Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Thursday within the Octave of Whitsunday

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: Isaiah 45:22-25 (NKJV)

22 “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.

24 He shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him.

25 In the Lord all the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory.'”

Devotion

It is God’s desire that all people would look to Him and be saved. He has sworn, by an oath taken in His own Name, that He will work mightily to accomplish His purpose. He speaks His Gospel and send His Holy Spirit into the world, even to the very ends of the earth, that all might be rescued from sin, death, and Hell.

But not all will look to Him and be saved. All people are not justified and declared righteous in God’s sight. Not every knee shall bow before Him in humble adoration, and not every tongue shall confess how great God is. For not all will turn in faith to Him. His means for creating and sustaining such faith can be resisted by men. Ears are stopped to the hearing of His Word. Heads refuse to receive His Baptism. Mouths are shut tight against receiving His Body and Blood.

Yet, He continues His work, for the sake of His promise and for the sake of all those who will be saved through faith in Him. In His Church and by His ministers He works mightily through the means of grace to create and strengthen faith in the hearts of those who hear His Word in faith, are baptized into the faith, and are justified by faith. These stand in full communion with Him and with every member of faithful Israel. They bow in gratitude before Him and confess Him to all the world, that many more might join with us in declaring. “Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength!”

We pray: O Holy Spirit, lead me by Your Word to ever bow at the Name of Jesus, My Savior, and to confess before the world that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

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