. No dice que el amor es solo durante la juventud, sino que es para siempre.
• «Dando honor a la mujer como a vaso más frágil» (1 Pedro 3:7, rv-60). En esto se incluye el respeto, la ternura, la suavidad.

Únete a esta campaña y digamos «NO» al divorcio. No perjudiquemos más la Palabra de Dios y démosle testimonio al mundo.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - LOVE IS THE ANSWER

LOVE IS THE ANSWER

He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.

~ Psalm 72:14 (NIV)

When a bomb ripped through a church in Alexandria, Egypt on New Year’s Day, 2011, Christians across the western world reeled with shock. Twenty-one believers were killed in the attack and many others were wounded. While Christians in the west watched the news reports with disbelief, local believers say the attack came as no surprise.

Responses to the vicious attack were varied. While some cried for revenge, others have responded differently trusting God to redeem these lives.

One explanatory story from Egypt is this:

Devil: “I just killed 21 of your family.”

Jesus: “You didn’t kill 21 of my family. You just sent them on ahead to me, and you mobilized the church to pray.”

Brother Andrew writes: What is your first thought when someone offends you? Anger? Indignation? Perhaps, if we’re honest, our hearts even want to see some kind of retaliation or revenge. But you know, Jesus is clear: revenge is not the answer. Love is. Especially when it comes to the Muslim world. That’s why, instead of retaliating when we read of a bomb attack against our fellow believers, I suggest our response should be repentance! Repentance that we have not prayed, have not cared, have not gone to the Muslim world to proclaim the true life and freedom we have in Jesus! Let’s keep asking God to truly change our hearts—that we might love, serve and pray more fervently…for the advancement of His kingdom and the glory of His name in the Muslim world and beyond!

RESPONSE: Today I will seek to keep my eyes on Jesus and try to understand things from His perspective.

PRAYER: Lord, change my heart so I am filled with Your compassion and thus love, serve and pray more fervently.

Girlfriends in God - When You Want More Joy in Your Life

When You Want More Joy in Your Life

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

~ Psalm 34:3 (NASB)

Friend to Friend

As we’re headed into Thanksgiving, I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude. Gratitude and thanksgiving are so important for your soul. It is not just what God wants from you; it is what God wants for you.

Gratitude has been called the “memory of the heart.” Praise and gratitude bring up pictures in our minds that say, “Remember.”

Isn’t that what Jesus did in the last 12 hours of His life as He broke the bread and passed the cup? “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper, he took the cup…” Remember. Give thanks.

David invites us to “magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:3 NASB). When we praise and thank God, we magnify Him—make Him easier to see. A thankful heart opens the windows of heaven that allow us to peek at glory moments all around. Glimpses. Foretastes of our heavenly home that revive our hope and make us hungry for more of Him.

Why does God want us to give thanks and punctuate all of life with gratitude? He knows that gratitude gives birth to joy. Again, it is not what God wants from you, but what God wants for you. Joy.

Thanksgiving in “all things” squeezes difficult circumstances until joy oozes out of us. Fruit, if it had a say in the matter, would not like the squeezing, but it is the only way to get the sweet juice past the tough dimpled skin to the outside. Otherwise it would stay locked away until the fruit shriveled up and died.

Perhaps your relationship with God has come to the plateau of routine, passionless religion—as if your faith is stuck on the sandbar of mediocrity when it is truly meant to sail the seas of the joyful life. So what will lift your boat? What will get the joyless you “unstuck?” I suggest the language of a grateful heart will swell the tide to lift your soul from the sandbar and loosen you from the hold of the sucking muck below. Give it a try. As Jonah showed us, the way out of the belly of the whale is praise.

When I feel distant from God, gratitude and praise is often the ramp to get me back on the right road. When I have strayed from acknowledging His presence, when I have forgotten in him we live and move and have our being, when I have made me big and God small, gratitude leads me back to right relationship with Him. And then I wonder why I ever would be so careless as to drift away in the first place.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, I am so grateful today. My heart overflows with gratitude. For eyes that see. For ears that hear. For fingers that grasp. For knees that bend. For lungs that breathe. I am so thankful for my family, my home, my Savior. Today, I ask for nothing and thank You for all things.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Want a hefty dose of gratitude today? Read Psalms 148, 149, and/or 150 and note what the psalmist praise God for.

How does the writer begin each Psalm?

How has gratitude changed your attitude?

More from the Girlfriends

Do you long to feel close to God but feel like there’s something missing? That you’ve missed that mysterious formula to make it happen? Do you have a glory ache—a persistent longing to experience God’s presence and working in your life, but you’re not quite sure how to make it happen? If so, my book, A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More, is just for you. Join me in discovering how to erase the lines between the secular and the sacred and experience a deeper, more intimate relationship with God than ever before. While you’re there, you can download a free chapter or watch a video book trailer. And for you married gals, join me over at The Praying Wives Club and let’s pray for those men!

Seeking God?

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