by Pastor Tim Klein
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[Jesus] cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out’ (John 11:43).
Read John 11:32–44
I am looking forward to resurrection when this ageing, painful, wearing-out body of mine will be fully restored by the Lord:
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:4).
Whenever a Christian congregation confesses the Apostles’ Creed, we confess that we believe in the resurrection of the dead. We believe that on the last day, our bodies will be raised from the dead, and we shall all be gathered in the presence of Jesus. This is a central and essential statement of our faith.
The Apostle Paul makes that clear when he says this:
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith (1 Corinthians 15:13,14).
For some, even to consider resurrection is impossible. But for us who believe, it gives hope and even power to our lives. I consider that if the Lord was able to knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139) and give me life in the first place, then he can restore me from the grave.
This story of the raising of Lazarus from the tomb by Jesus is another account of the incredible power over life that the Lord has. It took only three words from Jesus, and Lazarus was resurrected. In just three days, Jesus overcame death and all the powers of darkness and was himself raised to life.
Can people die and be raised back to life again? Of course. Here’s an example. It’s called ‘cardioversion’. Tomorrow, I will lie down on an operating table, and my cardiologist will stop and start my heart. I have experienced this several times over recent years. As the anaesthetist injects the anaesthetic, I don’t count backwards. I simply say: ‘Lord, into your hands … zzzz.’ I am fairly matter of fact about it.
Likewise, I am convinced of our confession: ‘I believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting!’ I will live and die in faith (by God’s grace), and on the last day, he will raise me to life with him forever.
Lord of death and life, strengthen such faith in me so I can be confident of this resurrection confession and place my life in your hands daily. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. He plans to retire on 12 January in 2025. Husband to his wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of more than 10, Tim says he is living in hope. He enjoys gardening (especially his orchard of more than 60 trees, succulents and flowering plants), making music (he loves to sing), beekeeping and taking photos.
by Pastor Tim Klein
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her (Genesis 29:20).
Read Genesis 29:1–20
In yesterday’s devotion, in Genesis 28:2,3, Jacob’s father Isaac sends him on his way with instructions and a blessing:
Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
So much for ‘the best-laid plans of mice and men’ (thank you, Robert Burns). Those plans soon went astray. With some significant manipulation (dare we say ‘skullduggery and trickery’) by Laban, not one, but two wives – both the daughters of Laban – were married to Jacob. But God’s plan was still at work. Fulfilment of the blessing took more than one wife; it took both wives and two maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah (whom Jacob also married), to produce Jacob’s 12 sons, the founding fathers of the tribes of Israel.
It is amazing how God persists with his plan. It’s the big salvation plan. One of the sons is Judah – and his house is the house of Israel from which Jesus came.
If you are interested in the story, keep reading Genesis for the extraordinary roll-out of God’s saving plan all those generations ago.
Is there some encouragement in this for you and me? If you read on, you will discover the characters of the 12 leaders of the tribes of Israel. They were many and varied, and God had something to say and do through each of their lives.
You may find a direct comparison to your life among them. However, in general terms, you will see the miracle of how the Lord works through different people, in good and bad situations, always working for the good of his people and the sake of his kingdom.
By all means, we lay our plans. But most of all, we trust the Lord to guide us through them all.
Lord: you must laugh sometimes at the plans we make. Yet despite us, you remain working in and through us. Please continue to give us the confidence to boldly step ahead in faith, trusting in you, knowing that you are there with us, working your good for the sake of your kingdom. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. He plans to retire on 12 January in 2025. Husband to his wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of more than 10, Tim says he is living in hope. He enjoys gardening (especially his orchard of more than 60 trees, succulents and flowering plants), making music (he loves to sing), beekeeping and taking photos.
by Pastor Tim Klein
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, ‘I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?’ (Genesis 27:46)
Read Genesis 27:46–28:4,10–22
What a way to move out of home and start your own journey – sent off by Mum, who doesn’t want you to marry one of ‘those’ women!
It’s happening again. God uses one of life’s dilemmas to set the path for his big plan. So, Jacob packs his life up and moves away. What an adventure and an amazing way God unfolds his plan for Jacob and all people – including you and me.
Jacob leaves with the blessing of God given through his father:
God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojourning that God gave to Abraham!
On the way, he has an amazing dream where God speaks to him directly:
I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.
Jacob set up an altar in that place – called Bethel (around 11 miles north of Jerusalem) – and made promises to the Lord.
What an astounding start to an incredible journey! More about how the journey unfolds tomorrow.
But, for now, what might we learn? I believe the Lord sets us all off on a life-changing journey. Every day has the potential for joy and satisfaction – even if we encounter struggle and pain. God promises to be with us – to never leave us. We can trust in his promises. He will be at work in and through you and me.
Lord, open us to hear your guiding word, see the way you have promised, and serve – for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. He plans to retire on 12 January in 2025. Husband to his wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of more than 10, Tim says he is living in hope. He enjoys gardening (especially his orchard of more than 60 trees, succulents and flowering plants), making music (he loves to sing), beekeeping and taking photos.
by Pastor Tim Klein
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Esau said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing’ (Genesis 27:36).
Read Genesis 27:30-45
I have always struggled to get my head and heart around this story. Why does God allow it? Even Isaac was suspicious that perhaps things weren’t quite right. ‘You sound like Jacob, but you tell me that you are Esau.’
It just seems wrong, unfair, ungodly, sneaky. But amazingly it turns out that God had a plan after all. Jacob became part of the lineage of Jesus. Perhaps this is God doing what it says in Romans 8:28: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.’
There are many things in this world that seem unfair. How many times have you felt cheated? How often have you wondered, ‘What is God doing here’?
And it is even worse when you believe you have been doing good, living a good life and others who may not have been so ‘good’ end up with blessings that ‘should have been yours’. It’s just not right.
In my life, I can look back, and maybe you on yours, and see those sorts of things that have happened. There have been times when I have felt some of what Esau felt (perhaps not so bad), feeling quite justified in my anger. Where to go? What to do?
I have learned finally (and I’m still learning this): Take it to the Lord. Leave it in his hands. Ask him to open my eyes and heart to see and recognise the blessings that are already mine. Trust that the Lord will nevertheless work for good in my life as I continue on in faith.
Dear Heavenly Father, you know well what goes on in our hearts and minds, especially when we feel we’ve been poorly treated, cheated, or even robbed of something we considered our own. Prompt us then to turn to you. Open our hearts and minds to see and recognise the blessings we already have – gifts from you. Then bless us with peace as we travel ahead, being your gracious presence in the world. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. He plans to retire on 12 January in 2025. Husband to his wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of more than 10, Tim says he is living in hope. He enjoys gardening (especially his orchard of more than 60 trees, succulents and flowering plants), making music (he loves to sing), beekeeping and taking photos.
by Pastor Tim Klein
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! (Mark 10:47b)
Read Mark 10:46–52
Today, I had two significant conversations. In the first, I learned of a serious illness in a family. In that same conversation, I heard of the miraculous healing of a daughter. The other person I was speaking with told me about undergoing health tests. Later in the day, I heard of the death of a dearly loved father.
This is real life it never gives up. It doesn’t only happen to ‘other people’; it’s happening to me, too. My visit to my cardiologist yesterday revealed six months of entrenched atrial fibrillation (despite my pacemaker) cardioversion ahead. Early today, I underwent an MRI scan of my pituitary gland.
And what about you?
Where do we go when we encounter that sort of news? Who do we go to? What do we ask? What kind of answer are we seeking?
Many of us remain silent: we carry on but keep our unanswered fears deep inside. We mask up, tighten the upper lip and plough on. Others seek solutions, answers and healing. We all have different ways of coping with the unknown future. We might also carry around in us a hope that things will improve, of healing, of someone who will recognise our dilemma and hear our silent cries for help.
I wonder how long blind Bartimaeus carried his disability. Who had he gone to and cried out through the years of darkness? What were his hopes and dreams?
When he heard that it was Jesus headed his way, he cried out: ‘Have mercy on me!’ When Jesus asked him what he wanted, he asked for the obvious: ‘Rabbi, let me recover my sight.’ He had his general need (that cry for mercy), and his specific cry (restore my sight).
And what about you, me and those I spoke with earlier today? My prayer will begin: ‘Lord, have mercy.’
Sometimes, we don’t need to use words that describe our needs. We can trust the Lord already knows: Your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:8).
Jesus knew what Bartimaeus needed before he even asked. He healed him. He commended him for his faith. Bartimaeus, on his part, then became a follower of Jesus.
We don’t have to remain silent in our fears and uncertainty for the future. We can call out to God, who already knows our needs, with this marvellous cry: Lord, have mercy!
Dear Father God, in all our distresses, we call out to you: Lord, have mercy. With Bartimaeus and every hurting person, for the brokenness of the world and people around us, we cry out: Lord, have mercy. O Lord, hear our prayers; work your peace for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. He plans to retire on 12 January in 2025. Husband to his wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of more than 10, Tim says he is living in hope. He enjoys gardening (especially his orchard of more than 60 trees, succulents and flowering plants), making music (he loves to sing), beekeeping and taking photos.
by Verena Johnson
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy (Psalm 26:3).
Read Psalm 126
As a girl, I remember my mother making me write happy thank-you letters to people after Christmas and birthdays. Sometimes, I wasn’t all that happy or thankful, though.
My heart wasn’t exactly filled with joy by embroidered handkerchiefs, crocheted coat hangers, school socks, undies or hair ties. Once, there was even a strawberry pin cushion that I had no idea what to do with. Another time, it was a tissue box cover, which wound up covering a brick as a doorstop. To my mind, these were not great things, and the letters were hard to write.
Thank you for your terrible, weird, interesting, strange, practical gift.
What a difference it made when I was truly appreciative and joyful about a gift.
The Lord has done great things for us. He has rescued us, saved us and restored us to his family as his beloved children. There are countless gifts and blessings that he showers on us every day. So, we should be filled with joy all the time or at least most of the time.
Interestingly, with everything God has done for us in the past and is doing for us now, we can still take him for granted. We can adopt a ‘ho-hum’ attitude or even feel entitled instead of bursting with joy and thankfulness.
We can also be distracted from seeing the goodness of God by the world around us or our circumstances and struggles.
The truth is that I do not always feel filled with joy. But then I remember that my joy is not based on my feelings. It is based on my relationship with God and the hope I have in him. That hope is true, steadfast and sure. When I take my eyes off the things that rob me of my joy or do not feel happy about and turn to God, I find my joy in him.
Read through the Scripture, and you will find joy. Remember God’s promises to us. Think about what Jesus has done for us and all the things he went through for us. Spend time with God and allow the Holy Spirit to grow the fruit of joy in you as you do.
Gracious God, you have been so good to me. You have done great things for me. Please help me to lift my eyes to you and away from the things in my life that rob me of my joy. Please fill me with your joy today by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Verena is a Church Worker Support Officer for the LCA’s Church Worker Support team, through which it is her privilege to support congregations, pastors, lay workers, employees and volunteers of the LCA. In her spare time, she is involved in drama ministry, women’s ministry and prayer ministry. She has three children and nine grandchildren in three different states.
by Verena Johnson
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
‘The Lord your God gave me success,’ he replied (Genesis 27:20b).
Read Genesis 27:1–29
Isaac was 137 years old, and blind. He didn’t know how much time he had left to live. So, he decided it was time to give the blessing that would usually belong to the eldest son.
The problem was that Isaac favoured Esau, while Rebekah favoured Jacob. So began the sneaking around, trickery, lying and deception.
Tents are not very soundproof, so Rebekah overheard Isaac telling Esau to hunt some wild game and prepare his favourite stew, after which Isaac would bless Esau. This wasn’t right. She knew that wasn’t God’s plan; however, rather than trusting that God would somehow fulfil his promise. She took matters into her own hands and hatched a plan to deceive Isaac and trick him into giving the blessing to Jacob.
What happened to that innocent, faith-filled woman Isaac married? The lengths Rebekah and Jacob went to deceive Isaac are astonishing.
Isaac didn’t trust God’s plan either. Notice the secrecy and the conspiracy. Usually, the father’s blessing would be given before the entire family because it was like a will, distributing the family wealth and headship. Also, if you read Isaac’s blessing, you will see that he did not intend to give Jacob anything. It should have been a two-thirds, one-third split. (The eldest son usually got twice as much.)
Isaac knew God had determined that the older would serve the younger. He knew Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob. He also knew Esau had disqualified himself from spiritual leadership when he took two Canaanite women as wives, yet he resisted God’s plan.
Amid all the deception and lying, there was one unintentionally true thing Jacob said. ‘The Lord your God gave me success.’
God was still in control, regardless of the plotting and scheming of his chosen vessels. Despite their sinfulness and character flaws, God still chose them even though they didn’t deserve it. God gave Jacob success because it was part of God’s plan – not Rebekah’s or Jacob’s.
It never ceases to amaze me who God chooses to be part of his plans.
It never ceases to amaze me that God chooses me to be part of his plans. I certainly don’t deserve it. He chooses you, too, even though you don’t deserve it.
Almighty God, I am amazed that you chose me to be part of your plan. Thank you for not giving up on me despite my sinfulness and character flaws. Please help me to live today for you. Amen.
Verena is a Church Worker Support Officer for the LCA’s Church Worker Support team, through which it is her privilege to support congregations, pastors, lay workers, employees and volunteers of the LCA. In her spare time, she is involved in drama ministry, women’s ministry and prayer ministry. She has three children and nine grandchildren in three different states.
by Verena Johnson
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant (Genesis 25:21).
Read Genesis 25:19–34
Sometimes, when we assume nothing can go wrong, it is when things do go wrong.
It certainly seemed like nothing could go wrong for Isaac and Rebekah. After all, God has found Abraham a good wife for his son. Isaac and Rebekah have fallen in love and married.
Yet Rebekah hasn’t been able to have children for 20 years. God’s promise will only be fulfilled if God intervenes. They must depend entirely on God. This kind of dependence isn’t easy. We certainly struggle with it when things go wrong for us.
Isaac goes to God in prayer, and Rebekah becomes pregnant.
So now nothing can possibly go wrong, can it? Rebekah and Isaac will have a son, and God’s promise will be fulfilled.
However, Rebekah’s pregnancy becomes painful. Her unborn twins aren’t just moving delicately around in her womb; they’re jostling or struggling with each other. She asks God that classic question we all ask from time to time, ‘Why is this happening to me?’
What God tells this expectant mum is hardly reassuring. Your sons won’t be friends or even close. They’ll be separated. In fact, they’ll become two nations, and the older one will serve the younger one.
The twins grow up to become two very different people. Esau becomes a big, hairy, outdoorsy hunter. Jacob becomes a quiet stay-at-home man. On top of that, Isaac loves Esau best, while Rebekah loves Jacob. Even their parents are divided.
It all comes crashing down when Jacob cheats his big brother out of his birthright. Esau doesn’t come off well in this story either, as he trades his valuable birthright for a simple bowl of stew. It’s a trade he’ll live to regret and the beginning of a resentment that will only grow.
Thank God that his grace comes to us, as it did for them, when things go wrong. God meets us in the unpredictable and often messy places of our lives. He comes to us amid our sinfulness and brokenness. He does not give up on us when we fail to value our heavenly birthright and focus on the things of this world. He still loves us when we cheat or take advantage of others. Thank God for his amazing grace.
Gracious God, thank you for the amazing grace you show towards me in my messy, unpredictable, sinful life. Please help me to treasure the heavenly birthright you’ve given me and to live as your beloved child. Amen.
Verena is a Church Worker Support Officer for the LCA’s Church Worker Support team, through which it is her privilege to support congregations, pastors, lay workers, employees and volunteers of the LCA. In her spare time, she is involved in drama ministry, women’s ministry and prayer mini
by Verena Johnson
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death (Genesis 24:67).
Read Genesis 24:50–67
Don’t you just love a happy ending? I know I do.
If this were a fairytale, verse 67 would end with: ‘and they all lived happily ever after’. Add Isaac and Rebekah in each other’s arms with a sunset in the background and some swelling romantic music, and you have a classic romance movie ending. Except that, we know the story doesn’t end here.
So far, we haven’t focused much on Rebekah. It seems to me she must have been a brave, strong and faith-filled woman. Not only would she have had to be strong to carry all that water to all those camels at the spring, but she was also quick to follow God’s plan even though it happened suddenly and would change her whole life.
Imagine you’re Rebekah. You’re just minding your own business; however, because you are kind and generous, you offer to water a stranger’s camels. Unexpectedly, he tells you that you’re exactly who he’s been looking for as a wife for his master. While you’re still recovering from that surprise, he gives you marriage jewellery as a sign of good faith and an indication of the wealth of his master. So, in a daze, you take him home to discuss things with your father and brother.
They all agree it’s God’s will; you can feel that too. The servant wants you to leave right now. Under normal circumstances, it would be customary for you to stay with your family for at least ten days to pack, prepare yourself for the marriage and say goodbye to everyone. But you immediately agree to leave in the morning with this stranger you’ve only just met.
Rebekah bravely agreed to uproot her comfortable, stable life for a completely unknown future. She didn’t make a list of pros and cons. She didn’t spend hours thinking and praying about it. She didn’t even worry about how she would get all her packing done in time. Why? She could feel God’s leading and didn’t hesitate to be part of his plan.
It’s interesting the blessing Rebekah’s family gave her when she left was also a prophecy that would be fulfilled. Indeed, this woman of faith would ultimately be the mother of ‘thousands upon thousands’ of descendants.
Dear God, help me to be willing to follow where you lead me. Please help me to be brave, strong and faith filled as I follow where you lead me today. Amen.
Verena is a Church Worker Support Officer for the LCA’s Church Worker Support team, through which it is her privilege to support congregations, pastors, lay workers, employees and volunteers of the LCA. In her spare time, she is involved in drama ministry, women’s ministry and prayer ministry. She has three children and nine grandchildren in three different states.