Month: April 2019

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
1 Corinthians 1:22-25

Jesus is the Savior We Need

Daily Devotion – April 5, 2019

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

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Are you disappointed when another person doesn’t live up to your expectations? Sometimes we become disillusioned with leaders and role models when they don’t speak or act in the way that we believe they should. Or we become frustrated with politicians who don’t govern the way that we think is best.

In our bible passage for today, the apostle Paul spoke of people who were disappointed in the Savior that God had sent. Jesus simply didn’t live up to their expectations. The Jews, who had experienced so many miracles throughout their history, refused to accept a Messiah who couldn’t even save himself when his enemies nailed him to a cross. And the Greeks of Paul’s time had sophisticated tastes in religion. They didn’t have time for a God who would demean himself by taking on the human condition—including a bloody, shameful death.

Throughout our history, humans have imagined that we know better than God does about how the world should be run. We dare to be disappointed in him when he doesn’t answer our prayers, or when he allows suffering and loss in our lives. And Jesus is not the Savior we would expect. But he is the Savior we need.

We didn’t need a powerful magician who would entertain us even as he granted our every wish. What we do need is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who through his humble sacrifice was able to conquer sin, death, and the devil. We didn’t need another high-minded guru with eloquent speech and lofty (but ultimately empty) ideas. What we do need is Jesus Christ who is the very Word of God in human flesh, communicating God’s love for us perfectly.

If you are still searching for a different Savior, you will be disappointed. But if you come to see Christ as the Savior you needed and still need, he will never let you down.

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for sending me the Savior I needed rather than the one I thought I wanted. 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, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 12:3

The Living Water

Daily Devotion – April 4, 2019

Devotion based on Isaiah 12:3

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Throughout the Old Testament of the Bible, water is used as a picture for salvation. Think of the waters of the Red Sea which parted for the Israelites, or the water that flowed from a rock while they traveled through the wilderness. These miracles were frequently cited by the prophets as pictures for the blessings which flow from a gracious God.

For those who live in areas where water is plentiful, perhaps the picture loses some of its punch. With multiple water faucets inside our house, out in the garage, or on the side of the house, we are almost never more than a few steps away from all the water we could need.

But imagine yourself in a dry and barren land with the scorching sun overhead. The last oasis is miles behind you and the next is a day’s travel away. Your lips are dry and cracked and your tongue begins to stick the roof of your mouth. Soon all you can think of is when you will take your next drink of water. What a relief when you finally arrive at the next oasis!

When God’s people rebelled against him, he let them feel the heat of his wrath. Their strength dried up under the weight of their own guilt. But when they returned to him in repentance, the Lord assured them of his love and forgiveness. They had abandoned him, but he had never forgotten his promises to save them. He would one day send a Savior to redeem them—and all people. How refreshing were his words to their soul! Like a splash of cool water to the person dying of thirst.

God’s love and mercy for us are like a well that will never dry up. When your life feels like a spiritual wasteland, when you thirst for good news, when you feel that your spiritual strength is being sapped like in the heat of summer, return to that deep, deep well. Drink deeply of Christ—the Living Water. Let him restore you with his promises of love and forgiveness.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I long for peace and joy. I know that only you are able to truly satisfy my soul. Give me strength to endure the challenges of this world. 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, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2

The Lord Himself Is My Salvation

Daily Devotion – April 3, 2019

Devotion based on Isaiah 12:2

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Do you have any enemies? Is there anyone at work or at school who has reason to resent you? Or maybe you’ve antagonized a member of your own family—perhaps without meaning to—and there’s been bad blood between the two of you ever since. Life is difficult enough with all of its challenges without feeling like there is someone who is actively working against you every step of the way.

Maybe you get along fine with all the people in your life, but at the same time you’ve wondered if God himself had it in for you. When we face one obstacle after another or experience a series of setbacks in life, we may begin to fear that God is punishing us for something we’ve said or done. What a frightening thought—to have God himself as your enemy! How could anything ever go right for you? How could you ever have peace, knowing that God is at war with you?

The truth is that we make God our enemy every time we try to live without him. When we insist on going our own way—a selfish and foolish way, God will oppose our actions. That’s because in love he created us to be close to him and receive his blessings and protection. The Lord God wants you to be near him, knows that you need him, and will actively work against your efforts to leave him behind.

He did just that by sending his Son, Jesus Christ. Through his death for our sins, Christ reconciled us to God. The very God whom we angered with our rebellion is the God who rescued us from our own self-destructive ways.

The LORD, the LORD himself, is our strength and our defense; he has become our salvation. When obstacles come your way as you walk with the Lord, you can be sure that he will either give you strength to overcome them or use the situation to otherwise bring you closer to him and his love for you.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, keep me safe from my enemies, including my own sinful nature. Take away my fear by reminding me always of your love and forgiveness. 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, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

In that day you will say: “I will praise you, LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.”
Isaiah 12:1

Comfort in Place of Punishment

Daily Devotion – April 2, 2019

Devotion based on Isaiah 12:1

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Kaitlin knew her father was going to be furious. She could picture him fuming at home, ready to yell at her the moment she returned. After scraping the side of the car on a pillar in a parking garage at the mall, Kaitlin texted a picture of the damage with the caption: “Just a small scratch, Daddy! Don’t be mad!!!” followed by a row of crying emojis. A long minute later a single text returned: “GET HOME NOW!!”

As she meekly stepped through the garage door at home, Kaitlin braced for the coming onslaught—the lecture about how careless she had been, how much it would cost to fix it, how many weeks she would be grounded. She looked up at her father and could see the anger and disappointment in his eyes. It wasn’t just a small scratch after all. And then came the flood of tears. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I’ll be more careful next time, I promise!” She just couldn’t stop crying.

The next thing she knew, her father was standing next to her with his arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, honey,” he said in a calming voice. “It’s alright. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Like Kaitlin, you and I have angered our Father—our heavenly Father. We may claim our sin was an accident, that we didn’t mean to do it, but all too often we knew exactly what we were doing. Sometimes our careless, selfish choices have made wrecks of our lives—causing needless pain for ourselves and others. We know that our Maker has every reason to be angry with us.

But God’s anger has been deflected through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ, who bore the weight of our punishment on the cross. Your debt has been paid in full. Now the Lord comes to you and wipes away your tears of repentance. He wants to comfort you with the good news of his grace and mercy. Listen to his assurances of forgiveness and rejoice in his never-failing love.

Prayer:
Loving Father, I know I have angered you with my sin. Thank you for comforting me with your forgiveness. 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, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31

United by Grace Not by Virtue

Daily Devotion – April 1, 2019

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

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A “dream team” is made up of highly skilled individuals who have earned a spot on the team. There have been many examples in sports. Each and every player was on that court or field because he or she deserved to be there. Can we say that as Christians we are on God’s dream team? Were we chosen to be members of God’s family because of some great value or virtue?

The congregation in Corinth struggled with factions, foolishly dividing themselves based on superficial differences. The apostle Paul reminded them of the perfect unity which was theirs as brothers and sisters in Christ through the message of the cross. But what led God to choose them for his family? Why does he choose us today?

The apostle asks us to reflect on the way we first came to faith in Jesus. When God called you, there was no mention of who you were or what you could offer. It had nothing to do with your status, intelligence, wealth, or influence. No, God’s call is a call of grace, undeserved love for sinners. That’s the one thing that “earns” us a spot at God’s table—we are all sinners in need of a Savior.

Thank God that Jesus Christ is that Savior!

Prayer:
Lord God, forgive my sinful pride and keep me humble by pointing me always to your perfect Servant Jesus Christ, my Savior. 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, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.