Month: September 2025

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The LORD has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob, “I will never forget anything they have done.”
Amos 8:7

Ripe Fruit

We wondered what had produced the strong smell in our car. An air freshener gone awry? A discarded banana peel from our daughter’s lunch bag? A malfunctioning exhaust system?

It turned out that an errant pear had rolled under the seat on the passenger side. We didn’t realize what had happened until our son sought the source of the smell. He found the half-rotted pear, removed it, and did his best to eliminate the stench.

In the days of Amos the prophet, the Lord God of Israel compared his people to a basket of ripe fruit. (See Amos 8:1-3.) Their sinful excess and blatant idolatry smelled like rotten fruit to the Lord. He threatened his judgment. Assyria would soon sweep away the northern kingdom of Israel.

The Lord’s words should have disturbed every listener in Israel. He swore by himself, the Pride of Jacob, to never forget the evil they had done. His patience had run out. The end had come.

Most of the people who listened to Amos’ message did not take him seriously. They despised him as a foreigner from the southern kingdom of Judah who had come to meddle in the affairs of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Within a generation, God carried out his threat. The kingdom of Israel collapsed.

The same God speaks to the world today through his ancient prophet, whose words remain true for this generation. He speaks against the sinful excess and blatant idolatry in our lives. How can the Almighty forget the evil we have done?

Yet he makes a promise that repentant sinners love to hear. The God who says, “I will never forget anything they have done” has also declared, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). Through Jesus Christ, he has kept this promise. Repent and believe the good news.

Prayer:

Righteous God, forgive me, renew me, bless me, and keep me steadfast in your gracious love through Jesus Christ. 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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Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Luke 15:1,2

The Lost and the Seeker

Jesus drew crowds. Some came to be healed, others came to criticize, but we are told the tax collectors and “sinners,” came just to listen to him. Jesus knew what kind of people they were, yet didn’t put them down. They were lost and knew it. They realized that Jesus had something to give them, something they needed and had probably wanted to find for most of their lives. Word spread about this gift and soon they were all gathering around Jesus.

There was another group watching how Jesus interacted with the “sinners” crowd. They despised both Jesus and the “sinners,” expressing disdain over the fact that Jesus welcomed and even ate with them. “How low can he go,” they must have thought. These Pharisees and law teachers were sure they were in good shape with man and God. They figured they had earned God’s favor by making and keeping the laws they dug out of the Old Testament as well as new laws they added.

To both groups, Jesus reached out with some wonderful stories about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son (Luke 15:3-32). In each case, someone was looking for the lost one. That someone is God, who is always seeking the lost, which includes everyone. Jesus came to make clear how God is committed to us, not because we are inherently good, but because he is!

He loves all lost people and showed that love by sacrificing his only Son, Jesus Christ. What excitement and hope Jesus gave to the crowd that day! He offered them a place with him in heaven. They understood that the stories were about them. Those who believed in him were found!

God is assuring you of his forgiving love in Jesus. In response, find ways to show and share the love of Jesus with every person he brings into your life.

Prayer:

Dear Father, thank you for finding me and helping me to see how much you love each person. Please use me to share your gospel message. 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 tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. . . In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:7,10

Rejoice with the Repentant!

I have met some amazing people in my life who have turned their lives around. I have friends who have battled addiction but eventually got clean and now go to church. I have friends who came to faith in Jesus Christ during a stint in prison. I have friends who, in their younger years, partied harder than most but have now left that sin behind and follow Jesus. I love these people. I am so proud of these friends of mine. They are my brothers and sisters in Christ!

But to be honest, not everyone in their lives is excited for them as I am or as you would be. They have siblings who lost out on the college money Mom and Dad had saved up because they had to put their brother through rehab. There were people in the bank who were terrorized the day that my friend tried to rob it. My friends’ promiscuity and partying left a lot of emotional wounds on those people with whom they broke ties.

It’s easy to celebrate with everyone who repents and says, ‘We’re all sinners, but Jesus forgives us all!’ But what about when that person who sinned inflicted pain on MY life? At times, that can be a tough thing for me to do.

But do you know who does forgive so freely? Jesus. And the sins of those people brought about more pain upon Jesus than anything those sins could have ever done to me or you. Yet, Jesus still forgives them. He rejoices whenever anyone repents. The angels of heaven celebrate with joy beyond measure! And so, we will as well. Rejoice with those who repent, those who turn to Christ for forgiveness, because Jesus has forgiven them just as he has forgiven you.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, help me to forgive those who have sinned against me and brought pain into my life. Help me to rejoice with those who repent just as you and the angels rejoice in heaven when they do. 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] “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:8-10

You Are Valued!

How much are you worth? Usually, when you ask someone this question, they try to calculate the value of their assets minus the debt they owe and then give a number. But you’re worth more than that, aren’t you? For example, my children have hardly any money in their bank accounts. They don’t have any assets that anyone would say are valuable. But even if you were to offer me one billion dollars to sell my child to you, I would never consider it in a million years.

You are valued! And no one can put a price tag on your worth. The Bible tells us that we are valued and treasured because Jesus says so. He doesn’t value you because you’re so sweet or so wonderful or because you do so many nice things for him. He values you simply because you are his. You were so valued and treasured by Jesus that he was willing to give up his life for you, to shed his holy and precious blood for you. And because of that, you are a blood-bought, child of God, a treasure worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox!

You might think that you have done things that would disqualify you from Jesus’ love, shameful things that would make God turn away from you and never want to have anything to do with you. But that’s just not true! There is nothing you could do to make God never love you, and there will never come a time when he won’t seek you out because you are precious to him and loved by him.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for giving up your life and making me your child. I am sorry for the times I have strayed from you. Help me to remain close to you every day. 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 Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Luke 15:3-7

Jesus Seeks Out the Lost Sheep

One time, I lost my son at Disney World. We had just come off a ride, cut through the gift shop at the end, but when we turned around and looked, he was gone. Thankfully, we found him in less than thirty minutes, but it felt like it was forever. My heart was racing. My palms were sweaty. My wife had trouble breathing. It was a gut-wrenching experience.

In the Bible story we’re looking at today, Jesus uses an illustration where he says that we are like the sheep of his flock and he is like our shepherd. If one of the flock wanders off, the shepherd doesn’t cut his losses and reason to himself, “At least I have the others. I’ll cut my losses!” No! Just like I did not say to my wife, “Oh well. We didn’t lose all the kids. Le’s just move on.” That would be ridiculous!

When Jesus sees us, his sheep, wandering off away from him, when he sees us lost in sin and blinded by the devil’s lies, he makes it his mission as our Good Shepherd to seek us out. And that’s what he has done! Maybe you have found yourself wandering away from Jesus lately. Maybe when you were growing up, your parents took you to church, but as you got older you took a little break. But guess what! You’re reading this right now! Jesus has never stopped looking for you, and he celebrates the fact that he found you again!

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, forgive me for wandering away from you. Continue to lead and guide me through your Holy Word all the days of 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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Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Luke 15:1,2

All Are Welcome with Jesus

What were you like in high school? Were you in the marching band as part of the halftime show, or were you the one scoring touchdowns underneath the Friday night lights? Did you sing in the chorus or act on stage? Did you ace every test and quiz or just get by? Were you one of the “cool” kids or were you a “nerd”?

I have taught high school kids. I have three teenagers myself. And, as much as they can’t fathom it, Dad was a high school kid once upon a time, too! I get it. High school can be hard. Sometimes, two best friends will end their friendship because one starts dating the other’s ex. Sometimes, that one queen bee can lead, and others will follow, not wanting to make waves because they don’t want to be ousted from the group. I’ve seen it. You have too. You were there in high school.

But with Jesus, all are welcome. Yes, he wants 4.0 brainiacs, but he also wants the kids who got detention every week. Yes, he wants the pretty prom queen, but he also wants the girl who didn’t get asked to the dance. Yes, he wants the family who faithfully shows up for church every Sunday, but he also wants the ones who don’t. My point is that ALL are welcome with Jesus, and all includes YOU! Jesus doesn’t discriminate. Jesus doesn’t exclude. Jesus doesn’t care about your looks, your humor, your athletic ability, or your I.Q. He loved YOU so much that he was willing to give up his life to get you right with God, and that love wasn’t conditional on anything about you. He simply gives it to you and welcomes you into not just a friend group but into the family of God.

No matter who you are, you’re welcome with Jesus!

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for taking away my sins and welcoming me into your family. Help me to reach out to those around me who feel like they don’t have anyone and let me welcome them as you have welcomed 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.

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Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.
Luke 15:1

Let’s Gather Around Jesus!

Sometimes people who don’t go to church have a misconception about those people who do: ‘They think they’re better than me.’ If I’m honest, there have been times when I have looked down upon other people because of the train wrecks they’ve made of their lives, and I think to myself, ‘Well, at least I didn’t do that.’ Shame on me for thinking like that. It’s wrong. It’s repulsive. It’s sinful.

But the more I have gotten to know other Christians and the more open they have been about their life stories; I’m met with this reality: Everyone is broken. Everyone has skeletons in their closet. Everyone has moments they wish they could take back because that action anchors their heart with guilt. EVERYONE. I am not an exception to this. And you aren’t either.

And that, my friend, is why we gather around Jesus, because Jesus is the solution to our shame! God wanted to be with his children, but sin separated us from him. So, God sent his Son to dive into this world of broken people and tell us what he was going to do about our sin—he died for it. He gave his life on the cross for us. He loves us and wants us to know that. And THAT is why we go to church—to gather around Jesus, to celebrate the forgiveness that God so freely gives to us.

Maybe you’ve had that misconception about people who go to church, but they’re just like you; they’re broken. However, they have found peace in Jesus and want you to have it too. So, take a chance! Stop into church and you’ll meet some wonderful people who will love you. But even better, you’ll meet your Savior who loves you infinitely more!

Prayer:

Dear God, I am broken and am truly sorry for my sin. Thank you for sending me my Savior who loves me and forgives me. Bless me as I reach out to those who are hurting and aching because of their guilt. May they come to know the forgiveness that is theirs because of Jesus. 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 Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.”
Luke 15:3-6

Every Soul Is a Treasure

What would you do if you lost your keys? Would you try to remember the last time you used them? Would you retrace your day’s steps, looking everywhere? Would you rifle through the stack of papers on your desk? Rummage through all the drawers in your dresser? Check all your pants’ pockets? Hunt under the bed? Poke down into the cushions—hunting in between the stale pretzels, paperclips, and pennies for your keys?

And why would you go to such trouble to find your car keys? Simple. They have value to you. Without your car keys, you won’t be going to work today. No shuttling of the kids to after-school activities. No quick drive to buy groceries for tonight’s supper. So, when you do finally find your car keys, how do you feel? There’s a mixture of relief and joy—that which was lost has been found!

Shortly after God created his perfect world and his perfect people, he lost you. Not that he forgot where he placed you or forgot your name. He lost you because you loused up your relationship with him through your breaking of his commands. And from then on, you were indeed lost to him—estranged from him in time and separated from him for all eternity in hell.

But God sent his Son, Jesus, to “find” you. Jesus lived a perfect life for you, always keeping all of God’s commands in your stead. And because God values you so highly, he punished his perfect Son on Calvary’s cross for your sins so that you might not be lost to him any longer. Now he calls you to fully place your trust in Jesus, so that you might forever enjoy your fully restored relationship to him. So, dear fellow “lost” sinner, put your trust in Jesus as your only Savior from sin and hell. For God “finds” you only in him.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, for caring enough to find a lost soul like 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.

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Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:1-7

The Object of Faith

“You just gotta believe!”

When life gets hard, when no solution seems available, someone will inevitably offer up that tired phrase as encouragement. “You just gotta believe!”

Believe in what, exactly?

In governments? In myself? In money? Those things may seem capable of solving problems, but they really can’t.

Essentially, every small problem originates from one big problem for which none of us has a solution. Sin. Sin results in animosity, frustration, pain, tears, and death.

In whom, then, should I put my trust when things go wrong? The problem of sin is too big for me to solve.

Trust “Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Jesus did what we never could or would do for ourselves. Though we don’t deserve it, he provided us with the perfect solution to the problem of sin.

His perfect life and death is the “Way” God chose to pay for our sins. His powerful resurrection shows that he is our Savior. His forgiving love and peace are what we need to start over, as Paul did, and live our lives for him.

When life gets tough, when problems pile up higher than we can manage, when tears start flowing, and hope seems to fade, God calls us to believe in his Son—the solution to all of life’s problems, big and small.

Now, that is worth believing!

Prayer:

Eternal God, thank you for the grace and peace which are mine because you invited and brought me to believe in the solution to all my problems, Jesus Christ my Lord. 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.