Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Hope


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The Tung Nut

Scripture for Today: Hebrews 1:9 “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has set You above Your companions by anointing You with the oil of joy.”

What an odd name for this nut! The nut comes from the tung tree, native to China. Its name means, “heart,” in Chinese as the leaves are heart-shaped. But in fact, it is a misnomer as it is a seed rather than a nut, coming from the inside of the fruit of the tung tree. The oil from tung nut is used as a drying oil for wood and has been around for centuries as far back as Confucius! (This oil certainly brings joy to those who market it at Gulf Coast Tung Oil!)

Today’s verse mentions an oil of joy and is speaking of Christ whose name means, “the anointed One.”  Jesus is set apart as holy and righteous, superior to all created beings.  There is joy in this righteous relationship Christ shares with the Father.  There is joy despite the fact that Jesus was called a “Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” (Is. 53:3)  It was for the joy set before Him that He endured the cross (Heb. 12:2).  It is this same joy that we can experience even when going through trial and difficulty (James 1:2).

Just as oil was used in biblical times to consecrate and set apart a person, so this “oil of joy” does for me today!  Living with joy when nothing is going according to plan sets me apart and makes me different.  Joy in spite of grave health problems, uncertain finances or dashed dreams is not the norm.  But His Spirit’s fruit includes a joy that I can set before me as I endure whatever life may throw at me!

Lord, may the oil of joy overflow my heart regardless of what today may bring.


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Wishing Well

Scripture for Today: Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Will a wishing well have mystical powers and grant any wish I speak aloud? That was the prevailing thought centuries ago. The idea in German folklore was that the clean pure water was guarded at its source by spirits who would sometimes take pity on humans. Whatever one spoke aloud as his heart’s desire may just be granted and to insure the outcome, small tokens or coins would be tossed in the water.

Wishing at a well, wishing on a star or making a wish blowing a dandelion head pretty much describe the thinking of those who place their confidence in anyone but Jesus.  It is a poor flimsy substitute for real hope.  Today’s verse describes God as a, “God of hope.” The hope He offers, unlike a wish, will fill the one who trusts in Him with joy and peace. Trusting the God of hope means the believer can overflow with hope by the power of His Spirit within us! Hope for the believer is faith in what is sure. 

My hope is only as good as its object. That makes my hope in Jesus unshakable! I not only have hope, I am overflowing with it as I trust Him.  He promises to fill me with all joy and peace as I live in that hope and trust. My wishes and desires are never as important as the deeper gifts of joy and peace He offers in the face of darkness and despair. Because He is my hope, I can look forward to an unknown future without anxiety.

Thank you Lord, for being my hope.


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Caving

Scripture for Today: Lamentations 3:57 “You came near when I called You and You said. ‘Do not fear.'”

I cannot imagine doing what this man is doing!  Exploring underground caves and caverns is called “caving,” “spelunking,” or “potholing,” and is not for the claustrophobic!  The caves with shaft entrances as pit caves or vertical caves would especially be missing from my bucket list!  But the draw is strong for those who love exploring what is off the map and true wilderness.  To walk into the fear, the dark and the unknown can be a rush when done on one’s own terms.

Today’s verse comes from someone who finds himself in a pit (verse 55) and the prophet Jeremiah is not there on his own terms.  He is put there by his enemies.  There is no special equipment or preparedness to insure his safety.  He calls in desperation on the name of the Lord and God heard his plea for relief.  Then comes today’s verse.  God came near.  God’s presence was the answer to Jeremiah’s fear.  His circumstances had not changed but the Lord reassures Jeremiah that HE will take up his case. (verse 58)

There are many reasons I can find myself in a pit.  Times are dark when feeling outnumbered by those who mock the Name I love.  I can feel vulnerable to subtle attack, knowing that I am in the minority.  The darkness becomes especially thick when I doubt that God knows and cares.  Fear can be a constant companion when leaving God out.  But with assurance of His presence, both the darkness and the fear flee.  He answers my cries.  He responds to my pleas for help and takes up my case.  Wickedness may surround me but will never overwhelm as He will right every wrong and bring final justice!

Thank you Lord, for calming every fear.


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The Condor

Scripture for Today:  I Corinthians 15:25-26 “For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

This vigilant squirrel is right to keep an eye on the condor flying overhead!  But perhaps he does not need to worry too much as the condor will only feed on a carcass.  They are scavengers and I suppose they have their place in the scheme of things.  But to me they are disgusting because of their eating habits, not to mention their grunts, growls and hissing!  There are two species of vultures to which the condor refers and they are associated with death in Scripture.

Today’s verse speaks of death as an enemy.  It is an enemy that touches every one and each time brings with it unspeakable sorrow.  It is an enemy mankind has brought on ourselves by our own sin and rebellion against God (Rom. 6:23).  But thankfully, death will one day be vanquished forever.  There will be a time when there will be no more mourning or death (Rev. 21:4).  The pain and sorrow of separation will in the future be a distant memory.  Death will take its rightful place, fully vanquished and overcome under His feet.

I know this is true as Jesus has already vanquished death for Himself when He rose up from the grave.  And God has already made me alive spiritually when I was dead in my sins (Eph. 2:5).  But what is true in a spiritual sense will one day be true in a physical sense as well!   I will enjoy a new body that will never wear out (I Cor. 15:54) and death will be “swallowed up in victory!”  No more funerals, obituaries or burials!  And best of all, no more goodbyes!

Thanks you Lord, for the coming victory over death.

(Look familiar?  Summer reposing while reposting!)


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Peek-A-Boo Canyon

Scripture for Today: I Corinthians 13:12 Colossians 3:1-2 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

The Peek-A-Boo slot canyon in Zion National Park ushers the hiker into another world!  The trail twists and turns, narrows and then widens.  It is eerily quiet and the temperature drops.  Some parts are dark with overhanging rock.  But in other places one can see orange, warm red and rustic brown on the curving sandstone walls.  Some walls soar up to 100 feet and the narrowest part is only 16 inches wide!  It is like a glimpse into another dimension.

Today’s verse gives us a small glimpse of Heaven.  Paul tells believers to set their minds on what is found there.  Christ is on His throne and He sits at the right hand of God the Father.  Our minds and our hearts are to be changed by this eternal perspective.  What we see on earth does not match up with spiritual realities.  What we see, touch and feel around us can be breathtaking, but it is not eternal.  God’s incredible creation is real but it will not last.

When I set my mind and heart on the realities of Heaven, it changes how I view that awful situation.  It affects how I see my problems.  What can loom so large for me is in fact only, “light and momentary trouble.” (II Cor. 4:17)  All the hard things in this life are, “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”  When I think of Heaven, my heart fills with hope.  And I need that hope to get me through.

Lord, help me see even a glimpse of what is to come!

(Look familiar?  Summer reposing while reposting!)