Category: Daily Devotions

“He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.”
Philippians 2:7

The King Came to Serve

Daily Devotion – April 7, 2020

Devotion based on Philippians 2:7

See series: Devotions

A sign of success in our society is having more people serve you, climbing the corporate ladder to the top, never being satisfied to serve without getting any recognition or reward.

Jesus was so different! “He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.” He came to serve. He came to serve the widow whose son had died and the young man whose wealth made him think he had it all. He came to serve the crowds that came to him in the midday sun and the individual that came to him under the cover of darkness. He came to serve the proud Pharisee and the ashamed tax collector. He came to serve parents and children, Jews and Gentiles, weak and strong, young and old.

Jesus didn’t serve to gain political leverage. He wasn’t pursuing personal gain or expecting something in return from a single soul he served. His life wasn’t about him. He had the authority to rule over everyone, but instead, he chose to become the humblest and the lowliest servant.

And he did this…for you. Because God’s law demands selfless love for him and each other, our selfish thoughts and actions make us worthy of shame and servitude. But love compelled Jesus to get down on his hands and knees to serve you. Love compelled Jesus to spend time with the lowly and despised, knowing that such a selfless service would cause others to despise and reject him. Love compelled Jesus to get dirty with the filth of our sin to wash us clean. Love compelled King Jesus to serve you and me and set us free to serve him in joy now and always.

Prayer:
Jesus, my King, you served me when I was most unworthy. Let me live to serve you all my days. 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…, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing.
Philippians 2:5-7

The Almighty Came in Weakness

Daily Devotion – April 6, 2020

Devotion based on Philippians 2:5-7

See series: Devotions

Jesus was there at Creation. He was the powerful Word by which heaven and earth and everything in them was made. By his power, the world keeps spinning; plants keep growing; we keep breathing.

During his life on earth, people saw hints of his power. He walked on water and turned water into wine. He rescued the hurting and the hungry. He drove out demons and brought the dead back to life. But those were the exceptions rather than the rule.

Mostly, Jesus looked rather…well…normal. Jesus came into the world as a weak and vulnerable infant. He who fills heaven and earth was contained in the womb of a woman. He who is everywhere at the same time had to walk to get from point A to point B. He who invented energy got tired, thirsty, and hungry.

Jesus never stopped being God. He was still the almighty Creator, even when he became one of the created. He still had all power, all wisdom, and deserved all glory. But he chose not to fully use or display his power. He chose to set aside some of his knowledge. “He made himself nothing.” Literally, he emptied himself. He became one with us, not only in our humanity but also in our weakness.

Why? Why would anyone want to give up his power? Why would anyone choose weakness over strength? That’s not our nature. We hide our weaknesses and flaunt our strength. Why would the Almighty come in weakness?

He did it for you. He saw how weak even the strongest among us can be in the face of temptation. He saw how powerless we were to get into heaven on our own. And he chose to do something about it. The Almighty came in weakness to save the weak.

In weakness, he was betrayed and bound, mocked and murdered. But in that weakness, he bore your burdens and carried your guilt. Because he became weak for you, your weakness won’t separate you from his powerful love. He carried your weakness to his grave and rose again to force open the gates of heaven for you.

Prayer:
Loving Savior, you came in weakness to rescue me, a weak sinner. Praise and thanks! 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.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9

A Servant King

Daily Devotion – April 5, 2020

Devotion based on Zechariah 9:9

See series: Devotions

These words of the prophet Zechariah were originally proclaimed to the people of Judah, who had become discouraged after returning to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. Things just weren’t the same. The city, along with its glorious temple, was in ruins.

Zechariah spoke God’s word that pointed the people away from their present woes to the future and the coming of the Messiah: “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The coming of Christ was so certain that Zechariah wanted the people to look and “see” him. He wanted them to see that he would be a different kind of king.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey just a week before he would be crucified, it was clear that he was a different kind of king. From all outward appearances, he didn’t look like much of a king. There was no band of soldiers at his side flaunting their weapons and strength. Instead, he came with gentleness. Even his vehicle was lowly and unintimidating, not a powerful war-horse, but a wobbly colt. Instead of seizing his position with an army or by force, he earned it by doing everything that his heavenly Father commanded. Not only is Jesus perfectly righteous—without sin of any kind—but he takes his righteousness and gives it to his unrighteous people. He has salvation, and he freely distributes it.

Take comfort in the fact that Jesus humbled himself and came to be with us, to care for us, to die and rise again for us. Rejoice that this King came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for you.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness; I am your sin. I thank you that you became what you were not, so that I might be what I am not. 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 hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”
Ezekiel 37:1-3

Dry Bones

Daily Devotion – April 4, 2020

Devotion based on Ezekiel 37:1-3

See series: Devotions

Ezekiel was a prophet during some dark days for God’s Old Testament Israel. They had been worshiping false gods. Now they were living in exile far from home. Jerusalem’s temple lay in ruins. It appeared that all was lost, including the promise of the coming Savior. The people were like a pile of dry bones. They had no life, no future.

Without God’s blessing, there is no meaning to our life either. On our own, we’re the same as they were—guilty, helpless, and hopeless. In our sinful nature, each of us is like a pile of dry bones.

But even though they had given up on the Lord, he had not given up on them. The Lord said to Ezekiel, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.’” We don’t have to wonder which word of the Lord Ezekiel used. It’s the same word of the Lord that our dry bones long to hear every day, namely, that we have a flesh and blood Savior, a substitute—Jesus Christ. Unwrap those swaddling clothes and you’ll find a baby. When they crucified him, he bled. When he rose, his disciples could touch the nail prints in his hands. God’s Son, Jesus, has taken the hopelessness and death of all our sin on himself so that we might have life with God now and forever.

Whenever we hear about our Savior and what he means for us, the Lord is at work in us. He provides hopeless sinners hope. He gives condemned sinners a bright future. He rattles our bones together and breathes into us the breath of life.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, in whatever way my hope is dried up, be my resurrection from the dead. 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 called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
John 11:43,44

Jesus Conquers Death

Daily Devotion – April 3, 2020

Devotion based on John 11:43,44

See series: Devotions

Death is not a pleasant subject. Just talking about death makes people afraid. Our culture minimizes death as much as possible. It doesn’t even like to use the word death. There are dozens of alternatives for that word. But even though the doctor tells you that your spouse “passed on peacefully,” those words cannot change the fact that the one you loved is dead, and you are alone. No words can change the reality of death.

Except for Jesus’ word. Standing outside the tomb of his friend, he called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus yelled to a dead man, and dead men can’t hear. Jesus told a dead man to come out, and dead men can’t move. But Lazarus listened and came out!

Do you see the big picture here? Jesus has power over death because Jesus is God. That is why he can even conquer death.

Someday it will be you in the tomb. No matter how hard you try to extend your life through exercise, eating right, or medicine, your physical life will end. But on the day this world comes to an end, Jesus will speak his words to all the dead: “Come out!” And your body will rise because Jesus tells it to. This time it will be a body that cannot die.

The only way to face death without fear is through Jesus. We spend so much of life avoiding and fearing death, but the good news is that we don’t have to. We have a Savior who conquered death for us.

Prayer:
I praise you, dear Savior, for conquering death 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.

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb.
John 11:38

Deeply Moved by Death

Daily Devotion – April 2, 2020

Devotion based on John 11:38

See series: Devotions

Does death make you sad? Do you cry at funerals? If so, you’re in good company because Jesus did the same thing. Death hurts. The pain of death is sharp, and it can linger far too long. Jesus’ friend Lazarus had died, and when Jesus arrived at the tomb, he wept.

Isn’t that amazing? Not only does Jesus share in our humanity, but he also shares our pain over death. It hurts him because Jesus knows that death is not natural. He knows it is not the way God wants things to be. The Bible tells us, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God didn’t create Lazarus to die. Sin caused him to die. God didn’t create you to die, but sin will cause you to die too.

And so, Jesus weeps at death. But he did more than that. He did something about it. He went to his own death to pay for the sins that cause death. You see, Jesus died on the cross because of sin. Only, it wasn’t his sin. It was the sin of the world, including yours. He took it away from you, made it his own, and he died for it. Sin was no match for him—he paid for it. Death was no match for him—he rose from it.

It is okay to mourn and to miss your departed loved ones. Jesus knows your pain. But more importantly, Jesus wants you to know that he has gone through death ahead of you and for you; and then conquered death ahead of you and for you.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for dying and rising to give me hope even when I weep. 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.

“Yes, Lord,” [Martha] replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
John 11:27

The Savior You Need

Daily Devotion – April 1, 2020

Devotion based on John 11:27

See series: Devotions

In the midst of mourning the loss of her brother Lazarus, Martha answered life’s most important question: “Who is Jesus?” Knowing the answer to that question is the difference between eternal life and eternal death, and Martha’s beautiful confession is the correct answer.

It is sad, then, that most responses to that question are wrong. Ask people today who Jesus is and, at best, you will hear that Jesus is a wise teacher who met a tragic end. There are probably as many different versions of who Jesus is as there are people answering the question.

Isn’t that a good thing though? In an age where you can personalize everything from your smartphone to your happy meal, why should religion be any different? The modern take on religion is that it is impossible to know anything with certainty. Therefore, you make your own truth, and everyone’s beliefs are really just opinions. What you believe about Jesus is just as true as what anyone else does, even if your beliefs contradict each other.

But can there really be different opinions about who Jesus is? Not according to Martha. Jesus is the Messiah—a Hebrew word that means “the Anointed One.” This word tells us Jesus’ job. Jesus is the specific One, chosen by God, to cover sinners with his perfection and wash their sins away in his blood. His blood can do that only because he is the Son of God.

Jesus is both God and man in the same person. He has to be. The Messiah has to be fully human to live under God’s law, obey it perfectly in our place, and die the death we deserve. He has to be true God so that his life and his death count for all people of all time.

All that content is packed into Martha’s confession. Notice her use of the word “the.” Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. That is exclusive. Jesus is not one option among many; he is the One and the Only. Thank God! Jesus is the exact Savior you need.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me to always confess that you are the Messiah, the Son of God. 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.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” . . . Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
John 11:21,25,26

The Resurrection and the Life

Daily Devotion – March 31, 2020

Devotion based on John 11:21,25,26

See series: Devotions

When someone you love dies, your first thought is probably of the hole it leaves in your life. You think about everything you went through together, and you want that person back. That is where Martha was at. Can you hear the frustration in her words? Martha knew that Jesus could have healed her brother but had not.

Doesn’t that make you wonder why? Whenever God does not fix things to our liking, we’re tempted to think that either God doesn’t have the power to help, or he doesn’t want to. Like Martha, it’s easy to want Jesus to immediately cure all our troubles.

So Jesus gently corrected her—and corrects us—with his promise: “I am the resurrection and the life.” You see, even more than he wanted Martha not to lose her brother, Jesus wanted her to know that he could do more than heal the sick.

Our biggest problem is death, and Jesus is the solution. Jesus came so that even if you get sick, even if your heart stops beating, you will never die. He came so that you can live forever with God in heaven. He came so that one day, even long after your body has been buried, it will rise and live again. He proved that he can do it by raising Lazarus from the dead.

That is why Jesus is the resurrection. He brings the dead back to life. In fact, Jesus is the life. He gave his life so that our place with God is alive and well. While you are on this earth, Jesus does not promise you a smooth ride, but he does promise you strength for the journey. As surely as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, those who believe in him will rise from the dead.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for being my resurrection and my 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.

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
John 11:17

A Glorious Plan

Daily Devotion – March 30, 2020

Devotion based on John 11:17

See series: Devotions

Wait, did you read that correctly? Jesus was late! His friend Lazarus was sick. Jesus is the Son of God, who heals the sick. But when he heard that the friend he loved was ill, he waited around for two days. Then, when he finally went to see him, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days!

Why did Jesus let Lazarus die? The obvious answer is that he had a plan. Yet that seems like the kind of trite cliché we share when we don’t know what else to say. You’ve probably heard it. Whenever life takes a turn for the worse, people like to say, “God has a plan.” It’s true that he does, but often we can’t see God’s plan. Can you imagine the frustration of Martha and her sister, Mary, as they waited for Jesus and watched their brother die?

Perhaps you can, because you know what it’s like to experience pain and wait for God. When life is awful, God’s plan does not always make sense. The cancer that won’t go into remission. The spouse who dies slowly. The loved ones you bury. It all makes you ask, “Jesus, I know you can help. Where are you?”

He is exactly where he needs to be. He always is. In the case of Lazarus, Jesus’ plan was to glorify God by miraculously raising Lazarus from the dead. For that to happen, Jesus had to allow Lazarus to die.

Remember Lazarus the next time you are suffering and wonder why God is allowing it. Remember that he does love you and that he does have a plan. Remember that the one who had the power to raise Lazarus from the grave has the power to raise you out of whatever you are enduring.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me strength in my troubles and faith in your glorious plan. 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.

…an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.
1 Peter 1:4

Truly Unbreakable

Daily Devotion – March 29, 2020

Devotion based on 1 Peter 1:4

See series: Devotions

Everything breaks. Everything gets old. Everything wears out. Everything fades away.

The longer you live on this earth, the more you realize how true this is. That faded rust bucket you see on the highway was once pristine and spotless. The eyesore of a house you see in the old part of downtown once smelled of new wood and fresh paint. The arthritic, overweight coach was once a lightning-fast force of nature on the football field. The old woman in the Alzheimer’s unit was once a quick-witted life of the party.

But in this fallen world, everything goes away. Whatever is young, new, strong, and fast does not remain that way for long. It all spoils and fades, and then it disappears. Except for Jesus and absolutely everything that he promises.

Because the almighty Son of God died for our sin and rose from death, he fills our cup to overflowing with gifts “that can never perish, spoil, or fade.” His forgiveness of our sins will never break. His promise of eternal life will never break. His friendship will never fade away.

Everything in this world breaks. Except for what we receive from Jesus Christ.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in this fallen world where everything seems to wear out, remind us that in you we possess what will never perish, spoil, or fade. 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.