Good morning, and a most blessed Thursday morning to you.

In our time of devotion together this morning, as we meditate on God’s Word, we are going to take some time to reflect upon who God is in his own being, and also upon who he is in our lives, as we respond to him by the power of His Spirit.

In the Gospel of Mark chapter 12, a scribe asks Jesus which commandment is the most important of all.

29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

In this coming season of confirmation we are going to begin with studying the Ten Commandments. And I want for us this morning to contemplate the very first words that Jesus spoke in response to the scribe; the first words that we find in the small catechism. “I am the Lord your God.” 

Everything in our lives hinges upon this truth, upon this statement, upon this call from the Lord. “I am the Lord, your God.”  This means that we shall have no other gods.  We are to trust, serve, obey, fear, love, and turn to the Lord God before all.  This means  that God, Father the Son and the Holy Spirit, who spoke creation into existence, who redeemed creation by his own blood, who empowers us to respond to his call to serve him and to love our neighbors. He is our God.   

What does that mean?   How do we serve, love, and trust him above all else?   How do we turn to him in order to serve and to love our neighbor?  This very promise, this very spoken truth, this spoken word, that the Lord is our God, that the Lord is one, that he has called us to be his own, this is what I pray we will meditate on in the next coming days, as we enter into the weekend, and especially as we enter into worship the this Sunday.  Who is the Lord in our lives?  What has he called us to?  Who has he called us to be?  How do we respond, and how do we serve him in that calling?

There are so many ways of the Lord that we don't and won't ever understand.  But that's okay.  There is comfort in knowing that he is sovereign. He is almighty, and all-knowing. And in that otherness,  he has called us to be his own. He has proclaimed that he is our Lord, our God.  We can serve him, love him, and turn to him because of this one truth.  In fact, everything in our lives hinges and turns and returns once again to that truth.

What does that look like?  How does that play out in our lives? That may look different for each of us.   How we serve the Lord, and what we are called to in the Lord, may vary.  But the Lord does not vary.  The truth of the Lord, the truth of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, does not vary.  That is where we continue to turn, and return.  We are empowered by his Holy Spirit to continue to go forth each day, loving him, and serving him: loving our neighbor and serving our neighbor; all hinging and returning to that one fact that, “I am the Lord your God.” 

What that means for us… time will tell.  What that means for us, in his mercy, is that we are his indeed His. We are redeemed by his own Son.  We are called to serve him, and to respond to him by the power of his own Holy Spirit. We can rest in complete peace and assurance, knowing that He is ours, and we are His.

Let us turn to him now in prayer.   Lord, we thank you for calling us to be your own.  Thank you that we can rest assured that you are our Lord, our God.  We ask that we would turn to you, seeking you first above and before all else; that we would love and serve our neighbor in that response to your goodness and the guidance of your Spirit.  Lord, we ask that as we enter into this weekend that you will guide us by your Spirit, that you would call us continually to yourself, reminding us that you are above all, and before all; and that you are indeed our Lord, our God.  Lord, we thank you for calling us into creation.  We thank you for creating us new in the redemption of your Son, and in the power of your Holy Spirit.   Bless us, and guide us, and continue to lead us forth in your love, mercy, grace, and by Your Word.  We lift this to you in the Holy and Blessed name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Have a wonderful rest of your week, meditating on the beautiful truth that the Lord indeed is our Lord, our God, and what that means.  I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday,  whether online or in person.  God's blessings to you today and ever more!   God bless!

Pastor Malinak