Thursday Psalms: God Restores You!

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

Today's psalm may be the most beloved and best-known of all the psalms.  But questions may still come to us.  Are you wanting in any situation?  How green are your pastures?  Are the waters in your life still or rough?

Psalm 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures.

      He leads me beside still waters.

³ He restores my soul.

      He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

      I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

      You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

      and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Even though all of us have times of suffering, struggle and difficulty, God remains with you, He is your shepherd.  He does protect and provide for you in countless ways, but God does so always according to His will and timing.  We'll never understand everything God does or doesn't do.  But there is one thing for us to consider today, which is always true and sure.

Re-read this psalm, thinking about your countless sins and the forgiveness Jesus gives to you for every stinkin' one of them.  By His forgiveness, your relationship with God is fully restored.  The waters are still, not angry or punishing.  Your relationship with God is peaceful, like lying down in a green meadow and listening to the breeze and the birds.  You do not fear the shadow of death, because Jesus is risen from death and has defeated death for you!  

So, no matter what may be harming you today, let your confidence and peace be restored by God's mercy, which will certainly follow you all the days of your life!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday April 19, 2026

 

The Walk to Emmaus    Franz Ittenbach   1835

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Third Sunday of Easter

April 19, 2026

We're thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  Our usual Sunday schedule starts with Adult Bible class at 9:15 am and then our 10:30 am Worship service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us on Sunday mornings!  Anyone can watch our services live on Facebook or on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

  First Reading:  Acts 2:14a, 36–41

             Psalm:  Psalm 116:1–14

            Epistle:  1 Peter 1:17–25

            Gospel:  Luke 24:13–35

THEME FOR WORSHIP

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus hides Himself from the eyes of two disciples walking to the village of Emmaus.  Later, in the breaking of the bread at dinner, Jesus reveals Himself to them, their eyes were opened.  Jesus often does this in our lives also; God hides and reveals Himself according to His will.  This should not trouble us, because Jesus always shows up where He promises to be: in holy Scripture, in the preaching of His Word and in the Lord’s Supper.  

Even when you can’t see Him, your risen Lord Jesus Christ is always present with you, giving you forgiveness of sins, life and salvation!

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

       Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website           Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: God Is Merciful!

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

In these first verses of this psalm, the psalmist describes different ways & situations in which the Lord is merciful, hears your prayers, delivers you from troubles and deals bountifully, generously with you.  Like a beautiful trumpet, verse five declares great truths about God:  Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

Psalm 116:1-14

¹ I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.

² Because He inclined His ear to me,

     therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.

³ The snares of death encompassed me;

     the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.

⁴ Then I called on the name of the Lord:  “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

⁵ Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

⁶ The Lord preserves the simple;

     when I was brought low, He saved me.

⁷ Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

⁸ For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears,

         my feet from stumbling;

⁹ I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Think about times when the Lord has helped you, delivered you, healed you from sickness or suffering, and so on.  But truthfully, we often wonder if God does hear our prayers when He may not answer them in the way or time we'd like.  But in all cases, God is always merciful, loving and always does what is best for us.

Now read this psalm and think of your relationship with God through a different lens, through the lens of your sinfulness.  The snares of death is a phrase which describes our sinfulness very well.  Your sins separate you from God, and the wages of your sins is death.  Without God's mercy, your sins would separate you from God eternally; that is to be damned to hell.  

But your God is merciful!  He saved you!  He has delivered your soul from death, from eternal death in hell!  Jesus Christ, God Himself, died on the cross and rose from the dead to set you free from sin and restore your relationship with God.  Forgiven sin no longer separates you from God, because God has separated your sins from you!

Return, O my soul to your rest; for God is merciful!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9