Category: Daily Devotions

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:4

Glorious Life

Daily Devotion – April 17, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:4

See series: Devotions

You wouldn’t think that Easter would be a time for “hard to hear” words from our God. But in Colossians 3:4, the apostle Paul brings two of the most “hard to hear” Easter words into the conversation: when and then. “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Okay, in reality, they’re not that troublesome for us! But they do carry some difficult implications, nevertheless.

When indicates an indefinite time in the future. Think of cold weather people, cooped up inside their homes for 6 (or more!) months of the year. They just want to see a 75-degree day! And it will happen when spring comes. Well, when will spring come? That we don’t know for sure. And that waiting is hard.

Then indicates something that is coming in the future, something separated from us by a length of time. But we tend to want things now. After 6 months of winter, the frostbitten northerners don’t want to hear about another 3–5 inches of white stuff in the forecast. They just want to be able to sit outside on the patio today. They don’t want then, they want now. And that waiting is hard.

But that first 75-degree day, enjoyed in the sunshine on the patio? It’s glorious and totally worth the wait.

Don’t misunderstand. Easter absolutely gives us a reason to rejoice today and every day of our lives. We have a living Savior, one who hears and helps, upholds and strengthens, one who sits at the very right hand of God himself. Easter definitely blesses us now. But “if our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all,” wrote the Apostle Paul. (1 Corinthians 15:19, EHV).

Easter’s fullest triumph is not something we know now, but something we will know then. When Jesus comes back to judge the world, those who were with him through the troubles and trials of this life will then appear with him in glory—glory that never diminishes, a glory that never ends. When will that happen? We don’t know. Wait with eager expectation. Wait in faith. Because it will, indeed, be glorious and totally worth the wait.

Prayer:
Preserve me in faith until the day of your return. And come quickly, Lord 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.

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:4

Your Life

Daily Devotion – April 16, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:4

See series: Devotions

“He lives all glory to his name. He lives, my Jesus, still the same.” These lines are from one of Christianity’s most beloved hymns entitled: “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” You can often see tears welling up in people’s eyes as they sing these words.

I’m not sure why these lines, in particular, tug at heartstrings and cause lumps in throats. But I think it’s probably because of the personal pronoun. In that line of the hymn, he’s not just “Jesus.” He is “my Jesus.” And that one little word—those two little letters—take the Almighty God, the Savior of mankind, the most famous person in the history of the world and they make him…mine. They tie him to me.

Insignificant me, barely keeping it together me, screw up me. I see abundant proof everyday of how I’ve done everything to deserve God’s hatred and nothing to deserve God’s love. And every day, I pile on more. All of that is true. And yet, Jesus is mine.

He is mine as I remember the water of baptism where I became his. He is mine in the Lord’s Supper, where he gives me his true body and blood. He is mine on the pages of the Bible, where he promises time and again that nothing will be able to separate me from him.

Do you see the personal pronoun in Paul’s words from Colossians 3? “When Christ, who is your life, appears…”

Here Jesus is not just “life.” Jesus is your life! A “still in the tomb” Jesus would still be a wonderful role model and teacher for you. He’d provide a wonderful voice from the past. But a living Jesus, a “no longer in the tomb” Jesus is infinitely better. A living Jesus can keep his promise that you too will conquer death. A living Jesus can keep his promise to be with you always, till the very end of the age. A living Jesus can bless you today with his power and presence. Because by faith, he’s your Jesus, still the same. He’s your life.

Prayer:
Risen Savior, in the midst of sadness and death in this world, you remain my life. Calm my fears and anxieties by ever reminding me that you live and you are mine. 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.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3

Hidden Life

Daily Devotion – April 15, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:3

See series: Devotions

Did you know that R2D2 and C3PO make a brief appearance as hieroglyphs in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”? Or that “Boo”—the little girl from the Disney Pixar movie “Monsters, Inc.” makes an on-screen cameo in another Disney Pixar movie “Toy Story 4”? Or that Alfred Hitchcock made an uncredited appearance in almost all of his movies? These are all examples of what film devotees call “Easter Eggs”—little surprises that are carefully hidden by movie creators in their final product and left for big-time fans to unwittingly stumble upon to their amusement and delight.

The idea of things hidden in plain sight is fascinating. The idea that something kind of fun, interesting, or maybe even awesome could be right in front of your eyes, and you’d never even know it.

The Apostle Paul talks about something “awesome, hidden in plain sight” in Colossians 3:3 when he says, “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

Can you see the awesomeness? At baptism, the child of God is covered with Christ. His perfection blankets us, burying our disobedience far beneath it—so that only Jesus’ perfect obedience is visible to God. That’s why Paul can say, “You died.” “You” as a separate entity, isolated and alone before an angry eternal Judge…died. That version of “you” is no longer a thing. You are hidden with Christ. And that is awesome!

But that awesomeness is hidden in plain sight. The children of God are not given sashes to proclaim their status. They look the same as their neighbors. They endure job losses and rejection, infertility and tragedy, illnesses of the body and mind. But although hidden in plain sight, the awesomeness remains.

Paul himself says, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8,9).

The devil can do a lot of damage, but he can’t go back and change this fact. Jesus won. Death remains defeated. Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. What a blessing beyond measure to be hidden with him.

Prayer:
Risen Savior, in you I find refuge, in you I find shelter. Comfort me in every season of life with the blessed assurance that I am hidden in you. Amen.

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

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

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

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:1,2

Higher Life

Daily Devotion – April 14, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:1,2

See series: Devotions

I know nothing about savings bonds. Today I went to an online calendar and tried to figure out the value of a $50 savings bond my child received in 2011. Over the course of almost 10 years, it’s gained $1.46 in total interest. The person who gave it to her definitely had her future in mind. I’m just not sure we realized how far into the future we’d have to go to see the benefits.

Does the promise of Easter ever feel that way―like something that might pay off at some time in the distant future, but that’s maybe not all that much benefit to people living a troubled life in a difficult world today?

Easter doesn’t just mean future good things when we die. It means good things for God’s people today. Having an “alive” Jesus leads to us having an “ascended” Jesus and having an “ascended” Jesus means that right now, today, as we speak, we have a friend in high places! A friend who sits in the highest place, to be more specific—at the very right hand of God himself.

That leads to a new perspective on our lives right now. Paul encourages us “to seek the things that are above.” You see if what we amass during our 70 or 80 years in this world is the entirety of our existence…it’s not hard to see why folks put so much time and effort into “getting”—getting status, getting “likes,” getting stuff. But knowing that the 70 or 80 years here is only the introduction to our story, and there is a higher throne and an eternal home waiting for us, our focus turns. It turns from downward and inward to outward and upward. To a higher life—one that’s not just waiting for us when we die, but also affecting the way we look at our lives right now.

Easter changed the people who experienced it. You can bet that the women at the tomb were never the same after seeing the angels and hearing their message. You can bet that Peter and John were never the same after seeing that Jesus had risen. So also Easter changes us. It sets our minds on a higher life.

Prayer:
Risen Savior, remind me daily that you sit at the right hand of God, and help me to live my life, setting my mind on things above. 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.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:1

New Life

Daily Devotion – April 13, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:1

See series: Devotions

“Your whole life can change in an instant.” Usually, we hear that phrase applied to negative and tragic situations. And it’s true that a car accident, job loss, or doctor’s diagnosis can all change your whole life in an instant.

But not everything that changes your life in an instant is a bad thing. The instant a father and mother hear their new baby’s cries for the first time—their whole lives have changed in an instant…and for the better. The new life that just arrived in the delivery room has brought new life and a changed world for the whole family.

The new life that arrived at the empty tomb on Easter morning brought new life and a changed world for all who believe in Jesus. And we weren’t even there! We weren’t walking with the ladies that first Easter Sunday, carrying myrrh and aloe. We didn’t duck our heads into the tomb with Peter and John only to find empty strips of linen and a lonely headcloth. We sure weren’t there when new life came to a lifeless body, and death suddenly lost its chill. We weren’t there. And yet Paul says to the Colossians and us, “You have been raised with Christ.”

How can this be? When the Holy Spirit works faith in a person’s heart, their whole life changes in an instant. Through faith, Jesus and his people become inexorably intertwined. He has led a perfect life in God’s sight. By faith, his followers receive that perfect life in God’s sight. He has conquered death. By faith, his followers will one day conquer death.

No, we weren’t there with the women to hear the angels’ message. We didn’t peer into the tomb with Peter and John. We don’t need to go back in time to be raised with Christ. Instead, Christ comes to us—to our hearts by faith and brings with him the power of his resurrection: Joy where there was only sadness. Hope where there was only despair. New life where there was only death. Look at the empty tomb and rejoice―everything changed in an instant!

Prayer:
Risen Savior, I rejoice in your resurrection and gladly embrace the hope you have brought me. Thank you for conquering death and sharing your triumph with 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 angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
Matthew 28:5,6

Easter Morning Changed Everything

Daily Devotion – April 12, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 28:5,6

See series: Devotions

He is risen! The completion of God’s plan of salvation for mankind took place on Easter morning. Jesus, the Son of God, our substitute, rose from death. All of the Old Testament and the first portions of the four Gospels pointed forward to the coming suffering, death, and rising again of Jesus to complete his victory over eternal death for you and me. All of the New Testament following Easter pointed back to the event.

If the centerpiece of the whole Bible is God’s plan of salvation for all sinful mankind, then shouldn’t that be our focus every day? If it weren’t for what took place Easter morning, you and I would have had nothing to look forward to except our own death, which would have meant eternal separation from God. Easter morning changed everything! God accepted Jesus’ perfect life, his innocent suffering, and his death as an exchange for our sinful life. Jesus earned eternal life for us with God in heaven.

So, if God tells us in the Bible that we now have a future with him, shouldn’t every morning be a resurrection morning? Yes, we can look forward with anticipation and every morning remember Jesus’ resurrection morning. God’s promise to us has been fulfilled, and we look forward to everlasting joy.

Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of salvation through your Son, Jesus, and the joy and anticipation that you give me with your promise and fulfillment. 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.

“[Christ Jesus] became obedient to death—even death on a cross.”
Philippians 2:8

Even Death on a Cross

Daily Devotion – April 11, 2020

Devotion based on Philippians 2:8

See series: Devotions

Even death on a cross: That’s all that the Apostle Paul had to say as the Holy Spirit moved him to write this letter to the Christian congregation in the town of Philippi. Philippi, you see, had a sizeable number of retired Roman soldiers and their families living there. No one had to explain to them what death on a cross meant.

And yet the understated power of Paul’s reference was unmistakable. For Paul’s readers, death on a cross was more than enough to trigger in their minds the sights and sounds and smells of one of the worst forms of execution mankind has ever invented. Crucifixion meant a slow death with the maximum of pain and suffering on every level imaginable. Our English word excruciating comes from the Latin word for crucify.

With just a few words Paul had made his point: As our Savior, Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience on our behalf. In the life he lived as our substitute, Jesus never faltered. He never failed. For the sake of living the perfect life we could not live, Jesus was obedient to the very end. Even when the end was death on a cross.

But, of course, the cross was not the end. Jesus came back to life. He’d purchased our forgiveness by his suffering and death. And by faith in him now, eternal life is ours.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you went to the cross in my place to take my every sin away. You love me. For that I love you. And I 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.

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30

Finished

Daily Devotion – April 10, 2020

Devotion based on John 19:30

See series: Devotions

Don’t you love that feeling of accomplishment when you complete a big project? You click “Save” or “Submit” or “Print” on a homework assignment. You finally put the last thing in place after a remodeling project. You fill in the last letter of the crossword puzzle or push the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle into place.

Today, we see a scene that doesn’t look like much to be proud of. It doesn’t look like much of an accomplishment. A man hangs weak and dying on a cross. He lived his life loving and teaching people. But what happened? Many hated him, and few believed him. He was rejected and ridiculed. He was condemned and crucified. In the last moments, before he dies, we might expect him to say, “I give up. My life was a failure.”

But instead, he says, “It is finished.” Everything is done! Mission accomplished! Don’t let your eyes deceive you. Jesus’ life was no failure. It was a tremendous success. He accomplished exactly what he set out to do. He achieved exactly what he needed to achieve.

He came to show perfect love to people who leave so many opportunities to love unfinished. He came to accomplish the rescue of people who fail every day to carry out the life that God has called us to live.

As he breathed his last breaths on the cross, he cried out, “It is finished.” This wasn’t a cry of defeat but of victory. It was a cry of celebration, not resignation. He did it. He met the requirements of God’s law and satisfied God’s justice in your place. He battled to the death for your soul, and he won. The proof would come three days later when he rose from the dead—a victory we will celebrate this Sunday.

Because Jesus accomplished his mission for you, sin can’t hold you. Guilt can’t grab onto you. The devil can’t accuse you. Death can’t claim you. You are forgiven. You are free. You are alive. It is truly a Good Friday.

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, when I survey your wondrous cross, help me see and celebrate your victory 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.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11

Honor and Glory

Daily Devotion – April 9, 2020

Devotion based on Philippians 2:9-11

See series: Devotions

Our world says that pride, power, wealth, and success are the keys to honor and glory. But that’s not how God sees it.

It was because of Jesus’ humility that God the Father honored Jesus above everything and everyone else. God honored Jesus as the one to whom people can cling by faith and have the absolute assurance that their sins are forgiven, that they are reconciled to God, and that heaven is their eternal reward. God raised Jesus from the dead and promised that there would be an even greater glory to come. One day, on the Last Day, everyone will acknowledge that Jesus is indeed the world’s only Savior and Lord—some in joyous faith, others in stubborn and regretful unbelief.

Jesus wants us to share in the honor and glory that his Father gave to him. Jesus loved us so much that nothing would stand in the way of his saving us—not the greatest weakness, not the humblest service, not the most shameful death.

He is worthy of the highest praise. So, let’s bend our knees in humble adoration. Let’s confess his saving name and give him glory now and always.

Prayer:
Jesus Christ, you are my Lord and my Savior. I praise you now and always. 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 humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:8

The Immortal Came to Die

Daily Devotion – April 8, 2020

Devotion based on Philippians 2:8

See series: Devotions

Science and technology strive to extend life and avoid death. If you believe the ads, you might think, “If I just have the right diet, the right exercise regimen, and the right medicine, I’ll be strong, healthy, young, and attractive forever.” We can get so attached to this world that the thought of dying makes us more worried about what we’ll leave behind than excited about the glory that lies ahead.

Jesus existed before time began; he is timeless and immortal. We, humans, were created to be immortal too. But then sin entered our world. The Bible says, “The one who sins is the one who will die.” For our failure to live up to the perfect standard of God’s holy law we deserve to die, and we will die. But Jesus, the Son of God, was holy. He had no sins. And so he remained immortal.

And yet, “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” This is why Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. His friends and followers tried to dissuade him. They knew his enemies wanted him dead. Jesus knew that too. But he also knew that he came to die in shameful innocence on a cross.

As you and I think about our death, we have many unanswered questions: How will I die? When will I die? But, for Jesus, death wouldn’t call the shots. Jesus said about his life, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” Jesus chose to come into our world as a human being. And Jesus chose to die.

The only one who truly didn’t deserve to die gave up his life and died on a cruel Roman cross, so that we don’t have to fear death. When the sinless, immortal God died, death lost its power over us too. The Immortal came to die. And now death is but the door to eternal life for all who cling to him in faith.

Prayer:
Jesus, Living Savior, you did the impossible. Though you are immortal, you came to die for me. Thanks and praise! 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.