On Giving Advice to God, Part 2: Devotions on the Wisdom of God and the Foolishness of Man

by Daniel M. Deutschlander

Knowingly and unknowingly, we often think that we know better than God does. In reality, God has infinite knowledge and the ultimate plan, all much greater than what we could ever comprehend or create. Author and theologian Prof. Daniel M. Deutschlander completes the journey that began with his devotional On Giving Advice to God, Part 1 with its companion, On Giving Advice to God, Part 2 . Part 2 turns to the second half of the church year, providing you with rich insights into the truths of its festivals as well as Jesus parables and the Lord's Prayer. Rediscover how every passage of the Word points us to Jesus Christ in On Giving Advice to God, Part 2 .

281 pages, Hardcover

Published April 2, 2018

About the author

Daniel M. Deutschlander was born in Minneapolis, MN on March 18, 1942 and together with his twin brother put up for adoption. He and his brother were adopted by Gotthard Julius & Rose Marie Deutschlander. He was adopted as a child of God and made a brother of Christ on April 23, 1944 through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. He was confirmed on Palm Sunday, 1956 with Rev. 2:10 as his confirmation verse. The days of his baptism and of his confirmation were joined by a third memorable day, the day of his ordination into the holy ministry, June 16, 1968.

He attended Horace Mann and Groveland Park elementary schools in St. Paul, MN; Concordia Academy in St. Paul, MN; Concordia College in St. Paul, MN (degree: AA); Northwestern College in Watertown, WI (degree: BA); Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI (degree: M. Div.); Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, IL (degree: MA in history); and UW Milwaukee (graduate studies in German).

He served as a pastor at Zion Lutheran and St. James Lutheran in Akaska and Tolstoy, SD; St. Peter’s Lutheran in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada; St. James Lutheran and campus pastor at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He served at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School in Jackson, WI as Assistant Principal and teacher of German and religion; Northwestern College in Watertown, WI as professor of German, history, philosophy, and religion; Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN as professor of German, history and religion; occasional summer quarter lecturer at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary; a semester as adjunct professor of history at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He conducted preaching workshops for parish pastors, and a seminar on church-state relations in Kiev, Ukraine after the Ukrainian Lutheran Church translated and published his book on the subject.

As a parish pastor (1968-1980) he served as circuit pastor, district vice president, member of the WELS evangelism commission, and on district evangelism and stewardship boards. From 1980-1984 he served as the weekly preacher for the WELS German radio broadcast that went from Eastern Europe to the Germans in the far east of the Soviet Union. He authored numerous doctrinal essays and papers, and other works including books, sermons, and devotions published by Northwestern Publishing House.

His greatest joy was a never ceasing amazement at the grace and mercy of God that he should not only redeem him but find a use in his church for such an unworthy and unfit instrument and house of clay. His greatest delight was to see his former students serving their Lord faithfully and then giving thanks to God that he had the honor to play some small role in their formation as pastors of Christ’s flock. His German Bible and German hymnal were his constant companions and the Lutheran Confessions his never-failing guides.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of the two-part series, focusing on Pentecost and the non-festival half of the church year. Sections include atonement, reconciliation, justification, and the means of grace (word, baptism, the Lord's supper, and absolution). I really enjoyed the section on Christian living, which looked at parables and other New Testament words of Jesus.

These are meaty devotions. I needed to slow down (I'm a pretty fast reader) and really savor the truth of the Scripture passages. Deutschlander is kind of an old-school writer, but so good at just the right turn of phrase and application to my Christian life.

I wanted to finish this book on Thanksgiving (right before Advent started) and almost did. Here is part of the devotion for Thanksgiving Day:
"So then, how will you start the day when you get up tomorrow morning? Will it be with Oh, no! I have so much to do! Oh, no! There is this problem leftover from yesterday that probably won't be solved today either! Oh, no! This hurts more than it did before, and that source of sorrow doesn't look like it will be going away any time soon! Far better that you start the day with, Blessed be God in all his good gifts! Far better that you look at problems to solve, struggles to win, disappointments to overcome, good things more than I can count to enjoy; I will think of some that I have failed to appreciate before and give thanks for them now as I begin the new day. And if I have tomorrow, I will say the same prayers as I begin another new day; and the prayers will be as though it were brand new, while I call to mind repeated blessings together with still others that I had not thought of before."

[Haley Bulfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very similar to Part 1. Would probably only recommend to a person more mature in their faith. Same review for this one as Part 1.