Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word, ELW 517
Lord, keep us steadfast in your word;
curb those who by deceit or sword
would wrest the kingdom from your Son
and bring to naught all he has done.
Lord Jesus Christ, your pow'r make known,
for you are Lord of lords alone;
defend your holy church, that we
may sing your praise eternally.
O Comforter of priceless worth,
send peace and unity on earth;
support us in our final strife
and lead us out of death to life.
Devotion
Have you ever seen the “Jefferson Bible?” Thomas Jefferson excised those parts of scripture that he felt were superfluous, ambiguous or flew in the face of reason. It was his goal to create a seamless, solid narrative about Jesus, without including supernatural or questionable content that could get in the way or raise doubts.
It sounds silly, but don’t most of us approach scripture a little like this? We often stick with safe, familiar passages that build us up or reassure us. And when faced with hard texts, like this week’s, it’s tempting to rush past them into more comforting territory.
Yet sometimes when the Bible challenges or stretches us, we grow the most in faith. It can be a struggle to figure out what God is saying. But Lutherans believe that – even when it’s difficult – God’s word is a living word, and that God speaks through it still today. How has God been speaking to you this week?
Prayer
Lord, keep us steadfast in your word, so that we might hear your voice. Amen.