Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Suffering and Trials


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The Sea Plane

Scripture for Today: II Thessalonians 1: 3b-4  “…your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.  Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”

We were boating with friends on Lake Minnetonka when our peaceful reverie was abruptly interrupted by the landing of a sea plane near us! I had seen them at a distance but never one so close! The water was smooth and the landing seemed effortless. We were not there for his departure but I learned that smooth water can create drag and make lift off more challenging. Some pilots will create artificial waves by circling before take off to create some turbulence!

Today’s verse describes the spiritual health of the Thessalonian church. Paul is proud of their growing faith and love for one another. Their faith has been growing as a result of persecutions and trials. Like the turbulence of the water, the process can be hard but the results can be seen in a growing and healthy faith. It is not in the smooth unruffled times that perseverance is needed. It is when faith is challenged that it grows. It is when life is hard that brothers and sisters love and support one another.

I wish it were not so. I would love for life to be calm, unruffled and peaceful. But the waters need stirring up. The turbulence is needed for new heights to be gained. It is in the challenge of the hard times that my faith is challenged and I grow closer to my Creator. He calls me to higher and higher altitudes where I can see Him more clearly. He uses the turbulence of testing to grow me more like Him. This is my confidence. This is my hope in whatever difficulty I face. Every time, He is there.

Thank you Lord, that I can trust You.


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Murphy’s Law!

Scripture for Today: Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

I am not sure who Murphy is but I would like to have a word with him! The old adage says, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” There are many versions of how this saying came to be. But in any case, the identity of Murphy, if ever real, has been lost. His law was definitely at work on me as my computer crashed the same day as I dropped and broke my cell phone. It was not a good day. I hesitated to get into my car!

Today’s verse describes the Christ-like qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in a believer. There will never be a law against these beautiful characteristics in any culture or in any century. The previous verses describe behaviors for which all kinds of laws are needed. But laws will never be needed to control or stifle these admirable qualities. Even with Murphy’s Law, a Spirit-controlled person will respond to that horrible awful day in a different manner.

I guess I was not so Spirit-controlled as all those negatives happening at once caused me to lose it!  Where did the patience go? What happened to forbearance and self-control? Responding with the flesh is so much easier. But some days I can laugh it off or at least take things in stride. The toast landing wrong side down is the perfect litmus test of where my heart is with the Lord. Regardless of what problems arise, I cannot respond like Him without His help. It is only by His Spirit that I can keep it together!

Lord, keep me filled and controlled by Your Spirit today.

(Look familiar? This is a post from 2016)


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Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Scripture for Today: Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

This is a special week as it ushers in Spring. For some colder climates, its coming is not so obvious. But one of the first signs of Spring is this unassuming butterfly. It is not so eye catching as other butterflies, but it has the distinction of being the first! The Mourning Cloak butterfly will sometimes come early, heralding the fact that Spring is just around the corner. Its unusual name is due to the resemblance of its deep brown wings to the color and texture of cloth worn by those in mourning.

Today’s verse describes a place where there will be no more mourning, death, crying or pain. What an incredible thought! But even more amazing is that the Lord Himself will personally wipe away every tear from our eyes! He will turn mourning into gladness. (Jer. 31:13) The old order of things will pass away on this new heaven and new earth. And God will will dwell there among us. What used to be the Kingdom of God in hearts will one day be a literal Kingdom where He will reign.

I love the newness of Spring and the hope it represents. But one day, I will be living in a Kingdom where everything is not only new but eternally so! Death and dying will have no place. Reunions will be so sweet and there will no longer be the need for goodbyes. Struggle, pain and suffering will be part of the old order and no longer an issue. This is not wishful thinking but certainty in God’s promise. What is today my hope will one day be seen and realized!

Thank you Lord for giving me hope.


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Precious Jewels

Scripture for Today: Zechariah 9:16 “The Lord their God will save his people on that day, as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.”

In a long-ago Sunday School class, I learned that I was a precious jewel. The children’s hymn, “When He Cometh” told me so. “When He cometh, when He cometh, to make up His jewels, All His jewels, precious jewels, His loved and His own.” This is one of 300 hymns written by William Cushing in 1856. There are only four gems in the world that are categorized as “precious:” diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald. As a child I remember feeling confused that I could sparkle and be precious to the Lord!

Today’s verse was surely the origin of this long-ago hymn. Although the context is specific to the people of Judah, we know that believers today in His Church are precious in His sight, seen as His beautiful bride (Eph. 5:25-27), and His treasure (Matt. 13:44) and even His inheritance! (Ps. 33:12) God values us so much that He bought us as His own at a huge cost to Himself, the sacrifice of His Son! It is His love and grace that makes us so precious in His eyes.

These beautiful precious gems become this way after some pretty intense cutting and polishing. It is over a long course of troubles and difficulties that God is refining me to sparkle and shine like He intends. It helps to know that He thinks I am worth the trouble. I don’t always see progress in His work on me. But I do know that one day, His work on me will be finished. The Lord sees the final product and it will be worth it all!

How amazing it is to know that I am PRECIOUS in Your sight!


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Roller Coaster Regret!

Scripture for Today: I Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

What could possibly have motivated us to get in that roller coaster? Perhaps it was our daughter’s reassurance that it was a “mild one.” Maybe it was wanting to appear younger to our grandson. But it had been decades since our last ride and we had forgotten what that heart-stopping motion was like! We are all smiles here in the “before” shot, but the “after” picture would have captured us pale, wide-eyed and stumbling out!

Today’s verse describes the exact opposite of that “moving experience.” Paul is encouraging the believers in Corinth to let nothing move them. They are to stand firm and resolute in their desire to live their lives in service to the Lord. For these early Christians, persecution and the threat of death could easily dissuade them. They are reassured that even death would have no sting (verse 55) and their labor for the Lord would be worth it as they looked forward to ultimate victory.

Very difficult circumstances can threaten to move me. My faith can be shaken to its core by unanswered prayer, devastating news or physical challenges. But the Lord asks me to stand firm in my faith without knowing the “why” behind what is happening. Unmet expectations have the potential of making me cynical about faithfulness to Him. But when I look ahead to the reward He promises, then I know that living for Him will never be in vain.

Lord, keep me standing firm.