by Maria Rudolph
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Read James 3:1–12
I grew up in Germany, with today being St Nicholas Day. Now, it is my children’s turn to clean their shoes on the eve of 6 December and place them neatly outside their bedroom door. When they awake, they will find small goodies in their shoes - lollies, nuts and gifts. St Nicholas Day is a joyful event of giving and receiving.
Nicholas was the 4th-century bishop of Myra, located in modern-day Türkiye (Turkey). The stories surrounding his generous giving and godly conduct have somehow taken on a life of their own and curiously culminated in the modern-day creation of Santa Claus. While this is a far cry from the original person of Bishop Nicholas, it serves as yet another reminder of God, the giver of all things. St Nicholas is credited with this quote - ‘The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.’
How blessed we are with godly quotes from him and many other faithful Christians throughout the ages. How blessed we are with Scripture verses full of wisdom said and recorded by the people of old. Yet an observation and warning from St James in his epistle is true for all of them and us - ‘Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be’ (James 3:10). Even well-quoted people do not always use their tongues appropriately.
We already focus on giving gifts and sharing kind actions during this Advent season. But let us also focus on our tongues. Martin Luther instructs us in his Small Catechism on the eighth commandment:
Do not give false testimony. What does this mean? We should honour and love God and so we should not tell lies about other people, give their secrets away, talk about them behind their back, or damage their reputation in any way. Instead, we should speak up for them, say only good things about them, and explain their actions in the kindest way.
It takes effort to use our tongues appropriately, but with a focus on the giver of every good and perfect gift, we are on the right track. Let us all challenge ourselves to take note of our tongue and pray daily that we may use it solely for blessing.
Holy Spirit, living water, we need your help and guidance. We do not want to be a spring from which fresh and saltwater flow simultaneously. But we trip up and fail. Fill us with your living water so our cup overflows into our lives and the people around us from the spring of life inside us. Store the fruit of your Spirit in our hearts abundantly, so our mouth speaks of what our hearts are full of. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria is overjoyed to be a candidate for ordination as a pastor of the LCANZ while serving the St Johns Perth congregation and supporting the ministry of her pastor husband, Michael, at Concordia Duncraig congregation in Western Australia. They are parents to three children who are busy with primary and secondary schooling. Maria also serves the church as a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
To live in the steadfast love of the Lord
by Tim Klein
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I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord forever (Psalm 89:1a).
Read Psalm 89:1–4,15–18
Yesterday’s devotion posed the question: What do you really, really want? From 1 Peter 3:8–14, we learnt what the Lord really, really wants from us: unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart and a humble mind.
What I really, really want is what the Lord really, really wants. More than that, I want to be with the Lord into eternity. I want to sing of the steadfast love of the Lord forever in all circumstances, to sing and dwell in the house of the Lord (Psalm 23), and to live in peace, unafraid.
Those of you who know me know I love to sing, especially the Lord’s songs. I love to sing with my brothers and sisters in Christ in the house of the Lord. It’s a place and way in which I experience the sublime love and presence of God among us.
I have sung solo, in small and large choirs, in folk groups and accompanied by guitars, organs, pianos and orchestras. I have sung with my wife beside me and my children, too. I hope and pray I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord forever, from this moment into eternity.
My voice (and yours, too), however, is not just mine. It is the voice of the Lord’s Spirit, stirring up in his people the desire to make melody to the Lord. We’re not all what people might describe as good singers, but it doesn’t matter to the Lord. He’s listening for something deeper – the melody that comes from his heart into and through the hearts of those who love him.
If you know this prayer of confession and praise, sing with me now:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end,
They are new ev’ry morning, new ev’ry morning.
Great is your faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is your faithfulness.
(From Lamentations 3:22–33; Edith McNeill AT 153)
Tim is a recently retired LCANZ pastor. He enjoys spending time with family, connecting with neighbours and gardening.
What you really, really want
by Tim Klein
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Whoever desires to love life and see good days (1 Peter 3:10a).
Read 1 Peter 3:8–14
One of the things I really, really want right now is for my rainwater tanks – all 205,000 litres of them – to be full before summer and the need to water my garden begins again. Right now, I’m watching steady, gentle rain falling. Every drop is flowing into the gutters and rolling down into the tanks! It’s one week into winter, and already one-third of my annual need is stored. Hallelujah!
While rain is something I really, really want, it’s not the ultimate thing I need. Even if it doesn’t rain and I must turn the water off in my garden, there are more important things – not just for me, but for everyone.
In 1996, the pop group Spice Girls sang, ‘Tell me what you want, what you really, really want.’ They may have found short-term satisfaction, but they weren’t singing about what we ultimately need – you, me and the whole world.
So, what do we all really need in this life? This short list from the online US fatherhood program allprodad.com is an attempt to document our basic needs:
- to connect
- to be valued
- to be understood/seen
- to overcome adversity
- to love and be loved.
Of course, we could all write our own lists of what would seem most relevant to us and our needs. There are many needs and wants we all have in common. I can identify with those five needs, and perhaps you may too, to a greater or lesser extent.
But God knows our bigger picture, and in 1 Peter 3:8–14, he spells it out for us.
Dear Lord, I want to lose my life in you and be found in you for all of my days and into eternity. Let your Spirit guide my thoughts and actions in ways that please and bless you and others. Let what you want for all of us be what I really, really want – and a motivation in my life. Amen.
Tim is a recently retired LCANZ pastor. He enjoys spending time with family, connecting with neighbours and gardening.
Do you really want to be free?
by Tim Klein
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If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations …? (Colossians 2:20)
Read Colossians 2:11–20a
And we’re still on about life, death and freedom this week – day five!
I recently received one of those government health letters inviting me to do the ‘poo test’ – you know the one (at least you probably do if you’re over 50). Here’s a regulatory letter. Will I submit?
I self-administered the test, and bang, less than a week later, I was told that I needed a colonoscopy. Thankfully, there was no indication of any cancerous growth, only several small polyps removed on the spot. Thank you, Lord.
Along the way, I had blood tests. My surgeon identified some anomalies. Long story short, within a very short space of time, I was diagnosed as coeliac.
Now, it seems I must die to my love of bread products – anything containing gluten. The rules and regulations of coeliac disease are very clear: no more pizza, cakes, sourdough breads or cream buns.
I’m thinking about this in the light of Colossians 2:20. I’m faced with a choice: obey the coeliac regulations and give up gluten, or continue as though the disease does not affect me. It’s a kind of ‘to sin or not to sin’. I’m well aware of the consequences either way.
In a way, knowing I have this disease frees me up to make choices that, in the long term, are better for me than if I hadn’t known.
That has some connection with Colossians 2:20 – and even Romans 7:15: I do not understand what I do. What I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. I now know gluten is very bad for me, but I still want creamy honey doughnuts.
Of course, this word in Colossians is not about gluten; it’s about temptation, submission to the law and freedom. I must ask myself: Do I really want to be free? Do I truly desire to love life and see good days? We will take up that question tomorrow …
Lord, we hear you say in Galatians 5:1, ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.’ Prompt us with your Holy Spirit to stand firm in the freedom you have won for us. Amen.
Tim is a recently retired LCANZ pastor. He enjoys spending time with family, connecting with neighbours and gardening.