Our Savior Lutheran Church

09/04/2026

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 8:25

Waiting Patiently
How many times did you wait today? Wait in line. Wait at a red light. Wait for a text. We spend a surprising amount of life waiting. Are you patient when it comes to waiting?

The Christian life is a life of waiting. We wait for Christ to return. We wait for the resurrection of our bodies. We wait for the day when sin is gone, and every promise God has made is fulfilled before our eyes. Yet notice how the apostle Paul describes that waiting: “We wait for it patiently.”

Patience doesn’t come naturally. There’s a reason it’s called a virtue. By nature, we want God to work according to our timetable. In a world where instant information is at our fingertips, this has only been magnified. But biblical patience is the quiet confidence that rests in God’s promises even when his timing remains hidden.

Think of a farmer. After planting his seed, he cannot make it grow by worrying. He cannot rush the harvest by checking the field every hour. He waits because he trusts that, in the proper season, the crop will come. So, too, our heavenly Father has already planted every promise in the death and resurrection of his Son. The harvest is certain. The only thing left is God’s appointed day.

That changes how we carry today’s crosses. We do not endure suffering to prove our strength. Rather, we trust that it is often through waiting that the Lord strengthens us through his Word. We wait because we know our Savior keeps every promise. One day the waiting will end. The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised. The crown that Jesus won will be a joyful reality, and every cross will be behind you. But until that glorious day, keep waiting, not with anxious uncertainty, but with joyful confidence. It will be worth the wait because no cross compares with the crown of glory that awaits.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have promised that you will come again to take your people home. Keep me faithful as I wait for that glorious day. Give me patience that rests in your promises, courage to bear the crosses of this life, and confidence that nothing can separate me from your love. Amen.



Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

09/03/2026

“Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I want to pray more. Right now, the amount of time I spend in prayer is . . . meh. I pray before going to bed, after waking up, and at meals. I use a…

09/03/2026

When you say, “I hope so,” what do you mean?...

09/02/2026

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

No Comparison
A diagnosis. An unexpected funeral. The loss of a job. A difficult marriage. Chronic pain. Loneliness. Anxiety. The daily struggle against temptation. The list can go far beyond the 400-word limit for this devotion.

The Bible never denies suffering. Nor does it pretend or promise that Christians have an easier life. In fact, sometimes Christians have a more difficult life because they are Christians. That’s what the Bible call the cross—suffering for the sake of our faith. But when you place our crosses alongside the crown that Christ has prepared, there is no comparison.

Imagine placing a pebble beside a mountain or a single candle beside the noon-day sun. The pebble is real. The candle gives real light. But beside something infinitely greater, they fade from view. So, too, the glory Christ won for us by his death and resurrection is so overwhelming that today’s suffering cannot be compared to tomorrow’s joy.

That doesn’t mean our pain doesn’t matter. It mattered enough that Jesus entered it himself. He carried the greatest cross ever borne—the weight of the world’s sin, the Father’s judgment, and death itself. At Calvary, our Savior wore a crown of thorns so that one day we would wear the crown of life.

Because Christ carried the cross first, your crosses are never signs that God has abandoned you. They are reminders that you are following the Savior who walked this road before you. More than that, they assure you that suffering is never the final chapter of your story.

The day is coming when tears will be wiped away, and sin will trouble you no more. Your body will be raised in glory, and you will stand forever in the presence of the One who redeemed you. Until then, fix your eyes not on the weight of today’s cross but on the certainty of tomorrow’s crown.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when the crosses of this life seem too heavy to bear, lift my eyes to the glory you have prepared for me. Remind me that you carried the greatest cross so that I might receive the crown of life. Strengthen my faith to endure with hope until the day I see you face to face. In your holy name I pray. Amen.



Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

09/02/2026

08/25/2026

Jesus replied . . . “This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 16:17

Faith Is a Gift
Many people think becoming a Christian is simply a matter of deciding to believe.

Jesus tells a different story. After Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus said this understanding did not come from Peter’s own intelligence or effort. God had revealed it to him.

That is encouraging news. Jesus does not tell you to manufacture faith by trying harder. Instead, Christianity teaches that God comes to us. He speaks to us through his Word. He reveals his Son. He creates faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, where there was none before. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17).

Think about every important relationship in your life. You only know another person because they chose to reveal themselves to you. The same is true of God. We cannot climb our way up to him. He must come down to us. And in Jesus, he has done just that.

That is why Christians gather around the Bible. We believe it is God’s own message, revealing his love through Jesus Christ.

The wonderful news is that God is not hiding from you. He wants you to know him. He wants you to know that your sins are forgiven because of Jesus. He wants you to know that death is not the end. He wants you to know that you are invited into his family—not because you have earned it, but because he loves you.

As you face today’s challenges, remember that your hope rests not in the strength of your faith, but in the object of your faith—Jesus Christ himself. He is the Rock of your salvation, the One who never changes, and the Savior who keeps all his promises (see Psalm 18:1-2).

So, keep reading the Bible, asking your questions honestly, and being filled with the Word of God at a faithful Christian church. God has a history of meeting people through his Word.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, reveal your Son to me. Help me understand the message of the Bible and lead me to trust in Jesus as my Savior. Amen.



Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

08/24/2026

Why does bad stuff happen to me?
My mom has cancer. My dad lost his job. My
sister is in high school and pregnant. My
brother’s grades are slipping. Work is so
stressful. My life is unstable. Why does bad stuff
happen to me?
Plenty of people have plenty of suggestions.
“Maybe God does not love you.”
“Maybe he is punishing you for something.”
“Maybe everything is too much for him to
handle.”
Do you want to know the real answer? It is
staggering. “God is LOVE” (1 John 4:16).
What? How can that be? How can there be so
many bad things in my life if God is love?
Wouldn’t a loving God just erase all the bad
stuff and only give me good? Well…no.
The kids need shots. They cry with pain. You
love them. Are shots “bad”?
You need surgery. It’s going to hurt and take
some time to heal. Your doctor cares about you.
Is surgery “bad”?
Your football coach tells you to run ten
100−yard-sprints. It’s not exactly a vacation.
Your coach wants what is best for you. Are the
sprints “bad”?
So much in our lives looks like “bad stuff,” but it
is really “good.” It certainly looked like a lot of
“bad stuff” was happening on the day Jesus
died. Jesus was falsely accused of breaking the
law. He was whipped, mocked, and executed on
the cross. That is some really “bad stuff” for
Jesus, but Christians still call that day GOOD
Friday.
Because of that “bad stuff” on Good Friday,
Jesus removes all of our sins and all of our guilt
and says, “I’ll take those for you. I’ll make them
mine.” Jesus has tremendous love for us. He
takes the punishment away from us. He has the
power to handle everything in our lives.
While everyone has their own opinions about
why “bad stuff” happens to them, God gently
points me to Jesus and gives me the right
answer: “God is LOVE.”
Do you want to learn more about this love? We
invite you to join us on Sunday at 8:45 am to learn more about God’s perfect love for you, and how he uses all the
“bad stuff” in your life for your good.

08/24/2026

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:13-16

Who Is Jesus?
More books have been written about Jesus Christ than any other individual in history. One website estimates the number in the tens of thousands. As one might imagine, these books contain just about every opinion imaginable. Some view Jesus as God in human flesh. Others view him as a great human teacher. And some even claim that Jesus never existed at all.

What about you? What do you believe about Jesus? That was the question Jesus asked his closest followers one day. There were all kinds of rumors floating around about this amazing Rabbi named Jesus. Although there were differences of opinion, everyone agreed that there was nothing ordinary about him. In fact, Jesus’ words and miracles were so amazing that many people thought he must be one of the prophets of old who had come back to life.

Peter, one of the men who knew Jesus best, understood why Jesus was so amazing. Jesus was none other than God himself, who came to earth in human flesh. Jesus was the One God had been promising since Adam and Eve had first rebelled against him. Jesus was the One who would repair the relationship between God and his rebellious children. Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

He still is. Jesus is not simply a great human teacher. He is not just an interesting historical figure. He is not one religious leader among many. And he most certainly exists. He is your God. He is your Savior. He is your hope for a life beyond this one and your hope for a life of meaning and purpose here and now.

Finally, it doesn’t really matter what a website says about Jesus. What matters is what you say about Jesus. Who do you say he is? Say he is your Lord and life and love—because he is.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for revealing yourself to me as my God and my Savior from sin. May this belief be reflected in everything I do and say. Amen.



Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.