Daily Devotion for 29 March 2026 (Palm Sunday)

Welcome to the Daily Devotions Podcast from Confident Faith.

I am Corey J. Moller, a contributor here at Confident Faith and I will be your reader today,

this Palm Sunday, the 29th of March, in the year of our Lord, 2026, in the time of Easter.

Today we observe Palm Sunday.

Our readings for today are Psalm 71, Psalm 45, Psalm 130, Exodus 8, verses 1 through 32.

Hebrews 1, verses 1 through 14, and paragraphs 37 through 40 of Article 4 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 71st Psalm.

O God, in you I hoped, may I never be put to shame, in your righteousness rescue me and deliver me,

incline your ear to me and save me, be to me a protector God, and a strong place to save me,

because you are my firmness and my refuge.

O my God, rescue me from a sinner's hand, from the hand of transgressor of the law and wrong

doer, because you are my endurance, O Lord, the Lord is my hope from my youth, upon you I

leaned from my birth, from my mother's belly, it was you who sheltered me, of you is my

hymnsing in continually, like a portant to the many I became, and you were a strong helper,

let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing a hymn to your glory, all day long to your

magnificence. Do not cast me off in the time of old age, when my strength fails, do not forsake me,

because my enemy spoke with reference to me, and those who watch for my soul consulted together,

saying God abandoned him, pursue and seize him, because there is no one to rescue.

O God, do not be far from me, oh my God, attend to helping me, let those that slander my soul

be put to shame and let them expire, let those who seek to hurt me be covered with shame and

embarrassment, but as for me I will hope continually, and will add to all your praise, my mouth will

proclaim your righteousness, all day long your deliverance, because I do not know scribal art.

I will enter in the Lord's dominance, O Lord, I will recall righteousness of you alone.

O God, you taught me from my youth, and I will still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

And to old age in advanced years, O God, do not abandon me, until I proclaim your arm to every

generation to come, your dominance and your righteousness. O God, what magnificent things you did

are the highest heights, O God, who is like you, what afflictions many in bad did you show me,

and having turned you revived me, and from the depths of the earth you brought me up again.

You made your greatness increase, and having turned you comforted me.

Indeed, I will acknowledge your truth to you, with the use of a melody, O God. I will make

music to you with a lyre, O holy one of Israel. My lips will rejoice when I make music to you,

my soul also which you redeemed. Furthermore, all day long my tongue will contemplate your righteousness,

when those who seek to hurt me are put to shame and embarrassment.

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 45th Psalm.

My heart erupts with a goodly theme. It is I that address my works to the king. My tongue is a

pen of a swift scribe. Youthful in beauty you are, beyond the sons of men. Grace was poured on your

lips, therefore God blessed you forever. Gird your sword on your thigh, O powerful one,

in your bloom in beauty, and draw and prosper in become king, for the sake of truth and meekness

and righteousness, and your right hand will guide you marvelously. Your arrows are sharp, O powerful

people shall fall under you, in the heart of the king's enemies. Your throne O God is forever

and ever, a rod of equities of your rule. You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness,

therefore God your God anointed you, with oil of rejoicing beyond your partners.

Mure and Mure oil and Cassia waft from your clothes, from ivory bastions with which they made you

glad. Daughters of kings are in your honor. The queens stood at your right in gold woven clothing,

decked out in many colors, hero daughter in sea and incline your ear, and forget your people and

the house of your father, because the king desired your beauty, because he is your lord, and daughters

of tire will do a besence to him with gifts. Your face the rich the people will entreat.

Of a king's daughter all her glory is within, decked out with golden tassels in many colors.

Virgins behind her will be brought to the king. Her companions will be brought to you.

They will be brought with gladness and rejoicing. They will be led into a king's shrine.

In the place of your fathers, your sons were born. He will appoint them rulers in all the earth.

I will remember your name and every generation and generation. Therefore the peoples will acknowledge

you forever, even forever and ever. 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 third reading from the Psalter is the 130th Psalm.

Out of depths, I cried to you, O Lord, Lord, listen to my voice. Let your ears become

attentive to the voice of my petition. If you mark lawlessness, O Lord, Lord, who shall stand,

because with you there is atonement. For the sake of your law, I waited for you, O Lord. My soul

waited for your word. My soul hoped in the Lord. From morning watch until night. From morning watch,

let Israel hope in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy, and much redemption is with him,

and it is he who will redeem Israel from all its acts of lawlessness. 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 Exodus, and we will be reading the 8th chapter,

verses 1-32. Then the Lord said to Moses, go in to Pharaoh, and you will say to him,

this is what the Lord says, send away my people so that they may serve me. But if you are unwilling

to send them away, look, I am going to strike all your borders with frogs, and the river shall

vomit frogs, and when they come up, they shall enter into your houses, and into the secret places

of your bedrooms, and upon your beds, and into the houses of your attendants, and your people,

and in your bread dough, and in your ovens. And upon you, and upon your attendants, and upon your

people, the frogs shall come up. Then the Lord said to Moses, say to Aaron your brother,

stretch out by hand your rod over the rivers and over the canals and over the marshes,

and bring up the frogs. And the frog was made to come up and covered the land of Egypt,

but also the Egyptians and Chancers did likewise with their magical potions, and they brought

up frogs in the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, pray on my behalf to

the Lord, and let him take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will send away the people,

and they may sacrifice to the Lord. Then Moses said to Pharaoh, arrange for me when I should pray

for you, and for your attendants and your people, to remove the frogs from you and from your people,

and out of your houses, only in the river shall they remain. And he said, tomorrow,

he said, therefore, as you have said, so that you may know that there is no other except the Lord,

and the frogs shall be taken away from you and out of your houses, and out of your villages,

and from your attendants and from your people, only in the river shall they remain.

Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord about the curtailing of the

frogs as he had arranged with Pharaoh, and the Lord did just as Moses said, and the frogs died

from the houses and from the villages and from the fields, and they gathered them in heaps and heaps

and the land stink. And when Pharaoh saw that respite had occurred, his heart was weighed down,

and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord said. Then the Lord said to Moses, say to Aaron,

stretch out by hand your rod and strike the levees of earth, and there shall be nats both on

people and on quadrupeds, and on the whole land of Egypt. Aaron, therefore, stretched out by hand

the rod and struck the levees of the earth, and the nats were both on people and on quadrupeds,

and in every levy of the earth, the nats were in all the land of Egypt. But also the enchanters did

likewise with their magical potions to produce the natt, and they could not, and the nats were

both on people and on quadrupeds. The enchanters therefore said to Pharaoh, this is the finger of God,

and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord said.

Then the Lord said to Moses, rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, look,

he himself will go out to the water, and you will say to him, this is what the Lord says,

send away my people so that they may serve me. But if you should be unwilling to send away my people,

look, I am going to send against you and against your attendance, and against your people,

and against your houses the dogfly, and the Egyptians' houses shall be filled with the dogfly,

even into the land which they are on. And I will distinguish gloriously on that day the land of

Gashem, which my people are on, whereupon the dogfly shall not be, so that you may know that I am

the Lord, the Lord of all the land, and I will put a distinction between my people and between

your people. Now on the morrow this sign shall be upon the land, and the Lord did so, and the

dogfly came in great numbers into the houses of Pharaoh, and into the houses of his attendance,

and into the whole land of Egypt, and the land was ruined as a result of the dogfly.

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron saying, Go and sacrifice to your God in the land,

and Moses said, It cannot be so, for we would sacrifice to the Lord our God, the abominations of

the Egyptians, for if we should sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians before them,

we will be stoned. A three days journey we will go into the wilderness, and we will sacrifice to

the Lord our God according as He told us. And Pharaoh said, I will send you away, and sacrifice

to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but not far shall you proceed to go, pray therefore for

me to the Lord. Then Moses said, Right now I will go out from you, and I will pray to God,

and the dogfly will depart from you, and from your attendance and from your people tomorrow.

Do not add any more Pharaoh to deceiving, so as not to send away the people to sacrifice to

the Lord. Then Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to God. Now the Lord did as Moses said,

and he took away the dogfly from Pharaoh, and from his attendance and from his people,

and not one remained. And Pharaoh made his heart heavy also on this occasion, and he was unwilling

to send away the people. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

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

chapter, verses 1 through 14. Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers

by the prophets, but in these last days he is spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the

heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God.

And the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high,

having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say, you are my son, today I have begotten you,

or again, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And again, when he brings the

firstborn into the world, he says, let all gods angels worship him. Of the angels, he says,

he makes his angels' winds and his ministers a flame of fire. But of the sun, he says,

your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, God, your God has anointed you,

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. And you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth

in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain.

They will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will

be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end. And to which of the angels,

as he ever said, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit

salvation? This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

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

and we will be reading Article 4, paragraph 37 through 40.

Comments on Philippians 3, 7 through 8.

Fourth, regarding the idea that good works are harmful to salvation, we explain ourselves clearly

as follows. If anyone wants to drag good works into the article of justification, rest his righteousness

or trust for salvation on them, and merit God's grace and be saved by them, St. Paul himself answers

not us. He says and repeats it three times, Philippians 3, 7 through 8. Such a person's works are not

only useless and a hindrance, but are also harmful. This is not the fault of the good works themselves,

but of the false confidence placed in the works, contrary to God's clear word.

However, it by no means follows that we are to say simply and flatly, good works are harmful to

believers salvation. In believers, good works are signs of salvation when they are done from true

causes and for true ends. That is, in the sense in which God requires them of the regenerate,

Philippians 1-20. It is God's will and clear command that believers should do good works. The

Holy Spirit works this in believers. And God is pleased with good works for Christ's sake. He promises

a glorious reward for good works in this life and the life to come. For this reason too,

this idea is rebuked and rejected in our churches. As a flat statement, it is false and offensive.

Discipline and decency might be impaired by it, and a barbarous, loose, secure,

epicurian life be introduced and strengthened. A person should avoid what is harmful to his

salvation with the greatest diligence. Christians should not be frightened away from good works,

but should be admonished and urged to do them most diligently. Therefore, this bare proposition

cannot and must not be tolerated, used, or defended in the church. 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 that before you, until tomorrow, God be with you.