Tag: daily devotional

“Do you love Me?”… Jesus asked.
“Feed My sheep.”
John 21:17

Peter and Jesus were having a face – to – Face Moment. And Jesus was asking
Peter a very “simple” question. Four simple words. But Peter’s responses were not
what Jesus had been looking for.

Jesus was putting Peter “on the spot.” Four simple words. But Peter was having an
uncomfortable Moment with his response. He was not sure what Jesus was looking
for. He could have said many things, . . . easily coming up with a list of ways he had
served and followed Jesus in the past few years they had shared.

Peter had been following Jesus through years of ministry. . . the horrible experience of
His crucifixion, . . . the incredible experience of Jesus’ resurrection and the ripple effects
of that event. Peter was still with Jesus, despite his human failures through those days.
So what was Jesus getting at in his repeated question to Peter? “Do you love Me? …
Feed My sheep?” Was he thinking….Of course I love you! I’m here. I’m still following
You. . . But I’m a fisherman. I catch fish. I’m not a shepherd! I’ve never taken care of
sheep. Fish don’t need “care”. I just have to get in the water and throw out my nets. . .
and that’s it! Are you asking me to change the whole focus of my life? My way of
providing for my family? Walk away from the sea where I’ve spent my life for my
family?

Jesus disrupts our lives. He doesn’t look at our human “norms” as we do. His Plans
cannot be dictated by ours. His focus is on those He came to save. Those who are
lost. Those who have never known the Goodness of God. . . His Love . . . His Hope . . .
.
The fisherman did not “take care of his fish.” He simply used them for his own food and
as provision for others.

But sheep . . . now that’s a whole different ball-game. You don’t “catch sheep.” It’s a lot
of work and time and commitment to care for sheep. You can’t trust them. They can’t
defend themselves. They’re “kinda dumb” when it comes to good choices of avoiding
danger. It requires the life of the shepherd. . . day and night. 24 / 7.

“Do you love Me?” A simple question. Four little words.
But living out the answer. . . that is a life commitment that lasts a lifetime.

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Isaac and Rebecca
Genesis 24

Isaac was the “apple of his father’s (and mother’s) eyes.” He was a “miracle baby,” and it was
time for him to find the wife of his dreams. In those times, the parents of a young man and
young woman made the match. So Abraham had sent his trusted servant to the city where an appropriate future bride could be found. Abraham’s servant saw her, and gave her a little “test.”

He asked “the young lady of interest” to give him a drink of water, testing her reaction. (Drawing water for one’s household from a spring outside of the city is no small task. She would have to carry the water into the city and to her home.) The detail of collecting the water from the spring and into a jar for a household adds an even more challenging reality.
Rebecca was quick to respond, not only giving the male servant a drink of water, but offering to water all of his camels as well.

This would have been a daunting task for the male owner of the camels, but for a single young woman, it’s an enormous amount of heavy work. She had come to the spring for the sake of her own family’s needs, most likely. We don’t know how much nor how taxing that effort would have been for a young girl. The water pots alone were heavy, but filled with water, it would not be an easy mission. A camel can consume 32 gallons of water in a short amount of time. Add the detail of this being a young girl offering to provide water for a stranger’s camels, and it becomes even more of an exceptional, strenuous task. After helping the stranger, she would still have to accomplish the task for which she had come. . . adding distance to her task from the well to her home inside the city walls.

Without being aware of this “test”, Rebecca passed it with flying colors.

The next day, she began her journey to a home, to a new family, and to a young man who was waiting for his hoped-for bride. God used the young girl and her servant’s heart, to be woven into a family and lineage that would become part of God’s Story for the world. She had not been looking for an “Isaac” to come into her life when she went to the well that day, met the stranger from a different land, and offered to meet his camels’ needs. But God knew her heart and chose to weave her into the Story and History of God’s Plan for mankind to know Him.

God’s heart for this world continues . . . and He still uses common people to touch the life of
another . . . even strangers . . . to continue to fulfill His Purposes and Plans in our world. Be
open each day to hear His quiet Whispers to do something kind for a stranger . . . to care . . . to set aside your agenda when He touches your heart to pause the task at hand and touch the life of a stranger. You can be sure that He is at work. . . always.

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“Throw all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7

Somehow, “anxiety” and “throwing things” seem to have an impulsive connection with
humans. Can you relate? (Be honest.) When we experience realities that disrupt our
sense of “normal”, something inside of us is stirred in a way we don’t want to be stirred.
We instinctually want to get rid of what is upsetting us. The impulse to “throw
something” is a common human trait. It’s a tangible action that expresses the intangible
emotional impulse to push away the thing that is upsetting us.

God is well familiar with that human impulse. It is a natural response that He put into us
to help protect ourselves. But, as with all good things, there is a dark side lurking in
the shadows, whispering alternative methods to try to get rid of the anxiety stirring in our
minds and hearts.

Isn’t it interesting to see that God points out a connection between “anxieties” and
“throwing things” in the same sentence. But He doesn’t say “Do Not Throw!” Rather,
He gives us a constructive alternative outlet to handle anxiety, instead of the destructive
ways we instinctively choose in our quest to escape the anxiety that invades our sense
of peace and well-being.

Why would He do that, and not simply forbid us to have those feelings and natural
instincts?

Love.

And the Perfect Outlet He has provided for us in our human struggles is Himself. He
doesn’t even require that we tell Him nicely or politely or respectfully, or not at all. No!
He knows us too well! He knows our instinct to “throw” what we don’t want to feel or
experience.

So next time you feel like “throwing something” . . . picture your Heavenly Father
standing there with His Catcher’s Mitt, ready to grab it, safely and securely, in His Big
Hand that has never once dropped a “ball.”

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And Regrets
“Rise . . . let us be going.”
Matthew 26:36-46

They had messed up. At a Moment when Jesus may have needed them most, they had gone. . . to sleep.

How do you process missed “Moments” that you wish you could go back to for a “re-do” . . .
rehearsing it again and again in your mind, thinking about the “what if’s” and “could have been, if I had only . . . “ scenarios of the past. Do you “kick yourself” . . . blame someone else . . . blame circumstances? Do you begin sinking into a sadness that becomes a shadow over your mind and life?

Jesus’ closest friends were with Him in a garden where He liked to spend time talking with His Father. He knew He was hours away from the events that would result in His death. But His dearest friends, at a time when He deeply needed their nearness, had fallen asleep. . . and He had struggled through those dark hours alone.

He did not shame or condemn them for letting Him down when He may have needed them
most. He struggled through His internal Battle alone, with His Father.

We all have our times of knowing that we have disappointed people we love. We have all failed people we love, and our hearts can begin to sink into regret that leads to despair.
But in this Moment when Jesus may have needed His closest friends most, they fell asleep.
Jesus could have shamed them or blamed them. He could have shown His disappointment in them. But their failure did not stop Him from the Purpose . . . pain . . . and deep sorrow that He faced. He struggled through those hours looking to His Father alone. And His commitment to and love for them did not change.

In the days . . . weeks . . . years ahead, His friends continued to follow Him, serve Him, and give their lives for Him.

We can choose to sink into regret and despair over our failures, especially regarding those we love most. But whatever the circumstances and regrets, Jesus stands with us . . . within us . . . stirring us out of our “sleep” and regrets, saying, “Come on . . . come with Me. This Story is not over yet, and I want you with Me. No matter what is ahead, no matter how you have failed Me . . . and as scary as it may feel, I AM With You. . . Always. So, Let’s go!”

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“…The Love of Christ
compels me
because of this:
If One died for all, then all died;
and He died for all,
that those who live
no longer live for ourselves, but for Him Who died for them
and rose again.”
2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Compel: Evoke interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.

I love the sense that the word “compel” gives to this verse. There is absolutely no sense of
force nor obligation nor pressure involved. Rather, there is a heart response that would be
challenging to harness. Your heart starts doing something that you can’t change. You cannot create it through imagination, or will, or self-talk. It is simply there. . . deep inside. It springs up through no action on your part. Rather, there is a reaction . . . a response to an action that deeply impacts your life.

The Love of Christ carries with it a Power like nothing else in this world. That Power can
change lives. . . change minds . . . change hearts . . . change motives . . . and the deepest
sense of Meaning and Purpose in a human being.

Consider how the Love of Christ has influenced your own life. What motivates you? What
compels you? What sense of Purpose comes to your mind when your day begins? What is the driving force for you to get out of bed and begin a new day? It’s only natural that the realities of life begin flooding our thoughts as soon as we begin to awaken each day. It’s human nature.

But God offers us an alternative Reality. . . one that has the Power to supersede the things of this world. He lets us choose. The Choice begins with our first waking thought, continuing throughout every day, until sleep comes. And even then, as our bodies rest, His Spirit is with us, at our invitation.

May the awareness of His Presence and Love become clearer and deeper, compelling us to
embrace the Truth of His Love and His Purpose for each of us.

Order Janet’s book, Not Forgotten, Stories of a Refugee People on Amazon

“Let your Light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
And glorify your Father in Heaven. . . “
Mathew 5:16

From my favorite “little chair” in my living space, I can look out of my window every day and see lovely pond, trees, sky, neighbors, and clouds. But from my “little chair”, I can also see all the things in my bedroom. Surrounded by books, favorite art, and furniture holding most of the “things” of my life, I have reminders of travels, events, special people, and amazing memories from a long lifetime of my Journey here.

I see reminders of places in the world that I have visited, people who have touched my life,
books I have read, and little objects from childhood up until my present life.

But one spot in my space that gives me delight every day (evening, really) is something that I had not intentionally set up. An old candelabra from a thrift store sits in front of a long, narrow framed mirror that hangs directly behind the “flames” of my 3-candle-candlabra. Withoutvintention, the 3 candle flames reflect and double the amount of glowing little lights. Instead of 3vdancing little flames in my room, there are 6.

I wonder if God looks at us in a similar way. He IS the Light of the World. Singular. Yet, when
we are positioned near to Him, we catch His reflection of Light. It is not a Light we can create; it is simply a reflection of His Light.

And as His reflected Light in us begins to dance and glow as we are near to Him, His Light
begins multiplying and spreading beyond our single little flame, as others come near and catch the glow radiating and reflecting from our little mirrored flame. There is every possibility that the Light from a single flame can continue to multiply with no end, as others, one-by-one, reflect the Light.

God brings Light into our darkness. He IS the Light of the World. But He shares His Light
through our reflective capacity. . . and there is no limit as to how far that can go.

We simply need to step into the Room where He Is. We do not generate His Light. That’s all up to Him. It’s Who He Is. Light.

Step into the Room. Stay there. His Light will continue from there. . . for and through you.

---

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“Through the blood of His Son,
we are set free from our sins.”
Ephesians 1:7

How easily do these words roll off our tongues . . . flash through our minds. . .
come into our ears in a church service. . . or pass in a sentence as we read the
Bible? Those words became familiar to me when I was a very small child. I
would hear them in my home, in my grandma’s home, in my Sunday School
class, on Christian radio, and in every church experience throughout my life. It is
woven within traditional liturgy throughout the world.

But when I stop . . . press the pause button of my head, and simply think about
those familiar words, they can cut through all of the daily, practical, momentary
thoughts that pass through my brain at any given moment.

If I just stop . . . focus my attention. . . and begin to think on those words, this
day’s realities take a quiet step back. A very different Reality begins to softly
Whisper. . . into the room . . . near to my little corner where my Bible openly
awaits my notice. I know He is here. Right here. The thoughts of this day that
were in my head when I sat down began to fade without my even intentionally
choosing. Awareness of His Presence becomes my new Reality. Not because I
could make it happen. He chooses to come near. He is welcome. He is
needed. My love for Him begins to overshadow my need. The cares with which
I had settled into my seat have quietly faded in this Moment. . . because He is
here. The needs that had been in my mind have taken a silent step back, as my
Precious Friend comes near. Words are unnecessary in this Moment. Sin’s
Barrier is dismantled. Its damages take a backseat.

His Presence. . . His Nearness . . . His Tenderness is here with me. The
shadows of sin that always lurk nearby seem to have taken a “recess” as my
Father gently draws me to Himself. His Love, His simple Words of reassurance
melt me. True Words that I have known since I was a little girl are still true. Still
with me. . . having a lifetime of seeing them proven again and again. . . no matter
what was taking place in my personal world, or in the larger world around me.

What a Treasure I…we…have been given because of Jesus’ great Sacrifice.
Freely Given. Freely received.

It changes everything.

---

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“God said, [to Abraham], 
‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love,
And go to Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering 
On one of the mountains that I will show you.
Genesis 22:2

Think back to a Moment in Time when God drew you aside . . . He had something to tell you that was important, and He wanted your full attention.  He probably had to orchestrate that “Moment” by using circumstances that brought you to focus on Him  . . . 

away from the normal distractions of Life.  It may not have been a happy experience.

Abraham had experienced several Moments with God which had significantly impacted his Life Journey.  But this would be the most personally gut-wrenching Encounter of his life.  And it would not only impact him, but it would deeply involve his son. . . his most precious, beloved son.  It would surely devastate Isaac’s Mama Sarah.   At that time, Abraham had another son, Ishmael, from Sarah’s handmaid Hagar.  But God specified the “miracle son” of Sarah and Abraham.

Any loving parent knows the feeling of dread when he or she realizes that there is a decision to be made that will significantly impact our precious children.  It is very difficult to weigh our own personal decisions in life, but the added dynamic of knowing that my choice will surely affect those I love most, and that the outcome will not be in my control makes it even more gut-wrenching.

God’s words to Abraham must have been the most horrific words any parent could hear.

Abraham had become well-acquainted with God’s Guidance and Directives in his life.  Although he had made mistakes along his Journey, he had learned to trust God with his life and future.  God had blessed His beloved Abraham, despite many challenges and heartaches along the Journey.   

Abraham’s most precious Gift of all was his son, Isaac.  And now, suddenly, God is asking him to give Isaac back.

This was not going to take place through a terrible accident, or on a battlefield, or some natural disaster. . . the death would be at the hands of the one who loved him most.  

How does a human being follow God in a Moment like that?   Our most basic human instinct . . . Believer or not . . . is to protect my child.  See him live, watch him grow, . . . become the man or woman that God has Plans for and Loves.  This is the child that God put into my life . . . into my heart!   

Throughout all of the years that Abraham had walked with God, through all the twists and turns of life, successes and failures, Abraham had learned Who this God truly IS.  

He had walked through Life with God.  God had always been faithful.  Not easy. . . but faithful.  This would surely be the most difficult “Walk” this father would have to take, especially because its deepest impact would be on that beloved son.  

Abraham had a choice.  God did not just take Isaac.  Abraham had to bring his precious son to God and intentionally hand him to God.  Alone.  A Moment between a father and his God.  A son was to be deeply impacted… face Death itself.  A mother was to surely be devastated.  God had orchestrated this Moment.  No Explanation.  No Promises or Plan “B” included.  This was, at its core, a matter between Creator God and one man.  The ripples of that Moment in Time continue to us today.  Divine Intervention came into the Picture.  Obedience and Total Surrender,  Trust in God, Redemption,  Salvation,  all took Center Stage in that Moment.     

We have the advantage to see some of the Effects of that Daddy’s obedience and trust in God.  But did Abraham see that?  Sarah?  Isaac?  All three were deeply impacted by the shared, extremely unique experience.  We have the advantage of reading and seeing “the rest of the Story.”  But that little family did not.  Abraham had to put one foot in front of the other as he made his way up that mountain with his precious Isaac.   

How could he do it?   

Abraham had been walking with God for a long, long time.  He had learned through experience that Walking God’s Path in life was not easy.  It was not “safe.”  It was not comfortable, painless, nor popular.  And no one else could take that walk for him.  

But God was  already at the Destination, waiting for Abraham and Isaac to arrive.  He knew the Outcome, and that the challenges of that lonely Climb would evaporate when Abraham had his Moment with God at that Altar.  

Keep walking.  

Eyes on the Destination.  

God is already there,  

Ready and waiting for YOU to come near.

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“Come close to God And He will come close to you…”
James 4:8

“Come” . . . Such a simple word.  “Bo” in Hebrew.  Jesus used that word many times, in many different situations with the people in his earthly life.  Two little letters, but its meaning and purpose in language is to activate a  listener to move.  Move near to the one speaking the word.  It is an action that intentionally draws two individuals closer to one another.  A choice is involved.  An intentional action is set in motion.  Distance of separation lessens.   

Think of how that little word is used in our daily lives.   In training a pet dog, it is likely the most frequently used word by its human companion.  The “come” and the response to the “come” says a great deal about the relationship and attitudes of both parties.  If there is no movement towards the one saying, “come”, there  is no impact on the situation.  Nothing changes . . . except emotions and thoughts of those involved.

Jesus used that simple word repeatedly during His time on earth.  “Come…follow Me.”  “Come

to Me….”   “Come, you who are weary. . . “   “Come near . . . to God . . . “   and more.   

“Come” requires a response of movement that lessens a separation.  Two entities come closer together.  Without the movement, the “come” has not taken place.  “Come” always requires a choice of the one being beckoned.  It also implies that something….or  SomeOne awaits the action of the one being beckoned.   The Daddy is looking for the child’s response.  The Trainer is watching for the dog’s movement toward him.  The hostess is prepared for the guest to enter her home.  

“Come close to God,” requires a deliberate decision of movement that will  close the distance between myself and God.  “Come” is an action that intentionally closes the distance of separation.  Making no movement brings no change.   It may result in other effects connected to the initial “Come”, but not  the outcome that had been initially intended or hoped.  

God speaks to us, “Come close.”  A simple invitation to move toward Him.  But He does not leave it at that.  God does not stand still, leaving all the action to us.  He responds to our action to move towards Him by intentionally moving towards me.  “He will come close to you.”  Purposeful.  Deliberate.  Active.  Inter-active.  It is His response to my action of moving near to Him.  He does not sit or stand, just looking at me as I move towards Him.  He responds by intentionally moving towards me.  I move towards Him.  He moves towards me.  He does not stand still, observing or scrutinizing my movement.  He responds by moving nearer to me, initiated  by His Invitation  to “Come.”   

The first step towards God is for each of us to “Come.”   And do not be surprised if the next Whisper is, “Be still. . .and know that I am God.” 

“Come” . . . (“Bo”). . .Such a simple, familiar word.  

But when spoken by God, it opens the Door to Eternal Life.