Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Submission


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The Pomegranate

Scripture for Today:  Colossians 1:11 “being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.”

As a child I tired quickly, trying to pop out those pomegranate seeds one by one!  I would get more of the staining juice on my hands than in my mouth!  Unlike other fruits, it is the seeds or “arils” that are eaten.  But de-seeding a pomegranate takes either some know-how, some patience, or both.  However it is done, this sweet red fruit is well worth the effort.  I love them sprinkled on a salad or made into a glaze over roasted duck!

Today’s verse indicates from where patience comes.  It is through the strength and power of the Lord that we can live with a patient attitude.  It is His “glorious might” that makes it possible to have great endurance and patience.  To live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way (verse 10) will take patience and endurance.  But thankfully, we do not muster it up on our own.  It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in us (Gal. 5: 22).  It is also the result of having our faith tested and seeing the Lord come through for us. (James 1:3)

For me, the biggest test of patience is waiting for the Lord to answer my prayers, my way.  His timing is rarely my own.  And I tend to treat my prayers as “unanswered” if I don’t receive the answer desired!  How many times I have worried, full of anxiety while awaiting His response!  But being impatient serves no purpose and certainly does not obligate Him to hurry!  I know He is pleased when I wait for His answers and promises with a patient calm heart.

Lord, help me to patiently trust You more.

(Look familiar?  Summer reposing while reposting!)


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Yield Sign

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.”

It looks complicated.  I would have to stop a minute to figure out who would have to yield to whom!  It looks as if the bike has to yield to everyone and the horse and rider to no one!  But I do not suppose there are many intersections to worry about on this trail.  If there were confusion I would think common sense would go a long way.  Regardless, yielding is often the safest choice.  When maneuvering through those huge traffic circles in Europe, I do not argue with a yield sign!

Today’s verse tells us we are to yield or submit to the Lord in each and every way we choose to take.  By acknowledging His control, His superior knowledge and His goodness, we travel a path much less complicated by twists and turns.  He makes our paths straight, unencumbered by lengthy unnecessary detours.  We reach our destination in good time, or in His time.  When we give way to Him rather than insisting on our own plan, we find He had a better idea all along!

Yielding my will to His is so often a struggle.  Even knowing that my own understanding is limited, I stubbornly resist.  I like being the one who makes the decisions.  Trusting Him with all my heart is scary without having some measure of control.  But He promises that when I do, He will make my paths straight, choosing the best way.  No time will be lost in making U turns or encountering dead ends.

Thank you Lord, that I can fully trust Your heart of love for me!

(Look familiar?  Summer reposing while reposting!)


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Sandcastles

Scripture for Today: Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” 

I doubt that this sandcastle was built by a small child.  It seems too involved and complicated, perhaps needing some special molds and skills.  Sandcastle-building has become quite the art form with annual competitions all over Southern California.  Some of the competitions have been taking place for more than fifty years!  The entries are elaborate and take painstaking precision.  The results are impressive but no longer there.  These fantasy castles and kingdoms are eventually reclaimed by the ocean.  What a shame to see all that creative work washed away!

Today’s verse speaks of a kingdom that is eternal.  It does not erode with time.  What effort is invested in this kingdom will endure.  We are promised that when spending our lives living for God’s kingdom, we will be able to live our lives without worrying about tomorrow (verse 34).  The  mundane pursuits of food and clothing become less important.   Life is more than food and the body more than clothes (verse 25).  Seeking His kingdom means living for Him and for values that are eternal.

The most important component of any kingdom is its king.  Seeking God’s kingdom is to live as His subject and submit to His rule.  When I live for Him and His purposes, this gracious King takes care of the details.  But I sometimes get distracted by building my own little sandcastles.  I want my own kingdom, however small, in the hopes of having some say and control.  I want to be the one in charge!  But my pathetic kingdom is never as good as His.  And I do not want to waste my time on what will not last!

Lord, keep me focused on living for You.

(Look familiar?  Summer reposing while reposting!)


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Creature Comforts

Scripture for Today:  Matt. 8:20  “Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.'”

This cat is not letting a little thing like a bed, pillow or comfy blanket stop him from his nap!  He doesn’t seem to mind that the concrete is hard or that the wood chips may poke at him.  Me, on the other hand, I enjoy my creature comforts.   My poor children did not have any camping experiences until they were adults.  If I have a choice, I choose the comfortable bed and pillow.

This is why today’s verse is so shocking!  Jesus describes Himself as having no place to lay His head.  Jesus gave up the comforts of hearth and home to be on the road, sharing the good news of salvation and meeting people’s needs.  Jesus was speaking to a teacher of the law who declared he would follow Jesus anywhere.  But perhaps this teacher was being overly optimistic or unrealistic.  Jesus knew that His itinerant ministry would pose a problem for this man.

The cost of following God’s individual plan for me may mean I will have to relinquish some creature comforts.  How inconsequential they seem when compared to what He gave up for me!  Thankfully, as my Creator, He knows my limits.  He will not call me to do something that He would not empower me to do (Phil. 2:13).  But am I willing to follow Him whatever He asks me to give up?   I hope I can say, “Yes” to whatever He asks of me.  He is trustworthy.  But there is one “creature comfort” I could never do without and that is the reassuring comfort of His presence and blessing.

Lord, thank you for what You gave up for me!


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Penguin Crossing

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.”

Who would not slow down and give way to penguins?  This sign warns motorists at Oamaru Harbour, New Zealand, to slow down for the Little Blue Penguins.  They are the world’s smallest and are also called Fairy Penguins.  Their size makes them easy to miss, crossing the road.  They come ashore to prepare their nests or to shed their feathers and grow a new waterproof coat.  For me, yielding right-of-way is a non-issue.

Today’s verse tells us we are to yield or submit to the Lord in each and every way we choose to take.  By acknowledging His control, His superior knowledge and His goodness, we travel a path much less complicated by twists and turns.  He makes our paths straight, unencumbered by lengthy unnecessary detours.  We reach our destination in good time, or in His time.  When we give way to Him rather than insisting on our own plan, we find He had a better idea all along!

I need to be reminded to yield.  My first inclination is to make decisions on my own.  And yielding my will to His is so often a struggle.  Even knowing that my own understanding is limited, I stubbornly resist.  I like being the one who makes the decisions.  Trusting Him with all my heart is scary without having some measure of control.  But He promises that when I do, He will make my paths straight, choosing the best way.  No time will be lost in making U turns or encountering dead ends.

Thank you Lord, that I can fully trust Your heart of love for me!