Today's Reading: Introit for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity 

     (Psalm 27:1a, 11-12, 14; antiphon: v.7, 9b)

Daily Lectionary: Judges 16:4-30; Galatians 4:12-31

O, you who have been my help, forsake me not, O God of my salvation! The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (Introit for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Introit for today is from Psalm 27, which is a psalm of David. David was well aware of the work of the Lord in his life. From an early age, David had been watched over and cared for by God. With God's help, David was able to defend his father' s flock from the lion and the bear. With the assistance and protection of the Lord, David was able to defeat Goliath. It was God who kept David from the hands of King Saul, and it was the Lord alone who made David king over all Israel. All the days of David's life, the Lord was with him, and by faith David was able to recognize it and give thanks for it. 

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" Like David, we can give thanks to God for the protection, peace, and life that we have been given. By faith we, too, know that all things come from the gracious hand of our heavenly Father. Our daily cry needs to be, "Forsake me not, O God of my salvation!" For the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh are constantly trying to get us to forget God and to live as we want. If we were alone in this struggle, we would fail. 

But we are not alone. Jesus is the salvation that has come for us. He alone has paid the price for our sin and given to us forgiveness and life in His Name. When Jesus died on the Cross, all our sins were forgiven, and because Christ rose from the grave, we shall also rise. It is only by faith which comes from the Word that we can continue in the way of the Lord. The Word of God alone is the level path that leads us to the knowledge of the truth.

In this life we will face many adversaries, and all of them seek our death. However, like David, we have One who is gracious and merciful. It is because of Jesus that we need not fear anything in the world, for He is our light and our salvation. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, teach us Your way and continue to lead us on Your path. Help us to wait for You in the day of trouble and to take courage in Your promises. For the sake of Jesus we pray. Amen.

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Christians need to aspire to being people of THE faith. Not just any will do. In Faith Misused, Dr. Alvin Schmidt shares his case for a Christian reclaiming of the word “faith” from its ambiguous modern uses. Now available from Concordia Publishing House.