Devotions By Jan

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This Means War!

Scripture for Today:

Ephesians 6: 12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

I thought it strange to see this menacing figure staring at me as I waited for my sushi take-out.  I am not sure why he was there or what the restaurant owners were thinking in their choice of decor!   He was quite large!  I would think they would want their establishment to be a welcoming place!

I snapped his picture because he made me think about the fact that I am a warrior too.  I do not think I look quite so threatening, but then it is not about looks.  In fact, the verse for today talks about our war not having anything to do with flesh and blood.  Our war takes place in the unseen spiritual realm.

God’s choice of me as one of His warriors is ludicrous!  My courage is so nonexistent that I need to enlist my husband in combat with a spider!  There is nothing in me to inspire fear.  However, the devil will flee from me according to James 4:7.  When I am subject to my Commander-in-Chief, He gives me the ability to resist the temptations of the enemy.

I am well-equipped in this battle so I have no reason to fear!  God has outfitted me with all the armor I need.  I can be strong in Him and the power of His might.  Not only that, I already know the outcome of this war.  I am on the winning side!  “If God be for us who can be against us?”  Romans 8:31  The answer is, no one.

Unlikely warrior that I am, I can be confident because of the One who goes before me.  Victory is mine!


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Recipes

Scripture for Today :                  

Deuteronomy 10: 12-13  “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”

It felt really good to be asked for a recipe the other day.  It is more often the case that I am asking my French friends for their recipes!  It is not easy to convert all my American measures into the metric system, however.  And of course, the cooking vocabulary is very precise.  But I felt flattered enough to stick with the translation.

I did not worry about all the verbs being in the command form.  It is a recipe after all.  I did not bother writing, “please beat the eggs.”  Or “would you mind chopping the nuts.”  But no one is offended.  We are directive because we know that it is for a good result.  We follow the commands to obtain that positive result.

Our verse today is full of commands.  There is no softening of what God requires of us.  But His commands are always with a good goal.  They are always for our good and for our protection.  We know that because HE is good.  It follows that His commandments are too.

The attitude that King David had towards God’s commandments was one of delight in keeping them!  He understood that His directives were an expression of His love and care.  If God’s commandments are really for my good, then why am I always trying to change the recipe?

(Thanks to Catherine Koning for this recipe idea!)


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Pass the Salt

Scripture for Today:  Matthew 5:13                               

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

It may seem like I have a lot of salt shakers but in fact, compared to the collection my sister used to have, this is nothing!  I do not always put them on the table though.  I like to think that the food I have prepared for my guests is already perfectly seasoned.  In fact, one of my pet peeves is when guests salt their food before even tasting it.

Before refrigeration salt was necessary for preserving food.  But there are so many other uses for salt.  It can set colors or brighten them.  It can prevent fruit from browning.  Salt keeps the ants away; they do not like to walk on it.  Salt can “de-ice” the roads.  It keeps flowers fresh.  Salt even calms down a BBQ fire, reducing the flames and smoke.  And salt has numerous cleaning properties.

As believers we are called the salt of the earth.  We are to have an influence in our world.  But we can lose our saltiness by conforming to our world.  When we adopt the values of those around us, we lose our influence.

For me to be salt and an influence for Christ, I need to be out there in the world.   Salt does no good sitting on the shelf with all the other salt shakers.  But there is always the risk of losing my saltiness.  The pull of this world’s system is strong.  I am faced everyday with the temptation to compromise my standards.  My prayer today is that my testimony stays strong and yes, salty!


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Promises

Scripture for Today:  II Corinthians 1:20  “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

We live in an area of France where there is a fair amount of rain.  The upside is that we can enjoy the rainbows too!  This one is a double, although the second one is very faint.

When I see a rainbow, I think about God’s promises.  What a beautiful reminder it is that unlike us, God keeps His Word.  He has promised to never again send a world-wide flood to judge mankind.  But I not only think of this promise, but of others too.

Our verse today talks about the many promises of God.  And there are so many in Scripture.  Every one of
them is sure.  The word “amen” means “so be it.”  Because of His faithfulness we can have the confidence that it will be!  Our “amen” expresses this confidence.

My favorite promises have to do with His love for me.  It is eternal and never changes.  He does not love me more tomorrow than today because His love is unconditional.  His love for me does not improve with time as He IS love.  His love is already perfect and an attribute of who He is.

There are so many other promises He gives us as His children: joy, peace, strength, victory over sin, His presence, meeting our needs…….the list goes on.  They are all YES.  Our verse tells us that we glorify God by agreeing with Him that He will fulfill His promises.

Normally, I am a sun-loving Californian.  But let it rain.  The next time I see a rainbow I will say, “Amen!”


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Waiting

Scripture for Today:  Psalms 37:9  “For evildoers will be cut off.  But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.”

My crock pot has definitely seen better days!  The only setting that still works is “high” but it is still incredibly slow.  But then that is the idea.  The flavors have the time to really develop and intensify.  Smelling the dish cook for an entire day makes my mouth water in anticipation.  But I have to wait.

My Mother used to say that, ” good things come to those who wait.”  That is certainly a spiritual truth as well.  Our verse today talks about waiting for our inheritance.  The inheritance promised to believers in the New Testament is not literal land, but a heavenly reward that is eternal.  (I Peter 1:4)  But it is all in the future, which means having to wait.

Waiting is not something I enjoy doing.  I get impatient.  Waiting in long lines is the worst.  What really angers me is to see someone cut in line!  The other day in the “10 articles or less” line, I spoke (nicely) to the woman ahead of me.  She had a cart filled to the brim.  She corrected me, pointing to the sign above.  It was actually indicating the cash register next to us.  Oops.

There are evildoers all around us that seem to prosper.  There are those who profit by dishonest means and seem to get away with it.  However, they will be cut off.  Their riches are temporal.  In contrast, the inheritance belonging to God’s children is beyond the reach of change and decay.  It is unsullied and unfading.

No, I do not like to wait.  But it sounds like waiting for the Lord is well worth the wait!