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https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261023dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Matthew 22:19-21 Whose Image Is on You? Some questions have no safe answer. Who did you vote for? Do you like my cooking? How does this dress make me look? Jesus once got a question like that. His opponents asked whether it was right to pay taxes to the Roman emperor. Either answer could get him in trouble. So Jesus asked for a coin. “Whose image is this?” he asked. “Caesar’s,” they replied. The coin carried the emperor’s face, so it belonged to him. Give it to him. Although you are, obviously, not a coin, you are stamped with someone’s image. The Bible says that God made you. You are stamped with his image. That means you belong to him. Sin has damaged that image. None of us has lived the way God demands. So Jesus came to buy you back. He lived the perfect life you could not, then died on a cross as your ransom, the price paid to set a prisoner free. Because he rose again, you can be sure it worked. Here is one question that does have a safe answer: How do I look to God? Forgiven, loved, and his own. Knowing this, live your life for him. Worship him. Love the people he brings into your life. Serve those around you. You are his. Give yourself fully to his service. Give to God what is God’s. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for buying me back and making me your own. I belong to you. Help me live today as someone fully yours and serve the people around 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261022dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. . . “Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?” Matthew 22:15,16,18 Nobody’s Mascot The whole family is together for the holidays. The food is hot. The kids are laughing. The conversation is flowing, until Uncle Dan mentions the recent elections. Everything stops. Everyone studies their plate. Chairs scrape the floor as people shift in their seats. Grandma suddenly remembers something in the kitchen. No one says a word until someone asks brightly, “How about this weather?” Talking politics can be uncomfortable. Jesus once faced a political question intended to do more than make him uncomfortable. He was asked whether it was right to pay taxes to the Roman emperor. Would Jesus side with Rome or with his own people? Those asking the question were trying to trap him, to get him to say something that would be unpopular and bring down his ministry. Jesus did not fall for it. He knew what they were doing. People still try to pin Jesus to one political side or the other. But Jesus is nobody’s mascot. Jesus did not come to be a political leader or cheerleader. He came to save the entire human race. But when Jesus refused to pick a side, people from every side wanted him gone. Religious leaders. Political leaders. Even the disciple Judas, whom Jesus called “friend,” turned on him. Yet, Jesus went to the cross for the people who tried to trap him. Yes, he went to the cross for the people who agree with you politically and for the people who do not. His death paid for your sins and theirs. Jesus is nobody’s mascot and everybody’s Savior. So regardless of what party is in power or who wins the election, your hope remains secure with him. Your standing with God can’t be voted out. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to do more than lead a political movement. Thank you for coming to save my 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261021dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. . . . For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. Romans 13:1,4 God Is Still in Charge Government can be frustrating. Ever-changing tax forms. Long lines at government offices. And sometimes, real injustice. Someone wrongs you, and the courts say it isn’t worth their time. It’s easy to lose hope. So, what the Bible says about government might surprise you. Paul, an early follower of Jesus, wrote these words to Christians living under the Roman Empire. Its government was often harsh. Even so, Paul says that governing authorities are established by God, and that a person in authority is “God’s servant for your good” (verse 4). That doesn’t mean every government is perfect or every law is fair. It does mean God is not absent. He uses government, even flawed government, to bring order, protect people, and punish wrongdoing. Imagine life with no courts, no fire departments, no traffic laws, and no safety standards for food and medicine. Here is the clearest example that God is in charge, even when government fails. Two thousand years ago, a Roman governor named Pilate sentenced Jesus to die. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but he gave in to the crowd to protect his own position. It looked like a terrible failure of justice. Yet Jesus told Pilate that any power he had was given from above. God was still in charge. He used that unjust verdict to rescue the world. Jesus’ death paid for the sins of every person, including yours, and his resurrection opens the way to life with God forever. Whatever your government does, and whatever frustrations you carry, you have peace through Jesus. Government keeps order in this life. Only Jesus gives life forever. God has forgiven you and made you a citizen of a better country. No government can take that away. The God who brought good out of Pilate’s verdict is still at work today, and he is working for you. Prayer: Almighty God, King, and Lord of all, thank you for caring for me through governing authorities. Help me be a responsible citizen, and give me hope, trusting that you are working good even through imperfect governments. 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261020dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds…The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. Daniel 1:17,19-20 The Way God Made Me I am six feet four inches. I sometimes get asked, “Why are you so tall?” The answer is simple: “That’s just the way God made me.” Daniel could have said the same. He was a young man from Israel, taken captive to Babylon, far from home. After three years of training, the king found him and his friends ten times better than any other adviser. But what looked like a self-made success story was really God-given grace. Our world loves self-made success stories. It tells us to prove ourselves and claims we are only worth what we accomplish. But your mind, your strength, your skills, and every open door in your life are gifts from God. Effort matters, but God is still the giver. God’s greatest gift wasn’t a talent at all. It was his Son. Jesus lived and died to forgive every wrong we’ve done, including the pride and worry that come from trying to prove ourselves. Because of Jesus, God calls you his dear child, loved and forgiven. You don’t have to prove yourself to him. Wherever God has placed you, you are free to serve others with the gifts he has given you. So use them today with gladness. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if you were working for God. And when people ask you why you are the way you are, answer them: “That’s just the way God made me!” Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gifts and abilities you have given me. Teach me to serve faithfully where you have placed me without forgetting that I belong 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261019dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way… Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food.” . . . At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. Daniel 1:8,12,13,15 God Honors the Odd One Out When I was three, my family moved overseas. I realized I was in the minority. That’s an uncomfortable feeling. Have you ever been the odd one out? Daniel was too. As a young man, he was taken from his home to a distant land with a different culture. The king of that land wanted Daniel and other young Israelite nobles to serve in his palace. So, they were trained in Babylon’s language and literature and commanded to eat from the royal menu. To Daniel, eating the royal food meant dishonoring God. So Daniel, already an outsider, chose to stand out even more. He respectfully asked to live on vegetables and water, and God honored his choice. After ten days, Daniel and his friends looked healthier than everyone else. God’s people still face pressure to fit in—to speak, act, and think in ways that don’t honor God. But the Bible says: don’t let the world change you; let God change you. He changes you through the power and promises of Jesus Christ. Jesus never gave in to the sinful ways of the world around him. Even when faithfulness cost him his life, he gave it freely. He died to forgive your sins and to send you his Spirit, who gives you power, love, and self-control to honor God. Whatever the world offers you today, don’t just remember Daniel. Remember Jesus, your Savior, who now rules from heaven’s throne, and give God what is his: your praise, honor, trust, and life. That may be hard, but it is worth it. God honors those who honor him, even when no one else is watching. Prayer: Lord, give me courage to honor you with faithful choices. When I’m tempted, remind me of the feast you are preparing 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261018dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then [Jesus] said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’ Matthew 22:21 What is God’s? A question I sometimes ask people is “What belongs to God?” After asking that question—and enjoying the befuddled looks on their faces as they try to think it through—I rephrase the question, “Is there anything that doesn’t belong to God?” And with great relief, they answer, “No.” Everything belongs to God: The shirt on our back, the car that we drive, the place where we live, the people in our life, the world in which we dwell, the rain, the snow—God made them all, and they all belong to him. This means that God has also made us. The Psalmist writes, “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Ps. 139:13). Or, to put it another way, you are not a product of chance or an accident. You are truly a one-of-a-kind, specially designed, creation of God who chose to give you life at a particular moment in history and who preserves that life in this world, at least until today. You belong to God. He is your life-giver and life-preserver. He knows what you need in this life. He also knows that you need a Savior from your wrongdoings that would separate you from him for time and eternity. So, he gave his Son and punished him on the cross in order to save you from wrongdoings, guilt over them, and their eternal consequences. What belongs to God? You do! Prayer: God, help me to respond to your wonderful love by seeing all that you have given me so that I might use everything to serve you. God, help me to always joyfully give to you what is yours. 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261017dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:6-9 A Feast for All His People There is something special about those moments around the dinner table. Our bodies are nourished by the food we eat. Our relationships are strengthened by the laughs and tears we share. Conversations around that table make our houses into our homes. When families become so busy that they struggle to find the time to sit down and eat together, they long for the simple joy of just sharing a meal. The prophet Isaiah speaks of a wonderful feast awaiting all God’s children. Our heavenly Father longs to have his whole family gathered on his mountain for a great feast. The Lord personally prepares a feast of rich food for all his people. He does everything he can so that his children might join him. However, this feast comes at great expense. God sent his Son, Jesus, to reconcile our broken relationship with the Lord. He lived the perfect life none of us are capable of. He shared in our humanity, so that—by his death—he could destroy death that enfolds us. Jesus alone suffered for all the sins of the world. This is how the Lord earned our salvation and how committed he is to the feast. The Lord God has saved us. One day we will enjoy eternity with him. Let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation. Prayer: Lord Almighty, strengthen my trust in your salvation, until you bring me home to the feast you have prepared 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261016dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “‘Friend,’ [the king] asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.” Matthew 22:12 Presumption The picture Jesus paints is one of celebration and joy. A king is hosting a lavish, royal wedding feast. But instead of the usual dignitaries you’d expect, Jesus says that this particular king has chosen to do the unexpected. This particular king has chosen to invite anyone and everyone—including people who never would have dreamed of receiving this kind of invitation. It’s still a royal event, of course—an occasion for dignity and respect. And so, what if you don’t have proper clothes to wear? In Jesus’ story, the king has thought of that too. The king himself provides the wedding clothes so all may enjoy his lavish feast. And so, the king comes in to enjoy the company of all his shocked and delighted guests—shocked and delighted because here they are, dressed in clothing the king has provided, all so they can savor the kind of meal they have never before experienced in their lives. But as he takes in the sight of all his guests enjoying themselves, one man stands out. What the man is wearing screams, “Inappropriate.” It reeks of apathy and contempt. The man has concluded he does not need to bother with special clothing for the king. But Jesus says that when the king himself personally calls him on it, the man is speechless. Jesus’ story is about sinful presumption. When it comes to the privilege of standing in God’s presence, there is no room for my sinful presumption. None. And yet, the temptation is there. Twenty-first-century culture can get me to presume I’m just fine as long as I’m “spiritual.” My background can get me to presume I’m just fine because my family name has been in the church directory for generations. My church busyness can get me to presume I’m just fine because I’m busy at church. But in the presence of the King, such clothing screams, “Inappropriate.” It reeks of apathy and contempt. This is so because, in my presumption, I have forgotten how desperately I need Jesus as my Savior from sin. My clothing is Jesus. Jesus alone. My reservation for the heavenly banquet comes only through him. Prayer: Jesus, thy blood and righteousness my beauty are, my glorious dress. 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261015dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:9 Relief At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, you can see one of the most famous rooms of the 20th Century. “Mission Control” is the room where row after row of engineers and specialists worked day and night to support the Apollo moon landings. It’s also the site of one of the greatest moments of pure relief in American history. On April 17, 1970, the three astronauts of Apollo 13 were about to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Their spacecraft had suffered catastrophic damage four days earlier, and Mission Control worked around the clock to do what needed to be done to bring them home. Everyone in the room understood that there would be a four-and-a-half-minute blackout in communication with the astronauts during re-entry. Everyone also understood that if the astronauts did not respond after four and a half minutes, their spacecraft had probably burned up and they had perished. The blackout began. One minute. Two minutes. Three and then four. Four and a half. Silence. Five minutes. Five and a half. Nothing. Six minutes. Then, crackling on the radio static, an astronaut’s cheerful voice. At the sound of that voice, all the pent-up anxiety and stress and grief and fear melted away in an explosion of relief and joy. In Isaiah chapter 25, God’s people are hurting. Life has left them feeling bruised, broken, fearful, anxious—and guilt-ridden because of their sin. And so, God points them to his promises. He points them to the full forgiveness he will secure on their behalf. And he points them to the relief and joy they will one day savor with him forever. In our day-to-day lives, you and I feel the wounds, scars, burdens, and cuts of living in this fallen world. Our sins haunt us. Our failures vex us. When they do, remember why Jesus came. Our forgiveness is secure. He has already done what had to be done to bring us safely home. And when that day comes, the relief and joy we savor with him will last forever. Prayer: Remind me, Lord, of the eternal relief and joy that await. Remind me that, in you, all is well. 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261014dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces. Isaiah 25:8 The Tears Tears of grief are an extraordinary gift of God. The more researchers have studied tears of grief, the more extraordinary we recognize them to be. When someone close to you dies, your brain undergoes trauma. After all, up to this moment the wiring of your brain has included this person in the very fabric of your life. Death tears that piece of fabric away. To help deal with such trauma, God equipped your body to shed tears of grief. These tears arise for a very different reason from the tears you shed when, for instance, you get a bit of sawdust in your eye. Scientists are still learning exactly how emotional crying affects the body, but it appears to be connected with the body’s natural response to stress and emotional pain. Crying can be part of the process by which the body gradually settles after intense distress. It’s no accident, therefore, that individuals grappling with grief often report feeling calmer or experiencing a measure of relief after they’ve had “a good cry.” As helpful as tears of grief are, however, the Lord gives us far more than a temporary fix. He addresses death itself – the cause of our grief. He points us ahead to the moment when there will be “no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain” (Revelation 21:4). Enter Jesus. He is the one who, according to Isaiah, “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). God the Son became one of us. He lived among us. He wept with us. And through it all, he lived a life of perfect faithfulness on our behalf. Then he set his sights on the very cause of death. He set his sights on our sin. He took up our sin. He carried our sin to the cross. And through his suffering and death, he paid for our sin in full. And now he lives. And because he does, the tears of our grief are temporary. Eternal life awaits. The tears of grief will soon give way to the tears of joy. Prayer: In my tears of grief, Lord, remind me that they will not last. Eternal joy awaits. 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261013dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations. Isaiah 25:7 The Shroud For thousands of years, people have used a shroud to bury their dead. A shroud is a type of cloth that covers the body. There are practical reasons for using a shroud. Wrapping a body in one helps stabilize it, making it easier to carry. A shrouded body is more sanitary to handle. Most important, however, is that the shroud is a way by which family members could give the body of their loved one a level of dignity and respect. From time immemorial, therefore, the shroud has been a symbol for death. In paintings, literature, poetry, and song, artists have used the word “shroud” to describe things that are dark, foreboding, tragic, inevitable. But then along comes the Lord Almighty, through the prophet Isaiah. He sees our world—the world our sin has ruined. He sees our world of decay, our world of disease, our world of injury and broken bones and violence and accidents and natural disasters and old age and decline and death. He sees it all. Then he makes a stunning promise. He promises to destroy the shroud. He promises to ensure that the shroud of death does not have the final word. Seven centuries after Isaiah’s words, God himself came to this earth in the person of Jesus Christ. He came to destroy the power of death. To do so, he lived a sinless life on our behalf. Then he took the cause of death—our sin—and paid for it on the cross. Then he died. After his death, loving hands covered his body in a shroud and placed it in a tomb. But the cross, the tomb, and the shroud did not have the final word. Three days later, the tomb was empty, and so was the shroud. And so let the world around us continue to speak of the finality of the shroud, the casket, and the cremation urn. You and I know better. Jesus lives. And in him, we will too. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the death of death. Praise be to your holy 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261012dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples…the best of meats and the finest of wines. Isaiah 25:6 For All In the world of fine dining, few writers have been more influential than restaurant reviewer Ruth Reichl. She is so respected that a single restaurant review from her can make or break a restaurant. Her most famous review was written in 1993 for a high-end dining establishment in New York. Because the restaurant community knew her well, however, Ruth decided to go in disguise. Instead of a sophisticated New Yorker, she dressed in a modest coat and went by the name “Molly.” “Molly” quickly found out what the restaurant thought of her. The staff ignored her. Then they made her wait for an hour. Finally, they seated her at a table right next to the coat rack. And her meal? It was cold and bland. A few nights later, Ruth went to the same restaurant, only this time she went as herself. And, of course, this time she received the royal treatment—truffles, champagne, the best of culinary mastery; and no coat rack. Armed with these two radically different experiences, Ruth Reichl wrote her review, and she did not hold back. She made clear the painful fact that the staff did not wish to serve everyone with the same level of excellence; that if you were not the right kind of person, this restaurant was not going to give you its best. In Isaiah chapter 25, God the Holy Spirit communicates that our delivery from sin is not just a doctrinal bullet point; it is an event for us to savor. He describes it as an exquisite meal: “A feast of rich food,” he says— “the best of meats and the finest of wines.” In addition, the Lord makes clear that this joyful reunion with him is “for all peoples”—for all who trust in the promised Savior. In this world, there will be times when we will feel ignored, dismissed, or out of place. But not in the great meal to come. There, in Christ, you belong. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for securing a place for me at your banquet. 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261011dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion In the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17 Righteousness Revealed and Believed People often talk about “the big reveal.” Whether it is a home remodel, a full-body makeover, or a recently purchased car, people get excited to share news of their new things with family and friends. They enjoy sharing with others what has brought them joy. In our Bible verse today, the apostle Paul talks about “a big reveal.” Far greater than anything in this world we can buy or refurbish, he talks about a truly amazing otherworldly thing God has revealed. It is his righteousness. It is important to note that he’s not talking about the righteousness that God has because he is the all-holy, sin-free deity. In fact, talk of that kind of righteousness can only make unholy, sinful humans afraid if we take time to think about what that means for us. We stand convicted, condemned, and cursed because God is righteous and demands righteousness. We are not that, and we can’t produce it. The desires of our hearts, the thoughts of our minds, and the lives that we lead reveal that all too clearly. Paul is talking about something else here. He tells us that a righteousness from God is revealed or made known in the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ. It is a real righteousness God gives sinners through faith in Jesus, who lived and died for them. It is as though he says to you: “Because Jesus paid the price, you are no longer counted guilty! You are righteous in my sight.” Such a truth and the life it promises come to us through faith. Be confident that the Lord has declared you righteous in and through Jesus. Live with peace, hope, and joy, knowing that in Jesus, God has revealed his own real righteousness for you. Take a good look at and grab hold of this “big reveal,” and live with your hope for this life and the next one in Jesus. Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the gospel message through which you work faith in my heart. I thank you for declaring me righteous in your sight and for giving me true and lasting life 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20261010dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:17-20 A Citizenship to Treasure Roman army vets had retired to the Greek colony of Philippi. The Roman government gave these vets in Philippi special privileges because of their army service. The Roman government could not tax them directly. Their city government was run by Roman law. As Roman citizens they could not be punished without a fair trial. They were citizens of Rome, even though they lived in Philippi. Paul reminded the Christians in Philippi of their even greater citizenship. Because of Jesus’ service, Christians are citizens of heaven. Jesus won our citizenship by completing his 33-year tour of duty as our Savior. He followed every rule and obeyed every command God gave him. He also “threw himself on” the cross to redeem us as a people belonging to him. By faith we have citizenship with more privileges than Roman citizenship. We belong to a King who hears and answers our prayers, who works in all things for the good of those who love him, who will deliver us from this evil world and take us to himself in heaven. It’s a citizenship to treasure. Prayer: Jesus, Thank you for making me a citizen of heaven despite my sin. Thank you for forgiving me daily. Keep my eyes and my heart focused on the home you 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.