On the Basis of Love – September 5, 2022

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—that I appeal to you.
Philemon 1:7-10

On the Basis of Love

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Daily Devotion – September 5, 2022

Devotion based on Philemon 1:7-10

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You can avoid doing things because you think you might get into trouble for doing them. And you can do things because you think you might be rewarded for doing them. You can get other people to do things simply by claiming it is the right thing to do. And you can get them to stop doing things simply by claiming that it is the wrong thing to do.

That way of approaching life is called law motivation. You don’t have to be Christian to think and act that way. It’s a natural way of thinking.

Christians have a different motivation for how they think and act. They appeal to one another on the basis of love. In today’s Bible reading, Paul appeals to his friend, Philemon, to do the right thing not simply because it’s right but because of love.

It’s the ideal for parenting. You want your children to do the right thing not because they fear punishment but because they love you. It’s the ideal for classroom teaching. You want the students to behave not because there are classroom rules to be followed but because they love their teacher.

It’s how God appeals to you. You don’t have to be good to go to heaven. It’s Jesus’ perfect goodness that is getting you there. So why be good? God appeals to you on the basis of love. Because you love him, learn what is right. Because you love him, do what is right and refrain from doing what is wrong.

It’s called gospel motivation. When you believe the gospel, you are moved to show your love to God by demonstrating love to other people. When you are not feeling it, go back to what God has done for you. You love because he first loved you.

Prayer:
Loving Lord, move my heart to show my love for you by doing what is right in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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The Word Is Near You – September 4, 2022

The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
Deuteronomy 30:14

The Word Is Near You

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Daily Devotion – September 4, 2022

Devotion based on Deuteronomy 30:14

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Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, declared in regard to Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet cosmonaut who was first human to journey into outer space, “Gagarin flew into space, but didn’t see any god there.”

No matter how high we go, we will not find God. No matter how deeply we delve into the mystery of the human psyche or dig into the wonders of particle physics, we will not find God.

Yet he is not far from any of us.

Where do we find him? He reveals himself in his word–the Bible.

How does his word come into our hearts? As it is spoken and read. That’s how the Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand and writes his word on our hearts.

What does the Spirit teach us through the word? First, no matter how good we are, our hearts have failed to obey God. We have failed to love our neighbor as ourselves and to love God above all. You and I have no excuses for failing. We can’t plead ignorance. The word is very near you.

But what good news the word reveals as well! We could not ascend to God, so he came down to us. He did not come to condemn but to save us. He came near to us, not only in his word but also in person. Jesus is God with us. His mouth always spoke God’s truth in love. His heart reached out with unselfish compassion. His perfect record of obedience counts for you. His sinless life covers your failures and mine. Believe this with all your heart because that’s what God’s Word promises.

The word is near you. Unbelief rejects what the word says. Then only guilt and hell remain. But faith cherishes the word, for it brings us Jesus, our only Savior.

Prayer:
How precious is your word, O Lord! May I always cherish it, as I read it with my mouth and treasure it in my heart. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Put in My Place – September 3, 2022

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, [Jesus] told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited . . . But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 14:7,8,10,11

Put in My Place

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Daily Devotion – September 3, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 14:7,8,10,11

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Years ago, attending a national conference, I was pleased to sit by a classmate and friend. Each of us had raised our hand several times and offered input. When, once again, we had our hands in the air, we heard the firm voice of a much older man from behind us say, “We’ve heard enough from you young fellas for one day.”

I think of that experience when reading today’s Bible reading in which Jesus tells us not to exalt ourselves. Rather, he says we are to humble ourselves.

True humility means praying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). It is a recognition that I am not what God made me to be. I am not as kind, patient, or loving as he commands me to be.

This humility is important because only when I humbly recognize my faults will I realize my need for God’s forgiveness. Only then will I turn to Jesus, who won forgiveness for me. And when I do, he promises to lift me up and restore me, to assure me that I am at peace with God and an heir of eternal life. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me a humble heart that trusts only in you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Forgiven and Saved – September 2, 2022

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
James 2:10

Forgiven and Saved

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Daily Devotion – September 2, 2022

Devotion based on James 2:10

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Did you ever play with dominoes when you were younger? We would stand them up on end and line them all up so that when you tipped the first one, a chain reaction would start, and all the dominoes would fall like a giant wave rolling through. It took some effort for that to go according to plan. Each domino had to be placed just so: not too close and not too far away from the next one in line, and placed carefully on the ground so that it did not tip over prematurely. The more elaborate the design, the longer it would take to get it just right.

In reality, it was a bit of a stressful situation. It only took one mistake to ruin the whole thing. One slip-up or accidentally bumping one domino could start a chain reaction that could not be stopped. One mistake and one by one, the dominoes would fall. It happened so fast, and before you knew it, nothing was left standing.

The Bible says our salvation works that way too. We can try so perfectly to order our lives and line everything up so we are as good as we can be. But one sin, one slip-up, one mistake is all it will take to destroy our chances of saving ourselves.

Jesus removes all of that. He has already lived a perfect life for us. He perfectly lined up God’s commands every day and never once slipped up or made a mistake. The Bible tells us that Jesus never sinned. He was our perfect substitute in life, and through faith in him we receive the credit for his life of perfection. Having earned our righteousness, he proceeded to die on the cross to pay for all our sins. We are forgiven and saved.

Do you know what that means? No more stress or trying to line everything up perfectly in the hopes that we can achieve salvation. We cannot earn it. Instead, we are free to live for God and love our neighbor without fear.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for living a perfect life for me. Help me to trust in your righteousness as the only way to heaven. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Love Your Neighbor – September 1, 2022

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
James 2:8,9

Love Your Neighbor

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Daily Devotion – September 1, 2022

Devotion based on James 2:8,9

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Are you doing right by God? Does God generally approve of how you live your life? These can be common questions we all contemplate. The apostle James provides a litmus test to know if we are doing right before God: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That sounds simple enough. Love your neighbor. That seems doable. We can hold the door open for people, mow our elderly neighbor’s yard, be pleasant and wish people well.

It can be easy to feel like we love our neighbor so well that we are right with God. The trouble, however, is found in the phrase: “as yourself.” Do we love others that way? Not so much. It is one thing to hold the door open for someone. It is an entirely different to love someone the way we love ourselves. To love someone that way costs time and effort. It means putting their needs before my own. Too often, we do not have the desire or the energy to love other people that way. Worse, we perhaps discover that we do not love all people equally. Clearly, we cannot be right before God based on how we love our neighbors.

Thankfully, there is one who did right before God. One who always loved his neighbors perfectly. One who never played favorites. His name is Jesus. And the proof of his love for his neighbor is found on the cross. In giving his life on the cross, Jesus loved his neighbors. All of them. He didn’t only die for the ‘good’ people. He didn’t only die for the ones who would love him back. He died for all of us. He died for you.

You are Jesus’ neighbor, and he has already demonstrated his perfect love for you. You now have an opportunity to thank him for all that he has done by showing that same love to your neighbors.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for the awesome love that saved me from my sins. Empower me with your love, to love my neighbors equally—with the same kind of love that you have shown me. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Favoritism – August 31, 2022

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
James 2:1

Favoritism

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Daily Devotion – August 31, 2022

Devotion based on James 2:1

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Deep down, we all know that we should not play favorites. Parents should not have a favorite child. The teacher should not have a favorite student. The coach should not treat one player any differently than another. In the Bible, God encourages us to love and treat everyone the same way. Our love and care should be consistent.

But it is so easy to fall into the habit of showing favoritism. The teacher may, in fact, have a teacher’s pet that is quite obvious to the other students. Parents perhaps seem to favor one child over another. Coaches sometimes let the star player get away with more than the rest of the team. We have all witnessed the results of such favoritism: anger, resentment, hurt feelings, and frustration may all stem from favoritism. Deep down, we do not want our authority figures to play favorites.

We don’t want that from God either. If God played favorites, then our salvation would be in jeopardy. We wouldn’t know if he truly loved us as much as others. We would constantly wonder if we had impressed him enough to be saved. We would look around at others and constantly feel like they are better than we are. We certainly would not have any confidence in going to heaven.

Thankfully, God doesn’t play favorites. The Bible says: “God so loved the world”(John 3:16). God loves us all. He sent Jesus to pay for the sins of all. The Bible also says that God wants all people to be saved and to come to believe in Jesus for salvation. And when Jesus came into this world, he didn’t play favorites either. The Bible tells us, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Before any of us could even begin to try and impress him, Jesus died for us. His death for us does not depend on us or our efforts. Jesus died for everyone, you included. Thank God that he shows no favoritism!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for your love for me in Christ. Thank you for loving all of us equally. Help me to model that same love in my life and to not show favoritism. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Humility – August 30, 2022

Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among his great men; it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.
Proverbs 25:6,7

Humility

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Daily Devotion – August 30, 2022

Devotion based on Proverbs 25:6,7

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“Hey Daddy, watch me!” We likely all shouted similar words to a parent, grandparent, or teacher at one point in our lives. Whether we were about to go down the park slide or try a somersault or try to make a free-throw, we wanted to be noticed. That really hasn’t changed. We like to show off for the teacher, coach, or employer. We want to appear smarter than our classmates, faster than our teammates, and more productive than our coworkers. And, in getting noticed, we hope to be elevated above others. We want the scholarship, more playing time, or the raise in salary before anyone else can get it.

But what if it goes the other way? What if the teacher, coach, or boss is not impressed? What if we haven’t met the standard as well as someone else? It can be humiliating when someone is chosen ahead of us.

In the same way, we cannot impress our heavenly Father enough to be given eternal life. As he looks at our imperfect lives of sin, the only possible conclusion he can come to is that we are not good enough—that our lives of good deeds have not been impressive enough. One single sin is enough for God to humiliate us rather than exalt us.

That’’where Jesus comes in. Rather than come down to earth to impress everyone, Jesus humbled himself and put others first. He did not seek to elevate himself over anyone else. Instead, he willingly gave himself to a horrible death on a cross so that he could pay the price that our sins deserved. He died for you and me and the whole world. And now, through faith in Jesus, the Father holds out his hand and says, “come up here.” Jesus has opened the door to heaven for us. Thanks to Jesus, we will not be humiliated for our sins. Rather, we are saved now and forever.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for humiliating yourself so that I could be lifted up to heaven. Help me to honor you in my life today. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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The Best Seat – August 29, 2022

[Jesus said] “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.”
Luke 14:8,9

The Best Seat

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Daily Devotion – August 29, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 14:8,9

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Growing up in a household of three boys, everything was a competition. We constantly competed, even when it came down to who got to sit in the front seat of the vehicle. If dad announced we were going somewhere, immediately it was a race to get outside and call: “shotgun!” Then, of course, there would be the argument of who called it first: “I called it.” “Yeah, but I called it first.” “No, you didn’t.” “Yes, I did. You just didn’t hear me.” Very often this argument would lead to Dad declaring that due to our arguing, no one would get to ride in the front seat.

We may have outgrown calling ‘shotgun,’ but we still like to rush for the best seats. We often try to get ahead of others, and we are not too concerned about how we make them feel in the process. If our getting ahead means offending someone or hurting the feelings of others, we are often willing to move forward anyway. We can be so focused on what we want for ourselves; that we end up sinning against others in the process.

If there’s anyone who could have called “shotgun!” and claimed the best seat, it was Jesus. As true God, he could have put himself first. But he didn’t come to put himself first. He came to put our needs ahead of his own. He came so that you and I could have a seat at the banquet in heaven. Jesus came to take the lowest place so that we could be elevated to the highest place. He came and took the manger and the cross so that we could be given the gift of eternal life. With this selfless love of Jesus fresh in our minds, let someone else have the best seat. Yours is yet to come.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for taking the lowest seat so that I could have a seat in heaven. Empower me to have that same selflessness in my life. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Love Without Favoritism – August 28, 2022

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. . . . If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
James 2:1,8-10

Love Without Favoritism

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Daily Devotion – August 28, 2022

Devotion based on James 2:1,8-10

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How can you love someone without showing favoritism? It is easy if you only have one person to love. But when two or more people enter into the equation, it becomes difficult. Do you love your siblings equally? Do you love your children or grandchildren equally? Do you treat and respond to all your friends in the same way? Or do you find yourself enjoying time with some more than the others? Favoritism can strain and even damage relationships.

The problem is that we are inclined to love those who love us. Jesus’ love is very different. He loves all people and does not show favoritism. He demonstrated his impartial love by sacrificing his life for the sins of everyone, not just a few. He chooses us to be his followers and heirs of eternal life, not because we deserved it, but because of his great love.

Embracing us with his love, Jesus leads us to love people in the way he loves them. Our Savior teaches us to love without favoritism. As his believers, we learn to love everyone. We do not consider some people more worthy of our love than others. And let’s remember that when we love people with Jesus’ kind of love, we will surely have opportunities to tell them about the love of Jesus.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, keep me from showing favoritism. Rather, instill in me a desire to love all of the people in my life the way you do. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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The Lord is Near – August 27, 2022

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Philippians 4:5

The Lord is Near

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Daily Devotion – August 27, 2022

Devotion based on Philippians 4:5

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The Lord is near. He is coming back from heaven to judge the world. But believers in Jesus have nothing to fear. They know and trust the Savior who has taken away sin’s guilt and freed them from condemnation. Jesus has removed the fear of the final judgment with his sure promise of eternal joy with him. This comforting message leads us to rejoice always in the great love of God!

Because the Lord is near, let your gentleness be evident to all. Let people around you see the calm, confident spirit that you have because you rejoice that you are a child of God and an heir of eternal life. Imitate the gentle spirit of Jesus, always ready to help and serve others with a humble attitude and unselfish actions.

The love of Jesus working in your life through his word helps you to be gentler in your relationship with others, as he is with you. Think how conspicuous that will make you against the backdrop of the dog-eat-dog world in which we live. That can create all kinds of opportunities to tell people of the gentle love that Jesus has for them, too.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, fill me with a gentle nature that reflects the joy I have for the forgiveness of my sins which I rejoice to have by faith in you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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