Good Morning, Lord!
I Am Baptized
3 Do you not know that all of us
who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk
in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death
like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
(Rom. 6:3-5 ESV)
Make the sign of the cross as
you say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.”
A Morning Prayer
O Lord, our heavenly Father,
almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of
this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day
we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our
doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight;
through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.[1]
I Believe …
I believe that Jesus Christ,
true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the
Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased
and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with
gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent
suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom
and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as
He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most
certainly true.
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
1 Blessed
is the man[a]
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He
is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore
the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.[2]
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.[2]
Psalms are poetry that focus the
reader on important aspects of God’s truth as well as convey prayers and praise
to God. In this opening psalm, we find a comparison between the righteous and
the wicked. Neither righteousness nor wickedness is really defined, but
characteristics of their lives and the outcome of their paths are described.
There is permanence is
righteousness. The righteous person is like a tree planted by streams of water.
This isn’t a tree that has accidentally grown near a good water source. This
tree is transplanted next to an irrigation canal. What does that teach us about
righteousness? Trees don’t uproot themselves and move to better locations. This
image describes you as chosen, tended, and cared for. Righteousness is found in
God’s intervention in your life to call, gather, and sanctify you through faith
in Jesus. God moved you. His kingdom came to you and you were transferred from
the kingdom of this world into the kingdom of God where you can thrive by faith
in Jesus.
Notice also that the tree
produces its fruit and its leaves do not whither. I have a large apple tree in
my front yard. I don’t have to tell it to bud in the spring, to grow leaves, or
to produce apples. It just does. Sometimes people obsess over the fruit of
their lives. They ask if they have done enough or if what they have done is
good enough to please God. There are two problems here. The first is that this
obsession about fruit is often rooted in a desire to earn God’s blessings or
contribute somehow to one’s salvation. Remember, you were chosen and
transplanted, growth comes naturally because of the work of the Holy Spirit in
you. The second problem is that people often look for the wrong fruit. They
look for something big, something that impresses and makes them look good. The
fruit God is looking for tends to be smaller. In Micah 6 the prophet points to
thing like doing justice (treating people right), loving mercy, and walking
humbly with him. In Galatians 5 the Apostle Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit
– love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. This fruit is a gift that God graciously cultivates in you
through the working of his word and sacraments in your life.
The contrast is that the wicked
are like chaff. Chaff is the papery cover over a wheat grain. It is refuse that
just blows away and is tossed about on the wind. There is not permanence, no
tender care, no fruit, and, really, no life. That seems very hopeless, but we
do well to remember that Jesus has compassion on those who are blown about, and
he is able to create life even from the dead.
Ultimately, what is the
difference between the two; the righteous and the wicked? It is their
relationship with God. The difference is faith, trusting God to make you
righteous by grace through faith instead of trying to earn righteousness on
your own. It is being cultivated for seemingly small fruit, instead of storming
after your own glory. It is receiving God’s grace, instead of being blown about
by worldly obsession with your performance.
Question for Meditation
What does this reading teach you
about Jesus, what He said and did, or what He wants His followers to believe?
What does it teach you about God’s love and forgiveness?
What does this reading lead you
to be thankful for?
What behavior, thought, or
attitude does this reading challenge? What sin does it lead you to confess?
How might you pray for God to
have a richer impact on your life through this reading?
Prayer
Pray
about the creation. This certainly includes things like pollution and proper
care for creation, but it also includes growing seasons, the bounty of the
earth, food for the hungry, and every aspect of bodily life.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily
bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
The LORD will keep you from all
evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming
in from this time forth and forevermore. (Ps. 121:7-8 ESV)
Question
What can you do to help you
remember that the troubles of this life are temporary – much like the wicked,
who are like chaff – but God’s gifts to you are permanent?
[1] Collect for Peace, Lutheran Service Book, Concordia Publishing
House, St. Louis, 2006, p. 241
[2] English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV®
Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a
publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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