Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Suffering and Trials


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The Hope Chest

Scripture for Today:Romans 5:5 “And hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

I never owned a hope chest, although I hoped!  It was a tradition that was already obsolete by the 1950’s.  The practice of filling a hope chest with items useful in setting up house came from Europe around the 18th century.  A young girl’s “trousseau” consisted of handmade bed linens, table linens and embroidered items.  I often wondered what happened to that hope chest and its contents when it was clear that marriage had passed one by.  Perhaps giving it away signaled the end of hope.

Today speaks of a hope that never puts us to shame.  Unlike unfulfilled hope in a human love, our hope is placed in a love that has already been poured into the heart of a believer.  The Holy Spirit is our seal of ownership, guaranteeing what is to come! (II Cor. 1:22).  Hope in this sense is a sure thing with no possibility of disappointment or shame.  This hope grows stronger and stronger as we see the Lord come through for us when experiencing suffering (verse 3).  Hope grows by persevering through that impossible situation.  Our hope is obvious to everyone through the strength of character that comes from hanging in there (verse 4).

Hope that is ill-placed is wishful thinking that makes the heart sick when unfulfilled (Prov. 13:12).  My hope is sure being based on God’s faithful promises.  My longing for love is absolutely fulfilled in my relationship with my Creator.  He never disappoints and I am never put to shame.  He always comes through and someday I will see the glory of God up close and personal!

My hope will forever be in You, Lord.

 


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The Woodworking Plane

Scripture for Today: Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.”

Wood shop in high school was for the boys.  Perhaps it was just as well that I stayed away from those power tools and sharp instruments!  How the wood got to be so smooth, flat and level remained a mystery, only because I was too disinterested to find out.  But when my Dad took up woodworking as a hobby, he taught me to appreciate those smooth flawless surfaces and the effort it took to achieve.  The planer shaves off those high places in the wood, making the surface level.

Today’s verse reveals that God is continually working in us.  His goal is to mold our desires and actions to mirror His.  He has a purpose for this work and we can trust that it is a good purpose because He is good.  He is working to make us smooth and level by taking out the high places in us.  He is opposed to the proud (James 4:6) and will work to flatten those thoughts of superiority and self sufficiency.  The result is something beautiful that He can use!

Having my pride worked on hurts!  That blade is shaving off what does not belong.  It is humbling to be brought down to the right size.  He may use the reprimand of others.  He may use a miserable failure and allow me to fall flat on my face!  He often uses His Word to convict and point out areas that need flattening.  Whatever the case, it is not a comfortable experience.  But when it is all over, He gives favor to the one He has humbled.

Oh how I need Your favor today!  Lord, keep me smooth and humble.

 


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Tattered Banner

P1080490Scripture for Today: II Timothy 3:11b-12 “Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them (persecutions).  In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

My husband and I remarked on this tattered banner flying on the top of a castle we visited.  Of course, it is not original to it but just part of the decoration.  The banner is not old but because it is a windy region, it did not take long for this banner to have an old beat-up appearance.

When seeing this banner, I could not help thinking of our well-known verse for today.  All those who want to live a godly life will stand up tall and straight.  And like the banner, our stand for the Lord is vulnerable to the winds of persecution.  Those winds push and pull at us.  Our resistance to the winds will eventually wear on us.

If one hides their banner, the wind will have no opportunity to buffet it.  No one bothers to persecute those who are not taking a stand.  Becoming tattered or persecuted does not seem a great motivation to live a godly life!  But it is the natural consequence of living out our faith among those who are lovers of self rather than lovers of God (verses 1-5).

Paul encourages Timothy to take a stand and continue on in the faith.  He reminds Timothy of God’s power to deliver, something he had repeatedly experienced.  My motivation to lead a godly life is that I am a lover of God more than a lover of self.  It is love and gratitude that keeps me faithful to Him, regardless of the opposition.  There is no shame in my banner being tattered.

Lord, give me the courage to stay faithful to You.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.

 

 

 


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Hitting the Wall

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 18:29 “Indeed, with Your help I can charge against an army; by my God’s power I can jump over a wall.

“The Great Wall of China comes to mind as the best example of an impressive wall.  Not only does it run 13,000 miles in its entirety, but sections of the wall have been around since the 7th century!  It was built to prevent attack from barbarian nomads but in fact it has been scaled many times.  Perhaps its most important role is a psychological one, serving as a barrier between Chinese culture and the rest of the world.  My husband had the privilege of running alongside part of this wall while visiting the country with his Chinese Mother.

Our verse for today speaks of a wall that is scaled with the power God gives.  For David, the troops and wall were literal.  The context of this psalm is praise to God for his deliverance from King Saul.  He calls God his fortress, his rock and his shield.  But not only is God his protector but He also empowers him to advance and attack!  A wall that looks insurmountable is no barrier with God’s power!

There are walls in my life that certainly look insurmountable.  I do not have a king chasing after me but my walls could be psychological.  Whatever seems impossible to face, impossible to finish or impossible to forget can be my wall.  But I have the same power that David had.  God’s Spirit lives within me giving me the ability to fight through and succeed.  He is my force.  He is not going to allow me to hit the wall, but to jump over it!

There is nothing too hard for You, Lord.  Help me to remember that today.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.


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Wooden Cookie Press

cookie pressil_570xN.222896840Scripture for Today:  II Corinthians 4:8-9 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.”

These old fashioned wooden cookie presses are beautiful.  I see quite a few of them in the tourists shops, but I am more interested in the older ones in antique stores.  The images are so imaginative and are very detailed.  The resulting cookie is almost a work of art and a shame to eat!

My own experience with these molds has been frustrating!  I tend to not press the dough hard enough into the mold for fear of it sticking.  But that pressure is needed to set the image.  If the dough gets stuck, then a sharp tap on the back of the mold will release it.

Our verse for today describes a different kind of pressure.  We are hard pressed on every side by different trials and problems.  The difficult times are often perplexing because we just do not understand what God is doing. But we do not despair.  No matter how hard life can get, when we belong to the Lord we are never destroyed or abandoned.  He is in control and is revealing Himself through all that is happening (verse 10).

All the frustration, all the grief, and all the suffering are intended to form the beautiful image of Jesus in me.  Nothing is random.  Our God is not capricious or fickle.  He is loving and faithful.  He is just and true.  Even though I do not understand what He may be doing in my life, I can always count on who He is.  One day, when I see the finished product, I will understand.

Thank you Lord, that I can trust You even when I do not understand.

Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.