Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 1:4-6

Priests to God

Daily Devotion – April 28, 2024

Devotion based on Revelation 1:4-6

See series: Devotions

Imagine a pioneer cutting a path through the wilderness. With every swing of the axe and step forward, he makes a way where none existed. These brave people didn’t just go for themselves; they blazed a trail so others could follow. Once they arrived, they sent out press—posters and printed words, inviting others to the freedom and peace of this new and better life.

Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, is the ultimate pioneer. What does this mean? Jesus didn’t just lay down his life only to pick it up again for his own sake. He is the One who—by his suffering, death, and resurrection—has blazed the way for us through death to a new and victorious life with him.

Whether we realize it or not, that’s the life everyone longs for—the life that is yours through faith in Jesus. A life in the kingdom of God to which you get to invite others.

And what’s in our press release?

In this kingdom, there are no outsiders overlooked and no one who is on one’s own. There is no turmoil, hostility, or struggle. In this kingdom, we are given a victorious life marked by grace, peace, and freedom in the blood of Christ. His blood guarantees God’s love poured out on us when we least deserve it. His blood galvanizes us against sin and fully pardons us when we do sin. His blood gives us every reason to praise him wholeheartedly.

Because Jesus lives, you have grace to sustain you, peace to calm you, and a mission to move you. And Jesus is with you every step of the way.

Prayer:
King of love and Lord of life, thank you for opening the way for me to eternal life. Empower me to share your grace, peace, and freedom in all I say and do. 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.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4

Set Your Heart on Things Above

Daily Devotion – April 26, 2025

Devotion based on Colossians 3:1-4

See series: Devotions

What is your heart set on? Are you set on getting outside with the warmer weather and doing some springtime planting? Are you perhaps just itching to get out fishing? When your heart is set on something, notice how much of your life revolves around your mindset. If you can’t wait to plant, you are now getting all the things prepared and purchased. If it’s fishing, you’re working to prepare gear and tackle so that everything is ready to go.

We are just a few days removed from Easter Sunday. Do you remember what Christ’s heart was set on? He made it his entire life’s goal and passion to win our eternal salvation by crushing the head of Satan, giving up his life, and then rising in three days. If Christ had been distracted by the things of this world—power, prestige, earthly wealth, he would not have won our salvation, and we would still be dead in our sins. Praise God that Jesus set his heart on things above—on doing his Father’s will so that we might now have forgiveness, life, and peace.

The apostle Paul shares with us what it means to have our minds set on things above. He says that we died. That is to say that the controlling power of the sinful nature inside each of us is now dead. Christ has set us free and truly made us alive, just as Christ Jesus is alive and alive in us by faith.

May our hearts and minds always be set on things above. In the same way, may we also reflect what’s in our hearts and on our minds as we speak to one another about Christ’s victory over sin, death, and hell. It’s the best mindset to have and an even better one to share!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me a heart that is filled with love for you and a mind that is focused on all that you have accomplished for my salvation. Preserve me in saving faith and finally bring me to share in the glory that you have prepared for me and all believers 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.

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
Luke 24:2,3

The Tomb Is Empty

Daily Devotion – April 24, 2025

Devotion based on Luke 24:2,3

See series: Devotions

The women came to anoint the dead body of Jesus on Sunday morning. Instead, they found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Confusion clouded their minds. Their first thoughts were that someone had taken Jesus’ body.

If Jesus’ body had been stolen, who would have taken it? The Roman authorities had no reason to remove it; they wanted to keep order and suppress any claims that Jesus had risen. The Jewish leaders certainly would not have taken it; they had asked for a guard to ensure the body stayed in the tomb. And the disciples? They were hiding in fear, devastated by their master’s crucifixion.

An empty tomb alone does not prove a resurrection, but it’s a good start. Add to the empty tomb the undeniable fact that Jesus’ body was never found, the eyewitness testimonies of his disciples, and the radical transformation of those who saw him alive.

The resurrection was confirmed by multiple eyewitnesses. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, Peter, the disciples, and more than five hundred at one time. These were not hallucinations. Hallucinations are individual experiences, yet Jesus appeared to groups of people, spoke with them, ate with them, and invited the disciple Thomas to touch his wounds.

Skeptics suggest alternative explanations, but none hold up under scrutiny. If the disciples had fabricated the resurrection, why would they suffer and die for it? If Jesus had merely swooned on the cross, how could a severely wounded man roll away a massive stone and escape unnoticed?

The simplest, most reasonable explanation is the one the Bible gives: Jesus truly rose from the dead. His resurrection is not just an ancient claim—it is the foundation of the Christian faith and the promise of resurrection to all who believe in Jesus. Because the tomb is empty, we know that death is not the end. Because he lives, everyone who trusts in Jesus as their Savior will also live.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, send me your Spirit to help me believe more and more in the certainty of Jesus’ resurrection. 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.

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:51,52

Raised Imperishable

Daily Devotion – April 22, 2025

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 15:51,52

See series: Devotions

Our bodies wear out. We know this all too well. We see it in the mirror as wrinkles form. We feel it in aching joints. We watch it in our loved ones as disease, disability, and dementia take their toll. Sin has infected not just our hearts and minds but our flesh. Every human body is subject to decay, disease, and death.

But listen! The apostle Paul reveals a mystery. “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.” In an instant, everything will be different. When Jesus comes again, the dead will be raised imperishable. That means no more sickness. No more disease. No more weakness. No more death. The perishable will be clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality.

Imagine a body untouched by sin’s curse—no cancer, disease, dementia, pain, aging, or death. Every tear wiped away. Every sorrow erased. This is not just wishful thinking. This is the promise of God.

How can this be? How can bodies that have been buried, decayed, or turned to dust be raised anew? Because Jesus lives. His resurrection is the guarantee of our own. He took on our sin, suffered in our place, died our death, and then conquered the grave. His resurrected body was real—touchable, recognizable, perfect. And through faith in him, we are connected to his resurrection.

What joy this brings! We grieve now when we watch loved ones suffer. We mourn as we feel our bodies growing weaker. But we do not grieve like those who have no hope. We know what is coming. We know who is coming. And when he does, we will be changed. We will be raised imperishable.

This promise comforts you in sickness, strengthens you in sorrow, and fills you with anticipation. Because when Jesus returns, our perishable bodies will be no more. We will be changed—forever whole, forever alive in him.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise of resurrection and the hope of bodies made new. In Jesus’ name. 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.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4

A Resurrected Life

Daily Devotion – April 20, 2025

Devotion based on Colossians 3:1-4

See series: Devotions

He had lived all his life on the streets. His skin was weathered. His hair was a tangled mess. His clothes were tattered and stained. He slept on cardboard and under garbage bags. He dined in the alleyways from restaurant dumpsters. Days he spent squatting on sidewalks, begging from passersby.

One day someone stopped, lifted him, cleaned him up, dressed him, and gave him $10,000 a week to live on. But months later, the pauper-turned-prince was still living on the streets. Once a week, he’d clean up. Once a month, he’d dine in a restaurant. He was not taking advantage of his new-found life.

The Bible says that through faith we have been raised with Christ. But are we living the resurrected life? Not if we only focus on Christ’s resurrection one day a year, Easter Sunday. The blessings of a resurrected life are life-changing. Take advantage of it!

A resurrected life is a life that looks up. Guilt can’t consume us because we find daily rest in Christ’s payment for all our sins. The world can’t fool us because we have God’s wisdom for making good decisions. Bad days can’t stop us because we have confidence in a better eternal tomorrow. Happiness is never out of reach, because it’s already in hand as we imitate the humble servant-life of our victorious Savior, Jesus Christ.

A resurrected life is a life connected to Christ. Your conscience may condemn you and Satan may accuse you. Let them! You have been set free from the guilt of sin. You are a redeemed child of the Father, purchased by the blood of Christ.

A resurrected life is a life with a glorious future. You may be overcome by the world’s hatred and hardship. But remember, what is over your head is still under Jesus’ feet. And one day, you will reign with Christ forever.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, keep my eyes fixed on you and the heaven you won for me rather than on the things of this world. 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.

All who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” . . . Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”
Galatians 3:10,13

The Curse Is Ended

Daily Devotion – April 18, 2025

Devotion based on Galatians 3:10,13

See series: Devotions

The plot of many fairy tales focuses on trying to end a curse, to break the spell cast by the story’s villain. In the end, you know that the hero will eventually appear, end the curse, and save the princess or even the entire land.

That plot is more true-to-life than we might like to admit. The Bible says, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Who can claim to have done everything required by God’s Law? We can’t even rightly claim to have kept a single one of God’s laws.

God’s Law demands actions that always step up to help and never cause hurt. His Law demands words that only build up with truth and love and never tear down. His Law demands hearts and minds that are perfectly pure and never polluted with hatred, greed, envy, or lust. And anyone who doesn’t live up to everything written in God’s Law is under a curse. Because of our sins against God’s law, we deserve death. We earn an eternity of God’s wrath in hell. “Cursed” hardly seems to be a strong enough word.

But what happened on a dark Friday afternoon nearly two thousand years ago changed all of that. Christ redeemed us from that curse by becoming a curse for us. He accepted our guilt—all of it. And he received the curse that it deserved—all of it.

Jesus was hung on the cross not only to suffer man’s wrath but the wrath of God and to pay the price demanded for our souls. With his life, he redeemed us. He paid the price to set us free from sin and guilt, from death and hell. Nothing less could have ended sin’s curse. Jesus paid that price in full. The curse is ended forever! And that’s why we call this Friday “good.”

Prayer:
What wondrous love is this! You paid the awful price for my soul! 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.

He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:8

Obedient All the Way to Death

Daily Devotion – April 16, 2025

Devotion based on Philippians 2:8

See series: Devotions

People are willing to put up with a lot if they think it will be worth it in the end. Many athletes and high achievers in various fields will endure long hours of grueling training, decades of preparation, financial sacrifice, and the high demands of professors, coaches, and bosses along the way. But there is a limit to what people will do.

Recently, there’s been a trend in sports of athletes retiring earlier. Sometimes, it’s because athletes are bigger, faster, and stronger, so the effects of age more quickly leave them unable to compete. Other times, it’s because the toll competing takes on their body is not a price they are willing to pay for long.

Do we ever get that way in our walk with God? God’s law makes demands that we just aren’t willing to meet. Undivided devotion? No way. Love for our enemies? That’s a big ask. Complete trust when it seems like God has forgotten us? That’s a pretty hard road to stay on.

When Jesus entered the world on a mission to save, he knew the price that would be demanded of him. Not just long hours teaching and healing, days traveling on foot, or seemingly endless opposition along the way. Jesus knew that death would be required of him. A most shameful death by crucifixion on a Roman cross. Knowing what was coming, when his Father said, “Go!” Jesus went.

When Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, how good it must have felt to hear the crowds shouting his praises. How easy it would have been to take a different path. Grab onto the glory and chase after the power and greatness. It was there for the taking.

But love for you and me led Jesus to surrender to his Father’s will and give himself over to death. For the times we have considered the cost of obedience too high, the price of following Jesus too great, Jesus willingly paid the price with his life. Because of his surrender, the end of the road for us is not death but life, not pain but paradise. We can surrender all to follow him, knowing that the end will be worth any price.

Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for giving up everything for 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.

Christ Jesus . . . being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing.
Philippians 2:5-7

If You Want It, Go Get It

Daily Devotion – April 14, 2025

Devotion based on Philippians 2:5-7

See series: Devotions

If you want something, you have to go get it. That’s the kind of advice a parent, grandparent, coach, or mentor might have for a young person. Success doesn’t just come to you. Opportunities don’t just appear with no effort on your part. You have to get out there and make something happen and seize the opportunities when they come. You have to go get what’s yours.

In most cases, it’s probably good advice. But it doesn’t seem like advice that Jesus heard or accepted. He had it all. He had the power and glory. He was God. He could do anything he wanted to do. But he gave it all away.

“He made himself nothing,” the Bible says. He gave up comfort and ease. He set aside power and authority. He gave it all up to live as a human being, to live life as a lowly servant in this world. In utter humility, Jesus was counted among the worst criminals and sentenced to death. He was crushed under the weight of God’s anger over sin and disobedience.

Instead of selfishly seizing greatness, he surrendered to lowliness. Why? Because of the greatness of his love.

You see, there was something that Jesus wanted. He knew it wouldn’t happen on its own. He had to go out and get it. He seized the opportunity and sacrificed everything to get it. What was it? It was you. It was me.

Jesus surrendered to lowliness and suffering to seize you from the grip of death in which your sins held you. He gave up everything to give you life and riches that you could never earn or achieve for yourself. Riches that will outlast every achievement and reward this world can offer.

Jesus seized the opportunity to surrender what he had to give you what was his—a place in the family of God and an eternal home. That’s what this week that Christians call “Holy Week” is all about.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, no one loves me as much as you love me. Thank you for coming to earth and giving up everything to give me life with you 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.

I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

Forgetting What Is Behind

Daily Devotion – April 12, 2025

Devotion based on Philippians 3:12-14

See series: Devotions

After a long day, that glorious moment has finally arrived. However, as your weary head sinks deeper into its pillow your mind begins reviewing the events of the day, and you find that sleep is not going to come as quickly as you would like. Unfinished tasks, disappointing events, words that you regret speaking. There are all sorts of things that happened during the day that you wish you could go back and change, but you can’t.

One of the most frustrating things in life is also one of the most solid truths. We cannot go back and change anything that has happened in the past. There is no time machine that allows us to go back and avoid making the mistakes we have made.

How awesome our God is! He does undo the past. He has erased those mistakes, not by using a time machine, but with the blood of his Son, Jesus. Every hurtful word spoken, and selfish decision made, all the sinful acts we have ever committed—they have all been erased by Jesus’ death on the cross.

Now we have been given a tremendous gift—a future. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross in our place, all our sin and guilt have been removed and by faith in Jesus we have been given eternal life in heaven. Instead of ending the day with a mind that is spinning, filled with the regrets of the past, we can rest in peace with our eyes focused on the wonderful future God has graciously given to us.

May the Holy Spirit graciously enable us to echo the apostle Paul’s words: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, fill my heart with a faith that focuses on the eternal prize that Jesus, my Savior, has won for me with his blood. With my eyes focused on heaven, help me to live my life here on earth as the forgiven child of God that I am. 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.

I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Philippians 3:8

Deepest Wish and Need

Daily Devotion – April 10, 2025

Devotion based on Philippians 3:8

See series: Devotions

Christian writer Tim Keller once quoted an author by the name of Cynthia Heimel. In her circles, Heimel got to know a lot of celebrities before they became celebrities. Then she got to watch them after they made it big. As a result, she said the following: “I pity [celebrities]. No, I do. They were once perfectly pleasant human beings. But now, their wrath is awful. More than any of us, they wanted fame. They worked. They pushed. [But] the morning after each of them became famous, they wanted to take an overdose. Because that one giant thing they were striving for, that thing that was going to make everything okay, had happened. And nothing changed. They were still them. Cynthia Heimel then went on to say, “I think when God wishes to play a rotten practical joke on you, he grants your deepest wish.”

How about you? It’s easy, of course, to pick on celebrities who find out that being famous does not make everything okay. But you and I are just as vulnerable. Sure, we may not pick fame as our deepest wish. Our deepest wish may be something entirely different. Perhaps it’s popularity or respect from others in your line of work. Perhaps it’s success, financial security, authority, and influence. Perhaps it’s living life with a minimum of trouble.

The problem is that our deepest wish can often miss the mark of our deepest need. When that happens, we will experience the same fate as Cynthia Heimel’s celebrities. We will find that even when we get our deepest wish, nothing changes. We are still us.

That’s what the apostle Paul discovered. When he looked back on all the ways he had fulfilled his deepest wishes, respect, success in his field, success, and power, all this power he now regarded as harmful distractions in comparison to his deepest need.

Jesus Christ filled that need. He washed away Paul’s sins on Calvary’s cross. He connected Paul to God. He’s here to do the same for you and me.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my greatest need is you. Do what you must to keep me close. 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.

I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

Desert

Daily Devotion – April 8, 2025

Devotion based on Isaiah 43:19

See series: Devotions

You are driving on a remote stretch of highway in the Southwest United States. As you do, you pass through the Sonoran Desert. You’re playing your favorite tunes, your travel snacks are ready, and your minivan’s air conditioning is just right at 72 degrees. All is well.

Then, from your engine, there’s a rattle, a pop, and a bang. Your car slows to a stop. All you can do is pull off to the side. Your cell phone has no signal. You step out of your car and into an oven of 115 degrees. You look around and see—nothing, nothing but desert. And in that moment, a strange corkscrew sensation begins to wind its way up your spine.

These conditions are like the desert conditions God’s people faced in Isaiah chapter 43. As a result of their having drifted away from their Savior-God, they now found themselves surrounded by miseries of their own making—including an enemy nation that had dragged them from their homes and surrounded them in the desert.

Ever feel that way? Ever feel as though your sinful actions—or inactions—have dropped you into some terrible desert? If so, then you know the hopelessness and despair. You know the suffocating sense of futility and the raw fear there is no way home.

But there is a way. His name is Jesus. He has entered our desert and made his way to us. For him to do so came at great personal cost. As our substitute, he did all the things you and I have failed to do. In our place, he endured the suffocating heat and death of divine punishment for all our sins. And then he raised himself back to life.

And now, here he is. He has made his way to us. He brings the cool, refreshing water of forgiveness for us to drink. He brings shelter and shade from the terrible heat of God’s anger. Best of all, he brings the promise of eternal life with him in heaven.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I find myself in a desert of my own making. I look to you with a repentant heart. Refresh me in your promises. Embrace me in your forgiveness. Take me home. 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.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

Don’t Look Back

Daily Devotion – April 6, 2025

Devotion based on Philippians 3:12-14

See series: Devotions

When you drive your car, you have a large windshield that lets you see straight ahead. You have a few small mirrors to see what’s behind you. They don’t take up much of your viewing space. That’s because you mostly need to see where you’re going, not where you’ve been.

Before Paul was a missionary for Jesus, he worked hard to stop the good news of Jesus from spreading. He didn’t mind at all if Christians died. But that had been a long time ago. He didn’t let his past wicked sins keep him from now looking forward to heaven with Jesus. Jesus had changed his heart. He repented of his sins. He enjoyed the forgiving love of his Savior.

The guilt and shame of past wrongs can stay with you for a long time. They can keep you from enjoying life. Worse, they can keep you from seeing that the joy of heaven is coming. Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead. He removed your guilt and shame by his death. His resurrection from the grave guarantees eternal life in heaven for you. That’s the prize Paul mentions. That’s the prize Jesus has won for you, too. Don’t look back. Repent. Enjoy Jesus’ forgiving love. See heaven as your eternal future.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, keep my eyes focused on Jesus, who removed the guilt and shame of my sins so that I can look forward to the prize of eternity with you. 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.

[The younger son said to his father] “I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.” . . . The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
Luke 15:19,28-30

Grace in Place of Merits

Daily Devotion – April 4, 2025

Devotion based on Luke 15:19,28-30

See series: Devotions

By nature, we operate on the basic assumption that you get what you deserve. If you’ve worked hard, you reap a reward for your labor. You pay the price if you’ve been lazy, dishonest, or wasteful. This basic assumption moves many to approach God based on a merit system.

Both sons in this story were operating under that basic assumption. The younger son, who greedily demanded and then squandered his father’s wealth, thought he wasn’t worthy of returning home as a son. He approached his father with a plan to earn his way back by being a servant. The older son, who remained on his father’s estate and kept his nose to the grindstone, thought he was certainly more worthy than his younger brother. He became upset when his father welcomed his brother back as a son, based on grace in place of merit.

There is only one Son to whom that basic assumption applies. Based on the merits of the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ, God welcomes us home as his dearly loved and fully forgiven children. We need not work our way back into God’s good graces. Jesus’ perfect work, his life, death, and resurrection, have already earned your spot in the Father’s house. It is by his grace, not by your works. You do not and cannot approach God based on merits. Instead, he approaches you with his grace. Like the father in the story ran out to welcome home his son, your Father in heaven runs to you and welcomes you with open arms and grace in place of condemnation. Welcome home!

Prayer:
Lord, by your grace, you receive me as your child. May I rest in that grace 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.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1,2

Grace in Place of Condemnation

Daily Devotion – April 2, 2025

Devotion based on Romans 8:1,2

See series: Devotions

What’s it like to stand before a judge, waiting for his verdict? Maybe you know what it’s like, or maybe you’ve only seen it on the news. Whether we have stood in front of a judge in real life or not, all of us are accountable to God, who rightly judges every heart. If we’re honest, we know what God’s verdict should be—guilty as charged, sentenced to eternal condemnation.

But the grace of God in Jesus Christ overrules what should be. In God’s courtroom, we find grace in place of condemnation. Every day we can confess our sins and plead guilty, and God declares us not guilty through Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, God’s justice was served, and you were saved. Now, God personally declares “not guilty” all who have faith in Christ Jesus. Now, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

In Jesus and through faith in him, you need not imagine what it’s like to be declared “not guilty” by the judge of all humankind. It’s a very real verdict, and it impacts you right now. Too often, we dwell in the past. We let past sins and past guilt distract us from the present reality of God’s forgiveness. Once we lived under the law of sin and death, we were controlled by sin and condemned to death. But that was then. Now, things are different. Those who are in Christ have been set free by the grace of God.

Prayer:
Lord, keep me always in Christ so that I may live now and forever in your grace. 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.

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

No Replacements for Grace

Daily Devotion – March 31, 2025

Devotion based on Luke 15:1,2

See series: Devotions

When it comes to how we view sin and immorality in the world, there are two extremes. One is to celebrate and condone. The other is to judge and condemn hypocritically. The way of our world is often the first extreme: to deal with sin and those caught up in it by condoning and celebrating it as something good. Others with a more accurate moral compass, or those who don’t struggle with certain sins, can easily fall into the other extreme: hypocritically judging and condemning those who sin differently.

Jesus perfectly avoided both extremes and opted for grace in place of hypocritical condemnation and grace in place of condoning and celebrating. Grace is God’s undeserved love. Grace leads God to give the gift of forgiveness, not earned but freely given through Jesus. Jesus was often criticized for interacting and ministering to people who were publicly known as “sinners.” Those who fell into the extreme of hypocritically judging and condemning had replaced grace with works and outward displays of holiness. They wrongly viewed Jesus’ interactions as condoning sin because they didn’t understand grace. Jesus came not to condemn nor condone but to save and forgive. That’s grace!

Jesus was not shy in calling sin what it was. He was not stingy in offering grace and forgiveness to those who knew they needed it. This is good news for us! We have likely fallen into both extremes at times. We’ve opted for something else other than grace. We’ve approached God or others with something other than grace. But grace calls us back home to our Savior, who forgives our sins on both extremes and everyone in between. That’s grace!

There are no replacements for the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Instead, Jesus shows us grace in place of what we once deserved, in place of things that might distract us from the gift of his forgiveness.

Prayer:
Lord of grace, you are not ashamed to draw near to me and welcome me into your family. Preserve me from any extreme that undermines your grace and renew me daily by your forgiveness. 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.