Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Grace and Forgiveness


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Duvets

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 32:1  “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

I am no Martha Stewart!  My beds never look like they could be featured in a magazine.  It is enough for me that they are made up in the morning.  I do not worry about the corners or the exact placement of the pillowcase edges.

I learned fairly early to use duvets or comforters when our kids were small.  They were much more forgiving then bedspreads.  All the kids had to do was pull them up.  Smoothing them down was not so important.  More than once toys were misplaced or other surprises were found to be sitting unseen under the thick covers!

Our verse for today describes a happiness that comes from our sin being covered.  Forgiveness lightens the heart!  When we acknowledge and confess our failings to Him, He is faithful to forgive (I John 1:9).  Christ loving sacrifice on the cross does more than just cover sin, but actually eradicates it!  That is joy, to live without crushing guilt!

It is because of His love for me that Christ forgives me.  He asks us to extend forgiveness to others as well.  When I love someone it is so much easier to do.  I Peter 4:8 says, “Love covers a multitude of sins.”  Loving forgiveness is like that duvet, covering all the imperfections beneath it.  That kind of love between believers is the “fervent” love the verse talks about.  This love comes from Him and when I feel it, I am much more likely to forgive.

Whether love is felt or not, He wants me to forgive others.  His huge forgiveness for me and what it cost Him can motivate me.  I am blessed to be forgiven.  Help me, Lord, to bless others in the same way!


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Stubborn

Scripture for Today: Nehemiah 9:17a “They refused to listen (to Your commandments) and did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them.  So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt….”

We came across this donkey while hiking around a lake.  He was calmly grazing with his friends, paying us no attention at all.  As donkeys have the reputation of being stubborn, I imagine that if I had tried to move him, he would have resisted.  As it was, I could not make him look up at me for the camera no matter how much noise I made!  He just would not listen!

The Israelites were sometimes called, “stubborn,” in the Old Testament.  Our verse for today gives the reason for their stubbornness.  They refused to listen to the Lord’s voice.  God had made His commandments very clear.  They also chose not to remember all His miracles in leading them out of slavery in Egypt.  The result was a stubborn conviction that their way was best, even if it meant returning to that slavery!

It seems amazing to me that they could be that stubborn.  But perhaps it is easier to see it in others than it is to see it in myself.  Any time I refuse to listen to God’s voice of conviction, I am at risk of stubbornly returning to sin’s slavery.  Any time I forget all of what He has done for me, I am likely to stubbornly do what seems best to me.

Thankfully, God does not give up on me.  Our verse continues,”But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness.  And You did not forsake them.”

Thank you, Lord for not forsaking me.  Help me to listen and remember today!


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Blind

Scripture for Today:  II Peter 1:9  “For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.”

I still remember Denise, a friend from my university days.  She  was blind and I was her reader.  Although some books were available in braille, most were not and she needed people to read her textbooks to her.  I remember Denise as being a very positive “can do” person with a love of music boxes.  She had quite a collection.  She was absolutely in love with her fiance, a very sweet attentive man who was also a student there.  I learned first hand some of the obstacles she had to surmount, but she was so often full of joy for God’s goodness!

Our verse for today talks about a blindness that plagues many Christians.  God promises to supply to every believer all that is needed to live a godly life, through knowing Him.  These qualities are listed as diligence, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience and piety, kindness and Christian love.  However, any Christian can experience a lack of these qualities when he or she forgets something; that their former sins have been cleansed.  Guilty memories can be blinding.

Satan, our accuser, would like nothing better than to see Christians stumbling around with canes.  Remembering the times I fell keeps me from moving forward and pressing on.  My past failures do not have the power to immobilize me when I remember God’s complete cleansing.  I want to continually remember what He did for me on that cross.  I do not want guilty memories to keep me from realizing His liberating forgiveness!  These qualities are His gift to me.  He made living a godly life possible.

Help me, Lord, to forget the failures and remember Your incredible forgiveness!


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Sunshine

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield; the Lord bestows grace and favor and glory!  No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

The sun has finally arrived in Alsace!  There were more clouds and rain than usual this year.  We even had our heat on through April!  Now, we have the windows open.  We are finally enjoying eating on the balcony.  Being so far north, we enjoy the sun all the way up to ten o’clock!

There is something about sunshine that improves my mood.  Science collaborates this idea.  Sunshine affects our brains by increasing the production of serotonin, a hormone connected with feelings of happiness.

Our verse for today describes the Lord as our Sun.  His sunshine is in the form of grace, favor and mercy.  There is no danger of getting too much of His sunshine or looking directly at Him!  His love warms us and makes us grow.  Like sunshine, He improves my mood too!

Everything He does for me is grace.  I do not deserve His kindness and favor.  His mercy is incredible when I think of my guilt.  He thankfully does not deal with me according to my sin (Psalm 103:10).  He does not withhold good from me.  In His wisdom He gives exactly what is needed.  I can trust Him with what He gives and what He does not give.

I do not always walk uprightly.  When I am living in rebellion, it is like a cloud has moved over the sun.  His love is still there, but I have blocked its warmth and I cannot enjoy His blessings.  But repentance breaks up the clouds and His grace, favor and mercy shine through once again!  Thank you, Lord, for being the sunshine of my soul!


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Purging

IMG_20130308_094720Scripture for Today:  Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

I always know when our radiators in our old house need purging.  I do not notice the noise during the day, but as soon as I lay my head on my pillow, I hear the drip, drip, drip.  The air inside is blocking the circulation of that hot water.  Not only is the sound annoying, but there is less heat as well.

My husband, Randy, periodically uses the special turn key to open the valve and evacuate the air.  The purged radiator no longer drips and we enjoy better heat.

Our verse for today speaks of our conscience being purged.  The Old Testament system of animal sacrifice served its purpose of symbolizing Christ’s death.  But how much more perfect was the sacrifice Jesus made, once for all!  His sacrifice not only cleanses us from our sin, but purges our consciences as well.  His forgiveness is complete.

Satan would like me to think otherwise.  He whispers in my ear his accusations.  He reminds me of times when I really blew it and let the Lord down.  Satan would like nothing better than to take me out of the game and put me on the sidelines.  How thankful I am that he is wrong!

I do not need to live with that constant annoying dripping sound.  My conscience has been purged.  I am a new creation in Him.  No accusation from the enemy can change this truth.  When I lay my head on the pillow at night I can sleep easy knowing that Christ has taken care of every sin and failure.  Thank you, Lord.