Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Faith and Trust


by Leave a comment

Newborn Kittens

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

Most every year growing up, our Chin-Chin had a beautiful litter of kittens.  She knew that the cardboard box full of clean rags in the hall closet was for her.  Those sweet kittens did not look like much when first born.  But as they grew older they also grew cuter!

How much those newborns needed their mother, not only for nourishment but for personal hygiene and safety!  Kittens do not open their eyes until after a week old making their dependance on their mother that much more important.  Their vision remains poor until ten weeks old.  These cute balls of fur stumble around and knock into things until their sight develops.

Our verse for today is short but profound.  Like the newborn kitten, we stumble around and knock into things trying to figure out life.  We try to walk using our own logic and understanding and we do not do so well.  The Lord means for us to depend on Him and walk in faith.  The context is between two verses speaking of confidence.  When we take steps in faith they are confident steps.  The One in whom we place our confidence is willing and able to guide, direct and reassure.

The context teaches walking in faith in a particular situation; death.  It is in facing the death of a loved one or our own death that our faith is truly tested.  The Lord means for me to have confidence in His Word and promises when facing eternity.  Although I cannot see, I can deal with life or approach death with sweet kitten-like dependence on the Lord.  There is confidence and peace rather than anxiety and fear.

If I see nothing ahead but You Lord, it is enough.


by Leave a comment

Teeter-Totter

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 75:6-7 “No one from the east or from the west or from the desert can exalt themselves.  It is God who judges.  He brings one down.  He exalts another.”

It has been a long time since I have seen one of these teeter-totters in a public park.  I remember playing on them as a child and coordinating my movements with a friend so we could enjoy the up and down motion.  More often than not, there were some rough landings.  Not all of them were accidental!  I managed to survive this now outdated playground equipment.  Being that it is considered a safety hazard there are very few still seen today.

Our verse for today teaches that it is our sovereign God who brings down one person and lifts up another.  Regardless of our origin we can not exalt ourselves.  This psalm of Asaph declares that God puts down the wicked and lifts up the righteous.  He has the right to do so and He does it with justice.

When we try to exalt ourselves we can make a mess of things.  That is because all who exalt themselves will be humbled (Luke 14:11).  There is nothing better than hearing compliments and praise from someone else for a job well done.  When one sings their own praises all that is heard is pride.  How much better it is to leave the matter of recognition to the Lord.

God does promise to exalt us in due time.  We are to hope in Him and faithfully keep His way as we wait to see that happen.  Not only will we see ourselves exalted but we will see the wicked destroyed (Psalm 37:34)  It is a comfort to know this.  He is just and I can trust Him.

 

 


by Leave a comment

He Promised!

Scripture for Today: Romans 4:20-21 “Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He promised.”

Alsace has lots of rain, but how can I complain when I see beautiful rainbows like this one!  It is especially breathtaking when two are formed.  If there were a rainbow for every promise God has made to us, the sky would be ablaze with color!  The rainbow brings to mind the promise God gave Noah after the flood; that He would never again send a world-wide flood.  I imagine that when the first rains came after that flood, Noah and his family must have looked up at the sky with anxious eyes.  But God always keeps His Word, and the rainbow serves as a reminder of this beautiful truth.

If the rainbow reminds us of God’s faithfulness to His promises, what would a second rainbow represent?  It could stand for any one of the many promises in Scripture.  Perhaps the most important one is the promise of eternal life (I John 2:25).  But the second rainbow represents for me the power God has to fulfill all of His promises!

Our verse for today explains why Abraham could stand so firm in his faith.  God gave him the promise of a son; something that was physically impossible.  Abraham believed God without wavering because he was fully persuaded that God was powerful enough to do the impossible.  God has the power to keep all of His promises.  “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen.18:14)  The answer is an obvious “No!”

I want to be just as fully persuaded as Abraham!  Thank you Lord, for Your amazing power to do the impossible!


by Leave a comment

Blind Trust

Scripture for Today: Romans 15:13  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

These tiny newborn birds have their mouths open wide in anticipation of the next morsel of food from their mother.  These little birds are so new that their eyes have not yet opened.  They cannot see their mother but they sense she is there.  They have no choice in the menu but seem confident enough to eat and swallow without question what the mother provides.  Theirs is a blind trust.

Our verse for today describes the joy and peace that is ours when we trust the One who is totally trustworthy!  When we trust His provision we overflow with hope.  This hope comes through the power of His Holy Spirit.  It may sometimes seem like a “blind trust” as we cannot understand the work of God completely (Eccl. 11:5).  We do not see the path of the wind or how the bones are formed in the mother’s womb.  There is so much we do not understand.  Like these newborn fledglings, we trust our Heavenly Father without knowing all the details.

What is reassuring about our trust is that it is not really blind.  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.  I can open my mouth wide to receive whatever it is He has in store for me.

Thank you Lord, for the joy and peace that comes from trusting You.


by Leave a comment

Hope

Scripture for Today: Lamentations 3:25-26 “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.  It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

How does one picture “hope?”  The image of this barren ground calls to mind the idea of grief and despair.  It is dry, cracked and hard.  There is no expectation of growth or new life.  But somehow, hope springs up in the form of this tiny green plant.  There is a tomorrow after all.  What looks completely dead comes to life!

Today’s verse made me think of the sadness and confusion of the disciples.  They huddled together in fear and despair for three long days following Christ’s crucifixion.  They must have felt lost and abandoned.  Their hearts and spirits must have felt as dry as the ground pictured here.  Perhaps they felt their hope in Jesus as the Messiah was ill placed.  But it was not.  The Lord was good to those men crushed with grief.  However, they had to wait three days to see His salvation.

The whole concept of hope involves waiting for a promise to be fulfilled.  The word, “hope,” in Scripture denotes confident expectation of what is sure to come.  There are many promises in my life that are yet to come.  The Lord wants to shower His goodness on me when I wait quietly and with confidence.  The Lord is especially good to me as I earnestly seek His face in those hard times of waiting.  I am not sure if the disciples waited quietly and confidently during those three days.  But then again, I have trouble with waiting as well.

Lord, thank you for the sure hope I have in You!  Help me to wait patiently for Your help and salvation!