Month: June 2023

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
1 Corinthians 4:3,4

Only One Judge Counts

Daily Devotion – June 21, 2023

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 4:3,4

See series: Devotions

Judging others is easy. Jesus once pointed out how gifted people are in finding the speck in their neighbor’s eye without realizing that they’re lugging around a log in their own eye (Mt 7:3-5). We’re all much better at spotting what’s wrong with other people than identifying and correcting our own mistakes. We love to play the judge.

But as the apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians, there’s only one judge who counts, especially when it comes to serving God. That judge is Jesus. The people in Corinth were playing favorites, comparing one preacher to the other, and choosing whom they liked better.

Paul’s response to this Corinthian beauty pageant was simple. “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court,” he wrote. “Indeed, I do not even judge myself.” As far as he was concerned, when it came to public proclaimers of salvation in Christ, there is only one judge who counts. “It is the Lord who judges me,” Paul explained. And what is the basis for Jesus’ judgment of preachers? Not flashiness, but faithfulness to his saving Word.

May we keep this in mind as we strive to tell others about Jesus and share his saving Word. Above all, we want to be faithful to him!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, keep me faithful to 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.

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
1 Corinthians 4:2

Ambassadors are Meant to Represent

Daily Devotion – June 20, 2023

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 4:2

See series: Devotions

“I’m only the messenger.” Have you ever said that to someone when forced to break bad news? “Don’t be upset with me; I’m only the messenger.”

No one likes being the bearer of bad news, delivering a message that an audience won’t like. But sometimes, that’s what ambassadors get paid to do. They’re not asked to sugarcoat the king’s message in order to make it more palatable for the hearers. They have one job: repeat the words of the one who sent them. Ambassadors don’t have permission to go off-script; they are meant to represent. Above all else, they must prove faithful.

But that’s not only true when you’ve been asked to announce bad news. That’s also the case when ambassadors are sent to proclaim good news. They aren’t allowed to hold back or to make it sound less exciting than it is. The king sends his ambassadors to shout out good news from the rooftops so that everyone can hear!

What a joy and privilege it is to be the bearer of good news! The beauty and skill of the messenger is insignificant! If the news is good enough, just about anyone will be up to the task of delivering it. All they need to do is be faithful to the message. Ambassadors are to represent.

Christians have good news to proclaim to the world. It’s the best news ever. Through Jesus, God has reconciled the world to himself, not counting people’s sins against them (2 Co 5:19). Death has been conquered forever. Heaven is ours, no strings attached, through faith in Jesus. Eternal life is a certainty. That’s good news.

And whom does God call to proclaim that good news to a world in need of hearing it? Every Christian. They don’t need to be fancy, just faithful, because ambassadors are simply meant to represent.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, through your Word and Spirit, empower me to believe and proclaim the good news of salvation found only in Jesus. 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, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.
1 Corinthians 4:1

A Mystery

Daily Devotion – June 19, 2023

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 4:1

See series: Devotions

All things considered, the apostle Paul had to admit he was not much to write home about. Why Jesus would ever choose a man like Paul to be his ambassador is truly a mystery.

Just consider his past. Paul had been a violent persecutor and murderer of Christians. But his life changed forever one day when Jesus called Paul to be the single greatest missionary the world has ever known; millions still read and study his letters today.

This is shocking when you consider that even Paul recognized that his message was not the kind of philosophy and wisdom treasured by the people of this world. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. . . . I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words” (1 Co 2:2-4). To the world, the message about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and being raised back to life is foolishness.

All of which prompts us to ask: why would God choose to operate this way, to bring people to faith and save them forever through such worldly foolishness? It’s a mystery!

But that’s the point. God purposefully chooses to do things in a way that runs counter to how this world would do them. To our physical eyes, it all seems backward. But our Savior calls us through his Spirit to look behind the curtain and marvel at the way he delivers forgiveness and eternal salvation to us: through people and things that seem so weak and powerless.

Gospel preachers are nothing more than “servants of Christ . . . entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.” And his way of doing things works perfectly!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, through your Word and Spirit, grant me the eyes of faith so that I can see your power working through the weak people you choose to proclaim your powerful, saving gospel. 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 went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 9:35-38

A Heart for Missions

Daily Devotion – June 18, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 9:35-38

See series: Devotions

Our Savior certainly has a heart for missions! As Jesus traveled around Galilee, what he saw disturbed him. He witnessed people wandering around lost, with no guidance or direction in their lives. Others could have seen the same people and thought, “That’s their problem. I have my own life to think about. I’m not going to get involved.” But our compassionate Savior does not feel that way about any of his lambs. Our Good Shepherd simply loves us too much not to get involved.

Our Savior’s heart for missions flows from his heart for us. Jesus cared enough to get involved. And when Jesus gets involved, he gives it his all. Jesus stepped in when we were lost and gave his life so we could have eternal life. And when we wander off—an everyday occurrence—Jesus steps in through his Word to get us back on the right path. He loves us too much to leave us wandering about in the darkness of our sin. He loved us so much that he paid for our sin with his own life. He loves us too much to leave us in the dark, so he sends his Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the power of his Word. Jesus has a heart for missions—reaching people with his Word—because he has a heart for us.

Jesus calls us to share his heart for missions. Be eager to seek the lost in your community, workplaces, and families. When Jesus’ love touches our hearts, he gives us a heart for missions and empowers us to answer his call, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

Prayer:
Lord of harvest grant anew, joy and strength to work for you, till the gathering nations all see your light and heed your call. 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.

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.”
Exodus 3:13-15

I AM WHO I AM

Daily Devotion – June 17, 2023

Devotion based on Exodus 3:13-15

See series: Devotions

It’s one of the first things you do when you meet someone. You ask their name! If you don’t know a person’s name, can you really say you know that person? It’s hard to have a relationship with someone if you don’t know their name.

God provided Moses with his name for his own benefit and the benefit of God’s people: “I AM WHO I AM—The LORD.” Our God depends on no one else for rank or meaning. He relies on no one else for strength or value. He is who he is! He is God. Unlike any other, apart from any other, far superior to any other, He is “I AM.” He is “the LORD.”

God gave Moses his covenant name. God is faithful and filled with full and free forgiveness. For all the times that we forget God’s name or forget to praise him, there is forgiveness. For all the times that we misuse his name or elevate our own name or someone else’s higher than his, there is forgiveness. For all the times that we doubt his forgiveness or question his love, I AM forgives us.

I AM WHO I AM—yesterday, today, and forever. His word will not change. His promises will never fail. His love endures forever. Rejoice that the LORD is who he is—our Savior God.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, I thank you for the privilege of calling on your name. I am blessed to be in your family and to have a loving Father like you. Remind me daily of your name and love, through Jesus. 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.

God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.
Exodus 3:15

The God of Every Generation

Daily Devotion – June 16, 2023

Devotion based on Exodus 3:15

See series: Devotions

It is possible to get to know a person from the past fairly well. We can study the recorded details about his life. From what he wrote and said we can get a glimpse into the way he thought. But that historical figure, no matter how great he is, doesn’t know you.

It’s easy to view the Bible and think of God as the God of the past since the Bible tells us about what he has done in the past. Perhaps Moses felt like the God of his forefathers was a God of the past. No doubt, he had heard the oral histories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and how God was active and made huge promises and poured out many blessings back in their day. But when God told Moses that his name is “I AM,” he wanted Moses to know that he was not simply the God of the past but the God of every generation.

The same Lord who came to Moses in a burning bush came in human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and proved he is the God and Savior of every generation, all people of all time, by taking up the sins of every generation and dying. Then he rose from the dead. Unlike any other historical figure, he lives. So, unlike other historical figures, he does know you. He is the God of every generation, and he is your God too!

Prayer:
Lord, my God and Savior, thank you for making your power and love known to every generation. Use me to tell the next. 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.

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Exodus 3:13,14

The Great I AM

Daily Devotion – June 15, 2023

Devotion based on Exodus 3:13,14

See series: Devotions

“Does that name mean anything to you?” You might drop a name and then pause and ask that question. You want to know if not just the name, but the person is familiar. Do recognize who this person is and what he has done?

If Moses went to the Israelites on God’s behalf, he wanted to drop a name that meant something. So the Lord revealed his name which means something powerful. “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

In the previous verses, Moses got hung up on who he was. He asked, “Who am I.” God answered that self-conscious fear by saying, “I AM WHO I AM.” That’s his name; he is the great I AM. Moses was able to serve not because of who he was but because of who the Lord is. He is the great I AM. That name means so much.

His name is not “I was,” as though he used to care. His name is not “I will be,” as though he is presently unable to act. He is who he is, not just in the moment but for eternity. His name I AM means that he is unchanging. It means that he exists in a realm of his own—there is no one else like him. He does not merely dwell in temples built by human hands. He does not exist only in our imaginations. He Is. He is the Great I AM. I AM, Yahweh or Jehovah in Hebrew and often translated LORD (in all capital letters), is the name associated with God’s boundless love and his promise of salvation. For you this name means salvation and eternal life.

Prayer:
Lord, I am limited in many ways. But you are the Great I AM. Increase my faith that I may always trust in your unchanging love. 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.

Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
Exodus 3:11,12

Who am I?

Daily Devotion – June 14. 2023

Devotion based on Exodus 3:11,12

See series: Devotions

“Who, me?” When someone pays you a compliment or acknowledges your work, a natural response is to deflect attention from yourself. “Who, me?” When tasked with a responsibility, we may feel the urge to deflect attention and ask, “Who am I?”

When Moses was tasked with going to Pharaoh and leading God’s people, his first response was, “Who, me?” “Who am I?” he asked. As a baby, God rescued him from genocide when his mother floated him down the Nile River in a basket. He was found and raised by royalty. But then he murdered an Egyptian slave driver when he saw a fellow Israelite being mistreated. He fled to the land of Midian, and there he lived a quiet life for decades as a shepherd. Now the Lord was calling him?

It might seem like Moses was modestly deflecting attention when he said, “Who am I?” but he was putting too much attention and focus on himself. He was relying on himself: his personality, his track record, his abilities. As long as he focused on himself, he failed to rest and rely on the love and strength of the Lord.

It’s good for us to take an honest look at ourselves and not think too highly of ourselves, especially before God. But don’t dwell on the question, “Who am I?” and miss who your God is and what he has done for you. Your salvation and eternal life, doesn’t rest on your personality or abilities. Rely on Jesus Christ and who he is. He is your Savior who laid down his life for you! “Who, me?” Yeah, you! And he is with you to guide, comfort, and strengthen because that’s who he is. In the life he calls you to live, rely on who he is and what he has done.

Prayer:
Lord, give me true humility to shift the attention from me and my efforts and trust only and always 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.

“And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Exodus 3:9,10

He Listens and Acts

Daily Devotion – June 13, 2023

Devotion based on Exodus 3:9,10

See series: Devotions

“Does anyone see what I’m really going through? Do they see my true struggles beneath the surface? Does anyone hear my cries for help and support?” It can be frustrating when we are hurting and in need; it feels like we are not being heard. It can be a very isolating feeling when our cry for help goes unnoticed.

It may have seemed that way for the people of Israel as they were oppressed in Egypt. “Does God see what we’re going through? Does he hear our cry for help?” It had been over 400 years since the Lord had spoken directly to his people. It seemed like radio silence from God. Was he listening? Was he watching?

He saw. He heard. He acted. He saw their pain and suffering. He heard their cry for help. He acted. God broke the centuries of silence when he came to Moses and said, “Go, I’m sending you.” Really, all the while God hadn’t been silent or sleeping. He had spoken to the forefathers of the Israelites and given them promises of countless blessings and his enduring love. Moses was sent to proclaim that those promises still stood.

The Lord sees. He hears. He acted. The Lord sees the oppression of sin on every human being. He hears the distressed cries of every heart, who feel the guilt of their sins. And he acted to set us free from the oppression of sin. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to set you free from sin’s slavery.

Now, many years after Jesus acted in ultimate love to free us from sin, God is not silent or sleeping. We have his words and his promises which still stand today. He sends his servants to teach his Word and proclaim the truth about what Jesus has done. He sees. He hears. He speaks through his Word.

Prayer:
Lord, you hear my cries for help, and you answer. Open my ears to hear your words and promises in Scripture. 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.