February 22, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 7 - Psalm 37:1-5; antiphon: Psalm 37:7a, b

Daily Lectionary: Job 17:1-16; John 7:14-31

Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. (From the Introit for the Seventh Sunday After the Epiphany)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Tomorrow’s Introit focuses on the heart of the Scripture texts appointed for the day. On the face of it, this looks like a “do A and God will do B” kind of text. But look more closely at the whole of the Introit.

It begins with a reminder that evildoers and wrongdoers will fade and wither, but trusting in the Lord leads to peace. The rest of the psalm is like that, too. King David writes that our peace, our rest, our salvation, and our strength are all found in the Lord.

In the Old Testament reading for tomorrow, Joseph has only love and compassion for his brothers, who once wanted him dead. In the Gospel, Jesus reminds his hearers to love their enemies and do good to those who hate them.

So also with this psalm. Rest in the Lord. Trust in God alone. Don’t seek to make your own way to salvation. Live as one who absolutely believes that Almighty God has your best interests at heart. He will care for you; he will sustain you.

Oh, sure. Evil will still attack. You will still suffer the insults and lies of those who don’t like you. You will feel terrible at times because of the work of Satan against you. But your ultimate fate has already been sealed in Jesus.

That’s what trust is: believing that you are safe, even if you can’t exactly see that safety. Ever done a trust fall? You fall backward into the arms of friends, and they catch you. Or, at least, that is what is supposed to happen. You trust that when you fall, they will catch you.

God your Father is the one who will always catch you when you fall. He is the one who will always hold you close. He is the one who will always search you out like the lost sheep and carry you to safety on his shoulders.

Trust in, delight in, and commit yourself to him. He has already acted for you in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Because you are marked with his blood, you are always safe in his hands.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty and ever-living God, You make us both to will and to do those things that are good and acceptable in Your sight. Let Your fatherly hand ever guide us and Your Holy Spirit ever be with us to direct us in the knowledge and obedience of Your Word that we may obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Collect for divine guidance)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Saturday of the Sixth Week After the Epiphany