My Father will honor the one who serves me. (Joh 12:26 NIV)

If somebody obeys God faithfully and does not seek his own, but strives to serve God and be his loyal instrument, then this tool is honored and God in heaven glorifies this servant.

Whoever wants to serve this Lord in great things needs to persevere, be patient in good works and take the long view towards the final goal ahead. Step by step he needs to walk the walk of faith towards the ultimate destination, where his soul’s desire will find rest and satisfaction.

Our Lord and God seeks heroic people in the Church, who do not just care for sanctification as a pastime or once in a while, but rather strive for excellence in good and God-pleasing works full-time, who thus excel in life and in death.

In the Church such heroic excellence shines like diamonds and most precious jewels and treasures. However even if rubies and pearls have a special appeal, the repentant soul’s tears and sorrow over sins outshines them by far. For in the end it remains the final verdict, that those who are saved eventually to eternal life are saved by grace alone through the forgiveness of all their sins of commission and omission, of being and doing in thought, word and deed.

Almighty God, merciful Father! Grant to your servants faithfully to do, what we recognize as your good and holy will and that we will desire what you chose and prefer, so that we will continually be refined, enlightened and ignited by the glowing and kindling passion of your Holy Spirit to follow in the footsteps of your son Jesus Christ.  And now as night is breaking and another week lies behind us, let us find rest in the peace of your gracious forgiveness and help us, that on the morrow we will hear your holy Word for our edification and receive your merciful blessing. We praise you, o Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as God of all goodness and our true sanctuary. Praise and thanks to you now and evermore! Amen.

A light that wants to shine will be consumed itself.  Granting comfort, light and warmth it diminishes itself – hardly even noticed (by others). A shining light can only accomplish that appropriately, where and when the master deigns it meet, right and salutary.  

A light that wants to shine accepts that it’s not appreciated for itself, but rather for the light it gives. A light that shines will be content to give comfort and strength to others, while loosing all itself.

A light that wants to shine will not question whether its light is for many or for one. A Light that shines will carry rays of light to wherever its needed and there it leaves its wholesome mark.

A light that wants to shine in the hands of the master is but a reflection of the eternal light that mirrors his light in the darkness and illuminates those in the shadow of death with the promise of life everlasting in Him. (Hedwig von Redern *1866. The translation is rather literal and neither poetic nor hymnal)

(Translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Saturday after the Sunday Septuagesiame as found on Pg. 102 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.)