Month: December 2019

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son.
Galatians 4:4

Just in Time

Daily Devotion – December 31, 2019

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4

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Forty years ago, just-in-time manufacturing changed everything in the auto industry. There was less inventory and quicker production times, delighting both managers and customers. When it was done well, just the right part was available at just the right time, every time.

Two thousand years ago, a just-in-time event changed everything in the world. For thousands of years, God had promised a Savior. The people who believed his promise awaited the day when it would be fulfilled. In times of both injustice and despair, they cried out to the Lord, “How long? How long will it be until you keep your promise?”

Then, at the set time, God kept his promise. The Son of God took on human flesh. He became fully human yet was without sin. He came to earth to do the will of his Father.

It was the perfect time in human history. Everything was in place for Jesus to do exactly what his Father wanted him to do. And what was that? Jesus came to bear the sins of the world, earning forgiveness for you.

On the last day of the calendar year, you can look back and see how some things have gone well, and other things—well, probably not so well. But when you look back on what Jesus has done for you, you will see only perfection, because Jesus came at just the right time. And as you look forward to the new year, Jesus will be with you, supplying you with whatever you need, just in time.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the blessings of the past year. Give me the confidence to face the new year with your forgiveness there for me at just the right time, every time. 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.

God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law.
Galatians 4:4,5

Jesus Did Your Job

Daily Devotion – December 30, 2019

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4,5

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It’s nice to have a job that gives you some holiday time off between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s just pleasant not to have to get up at a certain time in the morning, get yourself to work, and follow someone else’s routine. And isn’t it especially nice when a co-worker volunteers to take a shift for you to give you a little time off?

As you celebrated the birth of Jesus last week, did you think about why he came to earth? He didn’t have to do it. He had enjoyed existence from eternity without a human body, but he chose to humble himself and take a human body anyway, arriving not as an adult, but as an infant.

Just as amazingly, he chose to put himself under the law. That means that he had to be perfect in every way—every thought, every word, every action. Just one slip-up, and he would not be able to serve as our Savior.

But he is called Jesus, which means “Savior,” because he did it. He kept the law perfectly, refraining as a true human being from doing or even thinking anything wrong. Then, instead of taking the reward of heaven that he deserved for living that perfect life, he took the punishment of hell that you deserved for living an imperfect life and declared that his perfect life would be your ticket to heaven.

Through faith in Jesus, you have that perfect life credited to your spiritual account. You are redeemed from hell and death, and you are promised forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.

Someone else has done your job, and he wants you to get credit for it. Join other Christians and thank him. Stop worrying, take a deep breath, and get some rest.

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for sending your Son to become a human being and live under the law in my place. I will rest my soul in him. 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.

When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:4-7

Perfect Timing

Daily Devotion – December 29, 2019

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4-7

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There is something soothing about watching sand sift through the waist of an hourglass. It is mesmerizing. In our Bible passage for today, the apostle Paul tells us that when Jesus was born, the last grains of sand in God’s celestial hourglass had fallen from the top chamber and filled the bottom one. In other words, Jesus came at precisely the right time. We can be certain because it was the time that God in his wisdom had chosen since the beginning of time. The One who fulfilled the hopes and dreams of God’s people for all those years was born. For centuries God had promised to send a Savior, and when the time had fully come, he sent his one and only Son.

We don’t know for sure why God sent Jesus when he did, but we can be thankful that he did. God’s own Son became human and put himself under the law, to redeem us from all of our sins and failures under God’s law. He did this so we might receive the full rights of sons. Through faith in Christ, we have been brought into God’s family and can now call out to our Father in heaven with words of heartfelt intimacy, “Abba, Father.” God’s timing was perfect, and so was his gift—Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, help me to continually rejoice in your perfect timing in sending your Son into the world. Lead me to continually thank and praise you for your perfect gift and for making me your child. 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 virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:23

God With Us

Daily Devotion – December 28, 2019

Devotion based on Matthew 1:23

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During World War II, a gloom swept over England as Hitler’s Luftwaffe dropped tons of death and destruction upon London. There was a legitimate fear for the safety of King George VI and his family. His staff made secret arrangements to transport the king and his family to safety in Canada for the duration of the war. Despite the urgings of his advisors, George refused to leave his countrymen in their dark hour. In fact, the king inspected a bombed-out section of London after an air raid. While walking through the rubble, an elderly man walked up to King George and said: “You, here, in the midst of this? You are indeed a good king.”

That is what the manger says to us. That God is with us in the ugly part of our lives as well as the good! He does not desert us in the darkest hour of our despair. He is there in the midst of the rubble of our broken dreams and the ruin of our tangled lives. That’s what the gift of Christmas is! GOD IS WITH US. He is with us here. That’s the most important gift we could ever receive.

God is indeed a good king. He is One who came here and lived among us. He not only sympathized with us. He took our pain for us and suffered for our sins. Through our coming King Jesus, God made peace between himself and us.

Matthew 1:23 says: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

That must be the most amazing, incredible, and comforting news there could be. That is the meaning of Christmas.

May the certainty that God is with us, in the midst of this dark world together with us, bring comfort to your soul this Christmas!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank you for coming to this world to be with us so that you might save me. When I face dark days, remind me that you are always with 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.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

The Responsible Child

Daily Devotion – December 27, 2019

Devotion based on Isaiah 9:6

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They say that first-born children often feel a greater weight of responsibility than their younger siblings do. Sometimes parents put extra pressure on the oldest child to succeed without even being aware of what they are doing. The firstborn may also naturally feel that it is their duty to protect or provide for their younger brothers and sisters.

God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, came into this world with the heaviest burden of responsibility ever placed on a child. From the moment of his birth—even from his conception—the pressure was on him to succeed. God the Father had sent him to accomplish what no other person on earth could do: to defeat Satan and rescue humanity from the curse of death. Jesus’ entire life needed to be absent of sin and full of grace and truth. He was born so that the rest of mankind could benefit from his life and death.

Read through any of the four Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and you’ll see for yourself that Jesus accomplished all that was prophesied about him in the bible verse above. Everyone who heard him speak marveled at his wisdom and the authority of his teaching. The many miracles he performed showed his mighty power and his divine compassion for all. To look on Jesus was to see the face of his Father in heaven. He displayed genuine love for everyone, even his enemies. Even as they nailed him to a cross, Jesus was heard to be praying, “Father, forgive them.” His death on that cross was the sacrifice that won forgiveness of sins and true spiritual peace for all.

The holy Child placed in the manger by his mother Mary was born for you. He came to take the weight of your sin and guilt upon himself. And he has defeated your enemies—sin, death, and the devil. Now he reigns forever at the right hand of the Father. Turn to him daily; put your life in his hands. He will not let you down.

Prayer:
Christ Jesus, you alone fulfilled the Father’s will. I trust in you for my salvation. 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 Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

Contemplating Humanity

Daily Devotion – December 26, 2019

Devotion based on John 1:14

See series: Devotions

If you spend any amount of time on social media or television these days, it might soon strike you that we seem to have lost our sense of humanity. As a human race, we no longer seem capable of treating each other humanely—with patience, kindness, and respect. We show contempt to all who disagree with us. There appears to be no room in this cultural climate for polite discussion, let alone considerate and thoughtful debate. We have lost sight of what it means to be human.

The account of the Garden of Eden has much to teach us about ourselves. The first lesson is that we humans are creatures, responsible to our Creator. As one pastor said: “To be human means to be in this world, to live in dependence upon God, to be humane to each other—in other words, to be servants rather than lords.” But we could define Adam and Eve’s first sin as refusing to be merely human and wanting to be like God. To this day their descendants still struggle to appreciate what it truly means to be human. It is a gift of God that we have too often despised.

But the holy Child born in Bethlehem calls us to contemplate our humanity. The eternal Son of God took on our human nature. And he exemplified, in every way, what humans were created to be in the first place. Jesus walked among us in this world as a brother, understanding our human weaknesses and needs, and making them his own. He displayed genuine love for all people and humble obedience to his heavenly Father. And when the time came for him to lay down his life as a sacrifice for the sins of the rest of humanity, Jesus went willingly to his death on the cross.

Our human race would have no hope of surviving the final judgment if God had not come to live among us. But Jesus Christ has redeemed us by acting as our substitute. Now the truth of his incarnation and resurrection forces us to reconsider the way we look at our fellow human beings. In his love, God has not only created them but sent his Son to redeem them, along with us.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, let me learn from you to love all people. 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 Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:19

Pondering Christmas

Daily Devotion – December 25, 2019

Devotion based on Luke 2:19

See series: Devotions

It has often seemed to me that Christmas Day has a different feeling than the weeks leading up to it. Throughout the previous month, the whole world had joined in a collaborative effort to create an atmosphere of otherworldliness. Decorations, lights, and family traditions combine to create a feeling of nostalgia, perhaps a longing to restore something that was lost. Sometimes even Christians can become distracted, allowing Christmas Eve to be more about maintaining old traditions than reveling in the news brought by the angel.

But by Christmas Day, the world has moved on from the fantasy that it had conjured. Next week, stores will stock their Valentine’s Day cards and reduce their TVs to Super Bowl Sunday prices.

Let’s not do that. No longer caught up in the countdown to Christmas, we can sit quietly in a corner of the Bethlehem stable for a few moments more.

By the end of that first Christmas Day, Mary and Joseph had experienced their own flurry of activity. First, the birth of the Child himself, truly a Miracle Baby, the Son of God in human flesh. Then the shepherds running breathlessly into the room, with their excited descriptions of angelic choirs and heavenly glory. And when these visitors finally returned to their flocks, shouting out praises along the way, the young family may or may not have had time to themselves. But Luke tells us that “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

What have you taken away from your time with the Word during this Christmas celebration? Were you struck by the unexpectedness of the almighty God coming to take on our human condition? Did you take time to consider your sins, for which the Christ child came to die, and repent of them? Did you reflect on how God’s gift of his Son is exactly the gift you need today and every day? May Jesus be your heart’s treasure all year round!

Prayer: (Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 38)
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled
Within my heart, made clean and new,
A quiet chamber kept 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.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10,11

Celebrating Christmas

Daily Devotion – December 24, 2019

Devotion based on Luke 2:10,11

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All across the world today and tomorrow, people are gathering together to celebrate Christmas. Which means yesterday all across the world, preachers were preparing their Christmas messages. Neither pastors nor worshipers have a particularly difficult job because Christmas is both easy to preach and a joy to celebrate.

I suppose that if a preacher wanted to get creative, he could go for many years without repeating his Christmas message. The account of what happened 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem offers many different topics to speak about. One might choose to focus on Mary or Joseph and their roles in the nativity, or on the humble conditions in which Jesus was born, or the appearance of the angels, or the evangelism efforts of the shepherds, or the star in the sky.

But when I say that Christmas is easy to preach, I’m not talking about the variety of topics available. And when I say that Christmas is a joy to celebrate, it’s not because of all the parties, good food, and getting together with family and friends. As wonderful as those things are, there’s only one detail in the nativity scene that’s worth preaching and celebrating year after year for centuries all around the world. When the angel appeared to the shepherds, shining with the glory of God, he didn’t say, “Fear not. For you will eat cookies and drink eggnog for many years to come.” Nor did he say, “Fear not. For there are some nice people who just had a cute baby boy. You should totally give your mom a call.” No, it was so much more than that. The angel proclaimed: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

The message of the birth of our Savior will only grow stale when we have no more sin left to forgive. The joy of Christmas will only fade when we take our eyes off Jesus, who left heaven to save us from death and hell.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, my only Savior, my heart rejoices as it remembers again the good news of your coming to save 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.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21

Naming a Child

Daily Devotion – December 23, 2019

Devotion based on Matthew 1:21

See series: Devotions

In some cultures, parents put off naming a child for weeks or months after birth. Superstitions and high infant mortality rates lead parents to avoid inviting “bad luck” by naming the baby too soon. In other cultures, the family waits years to see signs of the child’s personality before giving them a permanent name.

But months before he was born, a name had already been chosen for the virgin Mary’s son. An angel from heaven announced it first to Mary and later again to her husband, Joseph. There would be no doubt about his future. The child was destined to die, but not for some time. And there was no doubt about what sort of man he would grow up to be. “You are to give him the name Jesus,” said the angel, “because he will save his people from their sins.”

Unlike Jesus, the perfect Son of God, you and I came into this world with the burden of a sinful nature. And that sinful nature displays itself in all kinds of ugly ways—beginning already in our childhood and lasting all through life. We bring pain on ourselves and others through our selfishness and greed, immoral desires and behaviors, hurtful talk and actions, and so much worse. Our life is full of struggles; our death is unavoidable, and then we will face God’s holy judgment. The human race is a people in desperate need of a Savior.

How comforting to know that the child whose birth we celebrate on Christmas came into this world to be our Savior! His very name means “the Lord saves!” If there was no doubt about his future accomplishments before he was even born, how much more confident can we be now that he has lived, died, and risen again from death! All through his life, Jesus was our Savior, living a sinless life as our substitute. And in his death, Jesus was our Savior, paying the debt that we owed God for our disobedience. Jesus has lived up to his name. The Lord God himself has saved us from our sins.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, what a joy to know your name and to know that you have saved me!

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.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. . . . “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:21,23

A Special Christmas Gift

Daily Devotion – December 22, 2019

Devotion based on Matthew 1:21,23

See series: Devotions

It will be Christmas Eve soon. On that wonderful night, the presents will be carefully and lovingly wrapped in shiny paper and placed under the Christmas tree. After enjoying Christmas Eve worship, we will follow our family tradition and open our presents. We’ll take turns, from youngest to oldest. That means I’ll go last, but that’s okay.

All-day long I know exactly what question will be going through the minds of each of my three daughters: “What will I get for Christmas?” Honestly, I’m wondering, too.

With the eyes of faith, peek into Bethlehem’s manger. God has something for you, and it’s special. It won’t break or wear out. It won’t go out of style. It’ll never disappoint you or let you down.

Your gift has special names: Immanuel, which means God with us, and Jesus, which means Savior.

God’s gift is his most prized possession, his Son. Immanuel came to earth to be your brother, putting on human flesh and blood and subjecting himself to obey the Law of God (which you and I have failed miserably to do). And more than that, Immanuel is Jesus, who came to wipe our sins away and save us from God’s righteous anger against our sin by dying on the cross and then rising from the dead.

What will you get for Christmas? You’ll find out during your Christmas gift opening. Then again, you already know what you’ve got, Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I can’t thank you enough for giving me the gift of Jesus. Help me praise you for your generous love both with my lips and my life. I pray in the name of Immanuel, 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.