Category: Daily Devotions

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. … Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:24-26,29

Believing Goes Beyond Seeing

Daily Devotion – April 22, 2020

Devotion based on John 20:24-26,29

See series: Devotions

I have a confession to make. I’ve noticed that I believe everything I read in the newspaper—that is, until it’s about me or something I have seen for myself. Then I note all of the inaccuracies in the story. But afterward, I go back to believing everything I read.

The disciple Thomas was not like me. He was a skeptic. Even when reliable people told him that Jesus rose from the dead, he thought it was fake news. I don’t know what made Thomas like that. Maybe he had been disappointed in life. For whatever reason, he said that he had to see the risen Lord Jesus for himself.

He saw Jesus. Jesus let him touch his wounds from the crucifixion. We have the eyewitness testimony of John that it happened. Thomas went out as a missionary to the world and told everyone what happened.

So, do you believe it? Jesus says that you are blessed if you believe it even though you have not had the same experience that Thomas had.

How are you blessed? Believing that Jesus rose from the dead means that your sins are forgiven. Because Jesus rose from the dead, you know that all of his promises are true, and he can keep all of them. When he promises to be with you wherever you are, you know he can and will do it. Even death can’t hold him back.

The internet has made me suspicious of believing every news item I read online. But because I believe the eyewitness accounts in the Bible wherever I read them, I am blessed.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to believe even though I have not seen. 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, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that [Jesus] breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
John 20:21-23

Breathe on Me

Daily Devotion – April 21, 2020

Devotion based on John 20:21-23

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Over the past couple of months, you have no doubt become much more aware of people breathing on you. Social distancing has led you to a pretty good idea of how far away six feet is. You have been hesitant to be any closer to people who might infect you with the coronavirus.

Now you read in the gospel of John that Jesus breathed on his disciples after he rose from the dead. Maybe you never noticed those words before, but they jump out at you now. What was Jesus doing?

Jesus explained a couple of things that he was doing. The first explanation is that he was connecting his disciples to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He was sending them just as his Father had sent him. They would be going with the presence of the Holy Spirit and the power he provided.

What power? That’s the second explanation Jesus gave his disciples. He told them that now they had the power to forgive the sins of penitent people and withhold forgiveness from impenitent people.

That power to forgive people is an awesome privilege and responsibility. Every Christian has it, and every Christian will want to practice it until it becomes as natural as breathing. When someone asks for forgiveness, Christians are eager to assure them that they are forgiven because Jesus has earned forgiveness for them.

Perhaps some people have not done right by you during this pandemic. Forgive them. Breathe these words out loud: “I forgive you. Just as God has forgiven me, I forgive you, for Jesus’ sake.”

Then take a deep breath and relax. This is how a Christian lives now that Jesus has risen from the dead.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit and letting me breathe words of forgiveness. 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 the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!”
John 20:19-21

Meaning of the Greeting

Daily Devotion – April 20, 2020

Devotion based on John 20:19-21

See series: Devotions

Jesus had risen from the dead. Now he appeared to his followers. What’s the first thing he said to them? “Peace be with you!” What did he mean by that?

This was more than a usual greeting. Jesus was not just saying, “Hello! How are you?” He meant something special by what he said. He even repeated it, so the disciples got what he was saying.

At first, we might guess that “peace be with you” was Jesus’ way of addressing the disciples’ fear. They had every reason to be afraid for their lives since their leader had just been killed, and they all wondered if they would be next. They were gathered behind locked doors.

Jesus certainly did not want them to be afraid of being killed, but his “peace be with you” was news that went way beyond that. Jesus emphasized his message by showing his hands and his side to the disciples. They all knew that he had been crucified, that his hands had been pierced with nails, that his side had been wounded with a spear. He was showing them that it was really him, risen from the dead.

And his “peace be with you” was his first sentence explaining what it meant that he rose from the dead. He was telling them that he had earned peace with God the Father for them. God would not punish them for being afraid. God would not punish them for any sin. Jesus had taken that punishment. They had peace.

In these unsettling times, we might worry whether God is punishing us for our lack of faith or our lack of action. But Jesus has risen from the dead, proving that God punished him and will not punish us. Instead, God reassures us. We have peace with him through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for calming me with your peace. 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.

John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:29

Certainty in Uncertain Times

Daily Devotion – April 19, 2020

Devotion based on John 1:29

See series: Devotions

I recently checked out some survey data for a community here in my hometown. At number five on the list of life concerns were, “Fear of the future and fear of the unknown.” If you were to survey that same community today I am sure that “fear of the future and fear of the unknown” would be a clear number one with all the questions about the future on our minds these days as we face the threat of the coronavirus.

Two thousand years ago, the apostle John was also feeling uncertainty and anxiety about the future. In a vision God gave him, he saw a scroll with the future recorded on it. But it was rolled up and sealed. The uncertainty of the future reduced John to fearful tears. He said, “I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside” (Revelation 5:4).

But when John finally wiped away his tears, he saw a Lamb which appeared to have been sacrificed but was alive and standing near the throne of God in heaven. And as the Lamb picked up the scroll, all of heaven broke into a joyful song with lyrics that went like this: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

The sacrificial Lamb next to God’s throne was Jesus, whom the Bible calls “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). At the cross, Jesus took your place and died for all of your sins. It’s a great comfort to know that the one who holds the future in his hands is the God who loves you so much he suffered and died and rose again for you!

But it gets better. The Lamb opened the scroll. He revealed the future. And it is good news! Life will not be easy. But through it all, the Lamb will be with you. Whatever comes, he will give you strength and comfort to get through it. And when death comes, he will share his victory over death with you and bring you to a life free of all danger and uncertainty forever in heaven.

Prayer:
Lamb of God, comfort me in these uncertain times by reminding me that my future is in your loving hands. 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 my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’” And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jonah 2:7-10

Free from Fear

Daily Devotion – April 18, 2020

Devotion based on Jonah 2:7-10

See series: Devotions

Jonah was a reluctant prophet. God had told him to travel to the city of Nineveh and preach to the people there so they could turn to God and be saved. Jonah didn’t want to go. He didn’t want the Ninevites, who were enemies of his own people, to be saved. So, he jumped on a ship heading in the opposite direction. But you can’t run from God. God saw to it that Jonah was tossed overboard and swallowed by a great fish. It was in the belly of that fish that Jonah repented and turned back to God. He knew that only God could help him.

In his prayer, Jonah confessed, “Salvation comes from the LORD.” This is the truth that comforted his heart, and his confidence was not misplaced. God rescued Jonah from death in the sea by his almighty power, and God delivered him from death in hell by fulfilling his true promise of sending his Son to redeem him and all sinners.

With a heart free from fear through faith, Jonah worshipped the Lord with a song of thanksgiving for saving him from death and damnation. He expressed his great gratitude by making a sincere promise to live according to his faith in the Lord.

“Salvation comes from the LORD,” is what our aching hearts need to always hear. If being saved were up to you or me, we would fail. But we need not fear because salvation from death and damnation is from the Lord, Jesus Christ. That’s what the cross and the empty tomb are all about. Jesus is our Savior!

Prayer: (Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 446)
I am trusting you, Lord Jesus, trusting only you,
Trusting you for full salvation, free and true.

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 Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:4

Glorious Life

Daily Devotion – April 17, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:4

See series: Devotions

You wouldn’t think that Easter would be a time for “hard to hear” words from our God. But in Colossians 3:4, the apostle Paul brings two of the most “hard to hear” Easter words into the conversation: when and then. “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Okay, in reality, they’re not that troublesome for us! But they do carry some difficult implications, nevertheless.

When indicates an indefinite time in the future. Think of cold weather people, cooped up inside their homes for 6 (or more!) months of the year. They just want to see a 75-degree day! And it will happen when spring comes. Well, when will spring come? That we don’t know for sure. And that waiting is hard.

Then indicates something that is coming in the future, something separated from us by a length of time. But we tend to want things now. After 6 months of winter, the frostbitten northerners don’t want to hear about another 3–5 inches of white stuff in the forecast. They just want to be able to sit outside on the patio today. They don’t want then, they want now. And that waiting is hard.

But that first 75-degree day, enjoyed in the sunshine on the patio? It’s glorious and totally worth the wait.

Don’t misunderstand. Easter absolutely gives us a reason to rejoice today and every day of our lives. We have a living Savior, one who hears and helps, upholds and strengthens, one who sits at the very right hand of God himself. Easter definitely blesses us now. But “if our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all,” wrote the Apostle Paul. (1 Corinthians 15:19, EHV).

Easter’s fullest triumph is not something we know now, but something we will know then. When Jesus comes back to judge the world, those who were with him through the troubles and trials of this life will then appear with him in glory—glory that never diminishes, a glory that never ends. When will that happen? We don’t know. Wait with eager expectation. Wait in faith. Because it will, indeed, be glorious and totally worth the wait.

Prayer:
Preserve me in faith until the day of your return. And come quickly, Lord 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.

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:4

Your Life

Daily Devotion – April 16, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:4

See series: Devotions

“He lives all glory to his name. He lives, my Jesus, still the same.” These lines are from one of Christianity’s most beloved hymns entitled: “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” You can often see tears welling up in people’s eyes as they sing these words.

I’m not sure why these lines, in particular, tug at heartstrings and cause lumps in throats. But I think it’s probably because of the personal pronoun. In that line of the hymn, he’s not just “Jesus.” He is “my Jesus.” And that one little word—those two little letters—take the Almighty God, the Savior of mankind, the most famous person in the history of the world and they make him…mine. They tie him to me.

Insignificant me, barely keeping it together me, screw up me. I see abundant proof everyday of how I’ve done everything to deserve God’s hatred and nothing to deserve God’s love. And every day, I pile on more. All of that is true. And yet, Jesus is mine.

He is mine as I remember the water of baptism where I became his. He is mine in the Lord’s Supper, where he gives me his true body and blood. He is mine on the pages of the Bible, where he promises time and again that nothing will be able to separate me from him.

Do you see the personal pronoun in Paul’s words from Colossians 3? “When Christ, who is your life, appears…”

Here Jesus is not just “life.” Jesus is your life! A “still in the tomb” Jesus would still be a wonderful role model and teacher for you. He’d provide a wonderful voice from the past. But a living Jesus, a “no longer in the tomb” Jesus is infinitely better. A living Jesus can keep his promise that you too will conquer death. A living Jesus can keep his promise to be with you always, till the very end of the age. A living Jesus can bless you today with his power and presence. Because by faith, he’s your Jesus, still the same. He’s your life.

Prayer:
Risen Savior, in the midst of sadness and death in this world, you remain my life. Calm my fears and anxieties by ever reminding me that you live and you are mine. 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 you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3

Hidden Life

Daily Devotion – April 15, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:3

See series: Devotions

Did you know that R2D2 and C3PO make a brief appearance as hieroglyphs in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”? Or that “Boo”—the little girl from the Disney Pixar movie “Monsters, Inc.” makes an on-screen cameo in another Disney Pixar movie “Toy Story 4”? Or that Alfred Hitchcock made an uncredited appearance in almost all of his movies? These are all examples of what film devotees call “Easter Eggs”—little surprises that are carefully hidden by movie creators in their final product and left for big-time fans to unwittingly stumble upon to their amusement and delight.

The idea of things hidden in plain sight is fascinating. The idea that something kind of fun, interesting, or maybe even awesome could be right in front of your eyes, and you’d never even know it.

The Apostle Paul talks about something “awesome, hidden in plain sight” in Colossians 3:3 when he says, “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

Can you see the awesomeness? At baptism, the child of God is covered with Christ. His perfection blankets us, burying our disobedience far beneath it—so that only Jesus’ perfect obedience is visible to God. That’s why Paul can say, “You died.” “You” as a separate entity, isolated and alone before an angry eternal Judge…died. That version of “you” is no longer a thing. You are hidden with Christ. And that is awesome!

But that awesomeness is hidden in plain sight. The children of God are not given sashes to proclaim their status. They look the same as their neighbors. They endure job losses and rejection, infertility and tragedy, illnesses of the body and mind. But although hidden in plain sight, the awesomeness remains.

Paul himself says, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8,9).

The devil can do a lot of damage, but he can’t go back and change this fact. Jesus won. Death remains defeated. Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. What a blessing beyond measure to be hidden with him.

Prayer:
Risen Savior, in you I find refuge, in you I find shelter. Comfort me in every season of life with the blessed assurance that I am hidden in 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.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:1,2

Higher Life

Daily Devotion – April 14, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:1,2

See series: Devotions

I know nothing about savings bonds. Today I went to an online calendar and tried to figure out the value of a $50 savings bond my child received in 2011. Over the course of almost 10 years, it’s gained $1.46 in total interest. The person who gave it to her definitely had her future in mind. I’m just not sure we realized how far into the future we’d have to go to see the benefits.

Does the promise of Easter ever feel that way―like something that might pay off at some time in the distant future, but that’s maybe not all that much benefit to people living a troubled life in a difficult world today?

Easter doesn’t just mean future good things when we die. It means good things for God’s people today. Having an “alive” Jesus leads to us having an “ascended” Jesus and having an “ascended” Jesus means that right now, today, as we speak, we have a friend in high places! A friend who sits in the highest place, to be more specific—at the very right hand of God himself.

That leads to a new perspective on our lives right now. Paul encourages us “to seek the things that are above.” You see if what we amass during our 70 or 80 years in this world is the entirety of our existence…it’s not hard to see why folks put so much time and effort into “getting”—getting status, getting “likes,” getting stuff. But knowing that the 70 or 80 years here is only the introduction to our story, and there is a higher throne and an eternal home waiting for us, our focus turns. It turns from downward and inward to outward and upward. To a higher life—one that’s not just waiting for us when we die, but also affecting the way we look at our lives right now.

Easter changed the people who experienced it. You can bet that the women at the tomb were never the same after seeing the angels and hearing their message. You can bet that Peter and John were never the same after seeing that Jesus had risen. So also Easter changes us. It sets our minds on a higher life.

Prayer:
Risen Savior, remind me daily that you sit at the right hand of God, and help me to live my life, setting my mind on things above. 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.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:1

New Life

Daily Devotion – April 13, 2020

Devotion based on Colossians 3:1

See series: Devotions

“Your whole life can change in an instant.” Usually, we hear that phrase applied to negative and tragic situations. And it’s true that a car accident, job loss, or doctor’s diagnosis can all change your whole life in an instant.

But not everything that changes your life in an instant is a bad thing. The instant a father and mother hear their new baby’s cries for the first time—their whole lives have changed in an instant…and for the better. The new life that just arrived in the delivery room has brought new life and a changed world for the whole family.

The new life that arrived at the empty tomb on Easter morning brought new life and a changed world for all who believe in Jesus. And we weren’t even there! We weren’t walking with the ladies that first Easter Sunday, carrying myrrh and aloe. We didn’t duck our heads into the tomb with Peter and John only to find empty strips of linen and a lonely headcloth. We sure weren’t there when new life came to a lifeless body, and death suddenly lost its chill. We weren’t there. And yet Paul says to the Colossians and us, “You have been raised with Christ.”

How can this be? When the Holy Spirit works faith in a person’s heart, their whole life changes in an instant. Through faith, Jesus and his people become inexorably intertwined. He has led a perfect life in God’s sight. By faith, his followers receive that perfect life in God’s sight. He has conquered death. By faith, his followers will one day conquer death.

No, we weren’t there with the women to hear the angels’ message. We didn’t peer into the tomb with Peter and John. We don’t need to go back in time to be raised with Christ. Instead, Christ comes to us—to our hearts by faith and brings with him the power of his resurrection: Joy where there was only sadness. Hope where there was only despair. New life where there was only death. Look at the empty tomb and rejoice―everything changed in an instant!

Prayer:
Risen Savior, I rejoice in your resurrection and gladly embrace the hope you have brought me. Thank you for conquering death and sharing your triumph with 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.