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[Jesus said] “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”
Luke 6:22-23

Worth It

Think of all the things in your life that make you rejoice and leap for joy. A clean bill of health. The birth of a healthy child. A good grade on a project or paper that you spent a lot of time on. Making the team or the cast. Watching your team win the championship.

In today’s verse, Jesus adds to that list being insulted, excluded, rejected, and hated. But who would rejoice over things like that? And then, when Jesus says that we suffer like this “because of the Son of Man,” because of Jesus himself, that makes it sound even worse. It sounds like Jesus wants us to be insulted, hated, and excluded.

But that’s not what Jesus means. He means that we experience those things because our identity and trust are in him.

Our world doesn’t want a God like Jesus. A God who says our daily failures make it impossible to earn his love and a home in heaven. He expects too much of us!

On the other hand, our world also hates the idea of a God that gives us his love unconditionally without expecting anything from us, a God who rewards us with heaven because he himself met the expectations of his law for us. That’s nonsense, according to the world.

For revealing such impossible demands and showing such impossible love, Jesus himself was insulted, hated, excluded, rejected, and killed. And we can expect the same treatment because we trust in him. But Jesus promises, “great is your reward in heaven.” When we know and believe God’s forgiving love in Jesus, we are saints in God’s eyes and have a place in heaven with our name on it.

Now we can rejoice in our suffering as saints in this world. We can see it as a blessing that reminds us of God’s love and leads us to look forward to the great reward he has prepared for us.

Prayer:

Jesus, help me to rejoice when I suffer because of you, knowing that you have won a great reward for me in heaven. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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

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

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Who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.
Hebrews 11:33-35

The Hero of the Story

The Bible is full of amazing stories. Stories of the weak overcoming the strong. Stories of people escaping from impossible situations. Stories of battles won and enemies defeated – even death itself. Stories that amaze and excite and inspire.

Those true stories are our stories too. We can relate to the weak and the wounded, the grieving and the hurting, those just trying to navigate through life and make it out alive. And the God in the middle of those stories is in the middle of ours, too.

He made promises to those people long ago, and they held onto those promises. When flames, foes, or even death were overcome for them, it was because God promised they would be. That gave them the strength and stamina to endure.

They didn’t always come out on top in this world. Innocent people were tortured and killed. But they endured it because God promised something more. He promised a Savior, Jesus, who would be tortured and killed, too. He willingly endured it to gain more than this world could ever offer. When Jesus died and rose again, he gained for them and for us rescue from death itself. He won for us a place in the family of God as forgiven saints and heirs of eternal life. He secured for us a home in heaven where no enemy can ever touch us again.

Those people in the Bible are sometimes called heroes of faith, but the real hero was the God and Savior who keeps every promise and gives us the final victory. Read the Bible. See their stories and yours. Hear and believe God’s promises to you. And know that Jesus, your hero, guarantees that your story will have a great ending!

Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for being the hero of my story. Help me to live in view of the better life you have won 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.

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Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:1-5

New Heaven and New Earth

The apostle John was given a vision of the future, after this world comes to its end, and God gives his people a new world in which to live.

In this new world, John was told there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. What a wonderful existence it will be! Some theologians believe that the saints in heaven will have all the marks of sin removed, including the deterioration of old age. The aches and pains, amputations, and all other defects will be corrected and made perfect in Jesus.

We can’t be sure this will be the case. But, whatever we look like, we know that our physical bodies in heaven will be perfect and sinless. Imagine—living with God himself without the possibility of falling into sin. We will have free choice in the purest sense, a choice that can do nothing but please God and praise him. That will be rest indeed.

Prayer:

Be with me, Lord Jesus, until I join you in the perfection of heaven. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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

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

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For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5:6

To God alone be the glory!

Sometimes people misunderstand when Christians say we are saved by God’s grace, and not our works. People wonder, doesn’t that lead to people not living for God? If you tell people they are not saved by what they do, but entirely by God, don’t you think that people will use that as an excuse to sin?

It certainly could be used as an excuse to sin. But not if a person truly understands who God is and what he has done. What if you discover that God was kind and generous? What if you discover that God sacrificed his life for you? What if someone you didn’t know, never met, died so that you could live? If you had the opportunity to speak to that person who died so that you could live, what would you say? I think you start with “thank you.”

And isn’t that our life of faith, and why we serve? Because we are set free from sin, because Jesus rescued us. We serve and live out of thanks to our God, not so that we might be saved, but because we have been saved. That is freedom, the freedom to serve our God.

Faith wants to be active. Faith wants to serve God. The apostle Paul wrote that, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Jesus has done everything perfectly and has set us free from trying to save ourselves. Faith exults in that. Faith “expressing itself” in the original Greek language is “energoumena.” It’s the same word from which we get “energized” and “energy.”

What can be more important than knowing how God feels about us and what he has done for us? That’s what gives us energy to serve today. We are free from sin and guilt, and we are free to serve our God. To God alone be the glory!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, strengthen me through your Word that I may love and serve others and glorify your 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.

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You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
Galatians 5:4-5

Freedom Through Grace Alone

“How will I ever find a gracious God?”

That was the torment of a young man, a monk, by the name of Martin Luther.

He knew that God is righteous and holy. And he knew that God demanded righteousness from his people. And he was taught that the way to meet God’s demand of righteousness was to actually be righteous. So, Luther pursued it with full zeal. It was said that no one prayed more, worked harder, fasted longer, or deprived himself of more than he. In the world of monks, no one was more “monkish” than Luther.

But what Luther realized was that no matter how much he tried to cleanse himself of his sins, he still continued to sin. One quick moment of doubt would plunge him back into the gloom of his own guilt. So, his conscience tormented him. And if God demanded righteousness which was impossible to obtain, then God must be a monster.

As he dug further into the Bible, Luther began to realize what the church of his day had abandoned. God is righteous; this is absolutely true. But the same righteousness that God demands, he also gives!

In the days of the apostle Paul, some also felt that their righteousness was the answer. But Paul was clear. If we think we can save ourselves by our own deeds, our own righteousness, then we destroy God’s grace.

When we give up our own self-righteousness and abandon thoughts of deserving God’s grace, then we can embrace the wonderful truth. We are saved sola gratia, by God’s grace. Jesus was righteous for us, and Jesus paid for our sins.

When we look to Jesus, then we, like Luther and Paul, find a gracious God.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for giving me the righteousness that I could never earn. Help me to trust that I am saved through your 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.

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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8: 31-32

Freedom by Scripture Alone

Scams are everywhere. Some scammers look to deceive you into giving up sensitive information through fraudulent emails, text messages, or websites. Others use fear or greed to lure you into giving up your money. In the end, they want to take advantage of your weaknesses to exploit you.

The devil is the ultimate scammer. He would lead us to believe that we are just fine in our relationship with God all by ourselves. He wants us to be convinced that there are many paths to God, and they all end up in the same place. He wants us to trust that as long as we are a good person, that’s going to be good enough for God.

He wants us to believe this, knowing full well that we’re not just fine or good with God all on our own.

So how do we sift truth from falsehood?

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The truth is, you and I are not good enough on our own to stand before God.

But Jesus is. One word of God’s truth sends the devil packing. Remember how Jesus defeated the devil at the start of his ministry? Each time Jesus said, “It is written.”

Today, we give thanks that God reveals his truth not in our opinions or worldly philosophy, but in the words of the Scriptures alone. In that, we will never be deceived.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for preserving your Word so that I know the truth. Jesus, help me continue to hold 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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This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1 John 5:6-11

Water and Blood

The probes that go to the other planets in our solar system are looking for a lot of things, and one of them is always water. People think that if water is found, there is the chance of finding life. Without water, you can’t really have life.

When Jesus came to give us life, he began his public ministry with his baptism by water and the Spirit at the hand of John the Baptist. God told us at that time that Jesus is his beloved Son, and we believe that testimony because the Spirit has worked faith in our hearts through the power of baptism. Whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life.

The probes that check our health look at a lot of things, and one of them is always our blood. Healthy blood is important; there is life in the blood. Loss of blood can lead to loss of life.

When Jesus came to give us life, he shed his blood for us. His death on the cross paid the punishment for our sins, fulfilling and ending the need for the animal sacrifices that God had commanded. Without the shedding of that blood, there would have been no forgiveness. Now we have forgiveness through Jesus, and where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

Jesus came by water and blood. Rejoice today that, because he did, you have eternal life.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for providing your Son, Jesus Christ, who came for me by water and blood. Lead me to live a life of service to you until I join you in perfect everlasting 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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Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome. Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.”
Genesis 3:28-29

Wrestle with a God Who Lets Us Win

If you’ve ever wrestled with a little child, you know the routine. They’re giggling, grunting, straining, giving it all they’ve got. And what do you do? You play along for a while, and you let them win. Not because they’re stronger, but because you love them.

That was Jacob’s night. He struggled with God and “overcame.” How? Not because he overpowered the Almighty, but because God let him win. God stooped down, allowed Jacob’s faith to cling, and then he was delighted to bless him.

That’s how our heavenly Father treats us. He loves it when we hold him to his promises. He loves it when we wrestle in faith. And in the end, he lets us win, not because we’re stronger, but because Christ has already overcome for us.

At the cross, Jesus looked like he had lost as he was pinned down by nails, mocked, and beaten. But in that defeat came victory. Sin was paid in full. The devil’s head was crushed. And Easter Sunday, when Jesus walked away from the tomb, the last enemy of death was defeated. Because he overcame sin, death, and the devil, we too will overcome.

So, when you wrestle with God in prayer, when you cling to his Word, know this: your Father delights in you. He’s the God who lets you win and blesses you.

Prayer:

Father, keep me clinging to your promises and resting in Christ’s 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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When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Genesis 32:25-26

Wrestle with God with Persistence

Have you ever felt like you were praying and nothing was happening? Like your words were bouncing off the ceiling? Jacob knew that feeling. All night, he wrestled with God, but he refused to let go until the blessing came. That’s a picture of prayer—not just tossing wishes into the air but hanging on to God’s promises and refusing to let go.

It’s not that Jacob outwitted, outplayed, or outlasted God. Jacob didn’t “win” by being stronger than God. Just one touch on his hip showed how weak Jacob really was. But God wanted Jacob to keep clinging. To keep asking. To keep holding on.

That’s not just a lesson or invitation to Jacob. Jesus told stories of persistent widows and midnight doorknockers. “Pray continually” may be the shortest verse of the Bible, but it takes the longest to fulfill. God doesn’t need to be nagged to listen, but persistence shows faith—faith that refuses to let go of his promises.

And you know why we can pray with such boldness and persistence? Because Jesus did it for us. As he walked on this earth, we consistently see him go off by himself to pray. On the night before he died, his sweat was like drops of blood as he wrestled in prayer in a garden. On the cross, he prayed for your forgiveness. He won access for us to our heavenly Father. Because of Jesus, every prayer we whisper is heard by the Father.

So don’t let go. Wrestle with God with persistence. Even if the answer feels delayed, the blessing will come.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the gift of prayer. Teach me to cling to your promises, even when answers seem slow. Strengthen my faith to trust your timing. 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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Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
Genesis 32:24-28

Wrestling with God

God doesn’t always give us what we want, at least not right away. Have you noticed this? We pray and pray and pray for something, but there seems to be no answer. Sometimes we become discouraged or angry with God for not listening. We might even conclude that God doesn’t love us.

To accuse God of not loving us is a sin of the highest order. God is love. He showed that love when he sent his Son to die on a cross as payment for our sins. God’s love for us is greater than any other love we could imagine.

So, why doesn’t God give us what we want when we want it? Sometimes, he gives us the opportunity to exercise our faith by being persistent in prayer. Wrestling with God in prayer is a way of demonstrating that we trust he will do what’s best for us, in his own time and in his own way.

We may never wrestle God physically the way Jacob did in this unusual story from the Bible, but we do wrestle with God spiritually in our prayers. Like Jacob, be bold and persistent in asking God for his blessings. Then, trust that the God of love will answer in whatever way is best for you.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, give me the faith to trust you completely. 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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You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
2 Corinthians 9:11-12

Contagious Generosity

You didn’t do anything special, you certainly didn’t deserve it, but someone generously gave of their time or gave a gift far greater than you could have imagined. The giver of the gift had no intention of receiving anything in return. It was pure generosity. That kind of generosity can be contagious. If you’ve been the recipient of such a generous gift and truly appreciate it, you can’t help but mimic that generosity.

Consider God’s generosity. Even if one does not recognize it, all that a person has is from God’s hand. God may even bless you with more than what you truly need. Even if one does not realize that Jesus gave up the riches of his heavenly throne and became poor for you to become rich in God’s mercy. However, when we do realize this and, in faith, receive this incredible gift of God’s grace, we can’t help but let it overflow to others. That kind of generosity is contagious.

A Christian church in the ancient city of Corinth, in response to God’s generous gift of salvation, was collecting a monetary gift for others in need hundreds of miles away. When they heard of other congregations also giving a gift of support, they too wanted to join in. In doing so, not only did they meet a real need, but their generosity spilled over into praise and thanks to God. It inspired others to be generous. The kind of generosity that ultimately comes from God is contagious.

First, receive God’s generosity as the gift it truly is. Be blown away by the over-the-top gift that God has given through Jesus and let it spread. Let it overflow. If you have possessions to share with others in need, if you have time to give to someone who needs a listening ear, if you have skills to share, whatever you have, it’s from the Lord. Share it to his glory!

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for every gracious gift you’ve given. Let that generosity overflow in my life in thanksgiving to 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.

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One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?”
Luke 17:15-17

Don’t Forget to Say Thank You

It’s one of the earliest lessons we learn in life: “Don’t forget to say thank you!” Where were the manners of the nine men who had been healed by Jesus but did not return to thank him? Didn’t their mothers ever teach them to say thank you?

What was missing from those nine men? It was more than just words of thanks missing from their lips. Faith was missing from their hearts. They saw Jesus as someone special and powerful; otherwise, they wouldn’t have called out to him in desperation. But comfort and healing for their skin was all they wanted.

We are very thankful for physical blessings that come from God. We may pray for God to heal us from illness, and we thank him profusely when he does. However, when we limit our requests to things only for the body and thank him only when we receive what is tangible and temporary, something’s missing. If the only reason we can sleep in peace at night is because we’re materially blessed, then we’re missing something. If the only reason I am thankful is because I have my basic needs and good health, then I’m missing something.

Thank God, with a sincere heart, that Jesus gives us all that was ever missing. He so generously gives comfort that lasts eternally because he has healed us of sin’s curse and condemnation. He makes us clean so we, covered by his grace, can be at peace with God. This moves us not just to say, “thank you,” but to live a life of thanks for all our Savior has done.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, for healing me of sin and death and giving me blessings beyond this 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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Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Genesis 8:20-22

Providence Produces Praise

You can walk into a grocery store in season and out of season and find fresh produce at your disposal. God never ceases to provide. As much trouble as there is in this world, as hard as some days are, as long as some sleepless nights seem, the world keeps turning and the sun rises each morning. God’s gracious providence never ceases. God’s providence means he provides for and sustains his creation. Through his providence, God keeps the world turning, sends rain upon the earth, and makes things grow.

In the days of Noah, God sent rain upon the earth, so much rain that it flooded the entire world, and everything was wiped away. Noah and his family may have wondered what they were going to eat after this devastating flood. But God spoke to that need. First, he spoke to a spiritual need and promised never again would he curse the ground and flood it. One day, he would provide a Savior from sin, and as Noah and his family waited for the Savior, God would provide every other need as well.

Here we are many thousands of years later, and God’s providence for body and soul hasn’t ceased. He kept his promise not to flood the world again. He sent his Son, Jesus, to save the world and give eternal life.

How did Noah respond to God’s promise? He praised the Lord. How can we respond? God’s providence for body and soul produces in a believer a life of praise. For the food that sustains our bodies, and even more for the Savior that fulfills all God’s promises and grants eternal life, we forever praise God whose love never ceases!

Prayer:

Lord, I praise you for showering me with every blessing for my body and 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.

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Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-4

Take Comfort in God’s Love

In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle is responding to troubles among the Christians there. The trouble they faced came in at least three ways: They were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus. At the very beginning of his letter, Paul addresses this problem and offers encouragement to those persecuted Christians. Then there was the growing problem of the Man of Lawlessness, whom the apostle John calls the antichrist. Paul lays out several ways to identify him and tells the Thessalonians about the troubles he will bring. Finally, Paul turns to a problem inside the congregation—people who had stopped working to idly wait for the Lord’s return. He instructs them to live productive lives until Jesus’ coming on the Last Day.

Through the power of the gospel, God keeps us in the faith and helps us grow in our love for him. He leads us to a deeper understanding of his will and moves us to live according to his Word. Our love for one another grows as we follow Jesus. Amidst the troubles and opposition that we endure, we have peace with God, for we are forgiven sinners. No matter how challenging things get, nothing can separate us from the love and life we have with God through our Savior, Jesus.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, whatever situations I face or troubles I contend with, keep me focused on your love in Jesus and fill me with your peace. 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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We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Strength for Your Struggle

Sometimes a simple compliment can make your entire day. You might even remember a special compliment years later. Words of affirmation and compliments remind us that we’re on the right track. They build confidence and diligence.

Paul gave the believers in Thessalonica one of the most beautiful compliments of all: “Your faith is growing. Your love for one another is increasing.” In fact, Paul was so impressed that he bragged about them in other churches!

But how did Paul know their faith and love were increasing? Not because their lives were getting easier. Quite the opposite. Evidence was found in how they endured suffering. They were insulted, opposed, and persecuted for following Jesus. And yet their faith did not wither; it deepened. Their love for one another did not shrink. Instead, it grew stronger.

That’s not usually how we look for affirmation. We often expect God to show us we’re on the right path by removing obstacles, by giving us smoother roads and brighter days. But Paul points us in a different direction. God affirms and strengthens our faith not by taking trials away, but by using them to root us deeper in his promises.

When life is hard, it doesn’t mean God has abandoned you. It may be the very way he is growing you. Just as muscles are strengthened through weight training, faith is strengthened during trials. And as we lean on God’s promises together, love for one another increases, too. So, take heart: trials don’t mean your faith is failing; they may be the way that God is growing your faith in him.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, when trials come, help me not to doubt your love but to lean on your promises. Use hardships to deepen my trust in you and to grow my love for others. Strengthen me to endure with perseverance and hope. Amen

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