Devotions By Jan

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Frog Legs

Scripture for Today: I John 4:1  “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

The French are much more courageous than I am in what they choose to eat!  We went to a restaurant recently that specialized in frog meat!  Not only could you eat it off the bone, but you could order it without bones and on a pizza!  I guess it is an acquired taste, or perhaps it is just the idea of it that bothers me.  In any case, those trying this “delicacy” often say that it “tastes like chicken!”

One thing can be very much like something else.  An undiscerning palette is one thing, but failing to verify teaching can be very harmful.  Our verse for today talks about the possibility of confusing true prophets with false ones.  They can seem quite similar when they use the same religious vocabulary.  Both false and true prophets use Scripture.  There may even be miracles involved.  Perhaps there is a huge following.  How does one discern if a spirit is from God or not?

The most telling test is given us in the following two verses.  Those spirits who deny Jesus is God are false teachers.  No matter how popular the speaker may be, how many books he has written or how persuasive his speech is, we are not to listen.  This one amazing truth, that Jesus is God, is the most polarizing.  It separates sheep from goats, (Matt. 25:33) believer from non-believer, and false teacher from true.  There is no other name under heaven by which one can be saved.  There is no other Gospel.

Help me Lord, to be discerning.  Thank you that You make the test so very clear.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.


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Wooden Cookie Press

cookie pressil_570xN.222896840Scripture for Today:  II Corinthians 4:8-9 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.”

These old fashioned wooden cookie presses are beautiful.  I see quite a few of them in the tourists shops, but I am more interested in the older ones in antique stores.  The images are so imaginative and are very detailed.  The resulting cookie is almost a work of art and a shame to eat!

My own experience with these molds has been frustrating!  I tend to not press the dough hard enough into the mold for fear of it sticking.  But that pressure is needed to set the image.  If the dough gets stuck, then a sharp tap on the back of the mold will release it.

Our verse for today describes a different kind of pressure.  We are hard pressed on every side by different trials and problems.  The difficult times are often perplexing because we just do not understand what God is doing. But we do not despair.  No matter how hard life can get, when we belong to the Lord we are never destroyed or abandoned.  He is in control and is revealing Himself through all that is happening (verse 10).

All the frustration, all the grief, and all the suffering are intended to form the beautiful image of Jesus in me.  Nothing is random.  Our God is not capricious or fickle.  He is loving and faithful.  He is just and true.  Even though I do not understand what He may be doing in my life, I can always count on who He is.  One day, when I see the finished product, I will understand.

Thank you Lord, that I can trust You even when I do not understand.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.

 


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His Whispers

Scripture for Today: I Kings 19:12 “After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

There are all kinds of whispers.  My husband tells me that mine are too loud.  In public, I think I am being discreet when I whisper something in my husband’s ear.  But I do not seem to know my true volume.  Unfortunately, my husband is not the only one to hear me!  There are whispers that one does not want to hear; things that are shameful if heard aloud.  But the best kind of whispers are those sharing sweet secrets or those speaking love!

Our verse for today is in the context of the Lord appearing to Elijah.  One would expect the mighty God of the universe to show Himself spectacularly.  But God was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire.  God revealed himself through a gentle whisper.  Elijah needed reassurance after being threatened by Jezebel and running for forty days and forty nights.  He had been miraculously cared for physically by an angel (verse 7).  But Elijah needed something for his soul.  What did that whisper say?

What does God whisper to me?  He whispers to me through His Word, which is inspired or “God breathed.”  He whispers His love and reassurance.  He tells me He is in control.  He whispers to me throughout my busy day saying, “I am here.  I love you.  You can count on Me.”  And He does not mind repeating Himself!  His whispers are precious and beautiful.  They remind me that I belong to Him.  They reassure my soul and keep me going.

Oh, how I need to hear Him whisper.  Lord, keep me listening to Your whispered reassurance of love.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.

 


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Promenade Tapestry

Scripture for Today: II Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

This beautiful tapestry called, “Promenade,” hangs on the wall of the Cluny Museum in Paris.   Pictured here is just a small part of a larger scene and the detail is incredible.  It was made in the fifteenth century and is from a series of six.  It is hard to imagine all the long hours it took to painstakingly place each stitch by hand on the loom.  I am drawn most to those tapestries with dark backgrounds.  The dark blue seems to emphasize the people in the scene, making them more visible.

Our verse for today tells us to “see” what can not be seen.  What is normally seen by our physical eyes is only temporary.  Paul encourages those going through difficult times to look to the unseen, to look towards what is eternal.  The images and beauty of a tapestry are not seen from underneath.  Seen from the under side, nothing makes much sense.  We do not see how the dark colors are adding to the scene.  We do not see what God is doing or how everything will be working out.  But He promises to be working in us the very beautiful image of His Son.

Sometimes the Lord is using beautiful silk thread.  On rare occasions He may even use gold or silver thread.  But sometimes the threads are dark and coarse.  I may never understand why God allows excruciating pain or what looks like senseless tragedy.  But then my view is incomplete.  He is seeing the images emerge on my “tapestry” and it will be beautiful one day!

Thank you Lord, that I can trust Your unseen eternal work in me.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.


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People Watching

Scripture for Today: II Corinthians 10:12 “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.  When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”

One of the best things about living in Europe is enjoying all the outdoor cafes.  And one of the best things about sitting outside is people watching!  Ordering and eating is almost secondary to that all-important activity.  It is an art to do it discreetly, but we all do it!  And as long as one does not make eye contact, it is all perfectly acceptable.  Part of the fun is guessing the nationality of a tourist by how they are dressed.  Not only am I noticing fashion but I find myself wondering about the social standing of a passerby.

Our verse for today addresses those who compare themselves to themselves.  Paul is admonishing those who are looking only on the surface of things (verse 7).  He did not fit their ideas of a dynamic speaker or an impressive presence.  In the context of this verse, Paul is teaching that boasting has no place in the life of a believer.  And boasting is what can so easily happen when we compare ourselves to those like ourselves.  Rather than looking for approval by commending oneself, we are to seek God’s approval (verse 18).

Comparing myself to others believers can sometimes lead to complacency and smugness.  Perhaps I am not struggling with some of the same issues as a “weaker brother” in Christ.  But God knows my heart and how much work still needs to be done!  Being well viewed by other believers is never the point.  True wisdom is comparing myself to Jesus Himself and asking the Lord to make me more like Him!

Keep me focused on You, Lord.