Author: Kerry

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Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria . . . You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.
Amos 6:1,4-7

Healthy Living

Healthy living is a mantra these days. Just check out social media and articles. Weight loss, food choices, fitness goals, vacation plans, improving the comfort of your home—all these are part of healthy living, we’re told.

But what about our souls?

It’s not a sin to enjoy good food and fine living. But God’s people at Amos’ time were complacent. They lived in luxury while their spiritual lives were deplorable. The body was the picture of health, but the soul was sick and wretched. They kept on feasting, lounging, and partying without any concern for their faith, their status before God, their eternity.

God did not approve. God wanted them to refocus on him and his ways for their own spiritual good. So, he warned them that he would end their careless lifestyle. They would be carried off into exile.

Today, many of us live in relative luxury. We have more money, food, and things than most in the world will ever see in their lifetime. That’s not a sin. That’s a blessing from God. But are our priorities misplaced? What about our spiritual life? What about God’s approval?

God approved of his Son, Jesus, and he transfers that approval to you and me, through faith. He gives us the eternal food of forgiveness through Jesus. God blesses us with eternal life, paid for by Jesus at the cross.

Feast your faith on that amazing gift and God’s wonderful promises. Feast your faith on Jesus and his love. That’s healthy living.

Prayer:

Dear Father, thank you for all your rich gifts in my life. Help me to use it all to your glory, and to keep my focus on you. Feed my faith with your forgiving promises in Jesus. Bring me to your eternal banquet 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.

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Godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

Quality of Life

It’s said that, around 40 years ago, a diplomat from the old Soviet Union was visiting the United States. Part of his tour of the country included a visit to a typical American grocery store. The moment he entered the store; the diplomat was astounded. He was looking at something he had never seen before. In that grocery store, he was feasting his eyes on food of such quality, quantity, and variety that he simply could not believe what he was seeing was a typical American grocery store. In fact, it’s said that he convinced himself that his American hosts had arranged to have all the food brought there just to impress him.

At that time, the typical American grocery store carried 9,000 items. Today, the typical American grocery store carries 39,000.

It’s an astounding thing, isn’t it? Over the past four decades, our food choices alone have more than quadrupled. But as marvelous as that is, experience has also taught us that having more and better things does not, in and of itself, guarantee a greater quality of life. Some would make the case that the one has very little to do with the other.

And that’s where the apostle Paul comes in. Do you want to see your quality of life make a significant jump? Paul says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Imagine a life lived in the full forgiveness earned by Jesus Christ. Imagine a life basking in gratitude and joy for that forgiveness. Imagine a life focused on serving Jesus by serving others. And imagine a life that’s content and pleased with what the Lord provides, regardless of changing circumstances. In Paul’s mind, such a life is “great gain.” Such a life is robust and rich and sweet.

Does this mean we can’t go to a grocery store with 39,000 items? Of course not. Go there and enjoy that store. Enjoy it to the glory of God. Just remember where our quality of life really resides. Our quality of life is in Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me to re-examine my quality of life. Remind me that a life that is truly robust and rich and sweet lies in you alone. 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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Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:6-10

Money Trap

The secret to an effective trap is to keep your prey from seeing the menacing end that lies ahead. Instead of seeing a mouse trap that should scream, “Danger!” all the mouse sees is the piece of cheese. By the time the trap is tripped, it is too late. The mouse is caught. Its fate is sealed.

In today’s Bible reading, the apostle Paul warns us about having a lifelong ambition of being rich. Wealth can be like a piece of cheese. We want it so badly that we don’t realize what we stand to lose in getting it.

Do you know people who have given up too much in an attempt to get rich? How about the person whose marriage failed because of working sixty plus hours a week to get the big promotion? Or the worker who always had time for work, but never for family. Perhaps you know people like this, or know this type of pain firsthand. As bad as these consequences can be, though, an even greater pain would be to have riches destroy one’s relationship with God.

Paul’s words to Timothy are meant to warn us. But they are also meant to encourage us to fight greed with contentment. One way to pursue contentment is to count blessings. We do well to remember that God takes care of all our needs. He gives us food and clothing and provides all that we need for our body and life. Even more importantly, he has given us his son, Jesus, as our Savior from sin and sure hope of eternal life.

Take Paul’s advice and save yourself from a lot of misery. Be content with the blessings God provides and give thanks for the physical and spiritual gifts he gives to you. Pursue godliness with contentment.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help me to count my blessings every day. Keep me from falling into the trap of always wanting more. May I always be content with the good gifts that you give to 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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But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:6-10

In Christ We Are Content

There is daily warfare going on inside every believer in Jesus. Our sinful nature wants to love the pleasures of life here on earth more than God and his eternal plan for us. Our sinful nature doesn’t count the blessings we have, but rather it grumbles about what we don’t have in comparison to other people.

Our new nature of faith, however, loves God and his will for our lives and leads us to be content with the necessities of life that God provides. It does not want the accumulation of money to get in the way of worshipping and praising God and moves us to hear and study God’s Word for the benefit of our faith and relationship with God.

This daily struggle inside of us, between the sinful, discontented nature and the new, fully contented nature, is very real. God warns us that craving money, and the things money can buy is detrimental to our spiritual life. Loving money and wanting to become rich can turn us away from God and cause us to lose the amazing riches of forgiveness and eternal life.

With God’s help, let’s daily strive to follow the lead of our new nature of faith. In this way, we give glory to God by showing the world that when we are rich in Christ, it really doesn’t matter how much money is in our bank accounts, the kind of car we drive, the size of our home, or the number of earthly possessions. In Christ, we are content!

Prayer:

Forgive me Lord, for not being completely thankful and content with the way that you have provided for me. Let my life on earth reflect how truly thankful I am for all you have given 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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For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
1 Timothy 6:10

Flee from the Love of Money

One of the saddest stories in the Bible is that of Judas Iscariot. He had been an apostle, one of the twelve disciples that Jesus sent out with the gospel message ahead of him. But Judas gave room to greed in his heart, and the love of money led him to betray his teacher. For the chance to gain thirty pieces of silver, perhaps the equivalent of a few months’ wages, Judas handed the world’s only truly innocent man over to the men who were eager to kill him. When what he had done finally sank in, it was too late. Judas ended his life in despair.

Unfortunately, Judas’ tragedy is not an uncommon one. Many others, too, have allowed their love of money and greed to lead them to do terrible things. Go down the list of commandments, and you will see that for each one, it’s not difficult to think of sins that people have been willing to commit, just for some financial gain. Con artists and charlatans, hit men, prostitutes, and phony preachers, those who commit treason or steal from their parents, are just a handful of examples of evil acts that flow from a love of money.

But the worst of it, the Bible warns us, is that greed ultimately leads us away from God when left unchecked. The apostle Paul wrote: “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Even believers put their faith in jeopardy when they follow their hearts’ sinful longings for more. Christians will always carefully consider, for example, whether their overtime at work or a side hustle isn’t interfering with their ability to be more regularly in God’s Word and with God’s people.

What do we do when we search our hearts and find such temptations? Turn from it and turn toward Jesus. Confess to God your struggles with greed and materialism. Trust his promises to forgive you for the sake of his Son, who paid for that guilt and who covers you with his holy life.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, remind me of the true, lasting treasures that you have won for me 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.

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Godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

Contentment Is a Gift from God

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus wrote, “Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.” What would it take to make you content and happy with where you are in life? How much more would you need to gain than what you have right now? The apostle Paul wrote, “If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” Does that seem like setting the bar too low? The problem is that wherever you draw the line today, our fallen human nature will likely find that to be too little tomorrow.

Six centuries before Epicurus, another wise man also reflected on the theme of contentment. After a long and prosperous reign, King Solomon recognized that he had been blessed by God with riches and fame and just about everything else this world has to offer. But what was the meaning of it all, if he was just going to die and leave it all behind anyway? Life is short, and health, wealth, and happy moments come and go. After reflection, Solomon observed, “when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:19). You see, contentment doesn’t come after gain. Scripture flips it around: contentment itself is the gain. Contentment itself is a gift from God.

One more man blessed with wisdom, Augustine of Hippo, wrote this prayer: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” If you feel constantly dissatisfied in life, it is unlikely that you are lacking some material thing. More likely, you are trying to fill a hole in your heart that can only be filled by your Creator. We were made by God to walk with him, to desire to be in his presence, and to find satisfaction in his love. But when we turned our hearts away from our Maker, he came in pursuit of us. His own Son, Jesus, was not content until he had made satisfaction for our sins and won for us a seat by his side in heaven.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help me find joy and contentment in your loving presence. 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] “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Luke 16:13

No One Can Serve Two Masters

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy story The Lord of the Rings, the pitiful creature named Gollum finds himself under the thrall of a magical ring. He is so driven by his desire for the ring that he is willing to risk everything, to sacrifice even loved ones, to be in possession of what he comes to call his “precious.” In the novel, the author masterfully describes Gollum’s internal conflict between wanting to show gratitude to the person who treated him with grace and wanting the ring that person possessed. He desired both, but he could choose only one. Ultimately, the ring’s mastery over Gollum’s heart leads him to a tragic end.

Jesus warned his followers against allowing the things of this world to have mastery over them. Wealth and property are not evil in themselves. The problem is when these things adversely affect our relationship with God, when they distract us to the point of forgetting that we are servants who already have a master—the Lord God who created us, who blesses us with all good things, and who has redeemed us from sin and death through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus.

Do you struggle with such thoughts? When you are depressed, anxious, lonely, or just plain bored, do you find yourself looking for consolation in things you can purchase, own, or consume? Are your decisions in life motivated more by the “bottom line” or the desire to get ahead than by your relationship to God and trust in his providence? Be careful, Jesus says. You cannot serve two masters. Put aside the false glory of fleeting fortune and the pointless chasing after temporary gains. Turn to Jesus, who laid aside his heavenly glory and gladly gave his life for you, because you are precious in his sight. Then learn from him, your loving Lord, to use the things of this world in the service of his kingdom rather than the other way around.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you have redeemed me that I might live under you in your kingdom and serve you in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Help me to that end. 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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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.