Author: Kerry

[Jesus said] “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13

The Promise of Forgiveness

Daily Devotion – June 22, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 9:13

See series: Devotions

There is a website that invites you to confess your deepest, darkest secrets. It invites you to use their website to share with the entire internet the most shameful skeletons you have in your closet. On one recent day, there were thousands of individual confessions that had been posted.

There are proven benefits to confessing our deepest secrets. Holding onto secrets about yourself, especially the bad ones, dramatically increases your stress, drastically cuts into your amount of needed rest, and radically transforms your mood and emotions into an inconsistent mess. This website was created as a way for people to unload the heaviest burdens on their hearts.

Despite that, you might still wonder why anyone would choose to openly confess their darkest secrets to the entire internet. One reason may be that all of the confessions are anonymous. People are fine with the whole internet world knowing the most intimate details of their secrets, as long as no one can ever connect those secrets with their names.

And we understand why. We easily wonder what people would think of us, and what consequences would follow, if they knew the entire truth about our past, or about the thoughts and passions we so often indulge.

But Jesus is already aware of all of them, whether or not we confess them to him. When Jesus approached a man named Matthew to call him as a disciple, he was well aware of Matthew’s deserved reputation as a “sinner.” Yet he assured him that sinners like Matthew were exactly the type of people for whom Jesus had come. He came to call sinners into God’s kingdom.

Whatever your skeletons, whatever your secrets, whatever your sins, you don’t need to be afraid of them. Jesus calls you to confess those sins to him, knowing that he offers full and free forgiveness.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, as you hear me confess my deepest sins, draw my eyes to the Savior who forgave them. 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.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

This is the day the Lord has made

Daily Devotion – June 21, 2020

Devotion based on Psalm 118:24

See series: Devotions

When I was a youngster, my father bought a poster with the Bible passage for today printed underneath a picture of an 18-month-old child. The child was eating spaghetti. And of course, as little ones eat, they don’t seem to think they’ll get the full nutrients unless they try to absorb some of it through their skin. So, this little one had taken the bowl of spaghetti (yes, noodles and sauce) and had dumped it over his head!

Of course, after beginning to “wear” the spaghetti, the child discovered that it wasn’t as pleasant an experience as he had anticipated. So the child was now sitting there, covered with spaghetti and sauce, and crying his eyes out. And at the bottom, it read: “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Yes, life can be messy. Unfortunately, often we cause the messes ourselves, because of our own sinfulness.

Yet, we rejoice!

How can this be? For one reason—Jesus. Jesus’ death washed my sins away. And Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that I, too, will be getting out of the grave someday. Guaranteed. No doubt about it. I WILL be going to heaven, because of Jesus’ wonderful work. And as long as we live, there will never be a day on which Jesus hasn’t died, on which Jesus hasn’t risen. It’s true. It’s done. We rejoice!

Even when there’s some spaghetti sauce running down our faces!

Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, that I can rejoice and be glad this day because it is a day that you have made. 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.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

Know Your Need

Daily Devotion – June 20, 2020

Devotion based on Romans 3:23

See series: Devotions

In medicine, whether the medical professional is dealing with an afflicting disease or an addiction to some substance, often patients deny that they are sick and in need of help. This kind of reaction is not limited to people with physical or mental problems. It is also typical of human beings when confronted with the truth about their spiritual condition. What is that condition? The Bible tells us, “All have sinned.”

Sadly, denial of the problem means a failure to recognize the need that we each have as sinners—namely the need to be forgiven. If there is a malady worse than sin, it is this, the denial that I am a sinner in need of a Savior.

“All have sinned,” wrote Paul. “and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This is the truth of our spiritual condition before God. If we claim to be good enough to stand before God on our own, “we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8).

There is only one way to have a relationship with God. Through Jesus. He lived a perfect life, fulfilling the holy standard of God’s will. In love for us, God credits Jesus’ holy life to us. And what is more, Jesus died innocently. God counted Jesus’ death as full payment for the penalty of our sin. God has declared us holy through Jesus and has freed us from sin’s terror.

So, know yourself. Know your sin. Know your great need for Jesus. Like me and everyone else, your sins separate you from God. But like me and everyone else, Jesus came to save you from those sins. He is our perfect Savior!

Prayer:
Jesus, help me overcome my natural inclination that I can make myself right with God. I know that I need you. Trusting in your sacrifice for the forgiveness of my sins, I am proud to call you 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.

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
2 Peter 1:20–2:3

Lots of Light

Daily Devotion – June 19, 2020

Devotion based on 2 Peter 1:20–2:3

See series: Devotions

Depending on where you live in the Northern Hemisphere, today and tomorrow are probably the days with the most sunlight for the entire year. Where I live, there’s supposed to be fifteen hours and twenty minutes between sunrise and sunset today. I hope it’s not cloudy. I love the sun!

I do not love the darkness. I associate darkness with people being able to do things in secret. In the sunlight, things are out in the open, but in the dark, people can get away with more. When it comes to false religious teachers, I imagine that they like to operate secretly, in the dark, fabricating stories and denying the truth.

How can I know if a particular religious message is true or false? Shine a light on it! Compare it to what God has said in the Bible.

And how do I know that I can trust what is written in the Bible? One of the Bible writers, Peter, assures me that what is written in the Bible was not made up by human beings. Yes, human beings wrote down the words. But God made sure that every word was true. Peter says that he and the other Bible writers spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

I can’t beat that method of enlightenment. Peter and the other Bible writers have told me all about Jesus, the Son of God, my Savior. I love the Son!

Prayer:
Lord God, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 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.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Romans 3:27,28

No Boasting

Daily Devotion – June 18, 2020

Devotion based on Romans 3:27,28

See series: Devotions

God lives in an absolutely perfect place called heaven. It is full of happiness and pleasure, with nothing unclean or impure. It goes on forever, and God wants you to join him there. So he tells you, “Be perfect and holy as I the Lord am perfect and holy.”

If you could be that holy, you’d have something to boast about! It would be amazing to keep every commandment of God perfectly all the time for your entire life. God does say that if you do that, you can go to heaven. That is what Paul the apostle refers to as “the law that requires works.”

Unfortunately, you have not been able to do that. Don’t kid yourself. God knows everything, and he sees that no one is perfect. When he takes a close look at your life, he sees that you have nothing to boast about. Just when you think you have kept one law; you realize that you have neglected three more.

So you are in trouble. You deserve to be separated from God and his blessings forever in a place the Bible calls hell. But God doesn’t want that to happen! So he sent his Son, Jesus, to become a human being. Jesus never did anything wrong. Every thought was perfect, every word was perfect, every deed was perfect. Jesus never neglected his duties, not even once. He deserved to go to heaven!

But instead of taking the heaven that he deserved, Jesus took the hell that you deserved. Then he said that he would credit his perfect life to you. Through faith in Jesus, you have his perfection credited as your own. That’s what Paul the apostle calls “the law that requires faith.”

You don’t have to justify your life to God. He has justified you by faith in Jesus apart from the works of the law. You have nothing to boast about, but you still go to heaven through faith in Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, lead me to trust you rather than boasting about myself. 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.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Make the Signs Obvious

Daily Devotion – June 17, 2020

Devotion based on Deuteronomy 11:18-21

See series: Devotions

I was going door-to-door, telling people about Jesus in a community in Florida. Every home I stopped at had a little metal plaque nailed to the doorframe. It had Hebrew letters on it. Those little signs made it obvious that Jewish people lived in that home, and they had read the words of today’s reading from the Bible, “Write these words of mine on the doorframes of your houses.” Many Jewish people take these words quite literally. They nail God’s Word to the doorframes of their houses.

But it is clear from the Bible that God doesn’t want his people to simply nail his Word to the frames around the doors of our houses. He wants us to have his Word in our hearts and minds. He wants us to be talking about them all the time, at home or away, at night or by day. And he definitely wants us to be teaching them to our children.

Why are these words so important? Because in his Word, he gives us the words and promises about Jesus, our Savior. Jesus is the way to heaven. Knowing that through him, we have forgiveness and eternal life is the most comforting truth imaginable. No wonder our gracious God wants us to keep his Word close to us!

Prayer:
Dear Lord, may your Word always fill my mind and heart. 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.

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Matthew 7:28,29

Amazing Teaching

Daily Devotion – June 16, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 7:28,29

See series: Devotions

Some religious leaders teach a list of things that you have to do to get to heaven. At first, their teaching sounds attractive, because the things on the list are usually pretty good. The religious leaders talk about prayer, honoring God, and doing good things for the people around you. It’s clear that those are great things to do!

But if you dig a little deeper, things get murkier. When you ask how often or how seriously you have to do those things to get to heaven, these teachers have to start making up answers. The list of laws gets more complicated, more detailed, and weirdly less certain. Will you go to hell rather than heaven if you do something four times, not five, or if you get distracted when you are doing it?

The people listening to Jesus teach were used to hearing about all the laws they had to keep in order to go to heaven. They were used to asking the teachers of the law about the little details. They were used to hearing the teachers of the law argue among themselves about how to answer.

Along came Jesus. He taught God’s law. He taught it so clearly and strongly that there was no chance anyone could do what he was describing. People were amazed.

Then Jesus made them even more amazed. He said that he would do what no one else could do. He would keep every one of God’s laws perfectly. And then he would die to pay for the sins of people who could not keep the law perfectly. Jesus told everyone that they would go to heaven by believing in him, not by keeping any laws. This is why the followers of Jesus have such comfort. They know they have God’s forgiveness. They know they are headed to heaven. They know this because their forgiveness and eternal life do not depend on their obedience to God’s laws but on Jesus’ obedience. They are his free gift. Isn’t it amazing!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching me the good news that through you I am forgiven and have been given 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.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Matthew 7:24-27

Built on the Rock

Daily Devotion – June 15, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 7:24-27

See series: Devotions

When we bought our house, we thought that the yard looked pretty good. We liked how the water drained on the property, and we were impressed by the landscaping. But one of our new neighbors scared us. “Check the foundation of your house for cracks,” he said. “We saw the builder bring in a lot of fill dirt before he built, and we have always worried about your new home’s stability.”

We checked the foundation. No cracks. We have lived in the home for ten years. So far, so good.

How about your house? Is it built on rocks or sand? How about your life? How stable is your foundation?

Jesus said that you need a solid foundation to withstand the storms of this life. If your foundation is built on sand, your life will come crashing down during stormy times. If your foundation is built on rock, you’ll be able to withstand life’s storms.

How do you build your life’s foundation on rock? Jesus is very clear about that. He tells you, “Hear these words of mine! Put them into practice!” The words of Jesus are what he says in the Bible. Those words include, “I am your Savior. You aren’t good enough on your own to get to heaven. But I was good enough to get you to heaven.” Trust Jesus. No foundation can be more solid than that, both for life right now and for eternal life in heaven.

Prayer:
Jesus, keep me firmly grounded, trusting your words for life now and forever. 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.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.
Colossians 1:21,22

A Wrong Relationship Made Right

Daily Devotion – June 14, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 1:21,22

See series: Devotions

How would you rate your relationship with God on a scale of 1 to 10? How would GOD rate it? Many people never bother to ask God what he has to say about his relationship with them. They think it is their prerogative to determine whether their relationship with God is good, bad, or ugly. Some think everything is okay between them and God. Others think God is out to get them and wants nothing good for them.

What does GOD have to say? First, he tells us that our evil behavior alienated us from him. God cannot and will not accept sin. We have sinned. Our evil behavior made us God’s enemies. We don’t want to hear this, but whether we want to hear it or not is irrelevant. God has declared it to be true.

But God does not want to be our enemy. He loves us. So he sent his Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for our sins. All of our evil behavior was washed away by Jesus’ blood on the cross. Now God sees us as holy, sinless, perfect people. We are no longer God’s enemies. We have been reconciled to him.

Now, how would you rate your relationship with God on a scale of 1 to 10? Thank God, that through Jesus, he has taken you from a real 0 to a 10!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I know that without your help I would be alienated from God because of my sins. I can never thank you enough for reconciling me to my Maker. Give me peace and joy this day, knowing that I am no longer God’s enemy but his beloved and forgiven child. 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 God of love and peace will be with you.
2 Corinthians 13:11

To the Anxious

Daily Devotion – June 13, 2020

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 13:11

See series: Devotions

Scott Stossel is a highly respected journalist. He is a graduate of Harvard. His abilities and work ethic have brought him to the point where he now serves as editor of The Atlantic magazine. Those who work with him have often observed how he is able to display a calm demeanor, especially in times of crisis.

It came as quite a shock to many of his colleagues, therefore, when Stossel wrote a book entitled, My Age of Anxiety. In his book, Stossel confesses that extreme anxiety often grips him. He writes, “On ordinary days, doing ordinary things—reading a book, lying in bed, talking on the phone, sitting in a meeting, playing tennis—I have thousands of times been stricken by a pervasive sense of…dread.”

After the book’s release, it became clear that Stossel was not alone. My Age of Anxiety spent weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Its popularity only confirmed what others were saying. Psychology Today has called anxiety “one of our modern plagues.” A recent report estimates that some 40 million adult Americans suffer from anxiety disorders, with almost 7 million suffering a level of anxiety characterized by “persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday things.”

For many of us, this is not news. For many of you, severe anxiety—anxiety over past regrets, present problems, future outcomes—threatens to grip you every day.

What to do with such worry? What to do with such dread and so much fear?

First of all, confess to the Lord. Confess to the Lord that severe anxiety is a temptation into which you can often fall. Remember that Jesus died for your every sin—including your sins of worry. Take a deep breath. Bask in his forgiveness.

Then, rest on his promises. “The God of…peace will be with you,” Paul wrote. In Psalm 139, David reminds us that our God of peace is in front of us, behind us, around us. His right hand “holds [us] fast.”

When anxious thoughts trouble you deeply, look intently to your Savior God, who is your peace permanently.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, so often I give in to anxiety. Forgive me. Wash me in your blood. Surround me in your peace. Empower me to trust in you, 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.