Category: Daily Devotions

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
2 Thessalonians 1:6,7

Worth the Wait

Daily Devotion – November 12, 2019

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 1:6,7

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Most of us hate to wait. Patience is going out of style in our fast-paced world. We want it all, and we want it now.

But some things are worth the wait, aren’t they? Like that newborn baby that takes nine months to grow in mommy’s belly. A pregnant mother might have days when she wants that baby out—now! But when she finally holds her little baby in her arms, she has to admit it was worth the wait.

That’s also true of God’s salvation and his judgment, both of which will be seen in their final, perfect form on the day Jesus returns from heaven.

If you are suffering like the people to whom Saint Paul was writing, that day can’t come soon enough. They were suffering unfairly, not because of what they had done but because of who they were: simple Christians who had placed their faith in Jesus’ saving love. Nothing more. Paul promised them that someday God would “give relief to you who are troubled.” But for now, they needed to wait.

We sometimes suffer unjustly, too. We wonder where God is with his salvation and judgment. Doesn’t he see? Isn’t he just? Won’t he rescue me?

God’s reasons for waiting aren’t always clear. But this much we know, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Did you notice who God is waiting for? He’s waiting for you and me! The good news is “he is patient with you” and with me. He doesn’t want to see anyone perish. He “wants all people to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4).

But that often means we need to wait because to God’s way of thinking, saving people from sin and death forever through Jesus is worth the wait.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me patiently endure the wait for your perfect salvation and judgment, as I cling forever to your saving 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.

All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
2 Thessalonians 1:5

The Full Story

Daily Devotion – November 11, 2019

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 1:5

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Things aren’t always what they seem. The Antiques Roadshow proves it.

If you’ve ever watched that show, you’ll know that people often bring an item that looks like junk for appraisal. I wouldn’t give them a dime for it, but the expert tells the owner, “You could expect to fetch at least $20,000 for this at auction.”

Often these appraisals are not based on the intrinsic value of the object itself. No one needs a $20,000 flower vase! Instead, the value is found in the object’s story: Where and when it was made, who owned it, etc. In order to know something’s value, you need to know the story behind it.

That’s also true when it comes to God’s judgment. People are tempted to make snap judgments about his judgment. They conclude his judgment is unfair, unloving, and unconcerned for those who stand under it. But they don’t know the full story.

Consider a comparison from everyday life. When a concerned father promises to punish his son if he does something dangerous, it has nothing to do with craving revenge. The father takes no joy in the thought of having to hand down punishment. Instead, his words proceed from a loving heart. On the outside, he may seem unfair, unloving, and unconcerned. But that’s because you don’t know the full story. The father loves his son and wants to keep him safe.

So it is with God’s judgment—even his promise of eternal punishment—springs from a heart of love and concern for sinners. He wants to get our attention because, the truth is, he also “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). He sent his Son to be “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He desires mercy, not sacrifice (Matthew 9:13). In his heart of hearts, he is our loving Savior, not a cold-hearted judge. And that is the full story.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me recognize your love even in your judgment. 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.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 46:10,11

Be Still

Daily Devotion – November 10, 2019

Devotion based on Psalm 46:10,11

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I was studying in my dorm room at the seminary when one of my roommates walked in with a stunned look on his face. He asked if I could drive him to the hospital. He explained that his fiancée had been in a car accident. She and her younger sister had been driving to the hospital to visit their father who was dying of cancer when the accident occurred. Her sister did not survive. It is difficult to imagine a more tragic situation.

After a few hours at the hospital, I dropped my friend off at his future in-laws’ house. He was exhausted. I will never forget what he said to me. “Be still, and know that I am God.” The Holy Spirit had brought these powerful words from Psalm 46 to his mind in the hour of his greatest need. He could not possibly imagine why the Lord would have allowed such a tragedy to occur. He was completely powerless to fix it or make it all better for his fiancée and her family. All he could do is be still…and remember that God was in control.

What a difficult thing to do! We are so convinced that we are in control of our lives, that we are masters of our own fates. But…we…are…not. There is only One who is in control. There is only One who is God. And we are not he.

But that is alright. It is better than alright. It is a sigh of relief to our anxious hearts. Who better to be in control than the One who loved us enough to give his one and only Son to live and die for our sins? Who better to be in control than the One who conquered death when he rose from the grave?

Whatever burdens your heart this day, whatever causes you anxiety or worry or stress—be still, and know that the LORD Almighty is God. And he loves you; he forgives you; he cares about you. And he is all the God you will ever need.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, when I begin to believe that I am the master of my own fate, remind me that my times are in your hands. Give me the courage to be still and know that you are God. 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.

“No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:34

God Forgives and Forgets

Daily Devotion – November 9, 2019

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:34

See series: Devotions

Are you forgetting things more than you used to? Do you find yourself staring at someone you’ve known for years but, for the life of you, you can’t remember her name? Do you walk into a room and then wonder what you came there to do? We all forget from time to time, some of us more and some less, but forgetting is a reality of the human condition.

Forgetting is not, however, a reality of God’s condition. God cannot forget because God is all-knowing. God knows everything that has happened, is happening, or will happen. This is what makes Jeremiah 31:34 so amazing. God promises that he will both forgive and forget our sins. In other words, he will treat us as if we had never committed a single sin. He can do this because Jesus already paid the price of all sins by his death for us.

Whatever sin is troubling you, whatever guilt is burdening you, whatever memory is haunting you, forget it. Leave it behind. Leave it at the foot of the cross where it belongs. Go into your day free and filled with joy because God forgives and forgets.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus thank you for erasing my sin from God’s mind. Let my life today reflect how thankful I am for this great gift. 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, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31,32

Pointing People to the Truth

Daily Devotion – November 8, 2019

Devotion based on John 8:31,32

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Every January 20th we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a great social reformer who exposed the wickedness of racism by leading the United States to more fully express its founding principles of equal rights for all humans.

Did you know that Martin Luther King, Jr. was named after another great reformer? The original Martin Luther was a pastor in Germany who lived about 500 years ago. Martin Luther reformed the church by exposing the false teachings that had crept into the church and returning God’s people to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith.

Every October 31st we remember the day when Martin Luther began the movement to reform the church by publishing a document called the 95 theses. These theses, or statements, uncovered the corruption in the church, pointing people back to the Bible as the true authority for all our teaching and practices.

Martin Luther was a courageous leader who stood up for God’s truth no matter what the consequences. We still need courageous leaders who will point people to God’s truth. Jesus told us that if we hold to his teaching then we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. The truth about Jesus’ forgiveness sets us free from guilt and shame. This frees us to serve others, giving our lives true meaning and purpose.

You may not think of yourself as a courageous leader. But, like Martin Luther, you can point people to Jesus and his truth. And you can be sure that the truth will set those people free.

Prayer:
Lord God, use me to point people to the truth so that the truth might set them free. 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.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. . . . For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31,34

Why We Worship

Daily Devotion – November 7, 2019

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:31,34

See series: Devotions

Why should we go to church? Everything we get at church we can get online, right? I can Google great sermons. I can put together the perfect playlist of worship songs. So why should I go to a building, when I can get all the biblical information I could ever want on the internet?

That is a legitimate question. You can get all sorts of great biblical information online. But attending a worship service is much more than gaining information. At worship, you will be surrounded by fellow Christians. It might just be the only time during the week that you are not in the minority. The value of this cannot be overestimated. We become like those with whom we gather.

Worship is also where God confirms his covenant with us. The heart of this agreement is found in the book of Jeremiah, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” God upheld his side of the agreement by sending Jesus to pay for all our sins. We are reminded of this every time we worship as the pastor announces that our sins are forgiven. What a blessing! It is no wonder we want to be in worship so that we can hear those sweet words.

It is true that there are plenty of great spiritual resources online. But God has designed our weekly gatherings to deliver his forgiveness uniquely through worship. So where are you going to worship this week?

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for the gift of the Church. Lead me to gather with other believers so that I might receive your forgiveness and be strengthened to live for 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.

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Jeremiah 31:33

From the Heart

Daily Devotion – November 6, 2019

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:33

See series: Devotions

Going to the pool used to be quite stressful for me. I felt like I spent all my time reminding my kids of the pool rules. I’d yell, “Stop running by the pool! You are going to get hurt.” They would walk for a moment, but sure enough, the next time they got out of the pool they would run to the other side.

It’s much better now. My kids are older and they seem to understand that if they run, they can slip and fall and hurt themselves. They don’t need external reminders because they internally understand the reasons for the rules.

In a certain sense, this is what it means to be a New Testament Christian. Before Jesus came, the Old Testament believers behaved like my young children. They needed lots of rules and reminders. And even when God sent special prophets to point them back to the written code of God’s law, they still slipped back into their old rebellious ways.

But the prophet Jeremiah looked forward to the day when God would do something new. The prophet spoke of a day when the Lord would establish a new covenant with his people. He would write his laws in their minds and their hearts. God’s people would no longer need all the rules and reminders to follow him because they would be his mature sons and daughters.

Jeremiah’s words have come true. Jesus has come and made us right with God. He sends his Holy Spirit to us so that we might follow him internally, from the heart.

Call upon the Holy Spirit to show you Jesus and the power of his love. Ask him to lead you in the process of maturing in your faith, so you would follow him.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, live in me that I might live as a mature follower of Jesus. Write God’s precious laws on my heart and give me the desire and strength to follow them. 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.

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:22-24

Division

Daily Devotion – November 5, 2019

Devotion based on Romans 3:22-24

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The United States seems to be more divided than ever. We are divided politically, socially, racially, and economically. All this division has made us hostile and judgmental. Just turn on your TV, look at your Facebook feed, or read the editorial column in your local newspaper, and you will hear angry voices defaming their opponents.

How does God’s Word respond to all this division?

God responds by clumping all the different groups into one group. He says, “There is no difference . . . all have sinned.” God does not divide people based on their politics, social views, race, or finances. He puts everyone into one category. All are sinners.

At first, that might seem depressing. You might be thinking, “There is nobody who does good, not even one, really?”

But keep reading.

The writer of these words, the Apostle Paul, continues, “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” When Jesus died, he died for the sins of the whole world. All humanity has been declared “not guilty” in Jesus. Not everyone believes they need his forgiveness or have his forgiveness. But, because Jesus accomplished it, his forgiveness is there for them.

If we embraced what God says, our world could be a much better place. If we believed that all people are sinners, including ourselves, we wouldn’t look down on other people. If we believed that God had mercy on them all in Jesus, then we might begin to have mercy on them as well.

So, when you find yourself adding to this world’s hostility and division, remember that you are no different than anyone else. You are a sinner just like them. When you struggle to care for someone with opposing views, love them with the same love that Jesus showed you on the cross. After all, we are all equally sinners and equally saved.

Prayer:
Lord God, forgive me for the times I was judgmental and looked down on others. Lead me to love others just as you have loved me in Jesus Christ. 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.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.”
Jeremiah 31:31

A New Covenant

Daily Devotion – November 4, 2019

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:31

See series: Devotions

The Bible can be hard to read for many reasons. For one thing, it sometimes contains unfamiliar words. One of those words that keeps coming up in the Bible is “covenant.”

So, what is a covenant? And why does it matter?

A covenant is an agreement between two individuals or groups. It’s like a legal contract where both groups sign on the dotted line and promise to uphold their end of the deal.

The surprising message of the Bible is that God made a covenant with his people. He wanted to partner with them.

In the second book of the Bible, God made a covenant with the nation of Israel. He agreed to bless them and make them into a great nation while they agreed to obey his laws. Unfortunately, the Israelites broke their side of the agreement almost immediately and the nation unraveled like a runaway ball of yarn.

We can relate. We have made promises to follow what God says. We said we were going to love him and love people. But almost immediately we found ourselves breaking our promises.

That’s why we need to hear the comforting words of the prophet Jeremiah. He said that God was going to make a new covenant with his people. It wasn’t going to be like the old covenant, where the people promised to hold up their end of the agreement.

No, this time, God was going to make a covenant where he fulfilled all the requirements of all his laws. That’s what the story of Jesus is all about. Jesus came into this world to fulfill all of God’s commands on our behalf. Then he died to receive the punishment we deserve for breaking God’s covenant. This new covenant is a one-sided covenant. God simply forgives our sins for Jesus’ sake, period. What a gift! What a God!

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for your new covenant and for the peace and forgiveness it gives. 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.

No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Romans 3:20

Wrong Turn

Daily Devotion – November 3, 2019

Devotion based on Romans 3:20

See series: Devotions

The name of Leopold Loyka is not a household name. Nevertheless, Leopold Loyka is the man who made one of the most consequential wrong turns in human history.

Leopold was a chauffeur and a prestigious one at that. His job was to serve as the official driver for a high-ranking official from Austria, a man by the name of Franz Ferdinand. In June of 1914, Ferdinand decided to visit Sarajevo, a city that harbored hostility toward Austrian rule. As Leopold drove the car through the city with Ferdinand as his passenger, he made a wrong turn. When he stopped to correct his mistake, it so happened that he passed directly in front of a man who very much wanted to see Franz Ferdinand dead. The man seized his chance and shot Ferdinand to death.

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the spark that started World War I. World War I, in turn, set the stage for World War II. In all, 77 million people perished. And it all began with a wrong turn.

There is another wrong turn in human history that has even greater consequences. It is the false assumption that we can make our own way into God’s favor. It is the false assumption that we can chart our own course into a right relationship with God. Such thinking is not only wrong-headed and self-absorbed; such thinking also has consequences that are fatal, and eternal.

Enter Jesus. Jesus did far more than chart a safe course. He created a path where none had existed. The path was himself. He alone was the way. As our substitute, he lived and died on our behalf. Through faith in him, God’s favor is ours, forgiveness is ours, peace is ours, life is ours. And not just for a while, but forever.

Through faith in Jesus, we will one day arrive safe and sound in our heavenly home.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, forgive all of the wrong turns in my life—all of the times I have turned away from you. Turn me again and again toward you until I see you face to face in the heaven you are preparing for me. 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.