Reflections

September 29, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 10:17-20

Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:19-36; Matthew 5:21-48

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’” (Luke 10:17-20)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

These seventy-two men, proclaimers of the nearness of the Lord’s kingdom, were appointed to go ahead of Him, proclaiming and healing the sick. They were amazed that Jesus' command came with the power to accomplish His work. This is the same Son of God who commands the heavenly host, as St. Michael and His angels expelled Lucifer and his angels.

For our position in time and space, all that may seem fanciful. It’s not. Jesus has written the names of all of us, His baptized, in the Book of Life. His name, marking us in Holy Baptism, can even come with these words from Martin Luther’s Baptismal Rite. “Therefore, depart, you unclean spirit, and make room for the Holy Spirit in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (LSB Agenda, p. 13)

That’s a little exorcism. The expulsion of Satan isn’t little. But it’s short enough to escape our attention. Yet, in the baptismal waters, Jesus' command and the water do exactly that. That was when you first received the forgiveness of sins. Even Satan himself has no claim on you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Everlasting God, You have ordained and constituted the service of angels and men in a wonderful order. Mercifully grant that, as Your holy angels always serve and worship You in heaven, so by Your appointment they may also help and defend us here on earth; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Rev. Jason Kaspar, pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, La Grange, Texas.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 28, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 16:19-31

Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:1-18; Matthew 5:1-20

“The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ … [Abraham] said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:22-24, 31)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

This telling of Jesus is missing a key marker. St. Luke doesn’t introduce it as a parable. “So He told them this parable…” (Luke 15:3a). The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the loving father, and the dishonest manager are all connected under that introduction. But the Rich man and Lazarus is set apart by a rebuke of the Pharisees and a command concerning divorce. This nameless rich man, whom the Pharisees might even know, has no repentance. He still begs Abraham to command Lazarus to serve him. In perfection, both of them certainly would, but they cannot cross over.

The rich man also demands a greater effort by God to save his brothers; someone raised from the dead, like the parables of loss. Here, Jesus is showing an unending love. They may not be convinced, but Jesus IS going to die for the sins of those brothers. And He’ll rise again from the dead. Jesus’ death and resurrection is even for the brothers of that rich man. We won’t know on this side of the resurrection on the Last Day. Still, I like to think that they did receive repentance and faith.

Baptized into Jesus and hearing His Word, you have received His Gifts of repentance and faith. He has turned you from the unbelief and unrepentance that were yours once before. He has and continues to forgive your sin, and the sins of all believers. He is showering you with the promise of Lazarus, to be carried off to the bosom of Abraham.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord let at last Thine angels come, to Abraham’s bosom bear me home, that I may die unfearing; and in its narrow chamber keep my body safe in peaceful sleep until thy reappearing. And then from death awaken me, that these mine eyes with joy may see, O Son of God, Thy glorious face, my Savior and my fount of grace. Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend, and I will praise Thee without end. Amen. (LSB 708:3)

Rev. Jason Kaspar, pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, La Grange, Texas.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 27, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 16 - Psalm 119:73-75, 77; antiphon: Psalm 119:76

Daily Lectionary: Malachi 3:6-4:6; Matthew 4:12-25

“I know, O Lord … that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Psalmist attributes his affliction to God’s “faithfulness” or “trustworthiness.” The Hebrew word we have here is where we get our “Amen.” You’ve learned in the Small Catechism that “Amen” means “Yes, yes, it shall be so.” Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you.” In the Greek, it’s simply, “Amen, Amen, I say to you.” Jesus is trustworthy, and we give our “Amen” to his faithfulness! 

So, back to the Psalm. How do we make sense of God afflicting us “in his faithfulness”? If anything, it seems like the opposite. When we experience various afflictions, diseases, troubles, or frustrations, it seems that God is being unfaithful to us, that he is withholding his promises, that he is not listening, that he has forsaken us, that he has forgotten us. 

But God’s “faithfulness” is connected to something more than our feelings and experiences. Dare we say that God’s faithfulness is connected to something greater than even his own feelings? His faithfulness is connected to his “steadfast love.” After God destroyed the world in the flood, he set the bow in the clouds as a sign that he would never again destroy the world in that manner. He gives himself a sign that he might see and remember his love and mercy! When God promised to kill every firstborn in Egypt, he gave his people a sign. They were to paint their doorposts with the blood of the Passover lamb, and when he saw the blood, he would remember his love and mercy and pass over their homes. 

When God afflicts me, it is a sign of his faithfulness and steadfast love. It is a reminder that his hands have “made and fashioned me” and that I live only by his mercy. He has created me by his hands, he has redeemed me by his Son’s pierced hands, and should he pierce my heart with affliction, he will do it in faithfulness and steadfast love toward me. He will not forget me forever. He will never leave me nor forsake me. He hears my prayer and promises to give me life according to his Word. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

God knows full well when times of gladness Shall be the needful thing for thee. When He has tried thy soul with sadness And from all guile has found thee free, He comes to thee all unaware And makes thee own his loving care. (LSB 750:4) 

Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, Texas.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 26, 2025

Today's Reading: Matthew 4:1-11

Daily Lectionary: Malachi 2:1-3:5; Matthew 4:1-11

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Spirit that descended upon Jesus at his Baptism now leads him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus, the “anointed one,” faces the first test of his office as Savior of the world. But notice what temptations are thrown his way! He is tempted to 1) turn stones into bread, 2) test God’s will, and 3) deny God’s kingdom. Sound similar? The Lord’s Prayer takes its source from Jesus’ inner life. 

The Gospel of Luke records that Jesus prayed at his Baptism (Luke 3:21). In his baptism, he prays according to God’s name (1st Petition), and in his temptation, he applies God’s kingdom (2nd Petition) and will (3rd Petition) to our daily life (4th Petition). After we are baptized, we can expect temptations to come. When we fast or forsake the pleasures of this world, the devil will tempt us to serve our fleshly lusts. When we place ourselves under God’s will, the devil will tempt us to question God’s provision. When God gathers us into his lowly kingdom, the devil will tempt us with the fame and fortune of this world’s kingdoms. 

But in Christ, we will rise victorious over the devil. In Christ’s Spirit, we will resist the temptations of the flesh. We do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. We have a Savior who knew no sin but was made to be sin for us, that we might be righteous in him. 

Christ proceeds from his baptism and temptation to his ministry. He begins to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” as he offers the assurance of the forgiveness of sins (5th Petition), protects his people from temptations (6th Petition), and delivers them from evil diseases and afflictions (7th Petition). Already in our Lord’s life, his prayer is taking shape. As the Lord’s Prayer has its root in his life, it now has its root in ours. The Lord’s Prayer forms us into Christ’s baptism and temptation, and it prepares us for lives of service in his name and kingdom, and according to his will. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Mark how the Lamb of God’s self-off’ring Our human sinfulness takes on In the birthwaters of the Jordan As Jesus is baptized by John. Hear how the voice from heaven thunders, ‘Lo, this is My beloved Son.’ See how in dovelike form the Spirit Descends on God’s Anointed One. From this assurance of God’s favor Jesus goes to the wilderness, There to endure a time of testing That readied Him to teach and bless. So we, by water and the Spirit Baptized into Christ’s ministry, Are often led to paths of service Through mazes of adversity. (LSB 600:1, 2) 

Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, Texas.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 25, 2025

Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - To Bishops, Pastors and Preachers

Daily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14; Matthew 3:1-17

“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

As Lutherans, we teach that when the water of Baptism is joined to the Word of God, it becomes a true Baptism, and when the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper are joined to the Word of God, it is the true Body and Blood of Jesus. But what about the Pastor? When the man is joined to the Word of God, does he become a “true man” with some special gift that the ordinary layperson cannot receive? Not at all. 

When a man becomes a Pastor, he is placed into an office, like that of a child to a parent, a husband to his wife, or a father to his child. His office is that of a servant to a master. This is why Pastors are called “Ministers.” They are servants. As a child serves his parent, the Pastor serves God the Father; as a husband serves his wife, the Pastor serves the church; as a father serves his child, the Pastor serves the children of God in his congregation. This is also why, in some places, a Pastor is called a “Father.” But when the Pastor is placed in this office, the focus is never on him or his work. He is not put into a human institution or office, but a divine institution! The Pastor serves and points people to Jesus, who instituted the Office of the Holy Ministry.

So, what does the Pastor serve? He is not in the catering business where he serves whatever he or the people want. No, he is in the Word business. He is a servant of the Word. One of the requirements listed in 1 Timothy 3 is that the man must be “able to teach.” This is less about teaching style, use of technology, classroom management, or creativity, but more about faithfulness to the Word, both in teaching and practice. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message and handle rightly the Word of truth in teaching, but he also does so in practice. The Bible says that teachers will be judged with greater strictness. If they teach others, they should teach themselves, lest they fall under the judgment of God. 

Thus, the pastor must be “above reproach.” This is not that he must be fully blameless and free from all sin (which is impossible), but that he does not disqualify himself from teaching publicly by falling into outward, manifest sins. If he fails to meet or keep these qualifications, he cannot be or stay a pastor, lest he offend God and others and become the hypocrite who “judges those who practice such things and yet does them himself” (Romans 2:3). 

What a comfort it is that Jesus, the Chief Shepherd of our souls, sends his under-shepherds to proclaim Christ’s “sound doctrine” to all the world! 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Seek where you may To find a way That leads to your salvation. My heart is stilled, On Christ I build, He is the one foundation. His Word is sure, His Works endure; He overthrows All evil foes; Through Him I more than conquer. (LSB 557:1) 

Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, Texas.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 24, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 16:1-15

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38; Nehemiah 10:1-13:31; 1 Timothy 6:3-21

“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The “sons of this world” in this parable are like the people of Amos 8. They are shrewd in their dealings with money but use their shrewdness for deception and deceit. They appear to provide for the poor and needy, but enslave them for their purposes. 

It is puzzling that the master would commend this dishonest manager who has not only wasted his possessions for months (and maybe even years!), but who, after he is fired, continues to deal deceitfully. He knows he is too weak to dig and too proud to beg, so he acts shrewdly. He needs friends, so until word spreads that he has been fired, he will call his master’s debtors and settle their debts. One hundred measures of oil become fifty, one hundred measures of wheat become eighty, and zero friends become two friends. So, the master commends this “son of the world,” not for his dishonesty but for his shrewdness. 

What does such shrewdness look like for the “sons of light?” They also operate in this world with “unrighteous mammon,” but the difference lies in their end. What did the manager’s shrewdness get him? It got him friends who have temporary dwellings. What does the Christian’s shrewdness get him? It gets him friends in the “eternal dwellings.” The shrewdness of the Christian is this: although he knows that money will fail, he uses it while he still can. He uses the “unrighteous mammon” of this world to accomplish the work of Christ’s Church. And what is the goal? That the Word of God would make us friends of Christ in the eternal dwellings. 

When he was fired, the dishonest manager was as good as dead. He had nothing else to lose. Money had already failed him, and now he simply needed a home. The same is true for the sons of light. But the difference is that they already have a “friend” who has promised them an eternal home. They have Christ’s Gospel that assures them of a good future. So, how do they relate to the Law and this world? They deal shrewdly with it. You say that I am a sinner? I am, and I have Christ, the friend of sinners. You say that I am dead? Though I die, yet shall I live in Christ, who died for me. You say that I am a debtor? I am, and I have a heavenly manager who didn’t simply overlook my debts, but who paid them in full by his atoning blood. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

My heart’s delight, My crown most bright, O Christ, my joy forever. Not wealth nor pride Nor fortune’s tide Our bonds of love shall sever. You are my Lord; Your precious Word Shall guide my way And help me stay Forever in Your presence. (LSB 557:4)

Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, Texas.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 23, 2025

Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-15

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:1-21; 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

What Paul “urges” and “desires” in this letter aren’t the kind of new and made-up laws and commandments you find when God’s Word is neglected, nor are they the kind of additional, burdensome, domineering rules that a lazy father has to come up with when he feels his house is out of control. No, these practical words from Paul that have to do with everyday life find their source in God’s teaching. 

Why pray for all people, especially rulers? There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who desires the salvation of all people. The rulers are people who need saving, too, and they especially need prayers as they maintain the peace and quietness that men, in their anger and quarreling, need. 

The man whose hands are too quickly lifted in anger against his children should instead offer holy hands in prayer, especially with his family. The woman whose beauty is flaunted immodestly, whose body is adorned materially, and whose voice is magnified unsuitably should instead adorn herself modestly, in godliness, and with good works in quiet submissiveness. 

Why is the family ordered in this way? God’s teaching is such that Adam, who was formed first, failed to keep his house in order. He was not deceived, but the woman was deceived, and his quiet submissiveness to the devil’s deceit was to blame. “She took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). She is a transgressor, and he is a successor to her sin, but from them both will come an intercessor. 

As all have sinned in the one man Adam, so will all be saved in the one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Eve and all her offspring will be saved through childbearing—through the birth of Jesus Christ. The seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent, and his faithfulness to his bride, his unconditional love for her, and the holiness with which he adorns her will be her salvation. He will adorn her with true beauty, everlasting treasures, and self-control. He will be the husband every man aspires to be, with eternal devotion to his bride, offering her his holy hands pierced on the cross, interceding for her to the Father, and praying for her at all times and in every place with thanksgiving. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Seek Him alone Who did atone, Who did your souls deliver. O seek Him first, All you who thirst, For grace that fails you never. In ev’ry need Seek Him indeed; To ev’ry heart He will impart His blessings without measure. (LSB 557:3)

Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, Texas.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 22, 2025

Today's Reading: Amos 8:4-7

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 7:1-4; 8:1-18; Ezra 1:1-10:19; 1 Timothy 5:1-16

“The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: ‘Surely I will never forget any of their deeds’” (Amos 8:7) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When Jesus says that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), he reveals man’s propensity to switch everything around. The Sabbath rest has become a Sabbath test for the Pharisees, and in their eyes, Jesus has failed the test. He has failed the Sabbath. 

Now, the people during Amos’ time have also inverted the gift of the Sabbath. They ask when the new moon, a time dedicated at the first of every month for sacrifices to God, and the Sabbath, a time of handing over one’s work and time to God, will be over. They have turned the Father’s house into a house of trade. They want the time of sacrifice to end, and the time of profiteering to begin. They want to get a move on, get out of the church, and get going with their iniquity and deceit, their trampling of the needy and destruction of the poor. 

But God will not have any of it. He despises such “vain offerings.” He hates their new moons and appointed feasts. He is burdened by their hypocrisy and false worship. So when they lift their hands, he hides his eyes; when they voice their prayers, he closes his ears (Isaiah 1:13-15). Even worse, God swears that he will never forget their evil deeds! 

Sin grieves God. His wrath and anger are quickly kindled. His “record of debt … with all its legal demands” stands against all men (Colossians 2:14). Someone must pay that debt, right that wrong, and bear the punishment of sin. For the wicked, that “record of debt” stands before God’s face (Hosea 7:2). He remembers their iniquity (Hosea 8:13). It is even engraved on the tablet of their heart (Jeremiah 17:1) as their sins remain heaped high as heaven (Revelation 18:5). David prays in Psalm 109, “May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!” 

But you, dear Christian, find that in Christ, that record of debt is canceled, those legal demands are fulfilled, the injustice is forgiven, and your sins are atoned for. Your debt is forgiven in its entirety! It is taken away from you. God sets it aside, nails it to the cross, disarms your enemies, shames the devil, and triumphs over Hell itself. “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). God remembers the sins of the wicked, but he will never remember your sins. They are forgiven, removed, forgotten, and drowned in the depths of the sea, never to rise again. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Seek whom you may To be your stay; None can redeem his brother. All helpers failed; This man prevailed, The God-man and none other, Our Servant-King Of whom we sing. We’re justified Because he died, The guilty being guiltless. (LSB 557:2) 

Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, Texas.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 21, 2025

Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-9, 15-16; 1 Timothy 4:1-16

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him” (Matthew 9:9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

If you have seen the popular TV Series, “The Chosen,” then you know that the producers use artistic license when they portray Matthew as quirky, uptight, anxious, and obsessed with numbers. While his character adds fun humor to the series, it also helps demonstrate that the Twelve disciples were men, just like we are, with all their foibles and failures, their quirks and quibbles. 

However, we would miss the point if we stopped there. God’s Word teaches us to look further into the lives of these men. It reveals the spiritual kingdom that they, and we, have been called into! And this is where Matthew plays such a significant role in the revelation of God’s kingdom. 

His name, “Matthew,” gives it away. He is “a gift” to the kingdom, “a gift” to Christ’s Church. One thing to notice about our reading from Matthew 9 is that Matthew’s house becomes the location of Christ’s kingdom! It is a place of hospitality for Christ, for other tax collectors, and for other sinners. Jesus has come not to call the righteous, but sinners. Matthew is a sinner, and he is the one whom Jesus calls. 

So it is that this sinner becomes a gift, this sinner’s house becomes God’s house, and this sinner’s life is used by God for more gift-giving. What a “gift” Matthew is to us! He was called not only to follow Jesus but to write the Holy Gospel for the upbuilding of Christ’s Church. His Gospel is truly the gift that keeps on giving, and through him, Christ still speaks his message of forgiveness for sinners. Through Matthew, Christ still calls men to “Follow me,” and Christ still reclines at table, though now in the houses in which we gather! The holy wounds of our Physician are the balm that heals our wounded heart, it is the peace that flows from sin forgiven, it is the joy that lifts our soul to heaven, and his Body and Blood give us the faith and hope to walk with God, so that we, with Matthew and all the saints who have gone before us, might be a “gift” to others. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Son of God, our blessed Savior Jesus Christ, You called Matthew the tax collector to be an apostle and evangelist. Through his faithful and inspired witness, grant that we also may follow You, leaving behind all covetous desires and love of riches; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, Texas.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.

September 20, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 15 - Psalm 119:137-140, 142; antiphon: Psalm 119:144

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-16

“Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words. Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it. I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.” (Psalm 119:137-144)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Do you delight in God’s Commandments? So often, the Commandments and precepts of God can feel like a weight we carry in this life, a burden that keeps us from what we really want to do. And part of that comes from how we often see the Law and what we read and hear about it. The Law is almost always talked about in “do’s” and “don'ts” based on how we have failed to keep God’s Law. We are told how we have given in to temptation, how we have hurt our neighbor and not loved them properly, how the Law says that without Jesus, we deserve death and Hell. These things are true, of course, but they don’t bring to mind the same words of the Psalmist, who delights in the Law of the Lord. The truth is, as much as the Law shows us our sinfulness, it really, truly shows us the goodness of God! From the very beginning of the world, God set His Law in place in the universe. Before the Fall into sin, the Law was simply the way things were. Our God is a good God who desires an ordered creation, a world in which His creatures do not kill one another or steal from each other, where husbands and wives love each other as Christ and His bride, the Church, love one another, and where His people are righteous and close to Himself. When we “delight” in the Laws of God, we recognize that our Lord wants what is best for us and desires to be near to us. We know that God uses this Law, even in this broken world, to guard and defend us from evil. In these verses of Psalm 119, the Psalmist speaks against those who have forgotten the Law of the Lord, but praises Him for His righteousness that guides His creation and promises to remember God’s Words and precepts. As baptized Christians, we are given freedom from the fear of the law through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this freedom, we have the ability to, like the Psalmist, delight in the goodness of the Law and work to keep it, not out of fear or a desire to earn salvation, but out of love for God and our neighbor. God has kept the law in all fullness for us, and that is something we may truly delight in.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Law of God is good and wise And sets His will before our eyes, Shows us the way of righteousness, And dooms to death when we transgress. (LSB 579:1)

Rev. Benjamin Heinz, pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, TN.

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

Join author R. Reed Lessing helps with this chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Book of Numbers in Hope in the Wilderness. With helpful maps, diagrams, and connections to the rest of the Bible, you’ll be able to understand the beauty of Numbers.