Category: Daily Devotions

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
Matthew 2:3

A Different Kind of King

Daily Devotion – January 7, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 2:3

See series: Devotions

Herod the Great ruled the region of Judea from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. He is known for his many great building projects, including his massive expansion of the temple complex in Jerusalem. He was also famously jealous and paranoid. Whenever he suspected that someone was becoming a threat to his power, he wasted no time in having that person killed. Victims of his murderous paranoia included his brother-in-law, mother-in-law, wife, and three of his sons.

So, it is no wonder that when Herod heard that some new King of the Jews had been born, he was disturbed. It also is no wonder that all Jerusalem was troubled right along with him. The people of Jerusalem knew what Herod was capable of. They knew that news of the birth of some supposed rival to Herod’s throne could not mean anything good.

Neither Herod nor the people of Jerusalem had any reason to be disturbed, however. The one who was born King of the Jews posed no threat to Herod’s rule over Judea. In fact, this newborn king had no designs at all on holding any sort of earthly authority. He was a King, to be sure. But he was a different kind of king than Herod was. Herod was an earthly king ruling an earthly kingdom. Jesus, the king whom the Magi were seeking, was a heavenly King ruling a heavenly kingdom.

Jesus’s kingdom does not occupy any territory that you can locate on a map. Rather, his kingdom is his rule in the hearts of his people through faith. His kingdom is established in a person’s heart when the Holy Spirit, working through the good news of Jesus, leads that person to trust in Jesus as their Savior. And Jesus’ kingdom spreads, not through military conquest, but as more and more people hear the good news of Jesus and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, also come to trust in Jesus as their Savior.

Jesus’ kingdom has extended to you also, as God the Holy Spirit has led you to trust in Jesus as your Savior. Through faith in Jesus, you are a member of his kingdom and a citizen of heaven.

Prayer:
King Jesus, reign always in my heart through faith. 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.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1,2

Born King of All

Daily Devotion – January 6, 2020

Devotion based on Matthew 2:1,2

See series: Devotions

Elizabeth II is the queen of the United Kingdom and the countries in its Commonwealth. Therefore, if you are a citizen of one of those countries, Elizabeth II is your queen. However, if you’re not a citizen of one of those countries, she’s not your queen.

When the Magi came to Jerusalem, they were looking for Jesus, “the one who has been born king of the Jews.” The Bible doesn’t tell us what nationality the Magi were. But since they came from “the east” (perhaps from Persia or Arabia), people have always assumed that they were not Jewish. So, why did these non-Jewish Magi travel so far to worship this king of the Jews?

The answer lies in the fact that while Jesus was indeed born king of the Jews, his kingdom was not limited only to the Jews. Jesus also came to be the King and Savior of all people, regardless of their nationality. The citizens of his kingdom were all those from every nation on earth who trusted in him as their Savior.

The Magi recognized this about Jesus. They recognized that even though they were not Jews, the one who was born king of the Jews was also born to be their King. He was born to be their Savior. They trusted that the forgiveness of sins that this king of the Jews would win was also for them. They knew that through faith in him, they too were citizens of his kingdom, regardless of their nationality.

Jesus also was born to be your king. It doesn’t matter who your ancestors were. It doesn’t matter what earthly citizenship you now hold. If you are a member of the human race, then King Jesus was born for you. He was born to be your Savior. The forgiveness he came to win he also won for you. Through faith in him, you are a citizen of his kingdom, for he was born King of all.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I praise you that you came to be the King of all people, including 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.

Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ.
Ephesians 3:8

A Painful Memory Can be a Blessing

Daily Devotion – January 5, 2020

Devotion based on Ephesians 3:8

See series: Devotions

Have you ever had a memory from your past that’s so painful you close your eyes and cringe whenever you think about it? For some, such memories are so powerful that they fill themselves with anything to deaden the hurt: alcohol, pills, pleasure, TV, mindless busyness. Do you have such a memory? Perhaps something from your past is haunting you right now.

If so, sit down for a moment next to the apostle Paul. It seems that Paul grappled with the same thing. In spite of all that the Lord did through Paul’s amazing ministry, Paul still considered himself “the least of all God’s people.” Let’s be clear: Paul did not say this just so he could appear gracious or humble before his readers. Elsewhere in his writings, Paul said the same thing. And he also explained why. You see, through the years Paul had never shaken the searing memories of what he had done before becoming a Christian. For that reason, the reality of his own sinfulness never left his side.

But there was the beauty that because Paul was now forgiven in Christ, even his painful memories were a blessing. Whenever they haunted him, they also served to highlight God’s grace in Paul’s life. It was God’s undeserved love for a sinner like Paul that continually filled him with gratitude and peace. And it was this gratitude and peace that helped inspire Paul to follow his Lord for the rest of his life.

Do you have a memory from your past that can sometimes paralyze you with pain and regret? Join the club. But consider what else that memory does. In Christ, that memory spotlights the Lord’s grace, his undeserved love, in your life. In him, you are forgiven. In him, you possess a peace that no bad memory can ever take away.

Remember that as you begin this new year. And thank your Lord that he can turn even your painful memory into a blessing.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I have allowed painful memories to prevent me from seeing you. Use my painful memories to remind me of your grace in 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.

When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son.
Galatians 4:4

The Time for Jesus

Daily Devotion – January 4, 2020

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4

See series: Devotions

What a mess things were at the time of Jesus’ birth! The Jewish people in Palestine had to live under the iron fist of Herod the Great, a cruel king who had actually put his own sons to death to retain his power. And the tyranny did not stop there.

Beyond Herod was the boot of the Roman Empire, known for its willingness to crucify thousands at one time in the name of keeping order. Then there were religious factions in the Jewish leadership—from the Pharisees, who were all about retaining religious laws and traditions of their people, to the Sadducees, who wanted to do what was necessary to get along with the Romans. There was a wide disparity between the upper, middle, and lower classes of Jewish society—a disparity that was ongoing and a disparity that created its own tension.

Finally, over the years a terrible distortion developed over what the promised Messiah was supposed to do. Many assumed he was supposed to bring political and social change. Few seemed to understand their need for a Savior from sin.

But in spite of the mess, brutality, unrest, ignorance, cynicism, and trouble, God chose this moment in time to send his Son. He did so because he determined that the time had come.

As it was 2,000 years ago, so it is this moment. The time for Jesus is now. In spite of what is dominating the headlines, in spite of the noise, in spite of what is demanding your attention in your personal world, the time for Jesus is now. The time is now to come to him in repentance and to bask in the forgiveness he purchased at Calvary’s cross. The time is now to tell others what you have heard and seen about the Savior God sent for us when the time had fully come.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into the mess of this world in order to save it. Thank you for coming into the mess of this world to save 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.

[S]ince you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:7

An Amazing Inheritance

Daily Devotion – January 3, 2020

Devotion based on Galatians 4:7

See series: Devotions

I was adopted into my family. My brother was born naturally into it. I am the executor of my parents’ estate, so I have seen their will. It’s split evenly between the children. I am receiving the same inheritance that my natural-born brother is receiving. Isn’t that remarkable?

As remarkable as my inheritance from my parents is, the inheritance Christians receive is far more remarkable. The Bible says that although Jesus is God’s natural born Son while Christians are adopted sons and daughters, they still receive a wonderful inheritance.

What will that inheritance include? It starts with the forgiveness of our sins. This was purchased not with gold or silver, but with the holy, precious blood of Jesus in his innocent suffering and death. Everyone connected to Jesus by faith receives that forgiveness, more precious than any earthly inheritance.

Our spiritual inheritance continues with resurrection from the dead. Our actual souls and our actual bodies, separated at death, will come together again. The disciples saw it happen with Jesus, and they realized that it would also happen to them. Our bodies will be glorified, ageless, unable to die. It’s an amazing inheritance.

And that inheritance continues with heaven. That’s where the Son of God lives, and that’s where we will live eternally with him. We can look forward to an eternal existence without sorrow or pain, in the company of all those have been adopted into God’s family. Jesus, our brother, is preparing our place for us right now.

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for making me your child. I delight in your inheritance, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. 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.

“Abba, Father.”
Galatians 4:6

Child of God

Daily Devotion – January 2, 2020

Devotion based on Galatians 4:6

See series: Devotions

It’s amazing how quickly and deeply children become attached to their parents. Mothers and fathers carry out their roles, and children learn to depend on them for nourishment, comfort, support, and boundaries. When children have stable parents, emotional bonds to one another last for a lifetime.

God, our heavenly Father, creates similar emotional bonds in us when he feeds us with his Holy Word and Holy Supper. He comforts us with his promises, and those promises support us when we are weak. He sets boundaries for us, showing us the blessings of keeping his laws, and the curses for breaking them.

Although we do not see him, God sends his Spirit into our hearts, and the emotional bonds to God that the Spirit creates in us last a lifetime.

It’s also amazing how children learn language from their parents. Parents speak, and children imitate the sounds. If bilingual parents speak both languages, their children grow up bilingual. You can often hear the speech patterns of parents in children’s speech even after the children move away.

The Holy Spirit teaches us the speech patterns of God, our Heavenly Father. We learn to speak about him and to him in an endearing way. The same way that English-speaking babies say “Dada,” and Galatian babies said “Abba,” we call God our Father in heaven. With these words, God tenderly invites us to believe that he is our true Father and that we are his true children so that we pray to him as boldly and confidently as dear children ask their dear father.

Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for making me your child through faith in Christ Jesus. Keep me close to you all of my life until I join you in 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.

God sent his Son . . . that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Galatians 4:4,5

Making It Possible

Daily Devotion – January 1, 2020

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4,5

See series: Devotions

It’s a new year! No matter what happened in the previous year, this new year opens with all kinds of opportunities. People make New Year’s resolutions because it’s a good time for starting over. It feels like anything is possible, right?

And it’s not just a new year that can make us feel excited. New shoes make kids feel like they can run faster and jump higher. A new car has a special feel and smell. New books and movies intrigue us no matter our age.

If a new year or new things are exciting, imagine what it would be like to join a new family. That’s what anyone who has been adopted has experienced. They will tell you that joining a new family by adoption is an adventure. Most children adopted into a family feel like they have been given a new lease on life. A former family had disintegrated, but this new family offers opportunities and possibilities. Being adopted into a family offers security and love.

But no family offers more security and more love than God’s family. Sadly, none of us has the authority or ability to join God’s family. Thankfully, God does have the authority and ability to adopt us into his family. This is why he sent his Son, Jesus, into the world, to make all of the arrangements necessary for us to be adopted into his family. Jesus earned forgiveness for us, declaring himself to be our brother. He did everything to make it possible for us to be adopted into the family of God.

When someone is baptized, and the name of the only true God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is pronounced over them, God is writing that name on them and claiming them as his own. They get his family name, and God promises that all of the privileges of being a family member come along with faith in Jesus.

And when you are in God’s family, all kinds of wonderful things are possible.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me enough to send Jesus to do everything necessary for me to be adopted into your family. 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.

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son.
Galatians 4:4

Just in Time

Daily Devotion – December 31, 2019

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4

See series: Devotions

Forty years ago, just-in-time manufacturing changed everything in the auto industry. There was less inventory and quicker production times, delighting both managers and customers. When it was done well, just the right part was available at just the right time, every time.

Two thousand years ago, a just-in-time event changed everything in the world. For thousands of years, God had promised a Savior. The people who believed his promise awaited the day when it would be fulfilled. In times of both injustice and despair, they cried out to the Lord, “How long? How long will it be until you keep your promise?”

Then, at the set time, God kept his promise. The Son of God took on human flesh. He became fully human yet was without sin. He came to earth to do the will of his Father.

It was the perfect time in human history. Everything was in place for Jesus to do exactly what his Father wanted him to do. And what was that? Jesus came to bear the sins of the world, earning forgiveness for you.

On the last day of the calendar year, you can look back and see how some things have gone well, and other things—well, probably not so well. But when you look back on what Jesus has done for you, you will see only perfection, because Jesus came at just the right time. And as you look forward to the new year, Jesus will be with you, supplying you with whatever you need, just in time.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the blessings of the past year. Give me the confidence to face the new year with your forgiveness there for me at just the right time, every time. 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.

God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law.
Galatians 4:4,5

Jesus Did Your Job

Daily Devotion – December 30, 2019

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4,5

See series: Devotions

It’s nice to have a job that gives you some holiday time off between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s just pleasant not to have to get up at a certain time in the morning, get yourself to work, and follow someone else’s routine. And isn’t it especially nice when a co-worker volunteers to take a shift for you to give you a little time off?

As you celebrated the birth of Jesus last week, did you think about why he came to earth? He didn’t have to do it. He had enjoyed existence from eternity without a human body, but he chose to humble himself and take a human body anyway, arriving not as an adult, but as an infant.

Just as amazingly, he chose to put himself under the law. That means that he had to be perfect in every way—every thought, every word, every action. Just one slip-up, and he would not be able to serve as our Savior.

But he is called Jesus, which means “Savior,” because he did it. He kept the law perfectly, refraining as a true human being from doing or even thinking anything wrong. Then, instead of taking the reward of heaven that he deserved for living that perfect life, he took the punishment of hell that you deserved for living an imperfect life and declared that his perfect life would be your ticket to heaven.

Through faith in Jesus, you have that perfect life credited to your spiritual account. You are redeemed from hell and death, and you are promised forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.

Someone else has done your job, and he wants you to get credit for it. Join other Christians and thank him. Stop worrying, take a deep breath, and get some rest.

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for sending your Son to become a human being and live under the law in my place. I will rest my soul in him. 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 the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:4-7

Perfect Timing

Daily Devotion – December 29, 2019

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4-7

See series: Devotions

There is something soothing about watching sand sift through the waist of an hourglass. It is mesmerizing. In our Bible passage for today, the apostle Paul tells us that when Jesus was born, the last grains of sand in God’s celestial hourglass had fallen from the top chamber and filled the bottom one. In other words, Jesus came at precisely the right time. We can be certain because it was the time that God in his wisdom had chosen since the beginning of time. The One who fulfilled the hopes and dreams of God’s people for all those years was born. For centuries God had promised to send a Savior, and when the time had fully come, he sent his one and only Son.

We don’t know for sure why God sent Jesus when he did, but we can be thankful that he did. God’s own Son became human and put himself under the law, to redeem us from all of our sins and failures under God’s law. He did this so we might receive the full rights of sons. Through faith in Christ, we have been brought into God’s family and can now call out to our Father in heaven with words of heartfelt intimacy, “Abba, Father.” God’s timing was perfect, and so was his gift—Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, help me to continually rejoice in your perfect timing in sending your Son into the world. Lead me to continually thank and praise you for your perfect gift and for making me your 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.