Devotions By Jan


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“Work Sets You Free”

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 that no one can boast.”

What a sobering experience it was to tour the Dachau concentration camp.  This gate. like the one at Auschwitz, screams the absurdity that “Work Sets You Free.”  The horrifying truth was that the only freedom for those prisoners was found in death.  The saying comes from the title of a novel by a German author.  In that story, thieves and gamblers discovered their redemption through labour.

Today’s verse teaches a truth that for some is counter-intuitive.  Very clearly it states that salvation does not come through our work or efforts.  We want to think that somehow, something we did contributed to being saved.  But no matter how hard one works to earn Heaven, man will always fall short of the perfect standard of God’s holiness.  We cannot free ourselves from the damning chains of sin without God taking the initiative.  His grace or unmerited favor, is what frees us.  Salvation itself is free and a gift from God.  Because this is true, none of us can boast about having anything to do with it!

My gratitude towards God grows by leaps and bounds when I grasp this truth.  It is all grace and it is amazing!  There is tremendous freedom in my spirit to be assured that my salvation depends on Him and not my efforts.  Without this truth, I would always be in a state of fear and worry about my eternal destination.  Putting my faith and trust in what HE did on that cross rather than in what I can do makes me free indeed!

Thank you Lord, that Your gift of grace saves me.


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Smallest Chameleon

Scripture for Today: James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

This little guy is thought to be the smallest chameleon ever discovered.  From the tip of his tail to his nose he measures just one inch!  He is found in Madagascar and this species is threatened with de-forestation.  He is too cute to disappear with his weird rotating eyes and curly tail.  He, like his bigger counterparts, can change his color pattern when under stress.

Today’s verse explains that not only is everything good in our lives a gift from our Heavenly Father, but He is a God that does not change.  With the Lord there is no changing or shifting shadows.  He is the same powerful miraculous God yesterday, today and forever!  (Hebrews 8:13)   He does not improve with age as He is perfect.  He does not change His plans for us as He already knows the end from the beginning.  We however, are constantly in a state of change.  Our circumstances change, our thinking changes and our abilities change with age.  Emotions change with the weather!

It is a comfort to know He does not change.  I feel an enormous sense of security in this assurance.  I do not serve a capricious God.  He will always be true to His word and to who He is.  I do not have to worry if He will be faithful or not, holy or not, just or not.  I can ALWAYS count on Him.  The fact that there is no shadow of turning with Him means that He is worthy of my trust and confidence tomorrow as well as today.

Thank you Lord, for being who You are and for always being true to Yourself!


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A Breath of Fresh Air

Scripture for Today: John 20:21-22 “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.’ And with that He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.'”

It started as a bit of a joke.  Two Canadian friends tried selling on e-bay a bag of fresh mountain air.  It only sold for 99 cents but from this humble beginning they have built a reputable business bringing in $230K per year!  Each 20$ can has 160 shots of pure Canadian mountain air.  It is said to smell fresh and clean. For those living in very polluted areas, this must indeed be a breath of fresh air!

Today’s verse describes that first awe-struck moment when Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection.  They were overjoyed but after He breathed on them, they were also empowered with His Holy Spirit!  Because of God’s Spirit breathed on them, these disciples went from timid to tenacious in their testimony to the world!  And as believers we too are given His Spirit as all those who belong to Christ have the Spirit (Rom. 8:9).

In a sense, I am breathing a pure rarified air of a higher altitude with His Spirit living in me.  His Spirit gives me everything I need to live a life that pleases Him including His fruit (Gal. 5:22-23) and the power to hope (Rom. 15:13).  The Spirit does not make me timid but gives me power, love and even self-discipline! (II Tim. 1:7)  It is His Spirit that speaks to my heart and makes God’s Word personal.  And just as air is so necessary to life, so is His Spirit to my spiritual life.  What would I do without Him?  As Marie Barnette puts so beautifully, “This is the air I breathe, Your holy presence living in me.”

Lord, breathe on me today.


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Asparagus Lady

Scripture for Today: Psalm 37:37 “Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.”

No, the “asparagus lady” is not pictured here.  The one I saw in a news piece is a woman living in England who calls herself the “asparamancer.”  She supposedly reads the future by tossing asparagus spears on the ground.  She makes 10-15 predictions every December by studying the pattern they make when tossed.  As ridiculous as it sounds, sometimes she is correct!  She has been right about Brexit, royal babies and the burst of the Bitcoin bubble.  I guess it is not any more far-fetched than reading tea leaves!

Today’s verse assures the believer of their future without the use of tea leaves, crystal balls or asparagus.  The future for the blameless and upright is not something to fear.  For those who seek peace the future is something positive to anticipate with confidence.  In contrast, those who are deceitful and have lots to hide may very well be nervous about what may come.  But for the individual who places their trust in the One who controls the future, there is no need to even know the details!

I am not so sure that I can always be called  blameless and upright.  I do not always seek peace when I hold a grudge.  Thankfully, because of what Christ accomplished on the cross, God looks at me through His righteousness.  And although it would be nice to know some details about what is to come, I already know what is most important through His love letter to me!  He has prepared for me what I cannot even imagine (I Cor. 2:9).  He has promised to never leave me, now or in the future.

Thank you Lord, that my tomorrows are all in Your loving hands!

 


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May Day Basket

Scripture for Today:  I Peter 1:24 “All people are like grass, all all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

It’s too bad that this tradition seems to be lost.  I still remember as a young girl distributing May Day baskets on the doorknobs of our neighbors with my Mother on May 1st.  Unlike some observances, we did not knock on the door and run!  But we did leave the baskets without alerting the homeowner.  The origin of this tradition dates back to Roman times and the worship of Flora, the goddess of flowers.  But no such idea was in our heads.  We just wanted to be kind and welcome the spring.  After all, April showers are supposed to bring May flowers!

Today’s verse describes man’s glory like the flowers of the field.  With these fragile flowers, there is a burst of color and life and then they are gone.  In the same way, grass  can come up overnight after a good rain, but disappear just as quickly in a dry spell.  Both examples show how fleeting are our lives in the grand scheme of things.  However, the glory, truth and beauty of God’s Word has no such lifespan.  His words are eternal.

Because His words are eternal, they are always relevant and true.  What He said in the first century does not change and morph into something else in the 21st century.  In a world that is constantly changing its ideas on what is morally acceptable, I find this a comfort.  What is true is not subject to a vote!  His truth is my anchor, helping me stay firmly rooted in my faith.

Thank you Lord, that Your words are as faithful and true as You are!