Month: November 2022

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.”
Revelation 21:6

Using His Power for Good

Daily Devotion – November 10, 2022

Devotion based on Revelation 21:6

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There are places in the world where access to water is power. People who control the water supply can charge outrageous prices to those who need water or can deny them completely. It doesn’t seem fair for something that is such a basic need for life-like water, but that’s how it is.

Jesus is in charge of everything. He calls himself the Beginning, meaning he was around before the world was created. And the End, meaning that he will be around even after the world is destroyed.

So, Jesus is in charge of the spring of the water of life. This water is so basic that without it, no one has eternal life, but with it, people go to heaven. That water is Jesus’ own words, which cause faith in people’s hearts, faith that connects them to Jesus and guarantees them heaven.

Jesus gives that water to people who are thirsty—thirsty for forgiveness, joy, peace, and comfort. Jesus gives all these things through his Word.

And he gives them without cost. He can afford to do that because he has already paid the cost by his perfect life, innocent death, and glorious resurrection.

So, drink up and be satisfied.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, create in me a thirst for you that will not be quenched until I am at home with you in heaven. 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.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Revelation 21:4

Truly Better

Daily Devotion – November 9, 2022

Devotion based on Revelation 21:4

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Our daughter came home from school and asked for tape that would not hurt her bedroom door. A few hours later, we noticed what she had taped to the door. It was written in marker on construction paper, and it was words from the last book of the Bible, Revelation. Her sign said, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.”

It touched us that out of all the Bible passages she could have chosen, our daughter chose this one. She felt things deeply, both good and bad, and we knew she did not enjoy crying when bad things happened. Because she knew Jesus, because she knew she was going to heaven, she was already looking forward to a place without crying and tears.

Later she asked us an interesting question. “Could someone sin in heaven and start all of the pain all over again?” We reassured her that the passage taped to her bedroom door was God’s promise that it would not be like that. “There will be no more death.”

Right now, there is a certain order of things. People die, and people mourn. But a day is coming when the old order of things will pass away, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. God speed that day.

Prayer:
Lord, lead me through this world of tears to the place where I will simply rejoice in your presence. 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.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
Revelation 21:3

The Important Thing About Heaven

Daily Devotion – November 8, 2022

Devotion based on Revelation 21:3

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It’s comforting to think about the souls of believers in Jesus resting in heaven. They don’t have to worry about the stresses of this world and deal with medical issues. Their bodies are safely in the grave, and on judgment day, their souls will be reunited with their bodies raised perfectly from the dead.

When Revelation, the last book of the Bible, describes heaven after judgment day, it doesn’t spend a lot of time on what those glorified bodies are like. People would like to know what activities there will be, and what the consequences are of never having body and soul separate again. But Revelation says there is something more important to know about heaven.

God is there with his people. They have direct contact with him because their sin no longer separates them from him. Their glorified bodies are not affected by sin, so they are able to see God with their own eyes in his perfection and holiness. He is right there with them, and he calls them his people.

It will be nice to be reunited with beloved Christian family members and friends in heaven. It will be especially nice to be that close to Jesus—our friend and our brother.

Prayer:
Be with me, Lord Jesus, until I join you in the perfection of heaven. 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.

[Jesus said] Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.
Luke 6:21-23

It Will Get Better

Daily Devotion – November 7, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 6:21-23

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I’ve had back pain. I can usually get into a position where there is some relief. However, once there wasn’t any position that would relieve the pain, so I went to the hospital. It turned out that the pain was from a kidney stone. I didn’t know when or how the pain would go away. But it finally did, and it was a great relief when it was finally gone.

Jesus told his disciples that they would feel pain. They would be hungry, sad, hated, excluded, insulted, and rejected. Those things would happen because they were his followers.

Jesus assured them that the pain would be real but temporary. He even called them blessed because relief was on the way. They would not always be hungry; eventually, they would be satisfied. They would not always weep; eventually, they would laugh. Jesus told them they could even leap for joy because they knew that heaven was coming through faith in him.

Christians can find relief before they go to heaven because they know heaven is coming. Even when following Jesus causes pain and persecution, God provides relief through faith in his promises.

Prayer:
Almighty God, relieve my pain during my time on earth and teach me to cling to your promises until I join you in heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new.”
Revelation 21:5

Everything New

Daily Devotion – November 6, 2022

Devotion based on Revelation 21:5

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Consider these lyrics: “Long ago—but not so very long ago—the world was different. Oh yes, it was.” Those words are the opening lines to a song sung by James Taylor. The song was in a major motion picture about a small town and resonated with so many people that it received a nomination for an Academy Award.

“Long ago—but not so very long ago—the world was different. Oh yes, it was.” Part of the song’s power is that it hits home for all of us who have lived long enough to see things decline with time. Perhaps we’ve seen a bustling small-town decline into empty storefronts, or we’ve observed so much of television decline into toxic waste. Perhaps we’ve lived long enough to see the decline in how people in our society treat each other.

To see things decline, wear out, break, fall apart, and fade away is a vivid reminder that we live in a sinful, fallen world. Sinful because you and I are sinners.

But sinful decline does not have the last word. Jesus does. He says, “I am making everything new.” That’s why he took our sins to the cross and rose from the dead. And because he did, he renews us with his gospel and refreshes our spirit every day. And he points us ahead to the time when the effects of sin will be gone forever, when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. (Revelation 21:4)

We live in a world of decline. But take heart. Jesus makes everything new.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in this fallen world renew my spirit. Forgive my sin. Refresh my eagerness to live my life for you. 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.

We know that we live in [God] and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:13-18

The Love God Has for Us

Daily Devotion – November 5, 2022

Devotion based on 1 John 4:13-18

See series: Devotions

The Bible assures us that God loves us. But it is so easy to doubt this, especially when we think about how often we have disobeyed him and done the very things he tells us not to do. How can we be sure God loves us when our own hearts are filled with doubt?

The apostle John answers, “because he has given us of his Spirit.” Instead of looking inside at our own feelings, John shows us God’s action. God gave us of his Spirit’s power, wisdom, gifts, and fruit. That Spirit keeps on testifying that we are the children of God.

By the Spirit we have seen God’s love! “The Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world…we know and rely on the love God has for us.” The Son washes away all our sins. That love gives us boldness for judgment day. Since God is love on judgment day, we will experience nothing but the fullness of his love.

Experience the end of terror about standing before God. Know what it means that God sent his Son. Believe that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him (you and I included) will not perish but have eternal life.”

Enjoy the love God has for you!

Prayer:
Gracious, loving Father, by your Spirit drive out the doubt in my heart. Through your Son drive out the fear in my heart. 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.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:34

Forgive and Forget

Daily Devotion – November 4, 2022

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:34

See series: Devotions

The Bible makes it extremely clear that God knows everything. For example: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). This means that nothing has ever happened or ever will happen without his knowledge.

Do you understand that? God knows your every thought, word, and action. He knows everything in your past, he knows all about your present, and he even knows your future. He knows everything there is to know about everything.

That kind of knowledge is terrifying. Imagine how uncomfortable you would be if you had to interact with someone who knew all your secrets. Remember, on judgment day, you will have to stand in front of the all-knowing God. You can’t hide anything from him—he knows all your wickedness and your sins.

That is why this verse from Jeremiah chapter 31 is one of the most comforting passages in the entire Bible. You have a God who doesn’t just forgive; he forgets. He promises that the wicked things you are ashamed of and the secret sins that weigh you down have been so forgiven that he doesn’t even remember them anymore.

Yet how can the all-knowing God not only forgive your sins; but also forget them? It is not because he is forgetful, but because he remembered them all on his Son instead of you. When Jesus was on the cross, he endured all of God’s wrath for all of the sins of all of humanity.

So now the all-knowing God who knows all of your sins chooses to not remember them. What should God be angry about when he looks at your life? He doesn’t remember. Because Christ died for sin, that promise is kept.

And since God has forgotten your sin, you can too. Jesus has freed you from the burden of a guilty conscience. God buried your sins in the one place he never will look for them—in Jesus’ empty tomb.

Prayer:
God the Father, thank you for forgetting my sins. God the Son, thank you for dying for them. God the Spirit, give me faith to remember that I am free from guilt. 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.

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Jeremiah 31:33

Proper Motivation

Daily Devotion – November 3, 2022

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:33

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The language of the covenant God made with the Old Testament people of Israel was full of “you”: You shall have no other gods. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. You shall not covet. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

The problem with all those “you shall” and “you shall not” was that God’s people proved they could not keep up their end of the bargain. By the time the prophet Jeremiah wrote today’s verse breaking the covenant had become habitual.

The people had shown that the law’s commands could not properly motivate them to be obedient. They needed a new covenant. This new covenant would be different from the old covenant.

It would not be a list of obligations chiseled by God’s finger into stone tablets. It would not be full of “you shall” and “you shall not.” Instead this covenant would be written by God’s Spirit onto human hearts, and it would be full of I’s: “I will make … I will put … I will write … I will be their God.”

The old covenant told people what to do, but the new covenant would be all about what God did to save everyone from their sins and make a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. God made that covenant when he sent his Son into the world to do the work of salvation.

Jesus’ perfect life, innocent death, and glorious resurrection are all we need. There are no “you shall” and “you shall not” required to get into heaven. The new covenant puts God’s law in our minds for us to follow—not so that God will make us his, but because he already has.

In other words, Christians do not serve God because they have to. Christians serve God because they want to!

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for being my God. Help me to live for you. 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.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant.”
Jeremiah 31:31,32

A New Covenant

Daily Devotion – November 2, 2022

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:31,32

See series: Devotions

God did an amazing thing almost fifteen hundred years before Jesus was born. He freed his people from slavery in Egypt and brought them to their new homeland. Along the way, he had them stop at a mountain called Sinai so that he could make a covenant with them. At that time a covenant was like what a contract is today.

The covenant that God made with his people was two-sided—both he and the people contributed to it. God told them, “If you obey my law, then I will protect you and bless you in your new home.” The people replied, “We will do everything you say.”

Unlike modern contracts—which are sealed with signatures—this ancient covenant was sealed with blood from animal sacrifices. But just like modern contracts, a covenant is only good as the people who agree to it. Over the centuries, God kept his covenant promise perfectly, and the people made breaking the covenant their way of life.

Can you relate to that? Think of the promises that you have made to God and to other people, and then remember all the things you have done to break those promises. You know yourself.

But God knows you too. That is why God promised to make a new covenant. This covenant is not just for God’s Old Testament people but all people of all time—including you.

It tells you to do nothing. Instead, it is all about what God has done to forgive you. Unlike the old covenant, this new covenant is one-sided. It does not depend on your obedience but entirely on God’s saving love.

And this covenant was also sealed in blood. Almost fifteen hundred years after the old covenant was ratified, the Son of God was crucified on a mountain called Calvary. The blood he shed on the cross sealed the new covenant and freed you from slavery to sin.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the new covenant of forgiveness sealed in Jesus’ blood. 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.

Jesus replied “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. . . So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:34,36

The Son Has Set You Free

Daily Devotion – November 1, 2022

Devotion based on John 8:34,36

See series: Devotions

Jesus always told the truth. So, when he introduces a statement by saying, “Very truly I tell you,” he is emphasizing how truly important his next words are. And make no mistake, the truth here is very important.

It is awful because it reveals the harsh reality of the human condition: “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” We all enter this world with a sinful nature that convinces us that freedom means doing whatever we want.

But freedom to follow your sinful nature does not make you free. You are a slave to your sins: fear, despair, envy, anger, lust. Sinners suppose they have found freedom, but all they have found is more slavery.

The thing about slavery is that you cannot free yourself from it. Someone else has to take action and free you. Thank God that the awful truth of our sinfulness is answered by the important truth of God’s forgiveness: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

How did he do it? Jesus said to the God the Father, “What they deserve, give to me. What I deserve, give to them.” And that’s what happened. Jesus embraced the awful truth of our sinful condition. He became sin for us. He was punished for our fear, despair, envy, anger, and lust. He was damned with our damnation, receiving in his own body what we deserve.

Our freedom was not free and wasn’t even cheap. Our freedom cost Christ everything. The Son willingly gave his life on a cross to free you. And the One who was dead now lives again forever! The resurrection is God’s promise to you: “You are free!” You don’t belong to sin. You belong to the Son, and when the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, protect and comfort me in all temptations with the truth that you have set me free. Thank you. 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.