Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Hope


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Vinegar

Scripture for Today: Psalm 69:21 “They (my enemies) put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.”

There all kinds of vinegars to choose from when making a gourmet salad dressing.  In our area of Alsace, apple vinegar is very common. But I enjoy the strawberry and raspberry vinegars too.  There is an amazing specialty shop in Freiburg, Germany that sells grapefruit, mandarin orange and pomegranate vinegars, among others.  They are great for adding that extra bit of flavor, but I cannot imagine drinking pure vinegar!

Our verse for today describes the persecution David experienced from his enemies.  He felt scorned, disgraced and shamed.  He looked for sympathy and comfort but found none.  His food tasted bitter from their gall, and there was no quenching of his thirst as it all tasted like vinegar.  This psalm describes David’s trials but also foretells the Lord’s suffering on the cross when his enemies offered him vinegar, made with light wine turned acid.  It was mixed with gall or some kind of bitter plant.

The mockery of our faith by unbelieving friends can certainly sour our lives.  The taunting of family members can make life taste very bitter.  It is not easy to stand alone in one’s conviction of the Truth.  But this psalm ends with praise for the Lord’s response to our cries.  He promises salvation and an inheritance to all who love His name!  God is righteous and He vindicates His own!

The sympathy and comfort I long for when feeling beaten down is only found in the Lord.  He hears not only my prayers but the unspoken cries of my heart.  No one understands like Jesus.  He promises to be my strength to stand firm even in the face of misunderstanding and opposition.

Thank you Lord, that You bore much worse for me!


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Loss

Scripture for Today: Job 1:21 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

I cannot imagine the pain of losing a precious innocent baby.  I cannot imagine the heartache of losing a spouse.  It is difficult to even imagine praising the name of the Lord at such a time as that.  And yet, this is what Job was able to do when he lost all his sons and daughters.  When Job received this awful news, his immediate response was to fall to the ground in worship and speak this verse.  He recognized that the Lord in His sovereignty gave and the Lord also took away.  Job did not “curse God and die,” as was the advice from his angry devastated wife but continued to bless the name of the Lord even in his enormous grief and continual questioning.

It is one thing to bless the name of the Lord when all is well.  It is quite another thing to bless His name when it feels like one’s world is collapsing.  The fact that it can be done gives so much credibility to the truth of God’s Word.  Those who testify to God’s faithfulness while the drugs of chemotherapy drip into their arm are those to whom it is well worth listening!

Though loss is so very painful, our hope is real.  Our God proves Himself to be the God of all comfort when we need Him most (II Cor. 1:3).  Living our hope is a powerful affirmation of the Truth to ourselves and to others.  We can trust that our dear one, though gone from our arms, is safely in His.

“My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name.”


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Ripe Plantain

Scripture for Today: II Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

My husband wanted to help so I sent him out for some groceries, including bananas.  He mistakenly came home with these.  I do not have much experience with fresh plantains.  They did not look so good with their big black spots.  After looking at some recipes on line, I learned that the blacker they become on the outside, the more edible and sweet they were on the inside.  I let them get completely black and then opened them with some misgiving.  Sure enough, their flesh was beautiful on the inside and as sweet as could be!

I could not help but think of this verse.  Outwardly and with enough time, we are all wasting away.  We do what we can to minimize the effects of age, but eventually we look more and more beat up!  Our bodies break down but that does not have to be true for the inside.

Life can be full of hardship and struggle.  Like Paul we may feel that we are “hard pressed on every side” (verse 8) but that does not mean we despair.  We may feel crushed by the weight of our trials but we have hope.  I do not want to lose heart because God is at work creating me beautiful on the inside.  Within I am becoming more mature.  Inside I am becoming sweeter as I respond to the Lord in faith and perseverance.

Despite all the bruising, I can be confident that God is using it all to make me more like His Son.  Thank you Lord for this hope!  Keep me focused on what You are accomplishing on the inside.


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Renovation

3563583617_df2bbee613Scripture for Today: Psalm 122:1 “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Our small condo is slowly being renovated.  Each time we visit to see how the work is progressing, I try to be realistic.  It all takes longer than I had anticipated.  Thankfully, we do not need to live there during the work.  With each visit, new things are seen that should be changed or upgraded.  I will be very glad when all the work is finally finished.

Our verse for today speaks about being glad to enter the house of the Lord.  To be with other believers and worship our Lord together is a glad event.  However, we are all in the process of some serious renovation in that house.  There may be some rough edges on people that need sanding down to make smooth.  There may be a hanging hinge on a door which makes opening up difficult to do.  Perhaps, there are “damaged” people in that house that need repair.  Can I really be glad to enter a house like that?  Wouldn’t it be better to come in after all the renovations were complete?

I can be glad to enter the Lord’s house knowing that God is working in others just as He is working in me.  He promises to continue working right up to the day of His return (Phil. 1:6).  The on-going changes He is producing in others are the same kinds of renovations He is doing in me.  As believers, we are all in the process of change and growth into the very image of His Son.  It is a renovation that we live with, knowing that the outcome is worth it!

Lord, help me to be patient with Your work in me, and in others!

 

 


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Slow in Coming!

Scripture for Today: II Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.  Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Our third grandson is officially late in making his entrance into this world, at least according to the doctor’s best guess.  Everyday we wait with bated breath thinking, “Is this the day?”  We are all on pins and needles.  Everything is in readiness and we have even been able to get some extra projects done.  The time seems to drag by and even slow down as we wait and wait.  Maybe it will be today!

It occurred to me that just as we wait for the coming of a baby with breathless excitement, so we are to wait for Christ’s coming.  Our verse for today refers to His second coming.  The time can seem long as we wait.  It can especially seem long when living in a difficult and arduous time.  There will be sweet relief from all kinds of pain when Christ arrives.  For those who do not belong to Him, the day will bring judgement rather than relief.  But for those who long for His return there is a special recompense (II Tim. 4:8)

There are many people who mock the idea of Christ’s return to earth.  “Where is this coming?” they ask. (II Peter 3:4)  He is slow in arriving, but our verse explains why that is.  He waits, showing love and patience for more men to come to Him in repentance and so be spared His judgement.

The words of this old hymn often come to mind, “Oh Lord Jesus how long, how long, ere we shout the glad song, Christ returneth!”  Maybe it will be today!