Daily Devotion for 12 March 2026 (Lent 3, Thursday)

Welcome to the Daily Devotions Podcast from Confident Faith.

I am Corey J. Moller, a contributor here at Confident Faith.

I will be your reader today, this Thursday and the third week of Lent, the 12th of March.

In the year of our Lord, 2026, in the time of Easter, there are no feasts, festivals or

commemorations on the calendar today.

Our readings for today are Psalm 106, Psalm 32, Genesis 39 verses 1 through 23, Mark chapter

10 verses 13 through 31, and paragraph 67 through 73 of Article 2 of the Solid Declaration

of the Formula of Concord.

We will close, as always, with the Lord's Prayer.

Today's first reading from the Psalter is the 106th Psalm.

We acknowledge the Lord because He is kind, because His mercy is forever.

Who shall speak of the acts of dominance of the Lord, make heard all His praises?

Happy are those who observe justice, and do righteousness at every opportunity.

Remember us, O Lord, in the good pleasure of your people, regardless in your deliverance,

that we may look at the kindness of your chosen ones, that we may be glad in the gladness

of your nation, that we may be commended with your heritage.

We sinned together with our fathers, we acted lawlessly, we committed injustice.

Our fathers in Egypt did not consider your wonderful works, they did not remember the abundance

of your mercy, and embittered when going up at the Red Sea.

And He saved them for His name's sake, to make known His dominance, and He rebuked the

Red Sea and it became dry, and He guided them in the deep as in a wilderness, and He saved

them from the hand of people that hate, and redeemed them from an enemy's hand.

And water covered those that afflicted them, not one of them was left, and they believed

in His words, and they sang His praise.

They were quick to forget His works, they did not wait for His counsel, and they craved

with craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in a waterless region, and He gave

them their request, and sent surfeit into their souls, and they angered Moses in the camp,

and the Holy One of the Lord, the earth opened and swallowed up Daithin, and covered the

company of Abraham, and fire broke out in their company, and flame burned up sinners.

And they made a calf at Horib, and it obeisanced to the carved image, and they exchanged their

glory for a likeness of a bowl calf that eats grass.

They forgot the God who was saving them, who did great things in Egypt, wondrous works

in Ham's land, and awesome things by the Red Sea.

And He spoke in order to destroy them, had not Moses His chosen ones stood in the breach

before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying.

And they despised a desirable land, they had no faith in His Word, and they grumbled in

their coverts, they did not listen to the voice of the Lord, and He raised His hand against

them, to cast them down in the wilderness, and to cast down their offspring among the nations,

and scatter them in the lands.

And they were initiated to Baal Fagor, and ate sacrifices of the dead, and they provoked

Him with their practices, and the falling broke out among them, and Phineas stood and made

atonement, and the breach abated, and it was reckoned to Him as righteousness, to generation

and generation forever.

And they angered Him at the water of contention, and it went ill with Moses on their account,

because they made His Spirit bitter, and He parted with His lips.

They did not destroy the nations, which the Lord told them, and they mingled with the

nations, and learned their works, and they were subject to their carved images, and it

became to them a stumbling block.

And they sacrificed their sons, and their daughters to the demons, and they poured out

innocent blood, blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the carved images

of Canaan, and the land was murdered with blood, and it was defiled by their acts, and they

played the prostitute in their practices.

And the Lord became furiously angry with His people, and He abhorred His heritage, and He

gave them into the hands of nations, and those who hated them ruled over them, and their

enemies oppressed them, and they were brought low under their hands.

Many times He rescued them, but they embittered Him by their purposes, and were brought low

by their lawlessness, and He regarded them when they were being afflicted, when He listened

to their petition, and He remembered His covenant, and showed regret according to the abundance

of His mercy, and He gave them over to be pitted, before all who took them captive.

Save us O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may acknowledge your

holy name, boast in your praise.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting, and all the people shall

say, may it be, may it be.

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 forevermore, amen.

Today's second reading from the Psalter is the 32nd Psalm.

Happier those whose lawless behavior was forgiven, and whose sins were covered over, happy

the man whose sin the Lord will not reckon, and in his mouth there is no deceit.

Because I kept silence my bones grew old, from my crying all day long, because day and

night your hand was heavy upon me.

I was turned to wretchedness when a thorn was stuck in me.

My sin I made known, and my lawlessness I did not cover.

I said I will declare to the Lord against myself my lawlessness, and you you forgave the

impiety of my sin.

Over this every devout shall pray to you at an appropriate time.

But at a flood of many waters, these will not reach him.

You are my refuge from affliction that besets me.

My enjoyment redeemed me from those that encircle me.

I will instruct you and teach you in this way in which you should go.

I will fix my eyes upon you.

Do not be like horse and mule who have no understanding, with bridle and muzzle squeeze

their jaws when they do not come near you.

Many are the scourges of the sinner, but mercy will surround him that hopes in the Lord,

be glad in the Lord and rejoice so righteous, and boast all you upright in heart.

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 forevermore.

Amen.

Today's Old Testament reading comes from the book of Genesis, and we will be reading

the thirty-ninth chapter, verses one through twenty-three.

Now Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and pedifress the unique of Pharaoh, a chief butcher,

an Egyptian acquired him from the hand of the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.

And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man, and he was in the house with

his Egyptian Lord, and his Lord knew that the Lord was with him, and the Lord was prospering

whatever he did.

And Joseph found favor before his Lord, and he was well pleased with him and appointed

him over his house, and gave everything that he had into Joseph's control.

Now it came about, after he had been appointed over his house, and over everything that

he had, that then the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake, and the Lord's

blessing was on all that belonged to him in the house and in the field.

And he entrusted everything that he had into Joseph's hands, and he had no knowledge

of any of his own affairs, except the bread that he would eat.

And Joseph was handsome in physique and very pleasing in appearance, and it came about

after these matters, that then his Lord's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, lie

with me, but he would not, and he said to his Lord's wife, if because of me my Lord has

no knowledge of anything in his house, and he gave everything that he has into my hands,

and nothing in this household is above me, and he has not excluded anything from the except

you because you are his wife.

Then how shall I carry out this evil matter and sin against God?

And when she would speak to Joseph day after day, then he would not submit to her to sleep

with her in order to have relations with her.

Now some such day came, Joseph went into the house to perform his task, and no one of those

in the household was inside, and she drew him by his garment, saying, lie with me, and

leaving his garments behind in her hands, he fled and went outside.

Now it came about when she saw that he had left his garments behind in her hands, and

had fled and gone outside, that then she called those who were in her household and spoke

to them, saying, see he is brought among us a Hebrew servant to mock us, he came into

me, saying, lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice, and as soon as he heard that

I raised my voice and cried out, he fled and went outside, leaving his garments behind

with me.

And she left his garments with herself until the Lord came into his house, and she spoke

with him according to these words, saying, the Hebrew servant whom you brought into us,

came into me to mock me and said to me, I will lie with you, but when he heard that I raised

my voice and cried out, he left his garments behind with me and fled and went outside.

Now it came about when his Lord heard the words of his wife that she spoke to him, saying,

thus your servant did to me, that then he was incensed with anger, and Joseph's Lord

taking him, put him into the stronghold, into the place in which the King's prisoners

are confined, there in the stronghold.

And the Lord was with Joseph, and poured down mercy upon him, and he gave him favor before

the chief jailer, and the chief jailer gave the prison into Joseph's control, and all

who had been led away, who were in the prison, and everything that they were doing there.

The chief jailer of the prison had no knowledge of anything because of him, for everything

was under Joseph's control, because the Lord was with him, and whatever he would do,

the Lord would prosper in his hands.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Today's New Testament reading comes from the book of Mark, and we will be reading the

10th chapter, verses 13 through 31.

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked

them.

But when Jesus sought, he was indignant and said to them, let the children come to me,

do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter

it, and he took them in his arms and blessed them laying his hands on them.

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked

him, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said to him, why do you call me good?

No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not

bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.

And he said to him, teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.

And Jesus looking at him loved him and said to him, you lack one thing, go, sell all

that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow

me.

Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, how difficult it will be for those who have

wealth to enter the kingdom of God.

And the disciples were amazed at his words.

And Jesus said to them again, children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God.

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to

enter the kingdom of God.

And they were exceedingly astonished and said to him, then who can be saved?

Jesus looked at them and said, with man it is impossible, but not with God, for all things

are possible with God.

Peter began to say to him, see we have left everything and followed you.

Jesus said, truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters

or mother or father, or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not

receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers, and

children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

But many who are first will be last and the last first.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Today's reading from the book of Concorde comes from the solid declaration of the formula

of Concorde, and we will be reading Article 2, Paragraph 67 through 73.

There is a great difference between baptized and unbaptized people, according to the teaching

of St. Paul in Galatians 3.27, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put

on Christ, and are made truly regenerate.

They now have a freed will, as Christ says, they have been made free again.

Therefore they are able not only to hear the word, but also to agree with it and accept

it, although in great weakness.

We receive in this life only the first fruits of the Spirit.

The new birth is not complete, but only begun in us.

The combat and struggle of the flesh against the Spirit remains, even in the elect and

truly regenerate people.

For a great difference can be seen among Christians.

Not only is it true that one is weak in another strong in the Spirit, but each Christian

also experiences differences in himself.

At one time he is joyful in Spirit, and at another fearful and alarmed.

At one time he is intense in love, strong in faith and hope, and at another time he is

cold and weak.

When the baptized act against their conscience, allowing sin to rule in them, they grieve

the Holy Spirit in them and lose him.

They do not need to be rebaptized, but they must be converted again, as has been said

well enough before.

This is certainly true, in genuine conversion a change, new emotion and movement in the

intellect will and heart must take place.

The heart must perceive sin, dread God's wrath, turn from sin, see and accept the promise

of grace in Christ, have good spiritual thoughts, have a Christian purpose and diligence,

and fight against the flesh.

Where none of these happen or are present, there is no true conversion.

But the question is about the effective cause, who works this in us, how does a person

have this, how does he get it?

Therefore this teaching informs us that, since the natural powers of mankind cannot do anything,

or help toward it, 1 Corinthians 2, 14, 2 Corinthians 3, 5, God out of His infinite

goodness and mercy comes first to us.

He causes his Holy Gospel to be preached, the Holy Spirit desires to work and accomplish

this conversion and renewal in us.

Through preaching and meditation on his word, God kindles faith and other godly virtues

in us.

They are the Holy Spirit's gifts and works alone.

Therefore this teaching directs us to the means that the Holy Spirit desires to begin

and do this.

It also teaches us about how those gifts are preserved, strengthened and increased.

It warns us that we should not let God's grace be bestowed on us in vain, but diligently

use it, and ponder how great a sin it is to hinder and resist such works of the Holy Spirit.

From this thorough explanation of the entire teaching about free will, we can now judge

at last the questions about which, for quite a number of years, there has been controversy

in the churches of the Augsburg Confession.

Does a person before in or after his conversion resist the Holy Spirit?

Does he do nothing whatsoever, but only allow what God works in him, is he purely passive?

In conversion does a person act like and is he a block?

Is the Holy Spirit given to those who resist him?

This conversion happened by coercion so that God makes people convert by force against

their wills.

Now we can see exposed censure and reject the following opposite dogmas and errors.

This concludes our reading from the book of Concord.

I now invite all of you to join me in reciting the Lord's Prayer, one of the most ancient

prayers of the church.

I do encourage you to say it aloud if you are somewhere reasonable to do so, but praying

it silently is, of course, also fine.

The Lord knows what is in your heart.

Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who

trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen.

Go in peace and grace to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whatever calling

has been given you, or tasks set before you, until tomorrow, God be with you.