Category: Daily Devotions

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. . . . For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31,34

Why We Worship

Daily Devotion – November 7, 2019

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:31,34

See series: Devotions

Why should we go to church? Everything we get at church we can get online, right? I can Google great sermons. I can put together the perfect playlist of worship songs. So why should I go to a building, when I can get all the biblical information I could ever want on the internet?

That is a legitimate question. You can get all sorts of great biblical information online. But attending a worship service is much more than gaining information. At worship, you will be surrounded by fellow Christians. It might just be the only time during the week that you are not in the minority. The value of this cannot be overestimated. We become like those with whom we gather.

Worship is also where God confirms his covenant with us. The heart of this agreement is found in the book of Jeremiah, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” God upheld his side of the agreement by sending Jesus to pay for all our sins. We are reminded of this every time we worship as the pastor announces that our sins are forgiven. What a blessing! It is no wonder we want to be in worship so that we can hear those sweet words.

It is true that there are plenty of great spiritual resources online. But God has designed our weekly gatherings to deliver his forgiveness uniquely through worship. So where are you going to worship this week?

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for the gift of the Church. Lead me to gather with other believers so that I might receive your forgiveness and be strengthened to live for 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.

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Jeremiah 31:33

From the Heart

Daily Devotion – November 6, 2019

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:33

See series: Devotions

Going to the pool used to be quite stressful for me. I felt like I spent all my time reminding my kids of the pool rules. I’d yell, “Stop running by the pool! You are going to get hurt.” They would walk for a moment, but sure enough, the next time they got out of the pool they would run to the other side.

It’s much better now. My kids are older and they seem to understand that if they run, they can slip and fall and hurt themselves. They don’t need external reminders because they internally understand the reasons for the rules.

In a certain sense, this is what it means to be a New Testament Christian. Before Jesus came, the Old Testament believers behaved like my young children. They needed lots of rules and reminders. And even when God sent special prophets to point them back to the written code of God’s law, they still slipped back into their old rebellious ways.

But the prophet Jeremiah looked forward to the day when God would do something new. The prophet spoke of a day when the Lord would establish a new covenant with his people. He would write his laws in their minds and their hearts. God’s people would no longer need all the rules and reminders to follow him because they would be his mature sons and daughters.

Jeremiah’s words have come true. Jesus has come and made us right with God. He sends his Holy Spirit to us so that we might follow him internally, from the heart.

Call upon the Holy Spirit to show you Jesus and the power of his love. Ask him to lead you in the process of maturing in your faith, so you would follow him.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, live in me that I might live as a mature follower of Jesus. Write God’s precious laws on my heart and give me the desire and strength to follow them. Amen

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

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

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

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:22-24

Division

Daily Devotion – November 5, 2019

Devotion based on Romans 3:22-24

See series: Devotions

The United States seems to be more divided than ever. We are divided politically, socially, racially, and economically. All this division has made us hostile and judgmental. Just turn on your TV, look at your Facebook feed, or read the editorial column in your local newspaper, and you will hear angry voices defaming their opponents.

How does God’s Word respond to all this division?

God responds by clumping all the different groups into one group. He says, “There is no difference . . . all have sinned.” God does not divide people based on their politics, social views, race, or finances. He puts everyone into one category. All are sinners.

At first, that might seem depressing. You might be thinking, “There is nobody who does good, not even one, really?”

But keep reading.

The writer of these words, the Apostle Paul, continues, “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” When Jesus died, he died for the sins of the whole world. All humanity has been declared “not guilty” in Jesus. Not everyone believes they need his forgiveness or have his forgiveness. But, because Jesus accomplished it, his forgiveness is there for them.

If we embraced what God says, our world could be a much better place. If we believed that all people are sinners, including ourselves, we wouldn’t look down on other people. If we believed that God had mercy on them all in Jesus, then we might begin to have mercy on them as well.

So, when you find yourself adding to this world’s hostility and division, remember that you are no different than anyone else. You are a sinner just like them. When you struggle to care for someone with opposing views, love them with the same love that Jesus showed you on the cross. After all, we are all equally sinners and equally saved.

Prayer:
Lord God, forgive me for the times I was judgmental and looked down on others. Lead me to love others just as you have loved me in Jesus Christ. 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 days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.”
Jeremiah 31:31

A New Covenant

Daily Devotion – November 4, 2019

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:31

See series: Devotions

The Bible can be hard to read for many reasons. For one thing, it sometimes contains unfamiliar words. One of those words that keeps coming up in the Bible is “covenant.”

So, what is a covenant? And why does it matter?

A covenant is an agreement between two individuals or groups. It’s like a legal contract where both groups sign on the dotted line and promise to uphold their end of the deal.

The surprising message of the Bible is that God made a covenant with his people. He wanted to partner with them.

In the second book of the Bible, God made a covenant with the nation of Israel. He agreed to bless them and make them into a great nation while they agreed to obey his laws. Unfortunately, the Israelites broke their side of the agreement almost immediately and the nation unraveled like a runaway ball of yarn.

We can relate. We have made promises to follow what God says. We said we were going to love him and love people. But almost immediately we found ourselves breaking our promises.

That’s why we need to hear the comforting words of the prophet Jeremiah. He said that God was going to make a new covenant with his people. It wasn’t going to be like the old covenant, where the people promised to hold up their end of the agreement.

No, this time, God was going to make a covenant where he fulfilled all the requirements of all his laws. That’s what the story of Jesus is all about. Jesus came into this world to fulfill all of God’s commands on our behalf. Then he died to receive the punishment we deserve for breaking God’s covenant. This new covenant is a one-sided covenant. God simply forgives our sins for Jesus’ sake, period. What a gift! What a God!

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for your new covenant and for the peace and forgiveness it gives. 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.

No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Romans 3:20

Wrong Turn

Daily Devotion – November 3, 2019

Devotion based on Romans 3:20

See series: Devotions

The name of Leopold Loyka is not a household name. Nevertheless, Leopold Loyka is the man who made one of the most consequential wrong turns in human history.

Leopold was a chauffeur and a prestigious one at that. His job was to serve as the official driver for a high-ranking official from Austria, a man by the name of Franz Ferdinand. In June of 1914, Ferdinand decided to visit Sarajevo, a city that harbored hostility toward Austrian rule. As Leopold drove the car through the city with Ferdinand as his passenger, he made a wrong turn. When he stopped to correct his mistake, it so happened that he passed directly in front of a man who very much wanted to see Franz Ferdinand dead. The man seized his chance and shot Ferdinand to death.

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the spark that started World War I. World War I, in turn, set the stage for World War II. In all, 77 million people perished. And it all began with a wrong turn.

There is another wrong turn in human history that has even greater consequences. It is the false assumption that we can make our own way into God’s favor. It is the false assumption that we can chart our own course into a right relationship with God. Such thinking is not only wrong-headed and self-absorbed; such thinking also has consequences that are fatal, and eternal.

Enter Jesus. Jesus did far more than chart a safe course. He created a path where none had existed. The path was himself. He alone was the way. As our substitute, he lived and died on our behalf. Through faith in him, God’s favor is ours, forgiveness is ours, peace is ours, life is ours. And not just for a while, but forever.

Through faith in Jesus, we will one day arrive safe and sound in our heavenly home.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, forgive all of the wrong turns in my life—all of the times I have turned away from you. Turn me again and again toward you until I see you face to face in the heaven you are preparing 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.

[J]oin with me in suffering for the gospel.
2 Timothy 1:8

Suffering for the Gospel

Daily Devotion – November 2, 2019

Devotion based on 2 Timothy 1:8

See series: Devotions

Tour guides in Rome will describe what the Apostle Paul’s dungeon was like—the dungeon he lived in as he awaited execution. Many think that it was like an empty cistern in the ground, with only a hole in the top for light.

So picture Paul at the bottom of that dungeon. He’s alone. He’s cold. He knows he is going to die. Then the Holy Spirit moves him to write one final letter, a letter to his friend Timothy. From the darkness of that pit, the living and enduring Word of God comes to Timothy. And across the miles and centuries, that same Word comes to you and me.

Among the many extraordinary things that Paul includes in his last letter is this: “Join me in suffering for the gospel.” As Paul considered all that the Lord Jesus had done for him, he was gladly willing to suffer for the sake of standing up for the Good News of Christ.

You and I live in a society that, to a great degree, has gotten used to avoiding pain and inconvenience at all costs. For this reason, it’s easy for us to go on automatic pilot and avoid standing up for the gospel if doing so involves any discomfort or trouble. Such abandonment of our Lord is wrong. It’s sin. And deep down we know it.

So look to Jesus again. Come to him in repentance. Be washed clean in his blood. Then, as a forgiven child of God, recognize the opportunities you have every day to join with the Apostle Paul. Perhaps it is remaining faithful and Christlike during a difficult stretch in your marriage. Perhaps it is refusing to fill your conversation with complaints about your physical aches and pains. Or perhaps it is accepting ridicule because you are open about your Christian faith.

Just remember. In light of what Jesus has done for you, suffering for the gospel is not a burden. It is a sweet privilege.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in you I am forgiven. In you I have life. Empower me to endure any trouble for the sake of serving as a witness for 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.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:13

Teach Believe Love

Daily Devotion – November 1, 2019

Devotion based on 2 Timothy 1:13

See series: Devotions

It’s a great blessing to have Christians in your life who know the pattern of sound Christian teaching and who pass it on. Some of what the Bible says matches your conscience, but most of it does not come naturally. It has to be taught and learned, and nothing is more valuable. For example, when someone teaches and shows you how to make forgiveness in Jesus a main focus of your life, you appreciate it because of the tremendous comfort it brings.

You also appreciate it when Christians in your life demonstrate their faith in Jesus. It’s especially helpful to see them in action during the difficult times. They are sure of the promises of God even when it’s not easy to see how God will keep those promises. The confidence of believers is reassuring when everyone else seems to be panicking.

Along with passing along Christian teaching and demonstrating faith in Jesus, we are also blessed when our fellow Christians demonstrate the love God has placed in their hearts. Nothing makes life more pleasant than people who love you. Christians in your life reflect the love of Christ Jesus and love you even when you don’t deserve it. You can teach the truths of the Lord, and you can believe his promises, but those two very valuable things ring hollow to other people if you do not demonstrate love to them.

Christians around the world celebrate November 1st as All Saints Day, remembering all of the people who lived Christian lives and died in the faith. What is the best way to honor them?

Teach. Believe. Love.

Prayer: (Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 551)
For all the saints who from their labors rest, all who their faith before the world confessed, your name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia! 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.

Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.
2 Timothy 1:8,9

You Will Suffer

Daily Devotion – October 31, 2019

Devotion based on 2 Timothy 1:8,9

See series: Devotions

It’s Reformation Day! Other holidays are being celebrated today around the world, but for the next few moments, we will concentrate on Reformation Day.

October 31st is the day over 500 years ago when a German man named Martin Luther nailed a sheet of paper to a church door in the city of Wittenberg. The piece of paper invited people to debate what the Bible said about a number of religious topics.

Some of the positions that Martin Luther took in that invitation to debate were not real popular. He talked about repentance and forgiveness through faith in Jesus rather than through traditions of the church. He noted that some religious leaders of his day offered a false peace, while real peace was found only through Jesus. He said that God saved us because of grace, not because of our own good works. He insisted that God wants us to live holy everyday lives, and we don’t need to have a special position in the church to do that.

Holding to those truths of the Bible got Martin Luther excommunicated from his church and declared an outlaw by his government. But he was not ashamed of the gospel. He continued to teach and preach what the Bible said, and people around the world called for reform of the church. That’s why it’s Reformation Day!

Will you suffer today if you insist that Jesus is the only way to heaven? People are going to call you intolerant. Will you suffer if you insist that holiness comes through faith in Jesus and not through the traditions of a church? There are people injured and dying today somewhere in the world because they dare to confess that.

Do not be ashamed of those who suffer. Join with them in confessing the truth. You’ll suffer, but God will provide his power, and it will be worth it.

Prayer:
Lord God, be my mighty fortress when I suffer for speaking your truth. 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] “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Luke 17:3,4

Keep on Forgiving

Daily Devotion – October 30, 2019

Devotion based on Luke 17:3,4

See series: Devotions

The key to a Christian life is so simple and yet so difficult. People are going to sin against you. They are going to treat you poorly, they are going to think of themselves before you, and they will be oblivious that they have done anything wrong. What do you do then? Jesus says to lovingly rebuke them.

You are going to treat others poorly—sometimes obliviously, and sometimes, you have to admit, on purpose—because you are thinking of yourself. What do you do when they call you out? Repent. Tell them that you are sorry for what you have done.

When you rebuke people—calling them out—and they respond by saying, “I’m sorry” or “I repent,” what is your next step? Forgive them! It’s so hard. You want to teach them a lesson, and you don’t want to get hurt again, but Jesus is very clear here. “Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

How do you forgive them when it gets difficult? Think about how God has forgiven you even when you don’t deserve it. God does that because of what Jesus Christ has done, and that’s the same place you get your strength. Think about what Jesus Christ has done—for you and the other person—and forgive that person because of Jesus.

It’s so simple! It’s so difficult. But it is the key to living a Christian life. God bless your efforts to forgive others as you have been forgiven.

Prayer:
Dear Father, forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Amen.

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

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

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

This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
2 Timothy 1:9,10

Revealed by the Resurrection

Daily Devotion – October 29, 2019

Devotion based on 2 Timothy 1:9,10

See series: Devotions

God always planned to love us even when we didn’t deserve it. He called that “grace,” and even before he created the world, he knew how he was going to square that grace with his perfect justice. He was going to do that through the work of Christ Jesus.

Jesus lived an absolutely perfect life, which no other human being had been able to do. But instead of taking the heaven that he deserved, he took the death and hell that we deserve. He gave eternal life in heaven to everyone who believes in him, plain and simple. We call that grace because we don’t deserve it.

God told his people about this grace for thousands of years after the creation of the world. But it was not until Jesus’ appeared that God’s plan was fully revealed. Jesus destroyed death by coming back from it, and he promises that everyone who believes in him will do the same. The good news that we will not stay dead, but instead will rise again, body and soul, is called the gospel.

Anyone can make promises, but by rising from the dead, Jesus showed that God could deliver on his promise. Now you can be confident that you will rise too. It’s not a mystery any more what happens after death. The truth has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior.

Prayer:
Lord God, we praise you for your grace, given us in Christ 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.