Devotions By Jan


by Leave a comment

Big-Hearted Giraffe

Scripture for Today: John 5:39-40 “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.”

How regal the giraffe stands!  Being the tallest of the land animals between 14 and 19 feet, these stately animals have to have strong hearts.  And they do!  Their two-foot-long heart is equal to 50 human hearts!  The giraffe’s exceptional twenty-five pound heart is able to pump blood where it belongs.  Being that their necks are six feet long, their blood pressure is two times stronger than other animals in order to push that blood all the way from heart to head.

Jesus’ reprimand to the Pharisees in today’s verse addresses the distance between heart and head.  These men were admirably using their heads, searching out the Scriptures.  But unfortunately, they were missing the point.  They closed their minds to the truth that the Scriptures were pointing to Jesus as the Messiah and they refused to come to Him.  Their hearts were not involved.   And rather than come to Jesus for the life He promised, they preferred to continue searching the Scripture apart from Jesus Christ.

It is said there are 18 inches between a human’s head and heart.  That is a long distance in the spiritual realm.  One can agree to spiritual truth intellectually without that truth ever touching the heart.  My own experience bears this out as I can agree in my head that God’s way is best and at the same time stubbornly follow my own!  Jesus understands how I am made and so commands me to love Him with all my heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:27).  He wants all of me!

Lord, make my heart soft and obedient to all that You have taught me.


by Leave a comment

S’Mores

Scripture for Today:  Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

‘Tis the season for this yummy treat!  Summer campfires are the perfect cooking method for the “s’more.”  That wonderful combination of cookie and chocolate held together by the gooey roasted marshmallow has long been a favorite.  This mouthwatering concoction is attributed to the Girl’s Scouts of the USA.  The recipe was first published in 1927 by troop leader, Loretta Scott Crew.  To quote her, “Though it tastes like ‘some more’ one is really enough!”

In today’s verse, there is no thinking about wanting some more!  Those that hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled and satisfied.  With His righteousness we do not pine for something more.  There is no feeling of missing out on something better.  A righteous life is the best kind of life.  Doing the right thing, following His way, and experiencing right standing with our Creator gives a sense of well-being that is complete.  No other kind of life can be quite as full or satisfying!

My problem is that I hunger and thirst for other things, good things, that give only temporary satisfaction.  But of course, I hunger and thirst for those things or experiences all over again.  However, I do not want my life to be characterized by wanting more.  I desperately want to experience that contentment and satisfaction He offers.  If I make the Lord the object of my longing, He will satisfy me.  He never intends for me to have an appetite that is insatiable.  That I should always pine for more must grieve His heart as He has promised life to the full (John 10:10).  The abundance He offers gives a deeper satisfaction to my soul!

Thank you Lord, that You fill my longings with Yourself.


by Leave a comment

Mistaken Identity

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 44:5 “Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and will take the name Israel.”

They took the wrong man off life support!  It happened in Chicago where a man was unrecognizable due to facial bruising and the ventilator tubing.  Rather than identify him through fingerprints, the staff used a mug shot.  The man’s sisters were called and because they had not had much contact with their brother, they took the word of the hospital staff and made the decision to remove him from life support.  Imagine the surprise of the family when later their brother just walked in the door!

There will be no such confusion for those who belong in God’s family!  Today’s verse talks about a time in Israel’s history where there was an influx of proselytes.  This verse describes the very public manner in which they made their profession of their new attachment to the one and only true God.  Some of these new converts went as far as writing on their hand, “the Lord’s.”  Just as a slave was branded with the name of his master or the soldier was marked with the name of his commander, so the new convert was identified with God and the people of God.

I am the Lord’s.  I belong to Him and have devoted my life to Him.  It seems the only logical response to His commitment to me.  He has engraved me on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16).  And on the palms of His hands are also the scars of the nails as He took my place on the cross.  What other response is there to such an unfathomable love?

Thank you Lord, that I belong to You.

 


by Leave a comment

The Crucible

Scripture for Today: Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so no one can boast.”

The new recruit to the Marine Corps cannot be called a “marine” until he successfully completes what is called the “Crucible.”  This is a 54 hour training event that includes 45 miles of marching, plus food and sleep deprivation.  It is a long grueling exercise that is designed to improve leadership, teamwork and communication.  As the Marine saying declares, being a marine is “Earned, Never Given.”

Today’s verse is in direct contrast to this idea.  The marine has bragging rights for his accomplishment.  The believer cannot claim to have earned passage to Heaven.  None of us can boast about having anything to do with it.  Salvation being a free gift does not come through our own work or effort.  No matter how hard one works to earn Heaven, man will always fall short of the perfect standard of God’s holiness.  It is only through His unmerited favor that we can be saved from the just punishment our sins deserve.  In every way, our salvation is Given, Not Earned!

What an amazing and freeing truth!  Were it not for this declaration of God’s grace, I would always wonder if I were good enough.  I would always be in a state of fear and worry about my eternal destination.  He wants me to put my faith and trust not on what I can do, but on what He accomplished on that cross.  The works He has created for me to do are not tied to salvation (verse 10).  Anything I do to please Him is done out of gratitude for His amazing grace!

Lord, thank you for lifting the burden of being good enough!

 


by Leave a comment

Hot Air Balloon

Scripture for Today: I Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening.”

What a thrill it must be to quietly glide through the air without the noise of engines!  The views from the hot air balloon must be amazing.  But there is no gliding above the earth without heating the air that fills the hot air balloon.  The burners use gas jets fueled by propane cylinders.  The pilot’s job is to fire a steady flame from the burner to climb and maintain altitude.

In today’s verse, Peter anticipates that the believers will be surprised at the fiery trials they will face.  He points out that there is something behind the intense crisis they encounter.  The Lord uses every difficulty to test our faith and make us strong.  However, this “fiery ordeal” is not something caused by our own wrong choices.  It is an ordeal that comes from living as a believer in a non believing world.  Rather than reacting with surprise, we are to respond with joy (verse 13) being confident that blessing and future glory are ours (verse 14).  That fiery trial allows us to fly higher and maintain our altitude!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to peacefully glide through life without difficulties?  But I need that flame to make me stronger.  With each problem my faith can grow.  With each difficulty I can see Him work and draw closer to Him.  Each time I respond as I should He takes me a little higher and gives me a more expansive view!  Of course, I wish the process were not so uncomfortable.  But I can trust Him to know what He is doing.  I can trust that He knows how to grow my faith.

Lord, may my attitude allow new altitude!