Category: Daily Devotions

May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
1 Thessalonians 3:13

He Comes to Make Us Blameless and Holy

Daily Devotion – December 6, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Thessalonians 3:13


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“Do you think of yourself as more of a sinner or a saint?” This was the question that the pastor asked his Bible Study group. The response was unanimous. Everyone agreed they thought of themselves as more sinner than saint.

Maybe it was the power of group dynamics talking. No one wanted to be seen as prideful. Or perhaps it was simply the truth. As we conduct our lives on this earth, we realize that there are many ways to stumble along the path of following our God in faith. Experience tells us, “I am a sinner.”

Of course, the Bible tells us that both are true. We are sinners—because we are weak and possess a sinful flesh that always wants to follow its own path. And we are saints—completely forgiven, washed clean by the precious blood of Christ.

The sinner part we seem to accept more easily. But in today’s Bible passage, the apostle Paul calls us to believe the other truth as well. You are a saint!

How can this be? Don’t look to yourself for the proof. Honest reflection would only leave you feeling even more like a sinner.

Instead, trust God’s promises in the Bible. In his Word, God shows you how sinners become saints. The Savior came to a world of sin and overcame it. Jesus met sin at the cross where your sin became his, and his holiness became yours. Through faith, God has changed your heart to know the love of Christ and the promise of eternal life.

Many days, we will struggle to believe it. How can this sinner be a saint? Go to the Word. There, God strengthens your heart. There, God will again convince you of the truth. Through the blood of Jesus, you are blameless and holy.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for taking on my sin and giving me your holiness. Help me to believe that I am washed clean, a saint. Strengthen me to live as one. Amen.

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
1 Thessalonians 3:12

He Comes to Grow Us in Love

Daily Devotion – December 5, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Thessalonians 3:12


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There is universal agreement that the world needs more love. Politicians proclaim that we need to show more love to each other. Law enforcement is dismayed by the lack of love in their communities. Families struggle where there is a lack of love.

If we all agree that the world needs more love, why isn’t there?

There’s nothing wrong with the concept. Showing genuine love to others and receiving it from others is always a blessing.

The problem lies in the execution. We don’t carry out what we proclaim. The entertainer who walks off the stage with an “I love you” doesn’t even know your name. And if you showed up at her house to get an autograph, likely the response would be less than an embrace and a dinner invitation.

More seriously, we all struggle to do what’s needed—more love. Because what is fighting us constantly in showing more love is a sinful nature that inherently will always put itself first.

But there is one who came in perfect love. Only love could cause the purity and perfection of God to clothe himself with flesh. Jesus humbled himself so that he could move from the manger to the cross and to the tomb. Every step that he took on this frail planet was taken in love.

And it is his love that inspires our love. Since God loved us, we have the motive and the example to show God’s love to others in how we speak and act.

More love? Absolutely. We all need it. And Christians have the best reason and the best way to show it. Point to the perfect love of Jesus.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me always see and appreciate your sacrificial love in being my Savior. And then strengthen me to show and share that love in my life. Amen.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.
1 Thessalonians 3:11

He Comes to Clear the Way

Daily Devotion – December 4, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Thessalonians 3:11


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Sometimes people take on obstacles just for the challenge. They will run a race filled with mud pits, climbing walls, and cargo nets to test themselves and hopefully overcome the challenges. At other times, obstacles just appear. Traffic comes to a standstill. The computer crashes. Progress comes to a sudden stop. And at other times, our obstacles are self-inflicted. Like leaving a phone nearby whose noises and messages distract from the work that needs to get done.

The apostle Paul had an obstacle that kept him away from the Christians in Thessalonica. Because of persecution, Paul had had to flee in the middle of the night. Now, writing to them later, he longed to be able to see them again. He prayed that God would clear the way to make a visit possible so that souls might be strengthened, and the love of Christ proclaimed.

While we may not face an obstacle keeping us from visiting Thessalonica, we do sometimes face spiritual obstacles keeping us from being closer to the Lord. Sometimes, these obstacles appear out of nowhere—a temptation or a trial we never expected. Sometimes, our spiritual troubles are self-inflicted. We keep ourselves from God’s Word or worship. We pursue a temptation rather than turning from it.

When the path to God seems difficult, take comfort in knowing that Jesus cleared the way for you. Every trial that was thrown at him, he endured. Every temptation, he overcame. Every distraction that kept him from his path to come to you to save you, he ignored. Jesus let nothing get in the way of winning your salvation.

Obstacles will come. But Advent is a great time to re-focus and re-prioritize your relationship with Jesus. Fix your eyes on him and the path to heaven that he has cleared for you.

Prayer:
Lord, help me clear my life of obstacles that get in the way of growing in you. Amen.

Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
1 Thessalonians 3:10

He Comes to Increase Our Faith

Daily Devotion – December 3, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Thessalonians 3:10


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You are missing something. As you are preparing dinner for your family you realize that one key ingredient is missing. Do you try to find a substitute? Do you just ignore it and hope for the best? Or do you drop everything and run to the store because you know that it just will not taste the same without it?

The world is missing something. Every day, a different “secret sauce” is marketed to make me happier and healthier, look younger, lose weight, get richer, live longer—the list goes on and on. But even if I can shed those stubborn pounds and smooth out a few wrinkles, how long before the next chocolate chip cookie or the newest line in my skin sends me looking for the next “something” that will fix all my problems?

You and I possess far greater problems than the externals that people can see and judge us by. There is One who sees the internal—our hearts and our souls. He knows our lives and what we do and say and think. And he, our God, has every right to judge us by our deeds and words.

Jesus came to give us what we lack. The perfect obedience that God demands he gives to us through faith in his Son. Jesus came to take away the sins that we commit. And then he gives us the ingredients to build us up in faith.

The Bible. Baptism. The Lord’s Supper. They seem so simple. We might want something more dramatic. We might expect we have to sacrifice or somehow do something to deserve to receive his message. We might think we have to do something drastic to find the secret sauce.

But this is how he builds us in faith. Through a steady diet of his Word, God comes to us, builds us up in faith, and keeps us strong to handle the problems that life throws at us. And through his Word, we have all that we need.

Prayer:
Lord, make me glad to worship you and seek out your Word so that I may grow in you. Amen.

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?
1 Thessalonians 3:9

He Comes to Receive Our Thanks

Daily Devotion – December 2, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Thessalonians 3:9


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Have you ever waited excitedly for someone’s arrival? Maybe your spouse who was away on a trip. A son or daughter or grandchild that you have not seen for far too long. A friend separated from you over the years. But now the time has come, and they will arrive any moment. You feel joy. Excitement. Expectation.

When the apostle Paul wrote the words of today’s Bible passage, he was writing to a group of people he had only met briefly. Persecution forced him to move on from their city. But an amazing thing happened. The gospel changed hearts. People came to faith. Paul could have been tempted to pat himself on the back for the great work he accomplished in a short amount of time. Instead, he thanked God. While the gospel had brought joy to these new believers, Paul received joy in return for their faith. And he thanked God for it.

There is much excitement in our world as Christmas approaches. And much of that excitement also has little or nothing to do with the arrival of the Savior. Let Paul’s words be our guide this time of year: “How can we thank God enough?”

The answer to that is, we can’t. Not really. How can we truly thank God enough for sending us a Savior? For bringing us the joy of forgiveness? The hope of eternal life? For a Son born to take on our sins so that he can save us? No, we can’t ever thank God enough.

But what we can do, is take some time to thank God for all the joy we have as we prepare our hearts for the birth of the Christ.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, thank you for the gift of your Son. During this busy time of year, keep my head and heart focused on my Savior. Amen.

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
1 Thessalonians 3:12

Hope That Increases Love

Daily Devotion – December 1, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Thessalonians 3:12


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The weeks before Christmas are called Advent—a Latin word that means “coming.” Advent invites us to wait—quietly and patiently for Jesus to come this Christmas. But do you know how hard it is to wait? Holiday times are hectic and stressful. We sing “Joy to the World,” but family fighting, overspending, and physical exhaustion steal our joy and drain our love. When we get impatient or speak sarcastically, it shows our supply of love is running on empty.

But what if God could give the kind of holiday love that increases your love and patience in the coming days before Christmas? Would that help as you wait? Would that make it easier for others to be around you? God wants to fill you up with his love. Every day before Christmas, we remember why we look forward to celebrating Jesus’ birth. His tiny hands and feet born at Christmas were the same hands and feet that died on the cross. Now, the living Jesus is the proof we need that “God will always love me!”

As you head into the first weekend of December, hear the voice of Advent encourage, “Wait, slow down a bit! Don’t get entangled in the hustle and bustle of the season. Get focused instead on what really matters. It’s Jesus.” Love is God’s gift to you. Christ’s love makes it possible for our hearts to brim over with love and patience for others like our children or spouse, our siblings or coworkers, our friends and neighbors.

While you patiently wait for Christmas to come, pray that God would fill our hearts, souls, and minds that we want to share this love with someone who is empty inside and desperately in need of love. No outside love can fill that void. Only Jesus and his love can!

Prayer:
Dear Lord, as I wait for your coming, supply what you know is lacking inside me. Deepen my faith and fill me with your love so that my love increases for you and for others. Amen.

[Jesus said] “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. . . What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Mark 13:32,33,37

The End Will Come

Daily Devotion – November 30, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 13:32,33,37


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In the 2nd Century, a self-proclaimed prophet by the name of Montanus taught that the end of the world was close at hand. In 1499, a German mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, and professor claimed that a deluge would bring about the end in 1524. In the early 19th Century, a 60-year-old woman named Joanna Southcott claimed she was pregnant with the next Christ and would give birth to him on Christmas of 1814. She claimed the second coming would follow soon after.

With all these false and failed prophecies, we might wonder if the end is really coming. The first disciples had their own reasons for wondering, but Jesus proclaimed the truth to them. The end will come; the Lord will return. The fact that we don’t know exactly when doesn’t make it any less certain.

So, what should we do? Instead of wondering and worrying about the day and the hour, Jesus tells us to keep watch. We keep watch by fixing our eyes on Jesus, repenting of our sins, and finding forgiveness in his precious sacrifice on the cross. We can keep watch by clinging to God’s Word and promises. We can be ready by faithfully carrying out the tasks that God has given us and joyfully looking forward to our Lord’s return because he has promised to take all of his followers to be with him forever.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, we do not know the day or the hour of your return. Give us faith that is fixed on you as our Savior and make us always ready for your coming. Help us to live each day with the confidence of your love and mercy and to faithfully go about our daily tasks as we joyfully await your return. Amen.

[Jesus said] “If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.”
Mark 13:36

Sleeping

Daily Devotion – November 29, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 13:36


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Jay Leno is one of the most successful comedians of all time. When he was first starting, however, his finances were tight. To save money he would find various places to sleep at night. When he could not stay at a friend’s place or in some back room of a comedy club, he would sometimes find a home for sale that was having an Open House, greet the realtor and look through the house. Then, when the realtor was elsewhere, Leno would loudly say, “I’m going now. Goodbye!” He’d slam the door, then hide in a closet until the realtor left for the day. He got by with this ruse until one realtor came early the next morning and found him asleep in a bedroom. Beet red with embarrassment, he ran out as fast as he could.

To be asleep in a highly inappropriate place or at a highly inappropriate time is the kind of cringe-worthy moment the Lord Jesus uses to focus our attention on our relationship with him. More than anyone, Jesus knows that, in this broken world full of temptations and distractions, all kinds of things can make us spiritually sleepy—inattentive and careless.

This is dangerous because, little by little, the distractions and temptations of this world can ease us into no longer fixing our eyes on Jesus. Instead, we allow our sleepy eyes to fill with other images—our work, hobbies, social life, popularity, recreation, children, grandchildren, retirement plan, and health. Please understand that these are all wonderful blessings from God. But when any one of these displaces our focus on our only Savior, then we have fallen asleep, and we are in a dark and lethal place.

Thank the Lord that he pursues us. In love, he rouses us from our slumber, calls us to repentance, and refreshes us in sweet assurance of his full forgiveness purchased at Calvary’s cross. And it is that very refreshment of forgiveness that empowers us to be alert once again.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when I grow sleepy, awaken me. In your gospel, refresh me once again. Amen.

Snatch others from the fire and save them.
Jude 1:23

Rescuer

Daily Devotion – November 28, 2024

Devotion based on Jude 1:23


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Many television historians consider a series from the 1970s one of the most influential series ever made. The name of the series was, Emergency!

The series follows two Los Angeles firefighters who are part of a new, cutting-edge program. They have received special training in how to administer life-saving medical treatment at the scene before an ambulance even takes the patient to the hospital. The name of these new, specially trained firefighters? Paramedics.

The impact of the show was massive. Not only was it a ratings success; but it also caused fire departments and hospitals across the country to develop their own paramedics program.

And the show, Emergency!, did one more thing. Generations of firefighters have said they became firefighters because they watched this show that rescued people from fire and saved their lives.

To rescue individuals from a fire and saving them from certain death. Few scenes are more compelling or riveting than that.

The Bible uses this picture to communicate to us the urgency of sharing the truth of Jesus.

So serious is our sin, and poisonous is its evil that it separates us from God and his goodness. And when separated from God, there is just one alternative: The outer darkness of eternal death–the fires of hell.

Snatch others from the fire, the Bible says. The only rescue from this fire is the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It’s why Jesus came and took the incomprehensible step of becoming a human being. All this he did so he could remove the toxic poison of our sin at the cross. All this he did so he could blanket us with the holiness of the perfect life he lived on our behalf.

He alone spares us from the fire. He alone brings us into the forgiveness, security, peace and joy of God’s presence. And when we share him with others, his Spirit is at work to do the same for them.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, through your gospel you have made me a rescuer. Move me to remember this. Amen.

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith.
Jude 1:20

Breastworks

Daily Devotion – November 27, 2024

Devotion based on Jude 1:20


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“Pop” Greene had a big problem. The Civil War battle of Gettysburg was getting underway. His commanding officer had just ordered him to defend a key hill that the enemy troops would soon attack. The problem was that Pop did not know if he had enough men to do the job. As a result, Pop Greene made a key decision. He decided to do what his commanding officer thought was not worth the time or effort and decided to build breastworks.

He ordered his men to chop down trees. From these trees, they built solid, protective barriers behind which to stand. The men kept at it, doing all they could to transform their hill into a fortress. Then, the enemy troops attacked. By comparison, Pop’s men were small in number. But so strong were the breastworks that Pop Greene’s modest unit was able to hold the hill. If they hadn’t, the Battle of Gettysburg—and the history of the United States—may have turned out very differently.

Enemy troops are gathered to attack you and me as well. Satan and his demons are coordinating with the temptations of this fallen world and our old sinful selves. Their next attack is not a question of “if.” It’s simply a question of “when.”

However, between now and the next attack, you and I have something extraordinary at our disposal. We have the living, enduring Word of God. We have the good news of what Jesus Christ has done to make us his own—to live a perfect life in our place, to suffer and die at Calvary’s cross for our sins.

With all this at hand, spiritual breastworks are built—breastworks of faith, truth, and solid certainty in the promises of our Savior. When you and I roll up our sleeves and grow in the Word of our Lord, his Holy Spirit builds us up. He constructs a spiritual fortress behind which you and I stand. Then, when the enemies attack, they will not prevail.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, build me up in your Word. Build me up in your gospel. For victory is in you alone. Amen.