July 19, 2025 

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 6 - Psalm 119:57-60, 64; antiphon: Psalm 119:105

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 2:18-36; Acts 15:22-41 

“I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.” (Psalm 119:58)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Have you ever been given a weird gift? Like a dead bird by your dog? A rock from a younger sibling? A feather from a toddler? Maybe a sloppy kiss from a baby? You understand the sentiment… but what are you going to do with a dead bird? You are probably going to wipe the slobber off your face after that messy kiss. And yet, you can’t help but be grateful; you know that the gift was given with love. 

I imagine myself as the dog or the sloppy baby giving myself up to God: Here I am! I’m a mess. I’m covered in sin, guilt, and shame. This hour/day/week/month/year/existence has been… rough. What is worse, though, is that I am not a cute little toddler giving something out of love— I am a dead enemy of God. Before Baptism, I am unable to come to Him (dead things can only be dead), let alone give Him a gift. And yet, along with the Psalmist, I am fervently asking Him for His favor. 

It is the second part of this verse that is such tremendous comfort; in our prayers, we get to point to the promises that God Himself has made. In the Garden of Eden, He promised a Savior, and He kept that promise. On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished,” and it was. In our Baptism, He promises forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation— and they are ours. He promises to give us the Holy Spirit to create faith within us, and we have Him. In the Lord’s Supper, He promises to feed and nourish us in His grace, and we receive the Bread of Life. When we pray, He promises to hear us— and He does. So, when I come to him as a mess, I can remember and be comforted by His promises. 

It’s true. We come to God as broken sinners, day after day and week after week, and He meets us with forgiveness, mercy, and grace. We come to Him as beggars, and He treats us as His Beloved Children. He is gracious. He does remember His promises. And what’s more? He forgets our sins! He covers our shame, guilt, and deadness—Jesus paid for that; it is gone. He keeps His promises and gives us His favor abundantly. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Wait, then, in quiet confidence, Your anxious thoughts at rest. God knows your needs before you ask And works for what is best. (LSB 771:3) 

- Deac. Sarah Longmire, Bible study editor for Higher Things.

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

Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.