“Honesty is the best policy.”

Most of us have heard that saying since we were children. It’s good advice, but Proverbs goes even deeper. It tells us that honesty isn’t merely a good policy; it’s something that delights the Lord.

In Solomon’s day, merchants weighed grain, spices, and other goods on a balance scale. An unscrupulous seller could shave a little weight from one side or use dishonest weights to make it appear that customers were receiving more than they actually were. The deception might have been small, but it was still theft.

Most of us don’t use balance scales today, but the temptation hasn’t disappeared.

It can show up on a timesheet when we claim hours we didn’t really work. It can appear on a tax return, an expense report, or an online listing that conveniently leaves out an important detail. It can even creep into our conversations when we exaggerate a story to make ourselves look a little better.

Often the question isn’t,

“Can I get away with this?”

It’s,

“Will anyone ever know?”

Proverbs reminds us that Someone always knows.

And remarkably, the verse doesn’t simply say that dishonest scales are wrong. It also says that honest ones delight the Lord. Think about that for a moment. Your integrity at work, your honesty in business, and your faithfulness in the little things are pleasing to God.

That means your everyday work matters.

Whether you’re running a business, teaching a classroom, caring for children, repairing cars, answering emails, or stocking shelves, you have opportunities each day to reflect the character of the God you serve.

It also reflects trust. Often, the reason we cheat on the scales or embellish the story is because we don’t trust that God will provide. When we live with integrity, we trust that God will take care of us when we live in and speak the truth.

Of course, none of us does this perfectly. There are times when we’ve cut corners, shaded the truth, or chosen what was convenient instead of what was right. The truth is that none of us live with perfect integrity. Thankfully, Jesus, whose righteousness is perfect, covers even our dishonest moments by His sacrifice on the cross.

Because we have received His mercy, we are free to live differently.

We are free to live with integrity, trusting God with the results of speaking the truth and living according to it.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for caring not only about the big decisions in my life, but also about the small ones. Forgive me for the times I have been less than honest or have chosen what was easy instead of what was right. Help me to live with integrity, even when no one else is watching. Let my work, my words, and my actions reflect Your truth. Help me to trust in you. Thank You that my hope rests not in my own righteousness, but in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

The First Petition of the Lord’s Prayer

Do you know what “Hallowed” means?

We don’t use the term outside the church very much…or inside the church very much outside of the Lord’s Prayer. So, I’d understand if you weren’t sure. Hallowed means to be holy and to be held as holy.

“Hallowed be Your name.”

At first, this can seem like an unusual prayer. After all, isn’t God’s name already holy?

Yes.

God’s name is holy whether we acknowledge it or not. We cannot make it more holy than it already is.

So why does Jesus teach us to pray this?

The catechism answers simply:

“God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.”

Notice those last two words.

“Among us.”

This prayer is not asking God to change.

It is asking Him to change us.

God’s name is much more than the word “God.” In the Bible, His name represents who He is—His character, His promises, His saving work, and His reputation among His people.

In fact, God is called by many names in the Bible:

• Savior
• Mighty God
• Immanuel
• Jehovah Jirah
• Elohim
• Yahweh
• Prince of Peace

I could go on, but the reason God is called by so many names is that these names describe God’s character. He saves. He’s with us. He provides, and so on.

So how is God’s name kept holy among us?

Luther points to two things.

1. First, when God’s Word is taught in its truth and purity.
2. Second, when we, as His children, live holy lives according to that Word.

Those two belong together.

A church may have beautiful music, a welcoming atmosphere, and many activities. But if God’s Word is no longer taught faithfully, His name is no longer being kept holy there.

Likewise, we may know God’s Word well. But if our lives consistently contradict what we confess, we bring dishonor to His name before the world. After all, God has placed His name on you in baptism and Bible calls you His ambassador. You represent God to the world.

None of us does this perfectly.

There are times when our words, attitudes, and actions fail to reflect the God we claim to follow. We all give people reasons to question whether our faith is genuine.

That is why we pray this petition.

We are asking God to keep drawing us back to His truth,  to guard His Church from false teaching, and shape our lives so that they reflect His goodness.

And notice something wonderful.

Jesus Himself prayed this prayer perfectly.

He always honored His Father’s name. He always spoke the truth. He always lived in complete obedience to His Father’s will.

Then He went to the cross for those of us who have failed to do the same.

Because of Him, our failures are forgiven.

Because of Jesus, we can ask God to forgive us and know He will…but we’ll get to that part of the prayer a little later.

Also, because of Him, the Holy Spirit continues to sanctify us—to make us holy—not so that we can earn God’s favor, but because we already have it in Christ.

So today, when you pray, “Hallowed be Your name,” you are asking God to do His gracious work in you.

• Teach me Your truth.
• Keep me in it.
• Help my life point others to You.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Your name is holy and worthy of all honor and praise. Keep me steadfast in Your Word, and guard me from falsehood and error. By Your Holy Spirit, shape my life so that my words and actions reflect Your goodness and bring honor to Your name. Through Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

Some words stay with you for a lifetime.

Perhaps they were spoken by a parent, a teacher, or a close friend. A few simple sentences, offered at just the right time, can shape how we see ourselves and the world around us.

In Numbers 6, God gives Aaron and his sons words to speak over His people. We often call them the Aaronic Benediction or simply the Benediction. It has been spoken for more than three thousand years and is still heard every Sunday in countless churches around the world, include my church, Faith.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

These are beautiful words, but they are more than a beautiful prayer. They are God’s own blessing.

Immediately after these verses, God says, “So shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27). The priest was not merely expressing a hope that God might bless His people. God Himself was speaking through His appointed servant and giving what He promised.

That is still true today.

When the Benediction is spoken at the end of a worship service, it is not simply a pleasant way to conclude the morning. It is God sending His people into the week with His own promise.

• His favor goes with them.
• His gracious presence accompanies them.
• His peace rests upon them.

Notice, too, what the blessing centers on.

It is not primarily health, success, or prosperity. Instead, the blessing is God’s own face turned toward His people, His gracious attention, and His peace.

Those are gifts that circumstances cannot take away.

There will be weeks when life goes exactly as you hoped and you may say, I’m blessed!” There will be weeks when it doesn’t. But whether the road ahead is smooth or difficult, God’s blessing remains rooted in His unchanging faithfulness, not in changing circumstances. That means even when your week does not go the way you wanted or even when tragedy strikes, you can still say, “I am blessed!”

Every time you hear these familiar words, receive them as a gift. I like to hold out my hands like I’m receiving something…because I am.

The Lord is blessing you.

The Lord is keeping you.

The Lord is looking upon you with grace because of Jesus Christ.

And the peace He gives is deeper than anything this world can offer.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for speaking words of blessing over Your people. Help me to receive them with faith and to live each day in the confidence that You are watching over me with grace and peace. Keep me in Your care, and let the peace won for me through Jesus guard my heart and mind.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

Which voice has your attention lately?

Six days after Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain.

What Peter had spoken of is shown clearly to him.

Jesus is transfigured before them. His appearance shines with heavenly glory, and Moses and Elijah appear beside Him. For a brief moment, the disciples see what had been true all along. Jesus is not merely a teacher or prophet. He is the glorious Son of God.

Then a cloud overshadows them, and the Father’s voice declares,

“This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.”

That command is the heart of this passage.

Listen to Him.

Coming down the mountain, the disciples immediately return to the brokenness of everyday life. A desperate father brings his son, who is tormented by an unclean spirit. The disciples have been unable to help.

The father turns to Jesus with a mixture of hope and uncertainty.

“If You can do anything…”

Jesus redirects his attention from what He can do to where trust belongs. The man responds with one of the most honest prayers in Scripture:

“I believe; help my unbelief!”

Jesus answers by casting out the spirit and restoring the boy.

Most of us know what that father felt. Faith and doubt often exist side by side. We trust Christ, yet we still struggle. We believe His promises, yet fear and uncertainty creep in.

Jesus does not turn away those who come to Him with weak faith.

He strengthens it.

The Father on the mountain was right.

When life is confusing, when faith feels fragile, when we don’t know what to do next, the answer is the same.

Listen to Him.

Also, when life feels sure and our faith feels strong and we think we know what’s coming and what to do, the answer is still the same.

Listen to Him.

Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for revealing Yourself as the beloved Son of God. Strengthen my faith when it is weak, and help me to keep listening to Your Word. In every joy and every struggle, lead me to trust You more fully.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

When was the last time you thought about how quickly life passes?

Most of us don’t think about it very often. We make plans for next week, next month, or next year. We celebrate birthdays, watch children grow, and before we know it, another decade has gone by.

Moses understood how quickly life can pass.

Psalm 90 is the only psalm attributed to him. Think about everything he witnessed.

• He was rescued as a baby from the Nile.
• He fled Egypt.
• God spoke to him from the burning bush.
• He led Israel through the Red Sea and spent forty years in the wilderness.

If anyone understood both the significance and the brevity of life, it was Moses.

So he prays,

“Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Why spend time thinking about the fact that our days are numbered?

Because we often live as though they aren’t.

We put off reconciliation or postpone time with family. We assume there will always be another opportunity to encourage someone, to serve a neighbor, or to spend time in God’s Word.

Sometimes there is. Sometimes there isn’t.

Moses isn’t encouraging us to become anxious about the future. He’s asking God to give us wisdom to value the time we’ve been given.

For Christians, that wisdom is different from simply trying to fit more into our schedules.

It’s remembering what matters most.

I recently read a quote from a man who had recently retired. He said,

“I spent forty years planning for retirement. I wish I had spent just as much time planning how to use it.”

His comment wasn’t about money. It was about purpose. He had been so focused on reaching one stage of life that he hadn’t thought much about what God might be calling him to do once he got there.

It’s similar to a conversation I had many times with an elderly woman who wasn’t able to move around very much and had pain every day. Every time I’d see her she would ask me, “Why am I still here?”

She looked forward to being with her Lord and leaving her painful body behind, but she had trouble finding purpose. I told her more than once that if she’s still here, God has things for her to do. For someone who couldn’t do much, one thing she absolutely could do is pray. She could become one of the greatest prayer warriors.

Psalm 90 reminds us that every season of life is a gift from God.

Whether you’re young or old, raising children or enjoying grandchildren, working full-time or retired, the Lord has given you this day. He has placed people in your life to love and opportunities to serve Him.

Most importantly, He has given you His Son.

Because of Jesus, we don’t fear the passing of time. Our hope isn’t found in trying to hold on to this life forever. Christ has already secured eternal life through His death and resurrection.

That changes how we live today.

We don’t count our days because we’re afraid they’ll end.

We count them because each one is a gift from the God who has already given us forever. So, we want to live them to the fullest according to His purpose.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Teach me to use the days You have given me wisely. Help me not to waste them chasing things that will not last, but to live each day in faith, loving You and serving my neighbor. Thank You that through Jesus Christ, my future is secure, and eternal life is Your gracious gift.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

What defines your identity?

There are moments in life that change everything.

• A wedding day.
• The birth of a child.
• A graduation.
• A military enlistment.

After those moments, you are no longer who you were before. Your identity has changed, and with it comes a new way of living.

The Bible speaks of Baptism that way.

Sometimes Christians think of Baptism primarily as something they did for God—a public declaration of faith or a promise to live differently. But Paul describes it from an entirely different perspective.

He writes that you have been “buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God.”

Notice who is doing the work.

God is.

Baptism is not about your promise to God. It is about God’s promise to you. It is one of the ways He delivers the saving work of Christ into your life, joining you to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

That is why Paul can say that you were buried with Christ.

The old life under the guilt and condemnation of sin has come to an end. The person who stood condemned before God has died with Christ.

But that is only half the story.

Paul immediately adds that you have also been raised with Him.

Christ’s resurrection is not simply an event you celebrate each Easter. It is the beginning of your new life. The same Savior who walked out of the tomb has joined you to Himself, so that His victory over sin and death has become your victory.

Then Paul reminds us what our condition was before God acted.

“You, who were dead in your trespasses… God made alive together with him.”

You were dead! Again, salvation is entirely God’s work. Dead people do not make themselves alive. God does.

That truth is wonderfully comforting because it means your confidence does not rest on the strength of your faith or the quality of your commitment. It rests on the God who acts.

On the contrary, when baptism is something you do, it can leave you without confidence. When I was in college, I had several friends who got baptized multiple times. For one, they had “backslid”, as they called it, and felt like they must not have really meant it at their first baptism or they wouldn’t have done the sins they did. For others, they grew in their faith and now felt like they didn’t really understand what they were saying when they were baptized previously.

When it depends on you, whether your works or your commitment, there’s always a reason to doubt. When your salvation rests on the God who acts through His Word and through baptism, you can be confident because God always does what He says.

• When you struggle with sin, return to your Baptism.
• When your conscience accuses you, return to your Baptism.
• When you wonder whether God has abandoned you, return to your Baptism.
• When you grow in your faith, praise the Lord, and return to your Baptism.

Baptism doesn’t kill your old condemned self and raise you to new life because the water itself is somehow magical, but because God attached His Word, His promise, to it. There He united you with Christ. There He forgave your sins. There He claimed you as His own.

Martin Luther was known to remind himself, “I am baptized.” I do this myself. It’s a good practice I’d recommend to anyone.

Those are not merely words about something that happened years ago. They are words about a reality that continues today. “I AM baptized.”

You have been buried with Christ.

You have been raised with Christ.

And because you belong to Him, death will never have the final word.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your saving work in Holy Baptism. Thank You for joining me to the death and resurrection of Your Son, forgiving my sins, and making me alive in Christ.

When I doubt, remind me of Your promises. When I fall into sin, lead me again to the forgiveness You have given. When I resist sin and faithfully follow You, remind me that my hope isn’t in my faithfulness. It’s in Yours. Help me to live each day in the new life that is already mine through Jesus.

Keep me faithful until the day I share fully in the resurrection You have promised.

Through Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

Envy doesn’t usually announce itself.

It slips in quietly.

• A friend gets the promotion you hoped for.
• A neighbor buys the house you’ve always wanted.
• Someone else’s family seems happier, their career more successful, or their life easier than yours.

Before long, you’re no longer grateful for what God has given you because you’re focused on what He has given someone else.

That’s the danger of envy. It steals joy without giving anything in return.

Proverbs describes the contrast with a striking image. A tranquil heart gives life. Picture a tree growing beside a stream, steady and healthy because its roots have what they need. Contentment has that kind of effect. It brings peace, even when life isn’t perfect.

Envy does the opposite. It “rots the bones.”

That’s a vivid way of saying it eats away at us from the inside. It breeds resentment and makes it harder to celebrate another person’s blessings. It leaves us restless, convinced that happiness is always just beyond our reach.

Social media has made this temptation even stronger. We scroll through carefully chosen snapshots of other people’s lives and begin comparing them to the ordinary realities of our own. We compare our behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.

It’s an unfair comparison. More importantly, it’s a distraction.

God has not called you to live someone else’s life.

He has called you to be faithful in yours.

The Lord’s blessings are not distributed equally, but they are always distributed wisely. He knows what we need, what we can handle, and how He intends to use us. That doesn’t mean we’ll understand every difference or every hardship, but it does mean we can trust the One who gives every good gift.

The cure for envy isn’t getting more. It’s remembering what you already have and who provided it.

You have a heavenly Father who knows your needs before you ask and a Savior who gave His own life to make you His own. You have the promise that nothing can separate you from His love.

Those gifts are not measured against anyone else’s. They are yours in Christ.

Today, if you find yourself looking sideways, gently turn your eyes back to the Lord. Thank Him for His faithfulness. Rejoice in the blessings He has given others, and rest in the confidence that He has not forgotten you.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Forgive me for the times I compare my life to the lives of others. Thank You for the many blessings You have already given me, even the ones I too often overlook. Give me a contented heart that trusts Your wisdom and rejoices in Your provision. Help me celebrate the blessings of others without resentment, and keep my eyes fixed on the greatest gift of all—Your Son, Jesus Christ, in whom I have forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

The Address of the Lord’s Prayer

Every prayer Jesus teaches begins with two simple words:

“Our Father.”

We say them so often that it’s easy to miss how remarkable they are.

Jesus does not tell us to pray, “Almighty Creator,” or “Holy Judge.” Those titles are true. God is almighty and He is holy. He is the righteous Judge of all the earth.

Yet Jesus teaches us to begin with a family relationship.

“Our Father.”

That would have sounded astonishing to many of the people listening to Him. Throughout the Old Testament, God had revealed Himself as the Father of His people. But now Jesus invites His followers to approach God with the same confidence children have toward a loving father.

Not because we deserve it. Because He makes us His children and loves us like a father loves his children.

On our own, we have no right to call God our Father. We’ve rebelled against our creator and our sin separated us from Him. But through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have been adopted into God’s family.

Paul writes that we have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry,

“Abba! Father!”

“Abba” was the everyday word a child would use for his father. It expresses closeness, trust, and love.

That doesn’t make God casual or less holy. It makes His grace even more amazing.

The One who rules the universe invites you to come before Him as His beloved child.

Notice something else. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father,” not “My Father.”

Prayer is personal, but it is never merely private.

Whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are praying alongside Christians throughout the world. We remember that we belong to something bigger than ourselves—the family of God.

That also shapes the way we pray.

When we say,

“Give us this day our daily bread,”

we are praying not only for ourselves but also for our brothers and sisters. When we ask God to forgive us, we remember that every Christian stands before God by the same grace.

The Lord’s Prayer pulls our eyes away from ourselves and toward both our Father and our family in Christ.

So the next time you begin to pray, don’t rush past those first two words.

• Pause for a moment.
• Remember who God is.
• Remember who you are.

You are not approaching a reluctant king who must be persuaded to listen.

You are coming to your Father.

And because of Jesus, you already know how He feels about you.

Let’s pray…

Our Father in heaven,

Thank You for adopting me as Your child through Jesus Christ. Help me to come before You with confidence, trusting in Your love and care. Teach me to pray not only for my own needs but also for the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.