Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Holiness


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Seven

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:164-165 “Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous Laws.  Great peace have they who love Your Law, and nothing can make them stumble.”

There is something about the number seven.  Gamblers consider it a lucky number.  The character, George Costanza, thought “Seven” a beautiful first name.  Many ancient cultures had seven gods.

In Scripture, the number seven has special significance.  Creation, with the Sabbath, took seven days.  Solomon’s Temple took seven years to build.  The walls of Jericho came down after seven days of marching.  Revelation records seven stars, lampstands, churches, seals, trumpets, and bowls.  Seven is thought to be the number of perfection or completion.

In our verse for today David does not use the number seven literally.  David mentions praying three times a day in Psalm 55:17.  In fact, David writes that His praise shall continually be in his mouth (Psalm 34:1).  He uses the number seven here to express a desire to worship the Lord perfectly, or completely.  In turning towards a holy and righteous God, David is showing a special care in his devotion.  His praise is specific; for God’s Law.  He recognizes the stability His Law gives to life.  In following God’s righteous way, one will not stumble as the wicked do whenever calamity strikes (Prov. 24:16).  David praises God for the great peace that comes from being obedient.  He knew the difference.  He experienced first hand the agony and awful consequences of breaking God’s Law.

What a beautiful and worthy subject of praise!  God’s Law gives stability and direction to my life.  It keeps me from stumbling.  Following His Law gives me heart peace instead of guilt and confusion.  Seven times a day is only the beginning of my praise and worship!

Lord, may I continually praise You today!  You are worthy!

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.


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Panting Dogs

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:131-132 “I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commands.  Turn to me and have mercy on me, as You always do to those who love Your name.”

I will admit it.  I am not a “dog person.”  Cats are my animal of choice.  One of the many reasons I prefer cats is that they do not normally hang out their tongues and pant.  I do not enjoy dog slobber or doggy breath either! But the tongue hanging out is not especially an endearing quality.

Of course, God in His wisdom and creativity designed the dog to pant in order to cool down.  Except through their paw pads, a dog will not sweat through their skin and so they need to pant.  The circulating air enters their bodies and cools them down.

Our verse for today speaks of panting for God’s commands!  It is a surprising sentiment as one does not normally embrace laws and commands with such enthusiasm.  One tends to balk against any restrictions on one’s freedom.  Rather than seeing them as something negative, the author embraces them, knowing that wisdom and blessings come from obedience.  He pants for them.  They are as important as the air one breathes.  They make true life possible.

I love the image of the deer panting for water (Psalm 42:1).  In just the same way, our soul pants for God.  He is the Source of all that nourishes and satisfies.  If I am panting and longing for that intimacy with God, then my attitude towards His commands will be just as enthusiastic!  By following His commands I stay close to Him and our relationship grows deeper and deeper.

Lord, help me to be enthusiastic about following Your way, knowing it will lead to a closer relationship with You.

 


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Macadamia Nut

Scripture for Today:  Proverbs 28:14 “Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.”

It seems a bit extreme to open up a macadamia nut with a vise and hammer, but this nut is said to be the hardest nut in the world to crack!  Even after being boiled or roasted, it is a very difficult nut to open.  Three hundred pounds of pressure per square inch is needed.  The effort is worth it as this nut is up to eighty percent oil (the good kind) and delicious!  My favorite are those enrobed in chocolate!

Our verse for today talks about something that can be just as hard as the macadamia nut; a heart that does not fear God.  It would take a very hard heart not to recognize the awesome power that God demonstrates.  The person who hardens their heart against God is one who is at risk to fall into all kinds of trouble.  That is because a hardened heart is a prideful one, and pride goes before the fall (Prov. 16:18).

The heart of King Nebuchadnezzar became arrogant and hardened with pride.  In consequence, God stripped him of glory until he acknowledged God as sovereign (Daniel 5:20).  The story never ends well for those who’s pride produces a hardened heart.  They become a hard nut to crack!  How much better to fear God and tremble before His majesty!

The one who always trembles before God is blessed.  Recognizing His power and splendor and one’s complete dependence gives a person the right perspective.  The trembling heart will be soft and pliable, ready to obey and serve.  I have confidence to approach God’s throne because of Jesus.  But that does not mean I will not tremble before His awesome presence!

Lord, keep me from developing a hard heart.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.


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Bon Appétit!

Scripture for Today: Psalm 141:4 “Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil, so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.”

My table is looking a bit like this these days as I feed thirteen large basketball players.  It is heavy laden and groaning under the weight of all the food!  My food presentation does not look quite so fancy.  We are not even bothering with a centerpiece.  If these large men can leave the table satisfied, I have done my job!

Our verse for today likens what wicked men engage in as food delicacies.  What is evil can be attractive and appealing to the senses.  It is tempting to give up and give in.  We are naturally drawn to what is easy and promises pleasure.  We rationalize that evil is not really so very bad.

The “delicacies” of the wicked, although pleasant, do not satisfy.  In fact, what is thought to be delectable disappoints.  There is a funny taste in one’s mouth after indulging.  There is a sense of guilt and an immediate distance felt from the Lord.

There is a table that the Lord sets for us.  He invites us to sit down and be truly satisfied.  He prepares this table in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5).  They will see it but have no part in this feast.  All those times we have abstained from joining with the wicked in their evil doings are recompensed.  Our faithfulness does not go unnoticed.

It is comforting to know that one day I can indulge to my heart’s content and it will all be good.  What He has prepared for His own is so infinitely better than what the world can offer!  Bon appétit!

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.

 

 


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Incense

105214Scripture for Today: Psalm 141:2 “May my prayer be set before You like incense, may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”

This wooden figure is very much like the nutcracker, but in fact, it is an incense burner!  I love the beautiful wood craftsmanship of the Germans!  It almost makes me want to burn incense…almost.  I never got used to the smell of incense although my dorm roommates thought it was wonderful back in college days.

Burning incense has long been part of religious observances in Greece, Egypt, China and India.  It is also currently used in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and in some Lutheran churches.  In the Old Testament, burning incense was part of worship in the tabernacle and temple (Ex. 30:34).  Now, because of Christ’s sacrifice we can approach God with confidence and without the many rituals of the Law (Heb. 10:19-22).

In our verse for today, David sees his prayers rising to God like the smoke of incense.  Any way we can visualize spiritual truths is helpful in worship.  Of course, burning incense does not make us more pleasing to God.  But burning incense is a great way to “see” our prayers reaching His ears, just as lifting our hands can help us feel worshipful and closer to Him.

In Heaven there will be golden bowls of incense presented to Jesus in worship (Rev. 5:8).  The incense represents the prayers of God’s people.  Accompanied by harp music and a new song, the incense of our prayers will proclaim Jesus as the Lamb, worthy of all glory and honor!  What a beautiful thought that my prayer might be in one of those golden bowls of incense!

Lord, may my prayers always be worshipful and a sweet aroma to You.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.