Devotions By Jan


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Standing on the Heights


Scripture for Today:  Psalm 18:32-33  “It is God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect.  He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and sets me upon high places.”

My husband and I ran across these two while hiking in the Swiss Alps.  I think they were as surprised to see us as we were to see them!  We cheated.  We had taken the funicular up the mountainside.  We were not out of breath and our shoes were not even dirty.  These beautiful mountain goats did not need to cheat.  Their feet were created for the rough terrain and slippery slopes.  When they ran from us it was beautiful to see how sure-footed they were.  They were never in danger of falling down from these great heights.

The verse for today uses this image to describe what God does for us.  His strength makes us sure footed, just like these two.  We are not ever in danger of falling because His way is perfect.  He sets us on high places.  For me these high places are all the exploits and adventures  with which He wants to spoil us.  When God is leading and we are careful to follow, than life is never boring!  He did not just give us life, but life that is abundant!  That does not mean that the path is easy and rock-free.  There are some places where the path is narrow and dizzying.

The Lord has my back.  He is not going to let me fall.  He has made me to climb those heights of trust and obedience.  The views enjoyed on these heights are views of His faithfulness over the years.  My prayer today echos that of an old hymn, “Lord, plant my feet on higher ground!”


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Agenda

Scripture for Today:  James 4:13-14a  “Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money.  Yet you do not know the least thing about what may happen tomorrow…”

I use this daily planner everyday and coordinate it with that of my husband.  Life can become so busy that if something does not get noted here in my agenda, chances are it will be forgotten!  But no matter how organized I try to be, there are times when the eraser has to comes out.  Dates, times and places are changed.  Things get moved around to make way for that last minute addition.  If I did not use the pencil, these pages would be a mess of scribbles.

The verse for today talks about planning our days.  It is important to have the day mapped out ahead of time.  It is only good stewardship to make the most of our days.  But there is a warning here that the future is uncertain.  There will always be those unforeseen events and even emergencies where the day’s planning goes out the window!

There is Someone who oversees my agenda and has the last word.  He does not use a pencil.  He uses a pen.  He does not even need an eraser as He knows the end from the beginning.  The pages are not scribbled.  There is a master plan that makes sense to Him.

I do not know what tomorrow will bring.  I think that I do.  But as His child, I have given the Lord the use of that pen.  His plans are never frustrated.  He is the Author of my day’s agenda.


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Worship

Scripture for Today:  John 4:23  “A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers.”

I love to worship with fellow believers, whether in France, America or Taiwan.  The American church pictured here was quite creative in getting their people to find their seats in a timely manner.  But as I was settled in early I had time to stare at that screen and think about that message.  When does worship start for me?  Of course, worship with other believers is a scheduled affair.  I look forward to this worship and we are exhorted to never abandon assembling together.  But there is another kind of worship that is larger than just the music and is intensely personal between my Lord and me.

This personal worship ideally does not have a start nor an end.  This worship is done not only with my mouth, but with my thoughts and with my daily actions.  Our verse today talks about worshiping Him in spirit.  This was said to the woman at the well, as she was making an issue of where worship takes place.  Jesus taught that the physical place was not the issue.  True worship takes place in our spirit wherever we are.  And our worship is to be in truth, using God’s Word, as His Word is truth, (John 17:17).

When I am reading God’s Word I am worshiping Him.  When I am remembering a verse or sharing one with someone else, it is an act of worship!  When I am talking to Him it is worship.  When I am living for Him, seeking to obey His voice, that is worship.  May my worship be daily and life-long!  He is worthy!


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Wonderfully Made

Scripture for Today:  Psalms 139:13-14  “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful.  I know that full well.”

In looking at these first pictures of my grandchild, I knew there was a wonderful work in progress!  I knew it was a boy but the rest would remain a mystery until his birth.  I fervently prayed for a normal grandson without huge physical problems.  Our daughter works with the hearing impaired and I am sure it crossed her mind  to utter those prayers as well.  God was gracious in blessing our family with a healthy boy with all his fingers and toes!  He is the most wonderful, strong, handsome baby in the world, of course!!

It is a comfort to know that every birth is a miracle and not random chance.  Our wonderful Creator has a plan for every life.  His original plan was not marred by the sin that entered our world.  In the original scheme of things there was no sin, sickness, deformity or death.  But even in our fallen state, the miracle of birth is breathtaking and points to the Almighty.  His works are full of wonder!

We are made in His image.  We are the work of His hands.  That is why each life is precious and worth preserving.  The Lord uses each and every detail of our bodies, our limitations, and our strengths for His  purposes.

We may look at our bodies or our weaknesses and think, what’s so wonderful??  But God never says, “oops!”  There is reason and purpose behind why I am made the way I am.  I can say with the Psalmist, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!!”


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Ring the Bells

Scripture for Today:  Psalms 122:1  “I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

The church and bell tower pictured here is what I see from my office window everyday!  It is a beautiful structure and awe-inspiring.  But what is really fun is to hear the bells toll.  The music of the bells differs according to the purpose.  There is the hour, of course.  But a different sound is made for weddings and another for funerals.  Then there is the call, the longest, to invite people to mass.  It must ring for a good ten minutes!  For those who live closer, I cannot imagine how they could sleep through it.

David was glad to hear the invitation to “the house of the Lord.”  In this Psalm, his purpose in going was to give thanks to the Lord, pray for peace, and pray for his brothers and companions.  There was joy for David in the prospect.  He was glad to be going for reasons of praising God and praying for others.

If I am sometimes less than enthusiastic about church, it may be that my attitude is a bit backwards, thinking about what I am going to receive.  If I go to praise God for what He has done, if I go to pray for and encourage others, then I will not be disappointed!  The music may not have been to my taste.  The sermon might have seemed dry.  But in fact, it is not only about what I receive.  The biggest joy in going can be what made David glad: Praising God and praying with and for others!

There is gladness in going to the house of the Lord.  May I have the same heart as David.