St. Johns News

“I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”
Isaiah 49:4

The Hidden Reality

Daily Devotion – January 20, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 49:4

See series: Devotions

Can you identify with what Jesus says in today’s Bible passage? Have you ever felt like you believe in vain and all your faith is for nothing?

The bills pile up, and the stress of making ends meet weighs you down. Where’s God? The pain continues, and there’s no relief in sight. Where is the Lord? Your kids make bad choices, and you can’t understand why. Where has God gone? Why doesn’t he fix these problems and make things better?

But that is not how God operates in this world. That’s why Jesus also said, “Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”

When Jesus did his work, it looked like labor with no purpose and strength spent in vain. By every standard the world uses, being nailed to a cross means that your life was a failure. But that visible reality could not blot out another reality, the hidden one. Jesus knew that the outcome of his work was in God’s hands, and even though he could not see it, he trusted God for victory.

This is a difficult lesson to learn: our God is a God who hides himself (Isaiah 45:15). This means our faith in God is not based on what we see or feel. It is based entirely on what God has said in his Word.

So never lose sight of the hidden reality that God makes known in his Word. He may hide himself by not giving you vast amounts of wealth so that you remember what a great treasure he is. He may hide himself by not eradicating sickness and pain so that you never forget to rely on him. He may hide himself by allowing you to suffer so that you never stop longing for your heavenly home. He may hide himself so that you look forward to the day when he will be hidden no more and you “shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

Prayer:
Lord, help me believe in what I cannot now see. 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.

Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.
Isaiah 49:1,2

God’s Hidden Weapon

Daily Devotion – January 19, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 49:1,2

See series: Devotions

Some of the most effective weapons are hidden ones. Your enemies don’t know the danger, and you catch them with their guard down. No one expects a hidden weapon. So here is the question: What is God doing with one?

In today’s Bible passage, Jesus says that before he was born, he was called by the Lord for a specific job: to be God’s hidden weapon. He mysteriously compares himself to a sword hidden out of sight and an arrow concealed from view. What does that mean?

To understand his point, think about who Jesus is and what he possesses. Jesus Christ is true God, hidden in human flesh. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). For millennia before he was born, God kept him ready—hidden in his hand, concealed in his quiver—waiting for just the right moment to shoot him into the world.

Before his birth, an angel spoke his name: “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). His name revealed his targets. He was aimed at sin, death, and hell. And “when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son” (Galatians 4:4).

Like a sharpened sword, the Savior had speech that sliced and severed. Like a polished arrow, he did not fly off course. He hit the exact targets that God wanted him too. He hid himself in the form of a servant who was willing to sacrifice his life to pay for your sins. He was revealed as God’s hidden weapon at his cross and empty tomb, where he decisively defeated his enemies. And he is still a weapon so powerful that he can cut and pierce an unbelieving heart with God’s saving Word!

Prayer:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus, for defeating my enemies and saving 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.

When [John] saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
John 1:36-38

What do you want?

Daily Devotion – January 18, 2023

Devotion based on John 1:36-38

See series: Devotions

When someone asks, “What do you want?” how often do you say what you really want? When the waitress asks that, do you tell her the truth? You want the twenty-ounce porterhouse steak, but you order the club sandwich because it’s less expensive.

Sometimes “What do you want?” can be a simple question, but other times it can be difficult. Jesus asked that question of the two disciples that John the Baptist sent after him. How would you answer if Jesus asked it of you?

Do you say what you really want, or do you settle for the safe answer? You know the safe answer, “Jesus, I want you to take away my sin!” And that is, obviously, a good thing to want.

But what about later when you’re not reading this devotion? What will you want then? Admit it, there are a lot of other problems in your life that Jesus could take away. It would be nice if Jesus made life a little bit easier and took away the world’s crime, hunger, and poverty.

But don’t devalue the gift of forgiveness. Jesus taking away the sin of the world is nothing like settling for the sandwich when you want the steak.

Realize that you fight a daily struggle to remember that the reason life is hard is because you are a sinner who lives in a world broken by sin. Sin is the reason you’re unhappy. Sin is the reason life is a pain. Sin is a problem you cannot solve on your own.

So when the Lamb of God came, he took away the sin of the world. And by doing that, Jesus did not just give you what you need; he also gave you what you want! He stopped your problems at their source and guaranteed that, in the heaven he won for you, you will have the perfect life you want.

Prayer:
Lamb of God, help me to want the forgiveness that you earned for me. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
John 1:32-34

Jesus Is the One

Daily Devotion – January 17, 2023

Devotion based on John 1:32-34

See series: Devotions

When you search for something, how do you know when you’ve finally found it? For example if you’re shopping for shoes, how do you know when you’ve found the right pair? Do they have to be just the right size, just the right color, or the right price? Chances are the right pair are the best combination of all three of those criteria.

What about the search for a savior—someone who can rescue you from all of the sins you have committed against the holy God who made you? How do you know that Jesus already dealt with all of your sins, so you don’t have to? How do you know that Jesus saved you and not just those who followed him when he walked the earth two thousand years ago? How do you know that Jesus is the One?

Because God said so—yes, it is that simple. God gave John the Baptist specific criteria to identify the Savior, and when he baptized Jesus, they were met. He saw heaven torn open and the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove and remain on him. John saw it and gave us his eyewitness testimony. That’s how we know that Jesus is the one—the one chosen by God to take your place under his wrath, to die for your sins, and to rise from the dead to guarantee your eternal salvation!

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for making sure I know that Jesus is your Chosen One, my Savior. 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 next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:29

The Lamb of God Appears

Daily Devotion – January 16, 2023

Devotion based on John 1:29

See series: Devotions

About fourteen hundred years before Jesus was born, God told his people to use animal sacrifices when they worshiped him. Under this sacrificial system, the priests started and ended every day the same way: take a lamb, slit the lamb’s throat, drain the lamb’s blood, sprinkle the blood on the altar, then burn all of the lamb’s meat until it was nothing but ashes.

In addition to these daily offerings, there were other sacrifices mandated for different religious festivals and life occasions. Following God’s laws resulted in a minimum of 1,273 animal sacrifices every year, not counting the thousands of voluntary sacrifices that the people offered on top of all that.

Over the centuries, God’s people shed an ocean of sacrificial blood. It was supposed to deal with their sin, but it was never enough because “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). But that does not mean that the sacrifices were a waste of time. God was using them to teach his people something important.

Repeated sacrifices reminded them that they had sins that needed to be taken care of. The gallons of spilled blood taught them that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). The constant slaying clearly showed that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Most importantly, the countless lambs offered to God pointed to the Lamb of God, who would take away their sins.

So when that Lamb of God finally appeared, John the Baptist made sure that everyone knew who he was. Jesus was the sacrifice the people had been waiting for. He was the Lamb of God, not only because he was chosen by God, but also because he was God.

His sacrifice on the cross took away the world’s sin because it was God who shed his blood and gave his life. It is impossible for the blood of animals to take away sins, but “the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Prayer:
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant me 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.

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:6

Go Big or Go Home

Daily Devotion – January 15, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 49:6

See series: Devotions

“Go big or go home.” That motto reflects a characteristic that we tend to admire in an individual. It says that doing just enough to get by isn’t good enough. These individuals are not satisfied unless they give everything they have and do something spectacular.

“Go big or go home,” could be a motto that God uses. It wasn’t enough for God to put together a plan through Jesus to save a chosen few people from the damning results of their sin. His plan was to bring salvation to everyone no matter where they live or what kind of ethnic blood flows through their veins.”

He certainly carried out this plan in a “go big or go home” kind of a way. He didn’t just carry some sins to the cross. He carried every sin of every person who has ever and will ever live in this world. To say that he gave his all would be an understatement. He gave himself. He gave up his perfect life because that was the only price big enough to pay the debt owed by sinners of the world.

The God against whom we sin every day was not content to make salvation available to just a few. His love for you refused to let him exclude you from that group. It doesn’t matter where you live, what language you speak, what color your skin is, or what nationality you claim as your own. Your sins were carried to the cross and their punishment was suffered by the Son of God. Your debt has been paid. Salvation is yours.

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for loving me enough to include me in your plan of salvation. Thank you for sending Jesus to do whatever was necessary, even dying on a cross, to remove my sins. Help me to treasure, above all else, the gift of salvation he has won for me. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” This is what God the LORD says—he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”
Isaiah 42:1-7

Here Is My Servant

Daily Devotion – January 14, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:1-7

See series: Devotions

“No one knows the trouble I’ve seen; nobody knows but Jesus.” So says the famous African-American spiritual. All of us can feel this way at times. And it’s true. Jesus is the only one who truly knows all of the troubles we have experienced.

When we are drowning in distress, grasping for anything to save us, the Lord answers with the promise, “Here is my servant.” He is talking about Jesus, the one who served us perfectly in order to save us.

Reach out to him! The Lord’s Servant isn’t arrogant like so many world leaders. He restored the most broken of lives—lives that no others cared to touch. To carry out justice, he didn’t come guns-a-blazing. He suffered beatings, taunting, and the humiliation of death on the cross to save us.

Maybe we don’t feel worth rescuing. Jesus sees us differently. It cost him dearly to redeem us; he won’t dispose of us. Rather than snuff us out, he restores us. Rather than grind us down, he makes something new. Jesus needed true grit to save us. But the moment we struggle, he stoops like a mother to care for us.

Prayer:
Lord, when the tempest rages, I need not fear; for you, the Rock of ages, are always near. So take my hand, O Savior, and lead the way. 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, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”
Isaiah 42:6,7

Jesus Is Our Savior

Daily Devotion – January 13, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:6,7

See series: Devotions

When you’ve been hurt, you can feel like a captive. Long after it is over, your mind may be a prison of memories. You can feel that you are all alone. Does anyone care to understand? Can anyone understand?

You are not alone. God called his Son, Jesus, to set you free. He faced the same evil and sin that we do. He was betrayed, abandoned, manipulated, and ridiculed. He was beaten and bloodied and nailed to a cross. He was forsaken by his Father. Jesus understands.

He could have stayed away from his betrayer and slipped through the hands of his captors. He could have come down from that cross; but he did not because he cares about you. He would not come down until it was over. Until all your guilt, shame, and pain had been drowned in his blood. Until he had been held captive by death and broken free for you.

That’s how much he loves you. You are the apple of his eye, his joy and delight. Take his hand and walk with him. Bask in his light.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, nobody knows the trouble I have seen, but I rejoice that you do. When darkness deepens, other helpers fail, and comforts flee, you are my help. Abide 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.

This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.”
Isaiah 42:5,6

Your Covenant Savior

Daily Devotion – January 12, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:5,6

See series: Devotions

The man and his wife were on the two-hour trek from Bethlehem to Jerusalem with a 40-day-old baby. They were going to present him to the Lord at the temple in keeping with the law of Moses.

As they walked through the courtyard, a man stepped out of the crowd to greet them. Taking Jesus in his palms, eyes beaming with joy, Simeon proclaimed, “My eyes have seen God’s salvation. He will be Israel’s glory and a light for people everywhere.”

This child was the covenant promised through the prophet Isaiah. God would care for his people through the gift of his Son. The child born of Mary would crush the devil and his evil work, saving us from our sin.

Although we have not seen Jesus physically as Simeon did, God has shown us his salvation in the words of the Bible. There we read about who he is and what he did to save us. Through those words, he creates and strengthens our trust in him as our Savior. And so, like Simeon, we rejoice because we are receiving our soul’s salvation.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are my light and life, my joy and salvation, my everything. 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.

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. . . In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
Isaiah 42:1,3,4

Your Consistent Savior

Daily Devotion – January 11, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 42:1,3,4

See series: Devotions

“It is not fair! Why can’t I have ice cream just because I didn’t eat my peas?” complains the seven-year-old at the dinner table.

“It is not fair!” mumbles the student after being grounded for getting bad grades.

“It is not fair!” sighs the groom-to-be upon hearing the terminal diagnosis just months before his wedding day.

Life is full of unfairness. Loved ones die before their time. The guilty go free. The wicked prosper. Life’s unfairness is a consequence of the sin we bring into the world. For our sin we should be cast away from God’s presence forever. That is God’s fair and just response.

Yet, when God our Savior saw us broken and dying under the weight of sin, he did not squash us, snuff us out, and start over. He chose to send his Son to bring justice into the world. And Jesus did not break or burn out under the pressure of saving us from our sins. He was tempted in every way but never sinned. And though he was without sin, he carried our sin to the cross. He willingly faced God’s judgment for us so that he could bring God’s justice to us.

And his justice rolls on like the tides. As the good news about Jesus is declared and shared throughout the world, people will come to his justice. He does not show favoritism or judge by appearances or hearsay. Because of his sacrifice for our sin, he declares us forgiven. Because of the righteousness he credits to us by faith, he declares us not guilty.

There is no condemnation for those who hope in the Lord, who live by faith in Jesus. Not now. Not on the Last Day. Not ever.

Prayer:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 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.