Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: God’s Word


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Turned Around!

track unnamedScripture for Today: Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,”

The sun was shining and there was a slight cool breeze.  The track was empty and everything was perfect for my first morning walk here.  I was walking at a good pace when I noticed the arrows pointing the other way.  I was walking well but in the wrong direction!  How annoying.  As I was monitoring laps and time for future walks, I did not want to turn around.  Although I was alone, I felt pretty silly going the wrong way.

Our verse for today includes the idea of going the wrong way.  To repent is to change one’s mind and turn around, going a different direction, in this case toward the Lord.  Peter is challenging his listeners through the words of their own prophets.  They were going the wrong way by rejecting Jesus.  And it was only by changing direction and accepting their Messiah that they could return to God.

To admit that our direction in life may be the wrong one is difficult to do.  On that track, I was not about to start all over.  I had covered a good amount of ground.  Not only that, it is excruciating to acknowledge error.  However, the arrows on that track were clear and I did not have any valid excuse.

God’s Word is like those arrows marking the right direction.  If I am not following them I am moving farther and farther away from the Lord and His refreshing presence.  I just need to change my mind and open my heart to Him.  I just need to turn around.

Thank you Lord that You are there, waiting to forgive and love on me!


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Flickering Lights

Scripture for Today: II Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of the darkness,’ make His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

Our new bathroom lights were flickering this morning as I tried to apply my make-up.  At the same time that I called out to my husband, he called out to me that the lights in the kitchen were flickering as well!  It turns out that every light in the house flickered annoyingly.  We felt a little reassured to discover that our neighbors were experiencing the same thing.  In fact, friends on Facebook were reporting the same thing in neighboring cities.

Our verse for today describes a light that banishes darkness in the heart of the believer.  It is a light that is meant to grow stronger as we progressively learn of God’s glory in the person of His Son, Jesus.  God’s revelation through His Word enlightens our understanding of who He is.  His light reveals, delights and fascinates as He slowly unfolds His character to us!  How beautiful He is!

What a privilege and grace to have His light shine in our hearts!  The light of the Gospel displays Christ’s glory (verse 4).  This is something that Satan keeps from unbelievers by blinding their minds.  The darkened mind of the unbeliever remains unenlightened until he accepts that Gospel message.

My utmost desire is to allow His light to be seen by others.  But I am afraid that sometimes my light flickers with inconsistency.  My selfishness and pride get in the way of accomplishing those good works designed to be that light pointing to Him (Matt. 5:16).

“Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me!”  Lord, may Your light in me be clearly seen today!


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Screen Door

screenunnamedScripture for Today: Romans 12:9 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

For twenty five years I lived without screens.  The French feel it ruins the appearance of a door or window.  But I love our screen door!  It brings in the light and the sunshine and helps me feel connected to the neighbors.  With it open, we can capture the breeze and keep the air fresh.  I especially like screening out the insects.  Unfortunately, in this older house the screen does not fit exactly to the frame.  There are gaps at the bottom and the top.  Some of those nasty insects still get through.

In our verse for today we are to screen out what is evil and only allow in what is good.  In that way our love for others is sincere.  A wide open door can allow a love in that is not sincere but tainted with evil.  Those little bothersome insects of selfishness come through making our love less sincere.  One can open wide the door for love to enter but allow entrance as well to all kinds of questionable thoughts and actions in the name of love.

A love that is sincere and without evil is described in I Corinthians 13:4-7.  This picture of true love has little resemblance to what is around me.  I need to screen out impatience, selfishness, pride, envy and an unforgiving spirit.  I need to open the door wide and cling to faithfulness, speaking truth and showing honor.  God’s Word tells me how to view love.  God’s Word tells me when love is sincere.  Without His Word, I would not be able to discern what is truly good and sincere.

Thank you Lord, for love that is sincere and good.  Give me wisdom to screen everything else out!

 


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Hummingbird

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 119:103-104 “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.”

I love watching hummingbirds!  They are so tiny and colorful and the speed at which they dart around fascinates me!  They flap their wings about 50 times a second so that all one sees is a blur.  Hummingbirds can fly up to 34 mph and can even fly backwards.  Pictured here is the “sword-billed” hummingbird whose bill is longer than its body!  In the higher elevations of South America, he can dig deep into the “corollas” of the flower to reach that sweet nectar.  He hovers there until he has had his fill.

Today’s verse describes God’s Word as being sweet to the taste.  What the Lord communicates to my heart is sweeter than honey or the nectar from a flower.  His Word is His love letter to me.  Even the commands and warnings are there because He cares about me and wants the best for me.  Loving His Word makes me wary of any wrong path that takes me away from Him.  Understanding and wisdom for living are found in its pages.  His companionship is felt through those promises and words of love.

Sometimes reading and studying His Word is difficult.  Time presses and the day quickly fills with obligations and distractions.  Rather than darting off to the next thing, I need to take the time and “hover” there at the source of all that sweetness.  Sometimes the meaning of a verse is not so clear.  It is at that time I need a longer bill to dig deep.  The effort is always worth the sweetness I find!

Lord, keep my mouth full of the sweetness of Your Word.

 

 

 


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Static

Scripture for Today: John 5:39-40 “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.”

Remember the snow-looking static we used to see on televisions?  Modern televisions automatically turn to a blue screen when not receiving a transmission signal.  The old image was just a random dot pixel pattern which made no sense.  In northern Europe the pattern is different, looking like fast-flickering black bugs on a white screen.  They do not call it snow but “ant soccer!”  In either case, the static makes no sense.

Our verse for today is a quote from Jesus speaking to the Jewish leaders.  These men were diligent about studying Scripture.  But they were missing the fact that the Scriptures prophesied and testified of Jesus Himself.  Their study was not the source of eternal life.  The Source was standing right in front of them.  But as long as they refused to come to Christ in faith, those Scriptures would be like unintelligible static.

God’s Word is just noisy static to people today as well.  Study can be diligent and life-long, but without coming to Jesus with a humble open heart, there will be no understanding.  That is because it is His Spirit who guides us into all the truth (John 16:13).  His Spirit opens our spiritual eyes in a way that study without Him could never do.

The Lord does not owe me understanding.  I do not earn it.  He helps me understand because His Word is His love letter to me.  If I am only hearing static, then I need to start over with humble prayer for His clarity.

Thank you Lord, for the understanding You give out of Your grace.