Devotions By Jan

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Sweet Indulgence

Scripture for Today:  I Corinthians 9:25  “Each competitor must exercise self control in everything.  They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.”

Can one ever have too much chocolate in life?  It is a wonderful source of magnesium.  It certainly boosts my mood.  And it is said that chocolate is an aphrodisiac.  I always say that chocolate is good for my health as it comes from the cacao bean.  Doesn’t that make it a vegetable?  It seems that there are many good things in life, that taken to an extreme become harmful.  Too much work.  Too much sleep.  Too much confidence.  Too much free time.  Too much talking.  Self control is all about avoiding overindulgence.

Today’s verse talks about the athlete who exhibits self control.  He restricts himself in all things with the goal of winning a temporary prize.  I always felt sorry for the young person in training who could not eat certain foods.  But I would admire his focus.

For the believer, our motivation to show self control and live temperately is for a much higher purpose than a prize that does not last.  We live our lives to please Him.  We strive for His approbation and approval.  Like Paul, we do not want to ever disqualify ourselves by losing control and becoming unfit!

I have no self control on my own.  Self control is really Spirit control.  It is part of the fruit or evidence of His work in me (Galatians 5:23).  I need Him to help me tell myself “no.”  Living with dependence on Him gives me that power to restrict myself.  Usually in saying “no” to something, I am saying “yes” to something better!

Thank you Lord, for helping me control myself!


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Desert

Scripture for Today:  Psalms 63:1  “O God, You are my God!  I long for You!  My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

I have friends who are definitely “desert rats.”  Like the Joshua Tree, they seem to thrive in the dry desert heat.  I do not mind the desert if there is a lake available.  When our children were young we went to Lake Havasu in Arizona with another family for nine summers in a row.  The only comfortable place was half in the water in a beach chair, with an umbrella and a cold soda in hand!  One could maybe get used to the heat but the dryness of the air was something else.  My skin always felt dry and flaky.

David wrote this psalm while in the wilderness of Judah.  He likened his longing for God to his need for water in an arid land.  His thirst for a relationship with his Creator was all consuming.  No wonder he was a “man after God’s own heart!”  (I Samuel 13:14)

David recognized the thirst and longing of his soul.  He knew it could only be quenched by the One who created his soul.  Sometimes I do not even recognize my deepest longings for what they are.  I feel some dissatisfaction or some restlessness and do not attribute it to the correct source.  I look to other solutions or distractions.  They may even work for awhile.  But there remains something missing.

My soul was created for Him.  He is the only One who can fill those empty places within me.  When I ignore Him, I am in a spiritual desert experiencing dryness and thirst.  Lord, keep me close to You and away from that dry barren desert!


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Watch Your Mouth!

Summer 2009 413Scripture for Today:  Psalms 141:3  “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

My dummy, Renée, and I have had lots of adventures together.  She says things that I would not dare to say!  And she gets away with it.  Renée is allowed to speak English at our summer outreach English camps.  Otherwise, she speaks French.  I do not quite understand why she speaks it with such a funny accent!

There is one routine we do together where the reaction of the children is always the same.  Renée starts to get sassy and says she does not need me to be able to speak.  I put her down, walk a distance from her, and wait for her to talk on her own.  Invariably, the children all look at Renée in breathless anticipation!  Somehow, they start to believe that she controls her own mouth!

Renée has no choice of who controls her mouth, but I sure do!  When I control my mouth, it is sometimes “out of control.”  So much of what displease my Lord comes from my mouth, whether it be gossip, lying, arguments, criticism, swearing….the list goes on.  Like James 3 says, so little a member of my body does such huge damage.

Inside of Renee is a large controlling stick with a small lever on the side that opens and closes her mouth.  For me, that small lever represents the “guard” or “door” that the Lord wants to use with my mouth.  He offers to control my mouth, as my control only causes problems.

Humility is required to admit being a “dummy” in need of Someone at the controls.  The Lord invites me to echo the prayer of our verse.  May He control what comes out of my mouth today!


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Pigsty

Scripture for Today: Psalms 145:15-16  “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time.  You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

Pigs are disgusting.  My apologies to Babe and Wilbur.  But they make a royal mess, rooting around and wallowing in the mud.  They make disgusting grunting noises and they stink.

What is great about a pig is that they eat just about anything.  They are not picky and are easily satisfied, even with food that is nasty and spoiled.  And I will say it, they taste good.  We do not eat a lot of pork but we will have the occasional pork roast or ribs smothered in BBQ sauce.

In the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, there is a pigsty.  This young man had traded the comfort of his Father’s presence for the pleasures the world had to offer.  He ended up feeding pigs their scraps.  He finally comes to his senses and returns to his Father.

Our verse for today tells us where true satisfaction can be found.  What comes from His hand brings satisfaction.  The problem comes when we turn to the world for that satisfaction.  We mistakenly think that the pleasures the world offers will somehow meet our desires when nothing is further from the truth.  Like the Prodigal Son, we end up with the pigs, mindlessly eating the scraps.

So many are deluded and living contentedly with scraps in the pigsty when they could be dining at their Father’s table.  So many do not “come to their senses.”  Our Heavenly Father gives good gifts that satisfy our deepest and sometimes unconscious desires.  His open hand is waiting to give to those who look to Him in faith.

It is only You, Lord, that satisfies.


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The Turtle

Scripture for Today:  Romans 5: 3-4  “…but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope:”

While growing up our family had a turtle hanging out in our back yard.   I don’t remember how he came to be there, but I do remember using him like a garbage disposal.  He took care of all the vegetable scraps.  It was fun to watch him eat lettuce, although it seemed he took forever to do it.

We also grew up with cats.  Because our turtle was so slow, our cats would often corner him.  Of course, there was no way he could out run them but he survived these encounters by stopping and withdrawing into his shell.  Sometimes it would take a long time but eventually, the cats would lose interest and leave him alone.

Our verse today is an encouragement in facing the hard times in life.  They corner us and often there is no way to avoid them.  Yet, the Lord promises a positive outcome: perseverance.  That patient endurance forms a godly character in me.  The more difficult my situation, the more likely I am to think about the hope of eternity.

God gave the turtle a wonderful coping mechanism in that shell.  He could easily wait out the cat’s assault.  By His presence God provides me with a similar way to cope.  He is my refuge.  He is my hiding place.  He provides shelter.  Through Him I can endure and wait it out.

It is God who gives perseverance and encouragement (Rom.15:5).  I do not know what tomorrow may bring.  But I do know that He is there and He will give me what I need to persevere.  At the first sign of trouble, may I hide myself in Him.