Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Devotions


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Neutrality

Scripture for Today: I John 5:12 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Les Diablerets, Switzerland is one of my favorite places in the world!  This small village in the Alps looks like a scene right out the book, “Heidi.”  The air is clean and pure.  The hiking trails beckon and the surrounding tall peaks invite me to keep looking up!  Life seems simple and unspoilt here in Switzerland and its residents have worked hard to stay out of conflict on the world stage.  I find I am ambivalent about their position, or lack of it.  I see good and bad about staying neutral.

Today’s verse makes it very clear that there is no neutral stand in one’s position on Jesus Christ.  One either has the Son in their life or they do not.  One either has life in Him or one does not.  There is no middle ground.  There is no straddling of a fence.  He does not make it possible to have it both ways.  Without Him there is no true life.  We are dead spiritually without Him.  But thankfully, Christ made us alive even when we were dead in our sins (Eph. 2:5).  His forgiveness quickens our hearts and opens our eyes!

Quite frankly, the whole spiritual dimension to my life is what makes my life worth the living!  I am incredibly blessed with the love of husband, family and friends.  I have good health and am relatively comfortable financially.  But none of that satisfies me completely.  It is the intimate, unseen relationship with the Son that gives my life the meaning I so desire.  Sharing life with the Giver of life is what true life is all about!

Thank you, Lord, for giving me life in Your Son.


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The Skunk

Scripture for Today:  II Corinthians 2:15-16a “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.”

This baby skunk sure looks adorable but there is nothing cute about their smell!  That awful odor wafted into the open windows of our bus recently.  It was familiar enough for me, but for the French folks with me for two weeks in Quebec, it was baffling.  There are no skunks in France, despite the Pepé Le Pew cartoon.  Our tour guide had to explain what it was as we hurriedly raised the windows.  On a positive note, we stopped looking at each other with accusatory glances!

Our verse today speaks of differing reactions to our “smell” or influence.  To those God is calling to Himself, we have a pleasing aroma.  These people know of our relationship with Jesus and continue their contact with us.  We can and do pray that the Lord is continuing to draw them to Himself and that He will use our fragrance.  But there is another group that are in the process of rejecting the Savior.  Quite frankly, we stink to them.  We can be as friendly as humanly possible but they are continually offended by our stench!

It is not easy for me to know that I stink for some people.  No one likes to be shunned.  But the upside is that I smell wonderful to those with whom God’s Spirit is working.  And regardless of how I am perceived, what is most important to me is that I am a pleasing aroma to God when I speak of Him to others!

Lord, may today be a fragrant one for You!


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Seven

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:164-165 “Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous Laws.  Great peace have they who love Your Law, and nothing can make them stumble.”

There is something about the number seven.  Gamblers consider it a lucky number.  The character, George Costanza, thought “Seven” a beautiful first name.  Many ancient cultures had seven gods.

In Scripture, the number seven has special significance.  Creation, with the Sabbath, took seven days.  Solomon’s Temple took seven years to build.  The walls of Jericho came down after seven days of marching.  Revelation records seven stars, lampstands, churches, seals, trumpets, and bowls.  Seven is thought to be the number of perfection or completion.

In our verse for today David does not use the number seven literally.  David mentions praying three times a day in Psalm 55:17.  In fact, David writes that His praise shall continually be in his mouth (Psalm 34:1).  He uses the number seven here to express a desire to worship the Lord perfectly, or completely.  In turning towards a holy and righteous God, David is showing a special care in his devotion.  His praise is specific; for God’s Law.  He recognizes the stability His Law gives to life.  In following God’s righteous way, one will not stumble as the wicked do whenever calamity strikes (Prov. 24:16).  David praises God for the great peace that comes from being obedient.  He knew the difference.  He experienced first hand the agony and awful consequences of breaking God’s Law.

What a beautiful and worthy subject of praise!  God’s Law gives stability and direction to my life.  It keeps me from stumbling.  Following His Law gives me heart peace instead of guilt and confusion.  Seven times a day is only the beginning of my praise and worship!

Lord, may I continually praise You today!  You are worthy!

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.


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Broken Pottery

unnamedScripture for Today: Psalm 31:12 “I am forgotten as though I were dead.  I have become like broken pottery.”

This happened.  I do not want to name names.  It was just one of those unfortunate freak accidents.  My Polish pottery is not only beautiful but special as it reminds me of trips to Poland with friends.  I doubt I will ever have the chance to replace it.  I had to bite my tongue so as not to make the culprit feel worse.  It is only an inanimate object and relationship is certainly more important.  There is not much use for it now unless I want half portions, which I do not!

In our verse for today David feels like broken pottery.  He feels the utter contempt of his enemies.  He is shunned by his neighbors and becomes an object of dread.  It is as though he were useless and of no importance.  David feels himself slipping into depression and views his life as falling apart.  The psalm turns around in verse 14 when he says, “But I trust in You, Lord.”  He begins to see the abundance of good things God has done and ends the psalm addressing all who hope in the Lord to be strong and take heart!

There are times I can relate to these feelings of loneliness and brokenness.  But like David, I can turn to the only One who can pick up those broken pieces and make something new and useful from them.  It is never too late to trust Him because in His capable hands, nothing is beyond repair.  It is because of His grace that I can take heart, regardless of my circumstances, regardless of my failures and regardless of broken relationships.

I am never forgotten or defeated because of His incredible healing love!  Thank you, Lord.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.


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Artistic Hands

IMG_20140623_161520Scripture for Today: II Corinthians 1:8 “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia.  We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.”

This beautiful painting of a potter fashioning a vase was done by our daughter, Rebekah, in high school.  It hangs proudly in our entryway and reminds me that we are all a work in progress.  The potter looks so involved and attentive to his work.  He seems to be handling the vase with special care.  It looks to be almost completed with just a few finishing touches.

The image of God as our Potter is found throughout Scripture.  We are the clay and He fashions us according to His purposes.  But as with any pottery making process, pressure is needed on that clay to create.  On the wheel, artistic hands press and push to form the shape wanted.  The result is beautiful but the process looks arduous!

In our verse for today, Paul is feeling great pressure.  Troubles in his life were so difficult that he did not know if he could survive.  He feared that they were beyond his ability to endure.  Yet he recognized that there was a purpose behind them.  Paul saw that his Potter was using the pressure to encourage him to rely on God’s strength (verse 9).

I know my Potter uses some of those same methods in fashioning me into a vase He can use.  He allows pressures and difficulties in my life to sculpt and teach me dependence on Him.  It is not at all comfortable, but I know it is necessary.

Thank you Lord, that I can trust the pressure of Your hands to make something beautiful of my life!

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.