Let's Learn From the Salmon

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

Let us learn from the salmon. The God-given homing instinct (ability to return to their original location) is inherited by all salmon. Even a salmon’s run timing (internal time mechanism that determines what time of the year they will return to the river) is inherited through their genetic makeup. God knows when to bring them home!

 

Have you ever seen the salmon swimming upstream and leaping over, or attempting to leap over any obstacles in their way? Their dogged determination to get home is a sight to see!

The salmon are a beautiful picture of you and I. God has put an instinct to return home to Him in every human being. Ec 3:11 tells us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts,”

The problem is, the effects of sin, the work of the devil, and our own foolish flesh have often encrusted this instinct in our hardened hearts. It’s there, it just needs to be uncovered! It gets uncovered by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit through God’s Word.

Ro 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Some seek to get home relying on their own strength to overcome the obstacles, they think they can be “good enough” to make it home, but truly, the only way to get home is by relying on God! Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Take heart from the lessons of the salmon. Use the fact of the homing instinct being present in your unsaved friends, loved ones, and neighbors as your starting point for prayer and witnessing. Pray that God will uncover that homing instinct and by His grace bring them home!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Potholes

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

Potholes! If you live in my home state of Wisconsin, you know that pothole season is in full swing. These seemingly random craters appear on our roadways like miniature sink holes and we try to swerve around them, but eventually we hit some,  and after the physical jolt on our body and the car, it’s off to the auto repair shop for a wheel alignment. I don’t know of anyone who speaks highly of potholes, except maybe the owner of the auto repair shop!

 

Yesterday, while filling in on the afternoon show on “The Family radio station, I played the Selah song. “Bless the Broken Road.” Most of you are probably familiar with the Rascal Flatts version, but every time I hear that song I think of the broken pothole filled road I was on that eventually led me to Jesus. When I do that, I have a whole different attitude about potholes. I pause and consider how the “potholes” jarred me into the need for a realignment in my own life. I think many of us have had a spiritual pothole or two occur in our lives. For me personally, it was my second OWI that occurred as a result of hitting a light pole in downtown Two Rivers Wisconsin. The impact was far worse than an ordinary pothole, but God used that incident to jar me back into the reality that I needed Him!

 

So this spring I plan to take a different approach to potholes. Instead of getting all upset about them, I am going to pause and say a prayer of thanksgiving to God for using the potholes in my life to lead me back to Him! I invite you to do the same!

Heavenly spiritual realignments are good for each one of us as we travel the narrow road.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Gotta Tell Somebody

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

The sinners prayer post script! Last time we talked about the “sinner’s prayer found in Psalm 51. The Psalm was written by David after the prophet Nathan had confronted him concerning his adulterous and murderous sins with Bathsheba.  David confessed his sin and breaks out with a plea for a fresh start. “Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit.”

Too often, in our own lives, we stop here! Thankful for God’s forgiveness and we leave it at that…..David didn’t stop there and neither should we. Listen to what he says next! He says, “Lord, as a response to Your mercy and goodness in (1) cleaning 2) renewing (3) abiding (4) Spirit filling (5) joy (6) and upholding.  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways! (Ps 51:13)

 

God’s ways are simple in this regard. People need to hear the Law, (what’s wrong and what’s right in the eyes of God) Then when they are convinced of their sin, they need to hear the gospel and receive God’s forgiveness. Do this and look what happens next! Others will be set free from the shackles of sin! And sinners shall be converted to you.! (PS 51:13b)

 

It’s like the Gaderine demoniac. Jesus set him free from his chains and the now freed man wanted to just stay with Jesus and bask in His deliverance, “However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 

Friend, have you been set free from sin? Have you been delivered from the pit of hell to eternal life in heaven? Well, in the words of an old Don Fransisco song. “You got to tell somebody.”

Don Francisco - "Got To Tell Somebody" (LIVE 1982) - YouTube

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

The Sinner's Prayer

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

The sinners prayer. Of course the original sinner’s prayer was spoken by the publican in the temple, when he was so overcome by his sin that he couldn’t even look up, but rather beat his breast and aid, “have mercy on me, a sinner.” Hard to top that one1

Some of you hearing or reading this blog have likely said another sinner’s prayer at a time when you were broken by your sin, and understood the gospel for the first time. It was really made popular during the crusade years of evangelist Billy Graham. Billy would thunder God’s Law from the pulpit and then extend the sweet offer of forgiveness through the Gospel, then lead willing hearts to say the sinners prayer, which went something like this: “Dear Lord,

I admit that I am a sinner and have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself only. I am sorry, and I repent. I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross for me, to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask you to take control of my life; I give it to you. From this day forward, help me to live every day for you and in a way that pleases you. I love you, Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you. Amen. When spoken from the heart, this is a beautiful sentiment.

 

This kind of praying was kind of foreign to us Lutherans, but we had our own version of the sinners prayer which we sang in church every Sunday after the pastor had finished his sermon. If the sermon was rightly preached, the Law would be thundered and the sweet Gospel presented as well. After the pastor said “Amen” the congregation would sing words directly from the 51^st Psalm. It was called The Offertory.” “Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit. (Sounds like a sinner’s prayer to me!)

 

I miss this part of the Lutheran worship service, it seems to have gotten out of vogue. I still remember the first time I sang it in church after my prodigal season had ended. It brought me to tears and still does! Thank You Jesus for restoring to me the joy of Your salvation!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Didn't See That Coming

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

Have you ever been reading Scripture and all of a sudden something appears and you find yourself wondering, “Where did that come from? Or, “What brought that up?” Read Luke chapter 16 sometime and you will see what I mean. The chapter starts out with a parable aimed at those who love money, it moves to a brief reminder that things often highly esteemed by men are an abomination to God, and then immediately follows with this shocking statement in verse 18! "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.” No explanation, just a simple statement of a biblical truth. What appears to be a misplaced random thought cannot be either, for Jesus doesn’t have misplaced thoughts. He wants us to know this!

 

So what do we do with this biblical truth? It’s plain and to the point: To remarry after a divorce is adultery, and to marry a divorcee is adultery. At this point one may be tempted to slam the Bible shut and cease from reading it, or get very angry at this blog and stop listening to or reading it, but that doesn’t change what Jesus said.

Rather than run away from what Jesus has said, let us run toward it because what’s behind this declaration is God’s all time forever high opinion of holy matrimony! Marriage is designed by God to be permanent. It is the “institution that God loves.” (Mal 2:11) Let this stand out verse be a reminder to all of us of this fact before we decide to marry. It will go a long way in a mutual cherishing of the “institution that God loves.”

Okay, so what do you do if you have committed this sin? The same thing we all do when we sin. We confess it, receive God’s forgiveness and like the woman caught in the act of adultery in  JN 8:3-11,  we “go and sin no more.”

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

They Came To Hear Him!

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

There are three great parables concerning the lost in Luke Chapter 15. The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. It’s interesting to note how the chapter started out. We are told that all the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him. They didn’t come for the miracles, they came to hear Him! They came to hear what He had to say.  “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God!” This should cause us to pause and consider what we are saying from our pulpits! Are we preaching the full counsel of God’s Word? Paul’s last writings to Timothy included this exhortation: 2Ti 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

 

Sometimes, we back off from the hard truths of God’s Word, (which really aren’t hard, only forgotten) because we have this fear that people will get angry, walk away and never darken the door of our church again. But instead of giving in to this fear, let the words of Peter ring in our ears, when many disciples of Jesus were leaving Jesus because of His hard truth preaching!  Joh 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

 

We have the words of eternal life given to us by Jesus! We have been graced with the truth! Let’s not put any of it under a bushel basket, rather let us humbly and gracefully, and confidently go forth with His words of truth speaking them in love because when people know and receive that truth, they will be set free!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Gossip: The GAteway To Hypocrisy

 I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Let’s talk today about gossip. We Christians are often guilty of going after the big blatantly obvious sexual sins of the culture, but we kind of shy away from the not so obvious sins of the tongue. Those sins “spoken in the ear in inner rooms.”

 

Gossip is the breeding grounds of the fatal error of hypocrisy. And we ought to pay attention to the fate of full blown hypocrites on the Last Day! Jesus compared them to wheat look alike weeds (tares) and on the Last Day they will be separated from the wheat (true believers) and be burned in the fire of hell! Mt 13:30 'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 

In Luke 12:1-3 Jesus tells His followers to stay away from hypocrisy and gossip! Lu 12:1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 "Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

 

Hypocrites, actors, pretend followers of Jesus will be found out on the Last Day, and it will be a Day of universal embarrassment for them! The hypocrite will stand before the Judge of the World and every careless, secret word spoken against another will be revealed.   Mt 10:26b " For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

 

So what do you and I do about this? We are to “beware of hypocrisy!” Stay away from gossip! Keep the faith! Keep trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, Confess your gossip as sin and ask the Holy Spirit to check your tongue and spare your ear from participation in this gateway sin to hypocrisy. Once you start whispering about others, you begin to think more highly of yourself than you ought, and you open the door to full blown prideful hypocrisy! God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Let’s admit it my brothers and sisters, we could all use a little more grace and a lot less gossip!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Better Than Giving Birth

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

I’ve never given birth to a child. I’ve never nursed a child, but I have had opportunity to witness both, and it is amazing to see! How can one describe the countenance of a woman as she sees her child , holds her child, nurses her child for the very first time? Is it a look of fulfillment? Joy? Tranquility? Whatever it is, there is nothing else like it, yet, there is one thing that even surpasses this experience, and it’s not reserved for women alone! It’s available for every man, woman, and child on this earth!

 

Lu 11:27,28  tells us: “And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"

 28 But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

The word blessed means “oh how very happy,” And as “blessed” as a mother is in giving birth and nursing a child, so much more blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!  

Try to capture that picture of the happiness of a new mother and revel in the fact that you can experience even more contentment as you hear God’s Word and keep it!

 

Every positive response to the Word of God. Every trust in a promise and every step of obedience surpasses what the new mother is experiencing.

 

I encourage you to get into the Word of God and let the Word of God get into you. It will change your countenance and your whole outlook on life with Jesus1

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

The Good Samaritan

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

My morning devo took me to the account of the Good Samaritan found in Luke chapter 10. We all know the story, a man beaten up by robbers and left for dead in the ditch, two religious leaders pass him by, and then the Good Samaritan stops by and provides the necessary care. Let’s pick it up in Lu 10:34 "So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

 35 "On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'

 

 

Every time I read this account I see Jesus as the good Samaritan and the man in the ditch, a sinner like you and I that has been beaten up by that thief the devil. Jesus brings the oil of the gospel to us and heals our wounds, (By His stripes we are healed) Then He takes us to the inn. I view the inn as the church, a place for recovering sinners. He provides two denarii for our care, (Word and Sacrament)  and instructs the innkeeper, (the church) to provide word and Sacrament for the recovering sinner until He returns. And as we faithfully carry out those duties He promises to repay us when He returns.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Touching Jesus

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Just imagine! Merely touching the garment of Jesus resulted in all manner of healing, people were being made “perfectly well!”

 

Lu 6:19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

 Mt 14:36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

 And don’t forget the healing of the woman with the bloody issue that had baffled doctors for years! One touch of the Master’s garment and she was healed!

But Jesus has ascended to the right hand of the Father! His physical presence and consequently any garment is not within our reach!  How are we able to touch Jesus today? He told His disciples in  Joh 14:18-23,  "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Simply put, Jesus comes to us and touches us! He is with those who treasure (keep) His Word. Trust Him for any healing you need. It may not come in the form of physical healing, but it will definitely come in the most important healing….the healing of our sin problem.

 

This healing also comes to us when we partake of the body and blood of Jesus at the Lord’s table. This is as close as we will get to physical contact with Jesus until He returns. He asserted, “This is My body….this is My blood.” Given and shed for you for the ultimate healing….the remission of your sins.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Only Jesus

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

I find myself wondering today. “what is written of me in the scroll of the book?” Psalm 40:7-10 speaks of this book and it appears it is some sort of a heavenly logbook of my deeds.

Ps 40:7 Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart."

 9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O LORD, You Yourself know. 10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly.

 

Imagine God logging these things about you! This Duane delights to do my will. His heart is full of My Law! He has proclaimed the good news of righteousness with unrestrained lips! He has hidden My righteousness in his heart. He has declared My faithfulness and My salvation and not concealed my mercy or my truth!

 

Oh my, that would be so wonderful, I would not be able to contain my joy! These are things that please God, my Father. But if this is a book of deeds, what about the rest of my deeds? What about the times I have failed, (and there are far too many to count!)

 

No Lord, if there be any entry in the “scroll of the book,” let it be one word JESUS! It is only Jesus who is behind every one of these commendable deeds. saying this about you! It’s only Jesus who removes my uncommendable deeds (my sin) and fills me with His righteousness. The few times I get it right, it I His doing not mine.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Name That Tune

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

What’s the last thing Jesus did with His disciples before He went to the cross?

 

Mt 26:30 tells us, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives”

 

That should tell you something about the importance of congregational singing!

 

Let me ask you something. If you were with Jesus and the others, on that last night, and you had a modern-day hymnal, what hymn would you sing?  I’ll give you time to answer.

 

Got it? Good1 Now, look it up and sing it Let it be your morning offering to the Lord! And the starting point of your Good Friday devotion!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

 

The Chief Bottler

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

“We praise Thee O God our Redeemer Creator,” The first line I sang today from hymn # 188 in my Ambassador hymnal, and it got me thinking about redemption. A good thing to be thinking about during this holy week on the church calendar. I remember growing up and the days of collecting all our used soda water bottles, throwing them in my coaster wagon and taking them to the mom and pop grocery store where they would pay me 2 cents for every bottle. They didn’t care how dirty they were, they would be collected by the bottling company,  sterilized and made fit for the use that they were created for! They were redeemed!

 

You and I are a lot like those dirty old soda bottles. Some perhaps more soiled than others, but not beyond use for the Chief Bottler! He bought you and I back (redeemed us) with the precious blood of His only Son on Calvary. It is His desire to refill us with his Holy Spirit, that we may go forth into the world to help quench the thirst of a parched world.

Jesus said in  Joh 7:37-39, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

 

Listen! Maybe you are like the prodigal son who wasted God’s grace on sinful living, or maybe you’re like the stay at home son sitting around collecting dust. Come back to the heavenly bottling factory. Let God redeem you, clean you up and fill you with living water to fulfill the purpose for which you were created! There’s a thirsty world that needs you!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Every Knee Shall Bow

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

So, you read your Bible in one year! Congratulations1 But you’re not done. You never will be done! Read the Word of God and meditate on it daily for the rest of your life. It’s God’s love letter to you and He’s not done talking to you. Remember, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God!”

I bring this up because  I was reading in Luke chapter 4 and God showed me something I never noticed before. ( I promise, He will do the same for you if you keep at it!)

 

In Luke 4, Jesus, had just healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever and many people were coming to him bearing their sick and demon possessed friends. Many of the demons cried out as Jesus booted them out, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”

 

Where have I heard that confession before? It was the same words Peter uttered when Jesus asked the disciples whom they said He was! Mt 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

 

One confesses unto salvation, the other to damnation. One to great anticipation of the life to come, the other in dread recognition of their terrifying final fate. James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!”

 

Here’s the thing. On that final judgement Day, that confession will be universal, and again, some to eternal bliss, others to eternal damnation. Php 2:10,11 “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Take heart from this believer, for there are times when you may think evil has the upper hand, but listen to what the Lord says in  Ps 37:11 But the meek (that’s you believer) shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

The Martter of Exceptions For Rape and Incest

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

It’s election day in Wisconsin today, and our household will once again be casting our votes for Pro-life candidates. We look for candidates who truly understand that life begins at conception and as such deserves to be protected. No exceptions! Unfortunately, in the name of political expediency many candidates are willing to compromise on this issue by making exceptions for rape and incest. But when you start making exceptions you miss the point. You lose the argument and open the door for more and more compromises at the expense of the unborn.

 

Rape and incest are terrible crimes and we ought to do what we can to help the woman through the trauma, but adding murder to the issues she has to deal with is not being helpful at all. How about better laws that go after the perpetrators and not the victims. De 24:16 "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin

 

I was reading the genealogy of Jesus Christ found in Luke 3 this morning, and one of the people listed in the genealogy was a product of incest. His name was Perez, one of the twins that Tamar bore after her father-in-law had sexual relations with her.  Applying the exception for incest Perez could’ve been aborted in our world today and suddenly the genealogy of Jesus is interrupted. Now, thankfully that didn’t happen, but the mere inclusion of a product of incest in the line of Jesus ought to tell us something.

 

Love mother, love child, love all who have been created in the image of God. And know this: There is no sin that Jesus did not pay for on the cross. If we confess it, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Redemption

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Redemption. I’m a competitor. From card playing, to bowling to golf, to back in the day when I played basketball or softball or tennis, I want to beat you! And if I had a bad game against you, I want another shot at you. I want to redeem my poor performance. I want redemption!

 

I was reading the gospel of Luke this morning and the subject of redemption showed up in  Lu 2:36-38! “Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Anna was present when Joseph and Mary came to the temple to present Jesus to the Lord. According to the Law of Moses, Jesus would’ve been 40 days old. She witnessed Simeon’s Holy Spirit led acknowledgment of Jesus as the Christ the Son of the Living God, and promptly gave thanks to the Lord, but she didn’t stop there! She went on to speak of Jesus to all who were looking for redemption.

 

So the whole point of this devo is to speak to those of you who are looking for redemption. Have you been playing the game of life badly in relation to God’s will for you? Have you been following the ways of the world rather than the ways of the Lord? Let me tell you with Anna about my Jesus. Look to Him for redemption. Let him get you back on the playing field a redeemed forgiven child of God, where you will be led by Him to play your best game ever! !

 

And you know what? Rest assured, through faith in Jesus, you will have your redemption and knowing this, it will put extra clout in the song you will sing this Easter morning. “ I know that my Redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.