Category: Daily Devotions

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
1 Timothy 6:8

Contentment

Daily Devotion – September 21, 2022

Devotion based on 1 Timothy 6:8

See series: Devotions

Many years ago, in the Far East, there was a man named Ali. Ali owned a farm, and he was content. However, one day someone told him about diamonds. Ali, therefore, started on an extensive journey in search of diamonds. He never found them. In the process he had to sell his farm to cover his expenses. So when all was said and done, Ali died a penniless and broken man.

Meanwhile, back at Ali’s old farm—the new owner of the farm was getting settled. He brought his camel to a stream on the farm for a drink. As the camel drank, the man looked into the stream and noticed a stone that reflected sunlight in a dazzling way. The man had just discovered the diamond mine of Golcanda, one of the most magnificent mines in the world.

The story reminds us of our lives as Christians. In our 21st Century society, we receive constant messages that tell us not to be content with what we already possess. Through television, radio, print, and the staggering array of social media, a massive advertising industry is at work not only to convince us to purchase a certain product; it is at work to shape our very view of life. Therefore, it should not surprise us that one of the great temptations for you and me is not to be content.

But here’s the problem. When the lack of contentment pushes us to wander away—always consuming, upgrading, and searching for the next new thing—we abandon the treasure we already possess.

Our treasure is Jesus and his gospel. His perfect life lived in our place, and his death on the cross for our sins has given us riches beyond our wildest dreams. Through his Holy Spirit, God himself is now ours, and we are his. We now possess his every promise to take care of us personally. And it is that very treasure that empowers us to display true contentment and remember the treasure we have.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive my lack of contentment. Refresh me in your gospel. Remind me of what I have. 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.

They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.
Ecclesiastes 5:20

Reflections

Daily Devotion – September 20, 2022

Devotion based on Ecclesiastes 5:20

See series: Devotions

A question. If Satan were to get you to reflect on your life, what kinds of reflections would they be?

Reflections from Satan might include the following: I made it. I’m a success. I’ve done what I set out to do. I’m now enjoying the things that make life worth living. On the other hand, reflections from Satan might also include thoughts like these: My life is a disappointment. I should have achieved so much more. I cannot forget the people who’ve hurt me, and I cannot forget all the people I’ve let down.

Such reflections from Satan have one thing in common. They all focus on the self. They all fail to acknowledge the reality of our Savior-God.

The story of your life is not you in a vacuum. It includes your Creator-God loving you so much that he chose to mount a rescue mission to save you from yourself. To do this, God became one of us. In the person of Jesus, he lived the kind of life you know that you should have lived. Then he took upon himself all the ways you have let him down and blotted them out for all time through his blood on the cross.

And now he lives. He lives to delight in you. He delights in you because, through faith in him, you are forgiven, cleansed, precious in his sight. And because you are, he has saturated your every moment in this life with a kind of significance and purpose that nothing else can match.

You are God’s special creation through faith in his Son, Jesus. He is using every moment of your life to carry out his good will in your corner of his Kingdom. He sees your fruits of faith. He employs your fruits of faith. Regardless of your outward circumstance, what you do matters. It matters because God himself is working through you.

In Jesus, you and I can shake off the distracting reflections that Satan tries to slip us. In Jesus, God keeps us occupied with gladness of heart.

Prayer:
Lord, when Satan slips his reflections into my mind, replace them with gladness of heart 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.

I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner.
Ecclesiastes 5:13

The Hoard

Daily Devotion – September 19, 2022

Devotion based on Ecclesiastes 5:13

See series: Devotions

His name is Lonnie. When the cameras first enter his home, Lonnie is all smiles. Lonnie is the owner of a massive collection of Las Vegas memorabilia, and he is proud of it. His inventory of artifacts is so large that it fills three large buildings—including his own house. Neon signs, clothing from famous performers, giant statues—Lonnie has it all and more.

Several minutes into Lonnie’s tour, you sense that all is not well. During the tour, Lonnie’s wife, Sandy, comes along. Sandy is quiet and pleasant but also clearly troubled. In time, the truth comes out. After years of feeding his impulse to hoard, Lonnie has put them in debt. Even worse, his passion for collecting has begun to dominate everything else—even his family relationships.

It might be easy to dismiss Lonnie as an eccentric and to congratulate ourselves for not being so over-the-top. But let’s think again. True, few of us have three buildings filled with all things Vegas. However, perhaps, I am guilty of hoarding too. In other words, perhaps I’m guilty of taking something that’s fine in and of itself but hoarding it to such a degree that it twists my priorities. For example, I may hoard a favorite hobby, my children’s athletic schedules and dance classes, my weekends, movies on Netflix, or money.

As God’s Word warns in Ecclesiastes chapter five, anything of this world—even something that’s good in and of itself—anything of this world that I hoard will bring me harm. It will bring harm because such a hoard will put distance between my Savior and myself.

But Jesus does not abandon me to my sinful impulses. Instead, he pursues me, calls me to repentance, and embraces me in his gospel. He assures me that, through faith in the blood shed for me on Calvary’s cross, I am forgiven; and I am his. He refreshes me to remember that life is not what I hoard in this world. Rather, my life is Christ.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my life is not what I hoard. My life is you. Help me remember this. 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 godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
1 Timothy 6: 6-9

Contentment

Daily Devotion – September 18, 2022

Devotion based on 1 Timothy 6: 6-9

See series: Devotions

Few things are more difficult to attain than contentment. No matter how much we have, we would like more. And when we are not content, we are miserable. Even worse, our Bible passage for today says, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

We don’t want that. What we want it to be content. The apostle Paul told his young friend Timothy that godliness with contentment is great gain. When we are content with what God has given us—knowing that everything we have is an undeserved gift from him, knowing that he was willing to sacrifice his own Son for our sins and assure us of eternal life when his Son was raised from the dead—when we are content with these great gifts, it is a great gain for us. We are happier, lighter on our feet, less jealous, and more joyful. Isn’t that great?

Prayer:
Lord, let me see all the blessings you have showered on me so that I am content. 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.” Then Jesus told them . . . “there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Luke 15:1-3,7

Recognizing Your Sin

Daily Devotion – September 17, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 15:1-3,7

See series: Devotions

He was almost forced off the road and muttered, “How could anyone drive so recklessly?” She read about the senseless murder and muttered, “How could anyone be so brutal?” After seeing another politician or athlete confess a sin, we mutter, “How could they lie, take performance-enhancing drugs, text such lewd photos?”

Luke 15 is a great chapter about the lost—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. It begins with some muttering. Awful sinners had gathered around Jesus to hear his message. But some of the religious elite muttered. They wondered how Jesus could welcome “sinners” into his presence and even sit down for a meal with them. If Jesus were truly God, he would know who they were. He’d know better than to associate with them.

But those “sinners” were people who recognized their sin. Those “sinners” understood how awful they had been, how they had hurt people and said shameful words. They knew they were sinners who needed the forgiving love of Jesus.

How different those sinners were from the religious elite who thought they were so good that they didn’t need the forgiving love of the Savior, Jesus, who was right there in their presence.

When you’re tempted to mutter, don’t be judgmental about the sins of others. Repent of your sin. Rejoice in that Savior who came to forgive the sins of “sinners” no matter who they are, even sinners like you and me. Give the angels a reason to rejoice in your repentance, rather than shake their heads in dismay over your judgmental self-righteousness.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, keep me from being judgmental. Help me to repent of my sin humbly and daily. Help me to rejoice in your forgiving love for lost sinners, even sinners like 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.

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

See series: Devotions

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

See series: Devotions

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

See series: Devotions

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.