August Get Some Rest

July — Get Some Rest Jennifer Wolfgramm

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” -- Mark 6:31

Were you in Dallas at the LWMS Convention? I’m so glad I went! It was a great chance to get some rest! Are you kidding? It was anything but rest! What about all the speakers we heard, the displays we perused, the friends we greeted? What about the missionaries we met, the slides we watched, the entertainment we enjoyed? After a busy year of work in our congregations and with our families, the LWMS Convention provides a weekend of spiritual rest for our souls. We come with souls tired from the incessant attacks of Satan, the world, and our own sinful flesh. We gather with our sisters to rest, to recharge for another year. Hearing how the sweet message of salvation is preached around the world soothes our troubled souls. Joining our hearts and voices in worship calms our frazzled spirits. Jesus knew the importance of spiritual rest. In Mark chapter 6, we read how Jesus sent out the twelve apostles on a short missionary journey. When the disciples returned, they gathered together and reported to Jesus about their trip. But the disciples and Jesus didn’t have much of a chance to meet in the midst of the daily commotion, so Jesus invited them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” What do you think Jesus and His disciples discussed during this quiet time? I picture Evangelism 301 out under an olive tree with the greatest seminary professor of all time right after a summer vicarage. I imagine the disciples were pretty excited about their experience! Each pair of disciples probably had some blessings and challenges to report. I imagine Jesus encouraging the disciples with words of praise as well as discussing how to handle difficult questions that might arise. In short, Jesus recharged his disciples for further work. Jesus extends the same invitation to us, dear sisters! The Convention was a wonderful way to rest and recharge for another year of serving the Lord. Fellowship of that scope is unique and powerful, but it’s not enough. You can’t recharge just once a year, no matter how powerful the voltage. Satan, the sinful world, and our sinful flesh rise against us every day! Don’t you think that we weak, helpless lambs should recharge every day? “Come away with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” With these words, Jesus invites each of us to set aside all our worries, all our dishes, all our e-mails, and spend time recharging with Him and His Word. Going away with Jesus to recharge isn’t just another task to check off for the day. Going away with Jesus is the rest we need in order to face each new day with joy and confidence, knowing that our Savior, who loved us enough to humbly live on earth and die for us, will surely guide us today also. “Come away with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” With these words, Jesus invited His special Bible study group to meet and recharge. Just as daily individual recharging is necessary, other levels of Bible study give us the opportunity to discuss difficult questions with our Christian family, to learn from others and to help others learn, to be encouraged and to encourage. Let’s treasure the opportunities we have in our congregations and circuits to gather together for spiritual recharging! “Come away with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” With these words, Jesus reminds us to help our families recharge each day. We wash our family’s clothes and pack their lunches, preparing them physically for each new day. Let’s not forget that our children and spouses will be facing temptations too! Recharge your children and spouse with God’s Word! Spend time reading and discussing Bible stories with your children. Reinforce this knowledge by making applications when teachable moments arise. Spend time reading the Bible with your spouse, recharging each of you and your marriage for the coming day. “Come away with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Jesus understands our weakness and fatigue. He loves you and wants to encourage you! Listen to Jesus’ beautiful invitation and recharge! August – Recharge through Mutual Encouragement Rebekah Carey

The congregation choir sang its early anthem in Nyanja, but we were uplifted and encouraged, for we knew they were our brothers and sisters in Christ. One need not travel to Zambia to be reminded of God’s power in a Christian’s life; however, doing so had an overwhelming effect on our group of nursing students. The Global Health Nursing course learning objectives included gaining a better understanding of health care in a low income setting and how to apply that understanding in one’s future nursing career. We observed health care administered with very few resources; yet, the patients received that care with gratefulness, often praising God for his blessings. Through student-prepared evening devotions and daily contact with our international Lutheran family, we recharged our zeal for Christ. Students struggled with their sudden acknowledgement of their materialistic life in contrast to the fewer possessions held by their hosts. They witnessed eager testimony given of God’s hand when serious health challenges like postpartum hemorrhage, malaria, or AIDS arise. The students sang one of their devotion hymns, “Speak O Lord,” at the end of the service. They sang in English, to resounding applause and ululations from our hosts. The mutual encouragement hearkened to those ancient words to the Thessalonians, “ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing “ (1 Thessalonians 5:11). It is God’s desire for his people to spend time together in his word. Growing in faith is the natural outcome of such fellowship. Strength to carry on with life’s challenges is the practical benefit of the sanctified life. My prayer for you is that you will engage with your fellow Christians, with God’s word at the center of all you do.

Prayer: Dear Lord, please surround each of us with faithful brothers and sisters of Christ. Some of us are blessed with Christian siblings, and for that we thank you, Almighty God! You know our needs and how best to fortify us with just the right person at the right time. We request that you provide encouragers and builders throughout our life that we may always reflect your love to the world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. September – I Don’t Do Guilt Rhoda Wolle

I have a former colleague and mentor who often tells me, “I don’t do guilt.” I was a bit perplexed by this the first few times he said it, so one day I asked him to expound. He replied, “Jesus paid too big of a price for me to walk around feeling guilty.” What do you feel guilt over? What burden from your past are you still carrying? What did you do or say that causes a gnawing in your stomach when you think about it? Have you asked Jesus to forgive you for it? If so, then let it go! Psalm 103:12 assures us that “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (NLT) Imagine a globe like you had in your classroom when you were in grade school. If you begin at the south-pole and begin traveling north, eventually you go over the top and are no longer traveling north, you are now traveling south. North and South have finite points; not so with the east and the west. If you begin on the west coast and start traveling east, no matter how far you travel, you are still going east. East and west never meet. “He has removed your sins as far as the east is from the west” in other words, never to meet again! Jesus has forgotten about that thing you did or said that still causes a gnawing pang in your stomach…so can you! If you have confessed your sin and asked for forgiveness – you are forgiven. Now it must be said, if you are being haunted by a sin and have not repented, then that pang may be the Holy Spirit nudging you toward confession. But if you have asked for forgiveness and are still haunted, that is coming from Satan, the father of doubt and deception. He taunts us into thinking “Did God really say he would forgive you for all your sins? He can forgive a lot, but I don’t know if he can ever forgive you for that one.” When God looks at your past he sees Jesus’ perfection, which is credited to you. You are clean. You are innocent. You are not guilty. “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7 (NLT) I no longer “do guilt”. Jesus paid too big of a price! Instead of wasting time feeling guilt that is no longer yours, spend that energy celebrating Jesus and the gift he has given you!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending my Savior to purify me from all guilt and sin. Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit. You live inside of me and give me the wisdom, peace, and strength to glorify you in all I say and do. Let me celebrate that today so that others may glorify you, as well. Amen. October – Dusty but Clean Rebecca Wendland

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of Scripture we might have hope. --Romans 15:4

Wow, this autumn time of year is dusty in Malawi, Africa. The rains haven’t come for months and the ground is parched. Dust particles get blown into our homes, cabinets, food—even on ourselves while sleeping. Dust is amazing to me. One particle would be no big deal; it would be easy to wipe up. But dust is not alone; infinite particles abound. It is from that very dust that man was created. Man became a living being when God breathed into that formation of dust the breath of life. When we think of what God has done in His church, I think of dust. Many ‘particles’ were present long before we were born. Thankfully through the ages His Word has been preserved in the Bible and continues to teach us and build us up. How encouraging that—for countless generations—parents, pastors and teachers cherished that saving message and made it a priority to share with their children, congregations, students, friends and neighbors. What a privilege to share that same faith with myriads of people. When I remember those who have gone before us in Scripture it doesn’t take long before God’s chosen people, the Israelites, come to mind. The children of Israel wandered in the desert because they didn’t trust and obey God’s commands. They were captured because they forsook the Lord, worshiped other gods, intermarried with heathens, did not treat their neighbor as themselves and were concerned about gathering wealth for themselves. Their actions were convicting them to be worth nothing more than worthless dust. They had deviated from God’s commands. Likewise, we are prone to seriously deviate ‘from what the Lord has commanded.’ We are forever finding ourselves giving in to rebellion against the rules God has set in place. We know God’s laws and yet have failed to keep them fully. We may look at some of those Israelite offenses and try to rationalize the fact that we haven’t blatantly worshipped other gods, physically committed adultery or intermarried with heathen people. We are, however, included when God states in James 2:10, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are therefore guilty of breaking all of God’s law. We need to have the seriousness of that rebellion sink in. We just can’t get it right—can’t act right, talk right, have the right attitude, have the right God-pleasing solutions and sometimes don’t even want to. And like the rebellious Israelites, we all too easily make excuses why it is acceptable to act that way. How can we live pure, clean lives? That word clean. It seems to be the antithesis of dust. We just can’t be clean if we’re dusty. But wait...God made us out of dust. That is where the beauty comes in. He makes us a new creation. The dust that we are—in His eyes and with His work—has purpose and function and becomes a part of His plan. Our ‘failures of dusty selves’ are truly worthless on our own, a mere collection of dust in a garbage can ready to be thrown into the dump. Nobody would want it –ever! The point is that nobody but God could do anything about our worth. The whole dusty world lay condemned. God himself in His grace is the one who bought us back from our worthless condition to be His renewed, dust-formed, clay in motion. Romans 3:24 encourages that after we have sinned and fallen short, we “are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” God sent His Son to accomplish that. We have worth and we have hope only because Jesus suffered God’s wrath in our place. We are valuable because God has ascribed worth to us purely by his amazing love. When a few dust particles collect themselves they gather steadily. In the same way we can gather together and build each other up to become a great number to accomplish goals for Jesus. May we daily look for opportunities to be faithful to His Word and encourage one another. May our Savior help us to be useful particles of His kingdom with renewed endurance in our earthly journey until—to dust we return—we are called home by the Lord. And… in that heavenly place… it remains to be seen if the mansions will… or won’t… have dust. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, You created each of us to be the special person You wanted us to be—and to be the one to work in Your fields at this time in history. We confess that we frequently aren’t as faithful and encouraging as we should be. Sometimes we wish we had different conditions to live under and are jealous of greener, easier (not so dusty) pastures. Help us not to complain but to be thankful and encouraged for what You have given us. Help us see what an integral part of Your kingdom work You have entrusted to us and to use every opportunity to Your glory. Use us to share the news of Jesus with everyone we are able… so together we can praise You one day in paradise for eternity. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. November – Encourage One Another in the Word Jill Doering

Philemon 1:7 “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.”

Think back to the story of Elijah (1 Kings 19:9-18). Remember when he thought he was the only one left who worshipped the true God? He was broken down. He felt defeated. God came and encouraged him. He told Elijah that he was not alone. He lifted Elijah up to carry out his work. Do you think our missionaries today ever feel this way? Do they get discouraged? When their members spend time and effort canvassing the neighborhood and only a handful of people show up, do they wonder why they put in all the effort? When their child gets sick and has to be flown to a different country because the heath facilities where they live can’t handle the illness, do they wonder why they are living in a third world country? Do they wonder if their work is making a difference? Now imagine that same missionary getting a card in the mail saying “we are praying for you and your ministry.” Imagine an inbox full of encouragement from God’s Word such as Philippians 1: 4-6 “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in your will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Imagine unlimited hugs given to that missionary when he shares his ministry at an LWMS rally or the Annual Convention. You, dear friends, have given that missionary love and encouragement. You have refreshed the hearts of a saint. And you have done it using the same method that God used with Elijah, His Word. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 “Therefore encourage each other with these words.” What about you? Do you ever feel discouraged? Do you ever just want to be refreshed? A nice long run may make you feel better. A night out with the girls may lift your spirits. You may even be one of those people who find it relaxing to clean your house. But we know that is not where our true joy and encouragement come from. We know that true joy and encouragement is found only in God’s Word. Spend time in His Word, share that Word with others. Be filled with joy and share it with others! December – Bambi Tuttle

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. –Luke 2:10-11 It’s coming.January – The Lord’s Smile Cheryl Theimer

The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. -- Zephaniah 3: 17 (NIV)

I like to think that when Zephaniah writes about the Lord taking great delight in us and rejoices over us with singing, He is saying that there is a smile in the Lord’s eye. Smiles! They really can exude positive power. Numerous songs and proverbs have been written about them. Let’s explore. What happens when someone smiles at you? Better yet, what happens when a baby smiles at you? What can a smile do for you when you are weary and heavy laden? And it isn’t bad to have someone share your own smiles in the midst of good fortune. No wonder people have come up with smile encouragements like: Smiles are contagious. It takes more muscles to frown than to smile. Then there is the delightful song from the musical Annie- You’re Never Fully Dressed without a Smile. Perhaps you haven’t thought too much about God smiling. After all, how could He smile down at a world so polluted with sin and at a Creation deteriorating in front of our eyes. Actually the answer is He can’t. The chasm between His perfection and our imperfection is deep, like way deep. Our condition of being dead to sin can offer us no comfort. Left to ourselves we can walk no bridge to heaven. No, our God cannot smile at us or anything we may come up with to do. Scripture is full of passages that speak to our lost condition: Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Psalm 51:3-4: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” Romans 3:10-12 : “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’” But then hidden away in the rather obscure little book of Zephaniah comes an absolute gem of glorious hope. Zephaniah preached at the time of Josiah who initiated extensive reforms in Judah. Yet Judah never really recovered from the effects of his evil predecessors and repentance was short-lived. Time was fast approaching for the divine judgment brought by the Babylonians. “’For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will give you victory. He will rejoice over you with great gladness; he will love you and not accuse you.’ Is that a joyous choir I hear? No, it is the Lord himself exulting over you in happy song.” (Zephaniah 3:17-18, TLB) Don’t you just love TLB translation printed above? The word “awesome” seems to be over used these days. Let’s save “awesome” for a Lord who is singing over us and better yet, it is not just a solo, but a full choir. Please take a minute to ponder that unbelievable fact. This is a gift for us to wake up to each morning, carry through each hour of our day and to which we can close our eyes at night. Yes, sins, troubles and cares surround us, but rest assured that we have a LORD who is smiling down upon us. He knows His plans for us. He sent His Son to solve our greatest problem. He is waiting for us, with our mansion prepared. Oh, and by the way, we will then see His smile face to face.

One more saying: The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. It is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. So dress yourself up each day and don’t forget to tell everyone the reason for your smile. February – The Power of the Word Irene Cudworth

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. –Romans 15:4

Do you have a cell phone or other devices that are powered by a rechargeable battery? Those batteries need to be plugged into a power source on a regular basis. If they are not thus recharged, they are useless, dead. Our bodies too need to be recharged after a hard day’s work, or they will not be able to function at an optimal level. Some nourishment, relaxation and a good night’s sleep will rejuvenate the body so it can again fulfill the tasks that are required. What about our souls, our faith? They need to be recharged also. What is the nourishment, the power source to recharge our faith? It is nothing less than God’s Word, which we have in the Holy Scriptures. As Romans 15:4 states “they were written to teach us” and provide encouragement so that we might have hope. There are many ways that we can tap into the power of the Scriptures. We can read them in our private devotions. Beginning each day in that way gives us a great “jump start” on our day’s activities and gives us a godly direction for our life. Attendance at Bible study groups helps us dig deeper into the truths of God’s Word as we share what we have learned and learn from our fellow believers. We are thus able to encourage one another and help each other grow in the knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Worship services help us connect with fellow believers in hearing the Scriptures read and expounded, offering prayers of petition and thanks, and raising our voices in praise to God for his great love and care for us and all people. Surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses certainly recharges our spiritual batteries. As members of the LWMS we have even more resources for having our spiritual batteries recharged. At our circuit rallies we join with other highly motivated women to hear reports of witnesses for Christ relating how God has blessed their witnessing and how thankful the people to whom they witnessed are that the Word of God has been brought to them. Doesn’t that just warm your heart and make you more thankful that God has seen to it that you were brought to faith through that same Gospel? And on a grander scale the annual convention of the LWMS, encourages us to lift our praises to God who strengthens us to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Having received all these blessing from the Lord, we want all people to receive those same blessings and the hope of eternal life with him in heaven.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your Word which teaches us all that we need to know to be saved and encourages us to share it with all so that they may share our joy and hope in Christ. Amen. March – Recharge—in the Night Watches Sally Valleskey

How often don’t we plug in devices overnight—phones, batteries, e-readers, flashlights, cleaning tools, toothbrushes— so they’re recharged and ready to go in the morning when we are? God gives us sleep so our bodies can do the same. What a blessing to be plugged in, to be recharged, with a good night’s rest. Sometimes, though, unexpected challenges in life weigh heavy on our hearts and minds, and cause us to miss that benefit. Somehow the plug comes out. In this devotion, we’d like to see how to use this “unplugged” time, to recharge. Scripture gives us insights through the writings of the psalmist, David. David shares his earnest prayer of praise and confession in the form of Psalm 63. We look at select verses: My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods, with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (vs. 5-8) We might think David’s life was in pretty good shape to prompt such joy and praise. In fact, he had some serious events going on. It is noted that at this time he was in the Desert of Judah. These were, indeed, desert days for David, either fleeing Saul (1 Samuel 23:13-29), or fleeing his own son, Absalom. In this second escape we learn of his thirst and exhaustion (see Psalm 63:1) and what it’s like to be a fugitive (2 Samuel 15:23, 28; 16:14; 17:15). How will he manage? How can he possibly be recharged in such circumstances? How does he get from battle to blessing? God, in his grace, provides a way. In this psalm, through this faithful servant, David, we’re given this beautiful message of renewal in the midst of the night watches and the parched desert! “My soul will be satisfied with the richest of foods, with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you in the watches of the night.” (Verses 5-6) Recharge in the watches of the night? Can we? Do we oftentimes bemoan the fact that we don’t have time to meditate? That we’re experiencing sleepless nights? What a marvelous lesson from David! We might be tempted to end it there, be we can’t just yet. We have to go back a couple verses to find the key to David’s ability to do this…to be making the most of his meaningless moments of no sleep. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” (Verses 2-4) This is what prompts the kind of recharging for David even in his desert days. Where has he been? In the sanctuary! What has he seen? God’s power and glory! He knows God’s love and that prompts praise… even in the night watches.