Category: Daily Devotions

I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

Desert

Daily Devotion – April 8, 2025

Devotion based on Isaiah 43:19


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You are driving on a remote stretch of highway in the Southwest United States. As you do, you pass through the Sonoran Desert. You’re playing your favorite tunes, your travel snacks are ready, and your minivan’s air conditioning is just right at 72 degrees. All is well.

Then, from your engine, there’s a rattle, a pop, and a bang. Your car slows to a stop. All you can do is pull off to the side. Your cell phone has no signal. You step out of your car and into an oven of 115 degrees. You look around and see—nothing, nothing but desert. And in that moment, a strange corkscrew sensation begins to wind its way up your spine.

These conditions are like the desert conditions God’s people faced in Isaiah chapter 43. As a result of their having drifted away from their Savior-God, they now found themselves surrounded by miseries of their own making—including an enemy nation that had dragged them from their homes and surrounded them in the desert.

Ever feel that way? Ever feel as though your sinful actions—or inactions—have dropped you into some terrible desert? If so, then you know the hopelessness and despair. You know the suffocating sense of futility and the raw fear there is no way home.

But there is a way. His name is Jesus. He has entered our desert and made his way to us. For him to do so came at great personal cost. As our substitute, he did all the things you and I have failed to do. In our place, he endured the suffocating heat and death of divine punishment for all our sins. And then he raised himself back to life.

And now, here he is. He has made his way to us. He brings the cool, refreshing water of forgiveness for us to drink. He brings shelter and shade from the terrible heat of God’s anger. Best of all, he brings the promise of eternal life with him in heaven.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I find myself in a desert of my own making. I look to you with a repentant heart. Refresh me in your promises. Embrace me in your forgiveness. Take me home. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

Do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Isaiah 43:18,19

Glory Days

Daily Devotion – April 7, 2025

Devotion based on Isaiah 43:18,19


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“Glory Days” is a classic rock song written by Bruce Springsteen. It tells the story of people who believe their happiest days—their glory days—are behind them. For example, there’s a man who was a standout in amateur baseball. Now his old baseball stories are all he talks about. There’s a woman who was one of the most popular girls in high school. Now, however, her marriage has ended, and she struggles to raise her kids as a single mom. The song goes on to say, “When she feels like crying, she starts laughing, thinking ’bout—Glory Days.”

Does this hit home for you? Perhaps you are in a stage of your life where your present difficulties convince you that your best days are behind. Marriage problems, heartaches in the family, financial stress, dissatisfaction at work, health concerns, wasted opportunities, personal setbacks, regret, anxiety, grief, loneliness—all of these can conspire to tell you that life has passed you by, that your significance has faded, that memories of happier days are all that remain.

Your Lord disagrees. True, in comparison to some past period of your life, your present may be oozing with setbacks, disappointments, difficulties, and pain. This is part of the human experience. This is part of living in a broken, sin-filled world.

But that’s why Jesus came into this sinful world of unfulfilled promise, bitter regret, and unforeseen disaster. On our behalf, he lived the life we should have lived but have failed to live. And in our place, he carried our every sinful failure to Calvary’s cross.

And three days after his death, he raised himself back to life. He did so not only to demonstrate that he is who he claims to be and has done what he’s promised to do. He also did so because he is not just the God of your past but the God of your present and future. He sees you and carries you. He is impacting other souls through you. Savor such a life. Because that’s a life that matters.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when my days grow difficult, remind me you are right here, with precious work for me to do. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

Don’t Look Back

Daily Devotion – April 6, 2025

Devotion based on Philippians 3:12-14


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When you drive your car, you have a large windshield that lets you see straight ahead. You have a few small mirrors to see what’s behind you. They don’t take up much of your viewing space. That’s because you mostly need to see where you’re going, not where you’ve been.

Before Paul was a missionary for Jesus, he worked hard to stop the good news of Jesus from spreading. He didn’t mind at all if Christians died. But that had been a long time ago. He didn’t let his past wicked sins keep him from now looking forward to heaven with Jesus. Jesus had changed his heart. He repented of his sins. He enjoyed the forgiving love of his Savior.

The guilt and shame of past wrongs can stay with you for a long time. They can keep you from enjoying life. Worse, they can keep you from seeing that the joy of heaven is coming. Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead. He removed your guilt and shame by his death. His resurrection from the grave guarantees eternal life in heaven for you. That’s the prize Paul mentions. That’s the prize Jesus has won for you, too. Don’t look back. Repent. Enjoy Jesus’ forgiving love. See heaven as your eternal future.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, keep my eyes focused on Jesus, who removed the guilt and shame of my sins so that I can look forward to the prize of eternity with you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
Romans 8:10

The Only Thing of Importance

Daily Devotion – April 5, 2025

Devotion based on Romans 8:10


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John Bacon was a sculptor. And he was a good one. Even during Bacon’s lifetime, Great Britain recognized him as a genius. Some of the most famous places in England eagerly commissioned him to work his magic. Today his astounding sculptures live on. They continue to awe and inspire, from Oxford to Bristol Cathedral to Westminster Abbey and beyond.

John Bacon died in 1799. His 58-year-old body found its final resting place at the Whitfield Tabernacle in London. It’s said that above his tomb are words that Bacon wrote for his epitaph before he died. Everyone walking past his grave will see these words: “What I was as an artist seemed of some importance to me while I lived; but what I was as a believer in Jesus Christ is the only thing of importance to me now.”

As you read or listen to this devotion, what’s important to you? Perhaps you’re a student trying to make it through the final quarter or working in an office and rushing to meet a deadline. Perhaps these words are reaching you at night after you’ve worked two jobs and put the kids to bed. Or you’re retired and battling poor health. No matter where you are in your life, there are matters that are urgent and pressing for the here and now.

But never let the urgent overshadow the important. What’s important is your relationship with Jesus Christ. God’s forgiveness of your every sin at Calvary’s cross is the only thing that will matter the moment your life on this earth comes to an end.

John Bacon worked hard to use his talents to the best of his ability. The Lord wants us to do the same. But as you do, keep in mind “The Only Thing of Importance.” It’s your bond of faith with the Son of God.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, there are so many pressing matters in my life. Give me focus. Empower me to rivet my eyes of faith on what is truly important. Move me to fix my eyes on you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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 younger son said to his father] “I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.” . . . The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
Luke 15:19,28-30

Grace in Place of Merits

Daily Devotion – April 4, 2025

Devotion based on Luke 15:19,28-30


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By nature, we operate on the basic assumption that you get what you deserve. If you’ve worked hard, you reap a reward for your labor. You pay the price if you’ve been lazy, dishonest, or wasteful. This basic assumption moves many to approach God based on a merit system.

Both sons in this story were operating under that basic assumption. The younger son, who greedily demanded and then squandered his father’s wealth, thought he wasn’t worthy of returning home as a son. He approached his father with a plan to earn his way back by being a servant. The older son, who remained on his father’s estate and kept his nose to the grindstone, thought he was certainly more worthy than his younger brother. He became upset when his father welcomed his brother back as a son, based on grace in place of merit.

There is only one Son to whom that basic assumption applies. Based on the merits of the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ, God welcomes us home as his dearly loved and fully forgiven children. We need not work our way back into God’s good graces. Jesus’ perfect work, his life, death, and resurrection, have already earned your spot in the Father’s house. It is by his grace, not by your works. You do not and cannot approach God based on merits. Instead, he approaches you with his grace. Like the father in the story ran out to welcome home his son, your Father in heaven runs to you and welcomes you with open arms and grace in place of condemnation. Welcome home!

Prayer:
Lord, by your grace, you receive me as your child. May I rest in that grace alone! Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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 continued: “There was a man who had two sons The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. . . So he got up and went to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
Luke 15:11-13,20

Grace in Place of Greed

Daily Devotion – April 3, 2025

Devotion based on Luke 15:11-13,20


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Jesus told a heart-wrenching story. You can read it in Luke 15:11-32. The younger son demanded his share of his father’s estate. Greed lured him away from his father’s home, where he had all he needed. His decision to take his inheritance and squander it eventually left him with nothing. A story like this makes our blood boil. Can you believe the audacity of the son that was so greedy and thankless!

Greed can easily lure our hearts away from the grace of our heavenly Father, which we’ve had at our disposal all along. We’ve felt the tug of a greedy heart that thinks our Father’s love and providence aren’t enough. We’ve given into the allure of material wealth as a replacement for the satisfaction that only our Savior’s love can give. The heartbreaking story of the younger son is our story, too.

Thank God, that’s not the end of the story. More extravagant than the lifestyle of the son who squandered everything is the lavish love of his father, who spared no expense in welcoming his son home. The son came to his senses and decided to return to his father’s house. His father was watching and waiting with open arms to welcome him home as a son.

God’s grace more than covers our sins of greed. Our longing hearts finally find what wealth cannot buy. We find our loving Father always ready to welcome us home with open arms. We find that the gift of our Savior’s forgiveness doesn’t depreciate or become depleted like all our earthly assets. We discover again that our Father’s love and his Son’s sacrifice are always enough.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, how great is the love you lavish on me, that you call me a son and welcome me home with open arms. Grant that I may always trust that your grace is enough. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1,2

Grace in Place of Condemnation

Daily Devotion – April 2, 2025

Devotion based on Romans 8:1,2


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What’s it like to stand before a judge, waiting for his verdict? Maybe you know what it’s like, or maybe you’ve only seen it on the news. Whether we have stood in front of a judge in real life or not, all of us are accountable to God, who rightly judges every heart. If we’re honest, we know what God’s verdict should be—guilty as charged, sentenced to eternal condemnation.

But the grace of God in Jesus Christ overrules what should be. In God’s courtroom, we find grace in place of condemnation. Every day we can confess our sins and plead guilty, and God declares us not guilty through Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, God’s justice was served, and you were saved. Now, God personally declares “not guilty” all who have faith in Christ Jesus. Now, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

In Jesus and through faith in him, you need not imagine what it’s like to be declared “not guilty” by the judge of all humankind. It’s a very real verdict, and it impacts you right now. Too often, we dwell in the past. We let past sins and past guilt distract us from the present reality of God’s forgiveness. Once we lived under the law of sin and death, we were controlled by sin and condemned to death. But that was then. Now, things are different. Those who are in Christ have been set free by the grace of God.

Prayer:
Lord, keep me always in Christ so that I may live now and forever in your grace. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

“I will praise you, LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
Isaiah 12:1,2

Grace in Place of Anger

Daily Devotion – April 1, 2025

Devotion based on Isaiah 12:1,2


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When someone offends or hurts you with words or actions, what’s your most likely response? To show grace or fume with anger? For many of us, too often, we react with anger.

In our Bible reading for today, the author says that God was angry with him because of his sins. God’s anger is different from our anger. God’s anger is rightly directed toward anyone who repeatedly disobeys and disregards his perfect will. God would have had as many reasons to be angry with us as we have sins.

Thankfully, our Bible passage goes on to say, “Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away…” Once, God’s anger was directed toward us because of our sins, but that anger was redirected. Where did it go? It was redirected upon Jesus, the perfect Son of God. God’s anger against sin was redirected entirely upon the one who always did his Father’s will. All the reasons for God to be angry with us were redirected upon Jesus on the cross.

When God’s anger was redirected upon the cross of Christ, so was every reason we would ever have to be afraid of a Holy God. When grace takes the place of anger, we can see God not as an angry and just judge but as our gracious and loving Father. In our lives, we can show and speak grace in place of anger. We can speak and react differently than the unbelieving world does. By this, we can open a door for those who still fume with anger or tremble in fear of God’s anger. By showing grace in place of anger, we open the door to reveal Jesus, who has turned away God’s anger and comforts us with his grace.

Prayer:
Lord God, surely you have saved me; I will trust in you and not be afraid. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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 the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Luke 15:1,2

No Replacements for Grace

Daily Devotion – March 31, 2025

Devotion based on Luke 15:1,2


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When it comes to how we view sin and immorality in the world, there are two extremes. One is to celebrate and condone. The other is to judge and condemn hypocritically. The way of our world is often the first extreme: to deal with sin and those caught up in it by condoning and celebrating it as something good. Others with a more accurate moral compass, or those who don’t struggle with certain sins, can easily fall into the other extreme: hypocritically judging and condemning those who sin differently.

Jesus perfectly avoided both extremes and opted for grace in place of hypocritical condemnation and grace in place of condoning and celebrating. Grace is God’s undeserved love. Grace leads God to give the gift of forgiveness, not earned but freely given through Jesus. Jesus was often criticized for interacting and ministering to people who were publicly known as “sinners.” Those who fell into the extreme of hypocritically judging and condemning had replaced grace with works and outward displays of holiness. They wrongly viewed Jesus’ interactions as condoning sin because they didn’t understand grace. Jesus came not to condemn nor condone but to save and forgive. That’s grace!

Jesus was not shy in calling sin what it was. He was not stingy in offering grace and forgiveness to those who knew they needed it. This is good news for us! We have likely fallen into both extremes at times. We’ve opted for something else other than grace. We’ve approached God or others with something other than grace. But grace calls us back home to our Savior, who forgives our sins on both extremes and everyone in between. That’s grace!

There are no replacements for the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Instead, Jesus shows us grace in place of what we once deserved, in place of things that might distract us from the gift of his forgiveness.

Prayer:
Lord of grace, you are not ashamed to draw near to me and welcome me into your family. Preserve me from any extreme that undermines your grace and renew me daily by your forgiveness. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
Romans 8:10

Out From Under the Crushing Weight

Daily Devotion – March 30, 2025

Devotion based on Romans 8:10


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From time to time, we hear of people doing extraordinary things, like the woman who managed to lift the end of a 3,600-pound car off her son when the jack slipped. In extreme emergencies, people have been known to reach back into a resource of hidden physical strength and mental resourcefulness they didn’t know they had. Can they do this all by themselves? Or is this a miraculous help from God?

The author of the book of Hebrews devotes his 11th chapter to Old Testament men and women who were heroes of faith. It was from God that they drew their strength. In one dimension of life, however, human strength cannot avail. It does not enable us to save others or ourselves from the power and punishment of sin. By the labors of our hands, we cannot fulfill God’s demands, earn salvation, or pull ourselves out of the dilemma of doing things we don’t want to do and not doing the good God demands.

What is more, the psalmist declares, “No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them” (Psalm 49:7). The ransom demanded would be entirely too great. But what we can’t do, our Lord Jesus did for us. He gave his life as a ransom for the whole world of sinners so that all who believe in him as the Savior are freed from the burden of unpaid spiritual bills, from the fear of death, from the crushing weight of sin. Only God could have done for us what we could never have done for ourselves.

Prayer:
God of heaven and earth, please stand near me with your strength that makes me perfect in my weakness. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.