St. Johns News

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[Jesus said] “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:29-31

You Are Worth More Than Sparrows

Sparrows are easy to overlook. They are small, common, and inexpensive. In Jesus’ time, two sparrows could be bought for just one penny. No one built monuments for sparrows. No one wrote headlines about them. Most people barely noticed them at all. Yet, God noticed.

Jesus tells us that not one sparrow falls to the ground outside the Father’s care. Then he turns to you and says, “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

That does not mean your life will be painless. Jesus spoke these words while warning his disciples that following him would bring hardship. Some people would reject them. Some would hate them. Some would even persecute them. Still, they did not need to be afraid. Why? Because their Father saw them, knew them, and treasured them.

That is true for you, too. There may be days when you feel small and forgotten. You may wonder if anyone sees what you are carrying on your heart. You may feel like your prayers are too ordinary, your problems too common, your fears too small for God to notice.

But Jesus says your Father knows even the hairs of your head. He knows your name. He knows your needs. He knows your weaknesses. Most of all, he knows the price paid for you, not pennies, not silver or gold, but the holy, precious blood of his Son.

You are not forgotten, and you are not cheap. You are not outside your Father’s care. So do not be afraid. The God who watches over sparrows is certainly watching over you.

Prayer:

Father, when I feel small or afraid, remind me that I am precious to you through Jesus. Help me trust your care today. 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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Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the Word

The apostle Paul wrote these words to his good friend and coworker, Timothy, near the end of his life. He knew his death was coming. He had fought the good fight. He had finished the race. He had kept the faith. So, what final instruction did he give to Timothy? “Preach the word.”

Paul did not tell him to preach what people wanted to hear. He did not tell him to follow the mood of the crowd. In fact, Paul warned that the time would come when people would not put up with sound doctrine. They would gather teachers who told them what their itching ears wanted to hear.

That warning still matters. God’s Word is not always popular. Sometimes it corrects us. Sometimes it rebukes us. Sometimes it exposes sins we would rather excuse. But the same Word that wounds our pride also heals our souls. It shows us our sin, and then it shows us our Savior.

That is why Paul says to preach it “with great patience and careful instruction.” God’s Word is not a weapon for winning arguments. It is the voice of Christ calling sinners to repentance, forgiveness, faith, and life.

You may not be a pastor like Timothy. But you still need this Word. You need it when your heart wants comfortable lies instead of saving truth. You need it when the world calls evil good and good evil. You need it when you are tired, tempted, afraid, or ashamed.

And through that Word, Christ comes to you. He corrects you because he loves you. He rebukes your sin because he died to remove it. He encourages you because he rose again and promises you the crown of righteousness.

So, listen to the Word. Trust the Word. Treasure the Word. It is Christ’s Word for you.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, keep me faithful to your Word. Correct me, forgive me, encourage me, and strengthen me to hold firmly to your truth. 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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“His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.”
Jeremiah 20:9

When They Won’t Listen

Imagine seeing a friend driving toward a bridge that is out. You wave your arms. You shout. You call. You do everything you can to stop him. But instead of listening, he laughs at you. Then he tells others you are crazy. You would not keep warning him because you like being ignored. You would continue to warn him because you love him.

The prophet Jeremiah knew what it was like to have people ignore his warning. God had given him a message for his people. Danger was coming. Their sin was not harmless. Their idolatry, unbelief, and refusal to listen to the Lord were leading them toward destruction. God sent Jeremiah to turn them from sin and turn them back to him. But they would not listen.

They mocked Jeremiah. They hated his message. They beat him and put him in stocks. Jeremiah was exhausted and heartbroken. His grief was not just because people mistreated him. His grief came from love. He could see the danger clearly, but the people he loved were blind to it. At one point, Jeremiah wanted to stop speaking. But he could not. God’s Word was like a fire in his bones.

In Jeremiah’s suffering, we hear an echo of someone greater. Jesus came as the perfect Prophet, the very Word of God in human flesh. He warned sinners. He exposed hypocrisy. He called people to repentance. He wept over Jerusalem because they did not recognize the time of God’s coming.

And they rejected him, too. They mocked him. They beat him. They nailed him to a cross. But Jesus did more than warn us about judgment. He stepped under the judgment our sins deserved. He died for our stubbornness, blindness, unbelief, and sin. Then he rose to give us forgiveness, life, and certain deliverance.

God does not give up on sinners. Through his Word calls us to turn from sin and turn to him. He drives us to Christ, where mercy is full and free. He held on to Jeremiah. He holds on to you.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for warning me in love and saving me by grace. Keep your Word burning in my heart. Give me repentant faith, patient love for others, and confidence in your resurrection victory. 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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Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:2-5

A Cure for That Itch

Mosquito bites. Athlete’s Foot. Poison Ivy. If you’ve ever had to deal with these itchy ailments, you know they are no fun and very hard to get rid of. You try this lotion and that spray, but the itch doesn’t seem to go away. Time and patience are about the only answers that make the itch go away.

As the apostle Paul wrote these last words to his dear friend Timothy, Paul was preparing Timothy to deal with a situation far worse than bug bites and skin rashes. False teachings, lies about the faith and salvation, and personal religious opinions were infesting and infecting the hearts of people. Such things go beyond irritation; they hurt and kill saving faith. Paul knew that a time was coming when people would no longer desire to hear what God has to say in the Bible.

Paul’s words are quite prophetic for us since we are still living in similar times. Some books promote Jesus as a mere teacher of moral living. Others claim that Jesus was not and never claimed to be God. Why all the promotion of these and many other false teachings? Because people who don’t want to believe the Bible have an itch—an itch against God. They don’t want to feel accountable to God or live their lives according to his Word. So, the only way to calm that itch is to reduce God to nothing more than a lucky rabbit’s foot or a curse word.

What is the salve for this itch? “Preach the Word!” the apostle Paul encourages. Preach and proclaim the Bible—the whole Bible. Let God work through the Word to do the rebuking and correcting. Let God set the record straight. And even if people will not listen, God still calls us to be faithful to the Word and proclaim it “in season and out of season.” May God strengthen us to do this always!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me to always faithfully proclaim your word for your Word is truth and life. 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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When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36

Compassion

Jesus was a man in motion. He healed a paralytic, a sick woman, and two blind men. He raised another man’s daughter from the dead. He called men to be his disciples. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.”

Why this activity, this urgency? Because the people were harassed by false prophets and the forces of evil. Because they were harassed by the guilt of their own sin and the fear of eternal death. And by themselves, they were helpless to do anything about it.

Sound familiar? Aren’t we tempted by false prophets who promise a way to heaven other than through Christ? Aren’t we besieged by forces of evil that want to drag us away into the deadly sins of laziness, selfishness, greed, pornography, adultery, idolatry, and the like? Don’t we get depressed by our own sinfulness and guilt and wonder whether heaven can really be our home? And by ourselves, we are helpless to do anything about it.

Thankfully, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who has come to guide, strengthen, and protect us. He lived the perfect life we couldn’t. He gave his life, taking the curse for all our sins. He moved beyond death and the grave, rising on Easter Sunday morning, and then returned to his throne in heaven. He assures us that his victory is ours. Because of all he has done, we are fully forgiven and headed for heaven.

He did all this because of his compassion. Compassion has been defined as love in motion. That’s why Jesus was a man on the move. His love did not allow him to see us in our need and leave us there. He took action. Aren’t you glad he did?

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, I am amazed by your love and compassion. Thank you for taking action when I needed you to. 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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And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
2 Thessalonians 3:2-5

Perseverance

For those who treasure their connection with Jesus, it is a bitter reality that there are many who want nothing to do with the Savior. There are accounts about Christians in some places in the world who are brutally treated and even ruthlessly murdered for their faith. As followers of Jesus, we may never suffer opposition to that extent, but we do experience people’s indifference, ridicule, and rejection as we live and share our faith.

Keep in mind that God has an eternal plan for you. He chose you to be his own, even before he created all things. He sent Jesus to accomplish your salvation. The Holy Spirit used the power of the gospel to work saving faith in your heart. You know that Jesus lived and died to free you from the guilt of sin and thrill you with the certainty of heaven. Jesus redeemed you with his precious blood—he bought you back from the power of Satan and brought you into his family of believers.

In the face of opposition, rest assured that “the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” The devil and all those who ally with him cannot separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ.

It is important to “direct your hearts into God’s love.” Keep your attention on the biblical truth that you are saved from death and hell completely by God’s love through faith in Jesus. Then you will not be led astray by false teaching or dissuaded from following Jesus by those who oppose him. Through his Word, the Lord strengthens you so that you can follow the example of Jesus’ perseverance.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to depend upon your strength. Assure me with your promises that you are always with me. When I face opposition for following you, protect me from harm and preserve me in faith. 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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As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.
2 Thessalonians 3:1

The Power of the Gospel

Paul appealed to the believers of Thessalonica to pray. His concern was “that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored.” The apostle knew the difficulties involved in proclaiming the good news about Jesus. Just before Paul went to Thessalonica, he was jailed at Philippi for preaching God’s word. Before that, he was stoned at Lystra. Just after leaving Thessalonica, he debated with some philosophers at Athens, and they scoffed at his message and rejected it.

Nevertheless, Paul’s enthusiasm for sharing the saving message of the gospel never faded. He sought to spread the word of life wherever and whenever he could. He recognized the urgency of telling people about Jesus and how the Savior rescued them from sin and hell. He asked, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14).

It is vitally important for people to hear about Jesus so that the Holy Spirit can work in their hearts. Therefore, include in your prayers the plea that God will cause the good news of salvation through Jesus to spread rapidly so that many people may hear the message of free forgiveness and eternal life. And pray that the word of God be honored by those who hear it—that through the power of the gospel, the Holy Spirit turn people from damning unbelief to saving faith in Jesus.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, use the message of salvation to call many more people out of the darkness of unbelief to the marvelous light of faith in Jesus Christ. 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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The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.’”
Leviticus 19:1-2

Be Holy

Have you ever achieved perfection? Making the perfect sales pitch. Baking the perfect pie. Earning the perfect grade. When you reach that goal, you get excited. You rejoice. You let others know that perfection has been achieved. But how long did it take you to achieve that perfection? How many mistakes did you make on the way?

The Lord tells his people to be holy. In other words, be perfect. But he doesn’t say work your way to perfection. He says you are to be holy, right now, at this very moment, and then to keep being holy.

Of course, you aren’t perfect. You make mistakes. You do things that are wrong. And as soon as you make one mistake or sin even in the most insignificant way, you are no longer perfect. You are unable to be holy even though God demands that you be holy.

So, the Lord sent Jesus. Jesus was holy. He didn’t make any mistakes. He never sinned. He never did anything contrary to what God commands. Jesus lived a perfect life in his thoughts, his words, and in everything he did.

Now Jesus gives that perfection to you. Even though you are not holy, Jesus makes you holy by giving you his perfect obedience to God’s laws and washing away your sins with his innocent blood. Through Jesus, you are able to be what you cannot achieve on your own. You are holy.

Prayer:

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I confess that by nature I am not holy as you desire. Cleanse me of my sins with the blood of Jesus. Lead me to always thank and praise you for the holiness that you have given me through Jesus. Keep me faithful to him. 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 we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

More Than Enough

Today’s Bible passage provides the opportunity for you to give thanks for one of God’s greatest blessings. He chose you to be saved! He rescued you from the curse of sin and the power of death. Salvation did not come about by your choice; it is completely the result of God’s gracious choice. Your salvation is not a matter of chance; it is certain and true. For even before the creation of the world, in love God chose you to be his own.

The Holy Spirit used the message of Jesus to turn you from unbelief to faith in Jesus as your Savior. And with that same gospel message, the Holy Spirit still preserves you in faith. Because of Jesus’ perfect life and innocent death in your place, you stand before God as one of his holy people and are privileged to be an heir of eternal life.

Believe what God has revealed to you in his Word. That’s the only true defense against the assaults to your faith. Keep going back to the Word of God because that’s where you meet Jesus. That’s where God tells you about his plans for you. He shows you his Son, Jesus, and how he saved you from hell. He uplifts you with his certain word that you will share in the glory of heaven—all because of Jesus. Indeed, this is more than enough reason to give thanks to God!

Prayer:

Dear God, I give you thanks for planning and carrying out my salvation through your Son, Jesus. Thank you for bringing me to faith in Jesus and leading me to trust him as my Savior from sin and death. Encourage me with your sure promise that the glory of heaven awaits me. 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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[Jesus said] “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:25,32-33

Why Worry?

Aren’t five-year-olds silly? Sometimes they get upset over such insignificant things. They cry because they can’t find their teddy bear or because their favorite television show is over. As adults, we can only shake our heads at these silly little creatures who allow themselves to become miserable over such minor problems.

It makes one wonder how our heavenly Father’s head must shake when he watches over us. We worry about this. We worry about that. Such silliness.

Jesus commands us not to worry. He is very serious about it because he knows that our heavenly Father does more than shake his head at our worrying. He shakes his fist. Worrying angers God because when we worry we are telling our Father that we don’t trust him to take care of us.

Thank God that Jesus did more than command us not to worry. He endured his Father’s anger at our sinful worrying. He took the punishment that should have been ours, so we don’t have to worry about God being angry at us. We don’t have to worry about ANYTHING.

Your Father loves you. He wants what is best for you. He knows what is best for you. Instead of worrying about things that you need for life, look to your Father in heaven, who promises to provide for you. The longer you linger in his Word, the more you will say to yourself, “What was I worried about? How silly!”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the many times I fail to trust in your love and provision. Give me eyes that look to you for help in every need. Give me ears to hear the promises found in your Word. Give me a heart to trust that you are all I need and that I need never worry. 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.