Devotions By Jan

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Thoughts

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 26:3  “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You…”

When our daughter was little we surprised her with the gift of a hamster.  He was a cutie but his nocturnal habits were annoying.  He would sleep all day and get on his wheel at night, making a racket!

There are times when I feel like that hamster.  No, I do not sleep all day.  But for whatever reason, my thoughts start running around in my head the minute I lay it on my pillow.  Maybe I had too much sugar or caffeine in my day.  Maybe my hormones are going nuts.  I can be incredibly tired but the running of my thoughts through my head keeps me awake.

I would like to say that my sleep-defying thoughts are deep and profound.  It would be understandable if worrying thoughts were the culprit.  But more often than not, my thoughts are just mundane, silly and repetitive.  Something in my brain just does not turn off.

Rather than adding frustration to this scenario, I can direct my thoughts to something worthwhile.  If something is to be continually running through my mind, I rather it would be Scripture.  That is when the words of our verse can be a comfort.

I can lay down to sleep with thoughts of Him.  He knows when I am having trouble sleeping.  He knows my schedule for the next day.  I can trust Him even in the middle of sleep deprivation.  He will get me through the next day, even if I am up all night!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful intimate relationship.  When I can not sleep, may I relax and rest in thoughts of You.


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Highlighted

Scripture for Today:  Acts 4:13   “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.”

We use lots of highlighters in our reading.  They are great for drawing attention to a particular passage.  They come in lots of colors but I am partial to the yellow.  The highlighter has been around since 1963.  But now there are ways to highlight texts on a computer screen as well.  I did not realize that the fluorescent colors (on paper) actually will glow under a black light.

Our verse for today describes two men who were uneducated and ordinary; Peter and John.  What made them remarkable and amazing is that they had spent time with Jesus and it showed.  Like a highlighter, the fact that they knew Jesus drew attention to their lives!  Because of their closeness to Jesus, they were able to live and testify with boldness.  Christ made that much of a difference in their lives.

Christ is the power and wisdom of God.  I am thankful that He chooses what is foolish to confound the wise!  He chooses the weak to confound the mighty!  (I Cor. 1:27)  That means that what was said about Peter and John can potentially be said about me as well!  It is Christ in me that sets me apart and makes me different.

I want Jesus to be seen in my every-day life.  He is to have the attention and the glory for everything positive.  It does not matter that I did not attend an Ivy League school.  It makes no difference that I am not a big name.  It is His life in me that makes life worth living!

Lord, highlight my life with Your presence today!


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Soaps

Scripture for Today:  Ephesians 5:25-26  “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the Word,”

I love going to our open market in Guebwiller and smelling the homemade soaps for sale!  There is such variety it is difficult to choose!  My favorite is lavender because I like to think its fragrance is soothing.  But there are all kinds available, including lemon verbena, almond, honey and so many more.  Some are made with olive oil, others with shea butter.  There are soaps that have crushed flowers or herbs in them.  But one thing they all have in common is that they make one clean, even the black soap!

Our verse for today describes how Christ sets apart and cleanses those who are part of His church.  His goal is to create in us glorious splendor!  One day we will be holy and faultless, without spot or wrinkle!

This soapy cleaning process starts with His sacrifice on the cross!  I am washed in His blood and my sins are forgiven forever!  He washes me whiter than snow and it is ALL His doing.  But because I still sin, my “feet get dirty” (John 13:1-10)  That is when I need “spiritual soap.”  And it comes from God’s Word.

The Lord uses His Word to signal to me what needs to be put right in my life.  It does not happen every time, but often.  When I am in His Word I am motivated to to obey Him.  He uses the written Word to speak to me and our relationship becomes closer.  I come away from these encounters squeaky clean and smelling good!

As lovely as soaps are, one day they will no longer be needed!


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Instant Results

Scripture for Today:  Isaiah 30:18  “For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy; He sits on His throne, ready to have compassion on you.  Indeed, the Lord is a just God; all who wait for Him in faith will be blessed.”

Waiting for anything is not our strong point.  We want instant everything.  These instant noodles are not only cheap and versatile but so quickly prepared that very little waiting is required!  We certainly do not put up with a slow computer.  All it takes is a few minute’s wait to make us go ballistic!  We want everything ready when we want it.  We all want and expect instant results.

The Israelites in today’s Scripture passage wanted to see results instantly.  They were not willing to wait for God to deliver them from their enemies.  He had invited them to return to Him and rest in Him and be saved.  But they would not.  Instead, they trusted in their own plan using very swift horses, with disastrous results.  The result was quicker but not what they wanted!

How often I find myself unwilling to wait!  Taking things into my own hands usually seems more effective, even more logical.  But part of trusting is waiting, and for me, it is the most difficult part.  I do not like to wait.  I want to know something is happening, that the Lord is “on task.”  And rather than believing that He is, I feel compelled to fix things myself.  And like the Israelites, I may have a quicker result, but not what is best.

I love that the Lord is ready and willing to act on my behalf.  It seems incredible that He wants to bless me.  What mercy!  What compassion!  Help me Lord, to wait on You in faith.


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Ripples

Scripture for Today:   Romans 1:8  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

One little drop of water is all it takes to make ever-widening ripples.  So many times we are unaware of the influence we have on those around us.  My husband and I were so surprised to hear of a most unusual meeting.  It took place in China.  A good friend of ours (American) was there for a conference.  He got to talking with a French man who spoke English.  Just to make conversation, he asked this French man if he knew Randy Kent, his only contact in France.  Lo and behold, this French man was a very good friend of ours that we have known for years!

There is a theory called, “the six degrees of separation.”  It suggests that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world.  We have seen all kinds of crisscrossing of our acquaintances on Facebook.  This theory looks more and more likely!

Our verse for today is a call to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus in the power of His Holy Spirit.  Our influence for Him does not stop at our home town.  We live in an age where our influence can be felt world wide.  Our world is becoming smaller and smaller.  We can speak of Him and see the ripples spread out and touch lives even on the other side of the world!

God uses even my little drop of a life to make ripples of influence for Him.  Please Lord, use me today to speak of You.