(See the bottom of the blog post for a video of the song “Better is One Place”)

Where do you feel most at home?

For some people, it’s sitting around the dinner table with family. For others, it’s a favorite chair on the back porch or a place they’ve visited for years. There’s something comforting about being where you belong.

Psalm 84 is filled with that kind of longing. The writer isn’t longing for a vacation or a familiar hometown.

He’s longing to be in the house of the Lord.

It’s easy for us to misunderstand that. We might think he’s talking about a building and to some extent it is, but not because of the building itself. After all, God isn’t confined to a church building any more than He was confined to the temple in Jerusalem.

So why does the psalmist long to be there?

Because that’s where God had promised to meet His people.

At the temple, sacrifices pointed forward to the coming Savior. God’s Word was proclaimed. His people gathered in worship. It was the place where the Lord came to bless His people with His gifts.

This is the beauty of church and Divine Service and why it’s good to long to go church to worship.

It’s not that God only exists inside a church building. It’s that He continues to meet His people where He has promised. We gather to hear His Word, receive His forgiveness, pray together, sing together, and encourage one another in the faith.

I visit with members for a variety of reasons and one is when they can’t make it to church for an extended period of time. Maybe their are sick or unable to get out of the house. Often, I bring Communion when I visit. And while the person is always appreciative of my visit, I almost always hear the same thing at some point in our conversation.

“Pastor, I miss going to church.”

They aren’t talking about missing a routine.

They miss hearing God’s Word with their church family. They missed regularly receiving the Lord’s Supper. They miss being where God continually strengthened their faith.

Of course, God is always with us and we can know that God is there at Bible studies and servant events, but the Divine Service is an important part of our faith-walk.

That’s the longing we hear in Psalm 84.

Ultimately, that longing points us beyond our Sunday gatherings.

Through Jesus Christ, we have access to the Father today. But we’re also looking forward to the day when faith becomes sight and we will dwell in God’s presence forever. Every time we gather for worship, we’re given a glimpse of that greater reality still to come, a foretaste of the feast to come.

Until then, we continue to pray, sing, listen, receive, and rejoice together.

Because there is no better place to be than where God comes to serve His people.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for gathering me with Your people and meeting me through Your Word and Your gifts. Deepen my love for worship and strengthen my faith each time I hear Your promises. Keep my eyes fixed on the day when I will dwell in Your presence forever 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.

When was the last time you were called out?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve corrected one of my kids only to hear, “Well, so-n-so does it.” I’m sure I’ve said similar things myself.

No one enjoys being corrected.

Whether it comes from a parent, teacher, or a supervisor, or even a friend or spouse, our first instinct is often to become defensive. We make excuses or point out someone else’s faults to deflect attention from our own.

Correction is rarely comfortable.

That is why these verses are so wise, if not difficult to hear. Proverbs doesn’t tell us to avoid the Lord’s discipline. It tells us not to despise it.

Why?

Because God’s correction is different from the world’s.

Sometimes people correct us out of frustration or pride. Other times because they simply enjoy pointing out another person’s failures. But when the Lord disciplines His children, He does so for an entirely different reason.

He loves them.

A good parent doesn’t let a child run into the street because saying “no” might hurt the child’s feelings.

• Love warns.
• Love corrects.
• Love protects.

God’s discipline works the same way because His discipline is love.

God’s discipline is also always correct and wise.

I remember a time in college, I was in a Christian campus group and some of the guys pulled me aside and admonished me. I had recently been taught about heeding the Lord’s discipline, so I tried to listen and not get defensive, but at the same time it seemed to me that they weren’t correct. A combination of bad theology and assumptions led to some false conclusions. Their hearts were in the right place. They were acting in love, but they were just wrong.

God is never wrong in His discipline, either in what He disciplines is for or how He disciplines us. 

Sometimes He corrects us through His Word as we recognize attitudes or actions that don’t belong in the life of His people. Other times He uses a fellow Christian who lovingly points out a blind spot we couldn’t see ourselves. And sometimes He allows us to experience the painful consequences of our own foolish decisions so that we learn to walk a wiser path.

None of those moments feel pleasant, but they can become moments of tremendous growth.

The writer to the Hebrews quotes these very verses from Proverbs and reminds us that

“for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

That little word “later” is important.

We don’t always understand God’s work while it is happening. Often we can only see His wisdom by looking back.

So when God’s Word convicts you, don’t assume He is rejecting you.

When He exposes your sin, don’t conclude that He has stopped loving you.

The opposite is true.

His correction is evidence that you belong to Him. A loving Father doesn’t abandon His children to whatever path they choose. He calls them back.

Again and again.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for loving me enough to correct me. Forgive me for the times I resist Your Word or become defensive when You expose my sin. Give me a humble heart that is willing to learn and to be shaped by Your wisdom. Help me to trust that Your discipline always flows from Your love and is for my good. Through Your Holy Spirit, continue Your work in me, making me more like Jesus each day.

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 Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer

What image do you see in your mind when you hear the word, “Kingdom”?

When people hear the word kingdom, they often picture a place.

• A castle
• A throne
• A king ruling over a piece of land

But when Jesus speaks about the Kingdom of God, He is talking about something much greater.

God’s Kingdom is His gracious reign.

It is wherever He rules through His Word, bringing people out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of His Son.

That’s why Luther explains this petition by saying,

“The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.”

Notice that again.

Just as God’s name is holy whether we pray or not, God’s Kingdom is advancing whether we see it or not.

So this petition is not asking God to become King. He already is.

We are asking that His gracious rule would reach us and others.

How does that happen?

It’s not through political power or military strength. This is not praying that Christians would take over the government or control society.

God’s Kingdom comes through the Gospel.

• Every time someone hears the good news of Jesus and believes, the Kingdom comes.
• Every time a child is baptized into Christ, the Kingdom comes.
• Every time sins are forgiven, God’s Word is preached, or someone is brought from death to life through faith, the Kingdom comes.

Jesus stood in front of Pontius Pilate and told Pilate His kingdom was not of this world. Or, as he said in our passage, you can’t point to it here or there.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus said He would be lifted up and draw all the world to Himself. He was lifted up five days later. Lifted up on a cross. The world thought this was the end of Jesus, but really, Jesus was ascending to His throne. The sign on the cross read, “King of the Jews”. In fact, it was the King of the world, establishing a kingdom of grace that would have no end.

Jesus compared His Kingdom to a mustard seed. It begins small and almost unnoticed, yet it continues to grow. Much of what God does happens in ways we don’t normally associate with a reign—in a sermon, in a Bible study, in a conversation between friends, around a hospital bed, at a baptismal font, or at the Lord’s Table.

The world may not notice those moments, but Heaven does…and so do the citizens of God’s kingdom.

This petition also reminds us that God’s Kingdom is not only something we enter.

It is something we long to see completed.

We still live in a world marked by sin, suffering, temptation, and death. We pray for God’s Kingdom to come because we look forward to the day when Christ returns, evil is finally defeated, and His people live with Him forever.

Until then, we pray that His Kingdom would continue to come to us and our faith would grow. We pray that our neighbors would hear the Gospel and more people would come to know Christ as their Savior.

Because there is no greater gift than belonging to His Kingdom.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Let Your Kingdom come to me and to many others through the power of Your Word and the work of Your Holy Spirit. Strengthen my faith, bring those who do not yet know Christ to saving faith, and keep me looking forward to the day when Your Kingdom is revealed in all its glory. Through Jesus Christ, my King.

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.

Losing someone be unsettling.

Have you ever lost someone? Maybe a beloved pastor accepts a call to another congregation, a trusted mentor retires, a parent dies, or Someone who has guided and encouraged us for years is suddenly no longer there.

It can make you anxious and cause you to wonder:

What happens now?

Israel was facing a similar moment. Moses had led God’s people for forty years. He had stood before Pharaoh, received the Law on Mount Sinai, and shepherded Israel through the wilderness. Soon, however, Moses would die before they entered the Promised Land.

• Would God stop speaking to His people?
• Would they be left on their own?

The answer was no.

Through Moses, God made a promise:

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me…to Him you shall listen.”

God was assuring His people that He would continue to speak. He would not leave them without His Word.

In the years that followed, God raised up many prophets. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Nahum, and others faithfully proclaimed His message. Yet none of them fully matched the promise. They all pointed beyond themselves to a greater Prophet who was still to come.

That Prophet is Jesus.

Like Moses, Jesus came to deliver God’s people—not from slavery in Egypt, but from slavery to sin. Like Moses, He spoke God’s Word with authority. Like Moses, He would enter His people into a new covenant. And, like Moses, He would deliver His people to a Promised Land greater than anything they had ever known.

Yet Jesus is greater than Moses because He is not merely God’s messenger. He is God’s eternal Son and the Word made flesh.

When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, the Father’s voice echoed this promise from Deuteronomy:

“This is My beloved Son…listen to Him.”

That invitation remains just as important today.

We live in a world filled with competing voices.

• News outlets
• Podcasts
• Social media
• Friends
• Doworkers
• Countless experts

They all tell us how to think, what to value, what to do, and where to find hope. Some voices are helpful. Others lead us away from God.

In the middle of all that noise, Christ still speaks.

He speaks primarily through the Scriptures, though also through His Spirit and His people. He speaks words of forgiveness to guilty sinners, comfort to the weary, hope to hopeless, assurance to the anxious, and so much more.

The question is not whether God is speaking. It’s whether we are listening.

As you open His Word today, remember that you are not simply reading an ancient book. You are hearing the voice of the Prophet whom God promised long ago, the One who still calls His people to Himself.

Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for speaking the words of eternal life. In a world filled with so many competing voices, help me to listen first and foremost to You. Open my ears to hear Your Word, strengthen my faith through it, and guide my life according to Your truth.

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 disciples have finally confessed that Jesus is the Christ. But they still don’t understand what kind of Christ He is.

As they travel through Galilee, Jesus tells them again that He will be betrayed, killed, and rise on the third day. They don’t understand what He means, and they are afraid to ask.

Instead, they begin arguing about something entirely different.

Which one of them is the greatest?

It is a painful contrast. While Jesus is speaking about His coming sacrifice, the disciples are thinking about status.

Jesus patiently teaches them that His kingdom works differently.

“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Then He places a little child in their midst.

In the ancient world, children were not viewed the way they often are today. They had no position, influence, or status. Yet Jesus welcomes the child and says that receiving one such child in His name is receiving Him.

Greatness in God’s kingdom is not measured by how many people serve you, but humble faith that serves others.

Jesus continues by warning His disciples not to become obstacles to faith. He uses striking language about cutting off a hand or a foot or tearing out an eye if it causes someone to sin. Jesus is not calling us to harm ourselves physically. He is emphasizing how serious sin really is.

We often treat sin lightly because we compare ourselves to other people. Jesus reminds us there are eternal consequences and we need to keep that in mind.

Anything that draws us away from Him needs to be abandoned.

Jesus finishes with what is a rather confusing statement to modern ears and I think it’s worth taking a minute to understand it.

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Jesus had just said how sin leads to hell where there is unquenchable fire, unending suffering. He had also recently taught the disciples that He must suffer and die (and rise again). Everyone will face suffering. For the unbeliever in their sin, that fire of suffering will be eternal. They chose temporary pleasure for eternal suffering. For the Christian who has been forgiven their sins by faith, the suffering is temporary and heaven is eternal. They chose temporary suffering for eternal joy.

In that sense, salty suffering is good for the Christian, as it purifies and preserves.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5

The suffering of a Christian is good for him or her and they can find joy in their suffering because they suffer with Christ who sacrificed all for them. But if they lose the joy of their salvation, that suffering is only misery. We endure the suffering because of the salt of Christ’s suffering for us which preserves and saves us.

Jesus finishes with,

“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

The disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest. Now, Jesus shows them how it should be. Rather than arguing about greatness, they should be willing to suffer for each other, just as Jesus would suffer for them, and have peace amongst each other.

Throughout this chapter, Jesus keeps overturning the world’s definition of success.

• The world says to seek recognition…Jesus calls us to humility.
• The world tells us to protect ourselves…Jesus is on His way to lay down His life.

The way of His kingdom is different because the King Himself is different.

And as we continue following Mark’s Gospel, we will soon see just how far Jesus is willing to go to serve those He loves.

Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus,

Forgive me for the pride that so easily grows in my heart. Teach me to follow Your way of humility and service. Keep me from anything that would draw me away from You, and help me live as a faithful citizen of Your kingdom.

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.

Where do you look for help?

When trouble comes, do you call a friend, search online, or talk to a parent.  We often try to solve the problem ourselves.

Those things aren’t necessarily wrong. In fact, God often works through doctors, counselors, family members, and countless other people to care for us and wisdom seeks the advice of wise council.

But Psalm 121 reminds us where our ultimate help comes from.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?”

For the people of Israel, this was a fitting question. Many scholars believe Psalm 121 was one of the Songs of Ascents, sung by pilgrims as they traveled to Jerusalem for the great festivals. The road was long, and the journey wasn’t always safe. There were steep climbs, rough terrain, and the constant threat of robbers.

As travelers looked toward the hills surrounding Jerusalem, they could easily have wondered what lay ahead.

Then came the answer.

“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

What confidence those words give.

Our help doesn’t come merely from someone who has good intentions or even some years of training or experience. It comes from the One who created the mountains, the valleys, and everything in between.

This is good to remember even when we are receiving God’s help through a person. But it’s especially helpful to remember when you find yourself in a situation where no person can help. People are limited. God is not.

The psalm goes on to say that God neither slumbers nor sleeps.

A few years ago, we lost power during a storm in the middle of the night. Like many parents, I walked through the house with a flashlight, checking on everyone before trying to deal with the problem. I reported the outage to the electric company, but eventually, I just went to bed because there wasn’t anything more I could do until morning…or even in the morning.

God never reaches that point.

He never grows weary or needs a break. He isn’t powerless to deal with any situation. There is never a moment when He isn’t watching over His people.

That doesn’t mean He promises a life without hardship. The pilgrims still had to make the journey. They still climbed the hills.

But they didn’t travel alone.

Neither do we.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, has walked the road before us. He endured suffering, faced temptation, and even passed through death itself. Because He rose again, we know that no road we travel is outside His care.

So wherever this day leads you, lift up your eyes.

Not because the hills have the answers.

But because the Lord does.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for watching over me every moment of every day. When I feel uncertain or overwhelmed, remind me that my help comes from You alone. Keep me in Your care, strengthen my faith, and lead me safely through every step of life’s journey, 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.

“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.