by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Enduring the Season

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.”
Psalm 57:10 English Standard Version

Perusing pictures from this year, I ran across this one that I took in February. I’m sure that I used it in a previous devotion, but it hit me between the eyes of what I feel like doing right now. Counting today, there are only five days to Christmas. FIVE DAYS!!!

Santa’s not the only one who is checking his list, I am too, only I’m not looking for who’s naughty or nice. My list seems to have been written on a new role of toilet paper that goes on forever. There are still a few gifts to buy, a house to clean (not to mention some painting that needs to be finished). On top of all of the craziness of getting the house ready are devotions that still need to be written and recorded. There are homebound members of my church that need to be visited.

At the end of my list is the word, “SURPRISE!” because there’s always something that comes up for which I did not plan.

“Don’t give up the ship!” These words are attributed to Captain James Lawrence of the USS Chesapeake in the war of 1812. After being wounded, his last words to his crew were, “Don’t give up the ship.”

Our fears and anxieties are the result of being wounded by sin. There are times that we want to give up on life, to give up on our faith in the baby who is born for us. Yet, in Jesus’ wounds, the wounds we inflicted on him, we hear him say, “Don’t give up the ship.” “Don’t give up on me.”

In the frantic pace of this week, of this life, we hear David reminding us that God’s steadfast love and his faithfulness are beyond the stress of this world, reaching to the heavens and clouds.

My friends, don’t give up the ship! The joy-filled end is guaranteed in the mercy of Jesus.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado