The
Lord Is Surely Coming to Give You His Kingdom
The
Lord Himself was Abraham’s shield
and great reward. For “the word of the Lord
came to him” and sustained the patriarch’s faith in the face of death (Gen. 15:4 ). By divine
grace, Abraham “believed in the Lord;
and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6 ), on account of the holy
Seed, Christ Jesus. To that one old man, the Lord
granted “as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and
innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore” (Heb. 11:12 ). The Lord is likewise faithful to you. It is
His glad desire “to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32 ). Therefore, “consider
the ravens” and “do not be anxious for your life,” but instead “seek
for His kingdom” (Luke
12:22 , 31 ).
Collect for the Twelfth Sunday
after Pentecost: Almighty
and merciful God, it is by Your grace that we live as Your people who offer
acceptable service. Grant that we may walk by faith, and not by sight, in the
way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who
lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Collect for the Commemoration
of St Lawrence (10 August): Almighty
God, You called Lawrence to be a deacon in Your Church to serve Your saints
with deeds of live, and You gave him the crown of martyrdom. Give us the same
charity of heart that we may fulfill Your love by defending and supporting the
poor, that by loving them we may love You with all our hearts; through Jesus
Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns . . .
Prayer for steadfast faith: Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that,
believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your
Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally
come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns . . .
Prayers in times of affliction
and distress: Almighty
and most merciful God, in this earthly life we endure sufferings and death
before we enter into eternal glory. Grant us grace at all times to subject
ourselves to Your holy will and to continue steadfast in the true faith to the
end of our lives that we may know the peace and joy of the blessed hope of the
resurrection of the dead and of the glory of the world to come; through Jesus
Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns . . .
Almighty and everlasting God,
the consolation of the sorrowful and the strength of the weak, may the prayers
of those who in any tribulation or distress cry to You graciously come before
You, so that in every situation they may recognize and receive Your gracious
help, comfort, and peace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns . . .
Prayer for hope of eternal life
in Christ: Almighty,
everlasting God, Your Son has assured forgiveness of sins and deliverance from
eternal death. Strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit that our faith in Christ may
increase daily and that we may hold fast to the hope that on the Last Day we
shall be raised in glory to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Monday,
5 August 2013—Psalm
147:8–11 ; antiphon, Psalm 147:7 —Psalm 147 is a great hymn of praise
to God for His abundant power and His understanding beyond measure
(v. 5 ),
and, especially for His steadfast love (v. 11 ). It is well for us who fear
the Lord to sing to the
Lord with thanksgiving, because He has saved us from the futility of trying
to earn our way into His good graces. He gives us the good things we need for
this life, and has done everything necessary for our salvation.
Tuesday,
6 August 2013—Psalm 33:12–22 —What
is it that gives the Lord
pleasure, as He looks down from heaven upon His creation, and upon the
children of men? It is not the might of man, his great armies, his war
horses, or the strength of warriors. No, what pleases the Lord is those who fear him . . .
those who hope in His steadfast love. He desires and takes delight in delivering
their souls from death, of providing for the salvation of His people, and
sparing them from famine and the wants of the body.
Wednesday, 7 August
2013—Genesis 15:1–6 —Abraham
was an old man, and his wife both barren and well beyond child-bearing years.
Yet the Lord promised to Abraham
that he would be father to many descendants, too numerous to count. If this
promise had been made by a mere man, it would be utter nonsense, foolish and
unthinkable. But the promise of a great nation coming from Abraham was not made
by any man, but by the Creator of the earth, the universe, and all things, the
Almighty God. Abraham’s response was one of faith: he trusted the Word of the Lord, and the Lord counted him righteous because of it. Likewise,
when we trust in the Word of the Lord—specifically,
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, slain and risen again for our
salvation—then we, too are counted righteous by the Lord. Trusting in His promises to bring us the forgiveness
of sins and the salvation of our souls delivers that very salvation to us. We
are saved by faith—faith which God Himself delivers to us by Word and
Sacrament.
Thursday, 8 August
2013—Hebrews 11:1–16 —We
are saved by faith, and the eleventh chapter of Hebrews is the great chapter of
faith in the Bible. First, the author gives us a good succinct definition of
faith: it is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Then, he proceeds to recount some
of the great heroes of faith in the Bible: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham (who
believed the Lord, and He counted
it to him as righteousness, as we read in the Old Testament reading), and
also Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Let us also add our own names to this list,
for God has, by His Word and Sacrament given us saving faith and preserved us
in it. We, too, who trust in God alone for our salvation, will spend eternity
with those listed here and all who die in the faith, rejoicing in our Lord
forevermore.
Friday,
9 August 2013—Luke
12:22–34 —In
this sinful, troubled world in which we live, it is altogether too easy to
succumb to the cares of the world and become anxious. But our heavenly Father,
who desires only what is best for us, provides not only for our earthly needs,
but, more importantly, has provided for our eternal salvation. We can rest
secure in the fact that we have a loving and gracious God who knows our needs
and provides for them.
Saturday, 10 August 2013—Sunday’s Hymn of the Day is O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe (LSB #666). In the face of anxiety and
especially, spiritual warfare, we can be confident and unfearing, not because
we are strong in ourselves, but because the Lord is for us and fights for us;
therefore, we can rest in the certainty that not earth nor hell’s satanic crew against us shall prevail.
Lectionary summary on front page from the LCMS Commission
on Worship
Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia
Publishing House
Artwork
by Ed Riojas, ©Higher Things.
This week’s Time in the Word was written by Pr. Jeffrey
M. Keuning, Pastor of St John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Casey, Iowa and Zion
Lutheran Church
Dexter, Iowa
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