by Jonathan Krause
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Read Acts 27:9–26
I am no sailor.
I once got seasick on a houseboat on a lake while we were still attached to the wharf.
And I’ve never been on a cruise. Not only am I scared of going cabin-crazy from being confined, but I worry I will eat too much, exercise too little, and come home twice the man I was when I set sail.
So, I don’t know how I would go on a boat in a storm.
And if some smart fella stood up and told me to have courage, as Paul did in the Bible reading, I’m not sure I’d want to listen. Especially when he said in the next breath that we were going to be shipwrecked even if we did exactly as commanded!
What is courage anyway?
I’m not sure that it means you’re not scared. Your greatest courage is when you are scared – but you carry on anyway. (Those of us blessed to be Collingwood supporters know that feeling well – we are always scared we’ll lose, especially when it comes to finals, but we have the courage to keep hanging in there anyway!)
I don’t know what your life is like right now.
Maybe the cost-of-living crisis or high mortgage interest rates are causing you stress. Perhaps you’re worried about a loved one or have lost someone dear to you. Maybe the black dog of depression is barking at your ankles, or the chill of loneliness is wrapping icy fingers around your heart.
We shouldn’t be surprised. The storms will come. We may even run aground and suffer in ways that feel unfair or overwhelming.
That’s when we need the courage to hold on to our faith. Maybe it’s by our fingernails. Perhaps we feel too weary and worn to hold on a moment longer. That’s when we lift our eyes to Jesus, focus only on him, and – rather than holding on – let ourselves be held.
That takes true courage. I pray that for you.
Lord, you know me. You understand the life I lead, the challenges that confront me, the joys that delight. I know no life goes by without storms. Give me the courage to hold on to you. Amen.
Jonathan lives south of Adelaide with his wife Julie. Blessed by children and grandchildren, Jonathan enjoys reading and writing, walking by the beach and watching Collingwood win. Author of many devotion books, Jonathan is the Community Action Manager for the Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS).
A simple message
by Faye Schmidt
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We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus (Acts 13:32,33a).
Read Acts 13:16a,26–33
Do you recognise this story? Most likely, you do. In these few verses, through his account of Paul’s preaching, Luke has penned the heart of the gospel message. He managed to cram years of Jesus’ ministry into a few short sentences – along with a backdrop, a plot and a climax.
Let’s see … Jesus came to the people he and his Father created, but we didn’t recognise him. Though he was an innocent man, we condemned him to die a criminal’s death. He was crucified and buried in a tomb sealed by a large stone. But God raised him from the dead to be the fulfilment of his promises and the answer to our prayers. That’s the ‘word of salvation’, or the gospel, in a nutshell.
It’s pretty simple, isn’t it? In fact, it’s easy enough that probably anyone could recount this story. And that’s exactly the point. We can all be witnesses to this joyfully simple plan of redemption. We can all respond to the call to evangelise. But sometimes, it can feel pretty hard to get those words out of our mouths, even when the perfect opportunity presents itself. Why is that?
One of the most common reasons is that we doubt our effectiveness. We wonder whether we can make the gospel attractive enough or persuasive enough to convince someone to receive it. We may get so anxious that we don’t say anything at all! But the soul-tugging power of the gospel doesn’t come from us.
Yes, we need to share the truth as we have come to know it, but only God himself is in charge of changing someone’s heart. It’s only by a work of his grace that someone is moved to open their heart to the Lord. Only the Spirit of God can drive the point home, not our eloquent words. What a huge relief!
So, always remember that you don’t have to be a theologian or a pastor to share the gospel. All you must be is open and available to proclaim the simple message and then to leave the heavy lifting to God.
Lord, fill me so full of your love that I overflow with the good news of the gospel. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations in Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
God’s will for us
by Faye Schmidt
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I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take away the stony heart from your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
Read Ezekiel 36:24–28
(Before reading this devotion, count how many times the words ‘I will’ appear in the text. It appears four times alone in the selected text.)
Ezekiel speaks at a time when God’s people are in exile, seeking to return to their own lands. Before the people return to the land, God will cleanse them by water from their sins and impurities, especially idolatry (Ezekiel 36:25; Exodus 30:17–21). The ritual of cleansing is an external sign of a deeper work that God will perform on the people. The ritual offers an embodied way of experiencing a new reality that God is about to usher in.
God knows very well that we struggle to live a life faithful to him and his will for us. Therefore, God declares, ‘I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take away the stony heart from your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel 36:26). The ritual of cleansing by water and the gift of the new identity go hand in hand. All of it, though, is the work of God.
Even if a person has the will to live a life pleasing to God, humans need the Spirit of God to be able to obey. ‘And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and to keep my judgements and to do them’ (Ezekiel 36:27). We are incapable of obedience even after having been purified. We need the power of God’s Spirit to live more fully in our new identity.
All this is possible because God’s will for us was fulfilled when Jesus prayed the night before he died, ‘Not my will, but thy will be done.’ And Jesus was obedient to that will, died and then rose triumphantly to cleanse us from our sins – through Jesus, we come before God ‘clean’.
Dear God, we give thanks, praise and glory to you, as you fulfilled all your promises to us through Jesus, so that we may know that you are our God, and we are your people. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations in Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
‘Grab Hope’ This Easter
As we approach the joy of Easter Sunday, Lutheran Media has been sharing a special message from Pastor Adrian Kitson, inviting our podcast audiences, radio listeners and social media followers to ‘Grab Hope’ — and to share their stories of Easter hope with us.
If a friend or family member might benefit from an invitation to explore the hope that comes to us at Easter, please share our ‘Grab Hope’ message with them!
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