Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? (1Pe 3:13 NIV)

This apostolic exclamation needs to be understood. Whoever pursues peace with God and all people is a joy to the angels and gladdening our savior. However this does not keep him from temporary dilemma. Hatred and evil still hound him like a dog. This is well know and I am sure even the apostle was well aware of this fact, that you don’t need to be bad to be hated by this world and you don’t have to do anything wrong for it to hound you either. Rather it is often the most shining virtues which rise the ire of others. As you do good and excel at it, jealousy, treachery and falsehood smell out a worthy bait. It is enough to just not be part of the worldly patterns to be discriminated and sidelined by it.  Yes, God keeps those that belong to him safe and sound by guarding them with his merciful arm and shielding them with his gracious hand. Yet still it is common knowledge that God’s people travel roads that are lined with thorns and prickly issues, cares and sorrows. If the apostle asks “Who is going to harm you?” then this does not point to physical danger and harm, but rather the inviolability of our soul and new life in Christ. The true meaning of this sentence thus is that if you are eager to do good and remain faithful even in difficult times and through hard struggles, then nobody – not even the old evil foe and his dark cronies – can harm you permanently and forever. On the contrary. Suffering and harm work divine blessings and carry great promise as you can pass through them to eternal joy and happiness by God’s grace and mercy, who can create all out of nothing and is good beyond measuring out. Way beyond our wildest dreams!

O dear and loving God Father, Son and Holy Spirit! This live if full of sorrow and hardship leading us too often to the very brink of death. There’s so much danger all the way and even more insecurity and uncertainty too, so much faithlessness, deceit, cunning and treachery that we so quickly tire and desire our premature demise. Yet, you o God of peace and mercy, you know our weakness. Therefore help us to navigate these evils and troubles safely and without lasting harm. And when our time comes, grant us a blessed death and farewell from this world, so that we will not be too afraid and not despair at the sight of death and our end, but rather grant us a steadfast heart and a strong faith in you and your grace and goodness that forgives all our sin and heals all our diseases that we commit our body and soul entirely into your hands. Amen. (Dr. Martin Luther)

Lord, our God, don’t forsake those that in all their dire needs and hard times trust in you. Hear their calls for help which they bring before you night and day seeking mercy and deliverance.

Resist those that hate you and want to harm your Church. Let their powerful schemes come to naught. Turn yourself graciously to us poor people and have mercy on our weakness.  

You are the victorious Lord and all else is subordinate. Stand by those, who trust in you and hope in your help alone, calling to you in Jesus name: Help savior and redeemer! Amen. (Johann Hermann 1585-1647)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Thursday after the fifth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 254 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.