August 28, 2023

Today's Reading: Isaiah 51:1-6

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:23-44, 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

My salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed. Isaiah 51:6b

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Disaster. War. Murder. Slander. Cursed. Defiled. Ugly. These are heavy words. These are words we use to describe horrible things that happen to us or around us. These are words that cause a pit to form in your stomach, tears to fall from your cheeks, and cries of despair to leave your lips. Life in a sinful world is hard. Living as a sinner, with other sinners, often hurts. Our bodies break. Our minds are overwhelmed. Our communities suffer. Our world is ugly. 

God’s people throughout history viscerally understood these struggles. Isaiah is writing to people who knew the kingdom of Israel had split into two nations: Israel and Judah. In fact, they knew that the ‘other’ kingdom was their enemy. They had experienced the roller coaster of bad kings and *not as bad* kings. They had been in war; they had suffered through battles and saw death. 

And yet, in today’s reading there is hope. God has not abandoned His people. He promises comfort. He promises salvation forever! He reminds the people (and us) that this world, riddled with sin, is not going to last forever. The heavens and earth will wear out and perish; we see the decay around us every day. And yet, we are reminded, just like the people to whom Isaiah is writing, that God’s righteousness will never be dismayed (v. 6). 

There is hope in the midst of our hurt. There is promise in the midst of disaster. Jesus is with us within and through every trial and trouble. God sent His Son to be our Savior; He sent the only One who could enter a broken and dying world and give it new life. In your Baptism, you are made clean and holy. You are given life eternal. You will live forever with Jesus! Take heart and cling to the promises of God: we who are in Christ will not be dismayed. Life in a sinful world hurts now, but the hope for tomorrow is found in Christ. You are not alone, forgotten, or left behind; in your Baptism you are part of God’s family forever; God has declared you as His own. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

All who believe and are baptized  Shall see the Lord’s salvation;  Baptized into the death of Christ,  They are a new creation.  Through Christ’s redemption they shall stand  Among the glorious, heav’nly band  Of every tribe and nation.   (All Who Believe and Are Baptized, LSB 601:1)

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

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

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.