Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: God’s Word


by Leave a comment

The Chuck Wagon

Scripture for Today:  Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.”

The “chuck wagon” was essential to the life of a cowboy driving cattle overland out of Texas.  These hardy men would be out in the open for months and the entire crew needed to be fed daily.  The chuck wagon was invented by a Texas rancher named Charles Goodnight in 1866 to meet this need.  The wagon carried a dutch oven to bake the sourdough biscuits that were served with beans.  The menu may not have varied much but it kept body and soul together.

In today’s verse, Job values God’s Word more than he does his daily bread.  Job was an upright man who carefully obeyed and feared God.  But even more than that Job hung on God’s every word.  To Job, the words of God’s mouth were not only a daily necessity like bread, but a treasure!  Job had the same regard for God’s decrees as David had years later when he said they were more precious than gold (Psalm 19:10).

I want to esteem God’s Word as just this precious and valuable!  I want His Word to be just as essential to me as the food I eat.  His Word is a treasure because in keeping it, “there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:11)  And It feeds my soul and nourishes my relationship with Him.  No other book on earth can do that!  And His Word will never pass away as it is eternal (Matt. 24:35).  What other book could ever make that claim?  I can skip a meal and feel hunger, but do I feel just as much of a lack when I neglect reading God’s Word?

Lord, keep me hungry for every word that comes from You.


by Leave a comment

A Panda-Sized Meal

Scripture for Today: James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

Who does not enjoy watching these cute cuddly-looking pandas!  They can look especially adorable when romping around playing.  But more likely, they are seen doing what they spend the majority of their day doing; eating!  They eat 30-45 pounds of bamboo per day.  Their back molars are very strong for tearing this fibrous plant.  And they even have a sixth digit for holding those long stalks.  But because the bamboo is low in nutrition and pandas digest a very low percentage of what they eat, they must consume huge quantities.  They are constantly eating.

Today’s verse talks about two ways one can feed on God’s Word.  One can merely listen to it and be deceived into thinking that is sufficient.  Or one can not only listen to God’s Word but actually apply it and put it into practice.  In obeying God’s Word, there is change, growth and good spiritual health.  However, merely listening is much easier to do.  There can be momentary feel-good reactions to a poetic passage or a challenging story of faith.  But it is when we respond to His commands with submission and obedience that we truly grow.

I can get quite prideful about how well I know Scripture.  I can recite verses with the best of them.  But large quantities of head knowledge is not what makes for true heart change.  It is only in doing what God’s Word says that I can grow and become what He wants me to be.  It really is not how much I know or how much I listen to that makes a difference.  The difference lies in how much I do what it says!

Lord, don’t let me be deceived.  Show me where I need to obey.

 


by Leave a comment

Looking Up

Scripture for Today: Acts 1:11 “‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven.'”

Do you see what I see in these clouds?  A friend took this photo and she did not even have to suggest what was there.  Facing to the left of the screen is what looks like a huge gorilla head.  She calls it a monkey blowing kisses!  Perhaps one has to use one’s imagination.  But I love looking up in the clouds and seeing different shapes and what they suggest.

Today’s verse was addressed to the disciples by two angels at the occasion of Christ returning to Heaven.  They had just seen Him taken up into the sky and then hidden by a cloud (verse 9).  These angels reassured them that He would be coming back, and in the same manner.  Somehow at Christ’s return, clouds will be involved.  Jesus Himself foretold that He would come on the “clouds of Heaven” (Matt. 26:64).  And one day, every eye will see Him coming with the clouds (Rev. 1:7).

Whether I see strange clouds or not, I want to keep looking up.  It is then that I am reminded of His faithfulness which reaches to the skies (Ps. 36:5).  That huge expanse of sky is His creation and nothing is too hard for Him.  He always keeps His word and I can trust Him.  What He says He will do.  When I see those clouds overhead, I want to say with firm conviction, “Maranatha,” the Lord is coming!  He has promised.

Lord, keep me looking up today.


by 1 Comment

Mother’s Day

Scripture for Today:  Luke 11:27-28   While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.”  But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it.”

This is a special Mother’s Day for me as it is the first one without my Mom.  I cannot complain as having died at 95 we have had many wonderful years together.  Not everyone can say that their relationship with their Mother was or is so positive.  There are those who are reminded only of pain each Mother’s Day.  I realize that I am so very blessed, which makes her absence that much more bittersweet.

God’s Word exalts and honors motherhood.  However, in today’s verse, Jesus calls something even more blessed than being a mother.  Someone in the crowd of listeners spoke a blessing on the mother of Jesus.  And in doing so, the speaker was also blessing Jesus.  But Jesus responded with something that was a bigger blessing that everyone can experience; hearing and obeying God’s Word.

I tend to look at my roles as wife and mother as the most exalted and fulfilling roles I could possibly have on this earth.  Certainly, I do not want to take anything away from this.  But the relationship I have with the Lord is always the most intimate one possible.  My role as a follower of Christ far outweighs my role as anything else.  My relationship with Him never disappoints.  It is deeper, more faithful and more satisfying than any human relationship.  He fills in all the emotional holes in my heart when losing one so dear.

Thank you Lord, for the blessing of knowing You.


by Leave a comment

Smallest Chameleon

Scripture for Today: James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

This little guy is thought to be the smallest chameleon ever discovered.  From the tip of his tail to his nose he measures just one inch!  He is found in Madagascar and this species is threatened with de-forestation.  He is too cute to disappear with his weird rotating eyes and curly tail.  He, like his bigger counterparts, can change his color pattern when under stress.

Today’s verse explains that not only is everything good in our lives a gift from our Heavenly Father, but He is a God that does not change.  With the Lord there is no changing or shifting shadows.  He is the same powerful miraculous God yesterday, today and forever!  (Hebrews 8:13)   He does not improve with age as He is perfect.  He does not change His plans for us as He already knows the end from the beginning.  We however, are constantly in a state of change.  Our circumstances change, our thinking changes and our abilities change with age.  Emotions change with the weather!

It is a comfort to know He does not change.  I feel an enormous sense of security in this assurance.  I do not serve a capricious God.  He will always be true to His word and to who He is.  I do not have to worry if He will be faithful or not, holy or not, just or not.  I can ALWAYS count on Him.  The fact that there is no shadow of turning with Him means that He is worthy of my trust and confidence tomorrow as well as today.

Thank you Lord, for being who You are and for always being true to Yourself!