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May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us (Psalm 67:1).
Read Psalm 67
What a beautiful psalm. As you read it, I hope you also enjoyed the first verse, harking back to the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6 that we hear in our liturgy on Sundays: ‘The Lord bless you and keep you …’ In this, we ask for God’s grace, favour and blessing. It is precious to receive this.
For our final devotion this week, we will look at verse 1 of Psalm 67. ‘May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us.’ What is it to have God’s face shine upon us? What does this bring to your mind and heart?
To my mind, it offers delight in the language used (poetic), but to my heart, it offers more.
To my heart, this verse offers deep connection and comfort. I hope it also offers this to you.
‘May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us.’ In this, I seek his grace, peace and presence, but also all else given to me as God’s face shines on me – the latter is personal and particular to me as it may be for you also. What a blessing to have a God willing to make his face shine on us.
As we part for now, I will leave you with the words of Numbers 6:24–26 with my prayer that you know the blessings requested therein:
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you peace.
Every blessing to you.
Gracious and loving God, thank you for all your blessings to us. Please help us see all the ways you show grace to us and be aware of your face shining on us as your beloved children. In the name of Christ, Amen.
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‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one who commends themselves who are approved, but the one whom the Lord commends (2 Corinthians 10:17,18).
Read 2 Corinthians 10:1–18
Boasting and pride – it is so human to fall into this, either outwardly or in our inner reflections as we live and focus on ourselves and the people or things we love. It’s easy to fall into the habit of measuring value by what gets positive attention.
We see this arise in recognising many things commonly around our educational, professional, financial and relational successes and achievements. We’ve worked for these – why shouldn’t we be proud and boast to others of our and our loved ones’ accomplishments? Well, we should share our joys in our achievements, but tempering it with humility helps us not allow boasting and pride to arise and cause harm. But let’s turn our minds to these selected verses: What can help us in our faith journeys?
As Paul reminds the Corinthians that true approval doesn’t come from self-promotion or human applause, but from the Lord himself, it also helps us to see how acknowledgement and recognition fit best. This Scripture tells us it fits where we seek, if first from God and what pleases him.
Paul’s example is interesting, remembering he noted if any person had cause to boast in themselves, Paul was qualified to do so (Philippians 3:3–5). However, through his writings, we see him as a man who confesses to being unattractive. He doesn’t boast of his clever and learned mind, but we see it in action. He doesn’t boast of the cost to him to be so deeply committed to the churches; however, we see it in his writings that reflect his joyous, sorrowing, burdened heart for them and yet his unwavering sense of call and service to them. He didn’t build his authority to guide these new churches on personality and physical appeal, but on faithfulness to Christ.
In these verses, Paul turns our attention away from self-made status and toward the grace of God. If we’re going to boast, Paul says, let it be in the Lord. Let our confidence, identity and joy be grounded not in what we’ve done, but in who God is and what he has done for us in Jesus.
I all too often limit my spiritual freedom by getting distracted and forgetting that I ultimately serve one – that is, God. I welcome this reminder as it prompts me to remember what God has done for me and what this gives and means. In my baptism, God calls me his beloved. Because of what Jesus has done for me, I don’t have to compete, perform or continually seek external validation.
As a Christian, I believe I am justified and approved by Jesus’ death and resurrection, and these are never by my merit but always given to me by God’s grace. I am so encouraged that God’s commendation comes as I seek to humbly trust him, serve and try to live for his glory. I hope these thoughts encourage you also in your faith journey today.
We can gratefully ‘boast’ in these gifts of deep wonder. Be encouraged to ‘boast in the Lord’.
Gracious God, please help us abide in you through your endless grace. If I boast, may it be about your grace to me. In the name of Christ, Amen.
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Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else (2 Corinthians 9:13).
Read 2 Corinthians 9:1–15
What comments do you find people make when they describe others? Sometimes it’s about their height, age, hair colour; sometimes it’s about a common connection; sometimes it’s about their attitudes and actions, like their generosity or lack thereof.
In verse 13 of this passage, Paul tells the Corinthians about how their generosity has been noticed. Their service was generously given. It was sincere, met real needs and got the attention of others. This made them known and led to others praising God and paying attention to the gospel.
How encouraging! Our faithful service and giving, acts of kindness, and offering what we can where we can in our church or community matter. This is not about works to gain favour in God’s eyes; however, these acts of service can be used by God to draw others to himself. We are not saved by our works, but these done in faith don’t point to us but to him. Our generosity can reflect God’s generosity to humankind. A quote attributed to Martin Luther is ‘God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbour does’. This too prompts our service for the best and right reasons.
Fellow Christian, we won’t see all that our faithful efforts and service contribute and offer to the world; however, in this verse of 2 Corinthians, we can be encouraged to continue offering them as we see what Paul highlighted of the outcomes of the services of the Corinthian believers. Paul called this out as worthy of highlighting – it has encouraged believers through the centuries to continue serving others, and can offer this to us also. Christian faith and love expressed in service and action are powerful witnesses in God’s worldwide mission. I am encouraged to remember: ‘Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.’
Every blessing to you.
Gracious and loving God, thank you for the encouragement of your word. Thank you for enabling us to serve in your mission in this world. As we know your grace and love, please help us live so that others may experience this from you, too. Amen.
Jo is a wife and mum who serves in various roles in her local Lutheran church and also in chaplaincy as the assistant director of Chaplaincy and Ministry Development for Lutheran Services.
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For we are setting our minds on what is right not only before the Lord but also before the people (2 Corinthians 8:21).
Read 2 Corinthians 8:16–24
The Cambridge Dictionary defines integrity as ‘the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change’. I’ve heard it simply put as ‘doing the right thing when no-one is watching’. To maintain integrity in all ways and on all days is tough.
In today’s devotion, we could turn our attention to the ‘liberal gift’ that Titus and another believer were entrusted to take to the Corinthian church. However, my thoughts have been drawn more to what Paul highlights about the importance of integrity: that honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility, combined with courage (held to even in the face of adversity), govern actions.
Paul noted the solid experience shared by him and the churches of those men sent with this gift to the Corinthian churches. He is clear that they do their best so that their actions in this matter are honourable and of integrity before God and people. Paul seeks to show that this gift is handled in a thoroughly honourable and transparent manner. There was more resting on this than just the money getting to its destination. There was a loving sacrifice represented in this gift. It was the collective action of believers who trusted that the need they heard of was true, and they trusted that what they gave would be used for this, that their giving would be honoured.
These words remind us of the importance of integrity in our Christian life and service. Responsibility and trust should be part of our day-to-day actions. These reflect our faith, and integrity in our behaviours is part of this. It is human to make mistakes, and it is very sad to see integrity compromised by mistakes. This has far-reaching ramifications and harms both the person who failed and those they failed. We can all fall in our integrity in some way at some time, for which we seek forgiveness; however, our aim is, as Paul noted in this verse, ‘For we are setting our minds on what is right not only before the Lord but also before the people.’
May we be mindful of the Lord’s sight of us and the observance of others as we live. May we seek to be helpers of one another and hold to integrity. This is not to earn favour with God through good conduct, as we know our salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, but so that we don’t hinder the message of the gospel to those around us and, in our private relationship with God, can be free in his gaze.
Every blessing to you.
Loving God, please help us to be mindful of integrity and seek to live in it. Please help us so that our actions show your love and bring honour to your name. Amen.
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And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us (2 Corinthians 8:5).
Read 2 Corinthians 8:1–15,21
Who and what comes to mind when you think of generosity? As I think about my experiences of it, in varied life spaces, my heart is humbled and grateful to have experienced humanity in this way. In the church, I have felt profoundly blessed by the generosity of others, as I’ve witnessed their care and action towards the vulnerable among us. This has been from people with different gifts, life spaces and resources – sometimes people who themselves are up against it in tough circumstances. It has not always been about money but of time, talent and many other resources.
Regardless of the circumstances, what I see as common to these givers has been their attitude of heart. I am aware of the mirror that giving has held to my own heart, not in guilt, but in inspiration.
In this chapter, Paul tells the story of the Macedonian churches that had hardships and were poor. But his recount of them was that despite this, they were incredibly generous. Paul noted, ‘They gave themselves first of all to the Lord.’ Have you encountered Christians like them?
As I ponder the hearts behind the giving of the Macedonian churches, I sense their lives were beautifully infected by Christ’s love for them and their subsequent experience of his grace and their deep faith. It became who they were. They responded to others from this through their good works, not because they relied on these to earn God’s favour and have a relationship with him, but because of this relationship with God and their experience of his grace in faith.
I have found it is part of our human experience to feel stretched and perhaps small and inadequate sometimes. May we be encouraged by the story of the Macedonian churches, which reminds us that God looks at our hearts and his value for us is not reliant on our resources.
May I encourage you, fellow Christian, in your journey of faith by these words of Paul about the Macedonian churches: ‘They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.’ May you be blessed by those who give themselves first to the Lord and know the blessing you can be to others by doing the same.
Every blessing to you.
Lord Jesus, thank you for the example of fellow believers from past times who gave themselves first to you, and the encouragement that this has been through the ages. Please help us to be mindful of this in our own faith journeys. Please help us serve endlessly bathed in your grace and immersed in your love. Amen.
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By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you (2 Corinthians 7:13).
Read 2 Corinthians 7:2–16
What does encouragement look like to you? How does it feel to offer or receive it? How does encouragement help us? I hope your heart is warmed as you call encouragement to mind.
What a gift encouragement is! It often costs us little but offers a lot.
In this verse, Paul shared his delight in his own encouragement from the Corinthian believers and his awareness of the joy and refreshment Titus experienced because of their kindness.
We know from the Scripture that Titus had come to the Corinthians on Paul’s behalf. From reading around this journey, we learn he came with a difficult message. I imagine it could have gone badly. However, we read that the Corinthians welcomed him with care and grace. Titus was encouraged, and their behaviour gave Paul great joy. This experience of encouragement became a blessing to the Corinthian believers and uplifted Titus, who shared this with Paul. In so doing, Paul recorded their gift of encouragement that blessed the churches of their time and speaks to us today.
Sincere encouragement is a gift and a blessing – both to the recipient and the giver. As Christians, we can give it in genuine words of appreciation, acts of thankfulness or prayer for others, to name a few. Acts of encouragement offer gifts of renewal, inspired by the love God has for us. Life can be very hard, lonely and disappointing. Encouragement can help us build up each other and know the experience of being built up ourselves.
Encouragement may seem like isolated, tiny acts. However, it is extraordinary in what it offers us in our lives, communities of faith and our place in the world. Who might need encouragement today? You and I may both need it. I encourage you to encourage others sincerely. My prayer for you today is that you also receive the encouragement that refreshes you.
Every blessing to you.
Lord Jesus, thank you for your love for us and the encouragement you give us through this and your love in action through others. Please help us to see those who need lifting up and to offer actions that reflect your grace. In the name of Christ, Amen.
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I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another (John 13:34).
Read John 13:31–35
Love is a blessing in day-to-day life. It’s experienced in various forms. The love we consider in this devotion is the love of Jesus towards us that we then offer to one another.
As I write this devotion, I’ve found it helpful to be reminded of the ‘new commandment’ Jesus gave. It has led me to contemplate the kind of love he was referring to – the love of Jesus, which we as Christians know through our relationship with him. From this relationship, we are called to show and give that same love to others.
The words of Jesus in this reading prompt our actions and responses in this love – see the phrases ‘… should love one another … have love for one another’. This is the living and holding of love towards others, specific to the love of Jesus for humankind.
We know that the commandment to love was not new – it is mentioned throughout the Bible. The greatest commandment is to love God, and the next is to love our neighbour. But then we have this commandment of Jesus – ‘a new commandment’. It is not just about love but loving as Jesus loved.
Limiting myself to my own resources, I feel overwhelmed by this commandment. I am also aware of my human frailty, tendency to make mistakes, misjudge and get tired (and all that goes with that). Given this, how do I participate with integrity in ‘loving one another’?
John 13 shows the scene in the upper room where human frailty abounded, but also profoundly present is the love of Jesus, who predicted betrayal and disbelief among his disciples but washed their feet anyway. Giving grace, respect, care, dignity, honour, acceptance and welcome were attitudes in Jesus’ love in action to these people. Offering these in our behaviour to others is part of how we love one another as Jesus has loved us.
Loving others as Jesus loves is not only about our giving of love to others, but also our receipt of this love from others as they offer this to us as ‘another’ loved. Indeed, our ongoing immersion in this love is through our relationship with the source: the Triune God.
Every blessing to you.
Loving God, thank you for this experience of being loved and loving others, which has its endless resource in you. Please help us offer, accept and grow in this love that is from you. In the name of Christ, we pray, Amen.
Jo is a wife and mum who serves in various roles in her local Lutheran church and also in chaplaincy as the assistant director of Chaplaincy and Ministry Development for Lutheran Services.
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Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendour is above the earth and the heavens (Psalm 148:13).
Read Psalm 148
Imagine the psalmist is a conductor with a huge orchestra or choir in front of him. Imagine that this orchestra or choir is the whole cosmos!
He begins by calling on the heavenly beings to praise the Lord. Then he calls on the heavens – the sky, sun, moon and stars – to praise the Lord. After that, he calls on the forces of nature and all creation on the earth, sea, storm, wind, mountains and the animal kingdom to praise the Lord.
And finally, he calls on all human beings, all classes, women and men, and people of all ages, to praise the Lord.
Can you imagine such a magnificent and awesome event? What a hallelujah chorus!
And why should they praise the Lord? Because he is greater than all, and (this is the most important point) because he, despite his greatness, has come down to his people to save them.
This great choir still exists and still praises God. And we are part of it! And we have even greater reason to praise him than our Old Testament counterparts. We sing our praises to and for the Lord, because in Christ, he has come near to us, nearer than at any time before. And he is still near us. He has table fellowship with us, who are sinners.
God is the greatest of all. And although he is above the heavens and the earth, he has come near to us and given us the most precious gift: his only Son.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forevermore. Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He served in parishes in South Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s NSW and ACT District. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and relaxing.
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Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
Read 2 Corinthians 6:3–7:1
We live in this world. We have constant interaction with people of the world. We have powerful influences around us, wanting us to conform to the world. We can’t avoid having relationships with people who don’t share our faith. In fact, we are encouraged and challenged to build relationships with them, serve them and be Christ to them.
So, how are we supposed to understand Paul’s words about not being yoked together with unbelievers?
There may well be people we should not associate with, not because of who they are, but because of the evil influence they may have over us, especially in our faith. Any association with unbelievers that threatens our desire and ability to confess our Christian faith is to be avoided.
And more than that, those who have been saved by God’s grace through Jesus Christ can’t live like those who don’t know or keep God’s holy will. We can’t participate in their ways of life or share in their values or faith systems.
We have a much higher calling – one that challenges us to think carefully about how we interact with the world and to be bold in standing our ground in the face of temptation.
This call is from a gracious God who has committed himself to us and gives us all that we need to be able to grow to become the people he still wants us to be, reflecting his love and grace in all that we do.
Loving Lord, keep us holy. Please help us identify those things and those people in this world that may hinder our relationship with you. Surround us with your grace so we can grow to become more like you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He served in parishes in South Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s NSW and ACT District. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and relaxing.