Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Grace and Forgiveness


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The Cooper Hawk

Scripture for Today: Acts 13:39 “Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.“

He looked almost as surprised to see me as I was to see him! This Cooper Hawk or Chicken Hawk watched me on my morning walk from the fence of my neighbor’s yard. I recognized this hawk from a television story I had just seen about one that had inadvertently trapped himself in a huge skating rink in Canada. A team of wildlife rescuers were called in after two days. They spent hours with their nets trying to get the tired, hungry and frightened bird to fly into their nets. He was finally captured and released into the wild.

Today’s verse comes from Paul’s sermon explaining how Jesus was the promised Savior of the Old Testament. He explained the good news that Jesus was resurrected (verse 32-33) and that it is through Him that sins are forgiven. (verse 38) It is this forgiveness that sets us free from the power of every sin to ensnare and imprison. What the law could not do, Jesus accomplished by fulfilling it and setting us free!

Just like that trapped hawk, I could easily live in the confines of rules, regulations, and trappings of self-righteousness. But there is no set of rules that can make me righteous before God. The walls of my own prison are made up of unforgiven sin. Jesus is the only One who can free me. My own feeble attempts at fixing myself can be exhausting. Thankfully, His forgiveness offers true freedom from guilt and condemnation. He has captured me with His sacrificial love and has set me free in the wilds of His incredible grace!

Thank you Lord, for setting me free!


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Play Money

Scripture for Today: Ephesians 1:7-8a  “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”

This Monopoly player seems to be doing pretty well!  There must be some smug satisfaction in seeing those piles of money grow.  I can imagine that he feels fairly protected from unexpected debts other players may try to saddle him with.  Winning the game looks like a goal he can reach.  But imagine if this same player tried to pocket those bills and spend them at a local store!  These “riches” are only good in a limited context of play.

Today’s verse speaks of riches; the riches of God’s grace.  And while the play money is only good for the game, these riches are eternal.  And these riches are incomparable to anything else. This grace is expressed in God’s kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:7) We cannot pay for the forgiveness of sin.  Trying to earn the riches of God’s grace is like trying to use Monopoly money!  The riches of God’s grace have only been lavished on those who stop trying to pay for it themselves.

How rich I am to have experienced this incredible grace!  I cannot earn it.  I cannot pay for it.  My debt of sin was too large but He paid for it all out of His unfathomable kindness to me.  He saved me by His grace but it does not stop there!  The riches of His grace continue on to make living for Him possible.  His grace gives me the desire to love and serve Him.  It is in realizing and appreciating the riches of His grace that I am motivated to live a life worthy of it!

Lord, thank you for the true riches You have lavished on me!


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True or False Morel?

Scripture for Today: Matthew 23:28 “In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

This mushroom can fool people.  There is a false and a true variety and knowing the difference can save one from dizziness and sickness.  There are some minor differences to look for on the exterior but the most telling difference is the inside.  If you slice a true morel mushroom from top to bottom it will be hollow inside.  The false morel will be full of cotton-like fibers and chucks of tissue.

Today’s verse is part of the seven woes spoken by Jesus to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees.  These strong words point out their hypocrisy.  They had a form of external righteousness but their insides were full of wickedness.  As religious leaders their hypocrisy not only kept them out of Heaven but kept others from entering as well!  Their lives resemble cups and dishes carefully cleaned on the outside but filthy inside with greed and self-indulgence. (verse 25)  These men were like white-washed tombs, so beautiful on the outside but the filthy inside was full of dead bones. (verse 27)

These verses are sobering as today there are false believers as well.  Their outsides are beautifully religious.  But the inside is well hidden to all except the Lord’s eyes who sees it all.  However, these verses are also a challenge to me to be authentic in my faith.  My secret hidden sins are not seen by others and I can easily pretend to be in right relationship with Him when my heart has wandered.  He waits for me to agree with Him about my sin so He can continually cleanse me. (I John 1:9)

Lord, keep me from hypocrisy by being honest with You.


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Counting Jelly Beans

Scripture for Today: Matthew 18: 21-22 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'”

It was pure guess work.  I tried being methodical as a prize would be awarded for this baby shower-party-game.  Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered trying to count the jelly beans in this jar.  But in fact, my counting left something to be desired as my total was way off.  Someone else walked away with the coveted prize.  I would have been happy to walk away with the jelly beans!

Today’s verse is about something we are not to count; how many times to forgive someone.  Peter perhaps felt he was being generous to suggest forgiving seven times as the current thinking among the Pharisees was three times.  That makes Jesus’ answer all the more surprising.  The idea was not to forgive seventy-seven times or even seventy times seven.  The idea is that forgiveness is not to be counted at all.  Forgiveness is to be immeasurable.

My memory is so faulty on some subjects but somehow, the memories of when and how I have been wronged are very clear.  Forgiving someone more than once for the same offense is also too easy to remember.  I have had to say to my husband, “I am sorry, forgive me,” countless times over more than 40 years of marriage.  And I have had to forgive him too, many times without number.  It is so difficult to “forgive from the heart” (verse 35) over and over again.  And yet, I cannot think of a better way to show true love.  This is exactly what the Lord has done in forgiving me countless times.

Thank you Lord, that You do not count.

(Look familiar?  Summer reposing while reposting!)


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Sheepish

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 53:6 “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

What was that racket?  My husband was in the middle of his shower when he heard some bizarre noises!  It sounded as if someone was rearranging the furniture, but there was also loud bleating, shouting and running footsteps.  How bizarre to see this sheep in the living room knocking into things with a crazed look in his eyes!  He had run in from our rural French street into the open doors, with his handlers in hot pursuit!  It took three of them to hold him down and get him under control!

What a perfect way to illustrate the truth of today’s verse!  This sheep was not where he was supposed to be.  He had certainly gone his own way, ignoring his keepers and the other sheep.  His headlong movements could have hurt him and it took some pretty drastic measures to correct him.  I am sure he was none too happy to be bound with that rope.  And we are just like that sheep.  We turn our back on the Shepherd thinking we know better.

How loving and gracious God is to take on Himself the punishment of my silly rebellion.  Jesus paid the ultimate price of my sin, giving me peace with God (verse 5).  And as a forgiven “sheep” I have the enormous privilege of following my Shepherd.  His way is so much better than my own.  He does not lead by prodding me from behind and I don’t just see His back ahead of me.  No, He walks beside me.

Thank you Lord, for turning me back to You and Your way.

(Look familiar?  Summer reposing while reposting!)