Month: January 2023

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” This is what God the LORD says—he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”
Isaiah 42:1-7

Here Is My Servant

Daily Devotion – January 14, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:1-7

See series: Devotions

“No one knows the trouble I’ve seen; nobody knows but Jesus.” So says the famous African-American spiritual. All of us can feel this way at times. And it’s true. Jesus is the only one who truly knows all of the troubles we have experienced.

When we are drowning in distress, grasping for anything to save us, the Lord answers with the promise, “Here is my servant.” He is talking about Jesus, the one who served us perfectly in order to save us.

Reach out to him! The Lord’s Servant isn’t arrogant like so many world leaders. He restored the most broken of lives—lives that no others cared to touch. To carry out justice, he didn’t come guns-a-blazing. He suffered beatings, taunting, and the humiliation of death on the cross to save us.

Maybe we don’t feel worth rescuing. Jesus sees us differently. It cost him dearly to redeem us; he won’t dispose of us. Rather than snuff us out, he restores us. Rather than grind us down, he makes something new. Jesus needed true grit to save us. But the moment we struggle, he stoops like a mother to care for us.

Prayer:
Lord, when the tempest rages, I need not fear; for you, the Rock of ages, are always near. So take my hand, O Savior, and lead the way. 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.

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”
Isaiah 42:6,7

Jesus Is Our Savior

Daily Devotion – January 13, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:6,7

See series: Devotions

When you’ve been hurt, you can feel like a captive. Long after it is over, your mind may be a prison of memories. You can feel that you are all alone. Does anyone care to understand? Can anyone understand?

You are not alone. God called his Son, Jesus, to set you free. He faced the same evil and sin that we do. He was betrayed, abandoned, manipulated, and ridiculed. He was beaten and bloodied and nailed to a cross. He was forsaken by his Father. Jesus understands.

He could have stayed away from his betrayer and slipped through the hands of his captors. He could have come down from that cross; but he did not because he cares about you. He would not come down until it was over. Until all your guilt, shame, and pain had been drowned in his blood. Until he had been held captive by death and broken free for you.

That’s how much he loves you. You are the apple of his eye, his joy and delight. Take his hand and walk with him. Bask in his light.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, nobody knows the trouble I have seen, but I rejoice that you do. When darkness deepens, other helpers fail, and comforts flee, you are my help. Abide 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.

This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.”
Isaiah 42:5,6

Your Covenant Savior

Daily Devotion – January 12, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:5,6

See series: Devotions

The man and his wife were on the two-hour trek from Bethlehem to Jerusalem with a 40-day-old baby. They were going to present him to the Lord at the temple in keeping with the law of Moses.

As they walked through the courtyard, a man stepped out of the crowd to greet them. Taking Jesus in his palms, eyes beaming with joy, Simeon proclaimed, “My eyes have seen God’s salvation. He will be Israel’s glory and a light for people everywhere.”

This child was the covenant promised through the prophet Isaiah. God would care for his people through the gift of his Son. The child born of Mary would crush the devil and his evil work, saving us from our sin.

Although we have not seen Jesus physically as Simeon did, God has shown us his salvation in the words of the Bible. There we read about who he is and what he did to save us. Through those words, he creates and strengthens our trust in him as our Savior. And so, like Simeon, we rejoice because we are receiving our soul’s salvation.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are my light and life, my joy and salvation, my everything. 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.

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. . . In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
Isaiah 42:1,3,4

Your Consistent Savior

Daily Devotion – January 11, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:1,3,4

See series: Devotions

“It is not fair! Why can’t I have ice cream just because I didn’t eat my peas?” complains the seven-year-old at the dinner table.

“It is not fair!” mumbles the student after being grounded for getting bad grades.

“It is not fair!” sighs the groom-to-be upon hearing the terminal diagnosis just months before his wedding day.

Life is full of unfairness. Loved ones die before their time. The guilty go free. The wicked prosper. Life’s unfairness is a consequence of the sin we bring into the world. For our sin we should be cast away from God’s presence forever. That is God’s fair and just response.

Yet, when God our Savior saw us broken and dying under the weight of sin, he did not squash us, snuff us out, and start over. He chose to send his Son to bring justice into the world. And Jesus did not break or burn out under the pressure of saving us from our sins. He was tempted in every way but never sinned. And though he was without sin, he carried our sin to the cross. He willingly faced God’s judgment for us so that he could bring God’s justice to us.

And his justice rolls on like the tides. As the good news about Jesus is declared and shared throughout the world, people will come to his justice. He does not show favoritism or judge by appearances or hearsay. Because of his sacrifice for our sin, he declares us forgiven. Because of the righteousness he credits to us by faith, he declares us not guilty.

There is no condemnation for those who hope in the Lord, who live by faith in Jesus. Not now. Not on the Last Day. Not ever.

Prayer:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 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.

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”
Isaiah 42:1-3

Your Consoling Savior

Daily Devotion – January 10, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:1-3

See series: Devotions

When I was ten, I got kicked out of gym class. The teacher told us to take turns playing a pantomime game of tennis. While two of us pretended to hit the ball back and forth, the rest were supposed to cheer.

Since I had never watched a tennis match before, I had no idea there was a proper way to cheer. So, I started clapping, whistling, hooting, and hollering during play. The teacher thought I was being disrespectful and sent me to the principal’s office.

Every time I hear the words of our Bible reading for today, I think of that event in my life, and I rejoice. I rejoice because these words remind me that Jesus, our Savior, does not kick us out of his presence for the wrong things we have done and said. Instead, Jesus carried the crushing weight of our guilt to the cross and had his life snuffed out for our sin.

This is our Savior. When we get it wrong, Jesus does not yell at or humiliate us. When we sin against God, he does not parade us through the streets shouting, “Shame!” When we are bruised and broken, when we are feeling small and insignificant, he summons us to come to him and find rest in him for our souls.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for not crushing my spirit but for constantly consoling me with your mercy and forgiveness. 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.

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”
Isaiah 42:1

God’s Chosen One

Daily Devotion – January 9, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:1

See series: Devotions

Although Jesus Christ has been alive for two thousand years, only recently has he been authenticated. On November 9, 2022, Twitter blessed Jesus Christ with a “blue check verified mark.”

In this Age of Information, fact-checking services and identity verification software are a necessity. Companies have official websites, so you do not accidentally surf into and spend your money in the wrong store. Influential users on social networks receive checkmarks as verification that they are really who they claim to be.

But Jesus does not need a blue check. God himself has verified Jesus. In the Old Testament, God made over three hundred prophecies about who the Messiah would be. The gospels show that Jesus Christ matches all of them. In comparison, an average fingerprint has 150 unique points. Yet, most legal systems only require a twelve-point match to be irrefutable evidence.

What evidence does God provide in our Bible passage today? He identifies his servant as his chosen one in whom he delights. Seven hundred years later, God echoed these same words over Jesus. Not once, but twice, God verified Jesus as the Messiah. First, at Jesus baptism, as he stepped out of the Jordan and the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove. Then, near the end of his ministry at the transfiguration, Jesus’ appearance changed before three of his disciples on top of a mountain.

God chose this Jesus to set everything right. And God delights in this Jesus because he has pioneered our salvation. Not by forcing his will upon us but by crediting us with his perfect life. Not by shedding our blood but by shedding his own as payment for our sins.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, you also are God’s chosen one. For the sake of Jesus Christ, you are God’s delight. Filled with his Spirit, you are God’s servant to share the forgiveness, life, and salvation of Jesus with the world.

Prayer:
O Lord, I praise you for choosing me in Christ, calling me by his gospel, and giving me your Spirit that I may serve 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.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:13-17

Approval Rating

Daily Devotion – January 8, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 3:13-17

See series: Devotions

Whether at work, school, or home, we are constantly graded, compared against others, and rated. The boss gives us our annual review. The teacher hands out report cards. The son informs mom that her mac and cheese isn’t as good as what Dylan’s mom makes.

It is interesting how these “ratings” can affect our day, isn’t it? If they’re good, we feel good. If they’re lousy, we feel lousy. If they’re nothing special, then we are tempted to feel that we’re nothing special.

How’s your approval rating with God? How have you been keeping up with those Ten Commandments? Remember, they’re not God’s suggestions; they are his commands. How’s it going between you and your neighbor, all your neighbors? Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

If we’re going to talk comparisons, why not go all the way and, as God says, compare ourselves to him? “Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Will I ever meet with God’s approval? Will God ever say of me, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”?

This is what makes Jesus’ baptism, as well as our own baptism, so special. God, in his grace, has connected me to Jesus. God has given me faith in Jesus as my Savior. Jesus has taken away all my sins and gives me his perfection and holiness. When God looks at me, he can say, “This is my son, my daughter, whom I love! With him, with her, I am well pleased.” Approval ratings don’t get any higher than this. God be praised!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, when doubts of my worth come, drown them in the waters of baptism and remind me of your love for me in 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.

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.
Galatians 3:26

Our Heavenly Father

Daily Devotion – January 7, 2023

Devotion based on Galatians 3:26

See series: Devotions

There are hundreds of names for God in the Bible. Each teaches us a little something about who God is and how he acts. In some places God is called “Almighty.” Other places God is called “The beginning and end.” He even has some unique names that describe him as the “Root of David” or “launderer’s soap.”

However, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he encouraged them to call God “Our Father.”

That name “Father” has a special meaning. Whether we had a good earthly father or not, we know what fathers are supposed to do. Fathers love and care for their children. They want the best for them and strive to teach them all they need to know.

You can’t expect these kinds of things from a stranger. When you need something, you can count on your father.

This is what God wants for you. He is your heavenly Father who loves you so much that there is nothing he wouldn’t do for you. He cares for you so much that he promises to guide all the steps of your life. He wants the best for you so that you may spend all eternity with him. He strives to teach you all the things you need for this life and the next.

How did you arrive at this most special relationship with God? It is only “in Christ Jesus.”

It is because Christ Jesus was willing to give his very life for you on the cross and to defeat death for you by rising from the grave that you can now be called sons and daughters of God. He is your dear Father and in Christ you are his dear child. Through faith these gifts become yours.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in Christ you have called me to be your child. Through faith help me to always look to you as my Father. 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 Wise Men] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Matthew 2:13-15

After the Wise Men Left

Daily Devotion – January 6, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 2:13-15

See series: Devotions

It’s the Twelfth Day of Christmas! On this day, often called Epiphany, many Christians celebrate the visit of the Wise Men to Jesus. That account is fairly well known. But less well known is what happened after the Wise Men left.

The visit of the Wise Men had alerted King Herod that a rival to his throne had been born. He did not understand that Jesus’ kingdom would not be of this world. Since he was a bloodthirsty man in this world, he arranged for all the young children around Jesus’ age and around Jesus’ birthplace to be slaughtered.

The Lord knew what would happen, so he arranged for Jesus’ parents—Mary and Joseph, to get out of that geographic area. They fled to Egypt, where Herod was not in charge. Egypt had played a large role in the history of the people of Israel before the birth of Jesus, so there was a lot of historical significance to staying in Egypt and eventually leaving Egypt. God knew what he was doing.

What can we learn from this account? God is in charge. Bad things still happen, but God protects people connected to Jesus. Wise Men may leave, but the source of all true wisdom remains.

Prayer:
Dear God, protect me from all threats, and bring me safely to my heavenly home through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.