Devotions By Jan

Monthly Archives: January 2018


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Covering My Cracks

Scripture for Today: Psalm 32:5 “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And You forgave the guilt of  my sin.”

All is not lost with a cracked bowl.  The hairline crack on this one was deftly hidden by the painted design incorporating it.  An honest pottery merchant would label this piece as a “second” or “third”  because of the defect.  An unscrupulous pottery merchant might fill in the crack with wax, paint over it and try to pass it off as perfect.  The customer would be none the wiser, at least at first.  Eventually, the defect would be apparent.

Today’s verse is a great example of coming clean with the Lord.  King David recognized that some of his physical ailments could be attributed to keeping silent about his sin (verses 3-4).  When he acknowledged and confessed his wrongdoing he experienced God’s forgiveness, not only for his sin but also for his sense of guilt.  David understood that by having a deceitful spirit with God one would be forfeiting His blessing (verse 2).  He ends this psalm in joy and singing having reestablished his relationship with God.

When I am not honest with God, I am like that cracked pottery trying to pass myself off as perfect!  But the healing of those cracks can only come when I come clean with Him.  What keeps me from  humbling myself is my own stubborn pride.  It is much easier to ignore my sin and pretend everything is fine.  But before long, the cracks become apparent and my excuses no longer hold water.  I know He will restore to me that joy of salvation if I own up instead of cover up!

Lord, thank you for the forgiveness You so freely give!


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Sound Wave Tattoos

Scripture for Today: Jude 21 “keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”

How amazing that an image tattooed on a body can be translated into sound!  The idea is to wear on your skin a snippet of your favorite music or a recorded message from a loved one.  With an app one can read it and play it anytime by scanning that unique sound wave image.  A young woman recently had her dead grandmother’s last voice message tattooed on her chest.  She will forever have her grandmother’s voice over her heart!  How sweet to be able to access that message of love anytime and anywhere.

Today’s verse encourages the believer to keep one’s self in God’s love.  His love does not change but our perceptions sure can!  When He brings us into eternal life there will never again be the smallest whisper of doubt that He loves us.  But today, rather than needing a voice tattoo, we can hear and be reassured of His love through His Word.  Psalm 143:8 says that the morning brings us “word of Your unfailing love.”  But not only then.  He reassures our hearts all day long!

Surprisingly, it is not in the difficult times that I doubt His love.  I am most prone to forget or question His love when I am not in His Word, actively listening.  God’s Word is His love letter to me.  It is full of His declarations of love.  He uses that written word to reassure my heart and build me up.  His voice is the one I need to be listening for and not all the other negative ones in my head.

Lord, remind me and keep me in Your love today!


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Harmony

Scripture for Today: Ephesians 4:3  “Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of the Spirit in the binding power of peace.”

Could these two be any more different from one another?  Yet, rather than fighting like cats and dogs, they seem to have found some measure of peace.  My daughter has two dogs and a cat and the domestic scene is not always as harmonious as pictured here!  The cat often tries to eat the dogs’ food and the dogs try the same thing!  Everyone has their personal space to be respected…..or not.

Today’s verse talks about something as unnatural as cats and dogs getting along together.  Harmony.  Oneness.  Peace.  It is not in our natures to strive for this.  It is so much easier to divide into factions or to stand up for one’s rights.  We want recognition and special treatment even at the cost of unity.

Without the Lord, peace with other believers would not even be possible.  Thankfully, we have the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  Our differences do not need to separate us.  Our differing races or languages do not have to be a barrier to harmony.  Even differing styles of worship do not have to divide us when we are walking by the Spirit.  Being “one” was the prayer of Jesus in John 17:23.  He prayed that our oneness would be a testimony to the world!

I am thankful to experience this oneness with French believers.  It is truly a work of the Spirit that unites us.  We are so different from one another.  Yet it is our common love for Jesus that binds us together.  That bond of peace is so sweet and worth all the effort to guard and keep!

Lord, keep me striving for unity and peace.


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Black Hole

Scripture for Today: Psalm 90:14 “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

Theory has it that falling into a black hole would stretch one out like a long piece of spaghetti!  These strange phenomena in space cannot really be seen, being black.  But scientists know they are there from the gravity pulling on the stars and gasses surrounding it.  They are thought to be the result of collapsed stars and their gravitational pull is extremely powerful.  The black hole grows enormous as nearby dust and gas fall into it.  That black hole grows larger but never becomes full!

Today’s verse describes where satisfaction is to be found.  God’s love does not change or falter.  It is unfailing and can be the best beginning of the day.  God’s love satisfies the relentless searching of our souls.  When we are satisfied with His love, our lives are marked by songs of joy and gladness.  Without His love, the search for satisfaction can be like that black hole.  We can grab at whatever we can grasp to fill the hole inside ourselves.  But nothing else can quite fill that void.  We are made for close intimate relationship with our Creator.

The minute my eyes fly open in the morning is the best time to appreciate and revel in His love!  Before the distractions and obligations of the day begin, I want to acknowledge His love and care.  He has given me another day of life.  He is there to walk through the day with me, His presence being my security.  His love will never fail me.  He has promised.  Thinking on this truth brings satisfaction to my day before it even begins!

Lord, satisfy me today with Your love.

 


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Walking Backwards?

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 38:17 “Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In Your love You kept me from the pit of destruction; You have put all my sins behind Your back.”

Nothing stops a person so completely in their tracks than a muscle cramp!  The pain, though temporary, can be so intense and feels like it will last forever!  That involuntary contraction in the calf is incredibly strong and the only relief seems to be in massaging and stretching.  However, some have found that walking backwards is a good way to relieve the pain.

Our suffering may stop us in our tracks.  Like King Hezekiah, sometimes all we can do is turn our head to the wall and cry.  Today’s verse was written by King Hezekiah after his illness and recovery.  He acknowledges that there was benefit in his suffering.  He learned humility (verse 15) as a result of the “anguish of his soul.”  He understood that the Lord acted out of love and not malice towards him.  That suffering was used to save him from destruction.

Suffering in any form can shake my faith to its core.  When I do not see the outcome I want, the suffering can well transform itself into an anguish of the soul.  It is too easy for me to doubt God’s love and wonder if He really cares.  But God always acts out of love for His own.  He works that suffering into a benefit that is of eternal value although I may not always see it.   The ultimate suffering would be to spend eternity without Him.  I can never really doubt His love because He spared me that suffering when He forgave my sins.

Thank you Lord, for sparing me from the worse kind of suffering!