I Know My Redeemer Lives - Devotion 3 - Monday Morning Devotions
Join us as Pastor Ricky Jacob, serving the Winnebago people in Nebraska, explores the life of Job and the truth of our Risen Lord.
He lives to bless me with His love;
He lives to plead for me above;
He lives my hungry soul to feed;
He lives to help in time of need.
(Samuel Medley, 1783-1799, abr.)
You and I know all too well what it is to experience the death of a loved one. Children even experience this, some at a very young age - through the death of a grandparent, or maybe the death of a pet. Death is so final. And yet in our song death is not the end. Jesus, much like His Heavenly Father, is NOT the god of the dead but of the living!
Jesus lives for you. Let me repeat that: Jesus lives for you! He lives to bless you. How you might wonder - Jesus blesses you with his love - his unconditional love. Jesus blesses all those who believe in Him with the forgiveness of their sin - each and every one of their sins.
Jesus is not out of reach, oh, out of sight, yes, but He is only a prayer away. Jesus lives to hear your prayers and to plead on your behalf to His Heavenly Father. Jesus gave His disciples one of His prayers, sometimes referred to as the Lord's Prayer. I myself like to call it the spiritual warrior's prayer since we are in a daily battle with the devil, the world as well as one's own sinful nature.
Jesus lives your hungry soul to feed. How in the world is one's hungry soul fed? Did you note the words of our song? He lives our hungry soul to feed. Hungry souls are feed on the Sacred Word of God. Like Jesus, man and woman do not live on bread alone, but on the Word of God. When you read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word of God you are spiritually fed. Note well: one is never fed up with the Word of God. Much like one needs physical bread on a daily basis, one also needs to be fed on a regular basis spiritually. This spiritual feeding also includes the bread and the wine of the Lord's Supper.
The final line in our verse for today is: Jesus lives to help in times of need. Jesus should be the first one we turn to in time of need, in time of despair, in time of sorrow, in time of illness or battling a deadly disease or virus. Yes, thank you, Jesus, who lives to help in time of need.
Please pray with me: O God, for our redemption You gave Your only-gotten Son to the death of the cross and by His glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of the enemy. Grant that all our sin may be drowned through daily repentance and that day by day we may arise to live before You in righteousness and purity forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Resurrection of Our Lord - Collect 2