Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Holiness


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Half Asleep

Scripture for Today: Romans 13:11-12a “And do this, understand the present time; The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.”

I can identify with this owl!  I am not the morning person my husband is.  I stumble towards my first cup of coffee and try to convince my brain to wake up!  It is not that I retire late the previous night, but that my brain takes a little longer than some to appreciate the new day!  Living in a sunny climate helps.  But on a morning covered in a thick marine layer, being half asleep lasts a bit longer!

Spiritually, many of us go through life a bit half asleep.  The night seems long and it is easy to stay asleep and comfortable in our lifestyles and habits.  It is harder to wake up completely and see the day coming.  We have grown used to the dim light.  The bright blazing sun can be a bit disconcerting for eyes that are used to shadows.  But our verse encourages us that the night is nearly over!

Salvation is nearer than when we first started our walk with Jesus.  The black night of sin and doubt, guilt and secrecy will soon be exposed to His revealing light!  The Lord has called me out of the darkness and into His wonderful light (I Peter 2:9).  The context goes on to say that knowing the day has almost dawned, I am to put aside deeds of darkness.

I want to live with my eyes wide open, seeing His salvation draw nearer and nearer!  How encouraging to know that the night is almost over!  Lord, keep my spiritual eyes open!


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Rattlesnake

Scripture for Today: Psalm 19:11 “By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

Who wouldn’t give one of these a wide berth?  Even the look of a rattlesnake is off-putting for me.  But of course, it is their bite and venom I especially want to avoid.  That nasty venom travels through the bloodstream causing swelling, internal bleeding and much pain.  A bite is not usually fatal if treated right away.  But most people have the sense to avoid provoking rattlesnakes and avoid them all together when hearing their distinctive rattle.  Those segments of keratin at the end of their tails knock together when the tail is vertical, producing a buzzing sound.  As if that were not enough, they can also hiss to warn off people or predators.

Our verse for today promises reward for keeping God’s laws and decrees.  That is the positive side.  The negative side in this verse is that they also serve as a warning.  Like the rattle on a snake, God’s commandments give us warning.  They let us know when we are headed toward trouble.  God, in His grace, alerts us through His Word so that we can avoid needless heartbreak.  Following His way rather than our own keeps us out of harm’s way.

Our sin hurts.  It complicates a life and results in brokenness.  But it does not have to be if we heed His warning signs.  It is unpopular to speak of absolutes but they are not my words.  God delineates quite clearly in His Word between what is good and evil, black and white, dark and light.  He makes it clear so I do not add senseless pain and guilt to my life.

Help me Lord, to see Your commandments as a loving gesture from You.


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Patio Furniture

Scripture for Today: James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

We have been shopping for patio furniture and it is amazing the array of choices out there.  Many of the pieces look as good or better than what I have inside the house.  Between the cushions and the outdoor heaters, one can be as comfortable outdoors as indoors.  In the right setting and with all these creature comforts, I don’t even realize I am outside.

Our verse for today helps us distinguish between worthless religion (verse 26) and what God will accept.  They can seem so similar.  One can be sitting comfortably on the outside, not even realizing that it is not the inside.  The vocabulary can be the same.  The form of worship can be quite similar.  The trappings and tradition of religion might be studiously followed.  But there is one thing that can let us know we are on the outside; it is too comfortable.

Religion that God accepts will not be comfortable.  The book of James makes very clear that true faith in Christ will express itself in self-sacrificing acts of kindness and love.  The giving and support we give to those who cannot reciprocate is a hallmark of true Christianity.

Religion that God accepts will not be comfortable as it takes effort to avoid being polluted.  Following the standards of the world is easy.  Obeying God takes so much more effort and can only be accomplished with the help of His Spirit.  No, it is not comfortable, but how worth it to be inside, in an intimate meaningful relationship with Jesus.

Thank you Lord, that it is Your grace and forgiveness that brings me inside!


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Refrigerator Magnets

Clean-dirty-indicator-combinedScripture for Today: Mark 7:15 “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”

I feel very silly sometimes to find myself unloading dirty dishes into the cupboards!  My problem is that I rinse too well before loading them into the dishwasher.  The confusion can be avoided with a simple system of magnets on the dishwasher.  These pictured were handmade using mint tins and adhesive labels.

We use labels as well when determining whether people are clean or dirty.  Imagine wearing labels like these to declare to others the state of our hearts!  In our verse for today Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees about what is clean and what is dirty.  The disciples were not following the accepted standards of religious tradition.  Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites for placing outside cleanliness over and above cleanliness on the inside.

It is what comes out of a person that reveals the true state of the heart.  We can work hard on the outward show of religiosity but sooner or later, our words and actions reveal what is on the inside.  No matter what rules we follow, it is only Christ that can truly make us clean.  Despite the correct moral upbringing, environmental and financial advantages, and advances in technology, evil continues to exist in the heart.

It is much less threatening to address social ills by fixing everything on the outside rather than the internal change that is needed.  The Lord is in the business of true and lasting change.  Cleansing me from the inside out is something only He can do.

Lord, keep me from being so distracted by the outside!  Change my heart with Your cleansing.


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The Foreigner

Scripture for Today: Deuteronomy 10:18 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and He loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”

It is not a comfortable experience being a foreigner.  In fact for many, the thought of being classed as a foreigner in another culture keeps people happily and comfortably cocooned in their own worlds.  I completely understand this preference.  It is not easy to stand out from the crowd, going against the current.  Living twenty-five years in France, I learned how to blend in to the culture and lifestyle.  However, early in our marriage we spent a summer in Taiwan.  There was no chance of blending in there.  I was constantly regarded as the foreigner and I had to deal with it!  I was orange and everyone else was blue!

Our verse for today reveals the loving heart of the Lord.  He is especially attentive to the needs of the orphans and widows.  But in addition to that care, He has a special place in His heart reserved for the foreigner and his hapless predicament.  I wonder if it was because His Son would one day descend from Heaven and be Himself a foreigner on earth!

The Lord shows special love to the lost, lonely and displaced person.  The foreigner is often in a humbled position having to depend on the kindness of others in his host country.  Not only does God offer His love and help, but the context urges us to do the same (verse 19).  Those who have been foreigners themselves can have a special empathy, having experienced this turmoil personally.

I have the privilege of reaching out with God’s love to the foreigner residing among us.  Help me Lord, to have the same heart for him as You do.