Devotions By Jan


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Jolly Green Giant

Scripture for Today: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

I can still remember the days when canned and frozen foods were not so prevalent in France twenty-five years ago.  Most everything had to be made from scratch. Now, the Jolly Green Giant is everywhere.  But I have always wondered why this giant was jolly. In God’s Word, the giant, Goliath, was a mighty warrior that defied the Lord Almighty and His people. The other four giants mentioned in II Samuel 21 were not so jolly either. Each one vehemently opposed the God of the universe. None of these giants finished well having been defeated by God’s people. In each victory God gave amazing strength to square off against these impossibly large warriors. 

Today’s verse is a declaration by Paul of the strength God gives. Because of this strength, Paul was able to face a particular giant; the giant of discontent. The context speaks of learning to be content in any and every situation.  Paul could live a contented life only through the strength God gives. His contentment did not come from having lots or having little. His contentment came directly from His Creator. And his circumstances never held him back from being all that God wanted him to be.

Discontent can loom like a giant for me. Overcoming feelings of dissatisfaction can seem nearly impossible. The size of my longings for a different set of circumstances can blot out the joy of following the path the Lord has chosen for me. But with the strength God offers, I can vanquish feelings of deprivation and dissatisfaction. This is not something I can achieve on my own but only through Him. Nothing is too hard for the Lord.

Thank you Lord, for Your strength to cut down to size any discontent I may feel today!

(Look familiar? This is a repost from 2014)


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Meteors

Scripture for Today: Psalm 103:11 “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.”

Pictured here is the Perseid meteor shower over Sieversdorf, Germany. This light show takes place annually between mid July and mid August. This meteor shower is composed of fragments from the comet, Swift Tuttle. These create what is called a “Perseid cloud” as a stream of debris is formed. The unofficial name is, “the tears of Saint Lawrence” as the peak of activity coincides with the date of this saint’s martyrdom. But rather than think of a man when looking up, I cannot help but think of the amazing creativity of our God.

Today’s verse compares the height of the heavens with the size and grandeur of God’s love for us. Meteors burn up just fifty miles above our heads, but the distances when talking about the heavens are mind boggling! How amazing that the vastness of the heavens is a picture of the size of God’s love for us! It is so difficult to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is (Eph. 3:18). It goes beyond limited knowledge. It eludes finite comprehension. 

Just as distances boggle my mind when gazing at the heavens, so His love for me boggles the mind. How could He love me so much? Does He not see my failings, my weaknesses and my black heart? I am too small and insignificant to deserve this unconditional love. However, that is just the point. He does not love me because of who I am but in spite of who I am. Believing He really loves me changes everything. His love and forgiveness make me the “apple of His eye” (Psalm 17:8) and He makes my life worth living.

Thank you Lord, for Your incredible surprising love. Remind me today as I look up at the sky.

(Look familiar? This is a repost from 2014)


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Jello

Scripture for Today: I Peter 5:10 “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Jello leaves me feeling ambivalent. On the one hand it is very versatile. Anything and everything can go in it and it can take on so many forms and shapes. On the other hand, it is slimy and unnaturally colored. It wobbles and slithers and is usually too sweet for me. The French as a rule do not want to even try it, so perhaps they have influenced me over the years. Too many times, I have unmolded a jello only to have it not be firm enough to hold the shape!

Today’s verse promises strength, firmness and steadfastness. It is a promise directed to those who are called by God’s grace and belong to Him. This promise is always needed but especially so when going through a time of suffering. We are not firm and steadfast in the middle of trial. We are like that jello, all wobbly and ready to slide off the plate. No one stands strong when their legs feel like jello!

The suffering I go through is usually unexplainable. The only thing I know with certainty is that it is unavoidable.  My comfort is that God uses it. The pain is never wasted. It is through suffering that I draw closer to the Lord and learn to love Him more. Sometimes my suffering is used to encourage others. But in any case, it is to be counted a privilege to suffer for Him as He suffered so much for me! And what comfort to know that He personally restores me and renews my strength! 

Thank You Lord, for personally standing me back up again.

(Look familiar? This is a repost from 2015)


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Seaweed

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 26:4 “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal.”

This seaweed looks beautiful waving its fronds in the water. I normally see and smell seaweed washed up on the shore, giving off a terrible odor. But when growing underwater it can be beautiful and mesmerizing in its movement.  It is cultivated for lots of different uses, including medicine, filtration, fertilizer and food. Two important elements are essential for seaweed to grow; seawater and sunlight. But there is something else needed for most species of seaweed to thrive, and that is a rock. They have what is called a “holdfast” which is a basal disk providing attachment to a rock!

Today’s verse praises God for being that faithful and eternal rock. The believer needs the Living Water to grow (John 4:10) as well as the Light of the World (John 8:12). But first we need to be holding fast to our Rock. His stability gives us the best chance to grow when turbulent water tries to dislodge us. Being our Rock means He is our refuge and shelter. Holding fast to Him gives strength to grow and thrive, regardless of the circumstances. 

The Lord Himself is my stability in a world that seems to be in constant motion and change. Because He is my eternal Rock, I know He will always be there for me. He does not move and I know where to find Him. I find Him in the pages of the “love letter” He wrote for me. I find Him in the sweet reassurances He whispers to my heart. His words are eternal and I can trust Him completely! Despite sometimes constant changes around me, He keeps me stable and growing.

Thank you Lord, for being my eternal and trustworthy Rock.

(Look familiar? This is a repost from 2015)


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The Hummingbird

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 119:103-104 “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.”

Paul Bartram from London, England, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I love watching hummingbirds! They are so tiny and colorful and the speed at which they dart around fascinates me! They flap their wings about 50 times a second so that all one sees is a blur. Hummingbirds can fly up to 34 mph and can even fly backwards. Pictured here is the “sword-billed” hummingbird whose bill is longer than its body! In the higher elevations of South America, he can dig deep into the “corollas” of the flower to reach that sweet nectar.  He hovers there until he has had his fill.

Today’s verse describes God’s Word as being sweet to the taste. What the Lord communicates to my heart is sweeter than honey or the nectar from a flower. His Word is His love letter to me. Even the commands and warnings are there because He cares about me and wants the best for me. Loving His Word makes me wary of any wrong path that takes me away from Him. Understanding and wisdom for living are found in its pages. His companionship is felt through those promises and words of love.

Sometimes reading and studying His Word is difficult. Time presses and the day quickly fills with obligations and distractions. Rather than darting off to the next thing, I need to take the time and “hover” there at the source of all that sweetness. Sometimes the meaning of a verse is not so clear. It is at that time I need a longer bill to dig deep. The effort is always worth the sweetness I find!

Lord, keep my mouth full of the sweetness of Your Word.

(Look familiar? This is a repost from 2015)