Category: Daily Devotions

You ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
2 Corinthians 2:7,8

We Find Comfort

Daily Devotion – September 16, 2022

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 2:7,8

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Eureka! I found it! It is such a relief to find something that was lost. But there is no joy greater than when a lost soul is found.

Today’s Bible reading is about just such an event. A man in the Christian congregation in Corinth had been so lost in sin that he refused any correction. To warn this man of his lost condition, his church had to declare that this man was outside of God’s kingdom and destined for eternal death. Can someone get more lost than that?

Thankfully, the congregation’s act of love achieved its goal. By the grace of God, the man repented and returned to the Lord. A heart that was once calloused to the Word and warning of God was now broken and longing for comfort. And that’s what the apostle Paul instructed his church to give him—comfort through complete forgiveness.

Think of how our world treats someone who has done something it considers shameful. So often, there’s no coming back. The person is written-off, canceled—that’s it. But this man returned and was restored. No hoops to jump through. The one who was once lost found comfort and relief, and heaven rejoiced over one sinner who repented—he recognized his need for forgiveness and trusted in Jesus for complete forgiveness.

That same comfort is yours! Jesus does not shame us when we come to him in humility, recognizing how much we need him. Jesus doesn’t cancel us and cut ties. He does not give us hoops to jump through to earn back his love. He reaffirms his unconditional love for us and reassures us of his forgiveness. In that love and forgiveness, we find eternal comfort.

Prayer:
Jesus, lead me back always to your love and forgiveness to find comfort that lasts. 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] “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’”
Luke 15:8,9

How much is it worth?

Daily Devotion – September 15, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 15:8,9

See series: Devotions

How much is it worth? That’s a good question to ask when you lose something. If it’s worth very little, it’s no great loss. In fact, you might not even know it’s missing. If it’s worth very little, you might as well cut your losses and move on.

Earlier in this chapter of the Bible, Jesus told a parable about one lost sheep out of one hundred—a one percent loss. Now the stakes get higher. A woman loses ten percent of her savings. You can understand why this woman was frantically searching for a coin—this was not merely a penny or a quarter. It was worth much more.

Your life, which God has fearfully and wonderfully made, is worth much more. Your life has great value to God for two great reasons. One, because he made you. Two, because he redeemed you. That means he paid the price to buy you back from sin, death, and the power of the devil. You have great worth to your Maker and Savior.

But how much? How much are you worth? When we try to set the value of our lives by what we achieve, some days we feel worthwhile and other days not so much. When we try to gauge or worth on what people think of us or how they treat us conflicts or negative interactions can leave us feeling worthless. Instead, let the one who made you and saved you tell you how much your worth.

To answer that question, “how much is it worth?” you must consider the price that was paid. Jesus paid the ultimate price to take away your sins by giving his life on the cross. He gave his life for you. That’s how much you are worth.

Prayer:
Lord, since you set such a great value to my life which you have saved, may I value you more than anything in all the world. 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] “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
Luke 15:4

He Doesn’t Cut His Losses

Daily Devotion – September 14, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 15:4

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The religious leaders of Jesus’ day wondered why Jesus was interacting with sinners. Jesus answered with a parable. One sheep out of one hundred got lost. The shepherd left the ninety-nine to go after one sheep. It was just a one percent loss—seems like a low attrition rate in a business like that. Was it wise for the shepherd to go after one lost sheep, or should he have just cut his losses and rejoiced that he still had ninety-nine?

Jesus wasn’t talking about sheep. He was talking about souls and his concern for every lost soul. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, didn’t cut his losses. He didn’t write us off as a lost cause. When it came to saving us, Jesus didn’t run a cost-benefit analysis before he came to seek and to save. He knew it would cost him his life on a cross. The Shepherd laid down his life for you to bring you to heaven, rejoicing over one precious soul.

Remember this if you still seem lost and confused at times. Remember that you have a Good Shepherd who, without a second thought, comes after you to seek, save, and keep you.

Prayer:
Jesus, my Good Shepherd, keep me always in your tender care and open my eyes to see and reach out to the lost around 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.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Luke 15:1,2

Lost and Found

Daily Devotion – September 13, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 15:1,2

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Have you ever walked by a lost and found? So often, there are such trivial things that you wonder, “Who would come back for that?” The stuff doesn’t seem to have any significant value. An old water bottle. A torn sweatshirt. A dirty pair of worn-out shoes. Who would care enough to come and search for that?

That’s what the Pharisees and teachers of the law wondered, as they walked by the spiritually lost people of Jesus’ day. “Why bother?” These religious elite had written these sinners off as lost causes. They wondered why Jesus would waste his time with them!

But, unlike the religious elites of his day, look where Jesus placed himself. He welcomed sinners and ate with them. He didn’t say “ick” and run away. Even though Jesus is true God, even though he was perfect and without sin, he spent time with sinners.

If you’ve ever felt brushed off by someone, or if you’ve wondered, “who would come searching for me?” remember that Jesus doesn’t distance himself from a messy life and complicated problems. In fact, he welcomes you; he settles into your life, and he’s not ashamed. Jesus does that because he is the God who, in love, came to seek and save the lost.

So, there’s no need to hide who you are or what you’ve done. What you’ve done has been overcome by what Jesus has done. You are not a lost and worthless item in the lost in found—found in the love of Christ; you are God’s prized possession.

Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for coming into my life even when I was lost, even when my life is a mess. In you, I find complete forgiveness and real 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.

The Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.
Hosea 3:5

What are you looking for?

Daily Devotion – September 12, 2022

Devotion based on Hosea 3:5

See series: Devotions

What are you looking for? Is it a lost set of keys or something more? Are you searching for peace in troubling times? Are you seeking comfort and security? Whether it’s a lost item or something more, we do a lot of searching.

In the days of the prophet Hosea, the Israelites were looking for something more. Sadly, they were looking in all the wrong places. They were looking for peace and hope in false gods. They were looking for comfort and security in cozy homes and cushy lifestyles. The more they searched, the more they got lost. They lost sight of the only true God who rescued and blessed them.

Ironically, in our searching, at times, we lose sight of the only one who can provide that something more. Thankfully, we have a God whose searching skills are far greater than our own! Imagine a child lost in the grocery store. He panics and tries to find his mother. But then his mom come from behind, calling his name. He turns and runs into his mother’s arms and says, “I found you!” Really it was his mother who found him. She came searching and calling her child’s name.

The Israelites would return and seek the Lord because the Lord, in his searching love, came after his lost children and called them back to his love. This is what it’s like for us. If it depended on our searching skills, we would still be lost looking for that something more in all the wrong places. But the Lord is the God who searches. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and to save the lost. He called you by name. And like that boy, you can exclaim, “I found you!” when really he sought you and found you in his love. And in him, we find that something more—peace in troubling times, comfort, and security now and forever.

Prayer:
Lord, in your love, you sought me when I sought you not. Now that you have found me by your great love, may I always come to you to find what my searching heart is looking for. 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] “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:8-10

Worth a Bunch

Daily Devotion – September 11, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 15:8-10

See series: Devotions

Can you picture it? She’s lost her coin—it’s worth a bunch! Can you sense the effort that would have to go into finding the coin? What a challenge. What joy when the coin is found.

The angels in heaven experienced that kind of joy—on the day God brought you to faith in Jesus. Can you imagine? The angels in heaven were rejoicing because God had called you to believe in Jesus.

Oh, it took effort. God had to go looking for you and me. God had to bring the message of Jesus to us and convince us that Jesus had died for us. God had to work faith in our hearts, keep on strengthening that faith, and go after us when we strayed. God had to put in all that effort in order to “find” you. Was it worth it? Obviously, God thought it was.

So now? Now we will not fear! We will not! After all, if God has put in the effort to search for you, to find you, to call you to himself, does it not make sense that God would do whatever it takes to make sure that you are kept safe, either on this side of eternity, or far more importantly, on the other? Absolutely, he will! He’s invested way too much in you to do anything else.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for seeking me out and finding me. Help me treat being a member of your family as the treasure it is. 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.

Formerly he was useless . . ., but now he has become useful.
Philemon 1:11

The Question

Daily Devotion – September 10, 2022

Devotion based on Philemon 1:11

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Author John Gardner tells of a pleasant, elderly man he used to know. As pleasant as this elderly man was, however, he loved to ask a particular question that many people found unsettling. The question was this: “What have you done that you passionately believe in?”

Many found this question unsettling because it forced them to rethink their lives on the spot. For years they had been comfortable making conversation about what they did for a living, how busy they were, the trips they had taken, the restaurants and movies they enjoyed. But suddenly, here was this gentle, gracious old man who asked them something for which they did not have an immediate answer.

How about you? What is your answer? What have you done that you passionately believe in?

Of course, one could answer that question in all kinds of ways—from making a difference at your place of work to teaching the lonely child next door how to make cookies. However, if you see your life through the lens of Christianity, sooner or later, you’re going to conclude that the most satisfying actions in your life are the ones connected to Jesus Christ.

Apart from Jesus Christ, every ability I use and every deed I do has no permanent value. Even if I manage to make a noticeable impact on this world, it’s on a world that’s cracked, broken, and fading away.

But in Jesus, everything is different. His work as my substitute has washed me clean of my sinful self-absorption. His Holy Spirit has also bonded me to things that are lasting and real. This means that everything I do, no matter how involved, no matter how simple—everything I do to the glory of my Savior is a priceless fruit of faith that has positive, eternal consequences in the hands of my Heavenly Father, who is the everlasting God of all.

So go ahead and answer the question. Our answers will vary in specifics, of course. What matters is the connection they have to our Savior from sin.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by your Holy Spirit, fill me with the joy of knowing that even the simplest things I do to your glory are vital and profound in your sight. 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] Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
Luke 14:34

Stay Salty

Daily Devotion – September 9, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 14:34

See series: Devotions

My heart doctor told me that salt is not good for my heart. He advised me to go on a low-salt diet, and I have tried to follow his advice. I used to think of salt as a flavor enhancer, but now when I bite into some restaurant foods, all I can taste is the salt.

Two thousand years ago, salt was used for much more than flavor. It was a way to preserve food for use later. Salt was good, but if it lost its saltiness, food was spoiled rather than preserved. And there was really no way for salt to be made salty again.

This expression of Jesus is a reminder for me to persevere. If my faith loses its faithfulness, what good is it? I want to to continue to savor the object of my faith, Jesus, my Savior. If my faith functions as salt, preserving me from corruption and decay, I can face each day with fresh confidence.

If my love fades, what good is it? I want love to predominate in my life. If the love of Christ fills me with all joy and peace as I trust in him, I will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. My kind words can be the seasoning that enhances someone else’s life.

It’s no wonder, then, that Jesus encourages us to stay salty!

Prayer:
Lord God, as one of your followers, help me to be the salt of the earth. 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] Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Luke 14:31-33

Count the Cost

Daily Devotion – September 8, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 14:31-33

See series: Devotions

At first it sounds like Jesus is trying to talk people out of becoming one of his followers. He talks about a king who is planning to go to war against another king with twice as many soldiers. At a certain point, the first king realizes that it would not be wise, so he figures out a way to avoid war. Is Jesus telling us to give up on becoming his disciple? That it’s too hard?

The point here is exactly the opposite. Jesus wants you to count the cost of not being his disciple.

If you’ve been waging war against God himself—his will, his commandments, or salvation through Christ—then you’re fighting a losing battle. God is more powerful. He is always right. The consequence of fighting him is an eternity of punishment, and that’s a cost that should certainly be counted.

So what’s the alternative to fighting him? Ask for terms of peace. God has provided peace for you by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. You have forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus, complete salvation, perfect rest.

There may be things you’ll want to give up. Most people consider waging war against God when they realize they have desires that God calls wrong. But a life of repentance is worthwhile not just for eternity but right now as well. A clean conscience is a powerful thing.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, lead me to see the value of following you every day of 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.

[Jesus said] And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27

Carrying Their Cross

Daily Devotion – September 7, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 14:27

See series: Devotions

Some people pay for other people to push them. They hire personal trainers who tell them to eat less desirable food and refrain from eating the tastiest stuff. Those trainers push them to the point of pain in the gym and even strongly encourage them to keep going when they want to give up.

Why would anyone ever hire a personal trainer? It’s because they want to be better people, different people. When the personal trainers advertise their services, are they honest about what kind of pain they will put people through?

Jesus is honest about the kind of pain that comes from following him. He told his disciples that they were going to suffer. He used an expression, “carry their cross,” that implied that they would be treated like criminals.

Why would anyone ever want to put themselves through that kind of punishment? Disciples of Jesus realize that they may be misunderstood and mistreated. They find out they are fighting their own sinful flesh their whole lives. They make sacrifices, and often go unappreciated.

Why would Jesus’ disciples ever want to do that? It’s because Jesus has made them different people. They were once on the road to hell, but now they have the sure promise of eternal life in heaven. They used to live in guilt, but now they live in forgiveness.

Being a disciple of Jesus is worth all that suffering. There is glory that will be revealed in them.

Prayer:
Lord, lead me to bear my cross with perseverance as I look to Jesus’ cross for my strength. 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.