While the Epistle for this day speaks of the Lord’s discipline, the prior verses reveal we are not alone in this struggle. “We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (12:1). While they endured the Lord’s discipline throughout their lives, they have finished the race (2 Tim 4:7) and now see Jesus face to face. Knowing this, we can run with…

In faithful proclamation, the church is cleansed from error and defended from evil. Like preachers today, Jeremiah is tempted to preach sermons people want to hear, not the sermons they need to hear (Jer 23:17).. It is the steadfast love of the Lord and his testimonies that give life (Psalm, Ps 119:88), not the preaching of an imagined peace. The Word of…

The Gospel calls us to focus our eyes not on the things that lead to anxiety but instead to the ravens and the lilies. Ravens do not store food in barns because God cares for them. Lilies do not get anxious about how they appear to the world because they know God will array them in greater glory than King Solomon (Lk…