Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. (2Co 3:4-5 NIV)

The apostle St. Paul has a living confidence in God’s special and divine doing in the congregation of Corinth through him. God had blessed his ministry and gospel activity in Corinth exceedingly and beyond any expectations. This acknowledgement of God’s great blessings by the apostle could also be misinterpreted as if he’s praising his own person and achievement. That is why St. Paul makes this helpful distinction and clarification. He does not ascribe any competency to claim anything for himself, but freely acknowledges and confesses: Our competency comes from God! Thus he ascribes his aptitude and proficiency to teach and to carry out his apostolic ministry just to the divine calling. It is no natural merit or inborn worthiness or human genius, but rather the gift of the holy office of the divinely instituted ministry (Amtsgabe). This is an admonition to humble ourselves and a warning not to follow the satanic temptation to call natural speech, rhetoric and ideas divine. God acts in nondescript and unimposing ways. Noise is not required, but sometimes quiet – even silence. No big lights, but often utter darkness. He looks right down for humility, proper evaluation of our true self and recognition of our own miserability, sinfulness and utter dependence on God’s grace and goodness as proclaimed in his gospel and most holy word of Scripture. This is but a very narrow track leading to salvation for sure. Easy to fall down either shattered on the Scylla of self-despair or wrecked on the Charybdis of self-righteous hubris. We should beware that we don’t speak, teach and defend our own musings and conceptions with all the trappings of the divine office – even if they very clearly are misleading or plainly false and bad. Rather continue to wait on God, be patient as you listen to him, practice self-criticism, humble yourself before him and retract into deeper silence to listen even more and only to him as he speaks to you in his written word of Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament. In all humility continue to wait, long and desire for his godly influence on your life and you will notice that even as your eyes loose their attachment to the vain things of this world, your heart is detached from passing passions and your ears become deaf to the alluring enticing of this time and age – there is still lots more to see, to be passionate about and more glorious and encouragingt to hear – for God himself is the most beautiful, his life surpasses by far even the most fulfilled life on earth and grants us all in all without subtractions – through faith here and there to see.

Oh just and righteous God fix my mind and senses on you alone, that I fear you more than all else and faithfully serve you in love and compassion and with all my strength and from the bottom of my heart. Sanctify my completely – from the inside but also outside. Turn everything away from me that is not yours. Grant that I continue to be yours and you mine – and let my will be totally subject to your direction, determination and good will. Create in me a clean heart and give me a new and confident spirit to praise your name and trust your grace. Keep me from sinning. Let me not fall into sin. Let me not remain in sin either. Kill off all sinful desires and passions in my heart, mind and being. Take away my pride and self-centeredness, disperse hatred and envy, remove all harmful passion and false dedication and commitment. Gather my soul and being to yourself. Maintain a good conscience in me. Praise, glory, thanks and worship, power and strength be yours o God from eternity to eternity. Amen.

How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds In a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear. Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend, O Prophet, Priest and King, My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, Accept the praise I bring. Weak is the effort of my heart, And cold my warmest thought; But when I see Thee as Thou art, I’ll praise Thee as I ought. Till then I would Thy love proclaim With every fleeting breath, And may the music of Thy Name Refresh my soul in death! (John Newton 1725-1807)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for the twelfth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 299 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.