September 19, 2025

Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-6

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 2:11-20; 4:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:1-15

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 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, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Following the teachings of Scripture is not always an easy task. We are encouraged, and even commanded, to pray, think well of, and even give thanks for people we might not necessarily want to. In the book of 1 Timothy, Paul writes that we are to give thanks and pray for our leaders and others who rule over us. At the time of this writing, that would have been the government of the Roman Empire, the very same empire that was actively persecuting Christians. Yet, God still placed the rulers in charge, even if His reasons are unknown to man. Through rulers, good and bad, the Lord provides for His creatures. We are to give thanks to God for the things he accomplishes through them, and to pray that God would guide them away from evil deeds. But we are to pray for them in a different way, as well. We are told in our reading for today that we are to pray for our rulers and for all people because the Lord desires for all people to believe. We pray for the good and the evil, for the people we agree with and the people that we disagree with, for the people we know well and people who are strangers to us, that all may know and call upon the name of our Lord. When we are faced with enemies in this world, we are called to remember that they, too, were created by God and that He desires to be reconciled with them. It is not an easy task to love your enemy or to pray for the one who persecutes you, but it is what we are called to do as ones who have already been reconciled with God. We do all of this only through the grace of Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for all people.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Teach us the lesson Thou hast taught: To feel for those Thy blood hath bought, That ev'ry word and deed and thought May work a work for Thee. (LSB 852:3)

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.

September 18, 2025

Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Asking a Blessing & Returning Thanks

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10; Haggai 1:1-2:23; 1 Timothy 1:1-20

The children and members of the household shall go to the table reverently, fold their hands, and say: The eyes of all look to You, [O LORD,] and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. (Ps. 145: 15–16) Then shall be said the Lord’s Prayer and the following: Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

All things come from God, and it is good to thank Him for them. Many Christians can relate to the experience of gathering around the dinner table with their families, folding their hands, bowing their heads, and thanking God for His gifts. But so frequently, growling stomachs and eager mouths will speed through their words of prayer to get to the meal. Martin Luther’s mealtime prayers, perhaps unintentionally, can help slow things down for us. In the Scripture from Psalm 145, we are reminded that everything that we have in life, down to the last crumb, is a gift from God, intentionally given to fulfill our wants and needs. In this Scripture, we are told that we not only receive the things we need, but the things that we desire as well! God gives to us as He sees fit, without any merit or worthiness on our part, out of the goodness and mercy of His heart. People work hard to earn money to provide for themselves and their families, but this, too, comes from God Himself as a means to take care of His creatures! As we know in the explanation of the Lord’s Prayer, He doesn’t just give Daily Bread to the people who ask Him and thank Him for it, but to each and every person on earth, even to evil people! Even the animals and plants of this world receive their fill directly from their creator. In this mealtime prayer, we thank God for all that He has given to sustain our bodies, not as an obligation, but as grateful children of God thanking Him for the gifts he has given us. We also give thanks to God as a reminder to ourselves of the daily goodness of God that we receive through God’s love and mercy alone. When we pray before our meals, we fill our bodies with thoughts honoring our Lord and the words of His promises before we fill them with the gifts He has provided for our daily lives.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Be present at our table, Lord; Be here and ev'rywhere adored; Thy creatures bless, and grant that we May feast in paradise with Thee. (LSB 775)

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.

September 17, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 15:1-10

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Philemon 1-25; Colossians 4:1-18

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:1-7)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Be honest. What would you do in this situation? If you were the shepherd from this parable, would you have gone to find the lost sheep? This shepherd had ninety-nine perfectly good sheep and a single one that went away. The ninety-nine sheep were perfectly safe and healthy with the shepherd, but to find the one, he’d have to leave them all behind in open country, where wolves, bears, lions, or robbers could come and take them for themselves. Not to mention, going alone into the wilderness, the shepherd could run into these predators as well. There wasn’t even a way for the shepherd to know if the lost sheep would still be alive by the time he found it! For all he knew, it was already dead. And besides, it was that sheep’s own fault that it had wandered off! From a practical perspective, seeking out the one lost sheep doesn’t make logical sense. But that doesn’t matter to the Shepherd. This Shepherd, Jesus Christ, was willing to put His life on the line for the sake of a single sheep, for you. Yes, you fall into sin constantly, you stray from the Lord who loves you, but every time, He comes to find you. His death on the cross pays the price for your wandering and retrieves you from the clutches of the devil, the world, and your very own sinful nature. The shepherd of this parable is so unlike us all and what we creatures would choose to do precisely because He is our perfect Savior, our Creator and Redeemer, who denies Himself for the sake of us, His creation.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We are Yours; in love befriend us, Be the guardian of our way; Keep Your flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray. (LSB 711:2)

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.