Category: Devotional

“Dear Friends,
We are God’s children NOW,
And it has not yet been made clear 
what we will become.
We DO KNOW 
That when He appears, 
We will be like Him;
Because we will see Him as He really is.”
1 John 3:2

It seems to be a universal part of human nature to look at children and notice a resemblance to their parents.  People will make comments about a child’s facial features, unique little gestures, hair and eye color, a sense of humor, as well as propensities to behaviors that have been seen in action by the child’s parent or relative.  

Families will recognize behaviors, or likenesses, vocal similarities, eye color, little gestures, speech, and temperaments that they observe, both good and bad.  Similar talents that emerge in a child often resemble those of a parent.

When we consider God as our Father, and note His Presence in our lives, how He Speaks  . . . how He Blesses . . . how He Guides . . . how He Comforts . . . how He Corrects . . . how He Loves . . . we have the opportunity to mimic Him, just as a child mimics a parent.  Intentional or often without realizing it, a child will display an expression, a gesture, an attitude, a way of pronouncing a word, and lots of ordinary life actions that  people  in our familiar circle recognize as a resemblance to a parent or grandparent.  

It’s “natural” to reflect our parents or other significant people in our lives.  It’s not usually something that is a result of a conscious effort.  

John is giving a “tall order” for us to become “like Him…Jesus.”   The Bible speaks of reflecting Him in our lives. . . through changing us.  But it’s starting from the very deepest part of our being. 

I remember in my late high school years, the “Jesus Revolution” began in California.  “Jesus People”  were in the news.  Then some young men from Texas came to the Fox Valley. . . wearing bluejeans and sandals.  Strumming guitars, singing simple songs about Jesus.  They were visibly changing on the outside.  Long hair, beards, sandals, calling each other “brother” and “sister,” and playing guitars and singing in a circle gently rocking as they sang simple songs of Jesus.  As a generational Christian with a heritage of strong Bible-believing, hymn-singing, piano and organ playing, and sitting on the front pew every Sunday, Mom at the organ and Dad in the pulpit, this unexpected scene change was fascinating and delightful to me.  The new Believers did not look like hymn-singing, suit-and-tie Scripture-memorizing “church people.”   

But the Light in their eyes and Peace in their hearts, and the smiles on their faces told the Story of a New Life that was now inside of them.  They even began referring to one another as “brother” and “sister.”  

They were taking on a “Family Resemblance” . . . from the inside.  

The Apostle John had physically followed Jesus.  He had experienced the miracles, the crowds coming to see and hear Jesus teach, heal, and Love.  He had seen Jesus.  He had walked with, talked with, eaten with,  shared so much with Him.  Yet, John was looking forward to a Future Time to come, when there would be nothing in the way of seeing Jesus, face to Face, as He REALLY IS. . . not limited to a human form and  its earthly realities, but WHO HE IS.  

May our hearts grow to long . . . with joy and hope and expectation  . . . LOVE, longing to SEE Him as He really is,  and as a result, be changed in every speck of our Being . . . 

To Be like Him . . . in every way!

Read Janet’s new book – Not Forgotten. Now available on Amazon.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. 
No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. 
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
John 15:4

Today I have been contemplating grapes.   There is a cluster of them on my kitchen counter.

But they don’t look like they did a week ago.  They still look like grapes, but not quite as plump as they looked the day I put them on my counter.   They are still attached to their vine.  I pulled one off and popped it in my mouth.  It still tasted good, but it wasn’t nearly as juicy and yummy as the cluster of grapes tasted fresh from the market last week.  

It got me thinking…

The cluster of grapes were still on the branch, but the fruit  was no longer attached to the vine upon which it had grown.  It had been separated from the vine when it had been ripe enough to be sent to the market.  Now, on my counter, the small cluster of grapes, though still attached to their original little branch,  were losing their plumpness.  The little segment of vine had become brittle as its fruit had used up all that the little vine branch had provided for the grapes.   Though separated from the vine, their little, dried up branch to which the grapes still clung had used up all the “life”  it had stored up while attached to  the vine.  

Jesus is the Vine to whom we, His followers, are attached.  We are the “Fruit”  . . . the result of having begun our lives from the Vine.  Remaining firmly attached to our Vine, we grow, ripen, and become a source of delight to our world.  We provide nourishment, drink of refreshment, a pop of flavor, and, even when we reach the stage of “drying up” . . . becoming a sweet little raisin treat that young and old alike can enjoy . . .  even if a little “shriveled.”

Unlike the natural vines in our world, our Vine will never shrivel.  Never Die.  Whatever “branch” to which we were originally attached, our Tree of Life has provided the on-going nourishment to sustain our lives and grow . . . and produce the Fruit of our Tree from which we grew.   The Fruit of our lives is intended for the nourishment, enjoyment, pop of flavor, and a sweet refreshment  for our world.  Enjoy being a grape!

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

“The Official said to Him, 
‘Sir, come with me before my little boy dies.’
Jesus told him,
‘Go home.
Your son will live.’
The man believed what Jesus told him 
and left.”
John 4:49-54

Jesus was in Cana (region of Galilee).  It was a frequent stopping point for Jesus as He

traveled through the Land of the people of Israel, whom God had assigned to carry out His Purposes in His world.   Jesus had just been in Samaria, doing His “cross-cultural” Work among the Samaritan people of  “Arab” descent.  But Galilee / Cana was “home.”  

This Roman official, posted there to oversee Rome’s control in that region, would have been well aware of Jesus’ movements in this man’s assigned official oversight.  He carried the authority of the Empire that now controlled the Land of Israel . . . God’s Land.

But the Official was a daddy.  He had a son . . . the son who would carry out his family name and follow in his father’s footsteps some day.   His son, who enjoyed the privilege of his father’s status and the benefits of being a Roman citizen, was dying.  All of the power, strength, and standing this daddy carried could not save his precious boy.  His ‘gods’ were not doing anything to help him.  They were proving to have no power to help this father who was in official service to the mighty Roman Empire. In his deepest personal crisis, his ‘gods’ were proving themselves as powerless.

In his desperation, he could have used his power and authority to order Jesus to do his bidding. . . go to his dying son.  But, despite this official’s position and status, Jesus’ Words moved him to obey this One that he had been watching from a distance as a part of his job.  His heart and soul longed for a Power that Rome could not provide. . . his gods could not accomplish. . . his position could not make a reality. 

He had seen enough of this One to feel compelled to ask for His Help.  He was not a Follower . . . yet.  But in his Moment, his desperate heart was known to God, and Jesus brought Truth to this hurting father’s heart, as well as Life to his precious son.

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

“Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.”      
Numbers 18:27

I have seen a few different varieties of wine-presses.  None of them were appealing to me to imagine being a grape and going through the process of becoming wine.  One method I witnessed involved women holding onto suspended ropes from overhead while their bare feet stomped on juicy grapes piled in a long stone trough surface with carved-out little spouts that deposited the flowing juice into a stone trough.   The other process was a heavy wooden block of wood that was slowly lowered onto a pile of grapes and slowly squished down, the juices running into the little “ditches” and flowing into large pots at the end.  Both processes made me glad that I was not a grape.

God’s “picture” language gives us a glimpse of our human life.  “Grain offerings” and “Drink offerings” were visual examples of what God sees as “offerings . . . gifts” to Him.  They were not things that could be bought on a shelf in a market.  They required a process of selection, giving, and removing from the ‘source’ of life from which they had grown.  The culmination of the offering’s destiny was for consumption of people. . . for nourishment and health.

We go through experiences  . . . seasons of life where we feel like we’ve been “stomped on” …walked on . . . used. . . Jesus knew that feeling.  He spoke of being “poured out like wine”. . . kneaded and put through the fire, like bread.  But He always kept before Him the ultimate result.

It was all for us and for our good . . . life-sustaining essentials not only for our own personal world, but for those others in our world as well.

Imagine the grain opting to stay in the field to avoid the threshing floor.  They’d likely become birdseed.  Or the grapes clinging to the vine . . . they’d end up raisins. Or bird food.  Both alternatives end up as _________ on the ground.  (you can fill in the blank)

When we are being “squeezed” by life and circumstances, it’s time to trust our Vine-dresser. . . our Seed-Sower.  He sees the end result of His careful Work in our lives.   It’s not to be put on a shelf or in a sack or left on the ground.  His Purposes are for the good of the people in our world.  It’s the Purpose that we, who have been in His Field . . . and in His Hands . . .are His. 

Be available for Him to use to bring Life . . . Nourishment . . . Strength . . . Healing. . .  to your neighbor . . . your family . . . your world.

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon