A Restless Heart – September 2, 2024

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What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.
Romans 9:30-32

A Restless Heart

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Daily Devotion – September 2, 2024

Devotion based on Romans 9:30-32

See series: Devotions

Two children carry out the same chores around the house. They abide by the same rules and curfews. For one child, it’s grueling. From his perspective, it sucks the joy out of life. He can’t wait to move out, but meanwhile, he grins and bears it and does what is expected. The other child enjoys the blessings of a safe home, three square meals, and loving parents. He keeps the same rules, but it doesn’t seem to be a burden. He sees it as a reasonable expectation and a blessing to have parents that care that much.

They keep the same rules, but they have very different attitudes. This illustration really describes Christians just before and after becoming Christians. Before they became a child of God, they knew to some extent the basic rules—don’t murder, don’t steal, be kind, speak positively. However, apart from Jesus, these seem more of a burden than a blessing. Even now, at times, their hearts trend back to a natural way of thinking. If they think it depends on their work of keeping the rules to be right with God (that’s what righteousness means), then it becomes a burden too heavy to carry. Their hearts become restless and ragged. How can they ever know if they’ve done enough? How can they ever do enough? They can’t, but Jesus, our Savior, has!

God, our Father, has forgiven their sins and made them his children not because of their works but because of his great love. This changes everything. God lifted the burden too heavy for any of us to carry. He declared us righteous (right with him) by grace, through faith, and not by works. It’s this love that gives people a new perspective. They follow their Savior from the heart because they see that they are loved and provided for by a gracious God. Their hearts find rest in him!

Prayer:
Lord, my heart was restless until I found my rest in your loving 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.

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Too Strict? – September 1, 2024

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Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you. . . Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
Deuteronomy 4:1,2,6

Too Strict?

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Daily Devotion – September 1, 2024

Devotion based on Deuteronomy 4:1,2,6

See series: Devotions

“Your parents sure are strict.” I remember hearing this often as a child. My parents had simple rules: If they told me to do something, I should do it. If they told me not to do something, then I shouldn’t. Looking back, I don’t know if I’d classify them as strict. I think my parents simply had expectations.

Yet, I was resentful of those expectations sometimes. My parents’ expectations seemed to limit my fun. It was hard for me as a child to see that my parents always had my best interests in mind. It was hard to see the wisdom in their expectations.

We’re tempted to look at God’s laws that way sometimes, aren’t we? We are tempted to subtract those parts that are unpopular or counter cultural. Satan whispers in our ears, “God is restricting your freedom with all these laws!” Except, just the opposite is true.

In our Bible reading for today, we read, “Follow them so that you may live.” Except we can’t follow them perfectly! That’s why God sent his Son, Jesus, to keep all his commands perfectly for us. He came so we can have life, life to the full. Just sit back and think for a minute: When has God ever done anything that wasn’t ultimately for your good? Every command God gives us, even the ones that are unpopular for many, are for our good. Following those commands doesn’t restrict our freedom, it shows our wisdom. Following all of God’s commands is a way to say “thank you” to God for all his blessings.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me life by offering the life of your Son, Jesus, in my place. Help me live according to all of your commands which I know are for my good. 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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