WELS - Daily Devotions

Life Is More than Stuff – August 4, 2025

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20250804dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion 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.

A Mind Set on Things Above – August 3, 2025

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20250803dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 A Mind Set on Things Above Sin and forgiveness aren’t the only things hidden from our eyes. In today’s Bible reading, the apostle Paul states that a believer’s whole life is now hidden with Christ in God. Paul is saying to believers, “Everything you do looks holy to God. Everything that ever happens to you is to your benefit. God has blessed you with an entire life of uninterrupted spiritual success.” Paul is also saying, “This life is hidden.” It sure is. When we reflect on our efforts to live the way God wants us to, we see consistent failure. When a pile of trouble hits us, it can feel very much like we’re being punished. Believers who see and feel such things may even begin to wonder, “Am I really a believer?” In today’s reading, Paul pries our eyes away from what we can see and feel, away from earthly things, and speaks God’s Word to us: “You died…” he says. “You have been raised with Christ.” God works faith in people’s hearts and connects them to Jesus, who by his death and resurrection has taken away their sins. Their old way of life has died. So, Paul says, “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Looks can be deceiving, and feelings can’t always be trusted. God has given us something better; something that will never change because it comes from him. When believers struggle with guilt and pain, God invites us to look past what we can see and feel and simply trust what he has promised. Prayer: Dear Jesus, set my mind on things above. 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.

Great Love – August 2, 2025

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20250802dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 Great Love Jesus’ love for us was so great that he came to earth, leaving his glorious heavenly home to live humbly among us. He came to take our place. He took upon himself the frightful burden of our sin and allowed it to crush him by a cruel death on the cross. Victoriously, he rose from the dead, proving he is the world’s Savior. He did all this for us so we might live forever with God. Though our Savior has ascended into heaven, he has not left us. He promises that he will always be with us. His abiding presence is a great comfort. He knows the problems and hardships we face. He knows the difficulties we have as we strive to do his work on earth. That is why he assures us that he will never leave us alone. Jesus is the all-powerful God who is always present wherever we are, guiding and upholding us. He is with us in our homes, in hospitals, in schools, in churches, and in our workplaces. He is always present to continually strengthen, comfort, assure, and support us. Therefore, we can live confidently in the peace of the forgiveness of sins that we have through him, and we can work diligently to do his work of making disciples for him by sharing the gospel. Jesus is with you; have no doubt about it. You can face today and the rest of all your days with the certainty that your Savior loves you and is leading you step by step closer to the last day when he will take you to be with him in heaven! Prayer: Lord God, I place myself into your care, confident in your promise to always be with me. Lead me through life, guarding me against all danger of soul and body, and sustaining my saving faith in Jesus. 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.

Witnessing About Our Savior’s Love – August 1, 2025

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20250801dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. 1 Timothy 2:6,7 Witnessing About Our Savior’s Love Who’ll Be a Witness for My Lord?” That’s the title of an old spiritual song that asks the same question the Lord himself once asked in Isaiah chapter 6. It’s there that the prophet tells us, “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8). After his resurrection from the dead, Jesus didn’t ask for witnesses. He simply pointed out to those who could verify his escape from the grave after a three-day stay, “You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:48). And when it comes to our Savior’s patience and unconditional love for all people, St. Paul could be the best of witnesses because, at one point in his life, he had been most unlovable. In a letter to his fellow pastor Timothy, Paul admitted, “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy . . . Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:13,15,16). To any person struggling with sin and guilt—to any person questioning whether Jesus could ever love a person like them—Paul could provide a completely satisfying answer. If Jesus could show him mercy and love, then you need not wonder if he can love and forgive you. He can, and he does! And that’s why Paul “was appointed a herald and an apostle…and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.” He was a witness to the immense patience and love that our Savior has for all people, including you. And now that you’ve been told that truth, guess what? You’ve become a witness! Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to be a witness of your faithful love to all people. 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.

Like Father, Like Son – July 31, 2025

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20250731dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. 1 Timothy 2:5,6 Like Father, Like Son In the apostle Paul’s first letter to young Pastor Timothy, he emphasizes the profound love and concern that our heavenly Father has for all people at all times. He urges his readers to have the same mindset. Christians are called to pray for all people because we are to love all people and be concerned for their every need. But as much as we may try to model our thoughts and actions after our heavenly Father’s, we’re bound to fail because we’re bound by our selfishness and sin. We’re not alone. Paul openly confessed his personal struggle with living up to the perfect standard he was inspired to present to his readers. “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do,” he once lamented. “I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” Finally, he cried out in anguish, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” How thankful Paul was to know the answer to that critical question! “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Ro 7:25). But Jesus wasn’t just the answer for Paul. He’s the answer—the only answer—for you, for me, and for all people. And the reason for that is simple, because as Paul points out, “there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” We need someone to stand between us and our heavenly Father to fix the problem of our sin and selfishness. We need someone who loves us so much and is so concerned for every need that he’s willing to sacrifice everything—even his very life—for us. And that’s what we have in Jesus, “who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” Should we be surprised? Not at all. Like Father, like Son! Jesus’ love for us and all people perfectly reflects the love our heavenly Father has for the world. And it’s meant to inspire our love for all people. Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me love others as you love 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.