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Obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
2 Thessalonians 1:8

Obey the Gospel

When children are told by their parents to clean the cat’s litter box, they might have a hard time obeying. The litter might stink. They might say that they have better things to do. Yet God tells them to obey their parents. The very word “obey” tends to sound like a duty more than a privilege.

That’s why is sounds strange in our ears to hear the apostle Paul writing that we are to, “Obey the gospel.” The gospel has nothing for us to do. It tells us that Jesus obeyed the law in our place. It tells us that Jesus died for our sins. What is there to obey? The very fulfillment of the gospel declares that we need to do nothing for our salvation.

For many people, this is the most difficult thing: to do nothing for their salvation. It makes them feel that they have no credit, no worth, nothing that gives them the ability to stand before God. They desire to do something to earn God’s favor. In trying, however, they forfeit what Christ has already done for them and, unfortunately, fall under God’s judgment.

We don’t need to do anything for our salvation. It’s all been done for us by Jesus. “Obeying the gospel” is simply clinging to the salvation we have in Christ alone.

God grant you the Holy Spirit to see your sins and your Savior, so that through faith you may “obey the gospel.”

Prayer:

Lord, obeying the gospel doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Nor does doing nothing for my own salvation. Yet I know this is exactly how you work. Help me to trust solely on you for my salvation and not depend on what I do. Amen.

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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.

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All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Romans 2:12,13

The Law on My Heart

God gave Moses and the Children of Israel the most well-known table of laws ever written. He gave them the Ten Commandments.

Perhaps the reason why the Commandments ring so true is that they were written somewhere else long before they were given to Moses. From the beginning, God has written his law on the hearts of all people.

God’s law is written on your heart. Think about it. You don’t need the Ten Commandments to tell you that murder is wrong, do you? As a child, when I was taking cookies without asking, I tried to hide it. I knew taking something that I shouldn’t have was wrong.

It is helpful that God’s commands are written on our hearts and in the Bible with the Ten Commandments. It makes each of us both aware and accountable for our actions. But knowing the law is only part of the matter. Keeping the law is what no one can do.

When teaching a lesson on the Ten Commandments, Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish God’s law, but to fulfill it.” Jesus knew that no one could keep the law of God perfectly, so he came to do it for us. Through faith in Jesus, we become “righteous in God’s sight.” This was the gospel or “good news” that the apostle Paul came to preach.

So, the next time your conscience is bothering you, know that it is God’s law doing its work on your heart. At that same time, remember Jesus, the one who takes your sin away.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for writing your law on my heart and giving it to me in the Bible. When I have done wrong, point me to Christ where there is forgiveness. Amen.

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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.

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He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
Psalm 146:6-9

A Life Provided by the Lord

Where does the bread on your table come from? Ask a child and they’ll tell you that Mom or Dad bought it at the grocery store, but how did it get there? Someone had to grow it. Someone had to take the crops to be turned into flour. Someone had to bake the bread. Someone had to haul that bread to the store. Someone had to put that bread on the shelves at the store. Parents had to earn money to buy that bread for their family. All kinds of people had a hand in providing you with bread, but where does food ultimately come from?

We could ask similar questions such as: Where does medical care come from? Where do the clothes on our backs, the roof over our heads, the beds where we sleep, the cars that we drive, the technology that we use, and so much more come from?

It’s tempting to think that it all comes from us. We earn the money. We provide for ourselves and our families. We get the care we need, the food we enjoy, the items we purchase out of need, or because we want them. Yet we are not the ultimate source of what we have.

No, the Psalmist points us to the Lord of grace. From him comes all creation, and he provides for our most basic needs. Yet the Lord does so much more. He knows what each of us needs. He knows what’s going on in our lives. He knows what troubles us, and he takes care of us. The Lord watches over us and delivers us not only from the troubles of this life, but for all eternity by saving us from sin and death. What else can we say than “Praise the Lord!”

Prayer:

O Lord of grace, I look to you and you sustain me. Shower your love upon me every day. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”
Luke 16:25

A Life of Security

We all need it, no matter how old or young we are. We need it no matter how much money we have, where we live, where we work, where we worship, or who is related to us. We all need to feel secure, from little ones hugging their stuffed animals to adults paying for cybersecurity. We all want peace of mind. We don’t want anything to cause us worry, stress, or fear. We want everything set so we can live a worry-free, stress-free, secure life made easier because we have everything we need and so much more. So, we spend all kinds of time, money, and effort to make it happen, yet we can miss the only source of true security.

Jesus told the story of a wealthy man and a poor beggar named Lazarus. The wealthy man didn’t just seem to have money. He served money. He flaunted it. Lazarus, on the other hand, had nothing except the source of true security. He trusted in the true God, his Savior, his Lord, his help and hope.

When both men died, everything reversed. The Lord sent his angels to bring Lazarus to the eternal rest of heaven, while the rich man spent eternity in hell, yearning for even a single drop of water on his tongue.

What is Jesus saying to us here about the security we all seek? First, it’s not about the money or lack thereof. Money is a gift from God, but money can never be the source of our security. Instead, Jesus calls us to look to him. We look to Jesus, who became poor that we might have the eternal wealth of heaven. We look to Jesus, who left behind the feasts of heaven to fill the hungry with good things. We look to Jesus, who saw our foolish pursuits for security in this life and instead sacrificed his own security, even himself, to give his true security for all eternity. In Jesus, we have a life of security.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, like Lazarus, help me to see you as my security for this life and always. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God.
Psalm 146:3-5

A Life of Trust

Trust seems to be in short supply today. It’s easy to be skeptical or cynical rather than assume that you can trust others. Can you trust leaders when they fail to keep their promises? Can you trust institutions when they fail to provide the moral foundation or the expertise we expect? Can you trust businesses when they fail to provide the products or services that they promise to produce? Can you trust other people when they break a relationship or let you down?

What happens when trust is in short supply? Someone or something needs to fill that vacuum, so it’s not unusual for people to rally to a charismatic leader or a popular expert. It shouldn’t surprise us when institutions or groups that have lost our trust demand it back. Even on a personal level, if someone lets us down or breaks a once-strong relationship, we often look for someone to fill that void.

Yet the Psalmist tells us that we shouldn’t go looking for another human being or human institution to restore our missing trust. Even if those people prove to be trustworthy, they will eventually depart this life in death. He writes that, “On that very day their plans come to nothing.”

So, whom can we trust? The Psalmist responds, “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God.” There is only one person in all of history who deserves our complete trust and never causes us to lose trust—the God of Jacob, the Lord of free and faithful grace who is our Savior-God, our Savior, Jesus Christ. That Savior-God has kept every one of his promises, even to the point of giving up his life to pay for our lack of trust. That Savior-God is our help and hope not just now, but for all eternity. By faith, we trust in him.

Prayer:

Lord God, in a skeptical world, I am tempted to trust in others rather than you. Lift my eyes to the cross to see your unfailing love and trust in you alone. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5

A Life of Satisfaction

Everyone seeks satisfaction. An infant seeks satisfaction in a full tummy. A child seeks satisfaction in a parent’s approval. A teen seeks satisfaction in the approval of friends. A student seeks satisfaction in achieving good grades, participating in sports, or excelling in performance. Adults, where do we seek satisfaction? Accomplishment? Ability? Accumulation? Perhaps we look for satisfaction in what we consume, whether that’s what we put into our bodies, what we watch, or what we experience. Perhaps, we look for satisfaction in others, whether that’s friends, colleagues, or love interests.

Yet why is it that none of that ever truly satisfies? The baby gets hungry again. The child keeps trying to get her parents’ approval. A teen’s friend groups are constantly shifting. Grades and ability sometimes only go so far. And when we’re adults? Well, it’s tough to find lasting satisfaction in a world that wants you never to be content with what you have.

The writer to the Hebrews urges his readers to “be content with what you have,” but how can any of us have a life of true satisfaction? None of us can possibly find it from within, so we have to look outside of ourselves for the only source of satisfaction. We look to the promises of our God. Our God promises to never leave our side. That same God proves to be our helper who removes our fears. That’s where we find satisfaction.

Fear is really at the heart of everything that robs us of satisfaction, but the Lord is our helper. He is greater than our fears. Jesus proved that in a perfect life of true satisfaction lived in our place, in a death that paid for our lack of satisfaction, and in the ultimate victory over fear—his resurrection from the dead. Jesus is our helper, who will never leave our side and who removes all our fears. For true satisfaction, look to Jesus!

Prayer:

O Lord, my helper, remove my fears with your sure promises of your gracious presence and greater grace. Satisfy me with your mercy. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

A Worry-Free Life

The word “free” is an impressively flexible word. We can use “free” to describe something that comes at no cost. We can use “free” to describe political rights, liberties, and freedoms. We can use “free” to describe a person who has a choice. We can use “free” to talk about something having a clear path, a person being on their own, or someone being outspoken. We also use “free” to describe certain foods that are without certain ingredients.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a worry-free life? We are often tempted to think that if we just make this much money or have that amount of money saved up, then we will be free to do whatever we want. Yet there never seems to be enough money for us to be free. We need more to reach that next threshold when we can finally be free. We keep chasing after more, so we never feel free.

Then God tells us, “Keep your lives free from the love of money…” In a sense, our God is calling us to have a greed-free life. How is that even possible in this greed-filled life? Thankfully, our God issues that command with a promise attached. He calls us back to an ancient promise he made through Moses, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

While this promise was first for the Israelites, Jesus reissued this promise to his New Testament believers— “Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus could make that promise because he set us free from the guilt of greed. Because Jesus paid for our greed on the cross, we can be confident that he will provide us with his constant presence. We need not worry about getting more to finally be free. Jesus has already set us free.

Prayer:

O Lord, when I am tempted to devote my life to gaining more in the hope that I will finally be free, remind me that you have set me free for all eternity. Remind me that you will never leave me nor forsake me. Amen.

Important note

The September 27th Devotion was not mailed out. You may access the devotion here:

Quality of Life – September 27, 2025

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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.

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Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria . . . You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.
Amos 6:1,4-7

Healthy Living

Healthy living is a mantra these days. Just check out social media and articles. Weight loss, food choices, fitness goals, vacation plans, improving the comfort of your home—all these are part of healthy living, we’re told.

But what about our souls?

It’s not a sin to enjoy good food and fine living. But God’s people at Amos’ time were complacent. They lived in luxury while their spiritual lives were deplorable. The body was the picture of health, but the soul was sick and wretched. They kept on feasting, lounging, and partying without any concern for their faith, their status before God, their eternity.

God did not approve. God wanted them to refocus on him and his ways for their own spiritual good. So, he warned them that he would end their careless lifestyle. They would be carried off into exile.

Today, many of us live in relative luxury. We have more money, food, and things than most in the world will ever see in their lifetime. That’s not a sin. That’s a blessing from God. But are our priorities misplaced? What about our spiritual life? What about God’s approval?

God approved of his Son, Jesus, and he transfers that approval to you and me, through faith. He gives us the eternal food of forgiveness through Jesus. God blesses us with eternal life, paid for by Jesus at the cross.

Feast your faith on that amazing gift and God’s wonderful promises. Feast your faith on Jesus and his love. That’s healthy living.

Prayer:

Dear Father, thank you for all your rich gifts in my life. Help me to use it all to your glory, and to keep my focus on you. Feed my faith with your forgiving promises in Jesus. Bring me to your eternal banquet in heaven. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

Quality of Life

It’s said that, around 40 years ago, a diplomat from the old Soviet Union was visiting the United States. Part of his tour of the country included a visit to a typical American grocery store. The moment he entered the store; the diplomat was astounded. He was looking at something he had never seen before. In that grocery store, he was feasting his eyes on food of such quality, quantity, and variety that he simply could not believe what he was seeing was a typical American grocery store. In fact, it’s said that he convinced himself that his American hosts had arranged to have all the food brought there just to impress him.

At that time, the typical American grocery store carried 9,000 items. Today, the typical American grocery store carries 39,000.

It’s an astounding thing, isn’t it? Over the past four decades, our food choices alone have more than quadrupled. But as marvelous as that is, experience has also taught us that having more and better things does not, in and of itself, guarantee a greater quality of life. Some would make the case that the one has very little to do with the other.

And that’s where the apostle Paul comes in. Do you want to see your quality of life make a significant jump? Paul says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Imagine a life lived in the full forgiveness earned by Jesus Christ. Imagine a life basking in gratitude and joy for that forgiveness. Imagine a life focused on serving Jesus by serving others. And imagine a life that’s content and pleased with what the Lord provides, regardless of changing circumstances. In Paul’s mind, such a life is “great gain.” Such a life is robust and rich and sweet.

Does this mean we can’t go to a grocery store with 39,000 items? Of course not. Go there and enjoy that store. Enjoy it to the glory of God. Just remember where our quality of life really resides. Our quality of life is in Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me to re-examine my quality of life. Remind me that a life that is truly robust and rich and sweet lies in you alone. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.