WELS: Today's Devotion - In Distress – January 4, 2017

View this email in your browser In Distress – January 4, 2017 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 53:9 In Distress Daily Devotion – January 4, 2017 Devotion based on Isaiah 53:9 See series: Devotions The "damsel in distress" is a character often found in books and movies. She is usually helpless—in a dire predicament and unable to save herself. Tied to the railroad tracks with a train barreling toward her or locked away in some tall tower, her only hope is for someone to come and rescue her. The hero rides in on his white horse and with superior strength he wins the day, many times with little effort or cost. Jesus is a different kind of hero. While Jesus won the day, he didn't do it by coming in on a white horse. Rather, Jesus saved us in our distress by becoming distressed. Yes, Jesus came to rescue us by putting on flesh and being made like us in every way. He knows what our distress is like. He saved us because he knows what it is to cry and to be hungry. He saved us because he knows what it is to have friends leave and to be disappointed with others. He saved us because he knows what it means to be tempted to sin and he knows what it takes to resist sin. He knows what it takes to have Satan come after him and what it takes to send him running. Most of all, he saved us because he knows what it takes to pay for our sin as he still bears those marks in his hands and feet. This is how Jesus redeemed us and how he lifted us up and carries us. Yes, he came to earth as true God but he also came as true man. Not on a white horse nor a show of strength, he suffered to save us from suffering. Both as a powerful savior and a suffering servant, he came to rescue us. By being distressed for us he saved us from all distress. Prayer: Father, you sent Jesus to be distressed in our distress. By his coming to earth and through his life and death he lifted us up. In our distress may we always look to his love and redemption. Amen. Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com. 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 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Print Friendly Share Tweet Devotions | Subscription Help   Copyright © 2017 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website or subscribed to one of our newsletters. Unsubscribe  - CHANGE EMAIL SETTINGS Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod N16W23377 Stone Ridge Drive Waukesha, WI 53188 Add us to your address book Note: Recipients of this forwarded e-mail will be able to access your subscription preferences.