Daily Devotionals
"Give us each day our daily bread." ~ Luke 11:3
Read Pastor Karl's daily devotionals!
New devotionals will be posted Monday through Friday, and will remain here on the website for a week's time.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
We human beings are much quicker to speak of our afflictions than we are to speak of our consolation.
(1) Should someone tell us of being stranded in an airport for a day, we will respond by telling them about the time we were stranded for three days.
(2) Should someone tell us of the discomfort of weeks of physical therapy, we will respond by telling them about the time we went through months of PT.
(3) Should someone tell us of their sorrow at the untimely death of a loved one, we will respond by telling them of the even more untimely death of one whom we loved.
The afflictions of other trigger in us a remembrance of the afflictions through which we have lived.
The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians of how God provides mercy and consolation in the midst of our very real afflictions.
The consolation we have received from our Lord is to become the basis for our providing consolation to others.
The next time we speak with someone going through uncertainty, pain, grief, or sorrow, let us think of how we have received God’s consolation in our own circumstances.
And, let us pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we might pass that consolation on to them.
Blessings,
Pastor Karl
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
We human beings are much quicker to speak of our afflictions than we are to speak of our consolation.
(1) Should someone tell us of being stranded in an airport for a day, we will respond by telling them about the time we were stranded for three days.
(2) Should someone tell us of the discomfort of weeks of physical therapy, we will respond by telling them about the time we went through months of PT.
(3) Should someone tell us of their sorrow at the untimely death of a loved one, we will respond by telling them of the even more untimely death of one whom we loved.
The afflictions of other trigger in us a remembrance of the afflictions through which we have lived.
The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians of how God provides mercy and consolation in the midst of our very real afflictions.
The consolation we have received from our Lord is to become the basis for our providing consolation to others.
The next time we speak with someone going through uncertainty, pain, grief, or sorrow, let us think of how we have received God’s consolation in our own circumstances.
And, let us pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we might pass that consolation on to them.
Blessings,
Pastor Karl
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you and example, so that you should follow in his steps.
"He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth."
When he was abused, he did not return abuse;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
but entrusted himself to the on who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:21-23)
The Apostle Peter highlights two aspects of following in the steps of Jesus:
(1) Not repaying those who abuse us with abuse of our own, and
(2) Not threatening others when we suffer at their hands.
We are empowered to do so when we entrust ourselves to the One who judges justly, our Lord Jesus.
In a world where people pride themselves on their ability to “give as good as they get,” to we are called to give much, much better than we get.
This is neither the easy way, nor the natural way.
It is, however, the way of our Lord Jesus.
When we follow in Jesus steps, we know that we are actually tagging along behind Him.
Blessings,
Pastor Karl
Monday, March 27, 2023
Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. (Acts 14:19-20)
It doesn’t take long for a “crowd” to turn into a “mob."
If the Apostle Paul didn't know this earlier, he certainly found out one day in a city called Lystra.
Paul preached and healed in Lystra so that a large crowd gathered to listen to him. They were so impressed with Paul that they kept trying to worship him. It was all Paul could do to keep them from doing so.
Soon, however, some Jewish authorities arrived and managed to turn the crowd into a mob that was intent on killing Paul. We aren't told how the Jewish authorities managed this, but they did.
Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city, and left for dead.
In fact, Paul was not dead. He got up, went back into the city for the night, and then decided it might be a good idea to travel on.
While we may be ridiculed for our faith, I don’t believe any of us have been stoned.
None-the-less, there is a price to be paid for living faithfully for Jesus.
Often we endure wounds and sorrows when we minister in Jesus name.
If Paul could bear his, perhaps we can bear ours.
Blessings,
Pastor Karl
Friday, March 24, 2023
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved… (Colossians 3:12)
The Apostle Paul gave the Colossians all kinds of instructions of what they should, and should not, be doing.
For now, let's focus on the seven words Paul uses as an introduction to his council: “As God’s Chosen ones, holy and beloved…"
We are instructed to live in specific, godly ways because we are:
(1) Chosen by God,
(2) holy, and
(3) beloved.
Today, let us simply ponder these truths, especially when we are tempted to discount our importance to our Lord, and to those around us.
Blessings,
Pastor Karl