Security in God
by Faye Schmidt
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You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay (Psalm 16:10).
Read Psalm 16
If anyone ever needed a safe place, it was David. He spent half his life on the run from people who wanted to kill him. First, it was King Saul, then foreign kings and leaders and even his own son Absalom. David knew his vulnerability, but he also had his safe house: God. God was David’s refuge, his safe place.
David says he has a beautiful inheritance awaiting him, and it’s safe because it’s not held in an investment bank, but by God himself. So, what is this inheritance? What David is talking about is the priceless inheritance God has reserved for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay (1 Peter 1:4).
At the end of his psalm, David makes an incredible statement. He says in verse 10, ‘You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay’. He is prophesying about someone else. Who is the faithful one who has seen no decay? David is, of course, speaking of the Messiah who was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. He was resurrected on the third day and is in heaven at the right hand of God.
Jesus is our refuge, he’s our inheritance, and we are heirs of all that belongs to him and only because of him. It is all made possible through Jesus. We can be fully secure, not in our own ability or in anything this world can offer us, but in what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross of Calvary. He is all that we need. He is our refuge. He is our inheritance. He is our hope.
Almighty God, you are my refuge and strength. Hold me always secure in your love and grace. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations in Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
Suffering well – the example of Jesus
by Faye Schmidt
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
And this water symbolises baptism that now saves you also … by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand (1 Peter 3:21,22a).
Read 1 Peter 3:18–22
Peter is writing to people who are in exile and suffering persecution, just as Noah and his family were exiled on the ark. God was to enact his judgement on the people, and the ark on the water was the saving means of avoiding this judgement for Noah and his family. The readers were fellow believers, and they knew of Noah and the importance that water played in their salvation. For us, it is not just the water, but the word of God together with the water of our baptism that is our salvation.
Peter reminds his readers that Jesus was also persecuted and suffered. Jesus is the one he points to as the people, the one who overcame not just persecution, but death. And on his resurrection, he ascended into heaven.
Suffering comes to all of us in various ways. Much of our suffering is hidden from others and not always acknowledged by ourselves. When we see someone undergoing cancer treatment, we know they are suffering. But when someone is struggling spiritually, mentally or emotionally, it is hidden from us. What we do know is that because Jesus suffered, our suffering is not hidden from him. He knows us and all our weaknesses.
Our text today is a triumphant one. Regardless of what suffering we may face, we are not alone. Jesus is with us. The vision we may have is of Jesus walking beside us or of Jesus holding us in the palm of his hand. The promise and comfort are that we are not alone.
Our baptism reminds us of our victory and the assurance of our triumphal resurrection when Christ returns.
Heavenly Father, as the water saved Noah and his family from judgement, we praise and thank you that through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are saved through your gift of the water of our baptism in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations in Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
Living stones
by Faye Schmidt
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5a).
Read 1 Peter 2:1–10
There are many references to stones in Scripture. For example, Jesus being tempted to turn stones into bread, Stephen being stoned to death, and Jesus stating that the temple will fall and not a single stone will be left standing.
We think of a stone as useful, particularly when building something. Scripture also refers to Jesus as the cornerstone – the stone from which all others are measured.
So, the one thing we know about stones is that they are inanimate – they have no life. Yet we are called to be living stones. But stones we are, on our own and without the power of the Holy Spirit, inanimate and subject to use by others for a variety of purposes.
As a ‘living’ stone, we have had the Spirit of God breathed into us. We are no longer inanimate but of value to God to be a witness to him and his grace.
But we don’t do this alone. For the living stones to thrive, they need to be connected to other stones, building a house – a church formed of those brothers and sisters who turned from stone to life.
Our text refers to us forming a holy priesthood. This is a collective. It recognises the togetherness of believers as we offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus. A single stone on its own has no clear identity or purpose. But when gathered, connected and built upon, we not only have a defined identity, but that identity reflects our purpose.
The church at which I worship is made of stone. It is a beautiful building. But the true beauty is inside, where I gather with fellow living stones that have been built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood. Praise God.
Heavenly Father, you have gifted me to be a living stone, a member of a holy priesthood. I pray that the sacrifices of my heart and the works of my hands be acceptable to you through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations in Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
A simple message
by Faye Schmidt
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus (Acts 13:32,33a).
Read Acts 13:16a,26–33
Do you recognise this story? Most likely, you do. In these few verses, through his account of Paul’s preaching, Luke has penned the heart of the gospel message. He managed to cram years of Jesus’ ministry into a few short sentences – along with a backdrop, a plot and a climax.
Let’s see … Jesus came to the people he and his Father created, but we didn’t recognise him. Though he was an innocent man, we condemned him to die a criminal’s death. He was crucified and buried in a tomb sealed by a large stone. But God raised him from the dead to be the fulfilment of his promises and the answer to our prayers. That’s the ‘word of salvation’, or the gospel, in a nutshell.
It’s pretty simple, isn’t it? In fact, it’s easy enough that probably anyone could recount this story. And that’s exactly the point. We can all be witnesses to this joyfully simple plan of redemption. We can all respond to the call to evangelise. But sometimes, it can feel pretty hard to get those words out of our mouths, even when the perfect opportunity presents itself. Why is that?
One of the most common reasons is that we doubt our effectiveness. We wonder whether we can make the gospel attractive enough or persuasive enough to convince someone to receive it. We may get so anxious that we don’t say anything at all! But the soul-tugging power of the gospel doesn’t come from us.
Yes, we need to share the truth as we have come to know it, but only God himself is in charge of changing someone’s heart. It’s only by a work of his grace that someone is moved to open their heart to the Lord. Only the Spirit of God can drive the point home, not our eloquent words. What a huge relief!
So, always remember that you don’t have to be a theologian or a pastor to share the gospel. All you must be is open and available to proclaim the simple message and then to leave the heavy lifting to God.
Lord, fill me so full of your love that I overflow with the good news of the gospel. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations in Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
God’s will for us
by Faye Schmidt
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take away the stony heart from your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
Read Ezekiel 36:24–28
(Before reading this devotion, count how many times the words ‘I will’ appear in the text. It appears four times alone in the selected text.)
Ezekiel speaks at a time when God’s people are in exile, seeking to return to their own lands. Before the people return to the land, God will cleanse them by water from their sins and impurities, especially idolatry (Ezekiel 36:25; Exodus 30:17–21). The ritual of cleansing is an external sign of a deeper work that God will perform on the people. The ritual offers an embodied way of experiencing a new reality that God is about to usher in.
God knows very well that we struggle to live a life faithful to him and his will for us. Therefore, God declares, ‘I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take away the stony heart from your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel 36:26). The ritual of cleansing by water and the gift of the new identity go hand in hand. All of it, though, is the work of God.
Even if a person has the will to live a life pleasing to God, humans need the Spirit of God to be able to obey. ‘And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and to keep my judgements and to do them’ (Ezekiel 36:27). We are incapable of obedience even after having been purified. We need the power of God’s Spirit to live more fully in our new identity.
All this is possible because God’s will for us was fulfilled when Jesus prayed the night before he died, ‘Not my will, but thy will be done.’ And Jesus was obedient to that will, died and then rose triumphantly to cleanse us from our sins – through Jesus, we come before God ‘clean’.
Dear God, we give thanks, praise and glory to you, as you fulfilled all your promises to us through Jesus, so that we may know that you are our God, and we are your people. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations in Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
‘Grab Hope’ This Easter
As we approach the joy of Easter Sunday, Lutheran Media has been sharing a special message from Pastor Adrian Kitson, inviting our podcast audiences, radio listeners and social media followers to ‘Grab Hope’ — and to share their stories of Easter hope with us.
If a friend or family member might benefit from an invitation to explore the hope that comes to us at Easter, please share our ‘Grab Hope’ message with them!
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My Future Hope Easter Sunday Read: Revelation 21:1-4 “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3b-4 (NIV)
Today is Easter Sunday and our Lord Jesus has beaten death and the devil and has been raised to live in Heaven with our Heavenly Father. He is risen indeed! We focus today on all that God has accomplished through Jesus. Through Jesus’ death and rising He has brought us life, and life forever with Him. Revelation is a book of the Bible that is hard to know how to interpret. Many have tried, but we have to be careful not to read into what isn’t there. It is the last book of the Bible, and it was written by John telling of his visions.
This vision of the future is meant to transform the present, by providing hope and motivating Christians to reflect on the character and values that Christ embodied while with us on earth. It shares the vision of what heaven will be like when God is present among us. I love reading about the perfection of Heaven. It won’t be a restored earth, but a totally new reality where there will be no more suffering, all God’s promises will be fulfilled, and we will have a perfect relationship with God (no more sin or separation). This future hope, through the vision of John, provides comfort and encourages all believers to live holy lives here and now in the present. This new creation is divine, not built or created by human hands, but entirely a gift of love from a loving Father.
This salvation is ours for all time. Today we celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death, through His rising from the grave. God has through this act of love and grace, given us the same victory over sin and death where we can now come to Him directly as His precious children. Our sins have been forgiven, and we are washed clean. We can now live in the hope of our future with God forever in Heaven. We can live our future hope now in the present, knowing a loving Saviour loves us unconditionally!
Prayer: My risen Lord and Saviour, thank you for giving me a glimpse of Heaven through the visions of John. Guide me through my life that I may reflect the love you have for me to those around me. Amen.
Eyes to See 40th Day in Lent (Holy Saturday) Read: Luke 24:13-35 “Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” Luke 24:31-32 (NIV)
I am sure there is such a thing as ‘man eyes’. I looked it up and it is defined as: “a colloquial term for a specific type of inattentiveness, not about male eyesight, but rather for a person unable to find something they are looking for that is in plain sight.” [Reddit] I have heard myself saying when talking to my husband or children who are looking for something, “Are you looking with your man eyes?” I am usually able to find the item that has been searched for quite easily. The disciples saw Jesus die, they saw him taken from the cross and the women saw where Jesus had been buried. They saw all this happen. So, it is only natural that they would say when asked where he was, that he was dead and buried.
Today, we as Christians wait with expectation for the resurrection tomorrow morning. We know the story. But for those who were there, their eyes would tell them that Jesus was dead. He had told them many times, that on the third day he would rise again, but they couldn’t forget what they had seen. Some disciples had left Jerusalem in fear after the crucifixion, thinking that they would be next to die, and were walking to another town called Emmaus. They were talking about what had happened over the last days trying to make sense of it all, when another man came up asking questions. This man listened to their fears and tried to explain what they didn’t see. What they didn’t see, was the hope that what Jesus had said earlier was true.
He revealed some of the mysteries and explained what the eyes cannot see or understand. Finally, Jesus revealed Himself having risen and in bodily form and then He disappeared, but their eyes were opened to the truth. Where are you today? Are you looking at this story with ‘man eyes’? Or have you the eyes to see the risen Saviour? I pray that you can see and experience the love and forgiveness of our loving risen Lord this Easter. May your eyes be opened to see a risen Saviour and the hope He brings.
Prayer: Open my eyes, living Lord Jesus, that I may see and know the love you have for me and all of humankind. Open my heart to others around me to help them understand the hope you bring. Amen.
Eyes to See 40th Day in Lent (Holy Saturday) Read: Luke 24:13-35 “Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” Luke 24:31-32 (NIV)
I am sure there is such a thing as ‘man eyes’. I looked it up and it is defined as: “a colloquial term for a specific type of inattentiveness, not about male eyesight, but rather for a person unable to find something they are looking for that is in plain sight.” [Reddit] I have heard myself saying when talking to my husband or children who are looking for something, “Are you looking with your man eyes?” I am usually able to find the item that has been searched for quite easily. The disciples saw Jesus die, they saw him taken from the cross and the women saw where Jesus had been buried. They saw all this happen. So, it is only natural that they would say when asked where he was, that he was dead and buried.
Today, we as Christians wait with expectation for the resurrection tomorrow morning. We know the story. But for those who were there, their eyes would tell them that Jesus was dead. He had told them many times, that on the third day he would rise again, but they couldn’t forget what they had seen. Some disciples had left Jerusalem in fear after the crucifixion, thinking that they would be next to die, and were walking to another town called Emmaus. They were talking about what had happened over the last days trying to make sense of it all, when another man came up asking questions. This man listened to their fears and tried to explain what they didn’t see. What they didn’t see, was the hope that what Jesus had said earlier was true.
He revealed some of the mysteries and explained what the eyes cannot see or understand. Finally, Jesus revealed Himself having risen and in bodily form and then He disappeared, but their eyes were opened to the truth. Where are you today? Are you looking at this story with ‘man eyes’? Or have you the eyes to see the risen Saviour? I pray that you can see and experience the love and forgiveness of our loving risen Lord this Easter. May your eyes be opened to see a risen Saviour and the hope He brings.
Prayer: Open my eyes, living Lord Jesus, that I may see and know the love you have for me and all of humankind. Open my heart to others around me to help them understand the hope you bring. Amen.