Author: Kerry

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God.
2 Peter 3:11,12

The Kind of People This World Needs

Daily Devotion – December 9, 2020

Devotion based on 2 Peter 3:11,12

See series: Devotions

A common criticism of Christianity is that the heavenly minded are of no earthly good. In other words, Christians can become so fixated on the next life that they do nothing to make this present world a better place.

While some Christians may live that way, they should not. That attitude is not in the Bible. In fact, today’s Bible passage says the exact opposite, that the end of the world and the Christian’s hope of heaven have a profound effect on how they live right now.

They push Christians to live a holy and godly life because they know that their life is not all about them. They know that God created them and sent his Son to save them. They know that Jesus put his perfect life in place of their imperfect sin so that, in his sight, they are holy and godly.

Now he says to Christians, “I have made you to be exactly what the world needs right now. Be what you are.” This means there are all sorts of things that they are meant to do, chief among them loving their God and their neighbors by doing good to those around them.

So, if you truly want to make this world a better place, if you seek to serve others in meaningful ways, if you hope to help them not only navigate this life but learn about the next life, then follow Jesus. Learn about him and trust in him. You will discover a joy and peace, unlike any other. And he will not only give you the gift of eternal life, but he will empower you to live a life of remarkable earthly good.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to live a holy and godly life so that I am both prepared for the day this world ends as well as prepared to be of use while this world still exists. 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 the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
2 Peter 3:10

Be Ready

Daily Devotion – December 8, 2020

Devotion based on 2 Peter 3:10

See series: Devotions

A thief does not announce his arrival ahead of time. He comes when you least expect. Jesus will do something similar. You see, the day of the Lord is the day of Jesus’ return when he will come in great power and glory. The Bible says that this day will come like a thief.

In other words, Jesus tells us that he is coming, but he does not tell us when he is coming. So we have only ourselves to blame if we are not ready when he returns.

The possibility is so dreadful that you have to ask, “What does it mean to be ready?” To answer this question, ask yourself: “What is at the top of my priority list as Christmas approaches? Entertainment or eternity? Gifts or God? A heart longing for a vacation, or a heart ready for Jesus?”

Entertainment is fine. Gifts are wonderful. Vacations are a blessing. But none of these is as important as a relationship with our maker. Sadly, we all mess up our priorities. Because we do not expect Jesus to return any time soon, we allow other things to become more important to us than him.

Today’s Bible reading reminds us not to allow this to happen. Since Jesus could return at any time, we want to be ready at all times. Being ready means setting your heart on Christ. Because in Christ, you are ready. It is for you that Christ came in the flesh. It is for you that Christ suffered and died. It is for you that he promises to come again, not to obliterate you, but to give you eternal life.

When he does, make sure you are ready!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, make me ready for your day by keeping my faith in you strong. 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 do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:8,9

Still Waiting

Daily Devotion – December 7, 2020

Devotion based on 2 Peter 3:8,9

See series: Devotions

In the second to last verse of the Bible, Jesus says, “Yes, I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). This is his promise to return in great power and glory on the Last Day. But if Jesus says that he is coming soon, why have nearly two thousand years passed since he said it? What’s he waiting for? Today’s Bible passage answers that question by reminding us that Jesus is eternal.

Jesus views time differently than we do. To the Lord, there is little difference between a thousand years and a day because he does not view events in sequence. He sees them all at once. What is long for us is short for him. So it makes perfect sense for Jesus to say, “I am coming soon” and for us to still be waiting two thousand years later.

Think of the little girl who asks for help, and her dad says, “Just a minute!” For her, that minute is an eternity, but for dad, that minute is a second. It’s the same way with Jesus. He says that he is coming soon, yet he appears slow from our perspective.

But that is not slowness; it is patience. Every day that is not the Last Day is a gift of God because it means more time for the Word of God to spread and rescue sinners from eternal damnation. It gives the human race more time to repent.

Repentance is a change of mind that God works in people. When you repent, God changes how you think about sin so that you hate it rather than loving it. When you repent, God changes how you think about how you are saved from your sins so that you trust in Jesus rather than your own goodness.

Why hasn’t Jesus returned yet? What is he waiting for? He is patiently waiting to spread his Word so that many more people believe in him and are saved. What a wonderfully loving Lord!

Prayer:
Eternal Lord, bless the spread of your Word as I wait for your return. 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.

Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation . . . Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Psalm 85:7,10

Welcome Gifts

Daily Devotion – December 6, 2020

Devotion based on Psalm 85:7,10

See series: Devotions

Christmas is a time for happy meetings and warm greetings. Dear friends visit from long distances. Family members come to our homes to celebrate. What a joy it is to see them! Could you imagine receiving such welcome guests with a disinterested nod or a cold stare? Of course not! We receive such guests with enthusiastic handshakes; with heartfelt embraces; with joyful kisses!

In the psalm verses before us today, the writer describes an anticipated arrival, too. Only he is not describing the arrival of dear friends or family members visiting for the holidays, he is describing the arrival of something far more meaningful in our lives. The psalmist says love and faithfulness have arrived—gifts which moved our God to carry out his plan to save us with unwavering devotion. He says righteousness and peace have arrived—gifts which allow us to stand before our holy and perfect God as holy and perfect ourselves, the barrier of sin that once separated us from him removed.

And notice the beautiful picture language the psalmist uses to describe the arrival of these gifts. They do not come with a disinterested nod or a cold stare. They are so excited to be here, they meet with a kiss! And why wouldn’t they? These are not just gifts from God that will stick around for the Christmas season and then leave us. These are gifts from God through which he has granted us salvation, and they are here to stay! For this is really what we see in the manger of Bethlehem, isn’t it? As we look into the infant eyes of our God made flesh, we see his love and faithfulness. We see the righteousness that brought us peace. We see the one who came to save us from our sins so that we could live with him forever.

What welcome gifts! They are so glad to be here, and we are so glad they came!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, fill my heart today and always with the joy of knowing you sent the gifts of joy and peace to me in the gift of your Son. 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 Jesus Christ] will keep you strong to the end.
1 Corinthians 1:8

Strong to the End

Daily Devotion – December 5, 2020

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 1:8

See series: Devotions

By the summer of 1805, a man by the name of Lewis had had enough. For well over a year, he and his partner, William Clark, had been leading several dozen men across the western half of the United States. They had encountered all kinds of unexpected setbacks, brutal difficulties, exhausting stress. And over the past several weeks they had been struggling through an entire range of mountains until their energy level was gone.

But now the worst was over, Lewis thought. Climbing ahead of his men, he was about to reach the top of the highest mountain pass. As he did, he had every reason to believe that when he reached the top and looked beyond, he would see only gentle, descending slopes leading all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

But when he got there, he received the shock of his life. As he stood on the top of that pass and looked beyond, he saw more mountains. Many more. Mountains as far as he could see.

Has that ever been you? Perhaps that is you right now. You have been struggling through mountains of difficulty only to look beyond and see more mountains. Maybe it’s the frantic crises at work that never seem to stop, financial troubles that never seem to end, cancer treatments that just keep coming, or a fear of loneliness that stretches as far as your eye can see.

But as you stand there and look at those mountains, there’s something else for you to see. It’s Jesus. He’s not beyond those mountains. He’s right by your side. He is not some Sunday school story. He is your living Lord, your best friend. For all the times you have doubted him, he has washed you clean in his blood. For all the times you’ve been afraid, he has been your champion. For all the times you’ve been weak, he has been your strength.

Lewis and his men completed their journey. You will too. You will because Jesus, your Savior, walks beside you. He will keep you strong. He will keep you strong to the end.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as I view the mountains I have yet to climb, help me to see that you’re right by my side. Deliver me from my fears. Be my strength. 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] “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”
Mark 13:33

Sleeping At Your Post

Daily Devotion – December 4, 2020

Devotion based on Mark 13:33

See series: Devotions

Falling asleep at your post is one of the worst offenses a soldier can commit against his brother’s-in-arms. Throughout history, there have been severe punishments for someone falling asleep while on guard duty. Such a mistake could lead to people dying and battles lost. Falling asleep at your post has always been worthy of punishment by the military.

Are you sleeping at your post in your life of faith? Have you failed to keep watch over the spiritual lives of you and your family? Maybe you have gotten so caught up in the weekend tournament scene that you and your family have not been to worship in longer than you can remember. Or maybe you have spent so many nights binging Netflix shows that you have failed to keep up with your Bible reading. Or maybe, you had a bad church experience in the past and have drifted away. You always told yourself you would come back to the church, but as time has passed you just have not gotten around to it.

Falling asleep at our post in our spiritual lives is a risky proposition. The stakes are even higher here than in the military. Eternal lives are at stake. If we neglect our spiritual lives, we put ourselves in danger of missing out on the eternal life that God has won for us in Jesus.

Thankfully, Jesus never fell asleep at his post. He was alert. He was always vigilant in living as our substitute and Savior. Jesus lived a perfect life in our place, died on the cross to take our sins away, and assure us that salvation is ours. Through faith in Jesus, we are saved from our lack of readiness. In him, we have eternal life.

This same loving Savior encourages us to be alert in our lives of faith. So be on your guard! Get back into the Word. Find time to get into God’s house and grow in your faith. You and your family will receive eternal benefits as you stay alert.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your vigilance in earning my salvation. Help me always to be on alert, that I may stay in faith and reach everlasting life with 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.

He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:8,9

Strong to the End

Daily Devotion – December 3, 2020

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 1:8,9

See series: Devotions

“I don’t know how much more I can take.” Have you heard anyone offer that sentiment lately? Many of us are ready for 2020 to be over. No doubt about it, this year has presented many challenges: Covid-19. Natural disasters. Anxiety, depression, and stress are at dangerously high levels in society. Throw in political chaos, and it has been a year unlike any other.

How are you going to make it? Can you survive anything more? At the risk of piling on, there is no guarantee that 2021 will be better. In fact, it could be even worse. How are you going to make it?

Certainly not on your own. We are all so full of weakness, fear, and worry. We are so inclined to doubt, stress, and despair. We do not have sufficient strength to go it on our own, no matter what we may try to tell ourselves. Our supply of strength is severely limited and cannot possibly hope to get us through the challenges of this world.

Thankfully, God promises to keep us strong. He has sent Jesus to save us and strengthen us. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection give us the salvation we need and the assurance that God really does love us and care for us. In Jesus, we find forgiveness and peace. In Jesus, we find the strength to keep going and the hope of a better future in heaven.

God proved his love and care by keeping his promise of a Savior. He will keep his promise to strengthen us through his Word. How are you going to make it? Only through God and the strength he provides. Put your trust in Jesus and daily find strength through his Word. Make God’s Word a regular part of each day, and then, no matter how long this goes, God will keep you strong to the end.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I cannot do this on my own. Help me to trust in your Word of promise. Keep me strong 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.

Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay; you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8

Trust that God Has a Plan

Daily Devotion – December 2, 2020

Devotion based on Isaiah 64:8

See series: Devotions

Do these words from the prophet Isaiah make you uncomfortable? The picture of the potter and the clay is not how we normally look at life. We don’t want to think that we are being molded by someone else. Rather, we like to call the shots. We like to believe that we are in control. We would much prefer that others bend to our will rather than the other way around. Deep down, there is a stubbornness in each of us. We have a certain idea of how things should go. When someone has other ideas, we tend to dig in our heels and push forward with our own thing, regardless of the damage it may cause.

To such stubborn hearts, God speaks. He says that we have it all wrong. God wants to work on us. It is his will that matters, not ours. He wants to form us and mold us to his will. Too often, we fight God’s working in our lives.

Thankfully, Jesus never stubbornly fought against God’s will. He was always more than ready to serve in whatever way the Father called him to serve—even when that meant going to die on the cross for sins he had never committed. Imagine if Jesus had dug in his heels and stubbornly fought God’s plan for him! We all would be in eternal trouble. Instead, we rejoice to know that Jesus submitted to the Father’s will and earned our salvation through his life, death, and resurrection. Jesus was perfectly willing to serve us as our Savior.

That same loving Lord seeks to form you and make you a blessing to others. God will continue to work on you and mold you as you read and hear his Word in the Bible. Isn’t it exciting to think about what he might make of you!

Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, you are the potter, I am the clay. Help me to willingly serve you in my life as you mold me into the humble servant you want me to be. 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 saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
Genesis 6:5

Humanity

Daily Devotion – December 1, 2020

Devotion based on Genesis 6:5

See series: Devotions

Our society bombards us with the idea that all people are inherently good and that humanity will eventually move past its difficulties. Humanity is held up as the one thing that can save us all. Movie after movie continues to tell us that good will prevail over evil and that we should trust in the goodness of mankind.

But is that reality? If mankind was inherently good, why do we continue to have so much war, murder, and crimes like rape and human trafficking? If people all have some good deep down in their souls, why is there so much yelling and screaming? Why can we not all calmly discuss our differences and work together?

The reality is no one is inherently good. The Bible says it is quite the contrary. We read in Genesis—and throughout the Bible—that mankind is inherently sinful. Our thoughts and desires are inherently sinful, not inherently good. We are by nature selfish and greedy. We want our way and do not want to listen to anyone else, let alone listen to what God has to say. That certainly is not news that anyone wants to hear, but it is true.

The good news is that there is someone who was inherently good. His name is Jesus. He is the only man to have ever walked this earth without a sinful nature. Jesus was better than good. He was perfect. As our substitute, Jesus lived a perfect life in our place and died on the cross to pay for our sins. He died and rose again to guarantee that our sins would be forgiven and that we could have the gift of eternal life in heaven. Through faith in Jesus, we have a desire to live for God and to do what is good out of love for him.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for taking my sins away and for being my perfect substitute. Filled with your love, help me to desire what is good. Help me to serve you today. 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.

Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
Genesis 6:3

Living on Borrowed Time

Daily Devotion – November 30, 2020

Devotion based on Genesis 6:3

See series: Devotions

The wicked people of Noah’s day were living on borrowed time. Their days were numbered. God had had enough. He gave them a clear warning that they had 120 years before he was going to send powerful judgment. Our days are numbered as well. Unlike the people of Noah’s time, God has not told us specifically how many days we have left. But each one of us has a clock that is winding down.

How are you going to spend that time? The people of Noah’s day ignored God’s warning. They paid no heed to the fact that their day of judgment was approaching. They went on living as if it was no big deal. They kept on living out their daily routines.

We so easily keep on doing what we are doing and give no thought to our relationship with the God who created us. We go to work, get the kids to school, and go to tournaments on the weekends. We keep up with our favorite shows on Netflix and religiously follow our Facebook and Instagram feeds. Meanwhile, the clock on our earthly lives continues to wind down, and we fail to have a sense of urgency about our lives of faith. How many worship services have you failed to attend or tune into because you were caught up in daily life? How many days have you failed to spend even five minutes in the Bible because you had more important things to do?

Thankfully, Jesus did not take that approach in being our Savior. Jesus came into this world and had a short amount of time with which to accomplish our salvation. He came and got right to work, and he never once failed to handle our eternal destiny with a sense of urgency. He lived, died, and rose again so that we could be set free from sin, death, and hell. Thank God that Jesus had a sense of urgency about winning our salvation!

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your determination and commitment in achieving my salvation. Enable me to serve you today with that same determination. Help me to always be ready for the day when you will call me home. 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.