"Victorious Conquerors That We Are"

July 23, 2017

John 14:5-6 - Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: 

The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our international ministry centers to write our Sunday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

Jesus stated in John 14:1: "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me."

This shows that Jesus is our Brother and we are the Father's adopted children. Because that is so, we do not have to be preoccupied with, or worried about, material things. When God is in control, we need not be terrified of present and future unknowns.

That being said, there are times when we look around the world and we end up wondering: why are these bad things happening? Scripture clearly tells us that because of sin all of these things will come, and they will keep on coming. Thankfully, Christians know that despite all these problems and troubles, God has not forgotten them. Jesus is living proof that we are forgiven, and we will never be alone.

Because of His successful work and resurrection, Jesus can urge our hearts to be at peace.

Almost every morning I walk 25 minutes from my house to the main road. There I get on the minibus which takes me to the town's central commercial district. There I sell telephone cards and do a bit of small trading for my mother's business.

On these routine trips, morning and afternoon, I always pass by a group of young men who are sitting in a little booth where they indulge in wild talk.

One day I picked up some of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Bible Correspondence Courses, with the purpose of distributing them in my community. I planned that I would talk to that group of young men before attending to any other area.

Getting close to the little booth, I saw there were seven young men there. As we talked I came to realize these men were lonely and troubled. Society doesn't know if they exist, and I didn't either ... not until I took that step into the little booth.

The world loves to tell us we are alone and isolated, especially during a difficult time of life. In contrast to that message, we have the one given to us by the conquering Christ.

In our text, Jesus was aware of what was coming in His own life. There would be arrest, trial, execution, and resurrection. He also knew how the events of His life would frighten His fragile followers. That is why, as He prepared to finish the plan of reconciliation, He wanted His people to know they would never find themselves in a position of abandonment.

Looking at these young men in the booth in front of me, I can see that they, like Jesus' disciples, don't know if they can trust anyone and they are more than just a bit afraid. They also need to know Jesus will never leave them or forsake them.

And this day it is my honor to tell them that, with faith in the Redeemer, they will in all things be more than conquerors through Him who loves us (see Romans 8:31-39).

THE PRAYER: Our Lord, and our God, we say thanks for the life and strength You give us every day. We pray for love, favor, and mercy to be upon us more abundantly. This we pray in the Name of our risen and ever-present Redeemer. Amen.

Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Abraham Sharpe. He became a volunteer of the ministry center upon his completion of the Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC). Sharpe works with the BCC supervisor to distribute our booklets to students in Gardnerville, Liberia.

Based in the capital city of Monrovia, the Lutheran Hour Ministries-Liberia ministry center reaches out across the country through a weekly interactive radio program aired over a national radio station. Listeners are invited to sign up for the center's BCCs, which are currently offered in English, but will soon be presented in two native Liberian languages: Krahn and Bassa.

Working with area congregations since 2013, LHM-Liberia presents films, outdoor concerts, and dramatic performances as a way to connect with local communities and invite people to know more about Jesus. Ministry partnerships with area congregations help cultivate volunteers and open doors for scheduling Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops to train individuals to witness to their faith. Outreach work is also done among Muslims, speakers of the Kpelle language, and among other ethnic groups.

Be sure to check out LHM's International Ministries' blog page. You can find it by clicking here. 

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).