September 2, 2025

Today's Reading: Hebrews 13:1-17

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:20-40; Ephesians 2:1-22

“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Lord helps you. And not because of anything you have done to merit this gracious favor. And also not because of who you are, who you are related to, or how much you have. Instead, God gives divine help to you simply out of grace, giving you better than you have deserved.

For you are a sinner who should be judged by God. You have not always loved God above all things. You likewise have not shown brotherly love at all times to your neighbor. You have acted selfishly. You have spoken what you should not have said. Your thoughts have been tainted with sinful desires like lust or revenge. What is worse, you are unable to help yourself when it comes to making God pleased with you. You cannot charm God, wrapping Him around your little finger to get special treatment.

So why would the Lord ever want to be your helper? On account of Jesus’ perfect life in your place, His sacrificial death, and His blood shed to cover your sins. “He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, death and the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” (Explanation to the 2nd Article of the Creed, the Small Catechism). There is nothing in you that merits God’s divine help, but there is everything in Jesus’ death in your place that merits this.

And He gives this great salvation to you freely. Free gift! No strings attached! No conditions put upon receiving it! It is for you. God loved us when we were His enemies. So for this reason alone, He helps. And the help God gives is 100% done by Him. He does everything for you and your salvation. You simply receive. That’s what faith in Christ does. Faith holds to Jesus and His promises made in Holy Scripture, which cannot be broken. Therefore, you can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Since Christ has full atonement made And brought to us salvation, Each Christian therefore may be glad And build on this foundation. Your grace alone, dear Lord, I plead, Your death is now my life indeed, For You have paid my ransom. (LSB 555:6)

Rev. Robert Mayes, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Beemer and Wisner, NE.

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

Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.