WELS Daily Devotions

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For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:15-17

Living by the Spirit

There...

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When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
John 11:43-44

By the Power of His Word

Does your word carry weight? Sure, there are times when I tell people to do things, and they do them. I can tell my kids to clean their rooms or do the dishes, and they will. I can tell...

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Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. . . So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, c...

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Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
John 11:25-27

Life After Death

Benjamin Franklin has been credited with saying that there are two things certain in life: death and taxes. <...

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Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
John 11:23-24

Words That Truly Comfort

Many people feel uncomfortable at funerals. I remember hearing a comedian quip that he read a poll which said that the number one fear of Americans is public speaking, and the number two fear is death. He laughed, ‘So that means people would rather be in the casket than give the eulogy...

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On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
John 11:17-21

Where Were You, God?

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“Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’” “Everything is all right,” she said.
2 Kings 4:26

Everything Is All Right

How could this woman possibly say that everything was all right? The son she thought she would never have, had died while sitting in her lap. And now she was saying everything was all right? She said this because in her heart, her son was not dead until the prophet...

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As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. …” Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the...

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Jesus heard that they had thrown [the formerly blind man] out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
John 9:35-38

Giving Sight to the Blind

Imagine what it would be like: being blind...

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Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about [Jesus]? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” . . . To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
John 9:17,34

Telling It Like It Is

The Pharisees were not wrong when they said to the blind man we meet in John chapter nine that he was “steeped in sin at birth.” They w...

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They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they...

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After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
John 9:6-7

Even Jesus Uses Tools

My wife will tell you. I’m not handy. Putting a tool in my hands can be a dangerous prospect, because I’m more likely to make the problem worse, not...

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As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
John 9:1-3

The Way God Operates

One of the greatest difficulties we have in understanding our Creator God is that we assume he operates the way we do. We are tempted...

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You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
Ephesians 5:8-11

Light in the Lord

If you get up early to go outside and wait for the sunrise, you know what it’s like to sit in darkness. Un...

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You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8

Live Today in Confidence

This isn’t an easy part of the Bible to read. It says some very uncomfortable things about us...

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They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people . . . I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.”
Exodus 17:3,5-6

Water from a Rock

If you grew up in a home like mine and you complained about your food, you hear...

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Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Psalm 95:6-7

Under His Care

Imagine a shepherd who takes care of sheep. However, he is only concerned about making sure that they have food to eat. As long as the grass is growing in the field, nothing else matters. Or he only thinks about providing shelter...

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We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5

Filled with His Love

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” “No pain, no gain.” People say such things to encourage someone not to give up in difficult circumstances. It could be an...

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Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
John 4:17-18

Dehydration

Jesus met a woman at a well outside of her village one day. They started talking, and before long, her whole life was out in the open. He knew all about her. She couldn’t pretend to be som...

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Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
John 4:10

If You Knew

Knowledge is power. When you know a problem, you can address it. When you have the background of a situation, you are better equipped to assess it and react appropriately. Proper education and training are essential for achieving objectives and goals within a give...

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God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

True, Lasting Peace

Amidst the struggles and hassles of our lives, there is a longing for true, lasting peace. If only there could be the peace that existed in the Garden of Eden. Our first parents lived in perfect harmony with God. They were his friends. And out of that peaceful relationship flowed a warm relationship with one another. The tragedy...

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The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”
Genesis 12:1-2

Making a Name for Yourself

More than one has dreamed of it. Some have been lured by its promise. Others have cursed its lack of fulfillment. We call it many dif...

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[Abraham] is the father of us all.
Romans 4:16

Abraham’s Faith

One of the giants of the early Christian church was John Chrysostom. He served as a pastor about 300 years after Jesus rose from the dead. Trained in classical rhetoric, John easily could have made a comfortable life for himself in various professions. Instead, he devoted his considerable gifts to the proclamation of Jesus Christ.

Like many a Christian before him and after him, John Chrysostom read from th...

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What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Romans 4:3

The Same

It’s about thirty years after Jesus has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven. His followers have eagerly shared the Good News of what Jesus has done. As a result, many have come to faith in Jesus as their Savior from sin. New congregations are forming. There is even a gathering of Christians in the capital city of the Roman Empire...

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[Abram] … pitched his tent there, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
Genesis 12:8

Proclamation

“I can worship God at home. I can read the Bible at home. I can pray at home. And so, I really don’t get what the difference is between my worship at home and my worship at church. Isn’t it all the same thing?”

Yes. And n...

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The LORD had said to Abram, “…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:1,3

A Promise

Let’s imagine the life of Abram—this famous figure from the Bible. In our imagination, it’s easy to presume God is coming down every other day to perform a dramatic miracle. It’s easy to picture Abram living a life bursting with high drama, a John Williams soundtrack swelling in the background. And because you and I already know how everything...

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The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”
Genesis 12:1

Leaving

Leaving is hard. You empty out your home until it’s nothing but vacant rooms. Once you’re on the road, the rhythms and routines of your old life cease to exist. And when you reach your destination, you know that, for a while, you and your family are going to be the new people...

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[Jesus said] “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
John 3:14

A Sure Cure

Bronze has been known to cure snake bites. At least it did in 1500 B.C.

God’s people figured their God was taking longer than he should to get them from Egypt to the Promised Land. So, they complained about his leadership, just like t...

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Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:1

In Harm’s Way

There are people who are willing to put themselves in harm’s way. These people recognize the serious nature of their commitment and understand the potential consequences. They are ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and security of others.

There is a special debt of gratitude these people deserve—military personnel, firefighters, members of law en...

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“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Genesis 3:15

Who Will Win?

Right in the middle of the wreckage, God speaks a promise. Adam and Eve have disobeyed. Trust is broken. Shame has entered the world. Everything good now feels fragile. And before the humans say a word—before they apologize, explain, or promise to do better—God talks to the serpent, “He will cr...

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Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Genesis 3:13

What Is This You Have Done?

This question forces us to slow down and face reality. Sin isn’t just a mistake. It has consequences. It breaks trust. It damages relationships. It ripples outward in ways we don’t expect.

Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. We’re not very different. We blame circumst...

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“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
Genesis 3:11

Who Told You That?

Before sin, Adam and Eve had nothing to hide. After sin, they were suddenly aware of their flaws. Shame entered the picture, and with it came a new voice telling them, you are not enough.

God’s question exposes something important: shame doesn’t come from God. God didn’t tell them they were...

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Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:8-9

Where Are You?

God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were. He knew they were hiding. He knew why they were afraid. So why ask the question? Because this...

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Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
Genesis 3:1

Did God Really Say?

The question sounds innocent enough. Almost helpful. “Did God really say…?” It doesn’t sound like rebellion. It sounds like curiosity. Like someone double-checking the fine print. That’s how temptation often works. Rather than kicking the door down. It knocks politely...