Category: Daily Devotions

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism …”
Acts 10:34

No Favoritism

Daily Devotion – January 17, 2020

Devotion based on Acts 10:34

See series: Devotions

Have you ever been in a situation where favoritism was at play? It’s hard, isn’t it? When favoritism works against us, the protestations are quick and real: “But I’m more qualified!” “I have more experience!” “She’s never even done that before!” No, we certainly do not like favoritism.

How wonderful it is, then, to hear the words of our Bible reading for today. The Apostle Peter declared that God does not show favoritism. Peter had been under the impression that his own people, the Jewish people, were the ones God loved. But God brought Peter into contact with a non-Jewish man named Cornelius who had been brought to faith in the true God. This showed Peter that God loves all people. He does not show favoritism. Once Peter discovered this, he told Cornelius and his family about what Jesus had done to save people from their sins. And, he ordered that they be baptized.

Baptism is one of the clearest illustrations of God’s unwillingness to play favorites. Because, you see, we all need baptism. It doesn’t matter how rich or poor we are, it doesn’t matter what skin color we are, it doesn’t matter how powerful we are, it doesn’t matter if our upbringing was happy or not so happy; every single one of us needs baptism. Why? Every single one of us needs to have our sins forgiven.

And in baptism, that is exactly what God does. He washes sins away. And, it doesn’t matter how rich or poor a person is, or what skin color a person is, how powerful a person is, or if a person’s upbringing was happy or not so happy; every single person who is baptized receives God’s unconditional forgiveness.

What a blessing baptism is! And what a reminder that our God does not play favorites.

Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding me today that you do not play favorites. 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.

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17

Beloved Child

Daily Devotion – January 16, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 3:17

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Is the desire to please our parents built into us from birth? It seems to me that it is. Sure, that desire may be blunted or even destroyed by parents who treat their children poorly. But I’d guess for most of us, hearing our father or mother say, “I am pleased with you” would be welcome words.

Wouldn’t it be far, far better if God were to say that about you? Wouldn’t it be amazing if God were to say, “I’m well pleased with you?” Wow, that would be great!

This is precisely what the Father said about Jesus at Jesus’ baptism. He was well pleased with everything Jesus said and did. And, remarkably, this is precisely what the Father says about those who have been baptized. Not because everything they say and do is pleasing to him. But because everything Jesus said and did is applied to those who are baptized.

“But, but, but!” we sputter. “I’ve messed it up so badly!” Unfortunately, that’s true.

But God doesn’t look at us based on what we have done but based on what Jesus did in our place. That almighty, perfect heavenly Father can now look at us as if we were Jesus. Or to put it a bit differently, the Father can look at each of us and say, “You are my beloved child, too.”

Prayer:
O Father, assure me and remind me that, through my baptism, I am your beloved child. 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.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
Matthew 3:16

Wonderful Assurance

Daily Devotion – January 15, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 3:16

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Today’s Bible reading is one of the clearest narratives in which we get to see the threeness of God.

It’s true that there is one God, and only one God. The Bible also describes the true God as “three.” Jesus commands us to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19). There are passages which call the Father, “God,” which call the Son, “God,” and which call the Holy Spirit, “God.” So while there is only one God, there are three persons in the God-head, and this is one of the segments in which we see it clearly: the Father is speaking from heaven, the Son is coming up out of the water, and the Holy Spirit is descending in the form of a dove.

And why should we care? We care because this assures us of an amazing truth; it’s the entire God who wants you to be saved. Clearly, Jesus wants you to be saved. He lived and died for you! He was willing to be baptized to fulfill God’s holy law for you. But the Father also wants you to be saved. He said he was pleased when Jesus was baptized. And the Holy Spirit wants you to be saved. He descended upon Jesus to empower him to do what he needed to do.

And all of this gives us wonderful assurance. The Father wants me in heaven, the Son wants me in heaven, and the Holy Spirit wants me in heaven. Jesus’ baptism clearly shows me that.

Prayer:
O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit continue to assure me that you desire my salvation and continue to strengthen me that I might continue to travel on the road to eternal 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.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
Matthew 3:13-15

Stepping Into Our Place

Daily Devotion – January 14, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 3:13-15

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The Bible tells us that Jesus went to the Jordan River to be baptized. But why did Jesus even need to be baptized? It’s a fair question. After all, baptism is one of the ways that God forgives sin. That’s why each of us needs baptism. We are all sinful and need forgiveness.

But Jesus wasn’t sinful. Jesus was perfect. So, why did he need to be baptized?

The answer is in Jesus’ answer to John: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”

Jesus was righteous; he didn’t need any more righteousness. But we needed righteousness because righteousness is the entrance requirement for heaven. God demands that for us to be able to enter heaven, we need to be perfect.

And … we can’t do that.

So, we needed a Savior who would not only die in our place but also live in our place. We needed a Savior who could live a perfect human life, in every sense. And, Jesus did that. His baptism was a part of it. It was a part of his fulfilling God’s law for us.

Jesus fully stepped into your place. He was even willing to do things that he didn’t need to do, all so that you could be fully confident that he had done all that he needed to do for you. He did what was necessary for your salvation. The measure of righteousness you needed was filled up…by Jesus!

So, as you are reminded of Jesus’ baptism today, see there your salvation. And rejoice!

Prayer:
O Savior, assure me that I now stand before you as righteous, because of all that you’ve done 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.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Matthew 3:13,14

A Better Plan

Daily Devotion – January 13, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 3:13,14

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You can understand why John the Baptist was hesitant to baptize Jesus, can’t you? He was going to baptize Jesus? That seems oh-so-backward, doesn’t it? Consider the contrast: John was mortal; Jesus was immortal. John knew a few things; Jesus knew everything. Perhaps most importantly, John was a sinful human being; Jesus was perfect.

And so, yes, we can understand why John tried to deter Jesus. Jesus’ plan just didn’t make any sense to John. So, John thought he needed to deter Jesus because John thought he had a better idea!

Wait. A sinful human being thought that he had a better idea than God? Really? Yes, really!

And, how easy it is for us to do it, too. How easy it is to question God’s plans for our lives. Or, how easily we think or act in ways which are contrary to God’s Word, which is really saying, “No, Lord, I have a better idea.”

Amazingly, Jesus didn’t get angry at John or even chastise John. Instead, Jesus simply, said, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). What patient grace!

And God will always show that amazing, patient grace to you, too—over and over again.

Oh, and by the way; you can also count on the fact that God’s ideas will always be better than your ideas!

Prayer:
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. Please show me your patient grace, O Savior, even when I question 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.

“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.”
Isaiah 42:6

Hold your Hand

Daily Devotion – January 12, 2020

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:6

See series: Devotions

Remember the Beatles tune? “I wanna’ hold your hand?” Holding hands is an intimate gesture. It expresses love and affection without using words. Humans appreciate a personal touch.

Our Bible reading for today pictures a parent taking a child by the hand. Can you picture it? The parent and toddler need to cross the street. So the parent takes the toddler by the hand, guiding, protecting.

So, whose hand is being held in this Bible verse? Surprisingly, the picture is that God the Father is the parent, and it’s Jesus’ hand that is being held. It reminds us that Jesus—the true God—became truly human, with our human weaknesses and needs. And so, God the Father guided him, protected him, indeed, “held his hand” as he walked Jesus through life and finally to his death on the cross. The Father was guiding, protecting, holding the Son through it all.

But to what end? It was all for YOUR benefit and MINE. It was all so that forgiveness and eternal life could be won for YOU and ME. The Father held the hand of the Son; guiding, directing, and caring for him but ultimately with your best interests in mind.

And so now? Now God the Father—because of the work of God the Son—can look at you and say, “I wanna’ hold your hand, too!”

Prayer:
Thank you, Father, for holding Jesus’ hand so that he was able to win my salvation. Comfort me today with the assurance that, whatever comes my way, you are holding my hand through it all. 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 Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
Isaiah 62:1-2

We Cannot Keep Quiet

Daily Devotion – January 11, 2020

Devotion based on Isaiah 62:1-2

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Have you ever had such important news that you couldn’t keep quiet about it? How much twittering and chatting and posting happen when a favorite team wins a championship?

When anything political happens the talking heads hardly stop to take a breath. When your 6-year-old gets a new Lego set you can be sure everyone will know about it. Presents, football games, politics… in the grand scheme of things, they matter so little, yet they garner so much of our time and excitement.

The prophet Isaiah had the same truly incredible news. News that was so good he could not keep silent. The news was not political but spiritual. The news was that God would make his people glorious.

What makes this news so amazing is that we, by nature, are anything but glorious. Our sins make us filthy in God’s sight. The rude words we speak, the selfish things we do, the silent lust and greed in our hearts should all rightly merit God’s wrath and eternal punishment. Yet instead of eternal separation, it’s a different “S” word for those who put their faith and hope in Jesus: SALVATION!

God gives us the gift of salvation. That means he takes away our sins and gives us Jesus’ righteousness as our own. We are glorious, not because of our own glory, but because Jesus’ glory makes us glorious.

Isn’t that great news? It’s better than any championship, political turn of events, or Lego set. Like the prophet Isaiah, we cannot keep quiet about it. We want everyone to know what Jesus has done for them. Whom can you tell today?

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for the incredible gift of salvation. Help me to treasure this gift each day and open my mouth so that I too may share the good news which you have for all people. 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.

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Matthew 2:12,13

A Mission to Accomplish

Daily Devotion – January 10, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 2:12,13

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After the Magi visited Jesus in Bethlehem, God gave them a dream warning them not to return to King Herod in Jerusalem. Herod had told the Magi to return and tell him where the King of the Jews had been born so that he could worship as well. But Herod had no intention of worshiping Jesus. He intended to kill him. The Magi heeded God’s warning and returned home by another route. When they failed to return to Jerusalem, Herod flew into a rage. He ordered that every boy in Bethlehem two years old or younger be slaughtered, figuring that in this way he would be sure to eliminate this new King that was challenging him.

God rescued Jesus from Herod’s homicidal plans by having the Magi bypass Jerusalem on their journey home. He also rescued Jesus by commanding Jesus’ stepfather Joseph to take him and his mother Mary to safety in Egypt. God did all this because Jesus had a very important mission to accomplish. Jesus had been born to save all people from their sins. In order to do that, Jesus needed to live a perfect life, not just for a couple of years, but for thirty-three years. Jesus needed to die, but not as a young child at the hands of murderous King Herod. He needed to die as an adult on a cross on a hill outside Jerusalem.

God’s intense desire for the eternal salvation of all people led him to warn the Magi about Herod’s deceitful scheme. And for that, we can be eternally grateful. Because God protected the young Jesus in the way that he did, Jesus did indeed live to accomplish his mission. He lived, died, and rose again for us and all people so that through faith in him we might live in his kingdom forever.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, all praise to you for accomplishing your mission as our Savior. Amen.

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

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

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

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11

The King Worthy of Our Worship

Daily Devotion – January 9, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 2:11

See series: Devotions

When was the last time you looked at a baby registry, either for yourself or for someone else? What kinds of things did you see listed there? Most likely, you saw a lot of very practical things that the new parents could use in taking care of their new baby. Perhaps there were diapers, bottles, blankets, washcloths, onesies, books, and even a few toys.

But have you ever seen a baby registry that listed gold, frankincense, and myrrh? Probably not. For us, those three things don’t seem all that practical for taking care of a young child, unless you sold them and used the proceeds to buy other things that you might need.

However, those were the gifts that the Magi gave to Jesus when they finally found him. And they were extremely appropriate gifts, given what the Magi knew about who Jesus was. The Magi understood that this child, whom they had traveled a very long distance to see, was more than just a child. He was God’s promised Messiah. He was their Savior. As their Savior, he was worthy of all their worship, which they gave him as they bowed down before him. And he was worthy of their best, which they gave him as they opened their treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

We who have seen much more of what Jesus did as God’s chosen Messiah have even more reason to give him our worship. We, after all, know exactly how Jesus fulfilled his mission as our Savior. We have seen the perfect life he lived on our behalf. We have seen the death he died to pay for all our sins. We have seen his glorious resurrection, through which God declared that Jesus’ saving work was complete. For all that and more, we cannot help but join the Magi in worshiping Jesus and giving him our best. He most certainly is worthy of every bit of worship we can give him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, to you I give myself in worship, for you are worthy of all honor 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.

When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Matthew 2:4-6

Promised by God

Daily Devotion – January 8, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 2:4-6

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Jerusalem seemed to be the logical place for the Magi to look for the one who was born King of the Jews. After all, where but in the capital city would a king be born? But the newborn King of the Jews was not to be found in Jerusalem. So where would the Magi find him?

Herod called together all the religious scholars and asked them if they knew where this new king, this Messiah, was supposed to be born. The religious scholars knew immediately where the new king was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they told Herod.

How did they know? Had they received some special revelation from God? Had they overheard people talking about some strange events that had happened in Bethlehem some months ago? No. They knew where the Messiah was to be born because they had read the Old Testament. There, in the book of Micah, God had said, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

If what the Magi said was true and this new King of the Jews had been born, then he must be in Bethlehem, for that is what God had promised. And, of course, that was exactly correct. Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, just as God had promised. This was just one of the many, many promises of God that Jesus fulfilled throughout his life. And when you take all these fulfilled promises together, they can only mean one thing. Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem as King of the Jews, truly is the Messiah God promised to send. He truly is our Savior.

Prayer:
All praise and thanks to you, Lord Jesus, born for me in Bethlehem just as God promised; you truly are my Savior. Amen.

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

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

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