Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Holiness


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Stubborn as a Donkey

Scripture for Today: Nehemiah 9:17a “They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles You performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery.”

When a donkey refuses to budge, it might as well stick out his tongue at you!  Donkeys have the reputation of being strong willed and obstinate.  But in their donkey brains they are stubborn for a reason.  No matter how hard one pulls on a donkey, he will not move if he feels in danger or if he feels he is being overworked.  Sometimes a donkey just has to stop and think whether he wants to obey or not.  And if not, they will plant their hooves and refuse to move.

Today’s verse describes the Israelites as stubborn and stiff-necked.  God had made His commandments very clear, but they refused to listen to His voice.  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!  They planted their feet and refused to go on.  Perhaps they felt it was just too hard to obey.  Thankfully, God did not give up on them (verse 17b).  Because He is gracious and compassionate, He forgave them.

It is easy to see their stubbornness but I tend to gloss over this trait 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.

Thank you, Lord that You do not give up on me.  Help me to listen and remember today!


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On the Move

Scripture for Today:  Jeremiah 8:7  “Even the stork in the sky knows when it is time to move on.  The turtledove, swallow and the crane recognize the normal times for their migration.  But My people pay no attention to what I, the Lord, require of them.”

I am fortunate to have lived in an area known for its stork population.  I so enjoyed watching them fly past our windows.  The cranes around there were almost as big but do not have the same “wow” effect for me.  Every year I watched for them to return with the warmer weather.  They would spend the winter in Sub-Saharan Africa, something I wished I could do in the middle of those long cold months!  And they often returned to the exact same nest.

Today’s verse talks about four different kinds of birds but with one thing in common; they all migrate.  Their little bird brains know instinctively when it is time to move on so as to avoid the freezing temperatures.  Jeremiah mentions these birds as a contrast to the Israelites.  The people prided themselves in possessing the Law of God.  But they continually turned to their own individual course, rather than following God’s way.  The Law, instead of being written in their hearts, became a mere code or outward ceremony.

I wish obeying God was as instinctive for me as migration is for the birds.  But then it would not mean as much.  God wants my obedience to be an intentional choice.  Knowing what God expects of me is a good thing.  But I do not want to make the same mistake as the Israelites.  The point is not how many Bible verses I can recite by heart.  He is more interested in how many I obey!

Help me, Lord, to be obedient.


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Heart Messages

Scripture for Today: Luke 6:45 “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Growing up, I loved these conversation hearts, giving away to that “special someone” what I could not bring myself to actually say!  And receiving these from others would communicate to me something the giver may not have intended!  Today, one can special order these candies with your own personalized message.  That way you can say exactly what you want the other to hear.  Communicating what is in the heart is not always easy.

Today’s verse gives us a reliable way to know what is in the heart of another.  What is there is evident by that person’s behavior.  Expressing emotions can be lovely but the real indicator of feelings and the state of the heart is evident in our actions.  And one action is especially telling.  What comes out of our mouths demonstrates the good or the evil found in the heart.  That sincere compliment or word of encouragement shows love.  The snide remark or the profanity that escapes our lips signals that all is not well.

What slips out of my mouth can be shameful.  I am so glad that some of it happens when there is no one to hear.  However, there is always Someone who hears.  And whether others are around or not, those nasty words signal a need for some serious heart cleaning!  Thankfully, He is full of grace and forgiveness, ready to make me clean again and give me a new start!

Lord, clean my heart and fill it with good things to say!

Look familiar? This is a repost from 2018.


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Do Not Follow!

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 12:26 “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

In following this construction truck I was careful to keep my distance of at least two hundred feet.  Normally, when there is a sign forbidding a behavior, the rebel inside me wants to contest, ignore or disobey!  But because there was an explanation of possible damage with that second sign, I did not follow too closely.  I did not want to risk a broken windshield and so I hung back, regardless of the impatient car behind me!

In today’s verse there is a warning that motivates us to be wise in choosing our friends.  There is an explanation that encourages prudence in who we allow to become close.  A righteous person will take care not to associate with the wicked.  For even a righteous person can be influenced by a friend to participate in evil.  One can feel pressured to compromise morals and standards.  The pull can be subtle or progressive and barely noticed.  Friendship effects and impacts our character sometimes without us even realizing it!  This is why it was so important for the Israelites not to marry foreigners who did not worship the one and true God. They could be easily led away from Him.

I would like to think that my faith is so strong that I would never be influenced to do evil by someone wicked.  But if I were to become close friends with someone who does not have the same goal of living for the Lord, I could be gradually pulled away and faith could weaken.  Close friends have an enormous influence on my thinking.  They can encourage my faith or weaken it!  I want to choose carefully who I follow!

Lord, keep me closest to those close to You!


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Camel on the Menu

Scripture for Today: Matthew 23:24 “Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!

This camel looks a little ridiculous and undignified when really they are magnificent animals!  They can carry 200 extra pounds and travel 20 miles a day.  Camels can drink 40 gallons of water at a time and can eat anything without injuring their mouths.  They can close their nostrils against wind and sand, and store energy in their humps in the form of fat.  But one thing they are unable to do.  They cannot be swallowed whole!

In today’s verse the Pharisees are the blind guides that Jesus addresses.  One would have to be blind not to see the difference between a gnat and a camel!  The Pharisees were all about keeping every detail of the Law, including the tithe on their mint, dill and cumin.  But they were ignoring the larger and more important matters of the law: justice, mercy and faithfulness.  Keeping the details of the Law had become for them a point of pride as details of the Law were visible to others.  Justice, mercy and faithfulness were intangibles and frankly, more difficult to follow.

I am afraid that sometimes I am just as guilty of this in my Christian walk.  I tend to use an accepted set of rules as a shortcut to spirituality.  I know the right words.  I can follow routine.  I can look like I have my act together.  Outside conformity to a set of rules can mask the real state of my heart.  But the Lord knows when my thoughts towards others are harsh instead of merciful.  He sees when I excuse myself but no one else.  And of course He knows when my heart is unfaithful.

Lord, keep my heart close to Yours.