Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Peace


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The Dove

Scripture for Today: Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” 

This sweet girl looks to be kissing the dove in her hands.  These meek gentle birds have long been a symbol for peace over the centuries and in many different cultures.  And a dove with an olive branch in its beak especially symbolizes peace.  Noah could finally leave his ark with the dove’s return.  There was peace with God in this new beginning on earth.

Today’s verses are a priestly prayer God gave Moses to share with Aaron and his sons for the Israelites.  It is the Lord that gives blessing and protection.  It is the Lord that gives grace with His very presence, and it is only through His favor that we can experience peace.  Mankind has the best chance at establishing peace with one another when first we have made peace with our Maker.  This happens through Christ’s sacrifice, made while we were still His enemies (Rom.5:10).  Jesus made peace possible with God and it is Jesus that makes peace possible between men.

I so ardently want to see change in our world.  The injustices and the  divisions make peace seem an impossible goal.  And on our own I do not see much hope.  But with His face turned our direction, He can give peace.  This is not the same peace that the world offers, which frankly can be short-lived and imperfect (John 14:27).  His peace calms my heart and my fears.  His peace allows me to reach out to those different from myself.  “The problem is not skin, it’s sin.  The solution is not race, it’s grace.”

Thank you Lord, for being my peace-maker.


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How Are You Feeling?

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 56:3-4  “When I am afraid, I will trust in You, In God whose word I praise, In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?”

The red gurnard is a very distinct bottom-dwelling fish and his feelings matter!  From his three lower pectoral fins hang what looks like narrow finger-like growths.  These appendages have sensory organs and it is with them that he feels for his food in the sand.  He never has to look with those large eyes but depends on feeling for small fish and crustaceans in the sediment.

With what is going on in our world today, the temptation is to be carried away by our feelings.  In today’s verse, David was certainly tempted to give in to fear.  He had been seized by the Philistines in Gath and feared for his life.  But throughout this psalm, David turns to God in confident trust to beat back the fear.  And the psalm finishes with praise for deliverance from his enemies.

My feelings can overwhelm me during these days of riotous protest.  I feel a profound sadness at injustice in our world.  There is gnawing unrest in my heart when I watch the unsettling news.  I feel nervous trepidation for what may come next.  That is why this psalm is such a comfort.  Placing my trust in the Lord calms me down and gives me a measure of peace.  Feeling peace in my heart during such unrest makes it a supernatural peace that can only come from Him.  My eyes cannot help but see all the disheartening trouble in our country but I can take heart as HE has already overcome the world (John 16:33).

Thank you Lord, that I can feel your peace, even when there is such unrest.

 

 

 


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Contact Tracing

Scripture for Today: Psalm 139:2-3 “You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.”

Technology is now being developed to trace our physical contact with those who may be infected with the COVID virus.  The idea is to control the spread through identifying those with whom an infected person has had close contact.  The app, due to come out in mid-May, would be in partnership with public health authorities.  And the challenge will be to do this in a privacy-preserving way!

Today’s verse can either be viewed with anxiety or comfort!  The Lord is aware of our every movement.  He knows when we leave the house.  He knows when we retire for the night.  Whether we stand or sit He is mindful.  How incredible that the God of the universe is familiar with all our habits or any change of schedule!  Not only is He aware of our movements, He knows exactly what we are thinking!  This is a knowledge too wonderful to even grasp (verse 6) and more extensive than any technology could achieve!

Does this knowledge make me uncomfortable?  Because I belong to Him and am under no condemnation (Rom. 8:1) I can answer, “no.”  The fact that the Lord is aware of my every movement and my every thought gives me comfort.  He uses this knowledge to love me and care for me.  Because of His love and grace, I do not have to hide from this knowledge.  His intimate knowledge of me means I can live without fear.  I can move confidently through my day, knowing He is there.  Rather than get nervous over what could happen, I can trust Him.

Thank you Lord, that You know.


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“Yoke’s on You!”

Scripture for today: Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Today is April Fools Day and for some the joke or “yoke” is on them!  I wonder if during these days of social distancing there will be the same level of frivolity!  I hope so.  We could all use a laugh!  France has its own version of this day.  They observe this silliness by taping a paper fish on someone’s back without their knowledge.

Today’s verse mentions a yoke that is no laughing matter.  This is a yoke of slavery from which Christ has set us free.  The believers in the churches in Galatia were being influenced to put back on a heavy yoke.  That yoke was the belief that they could be justified by following the Law (verse 4).  Christ came to fulfill the Law and free us from this heavy impossible burden.  We have exchanged this yoke for an easy one, shared with Jesus.  His burden is light because He carries it with us and gives rest to our souls (Matt. 11:28-30).

How wonderful to know that He cares about what is burdening me!  Whatever is weighing me down does not come from Him.  He does not want me to go through life feeling that I must always do more to be accepted by Him.  That would be an unbearable weight!  He has done it all.  He is sufficient.  And the commands He has given me are not burdensome (I John 5:3).  It is in keeping them that I show my love for Him.  This love relationship is what gives me rest.  Despite the unease of risk and of the unknown, I can rest yoked to Him.

Thank you Lord, for Your reassurance.


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Sheltering in Place

Scripture for Today: Psalm 91:1-2 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'”

A new phrase has crept into our everyday vocabulary in the wake of this nasty worldwide virus; “shelter in place.”  The idea is to limit exposure and to slow the spread of what for some can be fatal.  This is new territory and the questions and challenges can seem overwhelming.  Cabin fever, FOMO or fear of missing out, and fear of possible financial challenges to come can all create a pervading sense of unease.  That loss of connection is especially unnerving.

Today’s verse is a promise of rest from the anxieties of this unique time.  When we make the Most High our shelter we find rest in His presence.  Rather than trust in four walls, self-isolation, or the government, we can trust in God’s reassuring presence.  This is not just a place to drop in but to dwell.  Sheltering in this place gives the rest and peace so needed in the face of the unknown.  The best four walls around me are His care, His compassion, His comfort, and His control.

The best part of sheltering in His presence is that this can happen anywhere!  For now, my world has become so much smaller, but He has not!  His peace guards my heart and my mind (Phil. 4:7) regardless of where I am.  I never want to leave the shelter of His presence.  Nearer Still Nearer’s lyrics from 1898 say it best.  “Fold me, oh, fold me close to Thy breast. Shelter me safe in that ‘haven of rest.'”

Thank you, Lord, for being my shelter and my rest.