Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Holiness


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Messy Roomate

Scripture for Today: I Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”

Clothes strewn everywhere.  Dust inches thick.  Important papers and keys impossible to find.  And yet, the effort to clean and organize a room sometimes seems like just too much trouble.  Enter a roommate and everything changes.  No longer is there freedom to live as one pleases.  I am lucky to never have had a roommate quite as messy as pictured.  But I admit there were times that I myself came close to being that messy roommate.

Today’s verse reminds the believer that his body is indwelt by God’s Spirit, making it a temple.  No longer can we treat our bodies without regard for the Other who lives there.  He is holy and His standards for cleanliness are much higher and purer than ours.  Because He lives within us, we are to keep the place honorable for Him.

The longer God’s Spirit resides in me, the more I see the dirt that before went unnoticed.  He shines a light in all the cobwebbed corners.  He reveals what is under the couch cushions.  What passed for clean before does not quite make the standard for Him.  He wants me to pursue holiness and purity in my thoughts as well as my actions.  He wants me to be responsible in my diet choices.  Misusing my body in any way affects Him too.  My body no longer belongs to me but to Him.  Thankfully, He shows love, forgiveness and grace when I come to Him for that deep cleaning.

Lord, help me to honor Your presence by treating my body as Your temple.


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Murphy’s Law

Scripture for Today: Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

I am not sure who Murphy is but I would like to have a word with him!  The old adage says, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”  There are many versions of how this saying came to be.  But in any case, the identity of Murphy, if ever real, has been lost.  His law was definitely at work on me as my computer crashed the same day as I dropped and broke my cell phone.  It was not a good day.  I hesitated to get into my car!

Today’s verse describes the Christ-like qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in a believer.  There will never be a law against these beautiful characteristics in any culture or in any century.  The previous verses describe behaviors for which all kinds of laws are needed.  But laws will never be needed to control or stifle these admirable qualities.  Even with Murphy’s Law, a Spirit-controlled person will respond to that horrible awful day in a different manner.

I guess I was not so Spirit-controlled as all those negatives happening at once caused me to lose it!  Where did the patience go?  What happened to forbearance and self-control?  Responding with the flesh is so much easier.  But some days I can laugh it off or at least take things in stride.  The toast landing wrong side down is the perfect litmus test of where my heart is with the Lord.  Regardless of what problems arise, I cannot respond like Him without His help.  It is only by His Spirit that I can keep it together!

Lord, keep me filled and controlled by Your Spirit today.


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Termites!

Scripture for Today: Matthew 19:5 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

The termite can wreak havoc in Southern California as they feast on the wood of our homes.  They seem secretive and destructive.  There are three kinds; workers, soldiers and reproductive termites.  Only the reproductive ones are able to fly.  Both the young kings and queens will fly from their home in a large swarm as they search for a mate.  Each royal pair will emerge from the swarm together and establish their new home, breaking off their wings as they settle down!

Today’s verse is the answer Jesus gave to the Pharisees seeking to trap Him with questions on marriage.  He quotes what God established in the beginning in Genesis 2:24.  The step of marriage is to be binding.  The commitment it requires is much like those termites breaking off their wings.  The original and best plan for marriage is that it be exclusive and permanent.  One new flesh is created from two.  Tearing apart the two can cause excruciating pain.  The Lord in His love and compassion gives us the best plan to avoid that kind of pain.

God’s plan for marriage can seem restrictive.  But to give love the best chance to flower and last is within that safe place of total commitment.  We endure whatever pain or inconvenience there may be by “tearing off our wings.”  It shows that we are serious to stay together.  The world says that one is somehow missing out.  But I know differently.  It is through many years of ups and downs, trials and joys that my love for my husband grows.

Thank you Lord, for giving me the strength and power to tear off my wings and stay.


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Cravings

Scripture for Today: Psalm 78:18 “They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.”

I often crave sweets, especially chocolate.  But the food cravings I had while pregnant were very different and no small thing.  It was not pickles and ice cream, thankfully.  It was citrus fruits and Mexican food.  It would come on me suddenly and at odd hours.  The sensation was strong and I have never felt anything quite like it since!  I remember getting quite cranky just up to the point when those cravings were indulged.  My poor husband was a good sport about it!

Today’s verse is speaking of the Israelites when they were in the wilderness.  The Lord had miraculously provided for their needs with manna from heaven.  But they craved meat.  They did not just crave it.  They wailed saying, “If only we had meat to eat.” (Numbers 11:4)  They were willful and even rebellious with their demands (verse 17).  Their cravings went so far as to cause them to speak against God (verse 19) and doubt His power.  “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?”  How insulting to our Mighty God who had all along been showing His power in parting that Red Sea, and in guiding them with a pillar of cloud and pillar of fire.  God responded with righteous anger.

Cravings are part of human nature and not necessarily wrong in themselves.  But certainly when accompanied with a demanding rebellious attitude, they are not right.  I am wrong if I crave something that puts into question God’s goodness and power.  But one craving is always good, that of craving the “spiritual milk” of His Word (I Peter 2:2).  I wish I craved it more than I do!

Lord, create in me a craving for Your Word today!


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Herding Cats

Scripture for Today: II Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

I thought herding cats was impossible!  But much to my surprise I discovered there is actually a Cat Herders Day on December 15!  However, my original thought holds true.  Cats are just too independent and stubborn to be herded, or cooperate when moving them from here to there.  This day is actually to recognize the frustration of trying to “manage the unmanageable.”  This day is a day for all of us who feel like we are saddled with an impossible task!

Today’s verse seems like the impossible task of herding cats.  Taking thoughts captive can be much the same scenario.  Our thoughts run away with us, leading to wrong attitudes and actions.  Those thoughts sometimes just do not cooperate.  The thinking of the believer is not to be the same as that of the world (verse 2).  But the world’s influence is so strong that thoughts just naturally conform to wordly independent thinking, leaving God out of it.

Thankfully, the Lord does not make this task impossible.  He has given us His divine power to control and redirect our thoughts (verse 4).  On my own, my thinking becomes full of pride and disobedience.  But because of His Spirit in me, I am not subject to merely human judgements. As a believer, I have the mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:15-16.)  What a wonderful thought that is!  He is there to turn my heart and mind from what is false and harmful.  He brings those wandering thoughts back into the corral of His unchanging truth!

Lord, may my every thought today please You.