WELS Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s Devotions

What’s the Difference? The Living Water – Week of May 25, 2026

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Educator-Devotion-header.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260525ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260525ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260525ECME.mp3] > On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. > > John 7:37-39 WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? THE LIVING WATER If you spend your days around toddlers or preschoolers, you know a very specific kind of “thirst.” It’s that mid-afternoon feeling when the naptime transition was rough, the snack crumbs are everywhere, and your emotional reservoir is running on empty. We pour ourselves out for these little ones, wiping tears, tying shoes, and patiently repeating directions. When we hit that wall, we often ask ourselves: “What difference does it make?” Does it matter that we are Christians if we still feel this exhausted? We try to “fill our cups” with a few minutes of silence or sheer willpower, yet that restless, spiritual dry-rot remains. In John 7:37-39, Jesus stood among a crowd of people who were also looking for satisfaction in rituals. During the Feast of Tabernacles, they celebrated God providing water during the years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, yet they were still spiritually parched. Jesus cried out: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Our “thirst” often reveals our sinful nature: the moments we lose our temper, the times we seek our own glory instead of God’s, and our failure to trust him. We cannot manufacture our own “living water” or “try harder” to be joyful. We are, by nature, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. So, what difference does it make? It makes every difference because Jesus lives to pour out his Holy Spirit. Jesus is not a dead historical figure we simply try to imitate. He is the risen, reigning Savior who ascended for the purpose of drenching you in his grace. The “living water” isn’t a reward for being a perfect teacher; it is a gift for the empty. Jesus took the agonizing thirst of the cross to pay for every moment of your impatience. Because he rose from the dead, he now pours his Spirit into you through the Word and Sacraments. As you serve this week, you aren’t just a caregiver, you are a redeemed child of God. The difference is that you don’t have to rely on your own dwindling reservoir. When you feel you have nothing left to give, look to the living Christ. He refreshes you with the promise that your sins are gone. Because he lives, his love can flow through your tired hands to those little ones, even on the days when you feel most empty. He is the well that never runs dry. May the Lord, who lives and reigns, pour out his Spirit upon your heart and give you peace as you serve his little lambs. > PRAYER: > > > Lord Jesus, thank you for being the source of living water for my weary soul. Forgive me for trying to find satisfaction in my own strength, and remind me that because you live, I am never alone. Refresh me today with your Spirit and your full forgiveness. 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. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] 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. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20260518-2/?pfstyle=wp

The One in Our Place – Week of May 18, 2026

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Educator-Devotion-header.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260518ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260518ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260518ECME.mp3] > Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. > > > 1 Peter 5:6,10 THE ONE IN OUR PLACE I was in 2nd grade. I had just won the monthly class spelling bee. It was my shining moment. As a 7-year-old girl, this feat made me feel on top of the world, so much so that when my teacher told everyone to line up for recess I felt as though I deserved to be first in line. The problem was, I didn’t make it to the door first. As any 7-year-old girl who is struggling with pride would do, I “butt in front” of my classmate and took the first spot in line. Then came the words I feared would come, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Back of the line with you!” Unfortunately for my ego that day, my teacher did in fact have eyes in the back of her head. That “back of the line” feeling doesn’t disappear when we grow up. Our sinful nature still craves the top spot, convinced that our hard work, perfect lesson plans, or “better” parenting deserves a reward. We try to lift ourselves up by comparing our success to others. We harbor a quiet sense of superiority when we do things “the right way.” But the Law shows us that pride is a dead end. When we try to stand on our own merits, we eventually find ourselves spiritually empty and sent to the “back of the line” by our own failures and guilt. On our own, we have no right to stand before a holy God. But look at the “God of all grace.” Jesus, the only one who actually deserved to be first in line, chose to go to the very back. He humbled Himself completely, taking the place of a servant and dying the death of a sinner on the cross for every time we’ve pushed our way to the front. He was lowered into the grave so that you could be lifted into eternal glory. Because he lives, your status isn’t a prize you win; it is a gift he bought with his own life. You don’t have to “butt in” or prove your worth because Jesus has already given you his perfect record. God doesn’t wait for you to become good enough before he loves you. He called you to his eternal glory in Christ while you were still a sinner. Peter promises that the God of all grace will “himself restore you.” He doesn’t just give you a second chance to try harder; he gives you a new identity as his redeemed child. When you feel small or overlooked this week, remember that your Savior has already moved you to the front of the line through his blood. He is the one who makes you “strong, firm, and steadfast.” You can rest under his mighty hand today, knowing that your place in heaven is secure, not because you won first place in anything, but because Jesus lived perfectly in your place. > PRAYER: > > > Dear Lord, forgive me for the pride that makes me want to be first. Thank you for the humility of Jesus, who took my place on the cross so that I could be your child forever. Strengthen and restore me as I serve you this week. Amen. > > > A QUESTION TO CONSIDER: > > > How does knowing that Jesus has already secured your “spot in line” change the way you handle moments when you feel unappreciated or overlooked?   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. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] 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. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20260518/?pfstyle=wp

The Greatest Treasure – Week of May 11, 2026

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Educator-Devotion-header.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260511ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260511ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260511ECME.mp3] > But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. > > > 1 Peter 3:14-15 THE GREATEST TREASURE My five-year-old daughter recently started a treasure chest, and to her it is everything. I’m always a little shocked at the “treasures” I find in there: a broken seashell, a bead, a piece of paper she drew on months ago, the cap from her favorite glitter pen that recently dried up. To us it all looks more like… junk. But a friend comes over and what’s the first thing she does? She shows them her treasures. She picks each one up and tells them exactly where she found it and why she loves it, and she could go on forever. She doesn’t need a script or a public speaking course; she’s simply so full of excitement that the news has to come out. She’s not worried about being judged or saying the wrong thing; she just wants everyone to see what she sees. You and I are called to live with that same kind of readiness and excitement, but the stakes often feel much higher. We live in a world that can be critical and sometimes even hostile toward our faith. We face the daily suffering of exhaustion, the pressure to conform to the world’s standards, and the internal battle of our own pride. We often stay quiet because we’re afraid we don’t have the “right” words, or we think our lives aren’t good enough to be a witness for Christ. The truth is, on our own, we are often unprepared. Our sinful nature makes us want to hide the treasure of our faith to avoid awkward moments or makes us respond to others with harshness instead of the “gentleness and respect” Peter writes about. When we try to live for God by our own willpower, we quickly run out of steam. But Peter gives us a reason to live differently. He reminds us that our lives aren’t built on our own shifting moods, but on the living Christ. Jesus lives! That is the “reason for the hope” that we have. He lived the perfect life of courage that we often lack. He stood before His accusers with perfect gentleness so that we could be forgiven for our moments of cowardice and anger. Because Jesus lives, you have a treasure far greater than anything a child could hide in their treasure chest. You have the peace of knowing your sins are gone and your future is secure with God. This reality changes the way we live. We don’t live for him to earn a treasure; we live for him because he is our treasure. He is our Lord who has already won the victory. When people see your hope in the middle of a stressful day or your gentleness when you’re being criticized, they might ask “why?” You don’t need a theological degree to answer. Like my daughter with her broken seashell, you get to speak with certainty and excitement of the treasure you have in your Savior. He lives to call you his own, and he lives through you to reach others. > PRAYER: > > > Dear Jesus, thank you for the hope that only you can provide. Forgive me for the times I am silent or harsh, and help me to revere you as Lord in my heart so that I am always ready to share your love with gentleness. Amen. > > > A QUESTION TO CONSIDER: > > > Who is one person in your life, perhaps a parent of a student or a neighbor, who needs to see the “reason for your hope” this week? How can you show them Christ’s gentleness?   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. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] 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. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20260511/?pfstyle=wp

The Only Foundation – Week of May 4, 2026

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Educator-Devotion-header.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260504ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260504ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260504ECME.mp3] > “Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” > > Acts 4:11-12 THE ONLY FOUNDATION Don’t you love watching a child build with blocks? There is such focus as they stack one wooden square upon another. They believe that with enough concentration, they can build a tower that reaches the ceiling! But we know how the story ends. A shaky hand, a heavy footstep, or a simple lapse in focus brings the whole thing crashing down in a heap. Think about that “builder.” In their little world, they are doing their best to create something perfect. But no matter how hard they try, they cannot overcome the laws of gravity or their own physical limitations. The tower always falls. You and I think that we are builders, too. Every morning, we wake up and try to stack layers of “goodness.” We try to build a day full of perfect patience with our children, tireless energy for our chores, and a heart free from pride. We want to be the “super-teacher” or the “perfect parent.” But by the end of the day, our sin causes the tower to topple. We snap at a toddler, we harbor resentment toward a spouse, or we think we are better than the parent who seems to be struggling. We realize that our own efforts are a shaky foundation that cannot support the weight of our lives, much less our eternity. Of all the challenges we face, the most terrifying is our inability to save ourselves. Our sin creates a debt we cannot pay and a mess we cannot clean up. On our own, we are builders left standing among the rubble of our own failures. While you might feel like a failing builder today, you have a reason for even greater confidence than a child with a brand-new set of blocks. You don’t have to rely on your own shaky hands. You have a Cornerstone. Jesus is the one essential stone that God set to hold everything together. He is the only name under heaven that saves. Jesus didn’t just come to give you a “how-to” manual on building a better life. He came to be your substitute. He lived the life of perfect, quiet patience that you and I fail to live. He took every one of our “toppled” moments and selfish mistakes to the cross and buried them forever. Because he lives, your salvation is a finished fact, not a “work in progress.” You aren’t a child of God because you built a high enough tower; you are a child of God because Jesus is your foundation. He has already secured heaven for you! Now, we don’t serve to get his love; we serve because we have it. We can walk into our classrooms and homes with joy, knowing that even when we stumble, our foundation in Christ never moves. > PRAYER: > > > Dear Jesus, thank you for being the only Name that saves. Forgive me for the times I try to build my own way to heaven or rely on my own strength. Help me to rest in your finished work and to share your love with the little ones in my care today. Amen. > > > A QUESTION TO CONSIDER: > > > Who do you know that is currently exhausted by trying to “do it all” on their own? How could you share the relief of the Gospel with them today?   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. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] 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. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20260504/?pfstyle=wp

He Lives – Our Shepherd – Week of April 27, 2026

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Educator-Devotion-header.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260427ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260427ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260427ECME.mp3] > “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” > > > John 10:9-10 HE LIVES – OUR SHEPHERD Have you heard of a “kissing gate”? The sheep farms of England are carefully structured to keep sheep inside the fenced areas while also keeping predators out of the same fields. Some of the entrances are designed in an “S” shape or as a series of gates that very tightly funnel into the field. If two people are trying to pass each other through this “kissing gate” at the same time, they must brush past each other very closely, which is why they gave it this nickname. When sheep need to be moved through the gate, they can only go through in a single file and at the guidance of a sheep dog or shepherd. Sometimes it feels as though I am being pushed, prodded, and pulled to do what is right, like a stubborn sheep being pulled by a shepherd. How easily I get off the path of what is right and give into my own thoughts and desires! Other times, it feels as though I am being attacked by those that seek to destroy followers of Christ. I feel threatened by world leaders that hate God. I feel enticed to choose an “easy” path that requires me to deny my Savior. Sometimes I simply don’t know which people to trust. And the devil loves it when we feel these fears! But our Shepherd knows about these threats, too. God tells us that he knows his sheep and will protect us from those that want to take us away from him. He promises that nothing in this world can separate us from him. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will “guard the gate” so that the wolves of this world will not be able to take us from him. Jesus is the gate to heaven. He is the only way that we can be saved from eternal death. If Jesus had not died and come back to life, we would be stumbling around, trying to make our own way to heaven. We would be completely lost. In the same way that a shepherd guides his sheep through a gate and then stands guard at the entrance, Jesus does this for our soul. When we believe, we come through Jesus’ gate and into his flock. This is not by our own doing or choosing. It is the gift of our merciful and gracious God. And he does this for us so that we have life—even life to the full. How thankful we are to have a faithful shepherd guarding our hearts and minds! > PRAYER: > > > Dear Shepherd, > > Thank you for guarding me against all evil. When I am tempted by the sins of my mind and this world, please keep me safe and bring me closer to you. 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. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] 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. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20260427/?pfstyle=wp