25 Sep October 31st Daily Devotional

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

LIVE TO PLEASE THE LORD

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

Having a goal helps to point you in a specific direction.  As a youth, if your goal was to become a doctor, you knew you had to take as many science classes as possible in high school and college.  Since my goal was to become a pastor, I took as many theology and Bible study courses as possible.  A person’s goal directs them along specific paths.

St. Paul says in today’s devotional verse “make it your goal to please Him.”  He wrote these words to Christians.  Since you are a Christian,  they set a specific path for you to walk, a life direction, and an eternal destination.  St. John writes, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! . . .  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. All who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure.”  (1 John 3:1-3)

Your goal as a child of God is to be like Jesus.  St. Paul exhorts, “. . . clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 13:14) This in turn effects your daily life so that St. Paul exhorts you “as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14)

By the power of your baptism your Old Adam was drowned and died. The Holy Spirit robed you with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, you no longer live for yourself (a possible goal) but you now live for the Lord. (your new goal.) “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans 14:8)

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, create in me a goal to live my life to the glory of God and a witness of the saving work of His Son Jesus.  Amen.

Son of God eternal Savior, Source of life and truth and grace,

Word made flesh, whose birth among us

Hallows all our human race, You our Head, who, throned in glory,

For Your own will ever plead:  Fill us with Your love and pity,

Heal our wrongs and help our need.

As You, Lord have lived for others, So may we for others live.

Freely have Your gifts been granted; Freely may Your servants give.

Yours the gold and Yours the silver,

Yours the wealth of land and sea; We but stewards of Your bounty

Held in solemn trust will be.

Come, O Christ, and reign among us,

King of love and Prince of Peace;

Hush the storm of strife and passion, Bid its cruel discords cease.

By your patient years of toiling, By Your silent hours of pain,

Quench our fevered thirst of pleasure,

Stem our selfish greed of gain.

Son of God, eternal Savior, Source of life and truth and grace,

Word made flesh, whose birth among us

Hallows all our human race: By Your praying, by Your willing

That Your people should be one,

Grant, O grant our hope’s fruition: Here on earth Your will be done.

(LSB 842)