Month: June 2025

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Numbers 6:27

Your Name

Daily Devotion – June 17, 2025

Devotion based on Numbers 6:27


See series: Devotions

Here’s a question. Can you say the names of your great-great grandparents? Unless you have a passion for genealogy, you will likely have to give that question some research. And yet, that’s only four generations in the past. Four generations. Your great-great grandparents lived, laughed, worked, and cried on this earth only a short time ago.

Which leads to another question. Four short generations from now, how many people will remember your name? Once again, unless someone in your future family tree pursues genealogy as a hobby, odds are that no one will be able to recall.

It’s a sobering thought, isn’t it? For all our work, play, struggle, and grief, the world in which we live soon forgets your name and mine.

But here is a grand and beautiful truth: your name will never be forgotten. Four generations from now, your name will never be forgotten. Seven generations from now, your name will never be forgotten. No matter how many years flow through centuries, your name will always be remembered.

Here’s how. God himself has claimed you as his very own. To make you his own, Jesus became one of us. He walked among us. On our behalf he lived a life of perfect goodness—the life you and I have failed to live. In our place he took upon himself our every sin. And as he paid for them in full on Calvary’s cross, you were on his mind and heart. And three days after his death, he raised himself back to life; all to give you the personal assurance that, through faith in him, you are his. He has placed his name upon you. He will never forget your name.

On this broken, sin-filled earth, people forget. Families forget. Past friends forget. Societies forget. In Jesus, God does not. He has called you by name. You are his.

Prayer:
Lord, in those moments when I feel forgotten, remind me that I am not. You have placed your name upon me. I am yours. Thank you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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 LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:26

Toward You

Daily Devotion – June 16, 2025

Devotion based on Numbers 6:26


See series: Devotions

According to a 2021 article in Psychology Today, feeling ignored may be more painful than we suppose. Individuals in a study indicated that being ignored often hurt more than even being in an argument.

Then again, perhaps this should not surprise us. To feel ignored, to feel excluded, to feel overlooked, to feel invisible—such a thing brings a quiet devastation. The ache it produces can be so heavy and profound that people may feel like a physical weight is pressing on their shoulders and chest.

And these terrible moments can show up anywhere. They can show up at work, at school, at social gatherings, among friends, or among family. They can even show up at church.

Indeed, you and I can be very good at ignoring each other. Sin does that. In the brokenness of our broken natures, I can ignore others, others can ignore me, and we can all ignore God. Left to ourselves, you and I would end up abandoned, isolated, alone, and in despair.

But your God has not ignored you. Instead, he has turned his face toward you. He saw you in your sin and darkness. He saw you in your self-imposed exile, isolation, and pain. And he chose to do something about it. Jesus came here. He became one of us. On our behalf, he ignored no one as he walked on this earth. In our place, he endured the worst kind of abandonment possible—an abandonment so absolute that his heavenly Father turned away from him as he bore our sins on the cross. And then he died.

And then he rose. And because he has, you will never need to feel ignored again. Ever. For the One who has promised never to leave you nor forsake you is the One who lives. The One who has promised to be with you always is the One who lives. And the One who has risen from the dead is the One who has turned his face toward you. And he will never turn away.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for turning your face toward me. And thank you for never looking away. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

Love . . . is not self-seeking.
1 Corinthians 13:4,5

It’s Not About Me

Daily Devotion – June 15, 2025

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 13:4,5


See series: Devotions

It was not a very long piece on the TV news. I don’t even recall the mother’s name. But what she does and why she is doing it, I will not soon forget.

The news piece is about this disastrous earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath. It centers on a mother and her young children. Their small house is now rubble. The mother does not know what they are going to eat. She does not know what they are going to drink. She does not know where they are going to live. And she finds herself surrounded by thousands of people who are wondering the same thing.

At present she and her children are living in the open, sitting and resting on a blanket. But as she sits with her children, the mother is doing a strange thing. She’s continually smiling and talking cheerfully.

Someone from the news crew finally asks her why she’s smiling so much. Her response is sober and direct. “It’s for my children,” she says.

Footage like that quickly reminds us of what love is. Love is not about me. It’s not about my needs. It’s not about indulging my fears, fulfilling my dreams, or protecting my self-esteem. It’s about others.

The old, sinful self inside me does not like that. It does not like that one bit. Left to my own instincts, my life would be all about me until there was nothing left but me. And ultimately, there I would exist isolated, alone, and in the outer darkness of hell.

But Jesus came. He came for me. He lived a perfect life for me. He suffered and died for my every failure. And now he lives for me. Because of him, my life is different. I am different. My slavery to self is done. And now I can really love because, through Jesus, it’s not about me. It’s about others.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, love is not about me. It’s about others. Forgive my failures. Empower me to love as you have loved me. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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 Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 10:24-30

No Riddles

Daily Devotion – June 14, 2025

Devotion based on John 10:24-30


See series: Devotions

Riddles can be used to strengthen the way you think. They can also be aggravating if you don’t have the answer. Many of the Jewish people who listened to Jesus saw him as a riddle. They couldn’t figure out if he was the Messiah or not. So finally, they came up to ask him. “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” No more mystery. They wanted a straight answer.

Jesus gave them a straight answer. “I did tell you.” He performed miracles in their presence. He revealed who he was as he taught the crowds who followed him. The problem is that many rejected the miracles and the words Jesus spoke to them. They did not believe Jesus as he proclaimed, that he was the Son of God.

Do not become like those who gathered around Jesus. Do not begin to think that Jesus doesn’t give a clear answer about who he is or what he came to do. There is no riddle. Jesus also speaks plainly to you. He is God; he stated, “I and my Father are one.” He came to save you from your sins and give you eternal life. Jesus doesn’t speak in riddles about who he is or what he came to do. He speaks plainly to you, his sheep, so “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

Listen to the clear words of Jesus. Hold on to them in faith. Look with hope to the eternal life he brings.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I give thanks that you have given me life through Jesus your Son. Continue to preserve my faith until I am with you in heaven. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

[Jesus said] “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:25-27

Christ’s Promise, Our Peace

Daily Devotion – June 13, 2025

Devotion based on John 14:25-27


See series: Devotions

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he knew his disciples would be troubled. They would witness his arrest and crucifixion, but even after his resurrection, Jesus would not be with them in the same way. Not only that, but Jesus was giving them the responsibility of carrying on his mission. So, he promised to give them a helper, the Advocate.

That promise still holds. Christ has not left us alone. He sends his Holy Spirit to be our comforter, counselor, and guide. The gospel did not go silent when Jesus departed. It continues to sound forth because the Spirit is still at work.

But how does the Spirit come to us? Jesus doesn’t leave that a mystery. The Spirit works through God’s Word, the Bible. Jesus ties the Spirit’s presence to his teachings. Whenever the Word of Christ is proclaimed, read, remembered, or believed, the Spirit is there. The Spirit is not found in our feelings or dramatic signs, but in the clear, dependable promises of God.

That gives us great peace. We don’t have to chase after signs or wonder if God is near. We open the Bible, and there he is. The Spirit speaks to us through the same Word he inspired, bringing comfort, conviction, and clarity. And with that Word, he gives peace, not as the world gives, but a peace that stills our troubled hearts and strengthens us in Christ.

Because Jesus lives, he sends us his Spirit. Because his Spirit speaks through the Word, we are never alone.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, come to me through your Word. Remind me of all that Jesus has done. Calm my troubled heart with your peace and help me always trust that you are with me. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
Acts 2:5-11

God Speaks Your Language

Daily Devotion – June 12, 2025

Devotion based on Acts 2:5-11


See series: Devotions

Have you ever stood in a crowd and not understood a word spoken? It’s disorienting. You look for someone, anyone, who speaks your language, because language creates community.

It also creates division. At Babel, when humanity tried to build its own glory, God scattered them by confusing their language. Ever since, we’ve stuck with those who sound like us. We’re cautious of those who don’t.

But the day of Pentecost reversed that.

On that day in Jerusalem, people from every nation under heaven heard the wonders of God in their own native tongues; not Hebrew in the temple, not a priestly voice from a distance, but everyday Galileans speaking in the languages they understood best. God wasn’t asking them to learn a new language to approach him. He was coming to them.

This is the miracle of Pentecost. Not just that tongues were spoken, but that God’s grace was clearly heard by all. In Jesus, the separation of Babel is undone. In Jesus, the glory-seeking tower is replaced by the cross. And in Jesus, forgiveness is preached to all people of all languages.

Because Jesus lives, his Spirit speaks to every heart in every culture, through the good news of forgiveness. And that message doesn’t divide, it unites.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, you broke through the confusion of many languages at Pentecost to proclaim the wonders of Christ to every heart. Speak to me again today through God’s Word, the Bible. Remind me of the forgiveness of sins won for me in Christ and the forgiveness that is for all people. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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 day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4

Baptized With the Holy Spirit

Daily Devotion – June 11, 2025

Devotion based on Acts 2:1-4


See series: Devotions

Before Jesus Christ began his work of preaching and teaching, someone else was preparing the way for him. His name was John; they called him John the Baptist. He got that name because part of his work was baptizing people. It was a sign of their sorrow over their sin, but also a trust that God was sending his chosen one to deal with that sin.

John the Baptist pointed to this chosen one called the Messiah, and John said the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Jesus Christ proved he was the Messiah by his perfect life, his innocent death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead. Jesus made good on John the Baptist’s prediction and his own promises on the day of Pentecost.

Even though Jesus had ascended into heaven, he wasn’t going to leave his followers alone. He had promised a helper, the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, who appeared in visible and dramatic form. There was a sound of wind filling the house where the disciples gathered. Tongues of fire came and rested on each of them. They were given the ability to speak in other languages. Jesus had not abandoned them. He sent them the powerful Holy Spirit, fulfilling John the Baptist’s words.

Jesus continues to send his Holy Spirit through the waters of baptism. While there are no tongues of flame or sounds of wind, we know that Jesus is still sending his Holy Spirit, creating faith and transforming lives. The Holy Spirit kindles and strengthens the fire of faith in the hearts of believers so that the effects of Pentecost carry on to this day.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through your Spirit, I know you are with me always. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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 LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
Genesis 11:5-9

An Act of Grace

Daily Devotion – June 10, 2025

Devotion based on Genesis 11:5-9


See series: Devotions

If you had no understanding of who God is or the context of these verses, this action by God might seem petty and harsh. You might read these verses as saying that God saw the progress man was making, recognized their potential, became jealous of them, and put a stop to it by confusing their language.

The fact is that these people were disobeying God’s command to spread out over all the earth. What’s more is that their actions showed a total lack of trust in God. If these people thought they could do everything, they wouldn’t go to God for anything, including the salvation of their sinful souls. While they built a comfortable life on earth, they would trade it for an eternity in hell.

God is not concerned for himself that humans will somehow rise to his level. God cares about human beings. He is concerned about their earthly lives, but he is more passionate about their eternal lives. God didn’t confuse the languages at Babel out of his own self-interest. He did it because he loves people. It was an act of his grace so that they didn’t think that they had no need for God and then suffer eternally.

Learn more about God, and you’ll see just how far he was willing to go to keep people from hell. God sent Jesus to descend to earth. Not just to visit but to live, love, and even to die. Jesus’ death and resurrection bring people together with God. It unites them in faith.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you were willing to let your Son die in my place. Help me show gratitude by living according to your will. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:1-4

Bricks Can’t Reach Heaven

Daily Devotion – June 9, 2025

Devotion based on Genesis 11:1-4


See series: Devotions

The people seeking to build this tower had a problem. They knew life was short. Their time would quickly end, and then they would be gone. But they also felt that there was more. They longed for something eternal.

Their solution was to build a tower reaching to the heavens. Using recent technological advancements, they could climb higher than anyone ever had before them. They would make a name for themselves so that even when they died, their tower would stand as a monument to their great accomplishments.

They thought this was the solution to their problem. They had a God-shaped hole in their hearts, and they tried to fill it with bricks and tar. They knew there was a gap between sinful, mortal human beings and the perfect, eternal God. They tried to bridge that gap with the tower they thought could put them on the same level as God.

We are all born with this God-shaped hole in our hearts. We are all born with the sinful nature that tries to fill that hole with anything but God. Money, power, control, pleasure, and self-righteousness are just a few things we use to bridge the gap between us and God, but they all fall short.

The only thing that could bridge the gap between us and God is the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus climbed a tree and hung between heaven and earth to fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts with faith and trust in him as our Savior.

The people building the Tower of Babel; we don’t know their names. But God has given us the name by which we are saved. Jesus is the only one who can give us eternity.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me trust you alone as the only way to God and eternity. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
Revelation 7:9

A Victory Celebration

Daily Devotion – June 8, 2025

Devotion based on Revelation 7:9


See series: Devotions

When you think of heaven, who do you see there? Is it full of grandmas and grandpas walking down golden streets? Are there white hair harpists floating on clouds everywhere? Are there angelic choirs singing God’s praise from on high?

Sometimes, cartoons paint our ideas of heaven more than the Bible. Fortunately, God gave the apostle John these visions in the book of Revelation. They serve as a glimpse of the heavenly glory, and in this passage, we see “who” will be in heaven.

The passage tells us that heaven will be overflowing with people from every nation, tribe, people, and language. The truth is that God wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Wherever God’s Word is preached and believed, there are believers. And though these believers come from all over, they are all dressed the same. They are wearing white robes—a picture of the very righteousness and holiness of God, which Jesus gives to all who believe in him.

Everyone in heaven will be purified forever from all sin. That’s a picture worth a thousand words. As it is right now, you and I cannot wash away even one of our sins, but through faith in Jesus alone and clothed in his forgiveness and love, our sins are taken away. Should God call us home tonight, we are dressed and ready to join the multitudes.

To top it off, this victory celebration will never end. What a refreshing and wonderful sight! That’s what Jesus has in store for you and all who believe in him!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for lifting my eyes to heaven and reminding me of the treasures and glories you have in store for me and all who believe. Help me to continue to share your love, so that through your Word, many more may join the everlasting celebration. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.