Month: April 2023

Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:7-10

Jesus is the Gate

Daily Devotion – April 30, 2023

Devotion based on John 10:7-10

See series: Devotions

Fences have become a way of life. People put up privacy fences to keep others from seeing into their yard. Farmers put up fences to keep the cattle in the field. Businesses put up fences to keep thieves away from their warehouses. But every fence has a gate—a passageway for those who are supposed to get to the other side of the fence.

Jesus says he is the gate–not into a yard or a field–but into the presence of God and eternal life. Sadly, there are people who try to convince us that we can receive eternal life by relying on something other than Jesus, such as the good things we do. But try as they might, they are unable to establish another way through the fence. The only way to eternal life is through Jesus. He opened the way to God by removing all of the barriers that stood in our way: our sins, our guilt, and the accusation of the devil. He prepared us for life with God by washing us with the water of baptism and assuring us that our sins are forgiven. He leads us through the gate as he gives us his Word, which nourishes us and causes our faith to grow. What is more, he protects us from those thieves who would urge us to ignore the only gate and try to reach eternal life by jumping the fence.

Through Jesus, we have life, the fullness of eternal life with God!

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, in your mercy you opened the way to eternal life. Guard me from those who seek to lead me astray. Establish my faith in you, my only Savor. 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.

It was not with perishable things . . . that you were redeemed.
1 Peter 1:18

Perishable Things

Daily Devotion – April 29, 2023

Devotion based on 1 Peter 1:18

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In the corner of a museum in Springfield, Illinois, there is a special room where people enter quietly. In that room is a clear glass case. The case has special lighting. The interior of the case keeps a specific temperature and level of humidity. All of this technology is necessary because of what the case contains. Inside that case is Abraham Lincoln’s stovepipe hat.

As you view this hat, there are two features that may jump out at you. One is that, on the hat’s brim, you can see wear marks from the first two fingers of Mr. Lincoln’s right hand from all the times he tipped his hat in greeting or held it steady in a stiff wind.

The second feature is more sobering. It is the simple fact that the hat looks old. For all the efforts to preserve the hat’s condition, the passage of time has still made its impact. With age has come deterioration. As time goes on, the deterioration will continue.

Deterioration does not just strike famous hats of former presidents, of course. Everything in this sinful, fallen world deteriorates. Everything wears out. Everything is perishable.

And so when God chose to buy us back from the curse of our sin, the payment price could not be something perishable. It could not be something of fleeting, temporary value. That’s why God sent his Son.

As a result, God’s forgiveness of your sins will not deteriorate. The peace you possess in Christ will not expire. The Lord’s promises to you will never perish. Not because of a museum’s preservation technology but because of the perfect life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, because of Jesus, your promises to me will never perish. In troubled times, comfort me with this truth. 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.

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Luke 24:33-35

Shared Hope

Daily Devotion – April 28, 2023

Devotion based on Luke 24:33-35

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Traveling at night was not something that ancient people often did. Nighttime travel could easily expose you to all kinds of danger. That’s why it is so remarkable that the two disciples of Jesus who had traveled to Emmaus on Easter evening returned to Jerusalem immediately, even though it was nighttime.

But they couldn’t help themselves. They were too excited. They had seen Jesus! He was alive! He had risen from the dead! They could not keep the hope that they now had to themselves. They had to share it with Jesus’ other disciples.

All who trust in Jesus share this same hope. Because we know that Jesus has risen from the dead, we also know that Jesus has taken away all our sins. We know Satan can no longer threaten us because Jesus has decisively defeated him. We know that death can no longer hold on to us forever because Jesus has destroyed its power. We know that as Jesus continues to live for us, he uses everything in our lives, even the extremely painful things, to bring us blessings.

That hope is too amazing for us to keep to ourselves. So, with whom will we share it? God has placed so many people in our lives who need to hear what we have heard and need the hope that we have. These people may be family members. They may be friends. They may be coworkers or classmates. They may even be people that we have yet to meet. Whoever they are, we will, like these two disciples, eagerly share with them the hope that has set our hearts on fire so that they, too, may know that Jesus is alive.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have set my heart on fire with your hope. Help me eagerly to share that hope with others. 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.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:30-32

Restored Hope

Daily Devotion – April 27, 2023

Devotion based on Luke 24:30-32

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On the first Easter evening, two of Jesus’ disciples were traveling to a town called Emmaus. They were sad because Jesus had been killed. Suddenly, the risen Jesus joined them. But they did not recognize him. As Jesus explained to them that everything that had happened was part of God’s plan, they felt increasingly hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, the women who had seen the empty tomb were right. Maybe Jesus really was alive.

Then they got to Emmaus and persuaded their traveling companion to stay with them for the evening. As they sat down to eat, Jesus took bread and broke it, just as he had done a few days earlier when he celebrated the Passover with his disciples. At that moment, the eyes of the two disciples were opened. They recognized Jesus. They could see for sure that Jesus was alive. Their hope that Jesus was the Messiah was restored!

It is highly unlikely that any of us in this life will have the privilege of recognizing Jesus as he sits across from us at the dinner table. In this life, we may not see the risen Jesus with our own eyes. But we have his words which show us how he fulfilled all of God’s plan for our salvation. We have the eyewitness testimony of these two disciples and so many others who did see the risen Jesus with their own eyes. Our hearts burn within us as we hear this testimony that Jesus is alive. And based on all that testimony, our hope is restored.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by your resurrection you have restored my hope. Help me always to trust in 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.

[Jesus] said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24: 25-27

Grounded Hope

Daily Devotion – April 26, 2023

Devotion based on Luke 24: 25-27

See series: Devotions

Hope is only as good as the foundation on which it stands. I can hope all I want that the air will hold me up when I jump off the top of a ladder. But since the foundation on which that hope stands is, well, as thin as air, that hope will fail me. On the other hand, when I hope that the concrete sidewalk that I’m walking on will support me, I can be confident that I won’t be disappointed. The foundation on which that hope is built is as strong as concrete.

On the first Easter evening, two of Jesus’ disciples were traveling to a town called Emmaus. They were sad because Jesus had been killed. Suddenly, the risen Jesus joined them. But they did not recognize him. Jesus used the opportunity to explain to them that what had happened to him was precisely what God had predicted through the Old Testament prophets. He wanted them to know that their hope in Jesus rested on the solid foundation of God’s Word.

The hope that God has given us is built on that same solid foundation. When we trust that Jesus died and rose to pay for all our sins, we are not walking on air. We are walking on something far stronger than concrete. We are walking on God’s Word and his promises that cannot be broken.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me a solid hope that is grounded in 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.

“In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
Luke 24:22-24

Unbelievable Hope

Daily Devotion – April 25, 2023

Devotion based on Luke 24:22-24

See series: Devotions

Two of Jesus’ disciples were walking toward a town called Emmaus on Easter evening. The risen Jesus joined them, but they did not recognize him. As they walked and talked, the two disciples shared with Jesus what had happened earlier that morning. And it was unbelievable. Some of the women who had been followers of Jesus went to his tomb to complete the burial of his body. But instead of finding Jesus’s corpse lying in the tomb, they found two angels who told them that Jesus was alive. Two of the other disciples also went to Jesus’s tomb and found things just as the women had said. Jesus’s body wasn’t there.

How could this be? Dead bodies don’t just get up and walk out of their tombs, do they? Could the women be correct in saying that Jesus was alive? It all was too much to believe.

Those two disciples were not the only people who struggle with unbelievable news from God. Perhaps you struggle to believe God when he tells you, “[I] will remember [your] sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). Or maybe you can’t conceive of how these words of Jesus can be true: “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). Perhaps you find it unbelievable that the glory God has in store for those who believe in him far outweighs the weight of trouble we must carry in this life (Romans 8:18).

What those two disciples found unbelievable was true. Jesus was alive! In fact, the proof of Jesus’s resurrection was walking right beside them. They just didn’t realize it yet. In the same way, God’s unbelievable promises to us are always true. When God, who knows all things, tells us that he no longer remembers our sins, he means it. In Jesus, he has forgiven all our sins. Jesus, who rose from the dead, will indeed give eternal life to all who believe in him. And the glory that awaits God’s people makes all the trouble we went through to get there not even worth considering. What seems unbelievable is real with God, for with God all things are possible.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, strengthen my faith so that I may always trust your unbelievable promises. 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 asked his two disciples who were walking to the village of Emmaus on Easter,] “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.”
Luke 24:17-21

Lost Hope

Daily Devotion – April 24, 2023

Devotion based on Luke 24:17-21

See series: Devotions

Cleopas and his friend had lost hope. The one they had hoped was the Messiah was dead—at least as far as they knew. They had hoped that Jesus of Nazareth, would be the long-promised Messiah. But how could he be the long-promised Messiah now that he was dead?

Cleopas and his friend lost hope because what they saw was not what they expected. They are not alone. We can fall into the same trap. Perhaps, we desperately pray that God would heal a loved one, but instead our loved one dies. Perhaps we have prayed that God would bring godly revival to our nation, but things just seem to get worse.

When we are tempted to lose hope because God isn’t doing what we expect him to do, we need to look even more intently on what God truly has promised us. God never fails to do what he has promised. God has forgiven all our sins in Jesus, just as he promised. God always works all things for the good of those who love him, just as promised. God will take all who believe in him to heaven, just as he promised. When we cling to God’s promises, we will always have hope.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to cling to your promises so that I never lose hope. 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 you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1 Peter 1:18,19

A Sense of Worth

Daily Devotion – April 23, 2023

Devotion based on 1 Peter 1:18,19

See series: Devotions

“You like me! Right now, you like me!” gasped Sally Fields at the Oscars in 1985. She longed to know she was worth something. You and I long for the same, a sense of worth.

But as we see our selfish behavior, our broken relationships, our failed goals and dreams, how do we often feel? Perhaps worthless, or worth little?

God says, “you were redeemed . . . with the precious blood of Christ.” How much does God think you’re worth? God thinks you’re worth the blood of Jesus!

Think about it. Something’s value is always determined by what someone is willing to pay for it. Take, for example, a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card. Though it’s really just a piece of cardboard, in July 2000, it became worth a million dollars! Why? Because that’s what someone paid for it.

So, what did God pay for you? He paid the blood of Jesus for you. Proving what? Proving that God thinks you’re priceless! Proving that God likes you! Yes, right now! And that he’ll keep on liking you, forever!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I marvel that you were willing to pay the price for my sins, even though it cost you your precious blood. 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.