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"I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen." (Luther's Morning Prayer)
Day 330 - (Today’s Bible readings: 1 Chronicles 28:1-21; Psalm 119:161-168; 1 Corinthians 10:14-22)
REGRETS?
“Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, by the altar of incense.” (2 Chronicles 26:19 ESV)
Today’s blog is entitled “Regrets,” because I am sure that Uzziah had plenty of them. Like so many kings of Judah and Israel, Uzziah had started out well doing “what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” (26:4) “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.” (26:16)
In his pride, Uzziah attempted to offer incense to the Lord, something only the priests were allowed to do. He disobeyed God, and then got angry when his sin was confronted. Have you ever reacted in anger when you were called on the carpet for some wrong that you did?
God swiftly reacted to Uzziah’s stubborn pride in a manner that he could not miss - leprosy! Regret must have flooded Uzziah the moment he noticed that creepy death upon his forehead.
All thanksgiving be to God that He does not react that way to our disobedience. While we do regret our transgressions of God’s Law, we have God-given hope. Thank God He sent His Son to take the blame for us and to receive the punish we deserve in His body on the cross!
Regrets? No, because: ‘We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 ESV)
Almighty God, You take sin seriously, all sin. Please keep me in Your ways, obedient to Your will. And when I fail, when I too rebel, have mercy on me and grant me forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
“See” you in church tomorrow!
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), undergirds this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings from the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
Then scroll down to 2022 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless your meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
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