Author: Kerry

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
John 1:43

Follow Me

Daily Devotion – January 19, 2021

Devotion based on John 1:43

See series: Devotions

I used to pride myself on being a leader. I thought I knew what direction to lead my family and my church. I had plans to take our family on a vacation to Florida. And we had plans to keep expanding our church in multiple locations. But then the 2020 pandemic hit, and all our plans stopped. Suddenly, I didn’t feel like a confident leader. I didn’t know what the future would hold. And I had no idea where I was supposed to lead my family and God’s people.

Did something similar happen to you? Were you confident about where you were leading yourself and others? Did you lose your confidence when the world was turned upside down?

In our Bible reading today, Jesus is calling his first disciples. We read that he finds a man named Philip and says to him, “Follow me” (John 1:43). That’s it. Follow me. Jesus tells Philip that he doesn’t need to lead. He just needs to follow. Jesus doesn’t tell him what the future will be like. But he does tell him that he will be with him always.

Jesus is calling us with those same two words, “Follow me.” We don’t have to know what is going to happen in the near future. We can follow behind Jesus, listening to his Word, and following his teaching.

We can be even more confident than Philip to respond to Jesus’ call. Philip was called before Jesus died and rose. We are being called by the resurrected and living Savior who is sitting in the place of power at the Lord’s right hand. The future made seem uncertain, but we can continue in confidence because Jesus is our leader.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I trust in you. I will follow you wherever you lead. 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 came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:10

The Lord Calls Us in the Darkness

Daily Devotion – January 18, 2021

Devotion based on 1 Samuel 3:10

See series: Devotions

The book of Judges is one of the darkest, bloodiest books of the Bible. It is the seventh book in the Old Testament. And it tells the story of what happened to the nation of Israel after they entered the Promised Land of Canaan. From about 1400 B.C. until about 1000 B.C., the Israelites fell into perverted idolatry and senseless violence. Although this book is hard to read, it isn’t much different than the corruption that we see in our society, and especially in our own hearts.

As the time of the Judges was coming to a close, we hear a remarkable story about the calling of Samuel. Samuel was a young boy who was an apprentice for the High Priest, Eli. Even though Samuel worked at the tabernacle, the Bible says, “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7).

Yet, the Lord, in his grace, called out to the boy, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel didn’t know who was calling him. So the priest, Eli, instructed Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’” (1 Samuel 3:9). And that’s just what he did. The next time the Lord called, Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).

What can we learn about the Lord from this account?

• God is still calling his people to follow him, even in dark days.
• God calls us, even when we aren’t looking for him.
• God opens our heart so that we can listen and receive him.

When the world seems so dark and wicked, it might seem like God has abandoned us. But he is still here, still calling us to believe him, follow him, and serve him. May we, like Samuel, answer, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me through your words in the Bible. Help me always to listen to what you say. 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.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
John 1:40-42

Bringing People to Jesus

Daily Devotion – January 17, 2021

Devotion based on John 1:40-42

See series: Devotions

There was so much excitement and so little stress when Andrew told his brother about Jesus. Have you ever wished it was that easy?

It is easy to worry about trying to find just the right words to say or trying to find just the right time to say them. But notice that Andrew wasn’t concerned about any of that.

Andrew didn’t worry about getting the timing right because he did it as “the first thing.” There was no waiting for just the right moment because Andrew got right to it.

He didn’t worry about finding the right words to say because all he said was what he knew: “We have found the Messiah.” There was no crafting of the perfect thing to say. Andrew just said what he knew.

All of this is because Andrew realized what the real job of sharing our faith is—it is bringing people to Jesus. It is easy to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to share Jesus and to do it in just the right way. However, sharing our faith is really a natural thing for Christians. We want to bring other people to be where Jesus is.

Jesus is the one who does the real work. He is the one who does the convincing and puts opportunities in our lives. Our job is just to bring people to be with Jesus.

Prayer:
Father, help me to be like Andrew as he brought people to Jesus. 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.

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
John 2: 1,2

The Perfect Substitute

Daily Devotion – January 16, 2021

Devotion based on John 2: 1,2

See series: Devotions

When you host a party or event, what are your criteria for whom you invite? We don’t really know why Jesus was invited to the wedding chronicled in our story. But he was there. Perhaps the inviting couple knew of Jesus as a teacher with a growing reputation. But he had not yet performed any miracles. That all changed at this special wedding when Jesus changed water into wine.

When the wedding was over, did the couple and guests realize that Jesus had power over nature? Did they realize that Jesus was “telling them” that he was the promised Messiah? He was sent by God, his Father, because of the sins that our first parents—Adam and Eve—committed in the Garden of Eden. And every generation of man since then, including us, has continued to sin against our holy God. And our sins have separated us from God.

Enter Jesus. Here he was, God himself, living here on earth as a true man. Jesus had power over nature and the devil because he is God. As a man, he was subject to all the temptations that we are, but Jesus lived a perfect life on earth. And then he was brutally punished and killed, even though he was innocent. In his Father’s eyes, Jesus became the perfect substitute and took our punishment on himself. Now, in God’s eyes, all of Jesus’ followers are perfect because he took our place. They will be with him in heaven—a party unlike any other.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, strengthen my faith as I dwell on your substitution for me. Hear my thanks now, and when I praise you and thank you eternally in heaven. 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 jailer] then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Acts 16:30,31

For You Too

Daily Devotion – January 15, 2021

Devotion based on Acts 16:30,31

See series: Devotions

The jailer knew he was in trouble. He had a good occupation, but it was high-risk. Keep the prisoners for the Roman government under lock and key, and the pay was good. Allow the prisoners to escape, and the punishment was losing your own life.

It was night. There was such a violent earthquake that it shook the foundation of the prison. All the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. No chance that there would be any prisoners left after that. The jailer woke up, saw the prison doors were open, and was about to kill himself because he thought that the prisoners had escaped.

One of the prisoners was a missionary named Paul. He realized what was going on, and he shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer knew what Paul did for a living. Faced with his own mortality, he asked the question as clearly as he could ask it. “What must I do to be saved?”

Paul answered as clearly as he could in that crisis moment. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” Then, to clarify that this was not just a promise for the jailer but also for every person, Paul added, “You and your household.”

That promise is for you too, whether you are in crisis or calm, whether you are relaxed or stressed, whether your life is good or buildings are crumbling around you. The Bible was written so that you would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you would have life in his name.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on me, and through faith in you, bring me to everlasting 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.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 49:6

For Everyone

Daily Devotion – January 14, 2021

Devotion based on Isaiah 49:6

See series: Devotions

Every year I enjoy watching the New Year celebrations beginning in Asia and then crossing the globe all the way to the west coast of North America. Those celebrations were a little different this year, but it was still the same principle. As the earth turns, the darkness of New Year’s Eve is lit up by artificial light at midnight, and then a few hours later comes the dawning of a new morning in a new year.

When Jesus was on earth as a human being, he celebrated his New Year in Israel. He was a Jewish man. There was a sign on his cross that said, “King of the Jews.” People could have understood his work to be simply for Jewish people since he was one of them.

But 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah quoted God the Father speaking to his Son, Jesus, and saying, “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles.” Gentiles are any people who are not Jewish. Jesus is not just the glory of the Jewish people of Israel. He is a light for all of the Gentiles as well.

That means Jesus brings light to the lives of people no matter where they live in the world. The good news about forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus has gone to the ends of the earth. People’s eyes are opened, and their hearts are changed from darkness into light as they come into contact with that wonderful news.

Today that news of salvation can make it around the world through the internet even faster than the world can spin. It’s a blessing to see it happen, and it’s a privilege to be part of that effort.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Light of the world, shine brightly and bring many more to faith 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.

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:11

Father Makes It Clear

Daily Devotion – January 13, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 1:11

See series: Devotions

A teacher notices that one of the boys in her classroom is particularly good at drawing and takes great pleasure in producing pictures. When she meets his father and talks about the student’s skill, the father, who turns out to be a professional artist, says proudly, “Yep. That’s my son.”

Anyone who took a look at Jesus could see that he was particularly good at living life. He did all the right things, and he refrained from doing all the wrong things. He did not insist on being served. Instead, he served others whenever and wherever he had the chance.

At the time of his baptism, he was too old to be in school anymore, so it was not his teacher making that observation. It was his relative, John, and it was the people gathered on the bank of the Jordan River. When Jesus’ Father confirmed that observation, he said to Jesus for all those people to hear: “You are my Son. With you, I am well pleased.” The Father was pleased that the Son was as holy as the Father.

Jesus’ Father added that he loved his Son. “You are my Son, whom I love.” Later on, however, the Father turned his face away from his Son as his Son hung on the cross. How could a loving father do something like that? He did it because at that moment of crucifixion, his Son was taking the responsibility for the sins of people who did not do all the right things.

We are those people. All of us who are students in the classroom of life can be grateful for what the Son of God did for us. Now the Father calls us his children as well, saying that he loves us and is pleased with us. Get the picture?

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for loving me so much that you sent your only Son to be my perfect 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.

Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
Mark 1:10

No Doubt About It

Daily Devotion – January 12, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 1:10

See series: Devotions

A man named John baptized Jesus. He claimed that Jesus was the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. But people had to wonder if everything John said about Jesus was true. Was this man named Jesus really connected to the only true God?

John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. As Jesus was coming up out of the water onto the riverbank, an amazing thing happened in the sky. Heaven was torn open! There was clearly something special going on! People who wondered if Jesus had any real connection to God didn’t have to wonder any longer.

At that moment, the Holy Spirit descended onto Jesus. What did it look like? It looked like a supernatural dove coming down and landing on Jesus. If there had been any doubt about it before, there was none now. The connection of Jesus to the true God was visibly confirmed by the Holy Spirit. It must have been amazing and striking.

Now the people had proof that everything Jesus said was from God. The Holy Spirit gave them that proof!

You have that same proof today. The Holy Spirit is the one who uses that proof to work faith in your heart. You can have the confidence—no doubt about it—that your sins are forgiven because Jesus says so. He is the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for your sin, and not only for yours but for the sins of everyone in the world.

You might wish that everyone baptized today would have the same amazing and striking thing happen to them, but the Holy Spirit chooses to arrive invisibly instead through the power of the Word. His visible descent onto Jesus was to help you understand that the promises Jesus makes about baptism in his Word—forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation—are entirely true, no doubt about it.

Prayer:
O Holy Spirit, keep my faith in Jesus strong all the way to eternal 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.

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Mark 1:9

Anointed

Daily Devotion – January 11, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 1:9

See series: Devotions

There are a lot of expectations for new leaders. Those who don’t like them expect them to do things that people don’t like. Those who do like them hope that they will do things that people want them to do. But the new leaders don’t get to function as new leaders until they are actually in office.

In ancient Israel, the process of putting new leaders in office was called anointing. A special kind of fragrant oil was poured on the heads of new leaders, and people who liked the new leaders rejoiced when it happened. People who didn’t like them just wrinkled their noses in disgust.

The Bible says that when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, Jesus was anointed as a leader. The anointing oil was water and the Holy Spirit. What kind of leader was Jesus? There were three offices into which a person could be anointed in ancient Israel, and Jesus was entering all three of those offices.

The first office was a prophet, someone who spoke for God. Since Jesus was God, he had no trouble speaking for God. Everything he said was the Word of God! He was doing that speaking in public when he was baptized. Just as you might expect, everything Jesus said was exactly right.

The second office was a priest, someone who makes sacrifices to God for people. Jesus eventually sacrificed himself, and it was for you. He was the ultimate sacrifice, and his sacrifice on the cross paid for your sins once and for all.

The third office was a king, someone who defeated enemies and ruled the people. Jesus defeated enemies who didn’t like him, enemies like sin, death, and the devil. Now he rules your heart by his powerful Word.

May today’s reminder of Jesus’ baptism comfort you with the knowledge that he is your perfect prophet, priest, and king.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your willingness to take on all of these offices and fulfill their duties 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.

“I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:6

Living in the Light

Daily Devotion – January 10, 2021

Devotion based on Isaiah 49:6

See series: Devotions

I’ve killed innocent plants. I’ll admit it. Take for instance the first small palm plant I owned. Despite watering it regularly, my little green buddy soon shed his leaves and turned a morbid shade of brown. Only later did someone clue me in to my gardening gaffe: I had set the plant too far away from the window. It didn’t get enough light.

How about you and me? We need light to live as well! But not just physical light. We need the type of light that God says his Servant Jesus gives us in today’s reading from the prophet Isaiah.

You see, Jesus gives us the one thing we really need to live a full life. He gives us the light of salvation! So no matter what dark times we may face—whenever we hurt, whenever we’re lonely, whenever we sin, whenever we get sick, whenever we worry about the future, whenever we die, whenever! He promises to give us light. He assures us that our sins are forgiven, that he loves us dearly, and that he will work out all for our good. With this light of Jesus, we can live, thrive, and be energized for life!

So what will your life be like? With the light of Jesus, it’s certain! You have a bright future ahead! Why? Because you’re living in his light!

Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for bringing light to this dark world. 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.