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“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

We have all read stories in the news where it seems like someone got away with it. Whether it is the politician who has his cronies in his corner who help him evade prosecution or a murder which goes unsolved, whatever the case might be, we could give countless examples of people who don’t get caught and never face justice. Like you probably do, I get angry.

But something that has always brought me peace when I see those things happening is the knowledge that Jesus sees what is happening. And, ultimately, Jesus will judge everyone for their lives and punish those who have done wrong.

However, if I could give you some encouragement, don’t be so worried about those people who seemingly got away with it. I want YOU to be prepared!

You might think to yourself, ‘I’m a good person. I’ve never even gotten a parking ticket!’ But the truth is, we all will be judged not by what we think is fair or just, but rather by God’s standards. And those standards are impossibly high. God tells us in the Bible that he demands us to be perfect. God doesn’t say to be better than the next guy. He doesn’t say try your hardest. He says we have to be perfect.

Now I’m not perfect, and neither are you. But that’s why God sent Jesus to pay for all our faults. Jesus promises that when we trust in him, we won’t be punished, but rather be gifted forgiveness and an eternity in paradise! So, we thank God that he doesn’t treat us as we deserve but rather, he is full of mercy.

Dear Jesus, when I see injustice, help me to trust that you are the ultimate judge. Help me to turn my heart to you every day. And please help others who do wrong to turn their hearts to you and find forgiveness and mercy. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

When we bought our house, it came with an orange tree. I was pretty excited. However, it didn’t take long before my dream of freshly squeezed orange juice at breakfast was shattered. The tree wasn’t producing fruit, so I cut it down.

The Pharisees and Sadducees, who had come to John, thought that because of their heritage, they were all good with God. Sometimes people today think that because their parents went to church, or they themselves used to attend church, or they stepped foot into a church at some point in their lives, they’re all good with God, too. But John’s words of warning should give all our hearts a gut-check moment. Are you ready? If you had to meet your Maker, do you think you’d be all good with him?

Your readiness doesn’t depend on what your parents believe or whether you went to church at some point. Your readiness depends on your heart.

Please understand that I’m only saying this to you because I care about you and don’t want you to be unprepared. So, if you were to die tonight and God asked you why he should let you into heaven, what your parents believed won’t matter for you. But this is what will: God has given an incredible gift. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who was cut down on his cross and paid for your sins and mine. So, when that time of death comes, and God asks you why he should let you into heaven, you can say with confidence, “Jesus has paid for me.”

Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus, who has paid for all my sins. Turn my heart to you today and every day. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Do you ever wrestle with regret? I’m not talking about how you may regret not buying that stock when it was at $20 per share or eating at that sketchy restaurant and getting food poisoning. I’m talking about the regret of the decisions that have left you with shame. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? There was that time when you took things too far. There was that time when, so enraged, you said or did something you can’t take back. Or maybe there is that constant guilt that you carry around because you know your life choices aren’t the right ones, and you’ve been acting on that urge or behavior, even though you know it is wrong. You know that it is toxic for you and/or your relationships with others, and you’ve gone back to it more times than you can count.

The people who came to see John preaching at the Jordan River were just like you and me. They wrestled with guilt. They knew shame. And, tragically, when they went to their religious leaders, they were told, ‘Stop doing that! Be better!’ However, John said something else. When they talked with John, they unburdened themselves of that weight of regret and shame. They confessed to their sins that had weighed them down and left them feeling lost. And do you know what John told them? He assured them of their forgiveness!

Whatever guilt or shame has brought regret into your life, confess it. Open your heart to God and confess that sin. Because when we do that, God promises that he has forgiven us because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus has paid for all the things you regret, and he promises that you and I are loved and wanted by him.

Dear Jesus, forgive me for my past missteps and failures. I am sorry for them. Help me to trust in my Savior Jesus for his forgiveness today and every day. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

When I was a kid, I remember that we got the word that the President of the United States was coming to town. And, somehow or another, we even heard that his motorcade was going to be driving down the street right by my house. We were so excited! Our family waited by the sidewalk, looking down the road with anticipation, and then, sure enough, a procession of vehicles came whizzing by, with the president’s hand (or some unlucky staffer’s) waving to us!

When a president or, in ancient times, a king, comes to town, you need to make preparations. You must get the road ready for his arrival. That is the picture we see in the message of God’s Word we’re looking at for our devotion. A great king is coming to town, and the road needs to be cleared. “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”

John’s whole purpose in life was to prepare the world for Jesus. He was the opening act who came onto the scene just before the headliner. And the way he got everyone ready was by preaching to them. He preached God’s Word to them. With that Word of God, he shook them with his call to prepare their hearts.

That call is still applicable to you and me. Our hearts are often filled with things that don’t please God. We prioritize things that don’t really matter. We go our own way rather than listening to God’s Word. But John calls us to repent, to prepare our hearts! Turn away from that sin which so often entices your heart and turn to Jesus who has paid for it with death. Turn your heart to God with joy and see the forgiveness so freely given in our Savior. Ready your heart for Jesus!

Dear Jesus, thank you for taking away my sins. Help me to turn away from my sin each day and turn to you to find forgiveness and peace. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Something has got to change. Have you ever thought that? You might have thought that about your marriage or your relationship with your kids. You probably have thought that about your job or a working relationship with a coworker. At some point in your life, you have probably said that about something going on in government. Something has got to change.

I would suspect, however, that when we’ve had this thought, often, we think this change should happen in someone else. Someone else needs to be fixed. Someone else needs to turn things around. After all, wouldn’t the world just be better if everyone thought like I do and did things my way?

But before we try to change everyone else, it might be helpful if we first look in the mirror and see if there are things about ourselves that need to be changed. That’s really the message that God teaches us through the voice of John the Baptizer.

If you had to summarize, John’s whole message, it would be this: repent. Repentance has two parts: 1) to acknowledge shortcomings, failures, and guilt, and then 2) to turn to Jesus and find forgiveness. You and I can’t change the hearts of other people. But God can and does change our hearts! Through the voice of John, God is calling for you and for me to look at our own lives and be honest about where we fall short, where we have done wrong, not just against others but against God. But in that call to repentance, God beckons us to lift our eyes to see the Savior who has forgiven us of our faults! That’s what Jesus has done for you! You don’t have to live in shame or fear for your faults. No, Jesus has paid for them with his sacrifice!

Recognize your guilt but turn to Jesus and find that peace of forgiveness!

Dear God, I am broken and am truly sorry for my sin. Thank you for sending me my Savior who loves me and forgives me. Continue to help me daily repent and see the peace which Jesus brings. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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[Jesus told the people] many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Songwriters have used it. Thinkers have used it. Investors have used it. Even Jesus Christ used it. Used what? They used the picture of planting seed to make a point. Jesus told a story about planting seed to teach us when we hear and learn the Word of God, seed is planted in our hearts.

Seeds need time to grow. In springtime, when gardens are first planted, there’s not much to see. Yet, as every gardener knows, when it comes to seeds, it takes time. As sunlight warms the moist earth where seeds are embedded, seeds take time to sprout and grow.

Sometimes people rarely attend a church and give little attention to the Word. God’s seed has little opportunity to take root. Sometimes people go to worship regularly so that the seed of God’s Word starts to grow, but then they let the cares of life crowd out time and attention for the Word, and so the plant of faith in their hearts gets the life choked out of it.

Sometimes a wonderful thing happens. A person gladly hears and learns the Word of God and puts it into practice. And the seed of God’s Word grows. And keeps growing. The plant of faith which the seed of the Word produces is made strong by God’s complete forgiveness won by Jesus. It flourishes under God’s unconditional love, given in Jesus, and is made resilient by heaven’s guarantee paid for by Jesus.

Are you that person?

Dear Lord, plant the seed of your Word in my heart and make it grow into a fruitful plant of faith to give you glory. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the LORD’S temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

Does everyone in your community know where your church is and what it believes and stands for? Do the members of your congregation pour out from Sunday worship and Bible study just looking for people to tell about God? Do you? Do your neighbors know that you are a follower of Jesus?

When Jesus, the Son of God, died on that cross to pay for the sins of every person in the whole world, and rose again to prove he was the victorious King of kings, the prophecy of Isaiah in our Bible reading for today was fulfilled. The “mountain of the Lord’s temple was established as chief among the mountains.” Now Jesus rules over all things, and the kingdom of God will prevail for all eternity. The One who rules the universe has claimed you as his very own. You are part of the greatest, strongest, tallest, mountainous, most powerful organization in history. And it will last forever!

Jesus is the greatest, most powerful, most victorious ruler of the world. There is nothing more important or valuable than being a member of his kingdom. That’s good news for you and something you will want to share. Testify to the greatness of Jesus by the way you live. Invite the people you know to “come to the house of God,” where God will teach them the way of salvation!

Dear Lord, remind me of the amazing blessings I have through forgiveness in Jesus. Lead me to walk in the light of your path and draw others to your Word so that they may also believe and share these blessings with me. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

Whenever something wonderful happens to us, what do we do? We tell someone. We call out to friends and family, inviting them to experience it with us. Whether it’s a sunset, a newborn baby, or the last-second shot that wins the game, we grab their attention and say, “You’ve got to come see this!”

We want to share our excitement and joy with others. This is what Andrew did.

Andrew had just met Jesus and spent time with him. Once Andrew understood and believed who Jesus truly was—the Lamb of God and the promised Savior—he couldn’t keep the news to himself. He immediately ran to find his brother, Simon Peter, with the excited announcement, “We’ve found the Messiah!” and urged him, “Come and see.”

Do you feel that sharing Jesus is complicated? Do you feel unready? Unprepared?

Andrew’s invitation was simple and full of heart. There was no pressure, no argument. He radiated the pure joy of encountering someone who transforms lives.

This is still how faith is shared today. It does not start with a heated debate or a clever argument—it begins through genuine relationships. When people notice the peace, the hope, and quiet joy that shape your life, they become curious about what makes the difference.

Their curiosity opens a door for a simple, heartfelt invitation. You don’t need all the answers or perfect words. You just need to know Jesus. Sharing Jesus does not have to be complicated. It can start with the most natural impulse in the world—an invitation: “Come and see.” This is an open invitation—not just at Advent but year-round.

Come and see the One who took your place. Come and see the One who forgives your guilt. Come and see the One who gives your life meaning, direction, and hope. And then—go and tell.

When you’ve met the Savior, you’ve got something truly worth sharing.

Jesus, thank you for inviting me to come and see your grace. Fill me with joy and courage to share you with others. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.

“Do you see me?” This silent question lingers behind many cries for help. In a world filled with overwhelming noise, loneliness, and struggle, people long to know that someone notices them. They want the comfort of knowing that someone genuinely cares.

Psalm 80 gives voice to those who feel left behind and overlooked. They’ve wandered away from God. Surrounded by adversity, they are broken and lost. Still, they don’t give up. Instead of surrendering to despair and defeat, they cry out to God in prayer: “Restore us, O God! Make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.”

This prayer paints a beautiful picture—God’s face shining upon his people. Rather than shining with anger or disappointment, God’s face radiates love, joy, and grace. When God’s face shines on you, it means that he does see you. And seeing you, he smiles upon you, sings over you, and rejoices to rescue and restore you.

Yet, how can sinful people like us stand in the brilliance of God’s presence and live? On our own, we cannot. We have failed to imitate his love and have turned away from him. Like Israel, we experience the consequences—broken relationships, heavy hearts, and lingering guilt.

Despite our sinfulness, Advent brings hope. The face of God has already shone on this world—in the face of Jesus Christ. He came into our darkness to bring light. He came, not to condemn but to restore. He carried our sin and shame and rose again to give us peace.

Even when we feel lost or forgotten, God hears our prayers for restoration. Through Jesus, God truly sees you—and in seeing you, he forgives you, welcomes you, and rejoices over you.

As you wait for Jesus to come again, you do not wait alone or in the dark. You wait enveloped in the warmth of God’s grace.

Lord, when I feel far from you, turn my heart back. Restore me by your mercy. Let your face shine on me through Jesus, my Savior. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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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He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Have you ever waited at the airport for someone special? You scan the crowd. Your heart jumps every time someone comes around the corner. You can’t wait to see their face. You yearn to give them the warmest embrace.

That’s the kind of eager longing captured in the final words of the Bible. Jesus declares, “Yes, I am coming soon.” The Church responds, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

Advent is a season that focuses on this longing. We reflect on how Jesus first came in humility—born in a farming town, wrapped in rags, and laid in a feeding trough. He came not to be served, but to serve—to walk among us, to suffer with us, and to save us. We also look forward to his promised return. Whenever that is, he won’t come in weakness. He will come in power and glory to make all things new.

The world desperately needs this renewal. We need this renewal. We’re tired of suffering. Tired of sin. Tired of bad news. While we yearn for the peace and justice only Jesus can bring, our weariness makes it easy to grow numb, distracted, or discouraged. That’s why we need this promise: “I am coming soon.” These words renew our hope and give us a clear focus.

Yet, what does “soon” mean? From our perspective, it may not always seem fast, but it is certain. Jesus isn’t dragging his feet. He hasn’t forgotten us. He’s giving more people time to come to know him. His delay is not a sign of neglect, but of mercy.

Rest assured, Jesus, our Savior, is coming. He is closer now than ever before, and he will not be late.

While we wait, we live in hope. We listen to his Word, and we take it to heart—living in daily repentance for our sin and trust in God’s salvation.

Lord Jesus, you promised to return, and I believe you. Keep my heart ready, my hope alive, and my eyes lifted. Come quickly! Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.