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When [Jesus] noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.”
Luke 14:7-9

Know Your Place at the Table

Imagine that you are at a wedding reception. It’s time for the dinner to be served, and one of the guests sits down at the head table right next to the groom. That would be an embarrassing moment because everybody knows that spot is reserved for the “Best Man.” It would be arrogant of that guest to think he deserves to sit next to the groom more than the other guests.

This is the arrogant attitude Jesus noticed among the people who had been invited to a banquet. And this is the attitude that lurks under the surface of our own hearts, too. We want to be more important and more honored than those around us.

But what an insult to God, the Lord of all, when we act like we’re lords over the people God created. What are we but dust and ashes without God? And yet sinful pride believes that God ought to feel lucky to have us at his banquet.

How can we stamp ugly pride out of our lives? Going along with Jesus’ example of a banquet, the answer could be worded this way: Know your place at the table! You are not the king of the castle. You are the King’s guest.

Humility comes from recognizing that everything we are is a gift from God. If we have a place at God’s table, it’s only ours by grace.

You do have a place at God’s table! Jesus, the Groom, has personally invited you to sit next to him in a seat of honor! The Bible says, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of [Christ] the Lamb!” (Revelation 19:9).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for raising me up to enjoy a seat at your heavenly table. 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] noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.”
Luke 14:7,8

A Different Perspective

What would Jesus do? The dinner guests carefully watched his every move. But they were not the only ones doing the watching. Jesus also observed their actions. What he saw offered him an opportunity to teach a different perspective.

The guests were literally falling over themselves to have the best seat at the dinner. Pride was their motivation, as was the desire to be recognized as being just a little better than everyone else. Jesus offered a different perspective, and it is one to which we need to pay attention.

Being humble, truly humble, is difficult. As someone who craves attention, being overlooked is hard to accept. Still, Jesus’ lesson strikes home. Pride and self-promotion cannot stand up in front of God, who is judge over all. You may try to offer all the good you have done and may claim to be better than other people. You may even demand that God has to accept you for who you are. Unfortunately, God looks at this from a different perspective. He says, “Be perfect” (Matthew 5:48). He adds, “All have sinned and fall short of his glory” (Romans 3:23).

In humility, we realize we cannot stand before God nor take pride in anything we have done. This is why Jesus’ perspective is so important. He teaches us to look past our works and look to him. He provides us with the perfection we cannot attain. He offers the forgiveness needed. He gives the ability to stand before his Father and judge as completely acceptable.

Yes, it is a different perspective, yet it is one through which we receive life and lasting glory in heaven.

Prayer:

Dearest Jesus, you alone are my pride and glory. Give me the faith I need to depend on your work for my rescue, my ability to stand before your Father, and my certainty of heaven. Amen!

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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 ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you…’”
Luke 13:26,27

Familiarity

The scene is this: The Good News of what Jesus has done has gone out into the world. The Lord, through his people, has patiently proclaimed his message of full forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Christ alone. He proclaimed his message with persistence. He has proclaimed the message to all. But now the time is up. The end of the world has arrived. Every last moment for repentance is gone. The door to heaven is closed.

Outside the door, however, are people who have convinced themselves that there must be some misunderstanding. Why is the door closed? Why can’t they get in?

With the strength of desperation, they knock on the door; pound on it. As they do, they call out. They plead, “Sir, open the door for us.” But the reply comes back that simply says, “I don’t know you or where you come from.”

He doesn’t know them. Impossible, they think. After all, they’re familiar with him. They’ve heard about Jesus all their lives. They’ve bumped into Jesus and his words lots of times. He was part of their background, part of their culture. And so, they lawyer up and make their case that they are familiar with him. “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets,” they say. But once again comes back the chilling, now final, reply: “I don’t know you.”

Their fatal mistake is now clear. Throughout their lives, they’ve presumed that familiarity with Jesus was the same as trust in Jesus. They presumed wrong.

Satan wants me to make the same mistake. He tempts me to presume that familiarity with Jesus, warm nostalgia for church and church culture—that it’s all good enough. But if I presume this, I will one day find myself standing outside of a closed door.

But Jesus knows the devil’s schemes too. That’s why our Savior is pursuing you and me right now, strengthening our bond with him through his Word and sacrament. All this so that it’s not familiarity, but trust: Trust in Jesus alone as our Savior from sin.

Prayer:

Lord, I am not just familiar with you. I trust you. Increase my faith. Amen.

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You have come to God, the Judge of all.
Hebrews 12:23

Judge of All

Throughout his life, it was easy for Francis Newport to put off the existence of God and the reality of God’s judgment. After all, he enjoyed wealth, he enjoyed creature comforts, he enjoyed success, he enjoyed political power and influence, he enjoyed prominence in his community. God? Some final judgment? Such things just seemed too fantastic, too far beyond his grasp or concern.

The day finally arrived, however, when it was clear that Newport’s life was coming to an end. As it did, God as Judge no longer seemed fantastic. It is said that, in his closing hours, this avowed atheist spoke the following words in fear: “You need not tell me there is no God. For I know there is one, and that I am in his presence.”

In my 21st-century lifestyle, I can surround myself with conveniences, I can make my life comfortable, I can fill my time with hobbies and YouTube and weekend plans and scrolling on my phone. As I do, it is very easy for my old, sinful nature to concoct an artificial world—a world that does not include the reality of God, the reality of God as the judge of all.

Such an artificial world, however, is fragile. And temporary. For when my years of pretending are done, when my years of denial, dismissiveness, unseriousness are all gone—there I will stand. And there God will be. God. The Judge of All. My judge too.

And that is why the Lord, in his Word, calls out to me. To you. To all of us. When he calls, there is urgency in his voice. “Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.” “Listen, listen to me…hear me, so that your soul may live.” “Now is the time of God’s favor. Now is the day of salvation.”

It’s the reason God sent his Son. It’s the reason Jesus lived a perfect life as our substitute. It’s the reason Jesus suffered and died for our sins in our place. It’s the reason he lives. All so that, through faith in him, our day of judgment will be our first day of eternal life.

Prayer:

Lord, my last day is coming. Move me to find refuge in you alone. Amen.

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“Those who consecrate and purify themselves . . . they will meet their end together,” declares the LORD.
Isaiah 66:17

Sincerely Wrong

In December of 1903, Samuel Langley knew he was about to make history. He knew he was about to demonstrate the world’s first flying machine. For the past five years, he had overseen a dedicated team of experts and technicians. They had sought out the best materials. They had developed a powerful engine. They had perfected a proper launching system. Such efforts had not been cheap. Langley had spent $70,000 at a time when the average income in America was $300 per year.

Finally, everything was ready. The big moment was near Washington, DC. The press stood nearby. The pilot climbed aboard. The engine roared to life. The launching system launched. And Samuel Langley’s flying machine immediately sank to the bottom of the Potomac River.

His confidence in his flying machine and trust in his team had been sincere. His certainty that his invention would be the world’s first flying machine had been sincere. In the end, however, Samuel Langley was sincerely wrong.

In Isaiah chapter 66, the Lord spoke of individuals who sincerely believed they could purify themselves before God. They were certain the answer lay within them. They were confident that if they developed their own way to God and were sincere in what they were doing, they would have God’s favor in their back pocket. But in all this, they were sincerely wrong.

When it comes to my relationship with God, I can be sincere about all kinds of things. I can be sincere in presuming that God will accept me if I try my best, and that God will accept me because I think I’ve done more good than bad. I can sincerely presume that God will accept me because I think I’m a pretty decent person. And I would be sincerely wrong.

It’s not about the sincerity of my faith. It’s about the object of my faith. Jesus alone lived a perfect life in my place. Jesus alone suffered and died on my behalf. In Jesus alone, you and I can sincerely rest.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I look to you for rescue. Not to myself. Not to others. To you alone. Amen.

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3

Run the Race

A very important matter for marathon runners is wearing the right gear. Wise runners make sure that no part of their gear will impede progress. Clothes are made to glide smoothly as they run, and shoes are double knotted to ensure that the runners won’t stumble along the way.

As we run through life, there are plenty of things that entangle us—our sinful desire for independence, insistence on having things done our way, selfish pride, and incessant gathering of earthly possessions. Our sinful nature, the pressures of an increasingly godless world, the crafty evil one—they all lead us astray. They entangle us and trip us up on our race. And for not running our race the way that God demands, we deserve to be disqualified from the race of life and to suffer eternal punishment in hell.

But we have one who has run the race in our place. Jesus ran the race of life perfectly. The times that sin entangles and trips us up, Jesus picks us up and sets us back on our feet.

As we run the race that our Savior maps out for us, we fix our eyes on him. He motivates us to run the race, and he runs alongside us as well. He enables us to throw off those entangling sins and to run the race marked out. We will run in his strength and path, as long as he wants us to run, until our race is done, and we inherit eternal rest at our Savior’s side in glory.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, be with me as I run through this life. Keep me on your path and forgive me for the times I run down the wrong paths. Continue to guide and sustain me and give me the endurance I need to run for you and serve you with my life. Amen

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? . . . [Our human fathers] disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.
Hebrews 12:7,10

Trained by Love

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but life is hard. You get sick. You take a financial hit. You lose someone you love. Any number of awful things can happen at any given moment. When hardship strikes, it’s natural to ask, “Why would a loving God let this happen to me?” Hebrews 12 gives a clear answer: because he does love you.

God doesn’t want you to see hardship as punishment for sin. That punishment has already been poured out on Jesus. The hardships you face are not wrath—they’re his love in action. It’s not payback. It’s training.

Just as earthly fathers discipline their children, so does our heavenly Father. But his discipline goes deeper. Earthly discipline shapes behavior. God’s discipline shapes hearts. His goal isn’t to harm but to grow your faith, refocus your priorities, and lead you to share in his holiness.

That training might stretch you in ways you never expected. To teach trust, God might allow illness to linger. To wean your heart from worldly wealth, he might loosen your grip on financial security. To build patience, he may delay answers to your prayer. Each hardship is a reminder: You belong to God. If he didn’t discipline you, you wouldn’t be his child.

Still, discipline hurts. But it’s the pain that builds spiritual strength—like an athlete straining in training for the joy of victory.

Through hardship, God is shaping you for the final goal: the peace, righteousness, and glory of eternal life. He sent his Son for that very purpose. Jesus suffered and triumphed for you. So fix your eyes on him. Don’t view hardship as punishment but as the loving discipline of your Father—who trains you for life with him.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help me trust that you are training me for my good and give me strength to endure hardship. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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[Jesus said] “From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Luke 12:52,53

Jesus is Worth the Loss

“Religion just causes division.” You’ve probably heard someone say that—maybe even experienced it for yourself. Faith in Christ is supposed to bring peace, isn’t it? So why does it sometimes divide families, sever friendships, and stir up such intense resistance?

Jesus doesn’t avoid that tension; he embraces it. He says plainly: “From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other.” This is not just any division—the kind that cuts straight through families: father against son, mother against daughter. The gospel can bring peace, but it can also tear people apart.

This is painful to hear and even more painful to experience. Jesus is telling you that following him will sometimes cost you the relationships that are closest to your heart. Not because you want division but because the gospel demands a response. Some will cling to Christ in faith. Others will reject him. And the closer they are to you, the more deeply it hurts.

But Jesus speaks these hard truths not to push you away—but to pull you closer. Because he knows something even deeper than your earthly bonds: his love for you is stronger than family ties. Strong enough to endure the agony of being forsaken by his own Father on the cross. Jesus allowed that perfect relationship to be broken so yours with God would be restored.

Yes, the gospel causes division. But it also gives you real peace with your Father in heaven. And if you must lose something to hold on to Jesus, even something as dear as a family relationship, know that what you gain in him is infinitely more: forgiveness, life, and a place in God’s family.

Prayer:

Son of God, give me faith that holds fast to you, no matter the loss. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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“Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”
Jeremiah 23:29

God’s Word is Like a Hammer

It would be interesting to read through the Bible, imagining the sounds of hammers in the lives of people as God fulfilled his plan of salvation. For 120 years, the hammers of Noah’s family echoed through the valleys as the huge ark took shape. Moses’ hammer beat a sheet of bronze in the form of a snake, which saved the people when they looked to it and believed God’s promise. The most famous hammer sounds of history, though, took place on a hill outside of Jerusalem when a Roman soldier drove spikes into the hands and feet of Jesus. Little did that unidentified soldier know that he was dealing a death blow to Satan as he nailed Jesus to the cross. The blows of that hammer were the culmination of God’s plan to crush the devil’s power and free people from his dominion.

The crushing blow which Jesus gave to Satan by his death and resurrection resounds in the message of the gospel. This is the power of God for salvation. God’s Word is like a hammer. The Word of God recorded in the Bible has the power to lead people to saving faith in Jesus. Martin Luther wrote, “Although the Word is unimposing and seems to be nothing while it proceeds from the mouth, yet there is such boundless power in it that it makes all who cleave to it children of God.”

This is the confidence that we have in the Word: it does the work of bringing people to faith in Jesus and gives them eternal life. It can do these wonderful things because it is the inspired, errorless Word of God. When we tell people the Word of God, we don’t have to say, “I think” or “It could be.” We can assure people with the truth—God’s truth.

God wants us to get the Word out, and he will use it to produce results according to his will. God’s Word is the hammer that breaks apart the rock of unbelief and fills people with the confidence of eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Prayer:

Dear God, use your Word of Truth to give me assurance of my salvation through Jesus, and use me to speak your powerful Word to others. Amen.

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Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:4-6

When God’s Promises Feel Impossible

The Lord made great promises to Abram. He promised to give him the land of Canaan, that Abram’s name would be great, and that all people who blessed him would also be blessed. Abram was starting to see those promises come true, but there were other promises from God that Abram was having a hard time seeing.

God promised that all nations would be blessed through his offspring and that his descendants would be numerous. There was just one problem, Abram didn’t have any offspring yet. According to the custom of the time, Abram’s descendent would be his personal attendant.

But God assured Abram that he didn’t need to take matters into his own hands. God was in control, and God would give Abram a son from his own flesh and blood even though Abram and his wife were past the age of having children. That would be further proof that this was an act of God, not of man and that the Lord provides.

God’s promises are not always immediately visible, but they are always trustworthy. God promises peace, but you feel anxiety. God promises to take care of you, but you face financial crisis. God promises forgiveness, but you’re weighed down by guilt. God calls us to trust him, not our outward circumstances or feelings. Those things change, but God is constant. Even if it seems like God is slow in keeping a promise like to Abram to provide a son, God is faithful.

When we believe and trust God’s promises, God does the same thing for us that he did for Abram. He credits that trust as righteousness. God does that not because of how strong our faith is but because his promise is sure.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to trust your promises, even when I can’t see how they’ll come true. Strengthen my faith like Abram’s and remind me that your Word never fails. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:13-16

No Turning Back

In 1519, the explorer Hernán Cortés arrived off the shore of modern-day Mexico. One of the first things he did was scuttle his ships. The message was clear. There was no going back. It ensured total commitment. The only path was forward.

That type of commitment is described in these verses. The people of faith lived as strangers and exiles on earth. They refused to settle or go back, trusting that God had something better. They looked forward to a promised city, a heavenly home. Letting go of earthly attachments, their hearts were anchored in the world to come.

What things do you need to scuttle in this world? It’s tempting to hold onto the idols of comfort, security, and pride. It’s easy to become attached to the pleasures and joys of this world. It’s hard to let go of sins that have become habits. You see these things right in front of you. You’re confronted with them every day, but the promises of God seem so far off.

But God promises a better country. The joys of God’s country far outweigh even the best this world has to offer. God calls you to trust something better: a perfect home, a forever kingdom, a place where sin, pain, and death are no more.

So don’t look back and don’t settle in. Trust in God’s promises and scuttle whatever it is that makes you attached to this world. The cross of Jesus has secured your citizenship in God’s heavenly kingdom. You can live with your eyes fixed on what’s ahead.

Prayer:

Lord, fix my eyes on the better country you’ve prepared. Help me let go of what holds me back and live each day by faith in your promises. Thank you for calling me your own. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”
Luke 12:22-26

Do Not Worry

Love has a way of reordering how you think about things. Consider a recently married couple. Out of love, they think about each other’s wants and desires ahead of their own. Or how about welcoming a new child? The spare room is transformed into a carefully crafted nursery with a crib, diaper changing station, rocker, mobile, and video baby monitor. It is all designed out of love.

Jesus invites you to consider your place in God’s kingdom. Just as you would care for a spouse, an aging parent, a child, or a dear friend, God cares for you.

God created this world with you in mind. You don’t have to worry or be anxious. God knows your needs and will supply them. Jesus uses the example of a raven. They don’t have a storeroom for their food, and yet God feeds them. God oversees everything. He overlooks nothing.

God doesn’t just look after your physical needs but also your spiritual needs. He didn’t spare his only Son but gave Jesus for you. If God’s great love for you motivated him to send Jesus to rescue you from your sins, you can trust that God will take care of all your needs.

When worry starts to rise about money, health, the future, or the unknown, remember who is holding your life. If God feeds the ravens, how much more will he care for you, his beloved child? He has already provided for your greatest need in Jesus. You are not forgotten. Live each day with peace, knowing your Father in heaven sees you, knows you, and will provide.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to trust you, especially when worries weigh on my heart. Thank you for loving me enough to send Jesus. Teach me to rest in your peace. Amen.

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[Jesus said] “Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”
Luke 12:29-31

Setting Priorities

Faith, family, and football. God, country, and fishing. Sports, traveling, and work. Partying, sleeping, and eating. What are your priorities? There are so many things in life that demand our time and attention, and it is a challenge to prioritize them. The things in our lives seem to compete. More time at work means less time with the kids. More time with hobbies means less time with our spouses. More time with family means less time spent somewhere else.

Priorities are hard. We mix them up all the time. It is a difficult balancing act as we try to spend time between work and family and God. Then, of course, we all have hobbies, vacations, and kids’ schedules and before we know it, we don’t have sufficient time for the important things in life. Selfishly, we tend to prioritize the things that matter most to us, often at the expense of other people in our lives.

Jesus challenges us to reorder our priorities. He says to put God first. Everything else comes second. He knows what he’s talking about. Throughout his time on earth, Jesus had but one priority, and that was to keep God first in his life. In so doing, Jesus perfectly carried out God’s plan of saving you and me from eternal death. Rather than put himself first, Jesus kept God as his number one priority. As a result, you and I are forgiven and saved, and Jesus was raised back to his rightful place in heaven.

The God who did all this for us now wants us to keep him as our first priority. He commands this for our own good. He knows that our lives will be blessed when we keep him first, and he wants nothing more than for us to join him in heaven someday.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for keeping your priorities straight in saving me from sin and death. Help me now to order my life around you and to keep God first in my life. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!”
Luke 12:24

You Are Valuable!

What do you know about Ravens? They are one of the most common birds in existence. There are an estimated sixteen million Ravens in the world, and they can be found almost everywhere. Ravens are not the most beautiful birds to look at. They are smart and dangerous predators and cause problems for humans and other birds alike. There are some who may not miss the Ravens if they were gone. Our world attaches very little value to such birds.

God wants us to know that we have much more value than Ravens. That may seem easy to say but difficult to believe. At this moment, you may not feel so valuable. You may feel like your contributions at work or home are not as valuable as others. You may feel like others don’t see any value in you. In fact, you may feel quite worthless at times. How can God say that we are much more valuable than even a common bird?

He can say that because he has attached tremendous value to you. If we all had price tags attached to us, the amount would be listed as: “priceless.” We have such value because God was willing to send his Son to die for us. Jesus came down to earth to suffer and be crucified. He came to take the punishment we deserved and to remove it from us by dying in our place. In doing this, he has saved us and made us God’s dear children through faith in him.

God says that since you have such value, you need not worry because he will take care of you. If a Raven feels no need to worry about his needs, so much less for you and me. God gave up the thing that he valued most to save us from an eternity of punishment. Now having saved us, he will most certainly continue to watch over us and care for us.

Prayer:

Dear Father in heaven, your love for me in Jesus attaches great value to me. Help me to trust you to provide for me as your dear child. 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 [Jesus] said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
Luke 12:15

Life Is More than Stuff

It is reported that the storage industry in America tallied just over $59 billion in revenue in 2024. Our country currently has over 52,000 self-storage facilities. Of all the storage units in the world, a staggering 90 percent are in the United States. These statistics seem to say several things about Americans: One, we are blessed! God has given many of us more than we need. It is important that we do not forget the one who gave us such a surplus of material possessions. Two, we like stuff. It seems we cannot get enough of the things of this world. Three, we have a problem letting go. We hang on tightly to our possessions.

What effect does this “abundance of possessions” have on us? While it is not inherently wrong to have so many things, today’s Bible verse reminds us that life is not about how much stuff we can pile up. In fact, having so much time, effort, and money invested in our possessions can be a dangerous thing. These statistics demonstrate that our culture is focused on answering the wrong question. Rather than thinking about how much we can get in this life, we ought to be pondering a much more serious question. That is, “What will happen to me when I leave this world?” There will come a day for each of us when it is time for us to face the almighty God. No amount of possessions will save us then.

Life is not about possessions. Rather, life is about knowing and believing in Jesus. His life was not about the things of this world. The only things he had was what he could carry on his back. He was not here to accumulate stuff but to live and die as Savior of the world. His sacrifice in life and death has set us free from sin and death and given us the gift of heaven—a gift far better than any stuff this world can offer. It is also a gift that will last forever.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, you are my greatest possession. Help me to keep you at the center of my 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.