Reflections

4.6 (9)
Religion & Spirituality
Updated Daily

Join HT for a reading of the days Higher Things Reflection. A short devotion directed toward the youth of our church, written by the Pastors and Deaconesses of our church, clearly proclaiming the true Gospel of Jesus Christ! Find out more about HT at our website, www.higherthings.org

19h ago

Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week After Trinity

September 15, 2026 Today's Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33; Nahum 1:1-3:19; Colossians 2:8-23 “And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.” (1 Kings 17:15) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Rewind nearly 3,000 years. The widow of Zarephath thought she knew what was coming. It would be death, and a fate worse than any she had ever imagined. Famine was in the land, and food and drink were not to be found. She meant to enjoy one last supper before the great end of her days. She gathered some sticks—two, in the original Hebrew, to be precise—that she might prepare. But Elijah knew what was really coming. It would be life. God would provide what was needed for life to flourish. He prophesied: “The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” (1 Kings 17:14) Having been so broken and desperate that nothing remained but to trust this in his word of promise, “she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.” (1 Kings 17:15) Fast forward nearly 1,000 years. The disciples thought they knew what was coming. It would be life, greater than anything they had ever imagined! After all, the Messiah had come! Jesus Himself had proclaimed: “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” (John 12:23) They enjoyed one Last Supper before the great end of the early days. “Do this,” He said. Elsewhere, pieces of wood were gathered together—two, in the typical Roman fashion—that He might prepare. But Jesus knew what was really coming. It would be death. God Himself had come to provide what was needed for sin to be killed. He had prophesied throughout the Scriptures, again and again, for those who had ears to hear: death would be conquered by death. Even when Jesus was upon the cross that next day, the disciples could not yet understand what was happening. They were broken and desperate. Nothing remained but to trust in His Word of promise, and even that seemed too much. They fell away. Then Jesus arose. Fast forward over 2,000 years. We know what is coming. It is both death and life, greater and more wonderful than anything we could have imagined! It has been revealed to us through the Word of the Lord: Jesus has given us death to sin and life in Him. We join Him at His Table, receiving the very Bread of Life Himself, by faith. “Do this,” he says. And His holy church? Well, “she and he and her household ate for many days,” justified by His precious sacrifice. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. For what purpose was My dying If not for your justifying? And what use this precious food If you yourself were pure and good? (LSB 627:8) Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.
1d ago

Holy Cross Day

September 14, 2026 Today's Reading: John 12:20-33 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25; Jonah 1:1-4:11; Colossians 1:24-2:7 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:23) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John’s Gospel started with a glorious light shining in the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it. In chapter three, Nicodemus came under the cover of darkness to learn about that Light. Jesus explained, “God so loved the world…” Yes, just as a bronze snake was gloriously “high and lifted up” by Moses to heal any Hebrew who saw it, in the same way, God would hold His own Son, gloriously “high and lifted up,” to heal all people who see Him by faith. Now, in chapter 12, Jesus has healed many! And on the outskirts of Jerusalem, in the little suburb up the hill called Bethany, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! A crowd gathered, laying cloaks upon the road and waving palm branches. They shouted: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” They came because “they heard he had done this sign.” (John 12:18) Jews sought a sign-doer: “Jesus, raise my dead, too.” “Jesus, multiply more bread.” “Jesus, fill my belly and make me rich.” Jews were not the only ones. “Sir, we wish to see Jesus,” some Greeks said. They sought worldly wisdom. “Jesus, teach me the secret to inner peace.” “Jesus, show me how to succeed in this life.” “Jesus, teach us how to outthink our enemies to have power and influence to rule the world.” Both Jews and Greeks ultimately sought glory for themselves. Jesus did not come for his own glory. He came for all the world. Now with all the world represented in the Greeks and Jews gathered around Him, Jesus said: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” It was a reminder of His talk with Nicodemus. When the Light of the World is “high and lifted up,” He is not atop a warhorse, or carried upon a grand litter, but nailed on a Cross. His glory is an emblem of suffering and shame—an instrument of torture and death. Had Jesus chosen to come into the world today, we might very well venerate an electric chair. Paul might have written “We preach Christ electrified!” It is easy to see why the Cross is a stumbling block to those seeking glory by signs, and a folly to those who seek glory by wisdom. The Cross is salvation for sinners in need of God’s Light—Jews and Greeks, and all people. And you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Let ev’ry race and ev’ry language tell Of Him who saves our lives from death and hell. Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim Till all the world adore His sacred name. (LSB 837:5) Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.
2d ago

Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity

September 13, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 6:24-34 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 32:1-22; Hosea 1:1-14:9; Colossians 1:1-23 “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. For all the troubles we face in this fallen world, God provides tools of care to help us endure. But these tools for ‘care’ are not themselves the ‘Cure.’ The sole Cure for sin is Jesus. He reminds us, by His Word and Sacraments, that He has brought us to dwell in His kingdom. He strengthens us and protects us from all harm and danger. Take, for example, a pesky epidemic that troubled people during Jesus’ earthly ministry: anxiety. It continues to affect almost everyone at some point. In the most severe cases, anxiety manifests as a chronic mental illness. In such cases, God provides tools for care, including trusted pastors, trained therapists and psychologists, and even medicine. Yet ultimately, these tools for care are not the Cure. Anxiety is a product of the Fall into sin. The only Cure is Jesus. Consider how anxiety orders society today. Well-intentioned parents are anxious about the physical safety and worldly success of their children. So, children are often placed into ‘structured and safe’ bubbles of activity, such as travel sports leagues, training programs, tutoring, and more. Unstructured time with friends today is less than a third of what it was a decade ago—from 140 minutes per day to barely 40. As one pastor put it: “Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors… and everyone is at soccer practice.” On one hand, this means fewer injuries! From 2019 to 2020, Emergency Room visits for boys aged 0-17 dropped from 50 visits per 100 children to just 32. On the other hand, keeping children physically safe has not made anxiety go away. By 2015, one in five American teenage girls used social media more than 40 hours a week—that is equivalent to a full-time job! Self-harm among boys in the U.S. rose by 48% between 2010 and 2020. For girls aged 10-14, those numbers have increased by 600% in the past decade. Adults are affected, too: on average, mental illness shortens lifespans by 25 years. Friends, if you are suffering, seek help and get the proper care. God provides care for the mind, just as He provides food and clothing for the body. But even more importantly, seek first the Kingdom of God. Let the Cure have a place in your life. He loves you, forgives you all your sins, and strengthens you to life everlasting! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Eternal God, You counsel us not to be anxious about earthly things. Keep alive in us a proper yearning for those heavenly treasures awaiting all who trust in Your mercy, that we may daily rejoice in Your salvation and serve You with constant devotion; through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the Sunday after Trinity, Proper 3) Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.
3d ago

Saturday of the Fourteenth Week After Trinity

September 12, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 15 - Psalm 86:4, 6, 15a, 16; antiphon: Psalm 86:1a, 2b, 3 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 31:1-21; Philippians 4:1-23 “Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.” (Psalm 86:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Wow! … Really? … That’s crazy! … Yup. … How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? … And then suddenly, “Are you even listening to me?” Trapped. Not even half of your attention was being given to that other person. You were not listening but were distracted by other things. Your mind wandered. The phone buzzed. A loud car drove by. And suddenly you were a million miles away, not listening to a word they were saying. Sometimes I would guess it feels this way with your prayers. You have been praying for something, and it seems like God is just ignoring you, like He’s got something better, someone else better to listen to than you. This is our sinful human nature at work, causing doubt, failing to believe the words of our Introit tomorrow, and so many other passages of Scripture. God loves to hear the prayers of His children, to hear your prayers. He invites us to pray to Him and promises to hear us. David calls upon that promise as he cries out to God, “Give ear, O Lord to my prayer”. Stated another way, David is saying, “Okay God. You promise to hear me, so listen to me now.” And God does! He is not so busy with the other 8 million plus people that He doesn’t have time to listen to you. Of course He does! You are His child. He created you in your mother’s womb. He re-created you in the water of Holy Baptism to be His own child. He shed His holy and precious blood to forgive your sins. He feeds you with His holy Body and Blood, giving you forgiveness, life, and salvation. All this He has done for you. Of course, He hears and answers your prayers. He is the one who provides for you in the body with all the Gifts listed in the explanation to the First Article. He is also the one who provides for you in your soul with the Second and Third Articles' Gifts, namely life and salvation. So cry out to God, often. He does indeed give ear to your prayers. He listens to you and responds always with His good Gifts. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Lord, this I ask, O hear my plea, Deny me not this favor: When Satan sorely troubles me, Then do not let me waver. O guard me well, My fear dispel, Fulfill Your faithful saying: All who believe By grace receive An answer to their praying. (LSB 758:3) Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.
4d ago

Friday of the Fourteenth Week After Trinity

September 11, 2026 Today's Reading: Philippians 3:1-21 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 29:1-24; Philippians 3:1-21 “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:4-8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Saul was THE rock star of his day among the Jews. His pedigree was perfect, untouchable, and far more than most common people could ever hope to obtain. He had it all. Power, prestige, fame. He was at the top, until he wasn’t. That one day on the road to Damascus changed everything. From the worldly Jewish perspective, he lost it all. A fall from grace heard around the world. In a flash of light, he lost it all. Or did he? Saint Paul says he was glad to lose it all because when he lost it all, he gained Christ, which is more than everything. Everything Saul had worked for was earthly, temporary, leading to nothing, rubbish, garbage. And Paul couldn't care less about all that. He had Jesus, and that was worth giving up everything else worldly because Jesus is eternal. Right now, you might be striving for good grades, popularity among friends or co-workers, the right career, the right job, or any number of worldly honors. What Saint Paul wants for you more than anything, what God desires for you, is that you know Christ Jesus. Know Christ Jesus, crucified for the forgiveness of your sin; resurrected for your life into eternity. There is nothing else more important to know than Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior. By His death and resurrection, Christ has made you His own. You are His, and He is yours. This is the free Gift of God for you. No more striving to earn your way upwards towards Him, if that was even some way possible. Christ Jesus has done it all for you and Gifts it to you through His Word and Sacraments. And one day, He’s coming back visibly for you, to make you eternally His in a new heaven and new earth that is surpassingly greater than anything you can imagine right now. So don’t worry if you lose it all in this life, as long as you have Chris Jesus, you have it all. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What is the world to me With all its vaunted pleasure When You, and You alone, Lord Jesus, are my treasure! You only, dearest Lord, My soul’s delight shall be; You are my peace, my rest. What is the world to me! (LSB 730:1) Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.
5d ago

Thursday of the Fourteenth Week After Trinity

September 10, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things? Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 9:1-13; 10:18-29; 2 Kings 13:1-18:8; Philippians 2:12-30 How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things? Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sins.” (Small Catechism - The Power of the Sacrament of the Altar) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You eat, and a few hours later, you're hungry again. You listen to a teacher or boss tell you something, and 5 minutes later, you can’t remember what they said. This seems to be our normal course of life. When it comes to the things of God, suddenly it changes. When you come to the Lord’s table to eat of His body and drink of His blood, let’s be honest, physically, what you consume isn’t much. A small wafer and a sip of wine. That’s it. The reality is much greater than what your human eyes see and your senses experience. In that wafer of bread is the very body of Christ Jesus that hung dying on the cross for your forgiveness. In that wine is the very blood of Christ Jesus, poured out on the cross for your forgiveness. That is what Jesus says through the voice of your pastor. Jesus’ very Body and Blood, which you eat and drink, is “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus cannot lie, and so you have exactly what He says. So why both? Why can’t we just hear Jesus’ words, “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” and skip the eating and drinking? Because our God works through means, through earthly, visible, tangible things. He does this in order that you might not doubt but believe. Your Lord puts His body into your body, puts His blood into you, so that you have no question who the “you” is of His statement. You have eaten of His body; you have sipped of His blood; His forgiveness is “for you” who have eaten and drunk believing Jesus so that you can experience what He promises: the forgiveness of all your sins. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We eat this bread and drink this cup, Your precious Word believing That Your true body and Your blood Our lips are here receiving. This Word remains forever true; All things are possible with You, For You are Lord Almighty. (LSB 622:4) Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.
6d ago

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week After Trinity

September 9, 2026 Today's Reading: 2 Kings 6:1-23 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 6:1-23; 2 Kings 6:24-8:29; Philippians 1:21-2:11 “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, ‘Please strike this people with blindness.’ So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17-18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. They were surrounded by a great army. The situation looked hopeless. But then, Elijah and his servant see that the army of God’s heavenly hosts was larger, burning with fire. Time for the holy angels to kick some butt! Then Elijah prays. He’s got heaven’s army all around him, ready to attack and defend the man of God, and he prays. Not “give me vengeance.” Not “let not one of these men make it home tonight.” But “blind them”. Come on! Really? These are the angels of heaven that fought against the great red dragon, Satan, and all his demonic horde in Revelation 12 and kicked him out of heaven. Surely they could have destroyed some puny humans. But NOOO! Elijah prays for blindness and a bit later restoration of sight. By the end of the account, all the soldiers are home, safe and sound. Talk about anticlimactic. This would not make a very good action movie. Elijah here stands as a picture of Jesus. Christ would be fully right to use His holy angels to smite you, to kill you, and send you to the depths of Hell with that red dragon. But in mercy, He prays on the cross, “Father, forgive them,” and because of His death, God does forgive you. All your sin is forgiven, and Christ Jesus takes you by the hand and leads you all the way home, to your eternal home with Him. As you travel with Christ through this wilderness on your way home, He sends His holy angels, that same fiery army Elijah saw, to guard and protect you, lest the evil foe have power over you and seduce you away from Christ Jesus. One day, you will see those holy angels who celebrated with great joy in heaven over your salvation as we all gather around the throne of God and the Lamb, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Still let them aid us and still let them fight, Lord of angelic hosts, battling for right, Till, where their anthems they ceaselessly pour, We with the angels may bow and adore. (LSB 520:4) Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.
Sep 8

Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week After Trinity

September 8, 2026 Today's Reading: Galatians 5:16-24 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 5:9-27; Philippians 1:1-20 “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:19-23) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. An ancient Christian document, known as “The Didache,” begins, “There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways.” This well reflects what Saint Paul writes to us in Galatians. The works of the sinful flesh is the way of death, eternal death, separation from God. Those works of the flesh at first look tempting, enticing, maybe even fun. Yet every single one of them leads to death, to denying the good and holy Law of God, and leads us away from Christ Jesus. Every single one every time. But there is a different way, the way of life. This way is not based on your good works but on the good work of Christ Jesus, who gave His life as a sacrifice on the tree of the cross to forgive your sins, every single one, every time. The Way, as the earliest Christians were called, looked not to themselves but to Jesus for their salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of God. In the waters of Holy Baptism, you have been washed clean of your sins, from the works of your flesh, and given a new, resurrected life as you were joined to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. This new life which He has gifted to you is Holy Spirit empowered to live in the way of life, to show forth in your daily life the fruits of the Holy Spirit, to walk in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits don’t earn us any brownie points with God, our parents, or our pastor, but they are the thankful response to all that Christ Jesus has done for us. In joyful response to all Christ Jesus has done for us, we daily remember our Baptism, drown our old Adam who loves the works of the flesh and the way of death, and rise to new life empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in His ways, the way of life in Christ Jesus, our Savior. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O God of mercy, God of might, In love and pity infinite, Teach us, as ever in Thy sight, To live our lives in Thee. (LSB 852:1) Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.

See All (2K)

4.6

out of 5

9 Ratings

Great start to my day

05/06/2024

JoyfullyRedeemed

Wonderful program. Great start to my day. Reminds me of what we we have in Christ. The transcripts are much appreciated. Thank you..