Devotions By Jan

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Yoga

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 48:9  “Within your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love.”

Yoga has become more and more popular in Western cultures.  It has been around for centuries, originating in India.  The word, “yoga” comes from one of two roots meaning either “yoke” or “to concentrate.”

There have been many testimonials to the health benefits of the physical poses used in yoga.  It is said to alleviate different health problems, reduce stress, keep the spine supple, and improve breath control and core strength.  I have learned that there are different kinds of yoga.  But their goals are the same; to use physical, mental, and spiritual practices with the goal of attaining a state of permanent peace.

When one adopts the yoga philosophies of chanting and meditation to attain peace, it is at best short-lived.  Peace with God and peace with others comes from One source; the Prince of Peace.   He has promised His peace to us and it is not the peace offered by the world.

Rather than meditating on the sound of the “om” vibrating through the body, our verse for today gives a much more meaningful subject.  We are to meditate on God’s unfailing love.  It is an amazing truth worthy of meditation!  To even grasp the incredible idea that He could love me takes some serious contemplation!  It takes time to wrap my head around a love for me that is eternal and unconditional!

Thinking about His unfailing love for me gives me that elusive peace for which so many long.  When I meditate on how much He loves me, I am reassured that He cares about every little detail!   Mountains can shake and hills be removed, but His unfailing love will never be shaken or His peace ever removed! (Isaiah 54:10)   Lord, I can never thank You enough!


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Swaddled

swaddled1526120_10153719035020254_1173403927_nScripture for Today:  Isaiah 40:11  “He tends His flock like a shepherd.  He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.  He gently leads those that have young.”

My new grandson at four days old loves to be swaddled.  Especially after the trauma of a bath, the swaddling of a blanket calms him down.  He is no longer agitated flailing his little arms and legs.  The tightness of the blanket seems not only to hold him steady, but hold his unhappiness in check as well!  The change from crisis to peace is almost immediate!

Who does not relate to the need to be tightly held!  At times of great sorrow or crisis, a strong long hug seems to have such a calming effect.  Tension leaves the body, and often the emotional stress as well.

Our verse for today describes our Lord as an attentive Shepherd.  He picks up and carries the lambs close to His heart.  What a loving image!  He does not carry them under His arm like a football, but against His strong chest close to the beat of a loving heart.  Those lambs are pinned down by strong arms, much like a swaddled infant.  No more struggling is possible.  There is nothing to do but relax in those arms and be carried.

When someone suffers the loss of a loved one, I often think about those arms of His that are so loving and tender.  Hugs from friends are readily available in the early days of grief.  But later, the need to be held continues well after they have gone.  We have a Shepherd who is always available to hold us through whatever loss we are feeling.

Thank you Lord, that You are there to hold me tightly in Your loving arms.


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Mother’s Milk

Scripture for Today: I Peter 2:2-3  “…like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”

It is amazing how quickly one forgets how much and how often a newborn baby needs feeding!  There is no other priority in their new little lives.  Their is no mistaking that hungry cry and what it means.  And there is only one way to quiet and satisfy their hunger….milk!

Our verse for today describes that same longing.  It is not something a believer ever need deny himself.  Although a mature believer will gradually add the meatier doctrines of the Bible, one never outgrows the need to review and appreciate the foundational truths, or milk.

Our verse for today describes the Word as pure.  It is 100% God’s Word.  Hearing others preach and comment on God’s Word is important and valuable.  But our own personal feeding is essential for our faith to grow.  Nothing can take the place of His personal message.  Having that sweet communion leaves me wanting more.  And it is when I read His Word for myself that I taste His kindness for me!

My El-Shaddai is kind.  This name of God seems to be derived from the Hebrew word for “breast.”  This brings to mind the idea of nourishment, supply and satisfaction!  Just as a nursing baby needs his mother to grow healthy and strong, so I need close quality time with the Lord for my faith to grow.  Through His written Word He reassures me of His love and presence, His control and care!  It is wonderful to grow in knowledge.  But my deepest desire is to grow closer to Him!

Thank you Lord, that You nourish my soul!


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Waterfall

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 42:7 “Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;  All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.”

The grandeur of the mighty Niagara Falls impressed both my husband and me.  It was bitterly cold during our winter visit and we could not stand there for long.  Even so, the force of its cascading water was deafening!  Not only are these three falls breathtaking but they are an important source of hydroelectric power.  Almost 76,000 gallons of water flow over two of the three falls every second!

Our verse for today can be looked at as a description of the cascading waters flowing from the upper Jordan as they rush down from Mount Hermon (verse 6).  But they are also an image of the author’s depression.  His soul is downcast and it feels as if he is being overwhelmed with water.  The force of his emotions are overpowering.  As with the weight of water pouring down without interruption, so it can be with sadness.

The unrelenting weight of sadness affects every believer from time to time.  We sometimes seem to be the victim of our own emotions.  At the same time, we can see that there will some day be an end to distress and emotional turmoil.  It is this hope that can turn us around and help us keep our head above water.

Rather than focusing on the crushing weight of my emotions, I can look forward to an eternal weight of glory (II Cor. 4:17).  By comparison, whatever I am going through is considered light and momentary.  That is my hope.  Everything good is ahead of me.  All sorrow and sadness will one day be erased.

They are His waterfalls, His breakers, and His waves.  Thank you Lord, that you will not allow them to overwhelm me!


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Birds of a Feather?

Scripture for Today: Galatians 3:28  “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Every day between four and five o’clock, an enormous flock of crows would fly “en masse” to the trees across from us.  They would congregate on the upper branches making a huge racket!  But what impresses me most is how they could stay together in what looked like effortless synchronization!

Flying together has its advantages.  Together they are more likely to spot predators.  The birds find food more quickly and they save energy by flying together with the draft they create.  One would think that there is some designated leader to organize the flock.  But in fact, their behavior is a result of each bird following some simple rules.  Researchers have discovered details on how they come together and stay together.  But no one has been able to pinpoint the source of this instinctive behavior.

Our verse for today describes a coming together that is not so natural.  Believers can achieve oneness in Jesus Christ.  Regardless of race, social status, or gender, followers of the Lord have a unity that is remarkable!  Unlike the “birds of a feather who flock together,” the body of Christ is incredibly diverse.  People that would not normally come together find themselves sharing a deep bond in our shared love of Jesus!

What a beautiful testimony to find this unity in a world that is so divided!  Love that reaches across generation, gender and race is the mark of a Christian (Mark 13:35).  It is not natural.  It is supernatural and can only happen with the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

Lord, thank you that You bring together what the world does not!