Category: Daily Devotions

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Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
1 Peter 2:11

Prepare for Battle

Is today shaping up to look a lot like yesterday? And the day before it? Life sure can settle into a routine, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Routines and habits can be blessings in our lives. But the same familiar rhythms of our daily lives can also lull us into a false sense of security in our spiritual lives. Because we end up doing the same thing most days, we can easily forget that the stakes are very high.

The Bible says that every day is a spiritual battle. Each day, there is a battle in a long spiritual war that we’ll be waging until we leave this earth. This battle is an internal one. The attacks come from our own sinful desires that fight against how God wants us to live our lives. Are you fighting that battle? Or have you quit putting up a fight, maybe without even realizing it? The culture around us wears us down and we may not even know we are often losing the battle, whether it is through the language we choose to use, the things we daydream about, or the actions that have become habits for us.

These daily battles are serious: our souls are the target. The devil is trying to destroy our souls, and he uses our own desires to do it! Because we so often fail to put up a fight, we most definitely should lose the battle and have our souls condemned forever.

Thankfully, we have one in our corner who fights for us. His name is Jesus, and he was born into this world for the specific purpose of going to battle on our behalf. To do so, he lived a perfect life in our place, daily defeating every temptation he faced. Then he gave his life in our place, to die the death that we deserved, even though he was completely innocent of all sin. Finally, he rose from the dead to guarantee our victory. In Jesus, the war has been won!

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, help me to be ready for battle each day with the knowledge that in you I have victory. Help me to fight the good fight of faith. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9

Who Are You?

Have you found yourself yet? Many of us are on a quest to find ourselves, or at least were at one time in our lives. We live in a world so full of people, groups, and ideas that we wonder where we fit. And so, we spend much of our lives searching for an identity—looking for a way to define ourselves.

There is no shortage of possible answers to the question. Perhaps we define ourselves through our athletic or musical abilities. As our skill and prowess grow, so does our self-esteem. Or maybe we define ourselves by our level of popularity. As our reputation with others increases, so does our own feeling of self-worth. We may define ourselves through our careers. As we climb the ladder of success, we also climb the ladder of value in our own eyes.

Have you discovered the problem with all these methods of finding or defining ourselves? Eventually, (hopefully before it is too late), we discover the emptiness of all these things. We will inevitably find others who are more athletically or musically gifted than we are. There will no doubt be something we do or say that will harm our reputation with others. And we will likely have one business failure or another. When all these things happen, our sense of value, identity, and self-worth will be shattered. Then what?

Thankfully, God has provided the answer to the question, “Who are you?” Through the work of Jesus as our Savior, God has made us his chosen people. He says that we are his “special possession.” This happened because Jesus came to live and die in our place to take our sins away and to make us right with God. Through faith in Jesus, we now have a new identity. We are God’s people. And that is an identity that can never be taken away from us.

Prayer:

Dear Father in heaven, thank you for making me yours through faith in Jesus. Help me to always and only find my identity as your child. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
Exodus 19:8

Don’t Worry About the Fine Print

“Sign here, here, and here, and write your initials here, and here, and here.” If you have ever signed a contract, you have heard those words. Whether putting a downpayment on a house, buying a car, or adopting a life insurance policy, you are asked to sign your name and agree to all the fine print. So much fine print! With such documents there are pages and pages of legal expectations and ramifications. It is all overwhelming at the moment and the best we can do in a few minutes is to briefly skim the headings to get a vague idea of what it is we are agreeing to. Names are signed in the hope that this will not come back to bite us.

Agreeing to keep God’s law is similar. On the surface, God’s law might look simple. I mean, there are only ten commandments, right? But the more we dig into the fine print; we realize that there is much more than meets the eye. Even a quick perusal of God’s law to us in the Bible shows that we are held accountable for even our thoughts, in addition to our words and actions. Things like doubt and worry leave us just as culpable as theft or murder. It soon becomes evident that there is no way we can perfectly hold up our end of the bargain.

Thankfully, we have someone who did it for us. Jesus knew all the demands of God’s law, and he signed his name on the dotted line of our contract. And then he was born into this world to take our place and to do the work of holding up our end of the bargain. He even did it perfectly! He never once sinned. He also gave his life in our place to pay the price that was demanded of us for the times we had broken the contract. Because of Jesus’ work in our place, God held up his end of the deal and has forgiven our sins and given us the free gift of heaven!

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for signing your name and holding up my end of the deal. Thank you for saving me. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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[Jesus said] “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

Shining Faith

One way you can share the precious love of God with others is to simply live your faith. Love others as God loves you. Let your Christian joy be evident to all.

You may be trying to reach a lost spouse, a straying college student, or a rebellious teenager. You may be trying to raise young children, reach a spiritually indifferent neighbor, coworker, or bowling buddy. Jesus says that the sincere and authentic way that you live your faith will influence others.

Oh yes, we know that some will reject Jesus. But others will be led to find out what makes us tick. Then we can tell them what we have been showing them with our lives—the love of Jesus. The real story of our Savior is such a powerful message that it leads people to put their faith in the heavenly Father and glorify him.

There certainly are many reasons to live our faith. We love because Christ first loved us. Sadly, we have given Christ many reasons to forsake us, but he has remained faithful to his promises and to us. In obedience and love to his Father and in love for us, he willingly walked to the cross and gave his holy blood as a complete sacrifice for our sins. The Father has declared us perfect in his sight through Jesus. By living our faith, we show thankfulness to our loving God.

We have another reason to live our faith. Jesus died not only for us but for all people. When we live our faith, others will be attracted to learn about God and his love. Therefore, our Christian lives give thanks to God and are directed toward the salvation of all people. What glorious purpose for our lives! So let your faith shine brightly.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me to let my light shine wherever I am and whatever I do. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
1 Kings 18:36-37

Praying with Purpose

If you are like me, there is a good chance that at some time in your life, you prayed for millions of dollars. Especially when I was a child, I had a long list of things that I would do with those million dollars. Of course, I would give some of it to church, but the main point of asking was to get something for myself.

Maybe things change when you grow up a little. Perhaps you no longer say as many self-centered prayers. Yet, because we are sinful human beings, our prayers can still be tainted with improper motivation: selfishness, greed, and pride.

When Elijah prayed, he prayed with a purpose that displayed Godly motivation. When he confronted the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, he wasn’t there to bring glory to himself. He didn’t pray ‘Lord, if this doesn’t work, I’m really going to look stupid!’ Elijah had but one reason for asking God to consume the altar he had built with fire: “…so these people will know that you, “LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

When we pray for ministries, job opportunities, and any blessing from God, we may be tempted to pray with all kinds of selfish motives. But remember that what matters in this world is not so much WHAT we accomplish, but FOR WHOM we accomplish it. Like Elijah, we too can pray with this one purpose in mind: that people may know that the Lord is God. Then, however God chooses to answer our prayers, we will continue to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, move my heart to utter prayers that are pleasing in your sight. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Matthew 5:9

Peacemaking

What is a peacemaker? A peacemaker is someone who steps into tension with a goal, not to win, not to escape, but to bring peace. That sounds noble. It also sounds exhausting. Especially when we remember that people are complicated and disagreements are real, and peace isn’t always welcome.

So, Jesus’ words come to us both as a comfort and a challenge: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Before we think about what it means for us to make peace, we need to start with the One who made peace with us. The Bible says that by nature we weren’t neutral toward God. We were actually opposed to him. Our sin created a war we couldn’t end. Yet God didn’t stand at a distance, demanding that we make the first move. Instead, he sent his Son to reconcile us to himself.

Jesus made peace not by ignoring sin but by carrying it. Not by pretending the conflict didn’t matter but by absorbing its full cost in his own body on the cross. His resurrection declared victory. Peace is now yours, fully and forever.

That peace with God becomes the foundation for peace with others.

Peacemaking doesn’t mean surrendering truth. It doesn’t mean allowing harm to continue or pretending wrong is right. It means approaching every person in conflict as someone who has been forgiven much and loved deeply. It means speaking truth without hostility, offering grace without conditions, and seeking understanding instead of retaliation.

Peacemaking is often quiet and unseen, but Jesus sees it. And here is his promise: “They will be called children of God.” Not because peacemaking earns your place in God’s family, but because it reflects the character of the Father who brought you into it. Every act of peacemaking whispers that you are blessed to belong to the God who made peace with you through Christ.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for making peace between God and me. Give me a heart that is gentle, truthful, and willing to seek peace. Help me reflect your love in every conflict I face. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Matthew 5:7

Mercy

If mercy were easy, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to preach about it. Mercy means showing compassion when it isn’t earned and giving kindness when it isn’t deserved. Mercy steps toward people who disappoint us, inconvenience us, or wound us, which are not usually moments when we feel particularly “blessed.”

That is why Jesus’ words might surprise us: “Blessed are the merciful.” The world often views mercy as a sign of weakness. Jesus calls it evidence of a heart transformed by grace.

To understand mercy, we start not with what we give, but with what we’ve been given. Think about the mercy Christ has shown you. He saw you long before you cleaned up your behavior or learned Christian vocabulary. He saw you tangled in sin, burdened by guilt, and unable to fix yourself. And instead of turning away, he drew near.

Mercy carried him through dusty villages to the forgotten and the broken. Mercy led him to wash the feet of his disciples who would soon abandon him. Mercy moved him to pray for his executioners even as they drove nails through his hands. Mercy kept him on the cross, where he took the punishment you and I had earned so that we could receive the forgiveness we could never deserve.

That is the mercy that saved you. And that mercy now shapes your life.

When Jesus calls you blessed for showing mercy, he isn’t saying you earn God’s favor by being kind enough or forgiving enough. He is saying that those who know his mercy begin to reflect it. Mercy is not a task to perform but a fruit that grows in a heart touched by grace.

The same mercy that met you at the cross meets you again every morning, covering your failures, lifting your spirit, and renewing your ability to show mercy to others. You give mercy because you live from mercy. And that makes you blessed indeed.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for the mercy you show me every day. Let your compassion soften my heart, guide my words, and shape my actions, so that others may see your love through me. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

Jesus Gives Us Comfort

At first glance, Jesus’ words sound contradictory. Blessed are those who mourn? Most of us spend our days trying to avoid sorrow, rather than embracing it. We fill our schedules, distract our minds, and tighten our emotional armor so we don’t have to face the things that hurt. Mourning doesn’t feel like a blessing. It feels like breaking.

But Jesus knows something we often forget. Sorrow has a way of bringing us to the end of ourselves so that we can find our beginning in him.

When Jesus speaks of those who mourn, he certainly includes those weighed down by the griefs and losses that come with living in a broken world. But Jesus also speaks of a deeper mourning: sorrow over sin. There is a particular kind of ache that comes when God’s Word exposes truths we’d rather not face.

And here is Jesus’ promise: “They will be comforted.” Not “might be.” Not “if they pull themselves together.” They will be comforted.

The comfort Jesus gives is not the shallow reassurance that things aren’t so bad. It is the deep comfort of forgiveness fully won at the cross. It is the comfort of a Savior who sits with you in the ashes and lifts your chin to remind you that your sins are nailed to his cross and cannot condemn you anymore. It is the comfort of a Shepherd who walks with you through the darkest valleys and promises that no grief will have the final word, not even death. His empty tomb guarantees it.

So, if you live today with sorrow, whether sorrow over life’s wounds or sorrow over your own sin, hear Jesus’ gentle blessing. You are not abandoned, forgotten, or cursed. You are blessed because Christ comes near to comfort you with mercy that does not run dry.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, teach me to bring my sorrows and my sins to you. Comfort me with your forgiveness, strengthen me with your presence, and fill my heart with the hope only you can give. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:30

Wisdom from God

If you have ever wondered what it means for your identity to be Christian, wonder no longer. This Bible verse answers the question. Everything a person is as a believer begins and ends with Christ.

The Bible says that Christ “has become for us wisdom from God.” That means you don’t have to figure out how to reach God. You don’t have to decode spiritual mysteries through your own intelligence or intuition. God’s wisdom has already come to you, wrapped in the person of Jesus. When you look at Christ crucified, you see God’s heart, God’s plan, and God’s love laid bare.

Christ is your righteousness. Think of that word the way a judge would. Righteousness means innocence, a perfect record, a spotless standing before the law. You don’t earn it. You don’t polish it. You don’t maintain it by good performance. Through faith, Christ gives you his own record, his own obedience, his own perfection. In Christ, God looks at you and sees “not guilty.”

He is your holiness, too. Holiness isn’t about how flawless you feel on your best days. It’s about being set apart by God as his treasured child. Because of Jesus, you are declared holy even when your heart feels cluttered with the same old sins. Your status in God’s family rests on Christ, not on the strength of your spiritual progress.

And Christ is your redemption. That word pictures a price paid, a slave set free, a prisoner released. Jesus didn’t just speak forgiveness over you; he purchased it with his own blood. He didn’t just open the door of your cell; he walked you out into the sunlight of a new life.

So today, remember what defines you. Not your success or failure. Not your feelings or fears. Not your wisdom or weakness. Christ is your wisdom, your righteousness, your holiness, your redemption. In other words, you have everything you need in him.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for being everything I need. Teach me to rest in your righteousness, walk in your holiness, and trust in your redeeming love. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
1 Corinthians 1:26

The Only Credential

If we were to ask people at your church the reason God chose them to be believers in Jesus, you’d probably see some uncomfortable shifting in the pews. A few smiles. Maybe even a laugh. We know better. Left to ourselves, none of us has a list convincing enough to impress God.

The apostle Paul invites us to “think of what you were when you were called.” Not to shame us, but to assure us. God didn’t wait for us to become wise, influential, impressive, or spiritually polished. He called us when we were helpless and unworthy, when we had nothing to offer him but our sin. His calling was not based on our qualities but on his compassion.

This is the upside-down beauty of grace. The world celebrates strength, status, intelligence, and achievement. God delights in rescuing the weak, the unknown, the ordinary. In a world obsessed with proving ourselves, the gospel frees us from the exhausting effort of self-validation. God’s love didn’t choose us because of who we are. Instead, it helped us become what we could never be on our own.

Think of what that means for you today. Your worth does not rise or fall with your productivity. Your identity is not anchored in your accomplishments. Your hope does not depend on whether you feel spiritual enough. God’s call came to you through water and Word, through promise and proclamation, and it rested entirely on Christ’s finished work. His perfect life replaced your broken one. His cross absorbed the judgment you deserved. His empty tomb wrapped you in a future that cannot be undone.

So, walk today with confidence, the kind that comes from hearing your Savior say, “You are mine.” When doubts whisper that you are not enough, return to the truth the Bible proclaims. God chose you deliberately, joyfully, graciously. You may not be wise by the world’s standards. You may not be influential or noble. But you are Christ’s. And that is the only credential that matters.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, remind me daily that your call is pure grace. Quiet my pride and insecurity and let my confidence rest in you alone. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.