Devotions By Jan

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A Sure Foundation

Scripture for Today:  I Corinthians 3:10b-11  “But each one should be careful how he builds.  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

How one builds can differ from country to country.  When hosting a French friend stateside, I was surprised to see him take a picture of a building site.  He was impressed by the fact that they were building with wood framing.  Of course, in California it is important that a building can withstand the movement of earthquakes.  Unlike France, stone walls would not work there.

How one builds one’s life also differs.  There is a foundation to life already laid.  Jesus Christ is that foundation.  Those who build on any other foundation have a house/life that will fall apart.  All other foundations are pictured as sand in Matthew 7:24-29.

Even with the foundation being Jesus Christ one can build with different materials.  If one builds with stone (as well as gold and silver) his work will endure the test of fire.  The Lord will reward this work.  If one chooses to build with wood (as well as hay and stubble) although saved, there is no reward.

I am thankful to be building on the only true foundation, Jesus Christ.  But with what am I building?  I can be lulled into thinking that lots of activity means I am building well.  But only what is done for Christ will last.  I want my life to be built not only of durable stone, but precious stone.  Together with gold and silver, my life will be beautiful IF it gives glory to my Lord and is lived for Him

Living for my own selfish desires will only produce wood, hay and stubble.  Lord, I think there is some remodeling to be done today!


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Ice

Scripture for Today:  Hebrews 3:13  “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

We are having a terrible time with ice in our area.  It is making driving hazardous up the incline to our house.  The other day we got stuck, spinning our wheels in it.  Our neighbor very kindly helped us push the car.  Even walking is difficult.  We feel like we are ice skating!  Walking under the icicles can be lethal!

The snow is beautiful but the ice can be a killer.  The temperatures start to warm up and the surface begins to melt.  Then the temperatures drop and everything becomes hard and slippery.  Many meetings and events have been cancelled because of it.

Our verse for today is a warning.  The deceitfulness of sin can harden a heart.  The longer one denies wrong doing, the more difficult it is to hear His still small voice of conviction.  The more one indulges in a sinful behavior, the more likely it is that the heart becomes hardened and deceived.

When I listen to Him my heart is soft and open, like fresh powdery snow.  When I ignore His conviction, what was soft and melted becomes hard and defensive.  When I rationalize what I am doing, I deceive myself.  Sometimes I am not even aware of what I am doing, until the hardness of my heart makes me slip and fall!

There is an urgency in this verse.  Hardened hearts do not improve with time.  They only become harder.  Today is the day I need encouragement to obey.  Today is the day I need to encourage others to obey.  Lord, do not let me ever be hardened towards You.


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Price Tag

IMG_20130124_111941Scripture for Today:  I Corinthians 6:20  “For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Shopping in France is very different than shopping in the States.  In France, there are only two times in the year when a retailer can put on a store-wide sale; January and July.  Those stores who choose another time of year will have to pay a fine to the government.  So sales here are a long-anticipated event.

Retailers will announce the words, “Prix Choc!” which translates, “Price Cut.”  But my mind always goes to the other meaning of “choc” and I am shocked at the price still being so high!    One good thing about shopping here is that the tax is always included in the price listed.  Even so, I always need to translate the euros into dollars to know what I am paying.

Our verse for today talks about a price that God paid for me.  The price He paid for me was enormously high and shocking!  On that cross He shed blood and died for me.  He paid for me the debt that I owed for my own sin.  It cost Him everything.

My body and spirit rightfully belong to Him.  I am not my own.  Because of His sacrifice I am His.  So then, I am to honor Him in all I do.  I do not always do a good job of it.  Thankfully, He does not go to “Returns” because I am defective!  He did not purchase me because I was worth it.  He purchased me to give me worth.  It is amazing that He would think I could be worth loving, worth holding.  But He does.  He created me to be His.

I am forever His and He is forever mine!


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Fog

IMG_20121209_084146IMG_20130123_114751Scripture for Today:  II Corinthians 5:7  “For we walk by faith and not by sight.”

The fog was so dense today.  The normal view from my window was completely obscured by it.  The tower of our beautiful cathedral was no longer visible.  It was an eerie feeling to know something was there but not to be able to see it.

Even though the fog lingered for most of the day, it never occurred to me to doubt whether the cathedral was still there.  I did not see it but I had no problem believing it was still there.

In the spiritual realm nothing can be seen with our physical eyes.  But there are things that are very much spiritually seen.  We see with eyes of faith.  We walk by faith which according to Hebrews 11:1 is the “substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”

I cannot literally see the Lord.  But I do see Him with eyes of faith.  There is sometimes the fog of doubt or discouragement, but I know He is there.  Nothing has changed except my perception.   His Word remains true and His promises continue to be valid, regardless of how I may be feeling today.

Everyone has faith in something.  But faith in and of itself is worthless without the object of our faith being true and worthy.  And He is.  I am thankful that the fog lifts and He reassures me of His presence and care.

As I write this, it is dark.  The fog has completely lifted and the cathedral is bathed in spotlights.  One day, there will be no more need for faith as I will be walking by His side.  My prayer echos these lyrics; “And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight.”


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The Pits

Scripture for Today:  Psalms 40:2  “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.”

January can be the pits.  The hoopla of the holidays is over, the days are dark and short and the sun is reluctant to put in an appearance.   The next vacation time seems to be an eternity from now.

Sadness can seem like a deep dark hole like the one pictured here.  When I indulge my negative thoughts and feelings, I can make that hole even deeper and quite quickly.  Believers are to always be joyful, regardless of the circumstances.  So let’s call the miry clay of our verse the guilt one can feel for being sad.

I am thankful that David was so expressive of his feelings in his Psalms.  When he was feeling discouraged and down, he said it.  When he was feeling abandoned, he said it.  When he was feeling despair, he said it.  When we as believers answer the question, “How are you?” we usually do not say it.  But David was honest with the Lord about his feelings.

David cried to the Lord in this passage.  The Lord listened and heard and drew him up out of his despair.  He also gave David purpose and direction , placing his feet on rock. The pit for David did not disappear.  He is no longer in it, but it still exists.  There is always the temptation to return to the pit of sadness and self-pity.  Even after a miraculous rescue, we sometimes turn around and climb back in, especially when our circumstances do not change.

Thank you, Lord, that when I am in the pits, you hear my cry.  May I, like David, continually praise You.