WELS Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s Devotions

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20251201ECME.mp3 Listen to Devotion Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7 Peace and Joy How often do you pray? Do you pray before meals and before bed? When you have an unexpected challenge and need help? Do you pray for friends and enemies? God wants us to pray for all of these things and much more! God wants us to come to him in prayer, thanking him for blessings and humbly asking him for things that we need. We have this gift of prayer because we are made God's children through faith in Jesus, and God wants to hear from his children. Being a believer does not mean we never have trials. We will still have fears, temptations, and times of sorrow. The “to-do list” for both work and home may seem infinite, and the calendar may seem full with no rest in sight. Perhaps there is a personal or professional relationship that is fragile or broken, and you wonder if the connection can ever be repaired. Or maybe you are weighed down with concern about financial instability, a family member with an illness, or regret about a choice made. How broken our world feels sometimes! The approach and perspective of a Christian, however, will be very different from an unbeliever. A child of God will have joy, even during times of trouble. We can still have this joy inside, even when troubled by sins and happenings of the past. This joy comes from knowing that Jesus has rescued us, forgiven us, and that he will come again. God tells his children to let their gentleness be evident to all. But we cannot do this by ourselves! We lack the humility and patience God requests. So, we pray that the Holy Spirit helps us live a life of joy and gentleness because we know that Christ has been humble and patient to us. A child of God will have joy and peace—and also a peaceful heart. This peace is so powerful and pure, that it doesn't make sense to the world. It doesn't fit in with the chaos of the daily life of mankind. Those that do not share our faith might laugh at us or show confusion because of our peaceful heart. That's because this peace comes from God. He has given us knowledge and trust that he saved us from sin and death and has promised to come again to take us home. This peace guards us from the sins of worry and doubt. What joy and peace we have, even when we have struggles! We know that we are saved by God, that he is near, and that he wants to hear everything that is on our hearts and minds. May we continue to bring our thanksgiving, requests and prayers to our heavenly Father! Prayer: Before you, Lord, we bow, our God who reigns above And rules the world below in boundless pow'r and love Our thanks we bring in joy and praise, our hearts we raise to you, our King! Christian Worship 775:1 Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. 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/ece-devotions/20251124ECME.mp3 Listen to Devotion You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Luke 12:40 Are You Ready Are you ready? Company is coming for dinner. You're excited but you'd like just a bit more time to make sure everything is set. The children will start arriving soon, and you could use another few minutes to make sure you are ready to give them your full attention. Are you ready? You and I like the comfort of knowing what's coming and how much time until a given event, an appointment, a diagnosis, an answer. How often do we wish that God would let us have even a glimpse of when a situation might be resolved? The challenge of waiting is seldom easy. Being prepared can give us patience as we wait. Are you ready? Not for the test or an appointment, but for Jesus. Are you ready for his return on Judgment Day? He certainly is coming. He told his disciples in John 14:3, “I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” He is indeed coming back. But there's one detail that we don't have—when Jesus is coming. All Jesus tells us is, “You also must be ready” (Luke 12:40). The greatest event for which we wait is Christ's return on Judgment Day. This will be an event beyond our imagination and expectations. We can slip into thinking that if we knew when this would all be over, we could endure whatever challenge or crisis we're facing. In his wisdom, God chose not to let us in on this detail. The Bible is clear that no one knows the day or the hour. Jesus told his disciples, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). So, what are we to do? God is clear: be ready! Expect that Jesus could return at any time. It could be today, next week, in 20 years, or in 1000 years. We don't know. So, how can we be ready? Our dear Savior points us to the Word. As we continue to be in the Word, we learn about our God. When we are faithful in prayer and worship, we focus our hearts on what is to come, even if we do not know when. A colleague of mine once said, “If you knew that Judgment Day was next week or even next month, what might you do differently? How would the urgency of sharing the Gospel increase? How might your time in God's Word be richer and more focused?” As we focus on God's Word, we can look forward to Judgment Day with eager anticipation. That's because Scripture makes us confident in what that day will bring. We can pray, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). Prayer: Dear Jesus, I want to be ready for your return. Life on earth can be such a distraction from you. Help me to focus on you and to be excited and eager to be in the Word you have given us. Help me to pray with confidence, “Come, Lord Jesus!” Amen. Christian Worship 850: 1, 4 It Is Well with My Soul and 868 By Faith are both wonderful hymns to add to your devotions this week. Consider: If you are looking for extra context for today’s verse of Luke 12:40, read the preceding verses of Luke 12:35-39 Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. 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/ece-devotions/20251117ECME.mp3 Listen to Devotion All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-7 Judgement, Forgiveness, Peace “But she hit me first!” Do you ever feel like you should wear a judge's black robe or a referee's striped shirt when conflicts between children (and sometimes adults) make their way into a day? It was many years into teaching before I discovered the benefit of modeling and teaching the children to resolve their conflicts rather than announcing a judgment on a given situation. Each time I made the decision for them, it was almost guaranteed that the conflict would come back. It's in our human nature to strike back and to try to make things just or equal in our eyes. Victims of abuse and violence weigh on our hearts, and we want the peace of knowing that those who caused pain are handed judgments that align with the results of their actions. Without the hope that justice will be served, we might despair or focus on revenge. So, it is important to read how God “will pay back trouble to those who trouble” us. However, we cannot focus only how God will judge others. We must recognize that we ourselves fall short of God's expectation. As you and I reflect on our day or even the past hour, it's easy to recognize our failures. We often do the opposite of what we intended to do. Sin is relentless, and our weaknesses continue to override our best efforts. Discouragement and despair can come creeping (or roaring) in. Where can we go with our guilt and our frustration about our sin? Dear Christian friend, relief is ours in the Lord Jesus! Our comfort, hope, and peace come from knowing that God's judgment is not based on us but on Jesus. The faith that God has given us makes us righteous. Because of Christ, we have been made right in God's eyes. God looks at us through Jesus and sees you and me as his perfect children. And now, Jesus' suffering and forgiveness help us deal with others. When we consider the forgiveness we have received, we can look at others knowing that Jesus went to the cross for them as well. We can give them kindness and grace, just as we received from God. No black robe, no striped shirt for you and me. There is only God's loving forgiveness and peace through what Jesus did for us. Thank you, Lord! and this, we can fully count on God's promise and his remarkable gift of Jesus for us: while we were still sinners, he died for us so that all things can be right between God and us. Prayer: Dear Jesus, it is so easy for me to see the faults of others and try to ignore my own sin. Forgive me for my own sin and give me a heart of forgiveness for those around me. Thank you for the peace that I have knowing that you have pronounced through your death and resurrection, your judgment of me is this: “not guilty!” In your name I pray. Amen A question to consider: As you spend time pondering today's verses, is there someone you can reach out to with a word of encouragement or forgiveness? Starting by sharing your gratitude for God's forgiveness for you can be a blessing to that conversation. Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. 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.

We can fully count on God's promise and his remarkable gift . . .

We all have days or times in our lives where it is just plain hard to keep our head up and our worry down. . .

How many days until . . .

When we feel overwhelmed, trust that message of reconciliation.

Hold onto this truth: Christ for us.

So, let's pray for each other. . .

It might almost feel annoying to be grateful...

To find contentment in what we have already produced can be tricky...

Let us be humbled and do our work faithfully...

Our cross, alone, is too heavy to bear, but we are not alone.

Praise God for what the world thought was defeat, was actually a victory that we can joyfully call our own.

God measures you solely by what Christ has done in your place.

God's Word doesn't just leave us wounded. It heals.

Those treasures don't last...

lesson plans, story Bibles, puppets, snacks, songs, and stickers...

God wants to hear from you...

In a world that glorifies “busy,” let's encourage each other to rest...

The bean seed becomes a sprout...

Do the students in your classroom have any assigned jobs...

I will not be shaken...

Not “you might be” or “you should be,” but “you are.”

“No, Mom - look at me!”

The truth is, we want to be in control...

As much as we strive for harmony and teamwork, we often slip into selfishness...

And what IS true joy?

If you knew that your time on earth was nearly over, what would you do?

This sign for trust creates a picture...

God gives us joy when we remember that he has saved us from our sins...

May the empty tomb and God's love to us drive away the distractions...

The empty tomb was proof that he could now triumph in Easter glory!

Our royal Savior, Jesus became common and walked among sinners...

Perhaps an independent attitude does not disappear as one becomes an adult...

And another added sadly, “We already did the wrong things.”

What do you do to resist temptation?

“But Mom!”, she said, “what if there is a WOLF coming around the bend?”

Sometimes my sweet tooth gets me into trouble...

“Why did they let you out?”

My students love the opposite game.

What are your strengths?