“Bless the LORD, O my soul. And all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits.” Psalm 103:1-2 (Read Psalm 103)

It’s so easy to neglect to thank and praise the LORD God and to forget that it is He who has so richly blessed us with all that we have and need. And, when we do speak words of thanks, it is so often only an outward expression and not the true and sincere response of heart and soul.

For this reason, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, calls upon his own soul to bless the LORD and not forget all His blessings.

What are the benefits with which the LORD God has so richly blessed us? He gave us His own dear Son to suffer and die in our stead; and, when we look to Him in faith, He forgives us all our sins and iniquities for Jesus’ sake.

He is the one who heals all our diseases. He redeems our life from destruction. He crowns us with His loving kindness and tender mercies. He fills our mouths with good things and renews our youth. He executes righteous judgments for the oppressed. And through His Word, He makes known to us His ways and His mighty acts.

What a reason for us, as believers, to join with the psalmist and bless and praise the LORD God from our very souls! He forgives our sins, removing them as far as the east is from the west, and accepts us for Jesus’ sake! Instead of judging and condemning us, He deals with us in mercy, provides us with all that we need, and assures us that His mercy is “from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him”!

Stop and consider all the blessings which the LORD God has provided for you, beginning with His great mercy and forgiveness toward you for Jesus’ sake. Then, with the psalmist and believers around the world, bless and thank the LORD God with all your heart and soul!

O LORD God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I thank and praise You for Your great goodness and mercy toward me, a sinner, for the sake of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Amen.

Psalm 103
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. And all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits. 3 It is he who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed. 7 He made his ways known to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy. 9 He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so is his mercy great toward those who fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are as grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more. 17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 To those who keep his covenant, and to those who remember his commandments to do them. 19 The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the LORD, you angels of his, who excel in strength, who do his commandments, listening to the voice of his word. 21 Bless the LORD, all you hosts of his, you ministers of his, who do his pleasure. 22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul.

[Scripture is quoted from the Revised Common Version.]

Epistle – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
1 But of the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes even as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that the day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all children of light and children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunken, are drunken in the night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, so that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Therefore, comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as you also do.

Gospel – Matthew 25:1-13
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them. 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the bridegroom comes. Go out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Not so, lest there not be enough for us and you. But rather go to those who sell and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the marriage. Then the door was shut. 11 Afterward, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore, watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man comes.

Are you ready for Jesus Christ to return on the Last Day? Jesus told this parable to admonish us to be watchful and ready at all times for His return.

Jesus here compares the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins who “took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” The wise virgins took extra oil for their lamps so that they would be ready even if the “bridegroom tarried.” The foolish took only the oil in their lamps and did not consider the possibility that their lamps would go out before the bridegroom arrived.

As a result, these foolish virgins were not prepared and ready when the bridegroom came; and they did not, with the wise virgins, enter with the bridegroom into the marriage feast.

With this parable, Jesus warns us against being foolishly unprepared for His return on the Last Day.

It is foolish for us who believe in Christ today to fall asleep and not be watching for His return. It is foolish not to have our faith continually nourished and kept burning through the regular use of the Word of God and the Sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper). AC V; FC, SD, XI, Par. 14-22; John 6:63; 8:31-32; Rom. 10:17; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; 2:2-3.
If we do not make such provision through the continued use of the Word of God in our homes and Word and Sacraments in our church, we may find our lamps empty and gone out (our faith dead) at Jesus’ coming.

Those who have no living, saving faith in Jesus Christ when He returns in Judgment will be shut out of heaven, for it will be too late to rekindle faith at that time! But those who have wisely provided oil for their lamps — those who continue to nourish their faith by remembering their Baptism, using the Word of God, and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ given and shed for the remission of sins, that the Holy Ghost may through these means keep their faith burning and give and assure to them the forgiveness of all their sins and of life everlasting for Jesus’ sake — these will enter into heaven with Jesus and enjoy its blessings forever (cf. 2 Thess. 1:4-12; Psalm 16:11; 17:15; Rev. 19:7-9; 21:1ff.).

With my lamp well trimmed and burning, swift to hear and slow to roam, watching for Thy glad returning to restore me to my home. Come, my Savior, Come, my Savior, O my Savior, quickly come. Amen. (John S.B. Monsell, 1863, The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn #606, Verse 4)

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, he will sit upon the throne of his glory. 32 And before him all nations shall be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. 36 I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? 39 Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, since you have done it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you have done it to me.’ 41 “Then he will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. 43 I was a stranger and you did not take me in. I was naked and you did not clothe me. I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they will also answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, since you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.” Matthew 25:31-46

On the Last Day, when Jesus Christ returns with all His holy angels to judge the living and the dead, He shall separate the believers and unbelievers from one another as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats, putting the sheep on the right hand and the goats on the left.

The unbelievers, those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ and His innocent sufferings and death for the forgiveness of their sins and everlasting life, “shall go away into everlasting punishment.” But those who truly trust in Christ and believe that they are forgiven and have eternal life only for Jesus’ sake – because Christ died for them and rose again – will go into “life eternal.”
If it is through faith in Christ that one goes to heaven, and if it is through unbelief that one is damned and spends eternity in hell (cf. Mark 16:16), why does Jesus here speak of the works of believers for Him and the lack of works in unbelievers?

Jesus is not saying that those on the right hand go to heaven because of their works; it is only through faith in Christ and His sufferings and death that they are acceptable in God’s sight and are given eternal life (Eph. 1:6-7). But since they have been brought to faith in Christ and are saved by God’s grace, they now love their Lord and Savior and gladly live for Him and serve their fellow man (cf. Eph. 2:8-10).

They, those on the right hand, are not depending on such works to gain God’s favor; they are not even aware of the many times they have served Christ by serving their brethren. Rather they love and serve their brethren because Christ has first loved and served them by winning for them eternal salvation (cf. 1 John 4:9-11,19).

Those who do not have saving faith in Jesus Christ cannot love and serve Him. Even when they outwardly perform many of the same charitable works as Christians, they are not done for Christ; for “without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6).

O Jesus, who my debt didst pay and for my sin wast smitten, within the Book of Life, oh, may my name be also written! I will not doubt; I trust in Thee, from Satan Thou hast made me free and from all condemnation. Amen. (The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn #611, Verse 5)

[Scripture is quoted from the Revised Common Version.]

Lord, you have been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or before you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. Psalm 90:1-2  (Read Psalm 90)

I cannot fully grasp the fact that our God is eternal – without beginning and without end. He always has been and always will be. That is what the Lord God has revealed to us about Himself.

As it was revealed to Moses, so it is: “Lord, you have been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or before you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.”

Through every generation of man’s existence, man’s life has been totally dependent upon the Lord God who is and was and always shall be and who made us and gave us life and breath!

Before He created the mountains or formed the earth and the world, the Lord God was and is God. Of course, this is not speaking only of the everlasting Father and the eternal Spirit, but of the Son. As prophesied by Micah the prophet, the One born in Bethlehem to be our Savior and King is “from of old, from everlasting” (5:2). It is as Jesus Himself said, “‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,’ says the Lord, ‘who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty’” (Rev. 1:8; cf. John 1:1ff.).

The truth that the Lord God is eternal can only be disheartening to those who refuse to repent of their evil ways and trust in Him for mercy and forgiveness, for this same God testifies of everlasting punishment for all who do not believe and take hold of the good news of forgiveness and life in the Son. It is hard to fathom condemnation and punishment unending! Cf. 2 Thess. 1:7ff.; Luke 16:19ff.; Mark 9:42ff.

On the other hand, the witness of Scripture to the eternal existence of God is nothing but comfort to those who believe. Not only do our daily lives in this world rest in the hands of an everlasting God who works all things for our good; through the blood of the Son shed for all upon the cross, our sins are forever washed away and forgiven and we have the blessing of life without end in God’s eternal kingdom! Cf. Psalm 103:11-12; Micah 7:18ff.; John 3:16,18; 6:40; 11:25-26; 14:1ff.

This too is beyond the grasp of my limited understanding. How can a dying man live forever? And yet, in Jesus Christ, every believer shall! Our sins have been washed away in Jesus’ blood; and, as Christ was raised up on the third day, so also we shall be raised up on the Last Day to live forever with Him in the mansions of heaven! In Jesus, sin and death has been overcome. In Him, we shall live forever without sin and without death. Praise be to our eternal God and Savior!

O Almighty and everlasting God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we praise You for giving us life through the innocent sufferings and death of the Son in our stead, on the cross, and we trust in You to raise us up as Christ was raised and give us life with You forever in Your eternal and glorious kingdom. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the Revised Common Version of the Bible.]

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with your free spirit.” Psalm 51:10-12

By nature after the fall, all of our hearts are full of “evil thoughts … murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19). Instead of loving the LORD and desiring to do His holy will, our thoughts, as a result of our fallen and sinful nature, are “only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5).

As Christians, who trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for salvation, the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and gives us love for God and holy thoughts and desires. As the Bible says, we are “washed … sanctified … justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). Our bodies are now temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).

Yet in this world, we are still sinners. Like David, we need to acknowledge our sins, turn to the LORD for His grace and forgiveness, and pray that God would create “a clean heart” and “renew a right spirit” within us.

When we consider how we continue to come short and fail to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit through the Word, we deserve to be cast away from the presence of the LORD and have His Holy Spirit taken from us. How we grieve God’s Spirit when we go our own way and sin rather than give heed to the admonitions and warnings of God’s Word (cf. Eph. 4:30)! With David, we all have reason to pray, “Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.”

When we turn aside from following the Holy Spirit – when we turn into sin and evil – the joy which comes from being an heir of salvation and walking with the Lord is overshadowed by guilt and despair. We feel God’s wrath upon us. We know that we have failed again and are deserving of His everlasting punishment (cf. Ps. 32:3-4; 51:3-5).

But, like David, we look to the LORD God for mercy, acknowledging our sins and failures to the LORD and turning to Him in faith for pardon and forgiveness for the sake of the Son, Jesus Christ, and His innocent sufferings and death in our stead.

We pray with David in Psalm 51:1-9: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving-kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, I have sinned and done this evil in your sight, so that you may be justified when you speak and clear when you judge. Behold, I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. And in the hidden part you shall make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness so that the bones which you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.”

And, we also pray with David: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with your free spirit.”

Only God’s Spirit can restore in us that joy of knowing that through faith in Jesus we have forgiveness for all our sins and eternal salvation! Only the Holy Spirit can uphold us and keep us in the true and saving faith!

We then pray: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with your free spirit.” Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the Revised Common Version.]