Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Faith and Trust


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Essential Oils

Scripture for Today: Psalm 27:4 “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.”

Why are essential oils called, “essential?”  For some, it’s because they are concentrated down to the essence of the odor, characteristics and taste of the plant.  Others believe they are essential oils being essential to life.  In either case, to become essential is to be reduce to a highly concentrated form.  An example is one ounce of peppermint oil which takes sixteen pounds of fresh peppermint leaves to produce.

Today’s verse reduces all of life down to one concentrated desire on David’s part.  He views his relationship to the Lord as the most essential component to his well-being.  All of David’s attention is on the Lord.  Above all else he wants to enjoy His presence.  David asks of the Lord only one thing.  Nothing is quite as important than spending time in His presence and enjoying His beauty.  All else pales in comparison to the importance of his relationship to the Lover of his soul.

There is lots of talk today regarding what services in our world are “essential services.”  Some are obvious and some seem to be up for interpretation.   But one thing is essential to life here and to life eternally.  I can regain my health, my finances and my social connections, but what good is any of it if I forfeit my soul? (Mark 8:36)  I need Him.  The Lord is essential.  When everything else is stripped away, HE is still there.  His presence and beauty are essential to my life.  If I learn nothing else from life, may it be this!

Lord, You are my life.


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The Pied Kingfisher

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 31:5 “Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; He will shield it and deliver it, He will pass over it and rescue it.”

This is one amazing bird!  The Pied Kingfisher lives in Asai and Sub Saharan Africa and is referred to as the “King of Kingfishers!”   The black and white markings make him easily recognizable.  But it is his specialized hunting skills that make him remarkable.  He is the largest hovering bird, scouting his prey from 50-60 feet above water.  He uses no air currents but instead will flap his wings 8 times a second to hold himself in place.

Today’s verse describes God’s promise to His people to shield, deliver and rescue them.  They had turned to Egypt for help from their enemies rather than to God.  They had turned to the silver and gold idols they themselves had made rather than to God.  This promise is made despite their revolt and with the promise comes a call to return to Him (verse 6).  He is the One who hovers and sees every distress.  He is the One who not only surveys from above but like the Kingfisher, descends with amazing precision.  Nothing escapes His watchful eyes and nothing is beyond His power.

He sees it all.  And He uses that knowledge to show me His goodness, mercy and love.  The plan He is unfolding in my life takes into account every tear.  He is my “El Roi,” the God who sees.  He saw Hagar’s tears and He sees mine (Gen. 16:13).  He hovers.  He stays in the place of tender concern.  I can be assured that my circumstances, though difficult, are working towards a good that I may not ever see this side of eternity.  He has promised.

Thank you Lord, that your love and protection hover over me!

 


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Are We There Yet??

Scripture for Today: II Corinthians 4:17 “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

“Are we there yet?” must be the most often-asked question while going through this tunnel!  The Laerdal tunnel in Norway is the longest land tunnel in the world at 24.5 kilometers.  Because of concern for the well-being of the travelers, advice was sought from industrial psychology consultants.  To keep people positive, three large caverns were built every six kilometers with blue lighting to suggest daylight and yellow lighting on walls to represent sunrise!  But what would keep me positive is the sign with the length posted!

Today’s verse encourages positivity as our troubles are said to be “momentary.”  Regardless of the duration, every difficulty in life is temporary when compared to eternity!   Pain is momentary but glory is eternal.  And the glory experienced in Heaven grows in direct relation to our afflictions here on earth.  The hard times experienced by the believer are not only momentary but are working for him.  What awaits us far outweighs any sadness and pain on earth.

To answer the question, no, we are not there yet.  But we will be.  Ten thousand years from now I very much doubt that I will give this pandemic a second thought.  All the trials and difficult times I experience are but for a moment  They are a temporary condition.  And as hard as they feel, it is a pain that is never wasted.  My sorrow is not for nothing.  This truth keeps me from “losing heart” (verse 16).  Remembering this keeps me looking forward to what is unseen and eternal.

Thank you Lord, that life’s trials can seem small when compared to You and eternity!


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Blind as a Bat

Scripture for Today: II Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

It certainly does not seem as if these Mexican free-tailed bats are blind.  Although pitch dark, they seem to know exactly where they are going.  They are not bumping in to each other or the walls of Bracken Cave, their summer home in Mexico.  Theirs is the world’s largest bat colony housing more than 15 million.  It is actually a myth that bats are blind, although some species prefer relying on echolocation rather than their sight.

Today’s verse states that a believer will not rely only on his sight to navigate this life.  The one who places their confidence in his Creator has the advantage of faith or “spiritual sight” to guide him.  It may sometimes seem like a “blind faith” as we cannot understand the work of God completely (Eccl. 11:5).  We do not see the path of the wind or how the body is formed in the mother’s womb.  There is so much we do not understand.  But we trust our Heavenly Father without knowing all the details.

What is reassuring about our faith is that it is not really blind at all.  We know the One in whom we place our trust and that makes all the difference!  When I cannot understand what He is doing, I can still trust that He will be true to His character; loving, good, faithful and true.  I can trust that He will be true to His Word.  He is never random or capricious. My faith is not blind as it is placed in the One who sees all.  I can even, like Corrie Ten Boon, “trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Thank you Lord, that my faith in You is never blind.


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Walls Closing In

Scripture for Today: Psalm 118:5  “When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; He brought me into a spacious place.”

It feels as if the walls are closing in.  I love my house but lately, it has been feeling smaller and smaller.  With stay-at-home expectations and social distancing, there is a deep longing for not only connection but for wide open places and big sky.  This must be a little bit like what the claustrophobic feels.

In today’s verse it was not so much walls closing in but enemies.  This psalm is full of praise for deliverance as God has proven Himself faithful yet again.  Enemies have been vanquished and the people are celebrating!  The king had cried out in distress because of the enemies’ attacks and the Lord answered and put him in a wide open place.  No longer does he feel surrounded and closed in by the enemy (verse 10-11).  The Lord becomes his strength, his song and his salvation (verse 14).

I may not have the distress of enemies attacking, but I do feel surrounded on all sides by different pressures.  There is fear of the unknown.  The distress of finances, health issues, coming changes or family issues can all feel like walls  closing in on me.  If I allow my imagination to join in I can easily slip into a state of panic!  The only and best thing to do is to cry out to the Lord.  He is there to be my strength, my song and my salvation.  In His lovingkindness, He pushes back the walls.  He leads me to wide open places where there are green pastures and quiet waters. (Psalm 23:2)  I no longer feel confined when he restores my soul!

Lord, help me to stay in that wide open place of trusting You.