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https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260102dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:6-7 Christmas is About Family It’s almost a cliché these days, but it’s true: society has been removing Christ from Christmas for a long time. Ask most people what the holiday is about, and you’ll probably hear “time with family” more often than the birth of the Savior. And while Christians may lament that family has eclipsed Christ, our Bible reading today reminds us that Christmas is about family. Did you catch the good news in today’s Bible passage? Because of Christmas, God has made you part of his family. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He rightly belongs in God's family. We do not. By nature, we are slaves to sin and estranged from God. But in his mercy, God sent his Son to redeem us and sent his Spirit into our hearts. And with the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, you can confidently call God, “Father.” That is pure grace—the grace of a God who not only forgives but adopts. And what comfort that adoption brings! All of us crave acceptance, belonging, and a sense of home. We often look for it in our earthly families and closest friendships. They are wonderful gifts, yet they can disappoint you, because like you, they are sinful. But the belonging your heart longs for is found fully in your place as a child of God. Because of Christmas, you can call Jesus your brother, and he gladly calls you his brother or sister. And you are part of a remarkable family: believers across the world and across the ages who trust in Christ. One day, you will experience the joy of a family reunion beyond imagining—a gathering that will include loved ones in Christ who died before you. So when your final day comes, you can rest in confidence. You are no longer a slave but God’s child, and since you are his child, you are also his heir. A place in your Father’s house is already prepared, and nothing can take it from you. Prayer: Father, thank you for adopting me as your child through Christ and giving me a place in your family forever. 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.

It's New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1st, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Hindus guilty of 80 anti-Christian incidents on Christmas in India Hindu nationalists attacked Christians across India over the Christmas week. International Christian Concern reports over 80 incidents of violent attacks, hate speeches, and tensions during Christmas celebrations. In one case, a group of children in a Christmas carol procession were attacked, and their instruments were destroyed. Shashi Tharoor, a parliamentarian with the Indian National Congress, expressed “deep concern over the rising fear and anxiety among Christians in India. Sadly, there are attacks on Christians in different places of the country.”  India is ranked 11th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of the most difficult countries to be a Christian. Matthew 5:10 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” China continues massive military drills near Taiwan China carried out massive military drills around Taiwan this week. They were the most extensive war games to date, involving live fire, warships, and fighter jets.  Taiwan functions as an independent nation. However, China claims the territory as its own and uses military drills as an intimidation tactic.  The recent drills came after the United States agreed to an $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan last month. Australian church attendance virtually recovered post COVID Church attendance in Australia is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Church Pulse Check 2025 report surveyed 10% of Australian churches. An estimated 1.35 million Australians attend churches services every week. That's up from one million in 2021. It's almost back to pre-pandemic levels of 1.4 million in 2016. First two Trump vetoes In the United States, President Donald Trump issued the first vetoes of his second term on Tuesday. President Trump vetoed the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act. It would provide taxpayer funding to a local water project in Colorado. He wrote, “Enough is enough. My administration is committed to preventing American taxpayers from funding expensive and unreliable policies. Ending the massive cost of taxpayer handouts and restoring fiscal sanity is vital to economic growth and the fiscal health of the nation.” President Trump also vetoed the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendment Act. The bill would expand the area reserved for the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida. Abortion Pill Rescue Network saved 7,000 babies Heartbeat International reports its Abortion Pill Rescue® Network has saved the lives of over 7,000 unborn babies. Using a progesterone protocol, Abortion Pill Reversal allows many mothers to save their pregnancy after starting down the path of a chemical abortion.  An estimated 79% of abortions in the U.S. last year were done through the abortion pill. However, Heartbeat International is seeing more and more women every year start the reversal process to save their babies.  Proverbs 24:11 says, “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.” Matthew top Bible book studied through Logos platform The Bible study platform Logos released a report on how people around the world studied the Bible in 2025. Listen to comments from Chris Migura, president of Logos. MIGURA: “We saw some incredible outcomes this year. There were over 76 million study sessions in Logos so far this year. Of the 10 countries with the most Logos users, five are non-English speaking. We're thrilled to see that global impact. “We reach new audiences. We're seeing more and more everyday believers -- not just pastors, students or scholars -- doing meaningful Bible study in Logos.” Logos had over four million users across 164 countries last year. The top countries for Logos usage were Brazil, Germany, Mexico, South Korea, and Singapore. The most-studied book of the Bible was the Gospel of Matthew. And the top Bible verse of the year was 2 Timothy 3:16. The verse says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” Only 31% of U.S. adults plan New Year's resolution And finally, a new YouGov survey revealed the top New Year's resolutions of Americans. Only 31% of U.S. adults said they planned on making some type of resolution or goal for 2026. Of those, the top resolution was exercising more followed by being happy and eating healthier. Spending more time with family and praying more made it into the top 10 resolutions. Close And that's The Worldview on New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1st, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260101dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Galatians 4:4-5 The Greatest Christmas Gift Many people assume Christmas is just a single day, December 25th, or perhaps two if you count Christmas Eve. But it is, in fact, a season of twelve days. Today is the eighth day of Christmas, and God has another present for you to unwrap: the greatest gift of all. This gift arrives “when the set time had fully come.” Not a moment too late or too soon, the gift came at a specific, perfect moment in history, precisely when it was most needed. The gift came from God, because “God sent.” He did all the work; all you do is receive it. What did he send? “His Son, born of a woman.” The eternal God took on human flesh and blood. He who had no beginning suddenly had a birthday, an age, a hometown, and a body confined to time and space. The One who fills heaven and earth humbled himself to dwell among us. This humbling involved being “born under law.” That means he placed himself beneath the very commandments he authored and lived a life of perfect obedience. Jesus wasn’t your Savior only for the six hours he spent on the cross; he spent thirty-three years before that fulfilling the law in your place, as your Substitute. Every commandment you break, he kept flawlessly for you. Why this perfect obedience? “To redeem those under the law.” That’s all of humanity, including you. We are all under God’s law and guilty of breaking it. So, Jesus kept that law for us and bore its punishment on the cross, buying our freedom from our slavery to sin. The glorious result? “That we might receive adoption to sonship.” That’s amazing! In his Son, God the Father has given you the greatest Christmas gift of all: He made you a member of his family. No longer a slave, you are now an heir of forgiveness, peace, comfort, hope, and the everlasting riches of heaven. Prayer: Son of God, thank you for being born under the law to redeem me and make me an heir of 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/20260101dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Galatians 4:4-5 The Greatest Christmas Gift Many people assume Christmas is just a single day, December 25th, or perhaps two if you count Christmas Eve. But it is, in fact, a season of twelve days. Today is the eighth day of Christmas, and God has another present for you to unwrap: the greatest gift of all. This gift arrives “when the set time had fully come.” Not a moment too late or too soon, the gift came at a specific, perfect moment in history, precisely when it was most needed. The gift came from God, because “God sent.” He did all the work; all you do is receive it. What did he send? “His Son, born of a woman.” The eternal God took on human flesh and blood. He who had no beginning suddenly had a birthday, an age, a hometown, and a body confined to time and space. The One who fills heaven and earth humbled himself to dwell among us. This humbling involved being “born under law.” That means he placed himself beneath the very commandments he authored and lived a life of perfect obedience. Jesus wasn’t your Savior only for the six hours he spent on the cross; he spent thirty-three years before that fulfilling the law in your place, as your Substitute. Every commandment you break, he kept flawlessly for you. Why this perfect obedience? “To redeem those under the law.” That’s all of humanity, including you. We are all under God’s law and guilty of breaking it. So, Jesus kept that law for us and bore its punishment on the cross, buying our freedom from our slavery to sin. The glorious result? “That we might receive adoption to sonship.” That’s amazing! In his Son, God the Father has given you the greatest Christmas gift of all: He made you a member of his family. No longer a slave, you are now an heir of forgiveness, peace, comfort, hope, and the everlasting riches of heaven. Prayer: Son of God, thank you for being born under the law to redeem me and make me an heir of 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/20260101dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Galatians 4:4-5 The Greatest Christmas Gift Many people assume Christmas is just a single day, December 25th, or perhaps two if you count Christmas Eve. But it is, in fact, a season of twelve days. Today is the eighth day of Christmas, and God has another present for you to unwrap: the greatest gift of all. This gift arrives “when the set time had fully come.” Not a moment too late or too soon, the gift came at a specific, perfect moment in history, precisely when it was most needed. The gift came from God, because “God sent.” He did all the work; all you do is receive it. What did he send? “His Son, born of a woman.” The eternal God took on human flesh and blood. He who had no beginning suddenly had a birthday, an age, a hometown, and a body confined to time and space. The One who fills heaven and earth humbled himself to dwell among us. This humbling involved being “born under law.” That means he placed himself beneath the very commandments he authored and lived a life of perfect obedience. Jesus wasn’t your Savior only for the six hours he spent on the cross; he spent thirty-three years before that fulfilling the law in your place, as your Substitute. Every commandment you break, he kept flawlessly for you. Why this perfect obedience? “To redeem those under the law.” That’s all of humanity, including you. We are all under God’s law and guilty of breaking it. So, Jesus kept that law for us and bore its punishment on the cross, buying our freedom from our slavery to sin. The glorious result? “That we might receive adoption to sonship.” That’s amazing! In his Son, God the Father has given you the greatest Christmas gift of all: He made you a member of his family. No longer a slave, you are now an heir of forgiveness, peace, comfort, hope, and the everlasting riches of heaven. Prayer: Son of God, thank you for being born under the law to redeem me and make me an heir of 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.

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/can-we-live-forever  Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9  More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us:  Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​ Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​ App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​ Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible  

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251231dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Matthew 2:16 The Comfort of Christmas Herod, furious that the Magi left without telling him where Jesus was, went scorched earth and ordered every boy in the vicinity two years old and younger to be killed. Historians estimate that twenty to thirty children were murdered in his desperate attempt to eliminate the Christ child. It is uncomfortable to read this so soon after Christmas. Wouldn’t it be better to skip this part? Why remember such horror during Christmastime? Because it shows what happens when light enters a world of darkness. When the light arrives, the darkness does not politely step aside. It tries to snuff the light out. This is why Jesus came: to battle the darkness that rejected him from his very first days. This same battle between light and darkness continues in your own heart. When Christ’s light shines within you, your sinful nature fights against it. Yet God remains on your side—God rescued his Son from Herod’s sword so that his Son could rescue you from eternal darkness. Jesus’ death and resurrection became the ultimate light that conquers the darkness. And here lies one of the Bible’s hardest truths: though God possesses all power and hates evil, he still permits suffering. So here is the comfort of Christmas: God may save us from evil, or he may save us through evil. The boys of Bethlehem died tragically, but Christ the Savior was born not to save them from Herod, but from hell, and that is what he did. With God, wherever there is weeping, comfort follows. The grieving mothers of Bethlehem would see their sons again because their King came to save them through tragedy into heaven’s triumph. This is the comfort of Christmas. That even though the darkness could take the boys of Bethlehem away from their parents, it could not take them away from Christ. It cannot take you away from him either. Prayer: Merciful Father, thank you for the comfort of knowing that no darkness can separate me from the light of your Son. 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/20251231dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Matthew 2:16 The Comfort of Christmas Herod, furious that the Magi left without telling him where Jesus was, went scorched earth and ordered every boy in the vicinity two years old and younger to be killed. Historians estimate that twenty to thirty children were murdered in his desperate attempt to eliminate the Christ child. It is uncomfortable to read this so soon after Christmas. Wouldn’t it be better to skip this part? Why remember such horror during Christmastime? Because it shows what happens when light enters a world of darkness. When the light arrives, the darkness does not politely step aside. It tries to snuff the light out. This is why Jesus came: to battle the darkness that rejected him from his very first days. This same battle between light and darkness continues in your own heart. When Christ’s light shines within you, your sinful nature fights against it. Yet God remains on your side—God rescued his Son from Herod’s sword so that his Son could rescue you from eternal darkness. Jesus’ death and resurrection became the ultimate light that conquers the darkness. And here lies one of the Bible’s hardest truths: though God possesses all power and hates evil, he still permits suffering. So here is the comfort of Christmas: God may save us from evil, or he may save us through evil. The boys of Bethlehem died tragically, but Christ the Savior was born not to save them from Herod, but from hell, and that is what he did. With God, wherever there is weeping, comfort follows. The grieving mothers of Bethlehem would see their sons again because their King came to save them through tragedy into heaven’s triumph. This is the comfort of Christmas. That even though the darkness could take the boys of Bethlehem away from their parents, it could not take them away from Christ. It cannot take you away from him either. Prayer: Merciful Father, thank you for the comfort of knowing that no darkness can separate me from the light of your Son. 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/20251231dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Matthew 2:16 The Comfort of Christmas Herod, furious that the Magi left without telling him where Jesus was, went scorched earth and ordered every boy in the vicinity two years old and younger to be killed. Historians estimate that twenty to thirty children were murdered in his desperate attempt to eliminate the Christ child. It is uncomfortable to read this so soon after Christmas. Wouldn’t it be better to skip this part? Why remember such horror during Christmastime? Because it shows what happens when light enters a world of darkness. When the light arrives, the darkness does not politely step aside. It tries to snuff the light out. This is why Jesus came: to battle the darkness that rejected him from his very first days. This same battle between light and darkness continues in your own heart. When Christ’s light shines within you, your sinful nature fights against it. Yet God remains on your side—God rescued his Son from Herod’s sword so that his Son could rescue you from eternal darkness. Jesus’ death and resurrection became the ultimate light that conquers the darkness. And here lies one of the Bible’s hardest truths: though God possesses all power and hates evil, he still permits suffering. So here is the comfort of Christmas: God may save us from evil, or he may save us through evil. The boys of Bethlehem died tragically, but Christ the Savior was born not to save them from Herod, but from hell, and that is what he did. With God, wherever there is weeping, comfort follows. The grieving mothers of Bethlehem would see their sons again because their King came to save them through tragedy into heaven’s triumph. This is the comfort of Christmas. That even though the darkness could take the boys of Bethlehem away from their parents, it could not take them away from Christ. It cannot take you away from him either. Prayer: Merciful Father, thank you for the comfort of knowing that no darkness can separate me from the light of your Son. 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/family-devotions/20251231fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:4-7 The Best Christmas Gift: God's Family In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Most people love Christmas! It's the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's full of cookies and candy canes, treats and traditions, music and magic. Christmas means family. And most importantly, Christmas means Jesus. But here's the thing—you only fully understand what that truly means when you think what Christmas without Jesus looks like. How would that change the phrase “Christmas means family”? People love Christmas because it gives them something to look forward to. It's fun! It makes them feel happy. But we also know life isn't perfect. There are lots of times we see sin and sadness in the world. Christmas reminds us that we don't just need fun—we need to belong to God's family. Through Jesus, you belong to God's family! Jesus didn't come just to make a few weeks of Christmas cheer. He came to save people from sin and death. He bought you for his family. And in God's family, you can talk to your heavenly Father anytime—asking for help, peace, and love. So, when you are afraid of what's going on in the world, when you feel burdened by your sins, you can call out “Abba, Father”—and your heavenly Father will hear your cry for help because you are his child! Christmas means you belong to God's family. As part of this family, you get to wear Christmas clothes! Mom and Dad make sure you have nice clothes to wear for a service. Did they tell you to keep them clean for a nice picture? Christmas gives you something even better: Jesus gives you holy white robes of heaven! That means you get to live as someone who belongs to God's family. Christmas means Jesus. And because of Jesus, Christmas means family—God's family. Prayer: Abba, Father, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, that through him you call us your children. In the joy of belonging to your family, may we continue to keep our “Christmas clothes” clean by living lives according to your will. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children What are some blessings of belonging to God's family? How can you show thanks to your heavenly Father for these blessings? Questions for Elementary Age Children Why did Jesus have to be born “under the law”? How did Jesus keep the law as your perfect brother? Questions for Middle School and Above What do you think it means to be an “heir of God through Christ”? How can knowing you belong to God's family help you be a more caring member of your family? Download Family Devotions Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. 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.

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/resolving-to-do-less  Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9  More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us:  Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​ Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​ App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​ Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible  

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251230dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2:14-15 Out of Egypt The words in our Bible reading today show that even as a baby, Jesus was already fulfilling prophecy and establishing his credentials as the promised Savior. When King Herod sought to murder the Christ child, God sent the holy family fleeing to Egypt. Seven hundred years earlier, Hosea had foretold that God’s Son would go there and return—and now Jesus, cradled in his mother’s arms, was living out that prophecy. To understand this fulfillment, though, we must recall Israel’s story. Over three thousand years ago, God adopted a nation of slaves and called them his son. He brought Israel out of Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and gave them a new home in Canaan. But Israel did not always return their Father’s love. The people he rescued turned to false gods and sacrificed to idols. Through prophets like Hosea, God warned his disobedient children what would happen if they refused to repent. They deserved punishment for their idolatry. Yet God could not stop loving his son. That is the backdrop for Matthew’s quotation. Jesus is the perfectly obedient Son of God—so fully identifying with God’s people that his life mirrors theirs. As Israel once went down to Egypt, so he went down to Egypt. As Israel was called out, so he was called out. Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeded; where Israel rebelled, Jesus obeyed. And he obeyed for you! When the time had fully come, God sent his beloved Son to be born in Bethlehem, to live as the obedient child you were meant to be, to die on the cross, and to rise again so you could be brought into God’s family. He loved you so much that he poured out his Spirit into your heart so you can cry, “Father!” and know that the Almighty delights to hear you, protect you, bless you, and save you. Even though you have been a rebellious child, God’s grace is greater than your guilt. His love at the manger and the cross is more than enough to bring peace on earth and good will to men. Prayer: Father, thank you for fulfilling your Word by calling your Son out of Egypt, so that I am your own dear child. 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/20251230dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2:14-15 Out of Egypt The words in our Bible reading today show that even as a baby, Jesus was already fulfilling prophecy and establishing his credentials as the promised Savior. When King Herod sought to murder the Christ child, God sent the holy family fleeing to Egypt. Seven hundred years earlier, Hosea had foretold that God’s Son would go there and return—and now Jesus, cradled in his mother’s arms, was living out that prophecy. To understand this fulfillment, though, we must recall Israel’s story. Over three thousand years ago, God adopted a nation of slaves and called them his son. He brought Israel out of Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and gave them a new home in Canaan. But Israel did not always return their Father’s love. The people he rescued turned to false gods and sacrificed to idols. Through prophets like Hosea, God warned his disobedient children what would happen if they refused to repent. They deserved punishment for their idolatry. Yet God could not stop loving his son. That is the backdrop for Matthew’s quotation. Jesus is the perfectly obedient Son of God—so fully identifying with God’s people that his life mirrors theirs. As Israel once went down to Egypt, so he went down to Egypt. As Israel was called out, so he was called out. Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeded; where Israel rebelled, Jesus obeyed. And he obeyed for you! When the time had fully come, God sent his beloved Son to be born in Bethlehem, to live as the obedient child you were meant to be, to die on the cross, and to rise again so you could be brought into God’s family. He loved you so much that he poured out his Spirit into your heart so you can cry, “Father!” and know that the Almighty delights to hear you, protect you, bless you, and save you. Even though you have been a rebellious child, God’s grace is greater than your guilt. His love at the manger and the cross is more than enough to bring peace on earth and good will to men. Prayer: Father, thank you for fulfilling your Word by calling your Son out of Egypt, so that I am your own dear child. 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/20251230dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2:14-15 Out of Egypt The words in our Bible reading today show that even as a baby, Jesus was already fulfilling prophecy and establishing his credentials as the promised Savior. When King Herod sought to murder the Christ child, God sent the holy family fleeing to Egypt. Seven hundred years earlier, Hosea had foretold that God’s Son would go there and return—and now Jesus, cradled in his mother’s arms, was living out that prophecy. To understand this fulfillment, though, we must recall Israel’s story. Over three thousand years ago, God adopted a nation of slaves and called them his son. He brought Israel out of Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and gave them a new home in Canaan. But Israel did not always return their Father’s love. The people he rescued turned to false gods and sacrificed to idols. Through prophets like Hosea, God warned his disobedient children what would happen if they refused to repent. They deserved punishment for their idolatry. Yet God could not stop loving his son. That is the backdrop for Matthew’s quotation. Jesus is the perfectly obedient Son of God—so fully identifying with God’s people that his life mirrors theirs. As Israel once went down to Egypt, so he went down to Egypt. As Israel was called out, so he was called out. Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeded; where Israel rebelled, Jesus obeyed. And he obeyed for you! When the time had fully come, God sent his beloved Son to be born in Bethlehem, to live as the obedient child you were meant to be, to die on the cross, and to rise again so you could be brought into God’s family. He loved you so much that he poured out his Spirit into your heart so you can cry, “Father!” and know that the Almighty delights to hear you, protect you, bless you, and save you. Even though you have been a rebellious child, God’s grace is greater than your guilt. His love at the manger and the cross is more than enough to bring peace on earth and good will to men. Prayer: Father, thank you for fulfilling your Word by calling your Son out of Egypt, so that I am your own dear child. 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.

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/gods-faithful-love  Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9  More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us:  Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​ Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​ App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​ Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible  

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251229dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt. Matthew 2:13-14 God’s Purpose in Herod’s Fear One moment, the baby Jesus had magi laying treasures at his feet; the next, Joseph was taking him into the night and headed for Egypt. The Light of the world had come, but the darkness fought back. You see, the Magi had first come to Jerusalem and told King Herod that they were looking for the King of the Jews. Herod viewed the baby as a threat, and he didn’t like that. He had already killed three of his sons, his favorite wife, his mother-in-law, his uncle, some cousins, and the high priest for being threats to his crown. Now he targeted a baby. But God saved his Son from an early death because the plan of salvation required that he die on the cross when the time had fully come. He fled as a child so that he could later say, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The world did not change the night Jesus was born, but everything changed the morning he walked out of the tomb. The power of Jesus’ resurrection is already removing the darkness, and he will completely remove it on the Last Day. When evil touches your life, remember it also touched him. The child who fled Herod is the Savior who was “despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain” (Isaiah 53:3). At Christmas, God gifts you his Son, Jesus. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for stepping into this dark world so that you can call me out of it and into your wonderful light. 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/20251229dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt. Matthew 2:13-14 God’s Purpose in Herod’s Fear One moment, the baby Jesus had magi laying treasures at his feet; the next, Joseph was taking him into the night and headed for Egypt. The Light of the world had come, but the darkness fought back. You see, the Magi had first come to Jerusalem and told King Herod that they were looking for the King of the Jews. Herod viewed the baby as a threat, and he didn’t like that. He had already killed three of his sons, his favorite wife, his mother-in-law, his uncle, some cousins, and the high priest for being threats to his crown. Now he targeted a baby. But God saved his Son from an early death because the plan of salvation required that he die on the cross when the time had fully come. He fled as a child so that he could later say, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The world did not change the night Jesus was born, but everything changed the morning he walked out of the tomb. The power of Jesus’ resurrection is already removing the darkness, and he will completely remove it on the Last Day. When evil touches your life, remember it also touched him. The child who fled Herod is the Savior who was “despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain” (Isaiah 53:3). At Christmas, God gifts you his Son, Jesus. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for stepping into this dark world so that you can call me out of it and into your wonderful light. 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/20251229dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt. Matthew 2:13-14 God’s Purpose in Herod’s Fear One moment, the baby Jesus had magi laying treasures at his feet; the next, Joseph was taking him into the night and headed for Egypt. The Light of the world had come, but the darkness fought back. You see, the Magi had first come to Jerusalem and told King Herod that they were looking for the King of the Jews. Herod viewed the baby as a threat, and he didn’t like that. He had already killed three of his sons, his favorite wife, his mother-in-law, his uncle, some cousins, and the high priest for being threats to his crown. Now he targeted a baby. But God saved his Son from an early death because the plan of salvation required that he die on the cross when the time had fully come. He fled as a child so that he could later say, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The world did not change the night Jesus was born, but everything changed the morning he walked out of the tomb. The power of Jesus’ resurrection is already removing the darkness, and he will completely remove it on the Last Day. When evil touches your life, remember it also touched him. The child who fled Herod is the Savior who was “despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain” (Isaiah 53:3). At Christmas, God gifts you his Son, Jesus. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for stepping into this dark world so that you can call me out of it and into your wonderful light. 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.

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/joyful-resilience  Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9  More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us:  Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​ Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​ App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​ Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible  

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20251229ECME.mp3 Listen to Devotion So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. Matthew 2:14-15 Jesus, the King “Nooooooo!” screamed my three-year-old on an early December day. “You can't put King Herod there!” Our Little People Nativity Scene has an extra piece. I purchased a king with a scepter that probably once belonged with a princess set. This king represents King Herod and helps us retell the Christmas and Epiphany stories, but my one-year-old had placed him right next to the manger instead of farther away in Jerusalem, and it got a strong reaction from her older sibling. That's because my three-year-old knew that King Herod attempted to do an awful thing. Jesus, the Savior of the world, had been born! But not only did King Herod want to kill the Savior; he was willing to murder many other babies in order to make sure that Jesus was killed. But King Herod could not win against God. God instructed the wise men not to return to Herod so that he could not discover Jesus' location. God sent an angel who instructed Joseph to flee down to Egypt. In the middle of the night, Joseph ushered his family out of the area. King Herod could not carry out his plan to kill the Son of God. This reminds us that the evil of this world cannot win against God. We are aware that evil does happen, including to vulnerable and defenseless children. We do not minimize the tragedy and heartache it brings. But Jesus' escape to Egypt reminds us how God is in control. Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves that nothing can separate us from God. So, we can trust that the same God that kept Jesus safe from King Herod will one day take us—his children—to be with him in eternity. Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for keeping baby Jesus safe from King Herod. We are so grateful that Herod and the devil could not stop your plan for our salvation. Help us to keep Jesus and your word at the center of our life until we one day run to our Savior's arms in heaven. Amen. 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/family-devotions/20251229fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:7-9 I Can't Wait to Tell! In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Think about when you come back to school after Christmas break. What's the first thing everybody does? They tell stories! Stories about presents, fun trips . . . stories about cousins who stayed WAY too long. We like telling the good parts of our break. We don't usually say things like, “I fought with my brother,” or “I spilled hot chocolate everywhere.” We like to talk about the happy things! The prophet Isaiah reminds us that we can do the same thing when we talk about Jesus—we can tell the good news about him! Tell about his mercies. Even when you and I mess up and sin, Jesus says, “I forgive you.” Every time. And that forgiveness is for your friends too! Tell of the reasons to praise the Lord. Life isn't always easy. Some days are hard. But look around—God gives you so many good things: food, family, clothes, a bed, friends, a school, a Savior. That's a LOT to thank him for! Tell about what Jesus has done. Jesus cared for you so much that he became: your Savior in the manger, your Savior on the cross, your Savior who rose from the empty tomb, and your Savior ruling in heaven right now! Here's the best part: God says to you, “Surely you are my people.” That means, “You belong to me. I love you. I won't leave you.” So whether the rest of your break is super fun, kind of boring, or a little tough, Jesus is with you. He carries you. He will not let you go. You can trust that because he has also told you that the baby in the manger is your Savior. And THAT is something worth telling others! Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for telling us in your Word all the wonderful things you have done for us. May we always remember these truths, that we would tell your praises and mercies to those who need to hear them. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children What are some good things the Lord has done for you this week? Which one makes you smile the biggest?! Who can you tell about those good things? What would say to that person? Questions for Elementary Age Children In verse 8, the Lord tells us that he became your Savior. How does Jesus born a tiny baby show he came to be your Savior? What's one simple way you can talk about Jesus this vacation week—at home or with a friend? Questions for Middle School and Above God says, “Surely you are my people.” How can those words help you when you are feeling down? Think of a friend who's having a tough time. What could you tell them about the Lord's mercies to help them feel better? Download Family Devotions Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. 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/20251228dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. Isaiah 63:7 Mercy and Compassion A highly respected running coach was once asked what he would do if he wanted to make his own son an Olympic runner. He responded, “I would get him a coach that believed he could be an Olympian.” After all his years of training runners, this man had learned that having a coach who believed in his runner was a key component to helping that athlete reach his true potential. Isaiah describes the Lord looking at his people and saying, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me.” How could the Lord say this when Israel had turned its back on him again and again? It wasn’t that God thought he could make his people better simply by believing in them. No, God calls Israel his people because in his love and mercy, he made them his people. “He became their Savior.” A coach might help an athlete achieve his greatest potential by believing in him, but God has done much more for us. Simply believing in us would not have been enough, because left to ourselves, our only potential was to go our own way and stray further away from him. So, God in his love and mercy redeemed us. By sending his only Son, he bought us back from our destiny of being sinners forever separated from him. This truth causes our Christmas joy to overflow every day of the year. In his loving kindness, the Lord has made us his people, who are given the righteousness and obedience of his Son. What’s our response to such mercy and compassion? We can join with Isaiah in saying, “I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us.” Prayer: Merciful and compassionate God, I thank you for being my Savior. You have made me your child through the redemption that comes through Jesus Christ. Help me to speak of your kindness, of all that you have done 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251228dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. Isaiah 63:7 Mercy and Compassion A highly respected running coach was once asked what he would do if he wanted to make his own son an Olympic runner. He responded, “I would get him a coach that believed he could be an Olympian.” After all his years of training runners, this man had learned that having a coach who believed in his runner was a key component to helping that athlete reach his true potential. Isaiah describes the Lord looking at his people and saying, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me.” How could the Lord say this when Israel had turned its back on him again and again? It wasn’t that God thought he could make his people better simply by believing in them. No, God calls Israel his people because in his love and mercy, he made them his people. “He became their Savior.” A coach might help an athlete achieve his greatest potential by believing in him, but God has done much more for us. Simply believing in us would not have been enough, because left to ourselves, our only potential was to go our own way and stray further away from him. So, God in his love and mercy redeemed us. By sending his only Son, he bought us back from our destiny of being sinners forever separated from him. This truth causes our Christmas joy to overflow every day of the year. In his loving kindness, the Lord has made us his people, who are given the righteousness and obedience of his Son. What’s our response to such mercy and compassion? We can join with Isaiah in saying, “I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us.” Prayer: Merciful and compassionate God, I thank you for being my Savior. You have made me your child through the redemption that comes through Jesus Christ. Help me to speak of your kindness, of all that you have done 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251228dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. Isaiah 63:7 Mercy and Compassion A highly respected running coach was once asked what he would do if he wanted to make his own son an Olympic runner. He responded, “I would get him a coach that believed he could be an Olympian.” After all his years of training runners, this man had learned that having a coach who believed in his runner was a key component to helping that athlete reach his true potential. Isaiah describes the Lord looking at his people and saying, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me.” How could the Lord say this when Israel had turned its back on him again and again? It wasn’t that God thought he could make his people better simply by believing in them. No, God calls Israel his people because in his love and mercy, he made them his people. “He became their Savior.” A coach might help an athlete achieve his greatest potential by believing in him, but God has done much more for us. Simply believing in us would not have been enough, because left to ourselves, our only potential was to go our own way and stray further away from him. So, God in his love and mercy redeemed us. By sending his only Son, he bought us back from our destiny of being sinners forever separated from him. This truth causes our Christmas joy to overflow every day of the year. In his loving kindness, the Lord has made us his people, who are given the righteousness and obedience of his Son. What’s our response to such mercy and compassion? We can join with Isaiah in saying, “I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us.” Prayer: Merciful and compassionate God, I thank you for being my Savior. You have made me your child through the redemption that comes through Jesus Christ. Help me to speak of your kindness, of all that you have done 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.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251227dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:22-25 God With Us Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah that he would be born of a virgin. God inspired the apostle Matthew to write about the fulfillment of that prophecy. Joseph had no sexual relations with Mary until Jesus was born. Joseph was not Jesus' father; God was. Isaiah said that “they will call him Immanuel”—(which means, “God with us).” The baby born of the virgin Mary is God with us—God became a human being because we are unable to save ourselves. We are unable to keep his commandments. We are unable even to do the one thing he requires of us: “Be holy” (Leviticus 19:2). The baby born of the virgin Mary is God with us—God became human to be one of us. To feel like we do. To eat and drink like we do. To walk and talk like we do. To go through what we go through. He didn’t do this because he needed to, but because we needed him to; so that “God with us” would show us that a human could do what God demanded. And so that “God with us” could suffer and die, and in doing so, pay for our sins. Since he is human, he could die. Since he is God, his payment is for all of us, for all time. Joseph gave him the name “Jesus.” His name declares his great purpose for coming from heaven to be with us on earth. He is our Savior who came to take us from earth to heaven! Prayer: Jesus, you came down from heaven to be with us. Your life and death accomplished my salvation. I worship and honor you for your great love. Come again and take me to be with you 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/20251227dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:22-25 God With Us Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah that he would be born of a virgin. God inspired the apostle Matthew to write about the fulfillment of that prophecy. Joseph had no sexual relations with Mary until Jesus was born. Joseph was not Jesus' father; God was. Isaiah said that “they will call him Immanuel”—(which means, “God with us).” The baby born of the virgin Mary is God with us—God became a human being because we are unable to save ourselves. We are unable to keep his commandments. We are unable even to do the one thing he requires of us: “Be holy” (Leviticus 19:2). The baby born of the virgin Mary is God with us—God became human to be one of us. To feel like we do. To eat and drink like we do. To walk and talk like we do. To go through what we go through. He didn’t do this because he needed to, but because we needed him to; so that “God with us” would show us that a human could do what God demanded. And so that “God with us” could suffer and die, and in doing so, pay for our sins. Since he is human, he could die. Since he is God, his payment is for all of us, for all time. Joseph gave him the name “Jesus.” His name declares his great purpose for coming from heaven to be with us on earth. He is our Savior who came to take us from earth to heaven! Prayer: Jesus, you came down from heaven to be with us. Your life and death accomplished my salvation. I worship and honor you for your great love. Come again and take me to be with you 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/20251227dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:22-25 God With Us Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah that he would be born of a virgin. God inspired the apostle Matthew to write about the fulfillment of that prophecy. Joseph had no sexual relations with Mary until Jesus was born. Joseph was not Jesus' father; God was. Isaiah said that “they will call him Immanuel”—(which means, “God with us).” The baby born of the virgin Mary is God with us—God became a human being because we are unable to save ourselves. We are unable to keep his commandments. We are unable even to do the one thing he requires of us: “Be holy” (Leviticus 19:2). The baby born of the virgin Mary is God with us—God became human to be one of us. To feel like we do. To eat and drink like we do. To walk and talk like we do. To go through what we go through. He didn’t do this because he needed to, but because we needed him to; so that “God with us” would show us that a human could do what God demanded. And so that “God with us” could suffer and die, and in doing so, pay for our sins. Since he is human, he could die. Since he is God, his payment is for all of us, for all time. Joseph gave him the name “Jesus.” His name declares his great purpose for coming from heaven to be with us on earth. He is our Savior who came to take us from earth to heaven! Prayer: Jesus, you came down from heaven to be with us. Your life and death accomplished my salvation. I worship and honor you for your great love. Come again and take me to be with you 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/20251226dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Hebrews 1:1-2 He Has Spoken by His Son When people want to know God’s will, they often search for a voice. Some look for signs in nature, others for whispers in their hearts. Some chase after visions or dramatic experiences. But the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that we don't need to guess where God speaks. We already have his clear Word. Long ago, God spoke through prophets like Moses and Isaiah. Their words were true, and they pointed forward to something greater. All those voices prepared the way for the day when God would speak through his Son. And that day has come. In Jesus, God has spoken once for all. Do you want to know how God feels about you? Look at his Son. See Jesus reaching out to touch the untouchable leper. Hear his voice calming the fearful. Watch him carrying your sins to the cross. Listen as he cries out, “It is finished!” That is God's message to you. No uncertainty. No guesswork. God loves you, forgives you, and calls you his child. Notice also how Jesus is described. He is the heir of all things, the One through whom the universe was made. This is no ordinary messenger. When he speaks, it is not merely advice or suggestion. It is the voice of the eternal Son of God. And that means you can trust his promises with complete confidence. So, when doubts arise, when your heart longs for assurance, you don't need to wait for a special sign from heaven. You already have the greatest sign: God has spoken by his Son. Open the Scriptures. Hear him there. His Word is living and active, still speaking forgiveness and peace into your life today. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the final and full Word of God. When I am tempted to look elsewhere for assurance, turn me back to you. Let me rest in your promises, for in you I hear God's love loud and clear. 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/20251226dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Hebrews 1:1-2 He Has Spoken by His Son When people want to know God’s will, they often search for a voice. Some look for signs in nature, others for whispers in their hearts. Some chase after visions or dramatic experiences. But the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that we don't need to guess where God speaks. We already have his clear Word. Long ago, God spoke through prophets like Moses and Isaiah. Their words were true, and they pointed forward to something greater. All those voices prepared the way for the day when God would speak through his Son. And that day has come. In Jesus, God has spoken once for all. Do you want to know how God feels about you? Look at his Son. See Jesus reaching out to touch the untouchable leper. Hear his voice calming the fearful. Watch him carrying your sins to the cross. Listen as he cries out, “It is finished!” That is God's message to you. No uncertainty. No guesswork. God loves you, forgives you, and calls you his child. Notice also how Jesus is described. He is the heir of all things, the One through whom the universe was made. This is no ordinary messenger. When he speaks, it is not merely advice or suggestion. It is the voice of the eternal Son of God. And that means you can trust his promises with complete confidence. So, when doubts arise, when your heart longs for assurance, you don't need to wait for a special sign from heaven. You already have the greatest sign: God has spoken by his Son. Open the Scriptures. Hear him there. His Word is living and active, still speaking forgiveness and peace into your life today. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the final and full Word of God. When I am tempted to look elsewhere for assurance, turn me back to you. Let me rest in your promises, for in you I hear God's love loud and clear. 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.

Watch the Devotion Based on John 1:1-14 The Hidden Glory of God “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). The Word—Jesus is the Word. In eternity God spoke, and the world came into being. God spoke and there was light. When the darkness of sin invaded the light, God spoke again and made promises to scatter the darkness. The Word, God from eternity, begotten of the Father, so interconnected with the Father, would take on human flesh. He would be present, not omnipresent as he was before, but confined to space and time. The Word became flesh. Jesus assumed the true nature of a human being and lived among his creatures. Men like John the apostle spent a considerable amount of time with him and were able to examine and listen, to scrutinize and confirm: “Yes, this one is like us! He gets tired and hungry and needs water, he cries and he laughs, and he is truly human.” And yet, John says, “We have seen his glory.” John watched with amazement as the Word revealed the thoughts and attitudes of the hearts of men. He watched the Word walk on water. He watched him heal the sick and raise the dead. The Word himself was subjected to death—they snuffed out the light of life—but he came back from the dead. Although Jesus was God from eternity and embodied the fullness of the deity, and although John said, “We have seen his glory,” the Word hid his glory. The Word became flesh, not in a palace among kings and princes, but in a lowly place where animals ate and slept. The Word became flesh, not to flaunt his power through words that thunder from heaven, but in the quiet whisper of good news: “You are forgiven!” At Christmastime we might be tempted to look for something more from Jesus—some sort of financial miracle to get us out of a money mess, some sort of grace bomb that will restore all our broken relationships, some sort of heart and mind transplant that will remove all these relentless inappropriate thoughts and desires. The Word became flesh and still hides his glory. He hides his grandeur in a gentle word of grace and truth spoken to you: “I forgive you all your sins.” He hides his greatness in simple water where you are reassured: “Yes, you are my child.” He hides in simple bread and wine: “This is my body, this is my blood, given for you for the pardon of all your transgressions.” Grace and truth for you. This Christmas, marvel at the Word made flesh, who hid his glory, who hides his glory even now, so that you might receive the greatest gifts: grace and truth today, tomorrow, and for eternity, where you will behold him in all his glory. Prayer: Lord Jesus, during these days of the Christmas season, reassure us that you became flesh so that you might give us your grace and truth. Reassure those who serve in our nation's military that although they may be far from their loved ones this Christmas, you continue to dwell among your people. Comfort family members and friends who miss their service member with your abiding presence. Renew in us the desire to read, study, and pray on your Word of truth daily so we never forget why you were born—to save us. In your name we pray. Amen. Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California. 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. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251226dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Hebrews 1:1-2 He Has Spoken by His Son When people want to know God’s will, they often search for a voice. Some look for signs in nature, others for whispers in their hearts. Some chase after visions or dramatic experiences. But the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that we don't need to guess where God speaks. We already have his clear Word. Long ago, God spoke through prophets like Moses and Isaiah. Their words were true, and they pointed forward to something greater. All those voices prepared the way for the day when God would speak through his Son. And that day has come. In Jesus, God has spoken once for all. Do you want to know how God feels about you? Look at his Son. See Jesus reaching out to touch the untouchable leper. Hear his voice calming the fearful. Watch him carrying your sins to the cross. Listen as he cries out, “It is finished!” That is God's message to you. No uncertainty. No guesswork. God loves you, forgives you, and calls you his child. Notice also how Jesus is described. He is the heir of all things, the One through whom the universe was made. This is no ordinary messenger. When he speaks, it is not merely advice or suggestion. It is the voice of the eternal Son of God. And that means you can trust his promises with complete confidence. So, when doubts arise, when your heart longs for assurance, you don't need to wait for a special sign from heaven. You already have the greatest sign: God has spoken by his Son. Open the Scriptures. Hear him there. His Word is living and active, still speaking forgiveness and peace into your life today. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the final and full Word of God. When I am tempted to look elsewhere for assurance, turn me back to you. Let me rest in your promises, for in you I hear God's love loud and clear. 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/20251225dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Give Glory to God How do you know what God is really like? Some imagine him as distant, powerful but far removed from daily life. Others picture him as a stern judge, always ready to condemn. Still others think of him as a vague spiritual force, too abstract to know personally. But John tells us something remarkable: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The eternal Son of God didn't stay far away. He didn’t just send messages through prophets or appear in visions. He came down to live with us, fully human, yet still fully God. That changes everything. In Jesus, we see exactly what God is like. He is not cold or distant. He is not waiting for us to climb up to him. Instead, he comes down to us. He steps into our weakness, our suffering, even our death. He takes on flesh so that he can carry our sins to the cross and give us his righteousness in return. John says we have seen his glory. But notice how that glory shines. It is not in earthly splendor or political power, but in humble service, in compassion for the broken, in sacrifice for sinners. The manger, the cross, and the empty tomb reveal God's glory most clearly. There, we see a God full of grace and truth. Grace, because in Jesus, we receive forgiveness we could never earn. Truth, because in Jesus, we see God's faithfulness to every promise. This means you don’t have to wonder whether God loves you. You don’t need to search for hidden signs of his presence. The Word became flesh. He lived among us. He still comes to us today through his Word and sacraments. And he will dwell with us forever in heaven. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for becoming flesh and making your dwelling among us. Help me to see your glory in your life, death, and resurrection. Fill me with confidence in your grace and truth. 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/20251225dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Give Glory to God How do you know what God is really like? Some imagine him as distant, powerful but far removed from daily life. Others picture him as a stern judge, always ready to condemn. Still others think of him as a vague spiritual force, too abstract to know personally. But John tells us something remarkable: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The eternal Son of God didn't stay far away. He didn’t just send messages through prophets or appear in visions. He came down to live with us, fully human, yet still fully God. That changes everything. In Jesus, we see exactly what God is like. He is not cold or distant. He is not waiting for us to climb up to him. Instead, he comes down to us. He steps into our weakness, our suffering, even our death. He takes on flesh so that he can carry our sins to the cross and give us his righteousness in return. John says we have seen his glory. But notice how that glory shines. It is not in earthly splendor or political power, but in humble service, in compassion for the broken, in sacrifice for sinners. The manger, the cross, and the empty tomb reveal God's glory most clearly. There, we see a God full of grace and truth. Grace, because in Jesus, we receive forgiveness we could never earn. Truth, because in Jesus, we see God's faithfulness to every promise. This means you don’t have to wonder whether God loves you. You don’t need to search for hidden signs of his presence. The Word became flesh. He lived among us. He still comes to us today through his Word and sacraments. And he will dwell with us forever in heaven. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for becoming flesh and making your dwelling among us. Help me to see your glory in your life, death, and resurrection. Fill me with confidence in your grace and truth. 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/20251225dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Give Glory to God How do you know what God is really like? Some imagine him as distant, powerful but far removed from daily life. Others picture him as a stern judge, always ready to condemn. Still others think of him as a vague spiritual force, too abstract to know personally. But John tells us something remarkable: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The eternal Son of God didn't stay far away. He didn’t just send messages through prophets or appear in visions. He came down to live with us, fully human, yet still fully God. That changes everything. In Jesus, we see exactly what God is like. He is not cold or distant. He is not waiting for us to climb up to him. Instead, he comes down to us. He steps into our weakness, our suffering, even our death. He takes on flesh so that he can carry our sins to the cross and give us his righteousness in return. John says we have seen his glory. But notice how that glory shines. It is not in earthly splendor or political power, but in humble service, in compassion for the broken, in sacrifice for sinners. The manger, the cross, and the empty tomb reveal God's glory most clearly. There, we see a God full of grace and truth. Grace, because in Jesus, we receive forgiveness we could never earn. Truth, because in Jesus, we see God's faithfulness to every promise. This means you don’t have to wonder whether God loves you. You don’t need to search for hidden signs of his presence. The Word became flesh. He lived among us. He still comes to us today through his Word and sacraments. And he will dwell with us forever in heaven. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for becoming flesh and making your dwelling among us. Help me to see your glory in your life, death, and resurrection. Fill me with confidence in your grace and truth. 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/20251224dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 A Savior Has Been Born to You The shepherds weren’t expecting anything that night. They were just doing their jobs. They watched their flocks, kept predators away, and tried to stay warm in the darkness. Then suddenly, the night sky blazed with God’s glory, and an angel stood before them. Terror filled their hearts. Who could stand in the presence of God’s holiness? But the first words they heard were not words of judgment. They were words of comfort: “Do not be afraid.” Why not? Because God had not come to condemn. He had come to save. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.” Notice the angel’s message. This Savior is for you. Not just for kings or priests. Not just for the powerful or important. For shepherds, for sinners, for all people. And the sign? Not a mighty warrior or dazzling throne, but a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. God’s Son came in humility so that no one would be too lowly to approach him. On this holy night, the same message comes to you: Do not be afraid. Whatever guilt weighs on your conscience, whatever darkness troubles your heart, your Savior has been born. Rejoice! The good news of great joy is for you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into this world for me. Drive away my fears and fill my heart with your peace and joy this Christmas Eve. 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/20251224dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 A Savior Has Been Born to You The shepherds weren’t expecting anything that night. They were just doing their jobs. They watched their flocks, kept predators away, and tried to stay warm in the darkness. Then suddenly, the night sky blazed with God’s glory, and an angel stood before them. Terror filled their hearts. Who could stand in the presence of God’s holiness? But the first words they heard were not words of judgment. They were words of comfort: “Do not be afraid.” Why not? Because God had not come to condemn. He had come to save. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.” Notice the angel’s message. This Savior is for you. Not just for kings or priests. Not just for the powerful or important. For shepherds, for sinners, for all people. And the sign? Not a mighty warrior or dazzling throne, but a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. God’s Son came in humility so that no one would be too lowly to approach him. On this holy night, the same message comes to you: Do not be afraid. Whatever guilt weighs on your conscience, whatever darkness troubles your heart, your Savior has been born. Rejoice! The good news of great joy is for you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into this world for me. Drive away my fears and fill my heart with your peace and joy this Christmas Eve. 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/20251224dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 A Savior Has Been Born to You The shepherds weren’t expecting anything that night. They were just doing their jobs. They watched their flocks, kept predators away, and tried to stay warm in the darkness. Then suddenly, the night sky blazed with God’s glory, and an angel stood before them. Terror filled their hearts. Who could stand in the presence of God’s holiness? But the first words they heard were not words of judgment. They were words of comfort: “Do not be afraid.” Why not? Because God had not come to condemn. He had come to save. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.” Notice the angel’s message. This Savior is for you. Not just for kings or priests. Not just for the powerful or important. For shepherds, for sinners, for all people. And the sign? Not a mighty warrior or dazzling throne, but a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. God’s Son came in humility so that no one would be too lowly to approach him. On this holy night, the same message comes to you: Do not be afraid. Whatever guilt weighs on your conscience, whatever darkness troubles your heart, your Savior has been born. Rejoice! The good news of great joy is for you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into this world for me. Drive away my fears and fill my heart with your peace and joy this Christmas Eve. 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/20251223dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 Give Him the Name Jesus Joseph’s world had been turned upside down. The woman he loved was expecting a child, and Joseph knew he wasn’t the father. In his hurt and confusion, he planned to end the engagement quietly. But before he could act, God intervened. Through an angel, the Lord gave Joseph the comfort he needed: “Do not be afraid.” Mary’s child was no scandal. He was the Savior, conceived by the Holy Spirit. This was not Joseph’s plan, but it was God’s, and it was perfect. The angel even told Joseph the baby’s name: Jesus. That name means “The Lord saves.” His purpose was clear. He will save his people from their sins. Not from Roman rulers. Not from poverty or sickness. But from the deeper problem that haunts every heart—sin. What a message of hope! We too face fear and confusion when life does not go as planned. We wrestle with guilt over choices we made, with uncertainty about the future, with the pain of brokenness in our world. Yet in our turmoil, God still speaks: “Do not be afraid.” Why not? Because Jesus has come. He has come to save us from our sins. He has lived the perfect life we could not, carried our guilt to the cross, and risen victorious from the grave. His name is still our comfort today: Jesus. The Lord saves. Like Joseph, we may not always understand God’s plan. But we can trust his promise. In Christ, we are forgiven. In Christ, we are safe. And in Christ, we have every reason to live without fear. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to save me from my sins. When fear and doubt rise in my heart, remind me of your name and your promise: The Lord saves. 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/20251223dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 Give Him the Name Jesus Joseph’s world had been turned upside down. The woman he loved was expecting a child, and Joseph knew he wasn’t the father. In his hurt and confusion, he planned to end the engagement quietly. But before he could act, God intervened. Through an angel, the Lord gave Joseph the comfort he needed: “Do not be afraid.” Mary’s child was no scandal. He was the Savior, conceived by the Holy Spirit. This was not Joseph’s plan, but it was God’s, and it was perfect. The angel even told Joseph the baby’s name: Jesus. That name means “The Lord saves.” His purpose was clear. He will save his people from their sins. Not from Roman rulers. Not from poverty or sickness. But from the deeper problem that haunts every heart—sin. What a message of hope! We too face fear and confusion when life does not go as planned. We wrestle with guilt over choices we made, with uncertainty about the future, with the pain of brokenness in our world. Yet in our turmoil, God still speaks: “Do not be afraid.” Why not? Because Jesus has come. He has come to save us from our sins. He has lived the perfect life we could not, carried our guilt to the cross, and risen victorious from the grave. His name is still our comfort today: Jesus. The Lord saves. Like Joseph, we may not always understand God’s plan. But we can trust his promise. In Christ, we are forgiven. In Christ, we are safe. And in Christ, we have every reason to live without fear. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to save me from my sins. When fear and doubt rise in my heart, remind me of your name and your promise: The Lord saves. 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.

Send us a textIn this episode, Pastor Dom teaches us to ponder on the Word of God like Mary did. Luke 1:26-2826 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”Luke 1:2929 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was.Luke 11:27-2827 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” 28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”Luke 2:1919 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.Luke 1:3838 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.2 Timothy 3:1616 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,Proverbs 23:7For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.Matthew 12:3434 …For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.2 Corinthians 5:1717 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.Psalm 56:1111 In God I have put my trust;I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?Isaiah 41:1010 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you,Isaiah 43:22 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.Isaiah 26:33 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.John 14:2727 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.1 Peter 5:77 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.Jeremiah 31:33 …“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;…Philippians 4:1919 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.Hebrews 13:55 …For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”2 Corinthians 1:2020 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251222dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 Look to the Sign We live in a world that constantly demands signs. Politicians promise change, and we look for signs that things will improve. Doctors give us a diagnosis, and we want signs that treatments will work. Even in our spiritual lives, we sometimes find ourselves asking God for signs as proof that he is with us, proof that he hears us and will help us. King Ahaz, the king of Judah, was in a difficult spot when Isaiah spoke the words of our Bible reading for today. Powerful armies threatened him. God offered him a sign of his faithfulness, but Ahaz doubted God. God’s promise did not depend on Ahaz’s faith. The Lord himself gave the sign: a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son, and his name would be Immanuel, “God with us.” Centuries later, Matthew's gospel revealed how wonderfully God kept that promise. The virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, and in him God truly was with us, not just in spirit, not only in power, but in the flesh. He came to stand in our place, to live the perfect life we could not, and to die the death our sins deserved. The ultimate sign of God’s faithfulness is the cross and the empty tomb. What does this mean for us? It means we never need to doubt whether God is with us. Whatever troubles surround us—health concerns, family struggles, financial stress, or guilt from our sins—God has already given us the sign. In Jesus, he is with us. And if he is with us, then who can be against us? So, when doubts creep in, return to the sign God has given. Look to the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb. There you see Immanuel, God with us, God with you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to be my Immanuel. When I am afraid or tempted to doubt, turn my eyes back to you and the sign of your love. 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/20251222dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 Look to the Sign We live in a world that constantly demands signs. Politicians promise change, and we look for signs that things will improve. Doctors give us a diagnosis, and we want signs that treatments will work. Even in our spiritual lives, we sometimes find ourselves asking God for signs as proof that he is with us, proof that he hears us and will help us. King Ahaz, the king of Judah, was in a difficult spot when Isaiah spoke the words of our Bible reading for today. Powerful armies threatened him. God offered him a sign of his faithfulness, but Ahaz doubted God. God’s promise did not depend on Ahaz’s faith. The Lord himself gave the sign: a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son, and his name would be Immanuel, “God with us.” Centuries later, Matthew's gospel revealed how wonderfully God kept that promise. The virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, and in him God truly was with us, not just in spirit, not only in power, but in the flesh. He came to stand in our place, to live the perfect life we could not, and to die the death our sins deserved. The ultimate sign of God’s faithfulness is the cross and the empty tomb. What does this mean for us? It means we never need to doubt whether God is with us. Whatever troubles surround us—health concerns, family struggles, financial stress, or guilt from our sins—God has already given us the sign. In Jesus, he is with us. And if he is with us, then who can be against us? So, when doubts creep in, return to the sign God has given. Look to the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb. There you see Immanuel, God with us, God with you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to be my Immanuel. When I am afraid or tempted to doubt, turn my eyes back to you and the sign of your love. 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/20251221dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-6 Family Matters For many people, these are days of preparation and travel to be with family for Christmas. Most will describe this as an essential and very enjoyable part of the Christmas celebration. Similarly, the reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem was a family matter. His parents had traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem because “they were of the house and line of David” (Luke 2:4). In the very town that hundreds of years earlier David was anointed the king of Israel, came the one who would fulfill that promise. Jesus had a family. The apostle Paul wrote, “As to his human nature (he) was a descendant of David.” He “became flesh” (John 1:14). He became true man so he could live and experience life like one of us. He also “through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God” (Romans 1:4). Jesus wasn’t just another human member of David's family tree; he is God himself. The result? We also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. We have another family to celebrate with this Christmas—all those who realized their need for a Savior, and in whose hearts God’s Spirit has worked a conviction that Jesus is their Savior and Lord. While we enjoy time with our families this Christmas, may we also rejoice that we can trace our spiritual roots back to the Babe of Bethlehem and celebrate with the family of believers our joy in Jesus, who came into this world to be our Savior. Prayer: Dear Jesus, bless my Christmas worship this year and my time together with family as we come together to celebrate your birth. Fill me with the awe of your miraculous birth and the joy that comes from believing that you are my God and Savior. 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/20251221dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-6 Family Matters For many people, these are days of preparation and travel to be with family for Christmas. Most will describe this as an essential and very enjoyable part of the Christmas celebration. Similarly, the reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem was a family matter. His parents had traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem because “they were of the house and line of David” (Luke 2:4). In the very town that hundreds of years earlier David was anointed the king of Israel, came the one who would fulfill that promise. Jesus had a family. The apostle Paul wrote, “As to his human nature (he) was a descendant of David.” He “became flesh” (John 1:14). He became true man so he could live and experience life like one of us. He also “through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God” (Romans 1:4). Jesus wasn’t just another human member of David's family tree; he is God himself. The result? We also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. We have another family to celebrate with this Christmas—all those who realized their need for a Savior, and in whose hearts God’s Spirit has worked a conviction that Jesus is their Savior and Lord. While we enjoy time with our families this Christmas, may we also rejoice that we can trace our spiritual roots back to the Babe of Bethlehem and celebrate with the family of believers our joy in Jesus, who came into this world to be our Savior. Prayer: Dear Jesus, bless my Christmas worship this year and my time together with family as we come together to celebrate your birth. Fill me with the awe of your miraculous birth and the joy that comes from believing that you are my God and Savior. 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/20251220dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. James 5:8 Be Patient ‘I can’t wait!’ That’s a common cry this time of year. Children have been adding items to their Christmas lists for weeks. Waiting another week to see what they may get seems unbearable. It’s just as hard for students to wait for the Christmas break. It’s equally difficult to wait when you are holding a ticket to visit relatives over the Christmas holiday. It doesn’t matter how long you stare at the calendar; there are no shortcuts. Waiting requires patience. The Bible acknowledges that patience isn’t a natural virtue in any of us. It’s especially true when life isn’t going right. When you are afflicted with sickness or are being mistreated, waiting for relief is just about the hardest thing to do. It would be much more natural to grumble and complain when your health is poor. When you aren’t being treated fairly, it’s much easier to lash out or criticize someone else to make them feel as lousy as you feel. So, the Bible tells you to be patient. That’s how God wants you to handle your frustrations and challenges in life. Sometimes you can’t overcome that sickness or get rid of that mistreatment. Yet you can still place your trust in God during those difficult times and wait for God to do his job. God did his biggest job when he sent Jesus to this earth on that first Christmas. Jesus took on himself all the abuse and mistreatment he never deserved. Jesus suffered for all the world’s spiritual sickness. Jesus took away the punishment for all our complaining, grumbling, and stinging criticisms of others. The results of Jesus’ work mean peace and forgiveness for believing hearts. ‘I can’t wait!’ can be your motto for the return of Jesus. You don’t have to count down the days on the calendar. You can wait with patience because Jesus brings more than presents, a brief visit, or a break from school. You can stand firm and eagerly wait for the blessings Jesus has in store for you when he comes back to take you home to heaven. Prayer: Lord Jesus, fill my life with your love and forgiveness so I can patiently endure earthly struggles while I wait for you to come back and bring me your eternal blessings. 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/20251220dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. James 5:8 Be Patient ‘I can’t wait!’ That’s a common cry this time of year. Children have been adding items to their Christmas lists for weeks. Waiting another week to see what they may get seems unbearable. It’s just as hard for students to wait for the Christmas break. It’s equally difficult to wait when you are holding a ticket to visit relatives over the Christmas holiday. It doesn’t matter how long you stare at the calendar; there are no shortcuts. Waiting requires patience. The Bible acknowledges that patience isn’t a natural virtue in any of us. It’s especially true when life isn’t going right. When you are afflicted with sickness or are being mistreated, waiting for relief is just about the hardest thing to do. It would be much more natural to grumble and complain when your health is poor. When you aren’t being treated fairly, it’s much easier to lash out or criticize someone else to make them feel as lousy as you feel. So, the Bible tells you to be patient. That’s how God wants you to handle your frustrations and challenges in life. Sometimes you can’t overcome that sickness or get rid of that mistreatment. Yet you can still place your trust in God during those difficult times and wait for God to do his job. God did his biggest job when he sent Jesus to this earth on that first Christmas. Jesus took on himself all the abuse and mistreatment he never deserved. Jesus suffered for all the world’s spiritual sickness. Jesus took away the punishment for all our complaining, grumbling, and stinging criticisms of others. The results of Jesus’ work mean peace and forgiveness for believing hearts. ‘I can’t wait!’ can be your motto for the return of Jesus. You don’t have to count down the days on the calendar. You can wait with patience because Jesus brings more than presents, a brief visit, or a break from school. You can stand firm and eagerly wait for the blessings Jesus has in store for you when he comes back to take you home to heaven. Prayer: Lord Jesus, fill my life with your love and forgiveness so I can patiently endure earthly struggles while I wait for you to come back and bring me your eternal blessings. 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/20251219dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:10-11 A Lesson in Perseverance Advent is a season of waiting. We wait for Christmas, we wait for family to arrive, we wait in checkout lines, and sometimes we wait for God to do something that makes sense of what we're going through. Waiting can be hard, especially when it's mixed with pain or uncertainty. James points us to people who knew that kind of waiting well: the prophets who spoke for God, and especially Job. Job’s life was shattered in a single season. It’s hard for us to imagine all that he lost. All ten of his children were killed in a windstorm, his wealth was stolen, and his health broken. His friends accused him of bringing it on himself, and even his wife told him to give up. But Job didn’t give up on God, even when God felt silent. He cried out, questioned, and lamented, but he kept talking to God. And in time, God restored Job’s life in ways Job never expected. Not because Job earned it, but because “the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” God teaches us to wait with trust, even when the light seems far away. God is still writing your story even when it feels like the pages have run out. The baby in Bethlehem, Jesus our Savior, is proof that God's compassion comes through waiting. Joy can follow pain, and life can rise from loss. If you find yourself in a season that feels more like Job’s than Christmas morning, remember the Lord is still full of compassion and mercy. He has not forgotten you, and he never will. Prayer: Lord, teach me to wait with faith in you. When my heart grows weary or questions rise, remind me that you are full of compassion and mercy. Help me trust that your story for my life isn't over yet. 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/20251219dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:10-11 A Lesson in Perseverance Advent is a season of waiting. We wait for Christmas, we wait for family to arrive, we wait in checkout lines, and sometimes we wait for God to do something that makes sense of what we're going through. Waiting can be hard, especially when it's mixed with pain or uncertainty. James points us to people who knew that kind of waiting well: the prophets who spoke for God, and especially Job. Job’s life was shattered in a single season. It’s hard for us to imagine all that he lost. All ten of his children were killed in a windstorm, his wealth was stolen, and his health broken. His friends accused him of bringing it on himself, and even his wife told him to give up. But Job didn’t give up on God, even when God felt silent. He cried out, questioned, and lamented, but he kept talking to God. And in time, God restored Job’s life in ways Job never expected. Not because Job earned it, but because “the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” God teaches us to wait with trust, even when the light seems far away. God is still writing your story even when it feels like the pages have run out. The baby in Bethlehem, Jesus our Savior, is proof that God's compassion comes through waiting. Joy can follow pain, and life can rise from loss. If you find yourself in a season that feels more like Job’s than Christmas morning, remember the Lord is still full of compassion and mercy. He has not forgotten you, and he never will. Prayer: Lord, teach me to wait with faith in you. When my heart grows weary or questions rise, remind me that you are full of compassion and mercy. Help me trust that your story for my life isn't over yet. 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/20251218dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Isaiah 35:1-2 God Makes the Desert Bloom In northern Chile, along the Pacific coast, lies one of the driest places on earth. Known as the Atacama, it sometimes goes decades without measurable rainfall. It’s so barren that NASA uses it to simulate conditions on Mars. But in rare years, the Atacama Desert receives a few inches of rain, like it did a few months ago. Within days, something astonishing happens. Dormant seeds that have been buried in the dust for years suddenly burst into life. The desert floor becomes carpeted with a palette of pink, purple, yellow, and white. The transformation is so dramatic that satellites can detect the color change from space. That’s the picture Isaiah gives us. Maybe your life feels a little like that dry ground right now. Life feels empty, brittle, and you’re waiting for something to change. Isaiah reminds us that God hasn’t forgotten how to make things bloom. His Word and his Spirit still bring renewal, transformation, and life. God rains down his grace, forgiveness, and peace on dry and weary hearts. God is able to transform the dry and the forsaken into vibrant life. God turns death into life. Jesus Christ went from barren death and three days later to life and immortality. He broke through the grave as the firstfruits from the dead. He endured the scathing punishment for your sin. He bore the withering wrath you deserved. He did all this so that God’s glory might be brought to full flower. He did it so that you, too, can go from death to life. Prayer: Dear God, send your rain on the dry places in my life. Let your grace soak into the cracks of my heart. Remind me that your Son, Jesus, was parched so that I can spend an eternity in paradise with 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/20251217dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew 11:11 Made Great by Jesus John the Baptist was no ordinary man. He was courageous, faithful, and unwavering in his mission. He spoke God’s truth without fear, even when it landed him in prison. He received a beautiful compliment from Jesus: “among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” That’s an incredible commendation! And yet, Jesus adds something surprising: “whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” How can that be? John was a prophet chosen by God. He baptized Jesus. He prepared the way for the Messiah. How could anyone be greater than that? The answer is that John looked forward to what we now live in. John pointed ahead to the Savior who was to come. We get to see what John only glimpsed from a distance. We know the full story. We see how Jesus carried our sins to the cross, rose from the dead, and opened heaven's door to all who believe. Greatness in God's kingdom isn’t about status, reputation, or how much you do for God. It's about what Jesus has done for you. The least person who trusts in Christ, clinging to his forgiveness and grace, will live in eternal glory in heaven. That person stands on the finished work of Jesus. So, if you ever feel small or unimportant, remember who you are in God's eyes. You are part of something infinitely greater. You belong to the kingdom John was waiting for, the kingdom Jesus won for you. Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for bringing me into your kingdom. When I feel small or unworthy, remind me that my worth comes from you. Help me live with the confidence that I am yours, now and forever. 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.