Author: Kerry

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.
Deuteronomy 4:9

Keep Watch

Daily Devotion – September 7, 2021

Devotion based on Deuteronomy 4:9

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How much time do you spend looking at yourself? Whether it is taking and editing selfies, re-watching the video we posted of ourselves on TikTok, or admiring our physique in the mirror after a workout, we spend a lot of time looking at ourselves. Society encourages it. Messaging from our culture continues to say, “you do you.” People are encouraged to focus on themselves and promote who they are and what they stand for.

The Bible also tells us to “watch yourselves closely.” But when God spoke those words, he did not have TikTok in mind. Rather, God wants us to watch our spiritual lives closely. He wants us to keep a close eye on how we live. We are to watch and make sure that we do not forget his blessings and live our lives in appreciation of those blessings. This is counter-cultural. The culture says to do and live however you want. The message really is that there are no boundaries. God tells us the opposite. We are to watch ourselves closely, so we do not stray outside God’s will for our lives. Sadly, we all too often fall short of that goal. We forget what God has done for us, and we are not always concerned about how our lives match up to what pleases our God.

There was one who always watched himself. Jesus never took a selfie, but he sure did keep an eye on his life. He never sinned or strayed from God’s will. He never once thought he should put himself out there and make it all about him. Instead, he was all about us. He offered his life in our place and died to take our sins away. Because of Jesus, we have forgiveness of sins. He watched his life closely so that you and I could have eternal life through him. In thankfulness for his blessings, we strive to keep watch on our lives of faith.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for earning my salvation. Help me to keep a close eye on my life of faith so that I may live my life for 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.

Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.
Deuteronomy 4:2

God’s Plan

Daily Devotion – September 6, 2021

Devotion based on Deuteronomy 4:2

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What do you like on your pizza? There are as many different answers to that question as there are people. If you order pizza for a group, you will find that people want to change the order. Some want to add more toppings, while others will pick off other toppings.

The same holds true for the Bible. We often do not want to leave the Bible as is. Maybe we do not like what it says about morality, so we take those parts away. Perhaps we do not agree with what it says about the origins of the universe, so we add human theories to mix with what God says. Maybe we want to have more say in how we are saved, so we sprinkle on the idea that if we are good enough people, God will let us into heaven.

All this may make us happy and give us religion that fits our style, but God does not want us to treat his Word like a pizza buffet. He has given us his Word so we can know him and find salvation in him, and he does not want us to add or subtract as that will only serve to mix up what God has given us.

Imagine if Jesus had treated God’s Word that way! Jesus came to earth to be our Savior from sin and to give us eternal life in heaven. But imagine if he had decided he did not like the part about suffering and dying for us and decided to leave that part out. Imagine if he had decided to skip going to the cross to take our sins away.

Jesus came to this world and perfectly fulfilled all that he was asked to do. He did not add to or subtract from God’s plan of saving sinners. Because of Jesus, we are forgiven and saved, and through faith in him, we will go to heaven one day. That is what God’s Word teaches, and there is no need for us to add anything else or take anything away.

Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to carry out your plan to save us. Help me trust your Word as is. 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.

The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Judges 7:7,8

God Loves Underdogs

Daily Devotion – September 5, 2021

Devotion based on Judges 7:7,8

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Most people like to cheer for the underdog. We like to see someone prevail against overwhelming odds and adversity. However, it’s usually a lot more fun to cheer for the underdog than to be the underdog. This is especially true when it comes to life and death matters, like fighting cancer or going into war.

The Israelite army was the underdog. To begin with, it was outnumbered 135,000 to 32,000. Then after the Lord told Gideon to send home those who trembled with fear and to keep only those who lapped water with their hands, it was 135,000 to 300. That’s 450 Midianite soldiers to each Israelite! Impossible odds in an era of hand-to-hand combat. But the Lord gave his people the victory!

So why did God make it seem so impossible? He was making sure that the Israelites would not boast in their own strength or think that the victory came by their own planning or power. When it comes to our salvation, God wants us to recognize the same thing. He has done it all. We can do nothing!

Spiritually, each one of us was the most unlikely underdog imaginable. Not only were we separated from God by our sins, but we were also blinded by unbelief. On our own, we could not even make the first move toward God, nor did we want to. But God did the impossible by sending his Spirit through his Word to lead us to love and trust in his Son as our Savior from sin.

The victory is the Lord’s! Therefore, instead of boasting of our own strength or righteousness, we rely on God our Savior and praise him for his gift of righteousness.

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, you have done everything for my salvation. I have done nothing. Give me such a faith that humbly approaches you and praises you continually for your great goodness. 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 that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:1-4

In the Eyes of God

Daily Devotion – September 4, 2021

Devotion based on Matthew 18:1-4

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What is greatness in the eyes of God? Jesus’ disciples were concerned about this. They were probably masking desires of their own to be highly honored by their Lord. What they needed to understand, and so do we, is that greatness in relation to Jesus is different than it is in the world. Worldly greatness depends on people’s personal abilities, accomplishments, and positions that cause others to view them as important, influential, and respectable.

Greatness before God, however, is viewed in a completely different way. To help us understand this, Jesus pointed to a little child as an example. The nature of a young child is to accept things implicitly. Children also recognize how dependent they are on others for help, especially their parents. Gladly they trust those who show them love and listen to them and follow them.

Jesus teaches us that if we want to be great before God and enter his kingdom of heaven, then we must be humble like a little child. Humility means that we recognize that we are sinners before God, confessing that we deserve his condemnation, not his commendation. Humility means that we regard all of his Word as truth and listen to it without doubting its message or rationalizing its content. And very importantly, humility means trusting God who loves us and putting full confidence in Jesus, whom God sent to be our Savior to give us eternal life.

Our greatness before God is what he gives us through Jesus. Our humility to believe that is what God values as greatness.

Prayer:
Jesus, teach me humility. Never let me doubt your Word and its message of life. Make me willing to gladly submit myself to you, trusting you completely as my Savior. 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.

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
John 6:66-68

To Whom Shall You Go

Daily Devotion – September 3, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:66-68

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Jesus provided a massive crowd of over five thousand hungry people with a miraculous meal, and they wanted to make him their king. Then Jesus told them that he was there to provide them with eternal life, and they walked away from him.

The same thing happens today. People enjoy the blessings that Jesus gives them, but once he starts speaking, they turn their back on him. Even his followers can be offended at his teaching and stop following him.

What about you? Maybe you have your own struggles with what Jesus teaches about creation, marriage, or sin. How do you feel when Jesus says that salvation is found in no one else and that no one comes to the Father except through him? Even if you don’t struggle with those particular teachings, there is plenty more in the Bible that can bother you. And just like he did with his twelve disciples, Jesus asks you: “You do not want to leave too, do you?”

With the apostle Peter, let your answer be, “Lord, to whom shall I go? You have the words of eternal life.” All of Jesus’ words are true. And those truths lead to eternal life. So, if you want help with Jesus’ difficult teachings, spend more time with them and grow in your knowledge and understanding. These words are stronger than your doubts and more powerful than your misgivings. And, after all, these are the only words that can lead you to eternal life.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for eternal life. Help me to accept and understand your teachings. 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] “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”
John 6:63

Take Jesus at His Word

Daily Devotion – September 2, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:63

See series: Devotions

Hope. Compromise. Change. Tolerance. Whenever an election rolls around, we drown in a sea of political buzzwords. It’s easy to be skeptical because politicians are often big on words and small on action.

Of course, the seeming meaninglessness of words isn’t confined to politics. Human beings are sinners, and when words come from sinners, they can be empty and unreliable.

But we make a big mistake if we judge Jesus’ words the same way. Jesus does not promise much and deliver little. In fact, Jesus spoke the words in today’s Bible passage because he had just delivered quite a bit—he had turned five loaves of bread and two fish into supper for over five thousand people.

But Jesus wanted the people to know that his goal was not to satisfy their earthly hunger but their spiritual hunger. He taught them: “I am the Bread of Life. Believe in me and you will be satisfied eternally. Reject me and you will starve eternally.” In other words: Jesus is all you need for eternal life.

How was his message received? Like empty words! The crowd grumbled and left him. This whole business about needing to believe in Jesus and reject your own works to get to heaven offended them. As they left, Jesus warned them that this attitude came from their sinful flesh.

Your sinful flesh will try to cultivate the same attitude in you and get you to treat Jesus’ words like nothing but empty sounds. But you can always take Jesus at his word because his words are full of the Holy Spirit and the life that only the Spirit can give!

The Word of God contains the good news that you are forgiven, and heaven is yours because Jesus lived for you, died for you, and rose for you. Here Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit works hand in hand with the Word to give you spiritual life. Through that same Word, the Holy Spirit defends you, forgives you, and empowers you. So take Jesus at his word, and don’t let go of it for all the world!

Prayer:
Blessed Jesus, help me to always trust 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.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
Hebrews 11:24-26

Suffering for the Sake of Christ

Daily Devotion – September 1, 2021

Devotion based on Hebrews 11:24-26

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In the Old Testament hall of fame, Moses is second to none. He led God’s people out of Egypt, shepherded them through the wilderness, and brought them to the border of the Promised Land. It was a tremendous amount of work that involved an astronomical amount of hardship.

Of course, his life could have been much easier. He had been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter as a baby and educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Moses possessed the knowledge, resources, and connections to do anything he wanted.

But instead, he made a conscious decision to live with the Israelites and spent the last forty years of his life leading stubborn people through a barren wasteland. Why did Moses do it? Because he trusted God’s promises about the coming Savior and knew that suffering along with the people of God had a better outcome than living in Egyptian luxury.

That’s how valuable it is to follow Jesus. Because only Jesus can provide us with forgiveness for our sins and eternal life. Every pleasure this world offers will come to an end. The eternal pleasures of heaven will not.

Like Moses, remember how valuable Jesus is and ask God for the strength to suffer anything rather than lose him.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, strengthen me for when I must suffer for your sake. 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.

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. . . . Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy.
Ephesians 5:22,25,26

Keeping Christ at the Center

Daily Devotion – August 31, 2021

Devotion based on Ephesians 5:22,25,26

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It’s not hard to envision someone reading this passage and asking, “Can you imagine what it would be like if people actually lived like this?” Maybe you even asked it yourself.

Biblically speaking, “submitting” refers to honoring the leadership of someone God has placed over you in life. The Bible also shows that “loving like Christ loved the church” means sacrificing what you want and acting in another’s best interests.

Our society, however, prioritizes personal autonomy, which makes these hard commands to follow. Also, people naturally act out of sinful self-interest, so this looks like a recipe for misery. Won’t submission mean that your husband takes advantage of you? Won’t setting aside what you want in life for your wife make you constantly unhappy?

It helps to look at this through the eyes of a Christian and not through the eyes of the world. The child of God does not act out of self-centeredness but out of Christ-centeredness. Christians want to put others first because they do not live for themselves.

They live for the Savior who did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, who submitted himself to God’s law and lived a perfect life for selfish sinners. He sacrificed his time by performing countless miracles for people in need. He even sacrificed himself when he died to take away the sins of the world.

Marriage is such a supreme blessing from God that the devil, the world, and your sinful nature work overtime to attack it. Keeping Christ and his forgiveness at the center is crucial.

When sin threatens to break your marriage or smother your service to others, go to the Savior who sacrificed everything for you and pray for strength. Christ-like service comes hard for us, but it brings tremendous blessings. Can you imagine what it would be like if people actually lived like this? Live it and see for yourself.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me to keep you at the center of all I do. 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.

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:15

Serve the Lord

Daily Devotion – August 30, 2021

Devotion based on Joshua 24:15

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The words of this passage are some of the most famous in the entire Bible. Perhaps you’ve seen them artfully displayed in someone’s home—maybe even your own. They are a beautiful expression of faith in the Lord and commitment to him.

When separated from their context, however, their beauty can be blurred by a potential misunderstanding. They can give the impression that human beings are capable of choosing to believe in God all on their own.

But, in context, these words were spoken to people who already believed in the true God. Joshua, a great leader of God’s people, spoke these words shortly before his death. The Promised Land had been conquered, and Israel had a new home. Joshua knew that the Israelites would be tempted to serve the false gods of their new homeland.

But the Lord was not one god among many. He was the only true God who had given the land to them. The people already had the gift of faith from the Lord. So Joshua did not present them with a choice to come to faith, but a choice to serve God in thanks for the faith they already had.

The Bible makes it clear that by nature all human beings are spiritually dead because of sin. Dead people cannot choose to bring themselves to life. Instead, God brings the spiritually dead to life through the good news about his Son, Jesus, who paid for the sins of all people on the cross. God uses this good news to create faith in the hearts of people who would never have believed this on their own. This means that Christians can be certain of their salvation because God has done it all for them!

When God gives people faith, they become Christians, but they remain sinners. Because of sin, they cannot serve God perfectly. They need God to help them renew that purpose. That is why they can confess with Joshua, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Prayer:
Lord, give me a strong faith to serve you all my life. 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] “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:16-18

Focus

Daily Devotion – August 29, 2021

Devotion based on Matthew 6:16-18

See series: Devotions

A hypocrite is someone who acts differently outwardly than what they are on the inside. In today’s Bible passage, Jesus speaks against people who outwardly practice religion, but don’t truly believe it with their hearts. They are mostly interested in drawing attention to themselves and receiving compliments from others for being “such good people.”

Particularly, Jesus points out their misuse of the practice of fasting—voluntarily going without food and/or water for a period of time. Actually, God commanded his Old Testament people to fast in connection with their most important religious festival, the Day of Atonement. The purpose of fasting was to help people focus their attention on the Lord and what he accomplished for them according to his loving promises.

We may not fast or even know people who fast today as part of their faith-life. But other outward things indicate to others that we are practicing our faith. For example, folding our hands when we pray or placing a religious picture on our computer screen desktop. Jesus wants us to know that God is not pleased if we live our faith to get people to think better of us. However, God is pleased if our practices help us focus our attention on him and all that he has done to rescue us from eternal death and give us everlasting life.

Whatever ways we as individuals use to help us focus on our faith in God, we must remember that we gladly do it out of love for our Savior. That is worship that pleases God.

Prayer:
Jesus, I know that you examine my heart and understand the motivation for all that I do. Forgive me when I act only for show. Help me to worship you with a sincere heart and with practices that keep my attention on you as my Savior. 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.