revmattil.org

Devotions to help you Think about God’s Word and Apply it to your Lives.

About revmattil

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far revmattil has created 1240 blog entries.

Contentment

Someone once observed that the grass may be greener on the other side, but it still needs mowing. I guess it is a matter of your perspective.

Here it is early September, and the grass is still green at my house. I just mowed it again yesterday. Usually by this time of year it is yellow or brown and brittle, barely growing at all. Not because of the changing season, but because of extreme heat and a lack of rain.

However, this year we have not only had an abundance of rain, but it has come at regular intervals and not all at once. That is very unsual for us in this area. So I don’t mind the extra mowing late in the year. In fact, it reminds me just how blessed we are.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

I think those words are a good reminder. When you stop and consider just how blessed you have been in your life and how blessed you are right now, you have reason to be content. Those who live in the United State have a significantly higher standard of living than most of the world’s population. Even the poorest Americans have a higher income level than the global middle-income standard. We are blessed.

Even with all our material wealth, that is not the main source of my contentment. My contentment comes from knowing what Jesus has done for me. One hymn writer did a good job of summarizing this thought.

I am content! My Jesus ever lives,
In whom my heart is pleased.
He has fulfilled the law of God for me,
God’s wrath he has appeased,
Since he in death could perish never,
I also shall not die forever.
I am content! I am content!

I am content! My Jesus is my head;
His member I shall be.
He bowed his head when on the cross he died
With cries of agony.
Now death is brought into subjection
For me by Jesus’ resurrection.
I am content! I am content!

I am content! My Jesus is my light,
My radiant sun of grace.
His cheering rays beam blessings forth for all,
Sweet comfort, hope, and peace.
This Easter sun has brought salvation
And ever lasting exultation.
I am content! I am content!

I am content! At length I shall be free,
Awakened from the dead,
Arising glorious evermore to be
With you, my living head.
The chains that hold my body, sever;
Then shall my soul rejoice forever.
I am content! I am content!
(Lutheran Service Book #468)

 

Contentment2025-09-04T16:10:22-05:00

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled

There was a time many years ago that I listened to “talk radio” on a regular basis. I seldom do so these days, but I remember one host who regularly used wordfs from Scripture as a catch phrase on his show. He would talk about an issue that was not going the way he thought it should be and then say: “ Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled.”

That is sound advice for everyone, no matter where you find yourself on the political spectrum. Panic won’t help anything. This phrase is sound advice because it comes from God.

John 14:1–3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 14:27 (NIV84)  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33 (NIV84) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

That phrase was spoken by our Lord several times to His disciples on the night that He would be betrayed and handed over to those who would put Him to death even though He had done nothing wrong. Jesus spoke these words to His followers knowing what He was about to endure for us.

Later that same evening, Matthew describes the struggle Jesus endured in the garden.

Matthew 26:36–38 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Jesus tells the disciples not to let their hearts be troubled and then we read that He is sorrowful and troubled! Is Jesus being hypocritical here? Is this an example of someone telling us “do as I say not as I do?” Absolutely not! Jesus tells us not to be troubled because that was one of the things He would do on our behalf. He lived a perfect life for us. He endured hardships and pain and suffering and sorrow and troubles for us. He carried the weight of all our burdens on Himself as He went to the cross and overcame them all through His death in our place. That is why He encourages us “Let not your hearts be troubled.”

“In this world you will have trouble.” While we will have trouble in this world, all because of sin, we are reminded that Jesus has overcome that for us. We have more than this world. We have peace with God and the assurance of eternal life. Jesus gives us His peace. And Paul affirms this is ours:

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

This is not only a hope for the future. It is a present reality for believers. We have peace with God now. He earned that for us. Through faith we grab hold of what He offers.

Let not your hearts be troubled.

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled2025-09-04T06:00:47-05:00

Meant for Good

As part of his sermon this past Sunday, our pastor made reference to Joseph, the one who was the favorite son of Jacob, who had the coat of many colors and was none to popular with his brothers. They resented him so much they sold him into slavery and told their father he was dead.

Joseph prospered as a slave of Potiphar. But his master’s wife tried to seduce him. When Joseph did not give in to her wishes, she told her husband that Joseph assaulted her, and he was put in prison. Talk about bad breaks and unjust treatment!  But throughout it all, God was with Joseph. He prospered in prison, interpreted Pharoah’s dreams about the upcoming famine, and became a ruler in Egypt.

His brothers eventually came to Egypt to buy grain, and after a bit of drama Joseph revealed himself to them. They were frightened, but he cared for them, moving the entire family down to the land of Goshen where he could provide for them.

After Jacob died, the brothers feared Joseph would now exact his revenge on them. This is how Joseph responded.

Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

 I was reminded that the same thing happened to Jesus. He was unjustly punished for crimes he did not commit. The Jews meant the crucifixion for evil, a way to get rid of one they thought was a blasphemer. But God meant the crucifixion for good, and by it would save everyone who puts their faith in Jesus as Savior.

Thanks be to God. He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Meant for Good2025-09-02T21:51:33-05:00

God is Able

I have always loved the story of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Those were their Hebrew names. You probably know them better by their Babylonian names: Shadrach Meshach Abednego. Our Bible Class last Sunday found us in Daniel 3, where King Nebuchadnezzar had erected a huge gold statue that everyone was to bow down before and worship. Our trio refused to do so, and then we read:

Daniel 3:13–18  Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

The king had asked, “what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Without missing a beat, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied, “Let us tell you what god: Our God, the true God, the Creator of all, the one who delivered us from Egypt. He can do anything. “The God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.”

 As impressive as this testimony in the face of death was and still is, what they said next is even more powerful. “But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

I hear St. Paul echoing this sentiment in Romans.

Romans 14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

We should have the same confidence of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They believed in the God who saved their people in the past and the one who promised a Savior from sin and death. That Savior has come and accomplished what was needed to pay for all sin, giving us the certainty of forgiveness and life forever with Him.

Someone in class last Sunday reminded us of the song Mercy Me put out a while back that expresses this same confidence in God, referencing the words of those facing the fiery furnace.  I hope this encourages you today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6fA35Ved-Y

God is Able2025-09-01T21:16:01-05:00

No More Twinkies

Isaiah 40: 6b-8  And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” 

At the beginning of 2012, Hostess Brands filed for bankruptcy. They blamed the trend toward healthier diets on their financial woes. Then their workers went on strike, further complicating the issue. In November of that year, they announced they were shutting down, putting more than 18,000 employees out of work and announcing there would be no more Twinkies, those little cream filled shortcakes, that had been around since the 1930s. There was weeping and gnashing of teeth at that announcement. Not only that, but there would be no more Hostess CupCakes with the double loop white line of frosting on top. Those same folks also made Wonder Bread. It was sad to see them go. People were mourning the demise of the company.

Nothing on this earth lasts forever. There have been many powerful companies that seemed invincible but are now defunct.

  • Airlines named Eastern, Pan American, and TWA Airlines.
  • Automobile makers named Studebaker, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Packard, DeLorean and Hudson.
  • Amoco and Standard Oil, Diners Club, Woolworth and Montgomery Ward. Even the mighty Sears and Roebuck.

Nothing lasts forever.  But wait … two private companies bought the old Hostess Brands Inc. and the rights to all their snacks. bringing it back as Hostess Brands LLC. By July of 2013 Twinkies and CupCakes and the other snacks were back on store shelves.  What everyone thought was dead and gone came back to life.

The resurrection of that company can remind us that there is something that lasts forever. I don’t mean Twinkies. Although they do have a lot of preservatives, they will eventually be no more.

What I have in mind is God and His promises. Jesus’ life, His suffering, His sacrifice, His death, His descent into hell, and His resurrection from the dead are God’s way of showing us He is with us — that He will not leave us or forsake us. The Father who sent the Redeemer into this world to fulfill His promise to save us has now guaranteed that all who believe on Jesus as their Savior need never be afraid or dismayed at what life might throw at them.

Years ago there was a powerful brokerage firm called E. F. Hutton. Their ads said, “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” Well, E.F. Hutton had scandals and was absorbed by other companies, but the motto lived on.

Christians should follow a variation of that motto: When the Triune God speaks, we all ought to listen. If we do, we discover that because of Jesus’ act of redemption, hell has been replaced by heaven, and worldly worry has been set aside by wonder at God’s saving grace.

All of this leads me to say, I give thanks that in this changing world there is one thing I can count on: the love of God that comes to us in Jesus Christ.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that You have proven Yourself far more reliable than any human promise or man-made institution. May I, by the Holy Spirit’s power, be given a faith which trusts completely in You. I pray this in the Name of my Savior, who is with us always. Amen.

 

No More Twinkies2025-08-31T20:22:03-05:00

Zero Tolerance

When our youngest daughter, Leah, senior in High School, she wanted to drive her mother’s 1973 VW Super Beetle to school. We taught her how to drive a standard/stick shift and gave her our blessing. One of the first days of school, she kept killing it on the way – she was new to driving a stick – and was tardy. She was warned the next time she would get detention.

A few months later, I was already in my office at church and Cheryl had gone to her teaching job when I got a frantic call from Leah. Her car wouldn’t start. I told her I would come home to get her and take her to school. On the way, she told me she had a test to take during first period and was very concerned she would miss it. We arrived at the school about five minutes late, so I went in with her to explain what had happened. She was immediately told to report to the detention waiting room with a room full ne’er-do-wells. We were told the school police officer would be there soon to escort them all to detention. I told the lady my daughter would not be going to that toom and that I wanted to speak to the person in charge.

Let me explain that Leah was a straight – A student and had never been in any kind of trouble at school. I was told it would be a while before I could speak to someone. I told her I left work to get Leah here on time so she could take a test this period. The lady told me she would do her best.

About 15 minutest later, the principal showed up. The police officer had already escorted the others to detention. I calmly explained the situation to the principal, but he was unmoved. He said there was a “Zero Tolerance” policy in place. I asked what would have happened if I had called the school and told them Leah was sick and would not be there today. He said there would have been no consequences. So I said, “You mean the fact that I went out of my way to get a straight – A student, who has never been in trouble, here to take a test results in her getting punished, but a lie would have had no consequences? Doesn’t that seem unfair?”  He repeated that they had a zero tolerance policy in place and he wasn’t smart enough to know who was lying and who was telling the truth. I agreed with him, that he wasn’t smart enough. I told him I would take my daughter home before I let her go to detention. At that point, the principal relented. He let Leah take her test in the office and she was then able to attend the rest of her classes with no consequences.

Zero Tolerance policies sound like a good idea, but on this side of heaven you need to apply a bit of what should be “common sense” as well.

God has a zero tolerance policy for sin:

Romans 6:23a  For the wages of sin is death

That is what our sins deserve. If you try to stand before God on your own merit, you will be carted off with all the other ne’er do wells to the place prepared for sinners, separated from God for eternity. No amount of arguing or protests will keep you from getting what you deserve.

However, when you put your faith in Jesus and what He did by coming to the earth to live and suffer and die and rise again for you, you have a way out of the punishment you deserve.

Romans 6:23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Don’t misunderstand this. God is not saying your sin doesn’t matter. It does. And you deserve to be punished. What He tells you is that Jesus took your punishment so that you would not have to pay the penalty yourself.

Zero Tolerance2025-08-30T16:46:08-05:00

Common Ground

One of the things that I have learned is that it is much easier to meet a person on their terms than to try to make them meet you on yours. Often times the willingness to give in to the other person’s wishes, to meet them on “their turf,” makes it possible for you to have conversations that would otherwise never take place.

I thought of that recently when reading through Matthew 18:

Matthew 18:15–18  “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”

When I was serving as pastor, if I heard that someone was upset with me, I would go to that person as soon as possible. Many times I did not want to go, but I did it anyway. And most of the time the fact that I took the initiative to go see that person made it possible for us to be reconciled.

I could have taken the attitude, “If they are upset with me, they should come and talk to me. They should meet me in my office. I don’t have the problem, they do!”  How do you think that would have worked out?

Where would we all be if God had not come down here and met us on our turf?  He didn’t compromise His principles, He didn’t join us in sinning. He came down here and lived the life we should have lived, doing so for our sake. He then offered that life of innocence and perfection as the payment for all of our sin. In His humanity, Jesus didn’t want to do it. But He did it anyway because it needed to be done.

Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Lord, guide me to take the initiative to make peace with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.

Common Ground2025-08-29T20:59:13-05:00

A Picture of Heaven

Every week I interact with people from a variety of ethnic groups. I don’t really think about it that much. I have lived my whole life trying to treat people as people. It didn’t matter what color or ethnicity or even religious beliefs that they had. I tried to treat people as people, a person for whom Jesus lived and died. My parents taught me that, based on God’s Word:

Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Can you imagine if we all tried to do that? What a wonderful world this would be! Have I always done it perfectly? Of course not. Sin is part of my life, too, and I have often fallen short of the way God would have me live. Yet even that was covered by the sacrifice of Jesus.

Last year I was privileged to serve Trinity Lutheran Church in Frankfurt for 5 weeks during their vacancy. I know I wrote about this before, but Cheryl and I truly felt like we had a glimpse of heaven worshipping with that congregation. There were people attending worship there from all over the world. We made it a point to ask the people we met where they were from, and we counted 18 different countries. It reminded me of John’s vision:

Revelation 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

I was reminded of this again last month when I attended the ordination and installation of Noah Menke at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Dallas. That congregation has multilple ethnicities meeting there and they have worship services in four different languages: English, Spanish, Swahili, and Arabic. All those groups were a part of that ordination and installation!  It was a joy to be a part of that service.

Christ died for all. And there are people all over this world who have come to faith in Him. Because of their faity,m heaven will be filled with people from every nation, tribe, people and language. That is why I try to get to know as many of those folks as I can on this side of heaven. Even those who may hold different political views that I do! I have noticed that my attitude improves when I make an effort to be kind and nice to my neighbor. Maybe it will work for you, too.

Hebrews 13:1 “Keep on loving each other as brothers.”

A Picture of Heaven2025-08-28T19:18:12-05:00

Reminder from a Rainbow

Earlier this month Cheryl and I took our travel trailer down to the Texas Gulf Coast to enjoy the beach and some time with friends. We had a great time together down there. Because it is over 600 miles from where we live to South Padre Island, we split the trip down into two days. At the end of the week, I put Cheryl on a plane in Harlingen so she could attend an LWML meeting in St. Louis. Because she would be gone for five days, I made arrangements to meet my brother and a friend of his in Port Aransas for a few more days of sun and surf and fishing.

I got up early Friday morning for the drive home. While Google Maps said it was seven hours and thirty-five minutes driving time to my home, I knew better. When dragging my camper, I usually try to keep the driving time per day at a maximum of five hours. It makes the trips more relaxing. But Cheryl’s flight to Dallas was landing early Saturday morning, so I knew I had a long day ahead of me. And I had a preaching engagement on Sunday!

About twenty minutes into my trip that morning, as I was driving over the causeway towards Corpus Christi, God gave me a special treat. I was able to snap a quick pic of one of His rainbows. It reminded me that God is a God who makes promises and keeps them.

Genesis 9:9–13 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Even though others have tried to commandeer the rainbow for unholy things, the rainbow was given to us by God as a token of His pledge to never again flood the entire earth. And as I stated above, it also reminds us that God keeps His promises.

I knew He was with me that day. I hit several slow-downs through construction zones and Dallas traffic, but after two fifteen minute stops for fuel and a quick break, I made it safely home in just over nine hours. Because of the promises He made to me, I knew I would be home at the end of the day. I would either be at my physical home or at home with my Lord.

Romans 14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

I live with that confidence. I know Jesus has paid the penalty for my sin and given me forgiveness and eternal life that I do not deserve. The rainbow I saw early that morning was a good reminder of what a good God He is. I hope you have that some certainty in your life.

Reminder from a Rainbow2025-08-27T17:48:22-05:00

Bearing Fruit

When I retired 5 years ago, one of the gifts I received from my congregation was a pair of pecan trees to plant at home. The church property has a small grove of pecan trees that produce a lot of pecans, and I used to enjoy harvesting those nuts and eating the fruit. I also had three pecan trees that I planted at our home in Sherman that were producing a good crop for several years before we sold that home and moved out into the country.

We had bought our property back in 2007. In anticipation of moving out there, I had planted dozens of pecan trees around the property. In spite of my best efforts to nurture and water those trees, only one of them survived by the time we moved there in 2016. Drought and wildlife got most of them. That sole survivor even made it through the construction of our home just ten feet away from it. But it has yet to produce any fruit. It had some wind damage this spring, so I had to cut off a lot of the lower branches. I’m going to give it some more time.

Those two trees the congregation gave me? One of them died the second year. The other is next to my raised garden beds. It stands about fifteen feet tall and is covered with pecans this year. I am eagerly looking forward to the end of October!

Some trees produce. Others don’t. We all know that. And Jesus used that analogy to describe how people respond to the news that He is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

John 15:1–8 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Only those attached to Jesus will bear fruit. Your attachment is not your good deeds or efforts. The only way to be attached to “the vine” is to have faith that Jesus is who He says He is: God, your Savior from sin and death. The Holy Spirit leads you to this faith and the certainty that you have forgiveness and eternal life because Jesus paid your debt. What a joy to be led to this confidence!

Because you are attached to Jesus through faith, the natural result should be good works that show your faith to the world around you. We try to live the life God wants us to live, doing “good works,” to thank our God for what He did through the cross and the empty tomb. And Jesus reminds us that doing so tells the world that we are His followers: This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Lord, help me to be a disciple that bears fruit for you. Amen.

Bearing Fruit2025-08-26T13:42:40-05:00

revmattil.org

Go to Top