Equipped with Strength

For You equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.  Psalm 18:39

 

C.F.W. Walther once wrote these words, “O take heart and be joyful!  The Lord, who is a God of truth, is with us!  By that sign we shall conquer, though all powers of darkness in midnight hour plot against us and rise against us on the battlefield.  The battle will rage hot and ever hotter!  Finally, we, persistent to the end – and grant this to us Jesus Christ, Thou Leader in the fight – we will be taken in triumph into the congregation above, to the eternal festival of jubilation.  Amen.”

 

The battles the church faced in Walther’s day are still some of the battles the church continues to face.  Our foes - sin, death, and the devil – will fight against us tirelessly.  As Walther said, “The battle will rage hot and ever hotter!”  But thanks be to God – for as Psalm 18:39 tell us – God has equipped us with strength for the battle.

 

God has given us all that we need to withstand the daily attacks of the devil and our sinful flesh.  Even when our foes seem to have us on the ropes and defeated – we can be sure we have the victory because of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Through His death and resurrection, He has won for us – forgiveness, life, and salvation!  We are equipped for battle because we know that when we are weak and fail, we can turn to the Lord in repentance and receive the forgiveness won for us by Christ!

 

May the Good News of the forgiveness, life, and salvation won for us by Jesus Christ give us the strength we need each and every day!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:10

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”, or so the famous Christmas song tells us.  Although there is great joy this time of year, there is also an increase in loneliness, sadness, depression, and heartache.  Maybe you’ve had one of those weeks already: you’re fighting that cold that just won’t go away; you’re just plain tired and frustrated.  Or maybe you’ve been shopping and have become discouraged in what you’ve been able to find.  Or you’re overcome by thoughts of a loved one who has recently passed away, and you’re filled with loneliness or some other burden on your heart.

So how can we find joy in the midst of all the troubles and worries that this world brings?  We turn to Christ and His Word.  Martin Luther writes, “To achieve joy we must cling wholeheartedly to the Word and find comfort in the thought that Christ has so solemnly promised to be with us, together with the Father, and to protect us, so that no misfortune will harm us, no power of the devil and the world will crush us or tear us away from Him.  In this way we constantly find comfort and joy, and we become increasingly happy as time goes on.  The joy of the Christian endures forever (as its foundation stands forever), remains firm and increases in the midst of external sorrow and misfortune.”

As we cling to Christ and His Word we find a real joy – a lasting joy.  He promises that out of our limitations, He brings possibilities.  Out of our weaknesses, He brings strength.  Out of our timidity and fear, He brings confidence.  It is God’s intention that we be filled with joy.  The Good News is that we are not left on our own to find or achieve this joy.  We are given this joy in the gift of Christ.  The gift of Jesus, the living Word made flesh, full of grace and truth is what allows us to rejoice.  Lasting joy is found by trusting the Word of God and what is says about us: we are redeemed through Jesus Christ!

Rejoice this Advent season in the Good News that Christ our Savior is born for you!