Devotions By Jan

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Beams

IMG_20130420_115215Scripture for Today:  Matthew 7:3-5  “Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own?  You hypocrite!  First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

The beams pictured here are from the oldest home in a village in Germany.  They date back to 1357 and they are just beautiful!  They add such warmth and coziness as well as stability to the ceiling.  I see lots of these beamed ceilings in Europe.  I shudder to think what the termites in southern California would try to do to them!

The beams spoken of in our verses are not seen in such a positive light.  In fact, they are not seen at all!  They represent our own failings and weaknesses.  We do not like to see them nor do we want to see them.  It is much more gratifying to be in the business of “speck removal” for our brothers.

These verses certainly do not discourage helping our brother see his weaknesses in a spirit of love.  However, what we mean to be helpful can actually hurt our brother when we have not examined ourselves first.

This image of a beam and its relative size to a speck is ludicrous!  It is just as silly for me to be overly concerned with minutia in my brother’s life.  I ought to be more concerned with my own beam removal.   As uncomfortable as it is to examine myself, I sure do not want my own specks to become a beam!  Lord, keep me speck and beam free!


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Thick Skin

Scripture for Today:  Ephesians 4:32  “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

This Indian Rhinoceros is quite impressive.  His hide being segmented looks like body armor.  His shoulders and upper legs are covered in wart-like bumps.  And what is really amazing is that his skin is four centimeters thick!  It is understandable that he has very few natural enemies being so large and thick-skinned.

Being thick-skinned is a treasured value in our world today.  If one is thick-skinned then one can avoid emotional hurt.  Insults, name calling, and gossip have no effect.  The thick skin becomes an armor to verbal attack.

All of this sounds good at first glance.  But for the believer following God’s Word, there is a problem.  Our verse for today tells us to be tender-hearted.  If we are tender towards others than we can be kind and we can be compassionate.  But if our hearts are tender for this purpose, than our hearts are also vulnerable to attack.  Thick skin would not be possible.

Thick skin on humans is just a myth anyway.  We are all fragile to one degree or another.  If that were not true, than there would be no need to be told, “Be kind to one another.”  Having a tender heart means we will be hurt, which is why the next words are about forgiveness.  When we are tender towards others than we feel their hurts and we feel our own as well.

But the wonderful part about having a tender heart rather than thick skin is that I can realize Christ’s forgiveness for me!  The uncomfortable conviction of His Spirit can penetrate a soft heart.  My tender heart can experience His complete pardon.  Lord, do not let me grow thick skin!


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Sand

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 139:17-18 “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God.  If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.  When I awake, I am still with You.”

I love living in Alsace, but I do miss the beach!  There are some beautiful lakes in our region but nothing like the sandy beaches of California.

There are a few drawbacks to sand.  It is so fine and plentiful that it tends to get everywhere!  I am still shaking out sand from my walking shoes used last year on the beach!  But I do enjoy the warm soft sand on bare feet.

Our verse for today compares the number of granules of sand to the number of thoughts God has for us.  And in fact there is no comparison, as His thoughts towards us far outnumber all the sand in the world.  What an image!

If His thoughts to me are as numerous as the verse says, then there is never a time when He is not thinking of me.  That means that at the very moment I am thinking of Him, He is already thinking of me.  If His thoughts toward me are more numerous than all the sand in the world, then He was thinking of me well before my life here began.  He was even thinking of me before the foundation of the world! (Eph. 1:4)

I am humbled by the realization that He was thinking of me, me personally, when He hung on that cross.  I am overwhelmed by His constant and precious thoughts to me.  He thought of me when He spread that gorgeous rainbow over the sky the other day.   In preparing a place for me He is thinking of me (John 14:3)

Oh, that I would think of Him more often today!


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Beautiful Hands

Scripture for Today:  John 10:28-29  “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from My Father’s hand.”

Young hands are beautiful hands.  As we get older, spots and raised veins appear.  Arthritis can swell the knuckles and hands do not look as beautiful as they once did.  Hands have a way of giving away our age.  Too bad gloves are not in style!

The Scriptures tell us that God is Spirit (John 4:24).  Even so, the Bible is full of references to God’s eyes or arms or hands to help us understand Him.  And I love to think of His hands and the fact that as His child, I am held there, safe and secure.

Our verses for today describe His hands as being more powerful than any others.  There can be no sudden sneaky move on the part of the enemy that can snatch me out of His hand.  I, myself, can not cause Him to let go.  My faith in Him put me there.  His power and love keep me there.

His are the hands that formed the universe.  The hand that holds me is the same hand that stilled the waters and calmed the seas.  Those hands touch and heal.  And His hands are scarred with the proof of His love.  They are hands that I can trust.  He will not let me go.

My life is in His hands, but more than that my eternity is in His hands!  If life is suddenly cut short, that does not change the pressure of His hand as He walks me into His very presence.  His hands are beautiful.


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Shaken

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 16:8-9  “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell in security.”

I have lived through my share of earthquakes, being from California.  They are unsettling, to say the least.  Thankfully, I have never experienced injury or damage.  For whatever reason, most of the ones I have lived through have been when the weather was very hot.  We used to call it, “Shake and Bake!”

There was one earthquake in particular I remember.  The epicenter apparently was a lot closer to the television studio than to us.  The newscaster dove under his desk during an aftershock that we did not feel.  How strange to see the cameras still rolling and no one there!

Our verse for today is a beautiful affirmation of the fact that our lives are in God’s hands.  No evil or natural disaster is going to thwart His plan for our individual lives.  Whether it is a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake, we do not need to live in fear.  In faith we realize His comforting presence, regardless of the circumstances.

For the believer who trusts God’s plan and control, there is gladness, rejoicing, and security.  Instead of fear, there is confidence which cannot be shaken.  We know that He is good.  We know that our eternal home is real.  We set Him continually before us and look to Him in faith.

When I see any kind of natural disaster, terrorist act, or any evil plot of man, I am reminded that life is fragile and temporary.  A sudden catastrophe could rock my world.  But I can stay strong in my faith.  Because of Him, I will not be shaken!