Month: December 2022

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.
Romans 15:5

The Same Attitude as Jesus

Daily Devotion – December 9, 2022

Devotion based on Romans 15:5

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During World War I, the fighting was fierce and deadly. But something amazing happened on the night of Christmas Eve 1914. Along parts of the battle line, an impromptu truce developed. British soldiers heard the Germans singing Christmas carols. Cautiously, the two sides emerged from their trenches. The next day they shared rations, exchanged gifts, and even played a soccer game. They shared peace and unity on Christmas.

While there are no widespread accounts of the same thing happening during World War II, there is a story recorded in Reader’s Digest of a young German boy, Fritz Vincken, and his mother living in the forest during the Battle of the Bulge. Three American soldiers arrived looking for shelter on Christmas Eve. A little later, four German soldiers arrived looking for the same. The German mother said no shooting on Christmas Eve. They all laid down their weapons. Before they ate a meal together, the mother said a common table prayer. The words may be familiar to you: “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest…”

What is it about Christmas that causes even soldiers to put down their weapons? On the battlefield there is no tinsel or twinkling lights. No loudspeakers blaring cheesy holiday music. On the battlefield, there is the constant reminder of death.

But Christmas is all about God’s plan to conquer death and its cause, namely, our sin. The baby Jesus would grow to be a Savior who viewed each of us as lost sinners in desperate need of someone to take care of our sin problem. That’s why Jesus came, to deal with our sin and win for us eternal life. Thank God that Jesus viewed each of us with such love!

Until Jesus comes again, we pray for that same mindset towards our fellow human beings. They are sinners that Jesus loved and died for, just like us. We have the opportunity to serve them and point them to their Savior. That’s a mindset not just for Christmas; but all the time.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to love the people you died for, and thank you for dying for me. 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 he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
Matthew 3:3

A Massive Construction Project

Daily Devotion – December 8, 2022

Devotion based on Matthew 3:3

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John the Baptist’s job was to ready the people for the arrival of Jesus, the Savior of the world. John told the people to make straight paths, lower the mountains, and raise the valleys.

A few years ago, I watched a construction crew remove a small hill to make a field level. It seemed like only a minor project. And yet an excavator operator filled dozens and dozens of dump trucks as he worked at leveling that field. What seemed like a small project for a very small hill took a week to remove the dirt, level, and smooth the field. Now imagine what it would take to level a mountain and fill in a valley! It would be a massive construction project!

But the prophet Isaiah and John the Baptist weren’t talking about excavators and dump trucks. They were talking about human hearts. The truth is, our hearts are anything but straight and level. We have hearts filled with sin, anger, resentment, jealousy, and self-righteous pride. Our hearts don’t require just a little preparation; they need mountains torn down and valleys filled in.

John describes a heart construction project that is humanly impossible! It cannot be done. And that is John’s point. Preparing hearts like ours for the coming of the King is a job that is too big for us.

But the Holy Spirit makes our hearts a ready place for the King. The King comes with promises. Do you know what promises he brings to you? Forgiveness. Think about what this means. Jesus comes to bring you release from your shame, pardon from your guilt, and a clean slate with God. Jesus has come to change the world; and he starts by changing you. From wrecked to redeemed. From sinner to saint. From guilty to glory.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, prepare my heart for your coming. Clean out my sins and give me a heart with a throne only 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.

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 3:1,2

A Slogan Worth Hearing

Daily Devotion – December 7, 2022

Devotion based on Matthew 3:1,2

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One of the arts of advertising is a catchy slogan. For example, when you hear the phrase, “Just do it.” your mind thinks of the company Nike. Or when you’re walking down the cereal aisle in the grocery store, you see a box of Wheaties. Your next thought is “The breakfast of champions.” When your kids tell you they want to go on vacation to the “happiest place on earth,” they’re talking about Disney World. And when you’re watching an insurance commercial and hear the name “Allstate” in a deep, resonating voice, you know the phrase, “you’re in good hands,” is going to follow it.

If John the Baptist had a slogan, it was “Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near.” When John told the people to repent, he was telling them to be sorry for the wrong things they had done, trust in God for forgiveness and stop doing those wrong things in the future. “Repent” might not sound like a super catchy slogan, but it was powerful. People walked from all over to hear John preach. His message captivated them. People who had no intention of being baptized found themselves in the waters of the Jordan River, baptized by John anyway. His message was powerful!

John didn’t invent this message. He didn’t spend hours locked in a conference room scheming it up with marketing executives. No, this message came from God. And it was a message God had shared with his people through all time. Turn away from sin and turn toward God instead.

When we hear the message to repent in the weeks leading up to Christmas, it can jar us from the festive holiday spirit. It’s doubtful that John and his message of repentance would be invited to many Christmas parties. But his message is just as important for us as it was to his original audience. It’s a stone-cold reminder of why Jesus was born. Jesus came to deal with our sin problem. He washes us clean in the waters of baptism. And now he gives us the strength to say “No” to sin and live in the clean clothes of his righteousness.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, turn me away from my sin and toward you and your love for me. 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 the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Isaiah 11:10

A Banner for You

Daily Devotion – December 6, 2022

Devotion based on Isaiah 11:10

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During the American Civil War, flags and banners played an important role in battles. Commanders used the colors of the banners to organize troop movements. Soldiers took pride in rallying around the flag. Those flags and banners were just colored pieces of cloth, but fighters from both sides of the war gave their lives in defense of their flag.

The first African American soldier to win the Medal of Honor is Sergeant William Carney. He was born into slavery but was granted freedom and joined the U.S. Army during the Civil War. During a charge at Fort Wagner in Charleston, the flag bearer next to him was killed. Before the American flag could touch the ground, Carney grabbed it and bravely advanced despite suffering several gunshot wounds himself. His fellow soldiers rallied to the banner as Carney planted it at the base of the fort. Carney survived, and in 1900 he received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples.” That Root of Jesse isn’t a colored piece of cloth, but the only one who could be both the Root of Jesse and the Shoot of Jesse—the Savior, Jesus.

As soldiers of old rallied to their flags and banners, Christians of all times and all nations rally to their banner, to Jesus. Jesus fought to free his people from the power and effects of sin. He heroically climbed a hill to his cross. Instead of the Medal of Honor, though, he received a crown of thorns. Instead of cheering him, the people around Jesus were jeering him. But still, he pressed on. He knew he had to give his life to give his followers a life free from sin. So, he took the punishment of every sinner.

Then, God raised Jesus from the dead. Now Jesus rules over all things. He gives life and immortality to all those who rally to his banner. To all who trust in him, Jesus gives the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. That’s a banner worth rallying to.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to rally to you by trusting in you now and always. 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.

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
Isaiah 11:1

A Shoot Will Come Up

Daily Devotion – December 5, 2022

Devotion based on Isaiah 11:1

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Jesse was the father of King David of Israel, and King David’s family tree of kings was once strong and mighty. But those kings turned away from God. Eventually, Israel was captured and overrun. No more kings came from the line of King David and Jesse. The family tree was cut down, all that remained was the stump of Jesse.

When a tree is cut down, all that is left behind is a stump. The stump begins decaying almost immediately. What was once a strong, living tree is now a dead and decaying stump.

Something amazing happens in nature. That dead and decaying stump can turn into a nurse stump. A seedling falls on top of the stump and uses the decaying matter as compost and fertilizer. The stump nourishes the seed, and a shoot comes forth. Eventually, a whole new tree, strong and bearing fruit, is born from that dead and decaying stump.

Israel’s line of kings was dead, but God had a plan and purpose for the stump of Jesse. God fertilized his plan. He nourished his purpose. At just the right time, a shoot appeared from the stump of Jesse. On a night in Bethlehem, a baby was born to Mary and Joseph, descendants of King David and his father Jesse. That tiny baby lying on the straw of a feeding trough didn’t look like much, but his parents named him Jesus. And that Jesus turned out to be the Savior and the King of all people.

God does some of his best work when it looks like all hope is lost. God is working in you and for you even in the darkest moments of your life. Whether you’re suffering the loss of a loved one, going through a divorce, or dealing with depression. Your life may feel like a stump, dead and decaying, but God can work the shoot of faith to grow in you. Jesus, the shoot of Jesse, came to bring you life. He came to make you part of his family tree. By his death on a tree and his resurrection, you are a son or daughter of the King.

Prayer:
Dear God, grow faith in me so that I can always remain a part of your family tree. 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.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Joy

Daily Devotion – December 4, 2022

Devotion based on Romans 15:13

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Anna Mary Robertson was an old woman. And she had had a hard life. She was the third of ten children born to a farmer in the 1860s. Life on a farm in the 1800s meant hours of manual toil, day after day.

In 1887, Anna married a farmer, and the hard work continued. As the years went on, she experienced the unspeakable grief of a mother watching her child die in infancy. Anna, however, went through this not just once but five times.

Then her husband died from a heart attack. She continued life as a widow. By the time she reached her 70s, arthritis was taking over her body. She was no longer able to do the things she used to do. It was then that Anna Mary Robertson picked up a brush and began to paint.

She never had any formal training. Nevertheless, her pictures radiated something that everyday people and art critics alike could not resist. They radiated something we might not expect. Her pictures radiated joy. That is how Anna Mary Robertson Moses–Grandma Moses–got her start as an artist. She picked up her brush and shared her joy. And she kept right on sharing her joy until the age of 101.

As Christians, you and I know we are in for a rough ride during our short life on this earth. After all, that is what our sin has done. It has made a misery of everything it has touched.

But that’s why Jesus came. He came to rescue us. And through his perfect life and death on our behalf, that’s what he has done. Through faith in him, we stand forgiven. Even in the worst of our difficult moments our Savior will carry us through. That means that the best is yet to come.

And so, pick up your brush. Paint your picture. Share the joy. Tell the story of what Jesus has done for you.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in those moments when life is hard, remind me of the joy. Remind me of your gospel. Remind me of 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 fulfill the gracious promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.’”
Jeremiah 33:14,15

Better Days

Daily Devotion – December 3, 2022

Devotion based on Jeremiah 33:14,15

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We often look ahead to better days. We say things like: “If I can just make it until Christmas break, then I won’t have to go to school for a while and things will be better.” Or “if I can just make it through this bout of pneumonia, then I can go back home and be healthy again.” So much of our lives are spent looking ahead to better days.

To make matters worse, in this sinful world we are surrounded by wickedness and evil. Sin and temptation are on every side. It’s exhausting to be a Christian. And so, we find ourselves looking ahead to better days—days when sin will no longer be a part of our existence and we can enjoy perfect peace in heaven.

But waiting for those better days is difficult. If we are honest, we see how the sinful world is rubbing off on us. We find the sins of this world to be a little more “normal” than they used to be. We become more accepting of things that God despises. Our attitudes towards wealth and possessions begin to match the attitudes of this world.

God said through the prophet Jeremiah: “I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.” Jesus is the Branch who came into this world and lived a perfect life in our place. He also did what was “just,” as he gave himself in our place to suffer and die for our sins. He bled…He suffered…He died. God’s justice was satisfied. We are forgiven! The Branch brings righteousness—righteousness that he earned and freely gives to us through faith.

Whatever you are experiencing now, know that, in Christ, better days are here, and better days are yet to come. Jesus makes each day a better day through his gift of righteousness. Better days are coming when he will take us to be with him in heaven. Lift up your heads and look for those better days.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for the promise of better days to come in heaven. Keep my eyes focused on those better days to come and help each day to be a better one with you and your Word. 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.

Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:12

Armor

Daily Devotion – December 2, 2022

Devotion based on Romans 13:12

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Walk into a museum of ancient history. Stroll through the corridors that depict how people lived many centuries ago. After you’ve done this, go to the section that features military items. When you reach the area that displays examples of armor that soldiers used to wear, find a bench and sit down. Look at that armor for a while and give it some careful attention.

Now, as you sit in that museum, do a bit of time travel. Go back 2,000 years. Watch a Roman soldier as he carefully, deliberately puts on his armor. The very presence of that armor on his body tells you that he’s getting ready for a serious day. He will be watchful, alert, ready for action. After all, one does not put on armor to lounge around the house. You put it on for battle.

Satan is forever working to convince me that there’s no urgency when it comes to my Christian faith; that there’s no urgency when it comes to my role as a soldier of the cross. In fact, little by little, Satan can even ease me into presuming that I have plenty of time to indulge in all my pet sins. I can repent and get serious later and put on my armor some other day.

But not only is this wrong and rebellious. It is playing games with the evil one and an entity with one goal: To see my soul in hell.

But Jesus, our King, knows this. He pursues you and me with a love that is relentless. He reaches out to us through the living and enduring Word of God. As he calls us to repentance, he refreshes us with the good news of the blood he shed to wash us clean. And as he does, he empowers us. He empowers us to put aside our deeds of darkness, put on the armor of light, be ready to serve our King, and serve as a soldier of the cross.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, forgive my deeds of darkness. Empower me to put on the armor of light. 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 hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber.
Romans 13:11

Wake Up

Daily Devotion – December 1, 2022

Devotion based on Romans 13:11

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Sunday, December 7, 1941, 7:30 A.M. All is calm and quiet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The sailors are out of their bunks, but their pace is leisurely, relaxed. Many feel what a later generation would call “Sleep Inertia.” Under an easy schedule, they are allowing themselves the luxury of going slow, yawning an extra yawn, chuckling with each other at breakfast, savoring a second cup of coffee. They have no idea that they need to wake up NOW! They have no idea that in 25 short minutes, their world is going to change forever.

When God the Holy Spirit moved the apostle Paul to write his letter to the Romans, he saw to it that Paul’s letter was teeming with profound truths and promises. One of the great truths he proclaimed through Paul is that: “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber.”

My old sinful self—the part of me that wants nothing to do with Christ—wants to keep my soul sleepy and indifferent. It wants to keep my soul presuming that I have all the time in the world to get serious about the only Savior I’m ever going to have.

And here you and I must confess that there have been many times we have given in to the spiritual sleepiness—we’ve given in to the indifference. We’ve given in to Satan’s lie that when it comes to any earnest focus upon our Savior-King—there is no hurry.

Thanks be to God that he pursues us through his Word. He calls us to repentance. He does what he needs to do to rattle us, rouse us, wake us up. For when the final day comes for each of us, he does not want any of us left outside. He wants us to be awake. He wants us to be with him. He wants us basking forever in the full forgiveness our King has purchased for us at the cross.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my King, forgive me for all the times I have allowed myself to become sleepy and indifferent towards you. Refresh me in your law and gospel. Draw me to yourself. 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.