Author: Kerry

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Philippians 3:12

Press On

Daily Devotion – October 16, 2023

Devotion based on Philippians 3:12

See series: Devotions

When was the last time you just wanted to give up and throw in the towel? Have you felt that way already two or three times today?

It’s easy to feel this way sometimes. Everyone gets to the point where they’re tempted to give up and call it a day.

Even Jesus felt the weight of the world on his shoulders as he faced the overwhelmingly burdensome task of winning perfect forgiveness and eternal salvation for all sinners. The Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, quoted the future Savior’s thoughts when he wrote, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all.”

But Jesus didn’t give up. He pressed on. And what compelled him to show the necessary resilience and to press on? His heavenly Father’s promises. Jesus remembered, “Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God” (Isaiah 49:4). Was it hard? You bet. But his Father’s reward gave him the strength to press on.

The apostle Paul was convinced of this reality, too–even in the midst of his own pain and imprisonment. In pondering the eternal reward guaranteed to him by Jesus, he wrote, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

We can press on, too, no matter how hard it gets, because nothing we face in this world is worth comparing to the glorious and eternal reward that will be revealed to us at the end of life’s race in this dying world (Romans 8:18).

Jesus knows how hard it is, but his faithful promises give us the strength to press on.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me remember that you know my pain so well. And remind me daily that I am more than a conqueror through 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.

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.
Isaiah 25:6-8

The Feast

Daily Devotion – October 15, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 25:6-8

See series: Devotions

Celebrations and food go hand in hand. Weddings have receptions, birthdays have cake, and the holidays always have their own unique treats.

Why is that? Why does feasting always seem to accompany celebration and joy? Because it’s a blessing that God has intended. He gives us food to help us celebrate.

In the beginning, the Lord gave Adam and Eve a home in Eden that was full of food for them to feast on. They were free to eat from any tree in the garden—except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But they broke God’s command, and their rebellion trapped them and all their descendants in a shroud.

What is this shroud that enfolds all peoples, this sheet that covers all nations? It is death. Because of sin, life ends in death for all individuals, peoples, and nations.

So, thank God that he destroyed the shroud when he sent his Son into our death-covered world! By his death on the cross, Jesus took away every sin that separates us from God, and by his resurrection, he swallowed up death forever. The shroud of death is lifted. Jesus lives, and in him, you live too.

Now God has prepared the feast for you, a banquet of life eternal. The celebrations of this world last only a moment, but the heavenly feast will never end. This is a feast of rich meats and the finest of wines—a feast like no other. This is a never-ending celebration where death has been swallowed up forever, and all tears have been wiped away. Rejoice and be glad in God’s salvation!

Prayer:
Lord Almighty, thank you for swallowing up death forever and for preparing the heavenly feast 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.

The Lord Jesus Christ . . . will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Philippians 3:20,21

Our Lowly Bodies

Daily Devotion – October 14, 2023

Devotion based on Philippians 3:20,21

See series: Devotions

A handful of you will live your lives free from serious illness or injury. And when you die, you will die quietly in your sleep. For many people, however, it’s simply a matter of time before they experience the hard truth that our bodies are frail, weak, and lowly vessels.

All it takes is one nasty bacterium, one malignant cell, one stubborn virus. All it takes is a second of inattention behind the wheel or a moment of distraction at the worksite, and before you know what’s happening, you find yourself lying in a hospital bed with barely enough strength to sit up. It’s then that you understand how vulnerable your body really is. And if you manage to avoid all this, there is always the slow-motion collision your body has with old age.

No matter how fit we are, how strong, athletic, or vigorous we are—the bodies we have are still lowly bodies. They are lowly and weak because of sin.

When the Son of God entered our time and space, he took on a human body; he became a human being. In that body, he lived a sinless life on our behalf. Then he allowed sinners to nail his body to a cross. On that cross, Jesus’ body carried the sins of the whole world and paid for them in full. And three days later, Jesus rose from death, his body glorified.

What does this mean for us? God’s Word says that “the Lord Jesus Christ…will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Remember this when you look in the mirror and see your frailty. Remember this when you’re lying on a hospital bed. Remember this when you feel too weak to leave your home. Remember this when the body of a beloved Christian wears out and dies.

In this fallen world, our bodies are lowly bodies. But for the Christian, the world to come will be different. God’s Word says so.

Prayer:
Sustain me, Lord, as I grapple with my lowly body in this fallen world. Thank you for your promise to transform my lowly body to be like yours. 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 sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes . . . The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the vines he delighted in.
Isaiah 5:1,2,7

God Wants Us to Grow

Daily Devotion – October 13, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 5:1,2,7

See series: Devotions

God isn’t kind to us because we were first kind to him. He’s kind to us because being kind to us is what God delights in. The prophet Isaiah compared God’s kindness to what it takes to build a vineyard—digging the land, removing all the stones, planting the vines, building a watchtower and a winepress. All of that takes a lot of work. And it took an extra amount of work in Palestine (where Isaiah lived at the time).

The Palestinians have a legend that goes like this: When God created the world, an angel flew over it, carrying a bag of stones under each arm. As he flew over Palestine, one bag broke so that half of all the stones in the world were in Palestine.

The point of that short story is to say that there are a lot of stones in the dirt of Palestine. And if you have ever been given the task of removing stones from a field or a backyard, then you certainly know that this isn’t a delightful task. But it’s the kind of task that God delights in if it takes care of you.

Your life is a labor of love for God. He is glad to invest whatever amount of time it takes to strengthen you spiritually so you produce a bumper crop of spiritual fruit. He even gave his son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for your sins so you could be in a right relationship with him and spend your life serving him. What are ways you can do that today?

Prayer:
Lord God, help me to guide my life according to your Word and ground my faith on all that was accomplished for me by 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.

Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’”
Matthew 21:37,38

It Makes No Sense

Daily Devotion – October 12, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 21:37,38

See series: Devotions

Jesus’ story about a landowner who planted a vineyard and rented it to some farmers took a surprising turn. The renters had refused to pay their rent. So, the owner sent his son to collect. He assumed they would respect the son enough to pay what they owed. Instead, they killed him.

It seems far-fetched, doesn’t it? Yet, whenever you and I refuse to listen to God’s son, Jesus, it is just as strange. Why would we refuse to listen to the son of the God who created us and provides for us? It makes no sense.

Even more remarkable is that God continues to love and forgive us for the times we don’t listen to his son. In fact, it is because of what his son, Jesus, did that he forgives us. Instead of punishing us for our sins, God sent his son to be punished in our place on the cross so that we could be forgiven. It seems far-fetched, doesn’t it? It makes no sense.

But we can be thankful God did what he did. We can be thankful his son was willing to do what he did. And we can spend our lives listening to God’s son and using our lives to thank him. It’s the only thing that makes sense!

Prayer:
Dear God, help me live my life in thanksgiving for what you did to save me from my sins. 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.

Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
Matthew 21:37-41

Thank God for His Grace

Daily Devotion – October 11, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 21:37-41

See series: Devotions

Jesus told a story about a man who rented his vineyard to some farmers. When he sent servants to collect the rent, the renters beat them. After sending a series of servants, the man sent his son. Sadly, the renters killed him.

Jesus told the story to warn the religious leaders of his day not to do the same as those renters. God had sent his son to them, and they were planning to kill him. So, Jesus told this story to warn them against what they were about to do. They knew the answer to Jesus’ question at the end of his story. “What will [the landowner] do to the tenants” who killed his son? They should obviously be punished for such a horrible act.

Even as he was looking ahead to being killed by these men, Jesus reached out to them in love to warn them. And even more remarkably, Jesus would go to his death to pay the price for his enemies’ sins, even their sins against him.

His death paid for our sins, too. For when Jesus was killed on the cross and rejected by so many, we were forgiven for everything. Every sin was washed away. Every stain on our hearts was cleansed, and we were welcomed into God’s eternal family.

This is grace. We receive it by faith. May we never take it for granted.

Prayer:
Lord, you are generous with your grace; forgiving me of every sin through the sacrifice willingly offered by Jesus. Thank 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.

“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.”
Matthew 21:33

God’s Investment

Daily Devotion – October 10, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 21:33

See series: Devotions

Notice all that the landowner did before the renters came in. He invested sweat equity in planting the vineyard. He took the time to build a wall around it. He dug the winepress—all by himself—before the days of heavy-duty farm equipment and machinery. He built the watchtower. He did all those things to produce a vineyard.

Just as the landowner in Jesus’ story made investments in his vineyard, God has made investments in our lives.

He pieced together 37.2 trillion cells and organized them into what you see when you look in the mirror each morning—cells that work together in such a way that the average person can get out of bed and not have to tell their brain to think, their heart to beat, their lungs to inflate, or their blood to flow in order for all those things to happen.

Additionally, he commands his angels to guard us. He actively watches over our lives, making sure all things work together for our good.

Most importantly, he invested the perfect life of his Son, Jesus, to redeem us from sin, death, and the devil.

Our God loves us. He cares for our lives and has invested so much in us already. He will never stop investing in us!

Prayer:
Lord, you are generous in what you invest in my life. Lead me to live a life of generous gratitude to you. Amen.

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

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

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

[Jesus said] “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
Matthew 21:33-41

God Is Patient with Us

Daily Devotion – October 9, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 21:33-41

See series: Devotions

What do you find more surprising in this story—the horrible actions of the tenants or the landlord’s decision to keep sending his servants, thinking that perhaps they’ll act differently?

Whatever you think of his decision, it’s clear that this landowner was incredibly patient. And that’s what Jesus is teaching us about God. Our God is incredibly patient with people who disobey and distrust him.

Like the owner of the vineyard in Jesus’ story, God sends person after person to call us to follow him. He even sent his son, Jesus—to give us a Savior to whom we can turn in our sin, repent, and find complete forgiveness. What a patient God we have!

Prayer:
Gracious Lord, help me to never take your patience for granted, but rather quickly turn to you in repentance when I see my sin and find comfort in the forgiveness already won for me by Jesus, 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.

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?” . . . The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
Isaiah 5:1-4,7

The Harvest

Daily Devotion – October 8, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 5:1-4,7

See series: Devotions

It was back-breaking work to plant and care for a vineyard—the plowing, the clearing of stones, the planting. You had to wait two years to see any fruit. Yet, this farmer did everything possible to make his vineyard fruitful. But when he went to find good fruit, all he found was rot.

God told this story to describe the people of Israel. He had given them everything they could possibly need to succeed: a homeland, a guide to live by, a place to worship, leaders to help them, prophets to lead them. Nothing more could have been done. Yet, when the harvest came, God found no fruit. His people had rejected him.

Friends, this isn’t a picture of Israel alone. This is a picture of every single person on earth. Even though God has done everything for us, by nature, we hated God. We were God’s enemies. We produced only rotten fruit.

But God was determined not to give up on us. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus, to live in our place, to produce the good fruit that God desired. And Jesus not only lived for us, but also died for us to take away all of our sin and establish peace between us and God again. This good news creates a desire in us to do what God desires to produce the good fruit he’s looking for. Because of Jesus, we can once again be the garden of God’s delight!

Prayer:
Lord, have mercy on me for the times when I take your care for granted. Let me never receive that love in vain, but help me to produce the good fruit that you desire and deserve. 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 entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Matthew 21:23-27

Teaching the Truth

Daily Devotion – October 7, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 21:23-27

See series: Devotions

Our Bible verses today record some of Jesus’ activity in Jerusalem a few days before he was crucified. He entered the temple courts and taught the people. He wanted everyone to know why he had come. His impending arrest, trial, and crucifixion was looming. But, in love for the people, he continued teaching the truth that all sinners need to learn, that he was their Savior who had come to sacrifice his life for their sin and rescue them from eternal death.

Not everyone believed him. The religious leaders challenged Jesus because they did not accept him as the Son of God. He lovingly warned them that without him they could not be saved from their sins.

As Jesus entered Jerusalem on that day to teach the people, he still enters our lives to teach us through his Word. The most important truth that Jesus wants us to learn and live by is that he is our Savior, who died for us to give us eternal life with God. He cleansed us from sin by his blood and overcame death by his resurrection.

Jesus teaches the truth of God’s love. You can count on him for forgiveness. You can rely on him for every need. You can place your hope in him for a life filled with God’s eternal blessings. He teaches you what’s really important. Are you listening?

Prayer:
Teach me, Jesus, that I may know you better as my Savior and follow you more closely as my Lord. 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.