The Thursday after the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on November 14, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 24:29-35 (NKJV)
24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Devotion
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
Oh, how we treasure the things of this world! And yet, they will all pass away. We know it, but still these things allure us. Much of our life is involved in earning the money to buy things, and then taking care of the things, and also saving up enough so that in retirement we will still be able to acquire the things that we need or want. Can this be good stewardship? Yes, but sometimes “stewardship” can be an excuse for caring too much about the things of this world.
Our Lord Jesus speaks much to us about the Kingdom of Heaven, in His Sermon on the Mount, in His parables, even in the words He speaks together with the miracles He does. We lay hold of those words, which are the words of repentance and forgiveness through faith in our crucified Savior. So cling to those words! All else will pass away, but the words of the Lord will not. And since His words declare us forgiven and righteous, and bespeak eternal life to us, we endure unto all eternity, just as our risen Lord Jesus does, and just as His words do.
Collect: Almighty God, we beseech Thee, show Thy mercy unto Thy humble servants, that we who put no trust in our own merits may not be dealt with after the severity of Thy judgment, but according to Thy mercy; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
