January 27, 2024 

Today’s Reading: Introit for Epiphany 4

Daily Lectionary:Zechariah 4:1-5:11; Romans 15:14-33

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

 but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.

Blessèd is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

 whose sin is covered.

Blessèd is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,

 and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity;

 I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

 surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble;

 you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

 but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. (Introit for Epiphany 4, Psalm 32:1-2, 5-7, 10)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You are blessed! Your blessedness isn’t seen in your material possessions or your fantastic mood or even by your hashtags on social media. Your blessedness comes because your transgression is forgiven and your sin is covered. There is a lot of pressure on trying to impress people around you with showing how you are blessed and how wonderful your life is. The Lord doesn’t care about those social norms. The Lord cares by bringing you His blessings, especially in the forgiveness of your sins.

The practice of confessing sins before God and other people seems backwards to our understanding of showing how blessed we are. Human wisdom says that you keep your mistakes, your errors, and your sins to yourself and show others only the very best things that you do. Psalm 32 encourages you to confess your sins before God and admit them as you receive His forgiveness. When you confess your sins, you aren’t telling God anything new. The all-knowing Lord of all creation already knows your sins.  Confess these sins of yours to your merciful Father who is faithful to forgive those sins.  

To accomplish that forgiveness, He has sent His one and only Son into the world to die on the cross to save you from your sins. That is where your blessedness comes from – the forgiveness won by Jesus Christ.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

I lay my sins on Jesus, The spotless Lamb of God; He bears them all and frees us  From the accursèd load. I bring my guilt to Jesus  To wash my crimson stains  Clean in His blood most precious  Till not a spot remains.  (LSB 606:1)

-Pastor Peter W. Ill is pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Millstadt, Illinois.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.