December 29, 2024

Today's Reading: Luke 2:22-40

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 55:1-13; Luke 1:1-25

“…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

I have worked with kids for 35 years. I’ve been a high school teacher, soccer coach, drama director, youth minister, and now, a pastor. In these roles, I have dealt with some of the flakiest and most frustrating kids imaginable– kids without a clue or care and completely self-centered in their focus. Based on my experience, I would have told you that these kids were hopeless. But God is always working, and even when someone seems like a lost cause, the Lord isn’t finished with them. 

A few years ago, I had an email from one of these former students. This kid was as flakey as they come, and I saw his immaturity and selfishness play out in several settings. He was disrespectful to authority figures, cruel to teammates, and oblivious to the needs of others. As a 16-year-old, this young man was on a road to nowhere and couldn’t care less.

Fast forward 20 years. I had been out of teaching and coaching for a generation, and most of the kids from that part of my life had faded into memory when, completely out of the blue, I received an email from the past. “Do you remember me? I hope you are doing well. I live on the East Coast with my wife and two kids. I have a great job and serve as a volunteer at my church. Thank you for the values you instilled in me.” My jaw hit the keyboard as I stared in disbelief at the words on the screen in front of me. 

On our own, we are all without a clue or care and hopeless in every way. But the Lord never gives up on us. He continues to send out His Word of grace with the promise that He will always accomplish the purpose for which He sent it. In Christ Jesus, we know that God’s purpose is always to save, and even when we resist and rebel, He will persist, and the Spirit will succeed in bringing the forgiveness and life Jesus died to secure. The Word always works; whether we can see it or not, the Holy Spirit is creating faith and changing hearts through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, thank you for working in your Word to accomplish Your purpose in my life. 

-Rev. Thomas Eggold, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.