Month: August 2023

Rest From Ourselves – August 4, 2023

Kerry

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 7:24,25

Rest From Ourselves

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Daily Devotion – August 4, 2023

Devotion based on Romans 7:24,25

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We are not what we were meant to be. That is difficult to admit. Maybe we even fool ourselves for a while. We accumulate money and material possessions, awards and recognition, a good reputation, and a loving family. We can fill our lives with so many good things and distract ourselves from what is true. But can we really escape the feeling that not everything is what it was meant to be?

We look back at our lives and see missed opportunities. Even with all the positive things, we can look back and see a past littered with failures we managed to hide from the world, but failures, nonetheless. We see a list of things left undone, regrets, and mistakes.

And even if we succeed in so many ways and if the good far outweighs the bad, it still ends in death. It still ends the same way it has for centuries. The richest, most powerful people in history still die like everyone else. This perhaps leaves many wondering, “Is this it? Weren’t we meant for so much more?”

Thankfully, there is so much more. God delivers us from mistakes and missed opportunities. God rescues us from sin and death. Through Jesus, God gives us the victory over sin, death, and the grave. Jesus was exactly who he was meant to be: the only perfect Savior this world will ever see. Through Jesus life, death, and resurrection, he has forgiven our sins and earned our salvation. And because of Jesus, we can look forward to so much more. We will have an eternity of joy, peace, and eternal rest in heaven where there will be no more death. A place where we will finally be what we were meant to be: perfect. “Thanks be to God, who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you are my everything. Help me to live for you today and to keep my eyes on my heavenly home. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
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.
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Rest From Good Intentions – August 3, 2023

Kerry

For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
Romans 7:18,19

Rest From Good Intentions

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Daily Devotion – August 3, 2023

Devotion based on Romans 7:18,19

See series: Devotions

It happened again, didn’t it? The thing that you have been struggling with. The thing that you promised yourself you were not going to do again. Maybe you got drunk. Perhaps you let yourself worry away a few hours rather than pray for strength. It could be that you visited that same website or caught yourself cursing at work.

We always have such good intentions. We have sins that we do not want to repeat. We want to do the right thing and intend to make positive changes in our lives. But we so often fail to make those changes. It has been said the road to heaven is not paved with good intentions. We are not saved because we mean well. We won’t go to heaven simply because we want to do the right thing. In fact, we cannot be saved by anything we can do.

We are saved only because of Jesus. Jesus, true God and true man, is the only one who always did the right thing. The only one who never once thought about doing the right thing, only to fail and fall into sin. In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus never sinned even one time! And at the end of that perfect life in our place, Jesus gave his life on the cross to set us free from sin.

The road to heaven is not paved with our good intentions but with the perfect life and innocent death of Jesus. It has been washed clean by his blood. Through faith in Jesus, we have been placed on the road to heaven. Jesus forgives our sins and gives us strength for our daily struggles.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to find comfort today, not in my good intentions, but in your life and death for me. When I struggle with right and wrong, give me the strength to live for you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
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.
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Rest From Managing Others – August 2, 2023

Kerry

The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14

Rest From Managing Others

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Daily Devotion – August 2, 2023

Devotion based on Exodus 33:14

See series: Devotions

I cannot begin to imagine how stressful life was for Moses. He was 80 years old and had never run a small business before, much less lead an entire nation. And here he was leading more than a million people out of Egypt and across the wilderness to the promised land of Israel—all on foot. Along the way, he was in charge of their civil life, gave orders to the military, oversaw the regulations regarding worship, and heard civil cases brought before him. He not only bore his own weights, fears, and worries, but also those of an entire nation of people. It is often said that the presidency ages the man in the office. I have to imagine that Moses’ time as leader wore him out to an even greater extent.

Thankfully, he wasn’t alone. God went with him. God spoke to him and reassured him again and again. He reminded him of his presence. He promised to be with him and to give him rest. This promise of rest meant that Moses could let his guard down. He could trust God and rest secure, knowing God would never leave him. God would never sleep on the job or let his guard down.

The same is true for you. In fact, you could say it is even better. God is present with you through Jesus and his Word. Jesus has given you wonderful promises of forgiveness, to save and help you, and to be with you always.

Through faith in Jesus, you have the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal rest in heaven. Whatever challenges you face, like Moses, you can rest secure knowing that God is in control and that Jesus is with you always.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to find rest in you. As I go about my tasks today, help me know that you are with me and will watch over me. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
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.
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Rest From the World – August 1, 2023

Kerry

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
Psalm 62:1,2

Rest From the World

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Daily Devotion – August 1, 2023

Devotion based on Psalm 62:1,2

See series: Devotions

What is it that makes you feel shaken? What recent events have filled your heart with worry? What happened to you to cause you to live your life in fear? Maybe your twenty-four seven consumption of news has you wringing your hands over the state of the world. Perhaps recent health issues with no answers have left you wondering whether or not it is going to be okay. It could be that a tragedy in your life has left your faith so shaken that you have been seriously questioning whether God really does love you the way everyone says he does.

We need rest from the challenges of this world, and there is only one place to find such rest. This kind of rest can only be found in God. Only with God can we find salvation.

You were not the only one to notice the chaos of this world. God saw it too. He saw a world wrecked by sin and wanting to spin out of his control. God saw it, and he was moved to act. He sent his Son, Jesus, into this world to live and die in our place so that sin would no longer have control over us. And in rising from the dead, Jesus showed his complete control over sin and death. Thanks to Jesus, we are forgiven and saved.

The good news is that the God who saved us, is also in control of everything in this world. All of the things that cause us to worry and leave us shaken in our faith are all things that fall under the control of our God. Nothing happens without his knowledge. Knowing his love that saved us in Jesus, we can now rest secure in his loving care. With God as our rock and fortress—we will never be shaken!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you are my rock. You are my fortress. No matter what happens today, help me to trust in your love and never be shaken. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
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.
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