Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Grace and Forgiveness


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Hot House Orchid

Scripture for Today: II Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

This gorgeous flower needs pampering! When transplanting the orchid out of its tropical habitat, it will need special conditions to grow and flourish. The artificially heated greenhouse will provide an environment that will make this delicate plant happy and stable. In that hot house will be other vulnerable plants not hardy enough to grow under natural conditions. The phrase, “hot house flower” also describes a person who is fragile and vulnerable.

Today’s verse talks about what is needed for the believer to grow in his faith: grace and knowledge. There is not a Christ-follower alive that does not need these special conditions to grow. Being exposed to the harsh world-environment can choke out what God wants to produce in us. His grace or unmerited favor and the knowledge of Himself is His hot house. His grace is sufficient when we are weak (II Cor. 12:9). And the power to thrive comes through our knowledge of him (II Peter 1:3).

I forget so often. My independent and prideful spirit makes me feel that I am doing just fine on my own. That takes all the glory for myself when it rightfully belongs to Him. And before long, my attitude starts to show in shriveled leaves and droopy flowers. It is clear to me that my faith is stunted when I totally lose it at the first sign of difficulty. But when I can respond with dependence on His grace and a recognition of His goodness and love, then I can not only survive, but thrive. It is the Lord that keeps me from being fragile and vulnerable.

Thank you Lord, for the growth that comes from You!


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Hummingbird Drama

Scripture for Today: Ephesians 2:4-5 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”

All the windows and doors were opened and this little guy got confused. Poor little thing tried to find his way out but was totally disoriented. In his fright he repeatedly flew into the skylight, knocking himself to the floor. My husband carefully transported what looked to be a dead hummingbird to some shade in the backyard. The story ends well as the bird eventually revived and flew away!

Today’s verse tells us that we are made alive with Christ. And unlike the hummingbird, we were truly dead. Our sin kept us from having a relationship with our Creator. There was not a thing we could do to make ourselves alive. Christ, because of His incredible love and mercy, decided to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. He showed His grace by making us spiritually alive to Him. There is no true life without that spiritual awakening that He gives.

I felt so bad for the confused hummingbird going toward that skylight that could not save. In the same way, man thinks he can find some sort of light, joy, and peace within himself and apart from his Creator. Satan masquerades as an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14) and is thrilled when man misses the true Source. The Light of God’s presence will not deceive or disappoint me. He makes me alive to Himself, to love and enjoy Him. I am forever thankful that in His grace He took the initiative! Because of His great love and His rich mercy, He has made me alive!

Thank you Lord, for Your undeserved favor toward me!


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Holocaust Remembrance Day

Scripture for Today:  Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.”

What a sobering experience it was to tour the Dachau concentration camp. This gate, like the one at Auschwitz, screams the absurdity that “Work Sets You Free.” The horrifying truth was that the only freedom for those prisoners was found in death. The saying comes from the title of a novel by a German author. In that story, thieves and gamblers discovered their redemption through labor.

Today’s verse teaches a truth that for some is counter-intuitive. Very clearly it states that salvation does not come through our work or efforts. We want to think that somehow, something we did contributed to being saved. But no matter how hard one works to earn Heaven, man will always fall short of the perfect standard of God’s holiness. We cannot free ourselves from the damning chains of sin without God taking the initiative. His grace or unmerited favor, is what frees us. Salvation itself is free and a gift from God. Because this is true, none of us can boast about having anything to do with it!

My gratitude towards God grows by leaps and bounds when I grasp this truth. It is all grace and it is amazing! There is tremendous freedom in my spirit to be assured that my salvation depends on Him and not my efforts. Without this truth, I would always be in a state of fear and worry about my eternal destination. Putting my faith and trust in what HE did on that cross rather than in what I can do makes me free indeed!

Thank you Lord, that Your gift of grace saves me and makes me truly free!

(Look familiar? This is a post from 2018 to honor this day)


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National No Housework Day

Psalm 51:2-3 “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”

Did you know this is National No Housework Day? Apparently the cat on the chair does and perhaps the other cat on the table does too! They are totally unconcerned about the clutter! This certainly seems like a busy household with shoes scattered, clothes hanging out, and laundry to be put away. What is puzzling is that water can under the table. I am sure anyone dropping in at my house would find something puzzling as well! But on this day of no housework, washing and cleaning take a back seat!

Today’s verse is all about a washing and cleansing that really has no day off! This verse is a prayer of David’s after his sin with Bathsheba. He asks God for mercy and compassion to blot out what he had done (vs 1). David does not minimize his sin. Because of his feelings of guilt, his sin is always before him (vs 3). Yet he understands that God’s cleansing can make his heart whiter than snow (vs 7) and that God’s washing will give him a pure heart!

What a patient and forgiving God I have! Because of Christ and His sacrifice for my sin, I can humbly come to Him for His cleansing and know that He will not send me away. There is no limit to His forgiveness. He is faithful and just to forgive my sin (I John 1:9) and that faithfulness He shows me reaches to the skies! (Ps. 36:5) With His promise of complete forgiveness, I can start over again and again with a light pure heart!

Thank you Lord, that You are faithful to forgive me.

Photo Cedit Leonora Enking at https://www.flickr.com/photos/33037982@N04/


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Dishwasher Confusion

Scripture for Today: Matthew 23:25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”

I am sure I am not the only one! There have to be more out there who have mistakenly emptied the dishwasher’s contents back into the cupboards and belatedly realized they were not clean! It is my own fault because I rinse too well before loading them into the dishwasher. How frustrating and time consuming to then have to determine which items are clean and which need to be reloaded! The confusion can be avoided with a simple system of magnets on the dishwasher.

In today’s verse, Jesus is calling out the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. They were careful to follow ceremonial law without the harder work of confession and true change of heart. Their public image was more important than what what was going on privately. They could look clean on the outside by following accepted standards of religious tradition, all the while concealing the greed and self-indulgence inside. But no matter what rules we follow, it is only Christ who can make us truly clean.  

It is what comes out of me that reveals the true state of my heart (Mark 7:15). I am distracted by working hard on the outward show of religiosity but sooner or later, my words and actions reveal what is really on the inside. Despite the correct moral upbringing, environmental and financial advantages, and advances in technology, evil continues to exist in my heart. The Lord is in the business of true and lasting change. Cleansing me from the inside out is something only He can do.

Lord, keep me from being so distracted by the outside! Change my heart with Your cleansing.