St. Johns News

Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:27-31

Renewed Strength

Daily Devotion – February 9, 2024

Devotion based on Isaiah 40:27-31


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Scottish athlete Eric Liddell ran in the Paris Olympics in 1924. The organizers scheduled the heats for the 100 meters, his favorite distance, on a Sunday morning, but he chose to attend worship instead. He was disqualified from that event. He went on to win the 400-meter race, held on a weekday.

The story of his Olympic campaign was told in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. It includes a scene in which he was asked to speak in church and read the verses from Isaiah quoted above. It is especially moving to hear a trained athlete talk about encouragement from the Lord whose strength never fails.

After the Olympics, Eric Liddell returned to China, where he had been born to Scottish missionary parents. He served there as a missionary himself, bringing people to know Jesus as their Savior. He remained in China until his death in a Japanese internment camp in 1945.

On one occasion, he was asked if he ever regretted his decision to serve as a full-time missionary rather than a full-time athlete. He responded, “It’s natural for a chap to think over all that sometimes, but I’m glad I’m at the work I’m engaged in now. A fellow’s life counts for far more at this than the other.”

In 1991, the University of Edinburgh erected a memorial headstone for Eric Liddell at the site of the Japanese internment camp where he died. The inscription on the headstone is from Isaiah 40: “They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary.”

Prayer:
Lord, when my values are threatened, give me strength to persevere and testify to your glory. Amen.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

Cares

Daily Devotion – February 8, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Peter 5:7


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There had been an ice storm, but I had agreed to meet my friend at a restaurant and didn’t want to disappoint him. I arrived first, and the server was glad to seat me. I was the only customer, so we chatted as we waited for my friend.

“Did you have any trouble getting to work today?” I asked.

“Oh, yes,” she answered. “My husband had to bring me, and we went very slowly, but there were still times when we slid on the road. We were both pretty anxious.”

As we talked, I realized she was a Christian and sensed that I could offer some reassurance. “You know, don’t you, that the Lord sends his angels to care for us in these difficult situations.”

“Yes, I know,” she answered. “Every night, I take my little bundle of worries and lay it at the foot of the cross.” Then after a pause, she added, “The problem is that every morning, I go back and pick it up again.”

Everyone I meet has some anxieties and worries and cares. It just seems to go along with modern life. I want to reassure them, and I always have to start by reminding myself to leave my cares at the foot of the cross of Jesus. He has taken care of my eternal life and promises to take care of my everyday life as well.

When I am tempted to return to my cares after turning them over to God, he reminds me that he cares for me as his own dear child and that he will never leave me to deal with my anxiety alone.

Prayer:
Lord God, keep me safely in your hands because of your Son, Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. . . And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
1 Peter 5:6,7,10

In Due Time

Daily Devotion – February 7, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Peter 5:6,7,10


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Are you at a time in your life when things are going well, or are you suffering?

If you are at a time when things are going well, give thanks to God for his many blessings. Use your clear mind and good health to read and meditate on God’s truths in the Bible. Encourage other people with your words and actions.

If you are suffering, don’t give up. God’s protecting hand is keeping the suffering from being worse. He will not let your suffering go on forever. Instead, in due time, he will lift you up and restore you. It is not easy to be humbled by suffering, but God is full of grace. He will give you eternal glory in Christ. He promises it.

The first week of February can be a difficult time of the year. Other times of the year are easier for many people. Knowing those times are coming can give people hope.

The same can be said for the suffering we endure in this life. It is never pleasant. But let the knowledge that God will one day restore you make you strong, firm, and steadfast.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I know that you suffered for me. When I suffer, make me patient. Teach me perseverance to long for your final salvation and rest secure in your house forever. Amen.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1 Peter 5:8,9

Resist the Devil

Daily Devotion – February 6, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Peter 5:8,9


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Temptation can come from looking at the world around you. So many things seem more important than the Word of God, and there is always someone who will validate those worldly things.

Temptation can also come from inside you. Sometimes, you aren’t even aware that a strong desire is wrong. Sometimes, you know a thought is wrong, but you have no idea how to resist it.

Your enemy, the devil, loves it when his work of temptation is done by the world or your sinful flesh. He is always looking to send people into despair because they realize their sinfulness.

Resist him. How? Stand firm in the faith. What does that mean? It means clinging to what Jesus has done for you as the truth, as the definition of who you are, and your confidence in the face of accusations from the devil.

When the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him, “I admit that I deserve death and hell. So what? I know the person who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. He is in heaven now, and that’s where I will also be!”

The great sixteenth-century religious reformer Martin Luther said those words. You can say them too. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The family of believers throughout the world is confessing that same truth.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for sharing in our humanity and dying to break the power of the devil. Amen.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Mark 1:32-39

The Devil’s Work Undone

Daily Devotion – February 5, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 1:32-39


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Demon possession is an ancient problem. When Jesus came to earth to undertake his saving work, many people were demon-possessed. Jesus drove the demons out of them. When the demons tried to speak, Jesus would not let them. They knew that Jesus was God, and they might have said so, but since demons like to lie, people might have been confused.

The devil and his demons are all liars. They claim the work of Jesus is not complete, and that people are not forgiven. Such lies are a problem both ancient and modern. Jesus spoke the truth when he preached so that people would not be deceived by lies. He undid the lying work of the devil.

People who speak the truth today continue to undo the lying work of the devil. The message of repentance and forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus is the central truth of the Bible. Anyone who speaks against that truth is doing the work of the devil and his demons. Anyone who speaks that truth is undoing demonic work.

There is still demon possession today. But the devil’s work is undone by the power of Jesus in his Word and sacraments. Let the promises of God give you strength in the face of all fears and temptations. Jesus has defeated the devil.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, let your holy angel be with me, that the devil may have no power over me. Amen.

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Isaiah 40:26

Depending on Our Great God

Daily Devotion – February 4, 2024

Devotion based on Isaiah 40:26


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Have you ever wondered when Michaelangelo finally knew that the Sistine Chapel was done? How did Leonardo da Vinci know Mona Lisa’s smile was just right? At what point did Rembrandt know he had finished a masterpiece?

Now try to grasp our God creating the universe and concluding that one more star would be too many, and one less would be not enough. Think about the fact that he called them all into existence and named each one of them.

It is valuable to feel small and insignificant in the presence of our great God. We are reminded how blessed we are to be dependent on him. This great God has given his Son to pay for our sins. This great God assures us that we can rest securely in his protective care. This great God comes to us in his Word and tells us how much he loves us.

Prayer: (Psalm 108:3-6)
I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth. Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. Amen

Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
Hebrews 3:4

We Live in God’s World

Daily Devotion – February 3, 2024

Devotion based on Hebrews 3:4


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The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) in Chicago is one of the tallest and most famous buildings in the world. That building did not just appear by itself. Behind the fame of that building is the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. This firm has received great honor for its work with that tower. Every time someone looks into the history of the building, its name is attached to it.

The accomplishment of this firm is put into perspective by the message we read today from God’s Word. God is the builder of everything. He built everything when he created the world. We live in his world, but we don’t always give him the honor he deserves. In fact, we do just the opposite. We tend to take what he has made and abuse it and waste and misuse what he has given us. We aren’t satisfied with the physical and natural blessings he provides. Through our sins, we heap insult and dishonor before his feet and destroy what he has built.

But in his grace, God did not wipe us out for the lack of honor we show him. Instead, he followed a plan to rescue us from our failures and restore us to himself. His plan included sending prophets like Moses, who proclaimed that a Savior would come to save us. His plan unfolded as the promised Savior finally came, revealing himself as Jesus, the Son of God. Through Jesus, God grants us the forgiveness of sins and gives us new life—life that lasts forever with God.

Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill may receive honor as long as the Willis Tower stands. Yet we have a God who will receive eternal honor, for he has restored us as a new creation through Jesus, a restoration that will never be destroyed.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I give thanks that you have restored me through Jesus as your new creation. Lead me to honor you always for every blessing you give for both body and soul. Amen.