Author: Kerry

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

His Punishment, Our Peace

Daily Devotion – April 15, 2022

Devotion based on Isaiah 53:5

See series: Devotions

You are on trial. You would like to think that it is just a misunderstanding, a mistake. They have the wrong person, but you know that’s not the case. You have heard the charges, and it is impossible to deny even one of them.

You’ve been greedy. You’ve been selfish. You’ve lied. You’ve hurt others with your words and hated them in your thoughts. You’ve been guilty of lust and discontentment. You’ve shown you don’t trust God or love him more than anything else. And you can say, “Well, nobody’s perfect,” but that’s no defense. The law—God’s law—demands perfect, loving obedience in everything we think, say, and do.

As the evidence is brought forward, you slide down further and further in your seat. You knew the facts were against you, but you tried to forget just how much evidence there was that you were a lawbreaker.

The case is over. As the judge prepares to read the verdict, you see his son walk into the courtroom. He’s the one against whom you committed every one of those crimes. He speaks a few words to his father, and you are sure you are a goner.

“The facts in the case are clear,” the judge says. “No crime can go unpunished. I, therefore, sentence my son to be cursed and crushed and killed on a cross. He will endure no less than the torment of hell. Justice demands that he suffer mortal wounds for the crimes that have been committed. The defendant is free to go.”

That is what this day that we call Good Friday is all about. Jesus, the perfect Son of God, was punished in your place. The sentence for your sins was inflicted on him. The disobedience that made you an enemy of God has been erased from your record forever!

Because of Jesus, you have peace with God. Perfect, permanent peace paid for by the punishment of God’s own Son. Because of Jesus, you are free from guilt and even death. What wondrous love! What amazing grace!

Prayer:
Jesus, my Savior, you gave your life, your all, for me. What a marvelous gift! Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

[Jesus] said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 22:15,16

His Food, Our Fill

Daily Devotion – April 14, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 22:15,16

See series: Devotions

Don’t you love a good meal? Maybe it’s a birthday, anniversary, or holiday spent with people you love. Or it’s a special place—a favorite restaurant or a new one that comes highly recommended. Maybe it’s the one favorite meal that you never get tired of.

On the night before Jesus died, he enjoyed a meal with his friends. It wasn’t just any meal. It was the Passover meal, a special feast carefully prepared, served, and shared by the Jewish people every year.

The Passover was festive not just because it was celebrated with family. The Passover celebrated how God rescued the Jewish people from slavery and brought them to the Promised Land. Maybe best of all, it pictured a rescue still to come—a rescue that Jesus came to accomplish.

As Jesus sat down to that meal that night, he knew what would soon happen. He knew his body would hang on a cross and die. His blood would pour out of wounds that would be inflicted on him. He knew he would give his life for the sins of the world.

But knowing this didn’t sour the experience that night. It made Jesus look forward to it even more. The lamb killed and eaten in the Passover meal would foreshadow the way Jesus would be sacrificed to free us from our sins and bring us to the Promised Land of heaven, a sacrifice he was eager to make for you and me.

Jesus still longs to eat with us. When we hear his Word, he satisfies our hunger with his mercy and love. In Holy Communion, Jesus miraculously gives his body and blood with the bread and wine to remind us of his sacrifice and assure us of his forgiveness. With these gifts, he feeds our souls until we feast with him in heaven.

Prayer:
Jesus, you eagerly desired my salvation. Satisfy my soul with your Word. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
Isaiah 42:2,3

Just the Gentle Savior We Need

Daily Devotion – April 13, 2022

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:2,3

See series: Devotions

We are in the middle of a week that the church calls “Holy Week.” This week, we hear about and reflect on the events of the final week before Jesus died. The Bible tells us more about the events of this week than about any other week of Jesus’ life.

It is perhaps noteworthy then that it seems there is nothing written about Wednesday of Holy Week. Some label this day “Silent Wednesday.”

Though the silence stands out in contrast to the other details of this week, it doesn’t stand out from how Jesus often operates. It’s not that Jesus never raises his voice, but often, he chooses gentle silence and tender conversations.

This is especially the case with the bruised and broken. When we are broken by our inadequacies and bruised by our insecurities, Jesus speaks words of gentle, unconditional love. When the struggles of life leave us worn and weary, Jesus promises his strength and pledges never to leave us. When our guilt leaves us feeling crushed and hopeless, Jesus assures us that he forgives us completely and makes us new.

And when our trust in Jesus is hanging on by a thread, Jesus doesn’t shame us or disown us. Instead, he points us to his cross and tenderly says, “There I kept my promise to you. There I died for you. There I opened paradise for you. I love you, and I’m not going to let you go.”

How fitting it is that Jesus, who entered Jerusalem in humility to go to the cross and die for us, now comes humbly and gently in the words of the Bible to comfort and encourage us, to heal our hearts and restore our hope. That’s where you will find him. Don’t seek him in the flashy or spectacular. Don’t look for him in the alarming or attention-getting.

Look for him and listen to him in the Bible. There you’ll find just the gentle Savior you need, one who patiently forgives, consistently cares, and never fails you in your time of need.

Prayer:
Jesus, gentle Savior, thank you for dealing gently and lovingly with me in my weakness. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10,11

Humble Jesus Is My Lord

Daily Devotion – April 12, 2022

Devotion based on Philippians 2:10,11

See series: Devotions

That day was a glimpse at a hidden reality. Jesus’ true identity was hidden. While he lived in this world, he looked like anybody else. He ate and drank. He walked, worked, and slept.

There were hints that there might be more to Jesus. Because of the way he taught with such confidence and authority. The miraculous ways he helped people. The loving, gentle way he spoke to and cared for people. But overall, Jesus still looked like just a man to many.

That day, something looked different, though, if not about Jesus, then about how people reacted to him. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. And his friends and followers acted as if it were a presidential motorcade or a parade for a king returning from battle. They were shouting his praises and waving palm branches like their country’s flag. There was pomp and circumstance. And crowds of people joined in the celebration along the road. They were treating him like a king.

Even though Jesus seemed majestic that day on his donkey, it was later that week when his greatest and most praiseworthy work as Lord and King would happen in unthinkable humility—hidden from sight. He would bleed and die in weakness and shame to battle death and destroy sin’s curse.

Because he did, he rose from the dead and rules in heaven, where we and all who see him now by faith will see him in glory and praise our Lord and King.

Prayer:
Jesus, move my heart to acknowledge and praise you as Lord now and always. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Christ Jesus . . . being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing.
Philippians 2:5-7

He Became Nothing for You

Daily Devotion – April 11, 2022

Devotion based on Philippians 2:5-7

See series: Devotions

We live in a culture obsessed with me. From little on, children are taught to believe in themselves. Embrace who you are. Celebrate the things that make you unique and different. As a phrase growing in popularity puts it, “You do you!”

God made each of us unique. And blending in with the crowds, doing what everyone else is doing, isn’t always wise. But is self-pride really the answer? Tragically, in this world of self, more and more people come up empty when they seek worth and value in just being who they are.

Jesus, however, had every reason to “do you.” He was the perfect Son of God. He had no flaws to be ashamed of. But what did he do? He made himself nothing. Not because he wasn’t happy with who he was, but because he wasn’t happy with who we were and what the future held for us.

Without Jesus, our self-focused ways could only end in self-destruction. But Jesus came down from heaven to serve us in humility. He set aside his rights as the Son of God to give us the right to be children of God. He made himself nothing to make you something.

Jesus rode the road of humility and suffering to give you hope—hope that is not based on what anyone else thinks of you or what you think of yourself, but hope that is based on how Jesus sees you and what Jesus was willing to do for you.

Jesus saw every flaw and failure in you that no one should be proud of, and he humbled himself to endure its shame for you. Jesus was judged, not by self-righteous hypocrites, but by a holy God. Because Jesus took our place, the same God judges us worthy of love, worthy of life, worthy of heaven. What he thinks of us is worth more than what anyone else says.

Find your worth, meaning, and hope in him. And then “do you” as a redeemed and forgiven child of God.

Prayer:
Jesus, you became nothing for me. Help me find my hope and worth in you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; . . . And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:5,6,8

Reason to Keep Going

Daily Devotion – April 10, 2022

Devotion based on Philippians 2:5,6,8

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In the state house at Albany, New York, there is a small artifact that tells a big story. It’s a letter written by President Abraham Lincoln. The letter grants a full pardon to a soldier found guilty of desertion. The soldier’s name is Roswell McIntyre. The letter is dated October 4, 1864.

As you read the letter, you can’t help but notice some additional scribbling on the lower left of the page. It’s this additional scribbling that completes the story. This extra note on the letter is dated 1865. It reads, “Taken from the body of R. McIntyre at the battle of Five Forks, Virginia.”

That’s the story of Roswell McIntyre. He was a man guilty of desertion. But instead of disgrace and punishment, he received a full pardon from his president. He was so grateful for that pardon that he carried it with him for the rest of the war. It kept him going. It empowered him to stand and fight. It empowered him to remain a faithful soldier to the end.

It’s no accident that the Bible compares our lives as Christians to those of soldiers. The spiritual dangers are great. The temptation to desert our Lord can be fierce. And, truth be told, you and I must confess that there have been many times we have run away from following the Lord’s will for our lives. For such desertion, you and I deserve God’s abandonment.

But because of Jesus, we have received a full pardon instead. Because of the cross, our failures are washed away. Through faith in him, we are forgiven and not condemned.

Keep that pardon with you. Pull it out and read it every day. Remember who you are in your Savior. It will keep you going. It will keep you faithful to the moment he takes you home.

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, in you I stand completely forgiven. Empower me to fight the good fight. Empower me to be faithful to the end. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13,14

Forget What Is Behind You

Daily Devotion – April 9, 2022

Devotion based on Philippians 3:13,14

See series: Devotions

It was 1936, and the career of an obscure racehorse seemed over. Seabiscuit had had his shot at the big time, but all his efforts had been disappointments. Perhaps he was destined for failure. He was small in stature and walked with a gimp; he didn’t even look like a racehorse. By the end, his owner was simply using Seabiscuit as a training horse—making him lose in order to bolster the confidence of other horses.

It was then that Seabiscuit crossed paths with a mysterious trainer by the name of Tom Smith. Somehow Tom was able to get Seabiscuit to forget all his failures and rediscover the joy of running. So much so that Seabiscuit went on to become one of the most successful racehorses in the 20th Century.

Don’t you wish you could do that? Don’t you wish you could somehow forget all the sinful failures of your past and focus your future on something that fills you with joy and purpose?

That’s why Jesus came. His blood has washed away the guilt of your past. That means you can truly forget what is behind you. And that same blood has secured your present and your future. That means that you can now focus on the pure joy of living for him.

After all, the past does not determine your future. Jesus does.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, so often I have allowed the sinful failures of my past to rule over my present. Forgive me. Empower me to see that, in you, my sinful past is gone. Fill me again with the joy of giving my future to you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13,14

Forget What Is Behind

Daily Devotion – April 8, 2022

Devotion based on Philippians 3:13,14

See series: Devotions

It seems like, every few years, another movie comes out about time travel. We love these movies because we all wish we could go back and change our past. We all have regrets and guilt from things we’ve done or left undone. The problem is: ruminating on the past keeps us from living the Christian life in the present. It’s like a sprinter who keeps looking back instead of running to the finish line.

The apostle Paul was tempted to look back. In the past, he persecuted Christians even to the point of death. He thought it was God’s will to destroy Christianity. But then God called him not only to believe in Jesus but to be the lead missionary to bring the good news about Jesus to the ends of the earth. With such an important mission, he couldn’t waste time obsessing about his past.

So, he wrote: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14).

Paul would not let his shame and guilt from the past stop him from doing the ministry in the present. Jesus had overcome his past through his death and resurrection. God wanted him to run the race God had set out for him.

Even if someone invented the time machine, you wouldn’t need it. God has forgiven your past. Now he wants you to focus on what’s ahead. Keep taking hold of the love and acceptance you have in Christ, and live out the calling that God has given you.

Prayer:
Lord God, you have forgiven my past. Lead me to keep my eyes fixed on following you in the future and the heavenly home you are preparing for me. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Isaiah 43:18,19

God’s Glorious Story

Daily Devotion – April 7, 2022

Devotion based on Isaiah 43:18,19

See series: Devotions

When you look at Jesus’ ministry, it doesn’t always seem so glorious. Yes, there are those times when he helped the sick, raised the dead, and fed the 5,000. But there are also those times when he was rejected in his hometown, ridiculed by the religious leaders, and finally hung on a cross, naked, and alone.

The Christian church also seems to follow that pattern. Yes, sometimes there are a number of new believers, unity in the church, and service in the community. But there are also times of decline, rejection from the world, and weakness.

But don’t be fooled by looking at a snapshot of God’s story. Our Lord has a history of redeeming, rescuing, and renewing his people. There was a time when God’s people were enslaved in Egypt for over 400 years. But God redeemed, rescued, and renewed his people. Then there was a time when God’s people were exiled into Babylon, but again he redeemed, rescued, and renewed his people.

The Biblical authors in the Old Testament knew that God wasn’t done yet. That’s why Isaiah wrote: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”

In other words, hold on to your hats. You haven’t seen nothing yet. God was about to redeem, rescue, and renew his people again. This time God was not going to use plagues or powerful leaders. This time God himself was going to help his people through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As you look at Jesus Christ and his church, it might seem like all is lost. You might even be tempted to reject the Lord with the rest of the world. But take a long view of history. Look at God’s great work of salvation throughout time. He has always come to the help of his people. And he is planning on doing it again. On the Last Day, he will return in glory to redeem, rescue, renew, and to even resurrect his people.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, sometimes I wonder whether you are still in charge in this broken, wicked, and sinful world. Forgive me for my lack of faith. Open my eyes to your glory. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
Philippians 3:7

Too Much to Lose

Daily Devotion – April 6, 2022

Devotion based on Philippians 3:7

See series: Devotions

Why did the religious leaders in Jesus’ day reject him as their Savior? The short answer: They had too much to lose, at least from their perspective. If Jesus really was right, then they were wrong about almost everything. They would have to admit they were wrong when they put their ultimate trust in their position in the community. Or when they trusted in how well they followed their own rules. Or when they tried to use their authority to control the people. So instead of admitting they were wrong, they rejected Jesus even to the point of crucifying him. They thought they had just too much to lose.

There was a time when another religious leader named Paul had the same point of view. He saw Jesus as a threat to everything he had gained through his religiosity. But Jesus himself confronted Paul and opened his heart to the truth of God’s love in Christ. And so, instead of trusting in his religious accomplishments, he came to say, “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7).

When Paul met Jesus, he started prizing and pursuing what God treasured. He stopped trusting and boasting about his successes, and he started worshiping and honoring his Savior.

The same option lies before us. We can follow the example of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. We could trust in our trophies, accomplishments, and religious observances. Or we could consider our record nothing in comparison to knowing Christ and being found in him.

Following Christ might mean that we lose in the eyes of the world. But whatever we might gain in this world is nothing compared to what we already have in Christ.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to trust in you, and you alone. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.