Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Heaven


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Stylish Hats

hat unnamed Scripture for Today: Isaiah 35:10  “And the ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads.  And they will find gladness and joy and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

My husband loves his hats!  However, the one pictured here is only a distant memory!  It was the perfect hat!  It had metal in the rim and could be twisted this way and that for the perfect look!  He was able to enjoy it for only a few days.  On a ferry ride, it blew off his head and into the waters of the Atlantic.  Oh, the shock and regret of that moment!  There was nothing to do but watch it drift away.

In our verse for today, there is something very different on the head!  Hats will have to make way for everlasting joy!  This prophecy of Isaiah made reference to a literal return of the Israelites from exile in Babylon.  They would one day return to Jerusalem or Zion.  But in a larger sense it can refer to all whom the Lord has redeemed.  One day there will be a highway traveled only by the redeemed and it will lead right into God’s Millennial Kingdom.  There will be uninterrupted joy in the presence of our King!

In God’s presence is fullness of joy! (Psalm 16:11)  In the future there will be no sorrow nor sighing.  One day there will be no tears.  Even the memories of struggle and disappointment will completely fade.  It will all flee away in the overwhelming joy and gladness of His very presence!  What a day that will be when I see Christ!  “One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase.”

Thank you, Lord, that even today in Your presence I can live a bit of that joy!


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Rehearsal

rehearsalunnamedScripture for Today:  Revelation 5:13  “And every created thing which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’“

I just finished a series of concerts with my French Gospel Chorale.  The program was called, “Total Praise” and I was sorry to see it end.  These concerts were the result of hours and hours of rehearsal throughout the year.  As the majestic music rose to the cathedral ceilings, I could not help but think what praise would be like in Heaven.  Our hearts will soar with our voices to the honor of the One who sits on the throne!

All those rehearsals are so important.  It is a time of learning and memorizing the words, the notes and the timing.  Our verse for today describes an unbelievable concert of praise given to the King of Heaven and the Lamb of God.  It will be a perfect concert.  There will be no false notes, no forgotten words and no missed entrances.  It will be the most perfect sublime music ever heard!  And it will be to His glory.

Here on earth, it is a time of rehearsal.  We praise Him but it is not yet perfect.  Sin can make us sharp or flat.  We live with that old nature.  We can come close to perfect music, but we will always be a little “off.”  The Lord is gracious to accept our imperfect praise as here on earth, this is just the rehearsal.

One day we will be part of that innumerable throng singing perfect praise!  Worthy is the Lamb of total praise!  Happy rehearsing!


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A River

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 46:4 “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.”

A river usually conjures up beautiful peaceful images.  But recently, with the flooding in Kandern, Germany, the river running through the village has been a source of worry.  The river swelled so much with the recent rains that it almost overflowed its banks!

We have enjoyed living near a river in every town we have lived during our twenty four years in Europe.  In Albertville it was the Arly.  We enjoyed the Loire in the Orleans area.  In the Grenoble area the Drac and the Isère river join.  We walked along the picturesque Kander river in Kandern.  Today in Guebwiller we are just  two hundred meters from the Lauch River.  I love living near rivers, crossing the quaint bridges hanging with flower planters and hearing the sounds of lapping water.

Our verse for today describes a river that makes a whole city glad!  It is found in the city of God where the Most High will make His abode!  This river will be clear, pristine and never in danger of flooding. The river is described in Rev. 22:1-2 as having the water of life!  It will be clear as crystal and flow from the throne of God right down the middle of the main street of the city!  It will be a river that leads to His very presence!

Water of life filling a river and leading to the Source of life!  No wonder it makes the city and all its inhabitants glad!   Near the very end of the Bible is an invitation to this water.  I am so thankful to be invited, as are you, to take of this free gift of the water of life!


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Citizenship

IMG_20130217_170519Scripture for Today:  Philippians 3:20  “But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We love living in France but we do not love doing the paperwork to keep up our legal status.  (I am not showing our actual visas or “green cards” for security reasons)  It is nice that my French driver’s license has no renewal date, but all my other papers do.  From time to time we go through the entire process of filling out papers, paying the fee and making the appointments, all for the privilege of living here.  If we were to apply for citizenship we could avoid this process but we have chosen to keep our American citizenship.

Our verse for today teaches that the believer has yet another citizenship; a citizenship in Heaven.  This image reminds me that this world is not really my home.  My stay here is only temporary.  All my loyalties belong elsewhere.  Earthly things should not have the same influence on me as for the nonbeliever.  Being a citizen of Heaven means that sensual appetites are not my focus.

What then should be my focus?   I need to be looking in anticipation for the coming of my Savior.  When He comes, He will transform my body to be like His!  I will no longer do battle with fleshly appetites.  My new body will be glorious, freed from all kinds of earthly restrictions.

There are times when I am so steeped in this world and its values that I forget who I am; a citizen of Heaven.  As much as I want to live comfortably here, I can become too complacent and forget to look up.

Lord, help me to live like who I am, a citizen of Heaven eagerly awaiting Your coming!


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Wrinkled

Scripture for Today:  Ephesians 5:27  “That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things (that she might be holy and faultless).”

I found another wrinkle this morning.  I guess it is inevitable.  It is not like I do not try to avoid them.  I stay out of the sun and use sun screen.  I do not smoke and avoid too much caffeine (I write as I sip on coffee).  I try as much as possible to get enough rest and avoid too much stress in my life.  But, time marches on.

In France as in the States, there are all kinds of skin products that promise to remove or diminish wrinkles.  Women spend millions every year on such products with high hopes that they will do as they promise.  I remain skeptical.

Our verse today says that one day I will be wrinkle-free!  There will be no age spots either.  It is true that I will have a whole new glorified body for eternity.  But of course, this verse is speaking of the spots and wrinkles as sin.  Because of what Jesus did on the cross, I can look forward to being without sin in heaven.  As part of the church, I will be presented to God without spot or wrinkle.

Christ’s love and sacrifice sets me apart and makes me clean.  Being washed by the water of His Word is a life-long process, but with a promised result of being one day holy and faultless before Him.  What a day that will be!  No more guilt or shame.  No more self-condemnation.

I am tired of my own sin.  Those spots and wrinkles are plenty ugly.  But the future is all glorious splendor.  Thank you, Jesus!