Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Flower Images


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The Crocus

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 35:1-2a “The desert and the parched land will be glad. The wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom. It will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.”

I cannot help but smile when I see these sweet crocuses.  They are usually the first burst of color to be seen in a barren winter landscape.  They herald the coming of spring, giving just a glimpse of the riotous color to follow.  For me, they represent hope of a verdant and colorful season just around the corner.  Often, they seem to just pop up overnight.

Today’s verse uses the image of the crocus to picture the joy of God’s redeemed people.  The desert of their distress and persecution will be transformed into joyful springs of water.  There will be a day when God will move on their behalf, coming with vengeance and salvation (verse 4).  Every wrong will be made right.  There will be singing, shouting, gladness and everlasting joy for the redeemed.  There will be complete healing and protection.  Sorrow and sighing will be no more!

What an incredible future awaits me!  And this joy can be lived in part now as I look forward to that day.  That small sweet crocus is a promise of so much more to come.  Its appearance reminds me that all is not bleak and barren in life.  A different season is surely coming.  All will be transformed in the blink of an eye.  At that point, there will be no containing my bursting joy!  But for now, it is so easy to look around at everything sad and negative in my life and become discouraged.  I have a choice however.  Instead I am going to look for that small crocus flower today!

Thank you Lord, that incredible joy is my future!


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Garlands

colleen-35Scripture for Today: Proverbs 4:9 “She (wisdom) will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”

What flower garland on the head does not make a woman feel more beautiful?  Even as little girls, we play with field flowers, making chains and placing them on our heads.  We pretend we are princesses and prance around feeling special.  There does seem to be something royal about a garland on the head as it can resemble a tiara.  The bridal industry understands this and there is quite a wide choice of flower garlands for the big day.

Our verse for today describes wisdom as being that garland or crown.  Wisdom in a life makes it beautiful and graceful.  Wisdom, or skillful living, even brightens the face and changes its hard appearance! (Eccl. 8:1)  More important than physical beauty, a wise life exudes a loveliness and grace that does not diminish with time.  Who would not want that?  Where is this wisdom found?

God’s Word leaves no doubt as to the source of wisdom.  The first time wisdom is mentioned is in Genesis 3:6 where Eve disobeyed God in an effort to gain wisdom.  That did not work out so well!  Wisdom is found in obeying and loving His Word as is declared repeatedly in Psalm 119.  The Lord gives this wisdom as knowledge and understanding come from His mouth (Prov. 2:6).

The image of garlands and crowns brings to mind beauty and honor.  That is just how a life looks that is marked by wisdom.  Right choices lead to lives uncomplicated by sorrow from sin.  Confidence in God’s promises changes our outlook and our demeanor.  Obedience to our Creator is wise living that creates grace and glory!

Lord, grace my head with Your wisdom today.


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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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Dandelions

Scripture for Today: Psalm 103:17 “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him and His righteousness with their children’s children.”

How sweet it is  when a child painstakingly picks those dandelions and offers them as a bouquet!  There is pride on his face for thinking of it.  There is hope there too, that you will recognize the effort and be grateful for his gesture of love.  The problem comes almost immediately as those flowers begin to wilt in his hot little hand.  One hates to disappoint a child and so we put them in water in hopes they will last a little longer.

Our verse for today is a contrast between what will last and what will not last.  Mortals are pictured as grass and like the flower in the field (verse 15).  We flourish for a short time and then are no more.  Like the dandelion, our lives can be full of beauty but oh so short.

How incredible is the contrast with God’s love for His own!  His love is from everlasting to everlasting.  It does not wilt.  His love is evident now and continues without interruption into eternity.  And it is so much more beautiful than the lowly dandelion!

God’s love does not disappoint.  When a bouquet is offered there is the expectation that eventually it will die and be thrown out.  But with the love of God, there is no end.  His love and compassion never fail and they are renewed every morning (Lam. 3:22-23).  The constancy of His love is amazing when compared to tired fickle human love!

Whether a bouquet of flowers is offered for a birth, a wedding, or a funeral, its life will be a short one.  As they wilt, may I be reminded of God’s everlasting love.


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Flowering Weeds

???????????????????????????????Scripture for Today: Psalm 37:20  “But the wicked will perish:  Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.”

Spring is a wonderful time of new growth.  It is exciting to see the first iris and roses of the season.  But unfortunately, there are other kinds of new growth as well; weeds.  It seems a constant battle to pull them out.  Sometimes I am unsure as to which plants are actually weeds.  Some of them sprout little flowers and can look pretty nice.   The dictionary defines a weed as, “a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants.”  Sure enough, if left alone, that weed will start taking over and choking out what I have planted.

Our verse for today describes the enemies of the Lord as flowers springing up unwanted in a field.  The wicked are like that weed that can produce flowers, but if left alone will choke out what has been planted.  Unlike my work in my garden, it is not up to me to decide which is a cultivated plant and which is a flowering weed.  The Lord is the only One who can see the heart and know who are truly His own.

For now, the Lord is showing patience towards the wicked.  He is not willing that any one of His enemies perish but that all come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).  Weeds are left to grow along with the wheat.  But one day there will be judgement and He will separate out the weeds from the wheat (Matt. 13:30).

Until that day, I want to grow and bear fruit, unconcerned about fast growing weeds alongside.  I can trust the Divine Gardener to take care of me in His garden!