WELS Daily Devotions

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After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
John 17:1-3

Eternal Glory

We can be pretty good at glorifying. To glorify something or some...

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If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
1 Peter 4:14

Insult

It hurts to be insulted. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about the collective teasing and ribbing that take place among people who generally get along with each other. I’m talking about that moment when someone crosses the line, takes part of what you are, and holds it up for contem...

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He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.
Psalm 23:2

Our Good Shepherd

Sheep can be easily spooked. A sudden noise can send them into a frenzy. These gentle creatures are not built to handle a lot of stress because they do not have a strong defense mechanism. Sheep are vulnerable and depend on their shepherd for protection.

Like sheep, you and I don’t always feel like we’re built to handle some...

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“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
Acts 17:31

The Past Is Paid For

It seems like an all-too-common occurrence when someone in the public eye comes under fire for past indiscretions. Whether it is athletes, politicians, or entertainers, we have seen examples of someone falling from grace. Once past sins are brought into the...

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From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
Acts 17:26

God Gives You Purpose

Do you ever feel lost? Like you don’t have a purpose in life? Maybe at times you have found yourself wondering: ‘How did I get here?’ or ‘Where am I going?’ So many in this world, maybe us included, are adrift in this world and on a s...

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For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
1 Peter 3:18

You Can’t Keep Him Down

“I can do this all day.” Marvel fans will recognize that as one of Captain America’s common statements. It was something he usually said when he was involved in a difficult fight against an enemy. Cap is known for his determination and pers...

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After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits.
1 Peter 3:19

He is the Champ

Winning is fun. And there are many different ways that winners express their joy. Olympic champions cry tears of joy as they stand at the top of the podium while their country’s anthem is played. Baseball players stomp on home plate and are mobbed by their teammates when they score the winning run. NASCAR drivers hang a checkered flag out of th...

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[Jesus said] “Because I live, you also will live.”
John 14:19

The Gift of Life

The human body fights to survive. It has been given the precious gift of life, and it does not easily let go of that gift. And so, it fights infection. It develops immunities. It heals when bruised, cut, or broken. In dire situations, it will divert energy and nutrients to the more integral parts of the body. The human body is a remarkable creation of God. Add...

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Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
1 Peter 3:15

Hope’s Testimony

Remember cramming (studying) for an exam? Trying to somehow embed your resistant memory with all those details written in the textbook or recorded in your class notes? You knew that if you didn’t have a grasp on most of the material, you’d bring home the news o...

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[Jesus said to his disciples] “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you...

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Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6

The Way Home

The apostle Thomas once asked a question that everyone wants to know the answer to: “How do we know the way?” How do we know the way to God, to heaven, to happiness?

Jesus did not hand Thomas directions. He handed him, and all of us, himself. He said, “I am the way and the tr...

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But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10

You Belong

Everyone wants to belong. We want to know that we matter, that we are wanted, and th...

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As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
1 Peter 2:4-6

The Stone That Matters Most

I...

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“Know this: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:10-12

One Name That Saves

Some people say that all spiritual paths lead to the same...

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“I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.”
Psalm 118:17-18

I Will Live

Sometimes life’s thread snaps. We trust it to hold until suddenly there is too much tension. A doctor provides a diagnosis. An early morning phone call startles you awake. A perfectly normal drive to work turns into a crash that lands you in the hospital. In an...

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Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.”
Acts 17:22-23

The True God Is Not Unknown

During the time of the apostle Paul, the people of Athens worshipped many gods. They were concerned, however, that they might not know...

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For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
I Peter 2:25

Return to the Shepherd

From time to time, the Bible calls us “sheep.” That isn”t very flattering, is it? If a wolf is bearing down, how could a single sheep protect itself? The score every time is: Wolf 1, Sheep 0. If there is a drought, where would the sheep find decent water and grass? And the very worst? If a sheep...

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Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23:6

With Jesus My Shepherd, I Am Home

By the time David was finally crowned king of Israel at the age of 30, he had spent nearly half of his life on the run from the jealous King Saul, who saw him as a rival to be eliminated. At one point, David pleaded with the king...

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You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psalm 23:5

With Jesus My Shepherd, I Am Honored

The story arc of Psalm 23 moves fast enough to make your head spin. It begins with David identifying with a lowly sheep, content to recline in the presence of the Lord, his loving Shepherd, knowing that plenty of green grass and clean water are available. Then Shepherd and sheep are up...

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Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

With Jesus My Shepherd, I Have Safety

A young couple, seemingly blessed in so many ways, learns that their daughter has been diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer, and the prognosis is not promising. How did this happen, they wonder. What is God’s plan in this?

In verse 3 of Ps...

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He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:2-3

With Jesus My Shepherd, I Have Rest

In classical Greek and Roman literature, an idyll was a short poem about shepherds. Later, the term was broadened to include poetic depictions of peaceful countryside settings in general. The “idyllic life,” so to speak, was supposed to exist somewhere between the un...

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The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Psalm 23:1

With Jesus My Shepherd, I Lack Nothing

What is missing in your life? In the context of reading this devotion and having just been reminded of the opening verse of Psalm 23, you might quickly confess with David, “Since the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.” But as the day goes on, the week progresses, and you look at your bills, deadlines, relationships, health, and responsibilities, you might feel ther...

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[Jesus said] “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.”
John 10:9

Through Christ Alone!

“I just don’t know. I’ll have to think about it some more.” That was all John could say. He wasn’t sure if he could agree with what Paul had told him.

Paul had just told his friend about the way to heaven. He wanted to make sure John knew it was on...

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[Jesus] said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
Luke 24:25-26

It Has to Happen

Jesus spoke these words to two of his followers walking to Emmaus the day he rose from the dead. But these two didn’t understand that Jesus HAD TO be alive. Why did he have to be alive? Because that’s what God...

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Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1 Peter 1:17-19

More than Enough

Imagine someone is paying off a small de...

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When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 2:37-39

Cut and Co...

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When [Jesus] was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:30-32

Strengthened by God’s Good Gifts

The two disciples with whom Jesus spoke on Easter evening on the...

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[Jesus] said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:25-27

All Scripture Points Us to Jesus

When Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, he kept them from recognizing him. That...

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One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is mo...

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“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.. . . Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
Acts 2:32,36

Christ Lives to Reign

King Cyrus of Persia, King David of Judah, Caesar Augustus of Rome—these are three of the countless people who have ruled nations and empires over the centuries. Some kings and kingdoms lasted for generations, while others were short-lived. As different as the...

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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, th...

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Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30-31

Written For Your Faith

The apostle John closes his book with a purpose: “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by be...

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A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet h...

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Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
John 20:24–25

When Doubt Demands Proof

Thomas was not there. We are not told why. But in his absence, he missed...

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Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
John 20:21–23

Sent with the Spirit’s Power

Twice, Jesus said, “Peace be with you.” Then he added, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

The peace Jesus gives is n...

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On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
John 20:19-20

Behind Locked Doors

The doors were locked. The disciples were scared. The next knock on the door might be Roman soldiers sent...

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On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.
John 20:19-20

Then Jesus Stepped Into the Room

How secure are you? Is your job safe, or is there a lay-off coming? How about your health? Or what if you had a seri...

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Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him.”
John 20:1-2

We Know Where Our Savior Is!

Panic, confusion, and emptiness filled Mary Magdal...

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Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:17

The Lord Provides a Savior

It seemed like the end. Jonah had run from the Lord. He boarded a ship going in the opposite direction. When the storm came and the truth was revealed, he was thrown into the sea. The water closed over him. There was no escape. No strength left. No hope of...

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Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20:18

Mary Saw the Lord

Grief had brought her to the tomb. Mary Magdalene stood outside weeping. The one who had changed her life was gone. Jesus Christ, who had freed her from darkness and given her hope, had been crucified. Now, even his body seemed to be missing. It felt like one more loss...