Month: August 2025

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3

Run the Race

A very important matter for marathon runners is wearing the right gear. Wise runners make sure that no part of their gear will impede progress. Clothes are made to glide smoothly as they run, and shoes are double knotted to ensure that the runners won’t stumble along the way.

As we run through life, there are plenty of things that entangle us—our sinful desire for independence, insistence on having things done our way, selfish pride, and incessant gathering of earthly possessions. Our sinful nature, the pressures of an increasingly godless world, the crafty evil one—they all lead us astray. They entangle us and trip us up on our race. And for not running our race the way that God demands, we deserve to be disqualified from the race of life and to suffer eternal punishment in hell.

But we have one who has run the race in our place. Jesus ran the race of life perfectly. The times that sin entangles and trips us up, Jesus picks us up and sets us back on our feet.

As we run the race that our Savior maps out for us, we fix our eyes on him. He motivates us to run the race, and he runs alongside us as well. He enables us to throw off those entangling sins and to run the race marked out. We will run in his strength and path, as long as he wants us to run, until our race is done, and we inherit eternal rest at our Savior’s side in glory.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, be with me as I run through this life. Keep me on your path and forgive me for the times I run down the wrong paths. Continue to guide and sustain me and give me the endurance I need to run for you and serve you with my life. 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.

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“Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the LORD. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”
Jeremiah 23:28,29

God’s Fire and Hammer

Fire can warm or destroy. The same flame that purifies gold can reduce wood to ash. God says his Word is like fire—a force that both refines and consumes. It burns away lies and exposes the truth.

Jeremiah lived during a time when many false prophets claimed to speak for God. They said what people wanted to hear—promising peace, safety, and blessing without ever addressing sin or calling for repentance. They used religious language. They sounded convincing. But their words were lies—spiritual misdirection.

The Lord doesn’t leave us guessing which voice to trust. He says his Word is like fire—consuming deception and purifying hearts. It’s like a hammer—breaking the rock of human pride. God’s Word reveals what is real and right, cutting through delusion and self-deception. The standard for truth is not how something feels or how widely it’s accepted. The standard is what God himself has spoken.

True, what God has spoken may be painful to hear. God’s Word exposes the weight of our sin—but also the even greater depth of his love. It leads us to the cross, where every sin was nailed and every guilt laid on Jesus. There, justice and mercy met. The fire of God’s Word consumed our condemnation. The same Word that uncovers sin also saves us from the fire we deserve. And like a hammer, it shatters every accusation with three history-changing words: “It is finished” (John 19:30).

So, we listen carefully. We test every voice by what God has already said. We trust the Word that cuts because it also heals. God’s Word doesn’t flatter—it saves. Let the one who has God’s Word speak it faithfully. Let the one who hears it believe it fully.

Prayer:

Lord, burn away the lies I want to believe, smash my sin, and help me to trust your truth. 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.

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Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? . . . [Our human fathers] disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.
Hebrews 12:7,10

Trained by Love

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but life is hard. You get sick. You take a financial hit. You lose someone you love. Any number of awful things can happen at any given moment. When hardship strikes, it’s natural to ask, “Why would a loving God let this happen to me?” Hebrews 12 gives a clear answer: because he does love you.

God doesn’t want you to see hardship as punishment for sin. That punishment has already been poured out on Jesus. The hardships you face are not wrath—they’re his love in action. It’s not payback. It’s training.

Just as earthly fathers discipline their children, so does our heavenly Father. But his discipline goes deeper. Earthly discipline shapes behavior. God’s discipline shapes hearts. His goal isn’t to harm but to grow your faith, refocus your priorities, and lead you to share in his holiness.

That training might stretch you in ways you never expected. To teach trust, God might allow illness to linger. To wean your heart from worldly wealth, he might loosen your grip on financial security. To build patience, he may delay answers to your prayer. Each hardship is a reminder: You belong to God. If he didn’t discipline you, you wouldn’t be his child.

Still, discipline hurts. But it’s the pain that builds spiritual strength—like an athlete straining in training for the joy of victory.

Through hardship, God is shaping you for the final goal: the peace, righteousness, and glory of eternal life. He sent his Son for that very purpose. Jesus suffered and triumphed for you. So fix your eyes on him. Don’t view hardship as punishment but as the loving discipline of your Father—who trains you for life with him.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help me trust that you are training me for my good and give me strength to endure hardship. 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.

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1,2

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

They were sawed in two. Flogged. Imprisoned. Mocked. Destitute. Wandering in deserts and mountains. And still, they kept going. The great cloud of witnesses, those who ran the race before you—testify to this important truth: Keep going.

You are running the same race. But you’re not alone in this race. The witnesses cheer you on. They remind you that suffering is not a sign of failure. It is the path of faith.

Consider Jesus. What must it have been like for him? He was slapped, spat on, mocked, and unjustly condemned—by the very people he came to save. He lived a perfect life, and yet he suffered the worst of deaths. Why? Because he couldn’t bear the thought of heaven without you.

You see, Jesus is not just a moral example. He is “the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” He authored your salvation and completed it. He didn’t just run the race; he finished it. He scorned the shame of the cross, endured it, and then sat down at the right hand of God. That’s not just a seat of honor. It’s a declaration: It is finished. Your salvation is complete.

So, keep going. Run with perseverance. Life as a Christian isn’t a quick sprint—it’s a grueling marathon. There will be agony: family that mocks, coworkers who snub, hearts that break, and sin that entangles. But don’t give up.

Fix your eyes on Jesus. When you face opposition, remember he faced worse for you. When you’re tempted to give up, remember the finish line. Jesus stands there, waiting. Not just cheering, but welcoming. You are the prize he endured for. He is the prize you press on for.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, save me from the sin that entangles me and fix my eyes on 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.

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[Jesus said] “From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Luke 12:52,53

Jesus is Worth the Loss

“Religion just causes division.” You’ve probably heard someone say that—maybe even experienced it for yourself. Faith in Christ is supposed to bring peace, isn’t it? So why does it sometimes divide families, sever friendships, and stir up such intense resistance?

Jesus doesn’t avoid that tension; he embraces it. He says plainly: “From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other.” This is not just any division—the kind that cuts straight through families: father against son, mother against daughter. The gospel can bring peace, but it can also tear people apart.

This is painful to hear and even more painful to experience. Jesus is telling you that following him will sometimes cost you the relationships that are closest to your heart. Not because you want division but because the gospel demands a response. Some will cling to Christ in faith. Others will reject him. And the closer they are to you, the more deeply it hurts.

But Jesus speaks these hard truths not to push you away—but to pull you closer. Because he knows something even deeper than your earthly bonds: his love for you is stronger than family ties. Strong enough to endure the agony of being forsaken by his own Father on the cross. Jesus allowed that perfect relationship to be broken so yours with God would be restored.

Yes, the gospel causes division. But it also gives you real peace with your Father in heaven. And if you must lose something to hold on to Jesus, even something as dear as a family relationship, know that what you gain in him is infinitely more: forgiveness, life, and a place in God’s family.

Prayer:

Son of God, give me faith that holds fast to you, no matter the loss. 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.

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[Jesus said] “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”
Luke 12:49–51

The Peace That Divides

When Jesus was born, angels filled the sky outside Bethlehem and sang: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Peace on earth. That’s what they promised. And we want to believe it.

So, Jesus’ words in today’s Bible passage can feel jarring: Fire? Division? What happened to peace?

The truth is that Jesus’ Word does not bring peace between all people. When the gospel is preached, it sets hearts ablaze. Some hear about God’s grace and believe, and others are offended to be told they are sinners who need saving. The same Word that brings life to one brings hostility to another. Following Christ may divide households, cost friendships, and stir up tension. Jesus does not hide that reality; he prepares us for it.

But this gospel is still good news. Jesus also says, “I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!” Here, Jesus is speaking figuratively of a baptism still to come. That baptism wasn’t with water. It was the flood of God’s judgment he would endure at the cross. He would be abandoned, pierced, and crushed—not for his guilt, but for ours.

And there, at the cross, the angel’s promise is fulfilled. Peace on earth—but not peace between nations or neighbors. Peace between sinners and a holy God.

So, when the angels lit up that night sky outside Bethlehem, they weren’t promising a world free of conflict. They were proclaiming something even greater: peace with God. That’s the peace that divides, but it also saves.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, when your Word causes division, help me cling to the peace you won for me at the cross. 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.

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“Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”
Jeremiah 23:29

God’s Word is Like a Hammer

It would be interesting to read through the Bible, imagining the sounds of hammers in the lives of people as God fulfilled his plan of salvation. For 120 years, the hammers of Noah’s family echoed through the valleys as the huge ark took shape. Moses’ hammer beat a sheet of bronze in the form of a snake, which saved the people when they looked to it and believed God’s promise. The most famous hammer sounds of history, though, took place on a hill outside of Jerusalem when a Roman soldier drove spikes into the hands and feet of Jesus. Little did that unidentified soldier know that he was dealing a death blow to Satan as he nailed Jesus to the cross. The blows of that hammer were the culmination of God’s plan to crush the devil’s power and free people from his dominion.

The crushing blow which Jesus gave to Satan by his death and resurrection resounds in the message of the gospel. This is the power of God for salvation. God’s Word is like a hammer. The Word of God recorded in the Bible has the power to lead people to saving faith in Jesus. Martin Luther wrote, “Although the Word is unimposing and seems to be nothing while it proceeds from the mouth, yet there is such boundless power in it that it makes all who cleave to it children of God.”

This is the confidence that we have in the Word: it does the work of bringing people to faith in Jesus and gives them eternal life. It can do these wonderful things because it is the inspired, errorless Word of God. When we tell people the Word of God, we don’t have to say, “I think” or “It could be.” We can assure people with the truth—God’s truth.

God wants us to get the Word out, and he will use it to produce results according to his will. God’s Word is the hammer that breaks apart the rock of unbelief and fills people with the confidence of eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Prayer:

Dear God, use your Word of Truth to give me assurance of my salvation through Jesus, and use me to speak your powerful Word to others. 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.

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After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:1-6

God Still Keeps His Promises

Abram (later known as “Abraham”) was down. God had made some awesome promises to him—that he’d become a great nation, his descendants would inherit the land of Israel, and most importantly, someday, the Savior would be one of his descendants. Amazing promises!

However, Abram had no children. How could he become a great nation if he didn’t have a child?

God allayed his fears and concerns. He took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

The word of God was fulfilled just as he promised. Later, God gave a son to Abram and his wife; they named him Isaac. Isaac gave birth to twin boys, and one of those, Jacob, ended up with twelve sons and a daughter, and the great nation had begun—the nation from whom Jesus would be born.

When you’re struggling, look up into the night sky. When you see all the stars, recall how God fulfilled his promise to Abram. Then, like Abram, believe God, who keeps his promises that he gives you in his Word.

Prayer:

O faithful God, remind me that you always keep your promises so that I might live in confidence and joy. 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.

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Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:4-6

When God’s Promises Feel Impossible

The Lord made great promises to Abram. He promised to give him the land of Canaan, that Abram’s name would be great, and that all people who blessed him would also be blessed. Abram was starting to see those promises come true, but there were other promises from God that Abram was having a hard time seeing.

God promised that all nations would be blessed through his offspring and that his descendants would be numerous. There was just one problem, Abram didn’t have any offspring yet. According to the custom of the time, Abram’s descendent would be his personal attendant.

But God assured Abram that he didn’t need to take matters into his own hands. God was in control, and God would give Abram a son from his own flesh and blood even though Abram and his wife were past the age of having children. That would be further proof that this was an act of God, not of man and that the Lord provides.

God’s promises are not always immediately visible, but they are always trustworthy. God promises peace, but you feel anxiety. God promises to take care of you, but you face financial crisis. God promises forgiveness, but you’re weighed down by guilt. God calls us to trust him, not our outward circumstances or feelings. Those things change, but God is constant. Even if it seems like God is slow in keeping a promise like to Abram to provide a son, God is faithful.

When we believe and trust God’s promises, God does the same thing for us that he did for Abram. He credits that trust as righteousness. God does that not because of how strong our faith is but because his promise is sure.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to trust your promises, even when I can’t see how they’ll come true. Strengthen my faith like Abram’s and remind me that your Word never fails. 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.