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The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”
Genesis 8:21

A Gracious Promise

Daily Devotion – October 11, 2022

Devotion based on Genesis 8:21

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They got what they deserved. The people at the time of Noah’s flood were described as corrupt and violent. Their thoughts were evil all the time. A holy and just God demands perfection and obedience. Those people were far from it. When the flood waters came and destroyed them, they rightly received God’s judgment.

Sometimes we think, “I wish God would give me what I deserve. I’m a hard worker. I’m faithful to my spouse, at least outwardly. I am a good citizen, and I pay my taxes. I attend church regularly. And yet my life is still a struggle. I live paycheck to paycheck. Where are my blessings, God? When will you give me what I deserve?”

Entitlement kills gratitude. And if we think we are entitled to anything from God, that entitlement doesn’t just kill gratitude—it kills faith too. The hard truth is we aren’t much different from the people at the time of the flood. God uses a similar phrase to describe them and us, “every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.”

If we deserve anything from God, it’s the same thing the people at the time of the flood received: death and destruction. That’s what our sins have earned us.

But God holds back his judgment. He made a promise never to destroy all living creatures again. It’s not because we did anything to earn or deserve that mercy; God just gives grace and mercy because he is a loving God.

Even the flood was an act of love. It preserved the line of the Savior, Jesus. God saved eight people from the flood. But when God sent Jesus, he saved the whole world. And all who put their faith in Jesus will be saved. That’s a lot to give thanks over!

Prayer:
Dear God, give me a thankful and grateful heart for not giving to me as my sins deserve but instead giving me life through Jesus. 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.

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
Genesis 8:20

Noah Built an Altar

Daily Devotion – October 10, 2022

Devotion based on Genesis 8:20

See series: Devotions

Noah built an altar. People familiar with the story of Noah and the flood know Noah built an ark. But Noah also built an altar. For about a year, Noah and his family lived on the ark while it floated on top of the flood waters. Death and destruction swirled around them.

What thoughts went through the minds of the eight people on that ark as the rain waters fell and the flood waters went up? Every creature outside of the ark lost its life. Were Noah and his family horrified at the carnage?

When it was time to leave the ark, how did Noah feel? Thankful. Noah built an altar. And then he offered up a great sacrifice to God.

There were only seven of each clean animal saved on the ark, and Noah took one of them, fourteen percent of the living population, and offered it as a whole sacrifice. Every part of that sacrifice was offered to God. Noah didn’t save any of it to feed himself or his family, but with gratitude in his heart, he offered it all. It was Noah’s way of saying thank you and dedicating his whole self to God in gratitude.

Noah’s sacrifice was great, but it wasn’t the greatest sacrifice this world has seen. The flood waters purged a wicked generation, but sin remained. God knew the only solution to that sin was a sacrifice, the sacrifice of Jesus on a wooden cross. God gave all of himself as the sacrifice for sin; he didn’t hold anything back. The result? Your sins are forgiven. All of them. They are purged by the blood of Jesus.

God doesn’t ask his people to offer animal sacrifices as a show of thanks anymore. Instead, God asks them to show gratitude in the way they live their lives. God’s people show gratitude when they follow God’s commands and will; it’s their way of offering their whole lives in heartfelt thanks for the saving sacrifice of Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for your great sacrifice for my sin on the cross. Give me a grateful heart that lives for joyful service to 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.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-9

The Joy of Giving

Daily Devotion – October 9, 2022

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 9:6-9

See series: Devotions

In the comparison that the apostle Paul uses of sowing seed, implied is the truth that the sower would not have seed to sow if there had been no previous harvest. So, we would have no offerings to give if God had not blessed us with the money we have. We are givers because God has given to us. And he gives us so much more than we can ever return to him! How can we ever give back to God a gift equal to salvation, an offering comparable to the peace of the forgiveness of sins, a donation that even comes close to the gift of his Son?

We don’t just practice giving. We practice Christian giving. Christian giving involves our faith in the promises of God. God urges us to trust in his limitless ability to cause his blessings to abound in our lives. We can give our offerings generously, trusting in the promise of God that he cares for us and will supply all that we need for life.

God’s grace is poured out on us abundantly. His grace works in our hearts a willingness, yes, a joy, to give offerings to God. The joy of giving is a result of God’s miracle worked in our hearts to thankfully give to God, who has given us the joy of salvation by faith in Jesus. When we focus on Christ, our giving is not a reluctant action or a compulsive habit but a joyful and thankful response to God’s great love for us. This is the kind of cheerful giving that God loves.

Prayer:
Lord God, increase my trust in your promise to supply all I need for life. Lead me to reflect my thankfulness for all your blessings in the joyful way I give my offerings. 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 will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
2 Thessalonians 1:7

Final

Daily Devotion – October 8, 2022

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 1:7

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By the early 1990s, the popularity of Johnny Cash had faded. To be sure, the older generation still enjoyed hearing him in concert, but he hadn’t had a hit song since the 1970s. And the younger generation just looked at him as an interesting country singer from a bygone era.

Then there came into Johnny’s life a man by the name of Rick Rubin. Rick Rubin was a star producer for some of the biggest names in the music industry. Rick, however, was mostly known for his work with hard rock bands and rap artists. Nevertheless, he sought Johnny out. He wanted to work with him. He told him he was convinced that Johnny still had some things to say.

Rubin’s instincts were right. Together, he and Johnny Cash produced a series of albums entitled American Recordings. They sent shockwaves throughout the music industry. Critics wrote rave reviews about the unprecedented quality and substance of the songs. To a new generation the songs were edgy and fresh. And through those volumes, Johnny Cash took the opportunity to say some things that he wanted to say.

Shortly before he died, Johnny Cash released one more album with Rick Rubin. For the title track he chose a song he had written entirely on his own, a song that reflected his Christianity and his reverence for God’s Word. The title of the song is When the Man Comes Around.

When the Man Comes Around is about judgment day. It’s about the return of Jesus Christ. Filled with biblical references and pictures, the song radiates with the certainty that the final day is coming, that Jesus will return, that time is short, and that the moment for serious reflection is right now.

And so, it is. This simple reality—the reality of Jesus’ return—gives urgency to our work of proclaiming sins forgiven through faith in Christ. And it gives each of us good reason to set aside our everyday busyness to consider what you and I possess in the only Savior this world is ever going to have.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, the Last Day is coming. You will return soon. Fill me with urgency and eagerness. Fill me with anticipation and joy. 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.

“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:10

We Have Only Done Our Duty

Daily Devotion – October 7, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 17:10

See series: Devotions

A firefighter runs out of a burning building carrying a little dog. He hands that dog to its owner. The owner cries with joy and says to the firefighter, “Thank you so much for going back in to save my dog. You’re a hero!” The firefighter simply says, “You’re welcome, ma’am. But no thanks is necessary. I have only done my duty.”

A story like that would have a strange twist if that firefighter had said, “Alright ma’am, I got your dog out, but if you want little Fluffy back, I’ll be expecting a reward!” No firefighter would say that. Their job is to protect people, their pets, and their property from fire. A firefighter doesn’t expect a reward for correctly doing their job.

When we perform a good work prompted by faith in Jesus, we don’t say to God, “All right God, did you see that nice thing I did for my spouse? I’ll be needing some kind of reward now for making that little sacrifice.”

A Christian’s loving actions aren’t prompted by getting things in return for their service. A Christian’s acts of love are simply part of being a follower of Jesus. A Christian does not look for any special praise or commendation in return for a loving action. When being thanked for an act of love, a Christian can say the same thing as that firefighter. “I have only done my duty.”

Faith delights in duty because faith grasps what Jesus has already done for me. So, when I do the things that God has commanded me to do, I can say, “I have only done what my Savior has already done for me one million times over. I delight to serve him. What an amazing duty I get to carry out, being like Christ to others.”

Prayer:
Dear loving Lord, you have saved and served me not because it was your duty but because you loved me. Let me love and serve others as you have loved and served 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.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
Luke 17:5,6

All It Takes Is a Little Faith

Daily Devotion – October 6, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 17:5,6

See series: Devotions

Have you ever tried doing what Jesus says here? Have you ever tried using nothing but your faith to uproot a mulberry tree and launch it into the ocean? Should be easy, right? All it takes is faith as small as a mustard seed!

If you haven’t been able to uproot a mulberry tree with your faith, what does that mean? Does that mean you don’t really have faith? If that’s the conclusion you’ve come to, don’t worry! That’s not the point Jesus is trying to make here.

Jesus is trying to show us the power of faith. He indicates that even with a little faith, great things can be done. That’s because, ultimately, it’s not our faith that does anything. It’s the one we’ve put our faith in who does the impossible.

God does the impossible. He takes away every single sin of every single person in the world through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He allows sinners like us to stand innocent in his presence. He allows us to talk directly with him in prayer. These things should not be possible for us but because of God’s love for us, they are possible.

If God found it necessary, he would allow you to uproot a mulberry tree and hurl it into the ocean. God could make that happen for you. But God probably doesn’t need you to do that. Instead, he has given you faith to be able to forgive those who sin against you, just as he forgave you. He has given you faith to persevere through difficult seasons of life and moments of great loss. He has given you faith that clings to Christ so that salvation and heaven are yours. What once sounded impossible has been made possible, through faith in the all-powerful Lord.

Prayer:
Lord, increase my faith. You work the impossible and so I put my trust in you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
2 Thessalonians 1:3

Love Increases as Faith Increases

Daily Devotion – October 5, 2022

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 1:3

See series: Devotions

If you plant a small apple tree in your backyard it may take several years before it’s able to start producing apples. But as that apple tree grows it could one day produce more than 100 apples for you each year. Some mature apple trees in orchards have been known to produce upward of 1,000 apples in a year! With the growth of an apple tree comes an increase in the amount of fruit it produces.

We could view Christian faith as an apple tree. As faith grows in a person’s heart, there will naturally be an increase of love flowing out of that heart. In the Bible, acts of love are often referred to as “fruits of faith.” As faith grows, love increases.

Now the question could be asked, “how does a person grow in faith?” Growth in faith happens as a Christian comes into contact with Jesus in the Bible. A growing faith is an ever-deepening appreciation of Jesus and what he’s done for us.

And what has Jesus done for us? He has loved us immensely and undeservingly! He’s taken away our sins and given us new life, even eternal life. A growing faith clings ever tighter in trust to what Christ has done. Ultimately, growing our faith isn’t something we do but something God does.

And here’s where the increase in love comes in. The more one basks in that love of Jesus, the more one wants to share that love with others. Serving and loving others becomes less of a duty and more of a delight for those who have experienced Christ’s love. Christians consider it a privilege to imitate Christ in their service to others.

As an apple tree grows, its apple production increases. It’s a natural thing. As faith in Christ grows, the love a person has for others also increases. It’s a natural thing for the one rooted in Christ.

Prayer:
Lord, increase my faith. Increase my faith not only because it will be good for me, but also because it will be good for others as I share my acts of love fueled by faith. 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.

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
1 Chronicles 29:14

Generosity Made Possible

Daily Devotion – October 4, 2022

Devotion based on 1 Chronicles 29:14

See series: Devotions

Maybe you’ve heard people say the phrase, “Who am I that God would bless me so much?” But maybe you haven’t heard anyone say the phrase, “Who am I that God would allow me to be so generous?” Yet, that is what King David says in our Bible reading for today.

God had blessed David with a prosperous kingdom and amazing wealth. The people of Israel also gained the blessings of being part of David’s rich, powerful kingdom. David and his people turned some of the wealth back over to God as they donated supplies to build him a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. David knew that the only reason he and his people could be so generous in giving for God’s temple was because God had first been generous to them.

God has also given you a generous mountain of gifts. He’s given you his undeserved love in Jesus, forgiveness and peace with him, and a home in heaven. On top of all those generous gifts, God has also blessed you with earthly gifts: food, drink, comfort, and financial resources.

Because God has been so generous to you, he has now made it possible for you to be generous in return. You now have a heart that wants to be generous toward God with your time, talents, and treasures. After all, everything you have is a gift out of his hand! All you’re really doing is giving good gifts back to the one they belonged to in the first place.

Who am I that God would be so generous to me? Who am I that God would give me the ability to be so generous to him and others? I am someone loved by my Father in heaven. That’s who I am.

Prayer:
Thank you, heavenly Father, for generously giving me so many spiritual and earthly blessings. Work in me a generous heart that loves giving good gifts to others. Let me give back to you with my time, talents, and treasures. 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.

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.”
1 Chronicles 29:10,11

Praise the Possessor of All

Daily Devotion – October 3, 2022

Devotion based on 1 Chronicles 29:10,11

See series: Devotions

Do you praise the billionaires of the world? Probably not. After all, what have billionaires like Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos ever done for us? Maybe we own a Microsoft laptop or love our two-day Amazon Prime shipping, but we still had to pay for those things. They weren’t just given to us by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. We probably wouldn’t praise the billionaires of the world.

However, we do sing praise to the possessor of all things. Like King David, we praise our Almighty God, who is the owner of everything in heaven and earth. God created everything and possesses all greatness, power, glory, majesty, and splendor. We don’t praise Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos because of how rich they are and how much they possess. But we praise God, the possessor of all things because he is also the giver of all good things! Our God uses his greatness, power, and glory to bless us!

We can’t help but shout our praise to the one who has allowed us to possess his love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit’s work. We can’t help but shout our praise to God, who has given us Christ’s white robe of perfection to possess as our very own. We can’t help but shout our praise to God for sharing the glory of his heaven with us. Praise God, the possessor of all, who shares all he has with you!

Prayer:
Almighty Lord, you truly possess all things in heaven and earth. I praise you and thank you for sharing all things with me through your Son, Jesus. 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.

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
2 Thessalonians 2:1,2

A Glorious Return

Daily Devotion – October 2, 2022

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 2:1,2

See series: Devotions

There was confusion among the members of the church in Thessalonica. A report circulated that Jesus had already returned; his second coming had already taken place. This information had allegedly come from Paul himself, so these Christians were led to believe that it was true. The impact on their faith and life was obviously distressful. If Jesus had already come, then they were left behind. Their hope for heaven was shattered. They were haunted by the fear of what was going to happen to them.

But the message that Jesus’ second coming had already occurred was false. It did not come from Paul. God did not lead him to proclaim that kind of message because it would have contradicted the truth. The word of God that Paul and other holy men of God were inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim clearly testified the truth about the coming of the Lord. This great event will take place on the very last day of this world’s existence. Jesus will appear, all the dead will be raised, and “every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7).

No one will miss out on the second coming of Jesus. The hope and anticipation that we have for his glorious return rest on his first coming. Humbly he came to bear the guilt of our sins and suffer the punishment we deserved. He came to forgive us and give us the gift of eternal life. And he will come again to take his faithful people home with him forever in heaven. No child of God will be left behind. That’s the truth!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, fill me with the peace of your forgiveness that you accomplished when you came to this world as my Savior. Establish my hope in your glorious return when you will bring to an end all things here and receive me into the joys of heaven’s eternal home. 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.