Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Dog Images


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Abandoned

Barney165730_816338958191_650073_nScripture for Today: Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

It was hard for my daughter and her husband to leave Barney with friends for a week in order to take a vacation.   Because they had adopted this little Jack Russel Terrier from an animal shelter, they were worried he would feel abandoned once again.  Thankfully, he fit right in with their friend’s household and loved playing with new doggie friends!

It would break my heart to enter an animal shelter.  I would probably ignore logic and come home with at least one abandoned pet.  Many people who buy puppies later decide it is an inconvenience and get rid of them.  Others do the same with their litters as they have neglected to neuter their animals.  Some breeders use the shelters to dump unsold puppies.

In our verse for today is a very comforting truth; the Lord our God will go with us.  He will never leave us or forsake us!  There is never a question of being abandoned by God.  These words were spoken by Moses to the Israelites in verse 6 and then repeated in verse 8 to Joshua and the Israelites.  His leadership was coming to an end and Moses did not want them to feel abandoned.

There are times when I am overcome with fear.  I am not facing battle with enemies, but I do face other fears.  The Lord wants to reassure me of His presence.  Having the promise that He will never leave me or forsake me helps calm those fears.  He will never look the other way and leave me on my own.

Thank you, Lord, that You will never abandon me.

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


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Road Rage

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 17:14 “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.”

Road rage is unfortunately pretty common on the Southern California freeways.  Perhaps we can all learn from this chill dog!  But it can start slowly with mounting frustration at the inconsiderate or unsafe behavior of others.  The body tenses and the mutterings begin.  From there it can escalate into yelling and cursing, complete with hand gestures!  Rolling down the window and getting personal is never a good thing.  Stopping the car is even worse and getting out to confront is a sign of complete loss of control.  Road rage was on the news again this morning showing two grown business men resorting to blows!

Our verse for today pictures that mounting anger as a breach in a dam.  It begins slowly as a small trickle but can mount so quickly, pressuring that wall of restraint to the breaking point!  Letting it all out and losing control may give temporary relief.  But the resulting damage can last a lifetime.

My anger may be completely justified.  But allowing it to build and burst will cause pain for which I will need to apologize when calm is restored.  Anger is not so much the issue as the loss of control it can bring when left unchecked.  There is a way to experience anger without sin (Eph. 4:26) but they usually go hand in hand with me.  The anger robs my self-control if I allow it to seethe.  Time, unwillingness to forgive, and seeking revenge all work against me.  Usually, I am more hurt than the one with whom I am angry!  If my anger is controlling my thoughts and emotions than surely, the Holy Spirit is not in the picture.  His control gives self-control.

Lord, make this an “anger free” day!

 

 


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A Dog and His Bone

Scripture for Today: Philippians 4:6 “Don’t fret or worry.  Instead of worrying, pray.  Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.”

Though this dog looks harmless enough, I would not want to get between him and his bone!  He must be in “doggy heaven” with such a treasure.  How many hours of fun he will have biting, tearing and gnawing at it.  However, there is lots of controversy about giving dogs bones.  There is discussion about raw versus cooked and which kinds are safe from splintering and causing problems.  But worrying a bone is something that seems a normal natural activity for a dog.

The phrase, “worrying a bone” reminded me of our verse for today.  We are told that we are not to worry, fret or be anxious about anything.  Instead, we are to turn those worries into prayers, thanking God in advance for how He will answer.  But like the dog with his bone, worrying just seems to come naturally.  It is so natural to worry that we need supernatural help to stop!

Worrying changes nothing, but praying can.  Prayer disposes my heart to trust Christ.  He already knows what worries are gnawing at me.  But He asks me to name those worries in the form of petitions.  What freedom can be mine when I give it all to Him!  He replaces that worry with His peace that guards my heart and mind.  Instead of being consumed with worry, I can get some distance from that problem.  I am no longer gnawing and picking at it.  My mind and heart are at rest, knowing I can trust His hand to work.

Lord, keep me from my natural inclination to worry.  Help me turn every anxious thought into heartfelt prayer.


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Bullying

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:41-42 “May Your unfailing love come to me, Lord, Your salvation, according to Your promise. Then I can answer anyone who taunts me, for I trust in Your Word.”

We hear a lot about bullying in the schools today, but in fact it is an age-old problem.  Who has not experienced it sometime in their formative years?  My worst time was transitioning between a small Christian school to a public junior high of two thousand students.  This was done wearing braces with a headgear attached, a real recipe for bullying opportunities!

Our verse for today describes a bullying problem where taunts are made.  So often bullying takes the form of verbal abuse, something that unfortunately continues into adulthood.  Sarcastic and demeaning words can cause real damage.  Spreading rumors can destroy one’s personal and professional life.  The consensus is that little can be done about an adult bully, except to ignore him and document the abuse in case legal action is taken.  But, our verse gives us a sure way to handle verbal abuse.

Being reassured of the Lord’s faithful love is the best way to let verbal abuse roll off one’s back.  Trusting in the promise of His salvation allows us to endure patiently this kind of attack.  We can even answer the bully with confidence because we trust in God’s Word.  We can stand firm, being buckled with the belt of Truth (Eph. 6:14).

I love this image of a large dog protecting a vulnerable cat!  My God is so powerful!  If God is for me, who can be against me? (Rom. 8:31)  His love will not let me down regardless of what hurtful things others may say!  I am His and He is my Protector.

Lord, keep me trusting in Your love and Your promises today.


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My Comfort

Scripture for Today:  II Corinthians 1:3  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.”

I noticed on Facebook a comment that made me stop and think.  It was a condolence message saying, “May your memories be your comfort.”  It is a beautiful sentiment.  Our memories help us through the intense loss of a loved one.  Keeping those memories alive is a tribute to the one gone and a way to help us cope.

There is another source of comfort that can help lighten the burden of grief.  That source is our Heavenly Father, God of all mercy and comfort.  There is no loss to which He cannot relate as He gave up His own Son.  When one is experiencing the pain of loss, no one else can possibly feel that same pain, regardless of how similar the circumstances may be.  But our God of comfort knows and understands.  Jesus, as our High Priest, is touched by our grief and all we are feeling (Heb. 4:15).

This verse has been put to the test by my own grief having just lost my Dad.  I do know He is faithful and true.  At the very moment of Dad’s passing, it was the middle of the night in France.  The Lord woke me up for almost two hours and during that time, an old hymn ran through my mind over and over again.  “Does Jesus care?  I know He cares.  His heart is touched with my grief.  When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares.”  He has been my source of comfort in times of loss, and He will be again.

Thank you Lord, for being my constant comfort.