Thursday Psalms: God's Purpose for You

 

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

This week's Psalm is a delightful song of thankfulness and praise for all things the Lord gives to you & me!

Psalm 138

¹ I give You thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

      before the gods I sing Your praise;

² I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name

      for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness,

      for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.

³ On the day I called, You answered me;

      my strength of soul You increased.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall give You thanks, O Lord,

      for they have heard the words of Your mouth,

⁵ and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,

      for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly,

      but the haughty He knows from afar.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life;

      You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,

          and Your right hand delivers me.

⁸ The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;

      Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

          Do not forsake the work of Your hands.

Notice the final three verses, which really summarize the loving relationship God gives to you and to me.  David observes what is undeniably true:  the Lord, the Creator of all things, the One who is "higher" above and over all things, "regards the lowly".  That's you and me!  The God of the universe loves you, and cares for you, and provides all things for you!  How awesome is that?

Today, I'd like to focus on the last verse, especially the first clause:  The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  What a trusting statement!  As you wander about your life, crashing & bumping into troubles and crises and things we can't explain, this promise keeps you focused on God.  In all things, God leads you according to His purpose, which matters here and eternally.  Why?  Because God's love for you is steadfast, unchanging, constant and yes, it endures forever!

Thank You, O Lord for this psalm, and for how You wonderfully regard us, in Your love and mercy!  Teach me to trust in You to fulfill Your purpose for me."  AMEN

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 August 16, 2026

 Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

August 16, 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 Summer Sunday schedule has started with our Worship service beginning at 9:30 am.  Afterwards, around 10:30 or so, please join us and enjoy food and conversations together.

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

Old Testament:  Isaiah 56:1, 6–8

             Psalm:  Psalm 67

            Epistle:  Romans 11:1–2a, 13–15, 28–32

            Gospel:  Matthew 15:21–28

THEME FOR WORSHIP

In today’s Gospel reading, we find a Canaanite woman engaging Jesus in a very challenging conversation.  You & I may have more in common with in this Canaanite woman than we realize.  Their conversation raises questions which you & I must confront.  Did Jesus come for you, or only for others?  Is God’s mercy enough for you to be included?  Does God even hear your prayers and cries?  Will we be satisfied if we are only given crumbs from God’s table?

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's Face Shines on You!

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

Especially for Missouri Lutheran worshipers, the first verse of today's Psalm reminds us of the familiar benediction spoken at the end of the Divine Service on Sunday mornings.  God uses this idea of His face shining on people many times in the Bible.  We remember and pray for God's grace and blessing, because God loves each of us so very much and gives them to us.  This is personal:  God loves YOU so very much, and gives His grace and blessing to YOU!  

This psalm also introduces another reason why God would be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us.

Psalm 67

¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us

      and make His face to shine upon us,

² that Your way may be known on earth,

      Your saving power among all nations.

³ Let the peoples praise You, O God;

      let all the peoples praise You!

⁴ Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

      for You judge the peoples with equity

            and guide the nations upon earth.

⁵ Let the peoples praise You, O God;

      let all the peoples praise You!

⁶ The earth has yielded its increase;

      God, our God, shall bless us.

⁷ God shall bless us;

      let all the ends of the earth fear Him! 

We find this reason in verse two:  [so] that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations.  God blesses His people, so all people would learn of Him and believe in Him.  With this in mind, we should always give thanks to God for His blessings, given for His purposes.  We should also ask ourselves:  "How can I use the blessings God has given me, so others would also receive God's grace and blessings?".  

God is gracious and blesses you greatly; may He lead you to be grace & blessing to others!

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