February 4, 2026

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5

Daily Lectionary: Job 1:1-22; John 1:1-18

“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Christian life is a life of discipline. We do not let the passions of the flesh, our bodily desires and appetites, rule over us. We do not indulge every fancy or feeling we have. We certainly do not assume that whatever our inner selves want is automatically good and right. As Jesus says, “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11).

St. Paul warns us here of the real spiritual danger in allowing our sinful desires to go unchecked. We must discipline ourselves. We must struggle daily against sin. We must drown the Old Adam, our sinful nature, in the waters of our Baptism every single day. And this is no mere lifestyle management. As Paul goes on to note, if we allow ourselves to grow complacent and let down our guard, we may find ourselves drifting away from the faith and forfeiting the promises given in Christ, just as not everyone who crossed the Red Sea entered the Promised Land.

This is a hard but necessary Word from God, spoken through the Apostle Paul. We are encouraged to fight the good fight, run the race faithfully, and remain diligent and watchful against sin and every form of evil in our own persons. We must resist the popular idea that doctrine is unimportant, that all religions are equally true, or that all our inborn desires are good and wholesome.

In a world that tells us to follow our hearts and trust our feelings, St. Paul reminds us that the Christian life is not about comfort, but cross-bearing. Discipline is not about self-perfection; it is about staying close to Jesus. And what is the reward of this disciplined life? The very salvation won for us by Christ. Not because our efforts earn this great gift, but because such discipline keeps our eyes fixed on the prize. It keeps us oriented away from this world and its countless distractions and our attention fixed on our Savior. We do not run aimlessly. We do not live without purpose. Our goal is Christ, the One who gave Himself for us and our forgiveness.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Let no false doctrine me beguile; Let Satan not my soul defile. Give strength and patience unto me to bear my cross and follow Thee. Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord, in death Thy comfort still afford. Amen. (LSB 708:2)

Rev. Christopher Brademeyer, St. John's Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.