Month: September 2023

[Jesus said] “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
Matthew 18:15-17

Extreme Love

Daily Devotion – September 13, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 18:15-17

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To what extreme would you go to save someone you love from shipwrecking their relationship with God by their persistent sin against him? Would you risk the discomfort of an awkward conversation? Would you say something that could change the relationship for good? Extreme love moves us to go to the extremes necessary to rescue the soul that strays from Jesus.

Speak with love, but don’t mince your words. Tell them of your love and concern for them and their Savior’s love and concern for them. If they don’t listen, don’t give up! Extreme love doesn’t throw in the towel. Try again with one or two other trusted friends because that one soul is worth all the effort. Still no breakthrough? If they have any connection with a church and those who have been called to provide spiritual care, get their church family involved in the rescue mission.

Jesus showed extreme love. He went from the highest heavens to the lowliest position on Earth. He is true God from eternity, but he took on frail flesh. He is life and light, but he surrendered to the darkness of death as he died on a cross. That’s extreme love. Jesus went to the extreme to save you from sin and death. He went to the extreme to save that soul that is straying or has strayed from him. It’s that extreme love that calls us to go to extremes to help and restore our brother or sister who is in danger of being lost in sin once again.

Prayer:
Jesus Christ, renew me by your extreme love and move me to go to the extremes necessary to communicate that love to 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 I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”
Galatians 2:14-16

Be Willing to Hear Hard Things

Daily Devotion – September 12, 2023

Devotion based on Galatians 2:14-16

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Sometimes we are in a situation where we need to be willing to say hard things. But other times, we need to be willing to hear hard things. We may need to hear that our words or actions have hurt someone. At times maybe you’ve headed down a dangerous path, and because someone had a hard and serious conversation with you, you are now walking with the Lord again.

The apostle Peter needed to hear a hard truth from his fellow apostle Paul. Peter was not acting in line with the gospel—the good news that Jesus is the Savior of everyone. His actions gave the impression that Jesus wasn’t enough. His conduct potentially misled others into thinking that they had to do works and jump through hoops to be declared right with God. Not only was Peter putting himself in danger, but he was also putting others in danger of trusting in something other than Jesus.

There are times when we read the Bible or have someone share it with us, and we need to hear hard things. The Truth of God’s Word reveals that we have not lived in line with the good news of Jesus. We have trusted in other things. We have lived in a way that has departed from God’s ways. These are hard things to hear but necessary. And when we do, we get to hear the greatest news—that Jesus is enough! God forgave you completely through the work of Jesus, and he forgives us freely, not making us jump through hoops or prove our worth. He declares us right with him through faith in Jesus Christ.

Prayer:
Lord, make me willing by your Spirit to hear hard things so that I can hear and cherish the greatest news of sins forgiven. 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.

‘Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’”
Ezekiel 33:10,11

Be Willing to Say Hard Things

Daily Devotion – September 11, 2023

Devotion based on Ezekiel 33:10,11

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Are you willing to say hard things when someone is in danger? Raising your voice to warn and reprimand a child about to dart out into traffic is not pleasant but necessary.

Ezekiel was a prophet who was tasked with a hard message. Hard, but necessary. A vast majority of God’s people in the nation of Judah had turned away from the Lord, darting right out into grave spiritual danger. They abandoned God’s promises and God’s commands, and in doing so, were in danger of perishing eternally.

We often shy away from saying things that are hard for others to hear, but when the stakes are that high, we are willing to say what it takes to turn someone away from danger. It’s not just about turning away from danger but turning back to the one place where that soul finds peace and security.

Picture that child who was just turned back in a safe direction, away from oncoming traffic. The strong warning startles him and makes him cry, but it makes him run right back into his father’s arms, where he is loved and safe. When we say hard things but necessary things to someone running right into spiritual danger, away from God, the Lord’s desire is always that they run back into his loving arms.

Jesus, our Savior, put himself in the path of God’s impending wrath against sin when he died on the cross. He was willing to say hard things as he called people to turn to him and live. Even more, he was willing to lay down his life to save yours. Always turn to him and live.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for saying hard things to me so that I might turn to you and live. Give me the courage to say hard things to those in spiritual danger so they might turn to you and live as well. 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 person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 2:16

Good Christians

Daily Devotion – September 10, 2023

Devotion based on Galatians 2:16

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What makes someone a good Christian? Is it the fact that they are in church almost every single Sunday? Or that they give ten percent or more of their income to the work of the church? Or that they always seem to be helping a neighbor in need? These certainly are wonderful fruits of the Christian faith, but they do not make someone a good Christian.

In the apostle Paul’s day there were some who thought being a good Christian meant keeping certain Old Testament laws like eating the right foods, observing the right holidays, and being circumcised. Unfortunately, they began to think that doing such things somehow contributed to their salvation. They believed that their obedience to certain laws played some part in being declared innocent of their sins before God.

Being a good Christian has never been about keeping God’s law, and if it were, none of us would be good Christians. “A man is not justified by observing the law,” the Bible says. That’s because the law demands 100 percent obedience 100 percent of the time. According to God’s law, even one slip-up means total failure. God’s verdict in his law on mankind is absolutely true: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).

This is why we so desperately need Jesus. He is the only one who perfectly observed God’s law, and he did it in our place. He died for all our failures to keep God’s law. Through faith in him, we are declared not guilty before God. We are connected to Christ in his death and resurrection and set free to live our lives in thankful obedience to God’s law. Not to be good Christians, but because through faith in Jesus, we already are.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to continually see that my obedience to your law has nothing to do with my status before your heavenly Father. Lead me to trust in your righteousness alone which becomes mine freely through faith 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.

We share in [Jesus’] sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:17

A Reason for Suffering

Daily Devotion – September 9, 2023

Devotion based on Romans 8:17

See series: Devotions

A man once came across the cocoon of an Emperor Moth. He took it home. In time he began to see movement inside. The moth was getting ready to emerge.

But there seemed to be a problem. The moth struggled and struggled, but it appeared that the moth was having great trouble breaking through the cocoon. The struggle continued, and still, the moth could not break through. Finally, the man had an idea. “I’ll save this moth a lot of trouble,” he thought.

He took a pair of scissors. And with the scissors, he carefully snipped the bottom of the cocoon so that the moth could get out. As soon as he did, the moth slipped out easily.

But then, the man noticed something. He noticed that the moth had a large, swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man thought, “No problem. In a few hours the fluid will go from the body into the wings and the moth will be fine.”

But the moth was not fine. Because the man had cut short the time of struggle inside the cocoon, the wings never got a chance to get strong. The wings remained withered. The moth never flew.

When the Lord gives us a time of suffering, in which to struggle, he does it for a reason. One of his purposes is to keep us close to him, his Word, and his love and forgiveness. For when we do, his Holy Spirit strengthens us. He seasons our faith. He reinforces our bond with Christ. And when that happens, our Christian lives can take flight. We can touch the lives of others with the gospel. We can do the wonderful things the Lord intends for us to do.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when sufferings come, bless my struggle. By your gospel, fill me with your Holy Spirit. Strengthen the wings of my Christian life. 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 in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 8:24,25

Real Hope

Daily Devotion – September 8, 2023

Devotion based on Romans 8:24,25

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In 312 A.D., emperor Constantine of Rome marched off to war. He looked up at the sun and saw a cross of light above it and the words, “In this [sign, you will] conquer.” Tradition claims that the following night, Constantine had a dream. In this dream, Christ explained to Constantine that he should use the sign of the cross to conquer his foes.

However, Christ’s victory on Calvary does not assure us of earthly victories over foreign enemies, financial woes, failing health, or our favorite sports nemeses. Rather, it assures us that Christ conquered sin. And his victory when he walked out of the tomb assures us that he conquered death. Death was not the end of Jesus. Jesus was the end of death.

We live in confident hope that Jesus will give us eternal victory over the rule of sin and death. We live in certain anticipation that he will rouse us from our earthen beds and reunite our resting souls with our renewed bodies. We live in peaceful patience for the day when he will renew all creation and banish the old ways of sadness, suffering, and death.

The hopes of the earthly-minded rise and fall. The real hope given by God to all who focus on the cross of Christ is that Jesus will return and fix everything wrong with this broken world forever.

Prayer:
Jesus, grant me patience as I wait for the joys of the eternal life you promise to provide. 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 ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
Romans 8:23

The Lord Will Provide

Daily Devotion – September 7, 2023

Devotion based on Romans 8:23

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“The Lord will provide.” That was Abraham’s response of faith to his son, Isaac. They were summiting Mount Moriah, where they would offer a sacrifice to the Lord. They had the knife, the wood, the fire. But they lacked the animal for sacrifice.

Isaac had no idea that God had commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son. So, Isaac asked his father, “Where is the lamb?” “The Lord will provide,” Abraham assured. And the Lord did. He provided a ram to sacrifice instead of Abraham’s son.

Centuries later, God continued to cultivate in Abraham’s descendants a spirit of trust that he is the Lord who provides. Every year, on the day of Pentecost, God’s people offered the Lord the initial produce—the firstfruits—of their harvests. With this offering, God’s people showed their trust in God to provide them with more. And he did.

Fifty days after sacrificing his only Son on Mount Calvary to save us from death, God gave a firstfruits gift to his people. On the Day of Pentecost, more than three thousand people were baptized and received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

God still wants us to trust him to provide. But we sometimes wonder whether he will.

Thankfully, the Lord continues to quiet our doubts with his promises. His Holy Spirit works through his Word and sacraments to assure us that we are his accepted, adopted, forgiven children. In this life, we know we are sons and daughters. In the next life, we shall see it fully. Now we know we are free from the guilt of sin; then we will be fully free from the rule of sin.

No, we do not yet see the final harvest, but God’s Spirit continues to show us that his kingdom is near. Yes, the Lord will provide.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for providing me with your Spirit to give me peace for my past, strength for my present, and hope for my future. 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.

Creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. . . . We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Romans 8:19,22

My Soul in Stillness Waits

Daily Devotion – September 6, 2023

Devotion based on Romans 8:19,22

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When our first child was born, I was not allowed to be in the room. Like the wizard in the land of Oz, I had to stand behind the curtain. I could hear the groans of my wife. I could hear the doctor’s encouragement.
“You’re doing great.”
“I can see the head.”
“Here she comes.”
Then there was silence.

The silence was agonizing. Was it a boy or a girl? Was the child healthy? Was the child alive? The silence only lasted seconds. It felt like an eternity. I couldn’t wait for our child to be revealed. Then I heard the peace-inducing words: “Okay, Dad, you can see your daughter.”

Like a Father waiting behind the curtain for his child to be revealed, you and I are waiting eagerly for God to reveal what our existence will be like after this world ends, and he creates a perfect, new world for us to enjoy. While we wait, we groan as we endure the agonies of this imperfect world. Thankfully, though we don’t know what God is doing behind the scenes, he still speaks peace-inducing words to us in his Word, “You are my child. I am coming soon. In the meantime, take comfort. I know the plans I have for you, and I am working good in all things for you whom I love.”

And one day, what joy will be ours when we hear Jesus say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Take your inheritance—the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” What joy. What joy. What joy.

Prayer: (Christian Worship: Hymnal – 325)
For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits, truly my hope is in you. O Root of Life, implant your seed within us, and in your advent, draw us all to you, our hope reborn in dying and in rising. 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 the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
Romans 8:20,21

Better than Eden

Daily Devotion – September 5, 2023

Devotion based on Romans 8:20,21

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What it must have been like in the Garden of Eden! A plush garden fed by a river running through it. A lush orchard of pregnant trees bearing plump fruit of every variety. Humans and animals of every kind sharing the same space without fear. Man and woman, loving one another perfectly, understanding one another fully. Humanity communing peacefully with God. What life must have been like!

If only we could go back to Eden. It’s not for lack of trying. Explorers have searched in vain for the Tree of Life, the Fountain of Youth, and the Holy Grail. Scientists continue to seek a cure for death. But to no avail.

While we patch the world’s wounds in one place, sin’s effects show up in a thousand others. The fruit of Adam and Eve’s sin stained more than their greedy hands. Its noxious nectar oozed from more than the corners of their lecherous lips. Sin stained the surface, and its poison poured through every pore of God’s perfect world. Thorns and thistles infested the ground. Death reigned. East of Eden, life is hard. There is no going back. God has forever barred that way.

But God has provided a way forward. Jesus is the way. Through the pained groans of a mother, God entered our world and dwelled among us. Through anguished groans, our Savior paid for our guilt by his death. And by his resurrection, he enabled us to enter life with him now and forever in a place beyond Eden. Better than Eden. A place where moth and rust cannot destroy. A place where evil can never invade. A place where death will be no more. A place where God will dwell forever with his people.

Just wait! Wait in hope for the redemption that is already yours.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the freedom that is mine through Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. Keep me eagerly expectant for the fullness of that freedom in eternity. 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.