And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

Guard

When Queen Elizabeth died, the Royal Guards went into action. As the many days of ceremonies and funerals got underway, the Royal Guards became a constant presence around her coffin. Throughout the long hours of her lying in state, it was the duty of the Royal Guards to stand at rigid attention, absolutely still. It was during this time, around 1 A.M., that one of the Royal Guards fainted and collapsed. As was later reported, this is not unusual. The long hours, heavy equipment, heat, and need to stand frozen in place—all contributes to an occasional collapse. In fact, because this is not uncommon, the Royal Guards receive specific training on how to “faint to attention.” In other words, when a Royal Guard faints, he is not to fall sideways. He is to fall straight forward, face first. As one of the officers said, fainting to attention in this way may mean “a broken nose and…missing teeth.”

Fainting to attention is certainly an impressive testimony to the Royal Guards’ devotion to duty. In its own way, it acknowledges that even such well-trained guards are still imperfect, still vulnerable to human frailty.

In the part of the Bible we are focusing on today, the apostle Paul gives us a solemn promise. He says, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Think about that for a moment; you have a guard—faithful, vigilant, standing watch over your mind and heart. But unlike a human guard, this guard will never tire, never waver, never wander, never grow faint. This is because the peace of God that guards you is sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ—the same blood that our King shed on Calvary’s cross to wash away our every sin, including every time you and I have wavered in our relationship with him.

And so, rest easy and know that all is well. Your Savior-King is on duty, and he will never faint.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my King, thank you for standing guard. Move me to rest in you. Amen.

Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob.”
Isaiah 2:3

Mountain

In terms of visitors, the most popular mountain in the world is Mount Fuji. It is the tallest mountain in Japan. Its distinct beauty is breathtaking. It’s the stuff of poetry, art, and history. And because it’s possible to reach the summit without special mountain-climbing equipment, hundreds of thousands climb Mount Fuji every year.

The climb, however, is difficult and long. There are certain items you need to bring with you. You will need protective clothing and good hiking boots. You need rain gear in case of sudden storms. And for the portion of the trail where you’ll be walking in darkness, you’ll need a battery-powered headlamp. When you stop half-way up to catch a few hours’ sleep, you’ll need earplugs to block the noise. For food, bring along high-calorie food sticks and energy bars, and bring water. And in case you begin to get light-headed towards the summit, a small can of oxygen is a particularly good idea.

There is another mountain that exists—a mountain far more breathtaking than Mount Fuji. This mountain is of an entirely different kind. The prophet Isaiah calls it, “The mountain of the LORD.” It’s his inspired way of describing the presence of Christ the King. Coming to this mountain is not about bringing the right clothing, the right equipment, the right food. It is not at all about climbing through darkness, storms, heat, and cold in the hope that you might make it to the summit.

Rather, it is all about the Holy Spirit using the message of Christ crucified and risen to draw you into God’s presence through faith in his Son. It is all about the gospel empowering you to bask in the forgiveness Jesus has earned for you, to be filled with his peace, to proclaim Christ with your fellow believers, to trust his will for your lives.

There is one thing you can bring along, however, your sin. Bring your sin for your King and Savior to wash it all away.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the mountain of your grace. Move me to bring you my sin every single day. Amen.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.”
Jeremiah 23:5,6

Beautiful People

In the days of the prophet Jeremiah, about 600 years before the birth of Jesus, many people of God’s chosen nation had turned away from God into unbelief. They followed false teachers and bad leaders that led them into idolatry. However, there were some people who remained faithful to the true God. Through Jeremiah, God promised that he would gather all his faithful ones and bless them.

The Lord announced that glorious time: “The days are coming when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” With the word “branch,” God wants us to think of a shoot or sprout which grows out of a dying stump or from the ground where a tree stump is decaying. With this imagery, God pointed to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. His roots or ancestry were from the line of King David. But by the time of his arrival, the grandeur of David’s kingdom had died and decayed under David’s godless successors. The Messiah, however, came to reestablish the glory of David’s throne, although not in the same way as before. Jesus Christ is a King, but his kingdom is new and different. His has a spiritual kingdom where he graciously rules in the hearts of people of faith.

God cares for his people, and he saves them. He sent Jesus to do what is “just and right in the land.” In contrast to the people who rejected God and lived in disobedience to his will, Jesus lived in perfect obedience to the will of God and was guiltless of any sin. He lived this way for our benefit. God charged the perfect righteousness of his Son to us. He is: THE LORD, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Covered with the purity of Jesus Christ, we are beautiful people in God’s eyes and blessed by faith in Jesus to be members of his glorious, eternal kingdom.

Prayer: (Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 376)
Jesus, your blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Mid flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head. Amen.

“Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
Revelation 22:7

Guard God’s Word

A few years ago, a wildfire was approaching our home. We weren’t in imminent danger, but we could see the flames as they came down the mountain in our direction. While not forced to evacuate, we quickly pulled out our phones to grab a visual inventory of our “stuff.” Then we loaded up the SUV with the really “important stuff,” just in case the evacuation orders came. Not everything made it into the SUV. We had to prioritize.

Jesus warns us many times throughout the Bible, that the flames of judgment are coming. No matter where you live, they’re coming in your direction. But you don’t have to waste time grabbing a phone to take inventory of your stuff. You don’t even have to discuss what you need to prioritize for the SUV. The Bible makes it clear there’s only one thing necessary to keep. “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy.”

Guard God’s Word. Don’t change it or leave it behind. Keep it. Why? Because it is the only thing that shows us Jesus. It is the only thing that shows us a Savior who went to the cross and snuffed out the fires of God’s wrath that were coming in our direction. God’s Word is the only thing that shows us a Jesus who says, “Blessed are you to receive my kingdom.”

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, preserve your Word in my mind and heart. Amen.

The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.
Revelation 22:6

Assembly Required

“Some assembly required.” Those can be dreadful words. You purchase a new bookcase, and before you know it, parts and pieces are strewn all over the floor while you pore over the directions. “Insert hardware piece A into side panel 12. Insert hardware piece B into shelf C. Tighten bolt DD with locking nut FF.” By the time you get to step 22-3a, you lose patience and try to figure things out on your own. But just when you think you are done, you are concerned that there is still one board, four nuts, and three brackets. For a completely assembled product, you need to follow the steps in order.

From the beginning, God has proved himself a God of order. He didn’t create the fish on day five and then slap his forehead, “Ugh! I forgot to create water.” Creation had an order. So too, on the other end of the world’s timeline, God is all about order. Certain things must take place before this world comes to an end. We may not know all the “things that must soon take place,” but “the Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,” showed us what we need to know. From the rest of the Bible, we know some steps are quite difficult—wars, natural disasters, persecution. These “things” may not be easy, but according to the God of order, they are necessary.

Such things can be disturbing. But they ought not be surprising. And the fact that the God of order said this is how it would happen brings us great comfort. For it assures us that when this world seems to be spinning out of control, our God is still the One in control. And he is the One who will see us through these things until we reach the perfect new world; he has promised all those who place their trust in Jesus as their Savior from sin and hope for heaven.

Prayer:
Lord, assure me that everything I see happening in the world is still according to your great plan. Amen.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.”
Jeremiah 23:5,6

Be Thankful

In America, it’s a few days before Thanksgiving. It’s certainly appropriate for us to set aside a day on which we give thanks to God.

So, what are you thankful for this year? I’m guessing some of us can come up with a lengthy list: financial gains, new relationships, health, or job opportunities, and more.

Others of us might struggle a bit. For those of us who have lost loved ones, or have a debilitating or incurable illness, or suffered through a divorce or job loss—perhaps it’s more difficult to find reasons to be thankful.

How about if we go back to the basics? Just think of all that we have to be thankful for on the basis of the Bible verses of our devotion today: 1) We have a God who keeps his promises—Jesus came, just as God promised he would. 2) Our God reigns wisely. 3) Our God always does what is just and right (even when we don’t understand it). 4) Our God is a saving God who brings eternal safety for his followers. 5) As God names himself, he connects himself to us. “This is the name by which he will be called: the LORD Our Righteousness.” 6) And because he is “our righteousness,” in God’s eyes we are absolutely innocent.

Those are six great reasons to give thanks and there are certainly more thoughts we could have pulled from these verses. Thank God we have so many reasons to give thanks!

Prayer:
O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever! Amen.

“When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” Then [Jesus] said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”
Luke 21:9,10

Anticipation Not Fear

Much of the United States is currently under a severe drought. (As I write, the Mississippi is at its lowest levels in decades, and barges are getting stuck. Several of the largest reservoirs in the western states are at their lowest point since their construction.) Hurricanes have created one of the costliest years ever, with lots of rebuilding needed that will take years. A war with mounting destruction and casualties continues to be fought in Europe as wary eyes watch on, praying there is no escalation in other countries or more destructive tactics.

I would like to think that it is all unique to 2022, but I know it’s not. As we have just seven weeks left of this year, I am sadly confident that what we experienced this year is not all that special. The specifics may change, but the condition of our world will remain the same. There will still be drought in many places. Peace treaties will always be just temporary documents. Storms will continue to bring their destructive forces to bear.

While events like these bring difficulty and sadness to the lives of Christians, they need not bring fear. Jesus told us that all these things would happen as signs that we are living in end times and that they will continue until the final end comes as both a sign and a symptom that we are living in a world with an expiration date. These signs of trouble and decay remind us to look past this world to the life to come—a life Jesus has already won for us when he came to this world the first time. And because he did, his followers can look forward to the day he comes again.

Prayer:
Lord, as I view the events of this world do not let me be afraid. Rather, remind me that it is as all a sign that you are coming soon. Amen.

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.
Malachi 4:2

The Sun Will Rise

The sun is low in the skies, and I am missing the sunshine of summer. There is something refreshing and revitalizing about the sun. Even on these shorter days I do my best to go out and enjoy the light and feel it warm on me. The nights may be cold and long this time of year, but we know that every day the sun will rise.

As Christians, we have this sure hope that the sun is coming up as dark as today might be. We know that tomorrow will always be better. God will bring an end to the night, and the sun will rise.

Maybe the sun is about to rise, and the difficult things you are going through will soon be over. God will provide the healing and hope that you have so needed. The darkness will soon be replaced by rays of light.

Maybe morning is a long way off and the darkness will remain for a while longer. Even then, it is certain the sun will rise, and God will provide healing. Even if it is not in this life but the life to come, the sun will still rise. We may have to wait a little longer, but the outcome is still certain.

It is certain, because it has been promised by the God who cannot lie. It is certain, because Jesus has done everything necessary to earn us a place in the perfect world to come. Whatever darkness you might be facing today, let this certainty be your comfort.

Prayer:
Gracious God, help me to wait with perfect hope and confidence on your healing. Remind me that the night is ending, and a new day will rise with healing. Amen

[Jesus said] “Not a hair of your head will perish.”
Luke 21:18

Safe Passage

There is a consistent story found in the pages of the Bible: God’s people go through great difficulty, but they pass through unharmed. The details of the story change, but the end result is the same.

The people of Israel were being pursued by the mighty Egyptian chariots. They had nowhere to run until God opened up a path of dry ground through the Red Sea. The people passed through safely without suffering any loss.

Goliath was shouting death threats against the people of God. A giant warrior wanted them all dead until David knocked him down with just a slingshot and a stone. God’s people defeated Goliath and the Philistines that day without enduring even a scratch.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to comply with the King’s order to worship the god he had built. They were thrown into a fiery furnace for their faith but were completely unharmed. They didn’t even smell like smoke.

Luke chapter 21 is full of terrible things that are happening and will happen in the future. It is a chapter of horrific disasters, betrayal, and persecution without limit, and Jesus wants you to know that you will pass through it all unharmed.

Like the children of Israel walked through the Red Sea, like the people of God faced Goliath, like the three men thrown into the fiery furnace, God promises to bring you through the worst of this world.

Trust his promise. It is a promise from the one who fulfilled his promise to send a Savior to rescue us from our sins and fulfilled his promise to defeat death by rising from the grave. Trust his promise to bring you safely through this world to himself in heaven.

Prayer:
Mighty God, you have told me in advance that this world is passing away and will bring many hardships to me. Grant to me the sure confidence that I will arrive safely to your side in heaven. Amen.

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”
Isaiah 65:17

Anticipating Heaven

I’m 47 years old. You know what? I don’t remember all that much about what happened during my grade school years. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I appreciated those years! I was blessed to attend a Lutheran Elementary School, so I learned much about Jesus and had some great friends!

But frankly, I don’t really remember all that many details. Did I have days when I was stressed because of some test or assignment? I’m sure there were, but I don’t remember them. Did I have disagreements and arguments with some of my classmates? I’m sure I did. However, I remember very few of those events.

When we get to heaven and live there for eons, how many stresses, hurts, and difficulties of this earth will we remember? According to this verse, they won’t even come to mind!

Why? Because heaven will be so much better than anything on this earth! All the effects of sin will be removed forever. We’ll have perfect love, perfect joy, perfect peace, perfect relationships with everyone who is there.

That doesn’t mean the things which are happening now are easy or trivial. They may be quite challenging!

But that actually leads us to anticipate heaven all the more—a place without any of the difficulties of this world or even the memory of them.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, come quickly to take me to the eternal home you have prepared! Amen.

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.”
Revelation 21:6

Using His Power for Good

There are places in the world where access to water is power. People who control the water supply can charge outrageous prices to those who need water or can deny them completely. It doesn’t seem fair for something that is such a basic need for life-like water, but that’s how it is.

Jesus is in charge of everything. He calls himself the Beginning, meaning he was around before the world was created. And the End, meaning that he will be around even after the world is destroyed.

So, Jesus is in charge of the spring of the water of life. This water is so basic that without it, no one has eternal life, but with it, people go to heaven. That water is Jesus’ own words, which cause faith in people’s hearts, faith that connects them to Jesus and guarantees them heaven.

Jesus gives that water to people who are thirsty—thirsty for forgiveness, joy, peace, and comfort. Jesus gives all these things through his Word.

And he gives them without cost. He can afford to do that because he has already paid the cost by his perfect life, innocent death, and glorious resurrection.

So, drink up and be satisfied.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, create in me a thirst for you that will not be quenched until I am at home with you in heaven. Amen.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
Revelation 21:3

The Important Thing About Heaven

It’s comforting to think about the souls of believers in Jesus resting in heaven. They don’t have to worry about the stresses of this world and deal with medical issues. Their bodies are safely in the grave, and on judgment day, their souls will be reunited with their bodies raised perfectly from the dead.

When Revelation, the last book of the Bible, describes heaven after judgment day, it doesn’t spend a lot of time on what those glorified bodies are like. People would like to know what activities there will be, and what the consequences are of never having body and soul separate again. But Revelation says there is something more important to know about heaven.

God is there with his people. They have direct contact with him because their sin no longer separates them from him. Their glorified bodies are not affected by sin, so they are able to see God with their own eyes in his perfection and holiness. He is right there with them, and he calls them his people.

It will be nice to be reunited with beloved Christian family members and friends in heaven. It will be especially nice to be that close to Jesus—our friend and our brother.

Prayer:
Be with me, Lord Jesus, until I join you in the perfection of heaven. Amen.

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new.”
Revelation 21:5

Everything New

Consider these lyrics: “Long ago—but not so very long ago—the world was different. Oh yes, it was.” Those words are the opening lines to a song sung by James Taylor. The song was in a major motion picture about a small town and resonated with so many people that it received a nomination for an Academy Award.

“Long ago—but not so very long ago—the world was different. Oh yes, it was.” Part of the song’s power is that it hits home for all of us who have lived long enough to see things decline with time. Perhaps we’ve seen a bustling small-town decline into empty storefronts, or we’ve observed so much of television decline into toxic waste. Perhaps we’ve lived long enough to see the decline in how people in our society treat each other.

To see things decline, wear out, break, fall apart, and fade away is a vivid reminder that we live in a sinful, fallen world. Sinful because you and I are sinners.

But sinful decline does not have the last word. Jesus does. He says, “I am making everything new.” That’s why he took our sins to the cross and rose from the dead. And because he did, he renews us with his gospel and refreshes our spirit every day. And he points us ahead to the time when the effects of sin will be gone forever, when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. (Revelation 21:4)

We live in a world of decline. But take heart. Jesus makes everything new.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in this fallen world renew my spirit. Forgive my sin. Refresh my eagerness to live my life for you. Amen.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:34

Forgive and Forget

The Bible makes it extremely clear that God knows everything. For example: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). This means that nothing has ever happened or ever will happen without his knowledge.

Do you understand that? God knows your every thought, word, and action. He knows everything in your past, he knows all about your present, and he even knows your future. He knows everything there is to know about everything.

That kind of knowledge is terrifying. Imagine how uncomfortable you would be if you had to interact with someone who knew all your secrets. Remember, on judgment day, you will have to stand in front of the all-knowing God. You can’t hide anything from him—he knows all your wickedness and your sins.

That is why this verse from Jeremiah chapter 31 is one of the most comforting passages in the entire Bible. You have a God who doesn’t just forgive; he forgets. He promises that the wicked things you are ashamed of and the secret sins that weigh you down have been so forgiven that he doesn’t even remember them anymore.

Yet how can the all-knowing God not only forgive your sins; but also forget them? It is not because he is forgetful, but because he remembered them all on his Son instead of you. When Jesus was on the cross, he endured all of God’s wrath for all of the sins of all of humanity.

So now the all-knowing God who knows all of your sins chooses to not remember them. What should God be angry about when he looks at your life? He doesn’t remember. Because Christ died for sin, that promise is kept.

And since God has forgotten your sin, you can too. Jesus has freed you from the burden of a guilty conscience. God buried your sins in the one place he never will look for them—in Jesus’ empty tomb.

Prayer:
God the Father, thank you for forgetting my sins. God the Son, thank you for dying for them. God the Spirit, give me faith to remember that I am free from guilt. Amen.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant.”
Jeremiah 31:31,32

A New Covenant

God did an amazing thing almost fifteen hundred years before Jesus was born. He freed his people from slavery in Egypt and brought them to their new homeland. Along the way, he had them stop at a mountain called Sinai so that he could make a covenant with them. At that time a covenant was like what a contract is today.

The covenant that God made with his people was two-sided—both he and the people contributed to it. God told them, “If you obey my law, then I will protect you and bless you in your new home.” The people replied, “We will do everything you say.”

Unlike modern contracts—which are sealed with signatures—this ancient covenant was sealed with blood from animal sacrifices. But just like modern contracts, a covenant is only good as the people who agree to it. Over the centuries, God kept his covenant promise perfectly, and the people made breaking the covenant their way of life.

Can you relate to that? Think of the promises that you have made to God and to other people, and then remember all the things you have done to break those promises. You know yourself.

But God knows you too. That is why God promised to make a new covenant. This covenant is not just for God’s Old Testament people but all people of all time—including you.

It tells you to do nothing. Instead, it is all about what God has done to forgive you. Unlike the old covenant, this new covenant is one-sided. It does not depend on your obedience but entirely on God’s saving love.

And this covenant was also sealed in blood. Almost fifteen hundred years after the old covenant was ratified, the Son of God was crucified on a mountain called Calvary. The blood he shed on the cross sealed the new covenant and freed you from slavery to sin.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the new covenant of forgiveness sealed in Jesus’ blood. Amen.