Devotions By Jan


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Withered Leaves

Scripture for Today: Psalm 1:3 “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

One of my favorite activities as a child was to jump in a big pile of raked leaves!  I can still remember doing so with my neighbor friends, exasperating their Dad for destroying his hard work!  Fall is beautiful when seeing all those brightly colored leaves.  But when they turn brown and dry and fall from the branches, the bare limbs make me a bit sad.  The green is gone.  The colors are finished, and one is left with something forlorn and withered.

Today’s verse describes a seasonal cycle unknown in our experience.  There is no Autumn as leaves do not wither, die and fall from the branches.  This unique season enjoys continual growth and greenery.  There is seasonal fruit and a steady supply of water for this tree planted by streams of water.  What a beautiful image of the one who delights in the law of the Lord! (verse 2)

The wicked are pictured as chaff that dries up and blows away (verse 4).  What a contrast!  Rather than being vibrant and living, the chaff is simply the dry husks of grains and grasses.  It is utterly useless and is carried away with the slightest breeze.  But the Lord does not allow His own to be dried up and useless.  There may be differing seasons of fruitfulness, but the leaves never wither.  His life continues within and He never stops working in me!  Because of being planted in Him, I will stay green and vibrant and beautiful.  Because of Him my shade is inviting and my limbs provide protection.

Thank you Lord, that You can and do use me in spite of myself!

 


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Boot Straps

boot straps481389633_88ffb5afffScripture for Today: Psalm 100:3 “Know that the Lord, He is God. It is He who has made us and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

This poor little guy seems to be stuck in the mud.  Fortunately, he has straps on those rain boots and is making good use of them.  The phrase, “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” has a literal meaning for him.  It is more commonly used in the figurative sense to mean success by one’s own efforts.  The idea is to use no outside help.  This phrase can be applied to the one who uses nothing other than one’s own blood, sweat, and toil.

There are lots of inspiring success stories in American history of those who were able beat all odds.  They could even be called, “self-made men.”  However, our verse for today gives a more accurate picture.  It is God who has made us.  We are to acknowledge that anything and everything we have to succeed is given us by Him.  We have not made ourselves.  We cannot take the credit.  The talents, determination, gifts, and mental capacities all come from Him.  Although motivation and work ethics play a huge role, no one can say that he has made himself what he is.

To guard against pride in my own accomplishments, this verse reminds me of my status as a sheep.  I am always in dire need of help and guidance from the Shepherd.  As a believer, I belong to Him and He takes care of putting me in His wonderful abundant pasture.  And He has made me exactly as I am for His purposes.  It only makes sense to respond with joy, shouting, singing and thanksgiving!

Thank you Lord, for making me to belong to You!

 


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Good Taste

Scripture for Today: Job 34:3-4 “For the ear tests words as the tongue tests food. Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.”

This cat looks to be enjoying ice cream almost as much as I do!  Our Tiger never tasted the stuff because I was always unwilling to share.  However, I have given him as taste of yogurt and he was thrilled.  I imagine many cats enjoy foods that involve milk or cream.  But I still remember the veterinarian warning us that the digestive system of an adult cat does not take too well to drinking milk.  Although the taste is delicious, it is not so good for him.

Today’s verse records the advice of one of Job’s three friends.  Elihu was eager to help Job discover the reason for his troubles.  He had a lot to say but it was off the mark.  Certainly, we are to test what we hear and listen with discernment.  Just as we taste food to see if it has a pleasing flavor, so we “taste” what we hear to decide if it rings true.  The problem is that we all have differing taste buds.  What seems right and good to one can seem wrong and sour to another.  Our subjectivity gets in the way of finding absolute truth.

Thankfully, we do not have to discern for ourselves what is right.  It is not up to us to come to some sort of consensus.  God’s Law goes beyond individual opinion or cultural norms.  God’s Law does not change with the times.  Surveys and votes do not change what God has put in place.  And not only does it taste good, but it is good for us!

Help me Lord, to discern what You call good and right.


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Maverick

beach-bound-maverickScripture for Today: Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

This horse seems to have a mind of his own!  Without a rider or other horses nearby, he walks alone.  Perhaps he is a maverick who enjoys his independence.  The meaning of the word, “maverick,” has changed from its original meaning of being an unbranded animal separated from the herd.  Now the word has come to mean a person who is unconventional and an independent thinker.  Depending on the context, a maverick can denote something negative or positive.

Today’s verse encourages the believer to resist conforming to the world’s way of thinking.  Rather than following the latest ideas or fads, the Christ-follower is to think differently.  His goal is to find and follow what God wants.  It is always something good, pleasing and perfect.  With a mind renewed by God’s Word, we can evaluate and test our thinking to know when we are following what He wants.  His plans are perfect.  He wants only what is good for us.  And as our Creator, He knows better than anyone else what will in the long run be pleasing.

I am sometimes confused as to what God wants in a particular situation.  I know that trusting my own desires and emotions can be deceiving.  Sometimes the Lord gives me exactly what I want, but not until I submit all of it to Him first!  Being a “living sacrifice” is all about that submission (verse 1).  But what I find is that His plan is a whole lot better than mine!

Lord, change my thinking to want only what You want.

 


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Boundaries

Scripture for Today: Psalm 104:9 “You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.”

We know all about the tides and their timetables.  We know all about how the moon can affect those tides.  But what we do not know is why the ocean stops at a particular beach and goes no further.  I often think of this fact as I walk along a shore.  With all our knowledge and scientific discoveries, there is so much we do not know.  The immense expanse of the ocean just seems to “know” to what point it should flow.  We do not give it a thought but build beautiful homes close by in total confidence that the ocean will go so far and no further.

Today’s verse is not just poetry.  God Himself sets the boundaries the oceans are not to cross.  The ocean is His creation and He is sovereign over it.  There is nothing that is out of His ultimate control.  As this verse says, the ocean waters have in the past covered the earth.  Perhaps this is referring to the time of creation (Genesis 1:9).  Or it may be referring to the time of worldwide flood in the days of Noah (Genesis 7:11).  In either case, God sets boundaries.

The Lord sets boundaries in my life as well.  He has promised that I will not be tested above and beyond what I can handle (I Cor. 10:13).  He will always provide a way.  Those waves coming at me will not engulf me.  Just as the Lord placed limits on Satan in his temptation of Job (Job 1:12), so my God is faithful to me.  I can trust Him.  The water may look dangerously close, but my powerful Creator is closer still!

Thank you Lord, for Your loving control of today!