Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Faithfulness


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“He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not”

Scripture for Today: Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I had no idea until now that the game of pulling off daisy petals has its origin in France!  It is called, “effeuiller la marguerite,” and the idea of course is to determine if the object of your affection returns your love.  The phrase, “he loves me, he loves me not,” is repeated with the removal of each petal until with the last petal comes the answer.  This phrase exists in thirty three languages so this game seems to be worldwide.  I remember playing this as a young girl but was not too convinced with either outcome.

I never have to play this game with God.  Unlike human relationships, there are no games involved.  He has made a commitment to love me and He never goes back on His promise.  Our verse for today reassures me of the permanence of His love.  There is no dark power that can interfere with His love.  There is no unforseen event in my future that can change His love.  Death itself cannot annul His indescribable love for me.  Paul was convinced of this truth and it changed his life.  He found this love when he found Jesus Christ.  And we find this incredible love in the same person!

Does He love me more today than yesterday?  Will He love me more tomorrow than today?  As He is love by His very nature, the answer is “no.”  His love is a perfect love that cannot be improved upon.  The answer is always, “He loves me.”


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Anchored

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 16:8  “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

(A re-post during a time of troubled water)

I have always loved the movement of the ocean.  In my college years I took sailing as an elective class.  The more waves there were the more I enjoyed the ride and the challenge.  Thankfully, I have never had a problem with sea-sickness, unlike some members of my family!  During those classes I always had the teacher with me and we would only go out in fair weather.  There was no need for an anchor to ride out a storm or keep us immobile.

Would that my life would be the same kind of smooth sailing!  Instead, the water is often choppy and the skies threatening.  The ride is not always so pleasant.  With disturbing news comes all kinds of movement.  Everything seems to spin out of control and one’s only thought at a time like that is to hold on tight.

The problem comes when I hold on tight to something that moves.  God does not.  My own “can do” attitude or my own positive thoughts are not stable.  My emotions are all over the place!  Support and understanding from friends can disappoint.  They are well meaning but not consistent.  There is only one true source of stability in my life; my Heavenly Father.  Our verse for today reminds me that with His presence at my right hand, I will not be moved.

He is my hope and the anchor of my soul (Hebrews 6:19).  He does not lie and He will do what He has promised to do.  My Anchor is sure and steadfast.  The water may continue to be choppy and the skies threatening, but my Anchor will hold me steady.  Lord, keep me holding on!


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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!


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Hiding

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place.  You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

What is it about cats and bags?  Every time I put away groceries I throw the empty bags on the floor, much to our Tiger’s delight.  He runs so quickly to hide in one of them that he and the bag slide across the floor!  Inside that bag he feels secure and invincible!  In his little cat brain he probably thinks no one can see him.  But when that bag starts moving across the tiles it is a dead give-away!

Our verse for today describes a different hiding place; the Lord Himself.  David has been hiding from God, unwilling to acknowledge his sin.  As with Adam and Eve, our first instinct with unconfessed sin is to hide from God.  Now that David has confessed everything, he is hiding in God.  He is hiding in His sure love and forgiveness.  He describes God’s love in verse 10 as a love that surrounds him.  There are songs and praise as those seeing and hearing of David’s deliverance celebrate the victory with him.

Hiding from God does not work.  Hiding behind a false sense of self sufficiency does not either.  But hiding in Him means protection and sure deliverance!  In Him is found such security.  His love is my retreat.  In His presence there is no fear of what man can do to me.  Whatever “mighty waters” (verse 6) may be in my future, they will not overwhelm me when I am hiding in Him.  He will fill my heart with song and praise as He proves Himself trustworthy yet again.

Thank you Lord, for hiding me in Your love.  It is such a good place to be!


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Toy Gyroscope

Scripture for Today: I Peter 5:9  “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

One of the joys of being a grandparent is shopping in toy stores.  I have ignored them for years.  Now, I have new interest in anything that may interest my grandsons!  The other day I saw an old fashioned toy gyroscope.  Never one to be too enthused about physics, I still managed to enjoy the whirling action of this toy when I was young.  I am not sure I understand much more about it as an adult!  But I do understand that the middle (rotor) will maintain its spin axis regardless of the crazy movements of that outer frame.

Our verse for today is about resisting the devil and standing firm in the faith.  Like the gyroscope center that resists the movement of the outer rings, we are to stay the course and keep turning in the direction of truth.  Resisting the devil is resisting the “Father of Lies.”  Using the suffering in our lives, he whispers that we are unloved and abandoned by God.  Suffering can surprise us if we somehow thought that as believers we were exempt.  But holding tight to faith in God’s Word and His promises keeps us standing firm and turning in the right direction.

One of the temptations when moving through suffering is to believe that no one else suffers as we do.  It is true that each of us is unique, but suffering is “common to man.”  God has His good purposes in allowing us to suffer different tests and trials.  He will always give us the ability to bear it (I Cor 10:13).

He is faithful.  Thank you, Lord, that with You I can resist and stand firm!