Category: Daily Devotions

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker. . . I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. . . . I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. . . . no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. . . . Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
Philemon 1:1-21 (selected verses)

Wisdom Welcomes the Estranged

Daily Devotion – October 2, 2019

Devotion based on Philemon 1:1-21 (selected verses)

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“I don’t have anything to say to you,” he responded as he closed the door. I wanted to reconcile with my brother, but he was unwilling to reconcile with me.

Like me, Onesimus wanted to reconcile with his brother. Onesimus was the slave of a Christian named Philemon. For unknown reasons, Onesimus ran away from his master and went to Rome.

In Rome, Onesimus met the apostle Paul who introduced him to his Savior. Onesimus learned that God had reconciled the world to himself through the cross. Jesus had paid for his sin! Onesimus believed the good news and became a changed man. So, Paul sent Onesimus back to his master with a letter.

Paul knew that Philemon treasured God’s reconciliation in Christ. So, in his letter, Paul called for Christian wisdom: Reconcile with Onesimus and receive him, not as a slave but a freeman and brother in Christ. This act of mercy would glorify Christ.

The good news of Jesus changes us too. As those who are wise in Christ, God equips and empowers us to glorify Christ by reconciling with one another. If we have run away from responsibility, we will make amends. If a brother or sister in Christ sins against us, we will show them their fault. And we will forgive and receive them back as if they had done us no harm whenever they repent.

For, we were slaves once too, slaves to sin. God should punish us, but Jesus intervened for us. He surrendered his rights as God and suffered our punishment. Because he satisfied our debt, God welcomes us back. No longer as slaves, but his children.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to glorify you by repenting of my sin, rejoicing in forgiveness, and reconciling with others. 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.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more . . . But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.
Philippians 3:4,7-10

Cling to the Credentials of Christ

Daily Devotion – October 3, 2019

Devotion based on Philippians 3:4,7-10

See series: Devotions

Five years ago, a former mayor of New York City made a bold claim. He pointed to all his accomplishments and said, “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven, I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven.”

The apostle Paul once made the same bold claim. He was an elite Jew from the tribe of Benjamin. At eight days old, he was circumcised according to Jewish law. He grew up in the strict Orthodox Jewish tradition. As a Pharisee, Paul followed their laws faultlessly. If anyone could earn his way into heaven, it was Paul.

But then Paul met Jesus. Jesus showed him that he is the only way to get into heaven. Jesus’ credentials are flawless. His life conformed perfectly to God’s will. His death on the cross paid fully for all the world’s sin. He earned our salvation completely. Paul’s credentials couldn’t compare. So, he tore them up, tossed them out, and clung in faith to Christ’s life-giving work.

Like the former mayor of New York City, we can lean heavily on our accomplishments. We may be good at living by the standards we set for heaven. But no matter how impressive our Christian credentials, they cannot get us into heaven. It’s all garbage compared to trusting Christ our Savior.

Like Paul, those who are wise in Christ cling to him by faith. Christ by his life, death, and resurrection brings us God’s forgiving love. He is the only way to get to heaven. Keep your eye on him, and don’t look back.

Prayer:
Your works, not mine, O Christ, speak gladness to this heart. To whom but you, who can alone for sin atone, Lord, shall I flee? 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 LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. . . . So Abram went, as the LORD had told him. . . . Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. . . . The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” . . . From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
Genesis 12:1-8 (selected verses)

Wisdom Worships God

Daily Devotion – October 1, 2019

Devotion based on Genesis 12:1-8 (selected verses)

See series: Devotions

We left home and family when I was a small boy. The Lord called my father from the mountains of America to serve as a missionary in the plains of Central Africa. When we arrived, we learned that our possessions had been lost in route, from furniture to family photos. I was too young to remember my reaction.

What will you do if the Lord uproots your life and leads you to unfamiliar places? You may lose your health, livelihood, a friendship, or loved one. You may change schools, jobs, or enter the workforce. You may face the end of your earthly life.

We know how Abram responded when God called him to leave his familiar life. He knew the Lord’s promise to bless him. He knew the Lord would be with him along the way and was already at his destination. So, when Abram arrived, he “called on the name of the LORD,” that is, he worshipped God for loving him.

When life takes an unfamiliar or uncomfortable direction, remember Abram’s wise response. Call on the name of the LORD. Worship him for loving you. Exhale your worry and fear. Inhale the life-giving breath of God’s Word. In all things God works for the good of those who love him, whom he has called for his purpose. Since he gave us his Son that we might have a home in heaven, he will undoubtedly give us all we need to reach that destination. Know that he is with you along the way and already there to greet you.

Wherever God leads, call on his name and worship him there.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me the wisdom to worship you wherever you lead 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.

Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.
Proverbs 9:8-12

Get Wise

Daily Devotion – September 30, 2019

Devotion based on Proverbs 9:8-12

See series: Devotions

When I was three, we visited my grandparents’ home. Inside the window of the stairwell was a fan with metal blades. My mother warned me that if I touched it, I would hurt myself. She gave me the knowledge, but I lacked proper follow-through. Eventually, I reached out and my fingers contacted those rotating blades. Forty years later, my hand still bears the scar. I wasn’t wise.

Wisdom is not the same as book smarts, a high IQ, or even common sense. If you have knowledge, you are smart. If you have knowledge and the right follow-through, you are wise.

At least, that’s how we describe worldly wisdom. The Bible, however, tells us about something even more important—godly wisdom. Godly wisdom is knowing the God of the Bible and putting what we know about him and what he says into practice in our lives. Sadly, like a three-year-old who puts his fingers into the blades of a spinning fan, we are often spiritually unwise. We know what God tells us is right and wrong, what is good for us and what is bad. But we decide to do what is wrong and what is bad for us. We aren’t wise.

What should God do with such people? He could have simply said, “You fools!” and had nothing more to do with us. But he didn’t. Instead, he sent his Son Jesus Christ who lived a life of perfect godly wisdom. And he gives us the credit for it. Through faith in his perfect wisdom, God sees us as being perfectly wise. And, by his Holy Spirit, he grants us more and more godly wisdom. He empowers us to put his word into practice in our lives.

May he do just this for you this day.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are the wisdom of God and my wisdom too. Forgive me for my foolishness. And help me follow through, loving you and living 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.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10

True Wisdom

Daily Devotion – September 29, 2019

Devotion based on Proverbs 9:10

See series: Devotions

It is interesting that Japan has a very high suicide rate and Haiti has a very low rate. It doesn’t seem to make sense. One would think that Japan, a very prosperous and modern country, would have few people who would want to end their lives. And one would think that Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, would have plenty of people who would want to escape such poverty and suffering. It doesn’t seem to add up. Why is this so?

There are many questions like that. Why is there so much crime? Why is there still so much war? Why do people in a world full of food, die of starvation?

Solomon, a man specially gifted with wisdom from God, says that answers can be found in true wisdom.

What is wisdom? Some say it is what you know by experience. Others say it is knowing how to use what you know—common sense. Solomon’s definition is the best. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Knowing God and understanding him is the basis for all true wisdom. How can I understand the world if I don’t understand the One who created it? How can I understand the meaning of life if I don’t understand the Giver of all life? How can I understand why I am here without first understanding the One who put me here?

God has revealed himself to us through his Word written in the Bible. As we hear, study, and learn his Word, we come to know him better and find true wisdom for our lives. In his Word, we find the good news that God sent Jesus to solve our greatest problem, our sin. In his Word, we will find the wisdom we need to live in this often-confusing world.

Prayer:
Lord, teach me to fear and know you so that my life will be filled with wisdom. 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 Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Never Changes

Daily Devotion – September 28, 2019

Devotion based on Hebrews 13:8

See series: Devotions

Were you surprised this morning at the wrinkled face peeking back at you in the mirror? Or the sagging where there was once no sag? A gray hair proudly declaring its independence? Or maybe an entire forest of gray? “When did I change so much,” you sigh. But change is a fact of life. We see gas prices rise and fall. The love in marriages grows cold. Professional athletes retire, then un-retire, then retire again. We’ve become so accustomed to change that it would be far more remarkable to witness something that doesn’t.

The book of Hebrews tells us that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” I’m not sure that you and I can ever fully appreciate those words. We don’t have anything to compare it to. We’ve never experienced something so constant, so steady, so dependable, and so…unchanging!

But rather than fearing what we don’t understand, let those stabilizing words from your Creator make you feel secure and confident. Because the eyes that once blinked through the hurt of rejection and squinted through the tears of pain are the very same eyes that are watching you with tenderness right now. The hands that bore nail-marks as proof of his love, are the same divine hands protecting you from harm. The head that endured shame and thorns is the same head turned attentively to your suffering and trouble.

Jesus NEVER changes! Your forgiveness is sure; your heaven is secure. He will ALWAYS love you.

Prayer:
Jesus, I’m not quite sure how you can never change. So much of my world changes every day. But I know that it means you love me. And it makes me love you, too. Thank you, my unchanging 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.

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors . . . But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.”
Luke 14:12-14

Build Others Up

Daily Devotion – September 27, 2019

Devotion based on Luke 14:12-14

See series: Devotions

Does Jesus really not want us to have our friends and family over to our homes for dinner? No, Jesus often went to friends’ homes for dinner. And the Bible speaks highly of the early Christians who “broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46). Jesus’ point in saying the words of today’s Bible passage is not to discourage us from hosting our friends and family for dinner. Instead, he is encouraging us to be on the lookout for ways to build other people up.

None of us is naturally inclined to build others up. By nature, we see people as mere tools we can use to build ourselves up. If someone has something that we think can benefit us, such as wealth or a good reputation, we seek to use that person in a way that will make us look better. If, however, someone has nothing that can benefit us, we either ignore that person or tear that person down so that we can look better in comparison.

This, of course, is not the way Jesus wants us to treat others. Nor is it the way he treated us. If Jesus had been looking only for people who could bring him some benefit, he never would have chosen us. We had nothing to offer him. Yet Jesus didn’t just associate with us. He became one of us. He humbled himself for the express purpose of building us up, so that through his life and death for us, we might be exalted with him forever.

Now, as we see how Jesus so selflessly built us up from the nothing we were, we are eager and able to build others up as well. It doesn’t matter who the other person is. All are people for whom Jesus humbled himself. All are people whom we, with God’s help, can seek to build up.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, lead me to build others up, just as you have 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.

[Jesus said] “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. . . . But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ . . . For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 14:8,10,11

Humble Yourself

Daily Devotion – September 26, 2019

Devotion based on Luke 14:8,10,11

See series: Devotions

“Where am I supposed to sit?” you wonder as you enter the reception hall. You scan all the tables and notice that one table at the front of the hall is specially decorated and elevated on a riser. “That must be where the bride and groom want me to sit,” you think. “After all, I’m one of their best friends. I deserve to be seated as close to them as possible.”

It’s hard to imagine that any of us would be so presumptuous as to do something like that at a friend’s wedding reception. Yet, as Jesus observed, such behavior is certainly not unthinkable for us sinful human beings. Each of us naturally has a very high opinion of ourselves. We believe that we deserve to be honored by others. And if they don’t give us the honor we think we deserve, we’ll do what we can to build ourselves up so they can’t help but notice how great we are.

Such self-exalting behavior, however, is not what Jesus wants to see in us. It certainly is not how he acted. Although, as the Son of God, he deserved to be honored more than anyone else, he did not insist on always receiving that honor. Instead, he willingly humbled himself and for a while hid his greatness so he could save us. It was through humbling himself, even to the point of suffering and dying on the cross for us, that Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God.

If you want to be honored in Jesus’ kingdom, don’t seek to build yourself up. Instead, through faith in Jesus, humble yourself. And trust that Jesus, who humbled himself for you, will exalt you just as he has promised.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, lead me through faith in you to humble myself to your glory. 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 whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
James 2:10

Break One Law You Break Them All

Daily Devotion – September 25, 2019

Devotion based on James 2:10

See series: Devotions

The sound of breaking glass shatters the peace of your Saturday afternoon. You go into your living room and see a jagged hole right in the middle of your living room window. The scuffed baseball rolling on your living room floor answers the question of how that hole got there.

Your doorbell rings, and when you open your door you see a group of very contrite looking children standing on your porch. “We’re so sorry that we broke your window,” one of them says. “But we’ll fix it. We’ll go get some duct tape right now and tape over the hole. Then your window will be as good as new!”

“Absurd!” you think to yourself. “It’s not just the hole in the window that needs fixing. The whole window is broken. You can’t just break a part of a window and not break the whole thing!”

In our Bible passage today, James makes the same point about God’s law. Once we’ve put a hole in any part of it, we have broken it in its entirety. We can’t just patch up the part we think we’ve broken. Just like a broken window needs to be replaced in its entirety, our sin-shattered lives must be replaced in their entirety for us to be spiritually whole.

Thankfully, Jesus has done just that for us. Throughout his life, he kept the window of God’s law completely intact. Not once did he even chip any part of it. Now, through faith in him, he gives us the completely intact window of God’s law that he kept for us. His perfectly intact obedience replaces the window we shattered with our disobedience. And in him, we can stand before God without fear or shame, for in Jesus, God’s law is completely unbroken.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, all praise to you for keeping God’s law perfectly in my place. 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.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
James 2:8

Love Your Neighbor

Daily Devotion – September 24, 2019

Devotion based on James 2:8

See series: Devotions

I deleted my Twitter account a few weeks ago. I just couldn’t take it anymore. While it started as a way for me to keep up with news and current events, the longer I stayed on Twitter the more I didn’t like what I saw. I saw angry virtual mobs saying vile things about other people whom they knew nothing about. I saw coordinated efforts to ruin the lives of people who held opinions that the Twitter hordes found objectionable. In short, I saw a glaring lack of the kind of thing that James talks about in our Bible passage today. I saw far too many people who failed to love their neighbor as they loved themselves.

Getting off Twitter, however, did not separate me from the problem of people failing to love their neighbor as themselves. That’s because getting off Twitter did not separate me from my own sinful heart. The failure of people to love their neighbor as themselves is not just an “out there” problem. It is an “in me” problem. My sinful nature loves me above all else. And it finds the whole idea of loving my neighbor as much as I love myself utterly offensive and absurd.

So how are we supposed to fulfill this demand when our sinful hearts resolutely refuse to do so? Praise God that in his undeserved love toward us he sent his Son Jesus to fulfill this demand for us. In fact, in his perfect living, Jesus not only loved all his neighbors as he loved himself, but he also loved God above all things. In doing this, Jesus fulfilled God’s entire law in our place. And through faith in him, we now have his perfect love toward God and neighbor credited to us, just as if we had done it ourselves.

Getting off Twitter won’t separate us from our old sinful selves. But in Jesus, we’re no longer just our old sinful selves. Through faith in Jesus, we are new people. And in him, we will keep the royal law found in Scripture and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, may your love for me fill my heart that I always love my neighbor as myself. 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.