Month: December 2017

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your LORD will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Matthew 24:42-44

What Time is It?

Daily Devotion – December 3, 2017

Devotion based on Matthew 24:42-44

See series: Devotions

What time is it? It is a question Jesus makes me consider. In his lesson he uses both days and hours to make me think about his return in glory. He further emphasizes the approaching time of his return by using the suddenness of a thief breaking into a home.

The lesson is clear, and it is one I need to understand. The time is right for Jesus to return. He could come on any day or at any moment. This is why I need to know the time. Certainly my sinful flesh will question the importance of this concern. The devil will also do whatever he can to lead me to apathy. Even the world will offer its share of distractions.

In spite of the temptation to put the thought of Jesus’ return on hold, now is the time to be ready. In order to be ready I need to listen to the Lord’s exhortations and encouragement. I also need to depend on his precious and saving work. He gave up his life so that I could live a life of repentance and forgiveness. He endured my shame and punishment on the cross so I could receive his glory. He rose triumphant from the grave so I could have the confidence of life with him in heaven. When I daily depend on what Jesus has done for me, I will be ready whenever he comes.

Time has a way of slipping by. We can become busy. We can become distracted. We can simply lose track of it. In many situations this will not be a major problem. In view of Jesus’ return, time is critical. I need to take Jesus’ words to heart, and be ready. I need to know what time it is, because the Son of Man is coming.

Prayer:
O precious Savior, open my eyes to see what time it is, then prepare my heart to welcome you when you return in glory. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Isaiah 2:3-5

Peace Only from God

Daily Devotion – December 2, 2017

Devotion based on Isaiah 2:3-5

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In New York City, in the United Nations Plaza, Isaiah 2 is quoted: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares.” All people desire peace, don’t they? Isn’t that why the United Nations was established in the first place? But it hasn’t worked so well, has it? Are Isaiah’s words just a fantasy?

If you’re looking for a truly peaceful “united nations,” you’re not going to find it here, in this sinful world. But that’s not what Isaiah was describing. Isaiah is describing peace that the world can’t give or find or produce. Isaiah is describing peace that only comes from God.

God brought peace to the hearts of people when he kept his promise to send his one and only Son, Jesus, the Christ. Jesus came as an infant in Bethlehem. He came to bring peace to the earth by living and suffering and dying for a world full of sin and sinners, sinners like you and me. Because of Jesus’ perfect life and innocent death and glorious resurrection, we have peace. We have the peace of knowing that there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves because Jesus has done everything. We have the peace of knowing that we don’t need to satisfy God’s wrath against our sins because Jesus has washed them away. We have peace because Jesus has set us free.

That peace is yours and mine in Jesus! That peace is what moves us to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn his ways. That peace is what moves us to walk in the light of the Lord.

Prayer:
May the peace of God, which the world cannot give, which surpasses our understanding, guard and keep your heart and mind through faith in Christ Jesus! Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Romans 10:4

Through Faith in Christ, You are Righteous

Daily Devotion – December 1, 2017

Devotion based on Romans 10:4

See series: Devotions

If you want to live in the presence of a holy, perfect, and righteous God, then you need to be holy, perfect, and righteous yourself. If you are holy, perfect, and righteous, then you can live in his presence and live in his presence forever.

This is the situation that every single human being ever born into this world finds him or herself in. It’s also a problem. A huge problem!

It’s a problem because none of us can meet this standard that our holy, perfect, and righteous God has placed on us. We are, by our very natures, stained with sin and so everything we think, say, and do is stained with sin too. We have failed to meet God’s standard. We have not kept his law in the righteous way that he demands. We deserve to be cast away from his holy, perfect and righteous presence forever.

This is how the story of every single human being ever born into this world would end if…

…if Christ would have never entered into our story. But praise be to God, he did! He entered into the story of humanity as God himself made flesh and into our story for a very important reason. He came to live the righteous life that God demands of us. The righteous life that we could not live on our own he lived in our place—perfect obedience all his life to every last one of God’s laws. Now, his righteous life is for all of humanity as a free gift. So, how does this gift of righteousness become our own?

God’s Word teaches, “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”

Christ’s righteousness becomes our own through faith. Through faith in what Christ has done for us, we personally receive the righteousness that Christ has won for the world. Therefore, through faith in what Christ has done, we stand before our righteous God with the righteousness he demands from us—not a righteousness we attempt to produce ourselves, but a righteousness that has been gifted to us by Christ. That means, by faith in Jesus we live in God’s righteous presence forever!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, you came into this world to live the righteous life that I could not. Thank you for your work! Grant me also the faith to believe what you have done for me, that your righteousness might remain mine forever. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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