Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Grace and Forgiveness


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Québec License Plate

Scripture for Today: Lamentations 3:21-23  “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

This license plate says, “I remember.”  But what is it that we are not supposed to forget?  This saying was coined by Eugène-Etienne Taché having carved it on to the stone entrance to the parliament building in 1883.  Some believe he wanted to keep alive the memory of the heroes in Québec’s history.  Others prefer to think of it as a jab at the British.

Today’s verse tells us to remember.  We are told to call to mind God’s GREAT love, His compassions and His faithfulness.  In doing so we can live with hope.  Although our sins condemn us, we are not consumed in righteous anger.  He has compassion on us and has provided a solution in the sacrifice of His Son.  He continues to show a compassion that never fails and is renewed every morning.  His faithfulness is as big as His love.  This is what we need to remember, especially in the dark times.  And with remembrance comes hope!

It is because of the hard times that I can say with confidence that God is loving, compassionate and faithful.  Somehow, the pressure of hard times improves my memory.  I wish it did not take trials to remember, but it does.  When I look back on the difficulties He has brought me through, I am always reminded of His love and faithfulness to me.  Today I want to call these truths to mind without the stimulus of a trial.

Lord, help me to focus on Your great love, Your compassions and Your faithfulness!


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A Lamb on the Lam

Scripture for Today: Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

This sweet little lamb was “on the lam” after surviving a semi-truck accident where all the other 74 sheep were killed.  She led would-be-rescuers on a merry chase throughout the night until they caught up with her!  The phrase, “on the lam” is sometimes misunderstood as “on the lamb.”  It means to escape or flee from justice.  But it comes  from an old Norse word meaning to make lame.  In 16th century English the word morphed to mean to beat soundly, then further changed to signify,”beat it.”

Today’s verse could be a mission statement to describe the life of Jesus.  He came to seek us out.  We are all like sheep that have veered off the right path (Isaiah 53:6).  But instead of owning up to our mistake, we run for cover!  We hide from the absolute Holy One.  He seeks us out, not to condemn us but to save us from our own folly (John 3:17).  Being “on the lam” works against us as His intent is to forgive and restore!  It is natural to run from Him when we feel the shame of our sin, but He seeks us out to make it right, having taken on Himself the just punishment we deserve.

It is exhausting to spend a whole lifetime running from Him!  But when we keenly feel our “lostness” He responds to our cry for help.  I am so grateful that I am found!  He left the other 99 sheep just for me!  (Matt. 18:12-13)  Because He is my Shepherd, I will never be in want.  The running is over and I am safe in His arms.  No one can pluck this sheep from His sure strong hands.

Thank you Lord, for seeking me out!


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Silk Floss Tree

Scripture for Today:  Col. 3:12-13  “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else.  Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.”

We have one of these silk floss trees growing right down the street from us.  Their blooms are beautiful and inviting, resembling the hibiscus.  And their pods are full of a cotton-like fiber that some use in making upholstery.  But their trunks and branches are covered with these thorn-like growths.  Some tree owners even put a barrier up so the passerby does not inadvertently knock into it.

Today’s verse reminded me of this tree.  A believer can seem pleasant and inviting by wearing mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and even patience.  But without the grace to bear with each other’s faults we become harsh.  Without forgiveness, we are like those prickly thorns and people keep their distance.  Our motivation to forgive others is the realization of how much the Lord has forgiven us.

Forgiveness has got to be one of the hardest things the Lord asks of me.  When I have been wronged, I feel it is my right to harbor ill will, at least until that person shows some remorse.  But letting go of the hurt seems nearly impossible until I am able to forgive the one who caused it.  True healing can only happen when I let that person off the hook, regardless of their attitude about it.  Jesus died for my sins while I was still His enemy (Romans 5:6-8).  If I am to forgive like He forgave, then I need to extend forgiveness whether deserved or not!

Lord, I need Your help to forgive.

 

 


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Vortex Street?

Scripture for Today:  Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

This repeated pattern of swirling vortices looks pretty from the sky.  It is called a Von Karman Street, named after the Hungarian-American physicist.  He studied how it forms when the flow of fluid or air is separated around a blunt body, in this case the island pictured.  Of course, nature is full of vortex examples, including tornadoes, hurricanes, in rivers or even the bathtub and sink.  But what interested me was seeing a “street” of them repeating a pattern.

Today’s verse explains that though the believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption, it is possible to grieve Him.  When we grieve Him we are like that blunt unmoving body impeding His work and movement in our lives.  We grieve Him with unwholesome talk (verse 29) that is not helpful to others.  And He is grieved with all forms of malice (verse 31) including bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander.  All of this grieves His heart and blocks His freedom to move and use us.  This is especially true when it becomes a repeating pattern.

Grieving Him is disappointing Him.  Growing up, I had a horror of disappointing my parents only because I loved them so much.  The same is true with the Lord.  I love Him with all my heart but I know I disappoint Him and often let Him down.  I am not proud of what comes out of my mouth sometimes.  And as long as I stay in that habit of ugly speech, His movement and power can bypass me.  But thankfully, His love will never change or waver.  His forgiveness is never withheld.

Lord, help me not to grieve You today.

 

 

 


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Follow Your Heart?

Scripture for Today: Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

This saying on a poster is beautiful, and there are many like it.  We enjoy thinking of the heart as lovely and romantic, and so often it is.  We counsel each other to just follow your heart and all will be well.  Somehow, the heart will guide us to the right way, the right solution, the right love.  When we listen to our heart, we discover what we really desire.

Today’s verse has a message of warning about the heart.  The heart, which in the Bible is the seat of all our emotions and will, can deceive us.  We try to understand what our heart is saying to us.  But no one can quite understand.  One day it says one thing and the next, another.  I have often been quite sure about what I have wanted.  Then, when I have managed to receive it, I find that I did not want it after all.  That brings to mind the dog who chases after a car.  He has no clue what to do with it once he catches up to it!

My heart deceives me so following it can be dangerous.  Because I cannot cure it, I need to follow Someone who knows my heart better than I do.  The Lord searches my heart and tries it.  As my Creator, He knows what I really want and what will bring me true satisfaction and fulfillment.  He knows so much better than I do what is good for me and what is not.  He sees the pride and selfishness hiding out in my heart.  And His love and forgiveness are the cure.

Lord, do not let me be deceived today.  Help me follow Your heart.