Author Archives: jsjdevotions

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May 6, 2014

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God's Promises, Salvation: A New You

Seek the Lost

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.” In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents. [Luke 15:8-10 (NLT)]

Yesterday my husband found a plastic Easter egg behind a throw pillow. Perhaps that speaks badly of my housekeeping since Easter was more than two weeks ago; I prefer to think of it as an opportunity to ponder Jesus’ parable of the housewife searching for the lost coin.

When my granddaughter was here for Easter, I filled several plastic eggs with spare change and hid them throughout the house. Of course, she was thrilled to search for her hidden treasure on Easter morning. Once she found the basket with her gift and the “golden egg” (containing a five dollar bill), however, the search for the rest of the eggs waned. Shortly after her departure Easter Sunday, I spotted one egg in a flower arrangement and later that week I came across two more. Even though I knew more eggs probably still hadn’t been found, I wasn’t interested in searching for them. I knew they’d show up eventually. “What are a few pennies and dimes?” I thought. At least they weren’t real eggs that would eventually smell!

Instead of celebrating as the parable’s housewife did when she found the lost coin, I just got annoyed when another egg showed up. It meant that I still had those bothersome coins and had to get out the ladder so I could reach the Easter storage box to stow the egg.

The housewife in Jesus’ parable would never have left any pillow unturned until she’d found the lost coin. She would have looked under every bed and sofa, behind every curtain, and on top of every shelf. Instead of being annoyed when it was found, she would have thrown a party!

Unlike my grandchild, God doesn’t get distracted when he gets a few souls; he wants to save them all. Unlike the eggs, with their varying amounts of money, every soul is equally precious and valuable to God. Instead of grumbling, there is great rejoicing in heaven when one lost soul is found and restored to God.

Father, thank you for the reminder that everyone is important to you and that you celebrate every time a lost soul is found. Thank you for helping us understand that we are seekers of the lost. Let us never give up in our search.

So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” [Luke 15:3-7 (NLT)]

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May 4, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Holy Spirit, Temptation & Sin

We Can Stand Strong

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. [1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (MSG)]

Lord, there are so many temptations in life. We can be judgmental or unforgiving, allow anger to lead us, let people or things threaten our relationships, or fill our minds with trash. It’s so easy to speak badly of someone, have unreasonable expectations of others and empty excuses for our failings, and to pass the blame. We haven’t even gotten to pride, selfishness or impatience! Oh, Lord, the list is endless. Thank you for being with us today. May your Holy Spirit help us stand strong.

 

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May 3, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works, Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

You Can’t Please All of the People All of the Time

But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you. [James 1:5 (NCV)]

Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking… [Colossians 3:15a (NCV)]

I recently completed a birthday gift for one of my grown children: a photo book filled with forty years of pictures. What with scanning, editing, sorting, compiling, and captioning, this project took several months. At one point, what started as a labor of love simply became labor. What went wrong?

In an attempt to make the “perfect” gift, things had gotten out of perspective. Not only was I concerned about the recipient’s reaction to the book, but I also agonized about everyone in the extended family as well. Would they like it? I second guessed each photo choice and its placement. Did I have too many shots of one person or not enough of another? Had I covered each event to everyone’s satisfaction? Was everyone represented? Did everyone look good in every photo? Would my idea of humor be funny to others? I began to dread sitting at the computer and, as my deadline approached, I had a heavy heart.

Finally, I did what I should have done in the first place: turned this project over to God. He reassured me that if my true motivation was love and if I followed His guidance as I worked, every choice would be the right choice. He reminded me that my best effort is all He asks of me and it is all anyone else should expect. Perfection is not required, just love. From then on, before logging onto Shutterfly to work, I said a brief prayer asking God for His guidance. The last twenty pages went faster and far more smoothly than the first eighty, simply because I let love motivate me and trusted God to guide me.

Lord, help us to remember that we need to be more concerned with pleasing you than with pleasing anybody else. May we keep in mind that the only reaction over which we have any control is ours. Thank you, for your gift of love and for blessing us with encouragement, confidence, and guidance when we share that gift with others.

Do everything in love. [1 Corinthians 16:14 (NCV)]

Please yourself…then at least someone will be happy with your decision. [From “Deep South” by Nevada Barr]

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May 2, 2014

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Challenges & Difficulty, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Nature

Accepting Help

accepting helpListen to my pleading, Lord! Be merciful and send the help I need. [Psalm 27:7 (TLB)]

There it was, smack dab in the middle of the road: a Florida softshell turtle. Since softshells rarely leave the water except to bask in the sun at water’s edge, I think this one was on her way to dig a nest and drop her eggs. Unfortunately, every time a car came along, she tucked herself back into her shell. Just about the time she felt confident enough to stick out her neck, along would come another car and she’d retreat again into her shell. At that rate, I knew it was highly unlikely that she’d make it across the road before becoming road-kill. Florida softshells are big and can be aggressive; this one was about two feet long and probably weighed forty-five pounds. My concern was that, if I tried to pick her up, I’d end up dropping her before getting her to safety, especially if she got feisty about being carried. The best I could do was caution the oncoming cars to swerve around her. Fortunately, a landscaper stopped, reached in his truck to get a shovel, gently scooped her up, and carried her into the bushes.

What did I learn from all of this? First, if we ever want to get somewhere, we’ve got to stick out our necks. Second, sometimes we have to accept a little help to get where we need to go.

Lord, we are often more willing to offer a helping hand to others than to accept the hand that offers help to us. Please guide us to know when we are able tough it out on our own and when we need some aid. Keep us from hiding in shells to conceal our vulnerability. Don’t ever let us be too proud to ask for help; keep us from rebuffing assistance when it is offered. Thank you for the help you send that comes from friends and strangers.

Be brave enough to accept the help of others. [Melba Cosgrove]

Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall. [Proverbs 16:18 (TLB)]

 

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May 1, 2014

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Holidays & Holy Days, Prayer

National Day of Prayer: Let Us Pray

Also, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about something and pray for it, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. This is true because if two or three people come together in my name, I am there with them. [Matthew 18:19-20 (NCV)]

Today is the 63rd National Day of Prayer. The theme is “One Voice, United in Prayer.” Today, this one prayer, written by Anne Graham Lotz will be read simultaneously throughout the nation. Perhaps you will join in saying this prayer today.

Then if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek me and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. [2 Chronicles 7:14 (NCV)]

Lord of the Universe. Lord of this planet. Lord of the nations. Lord of our hearts. On this National Day of Prayer, we look to You…

In the darkness, You are our Light.
In the storm, You are our Anchor.
In our weakness, You are our Strength.
In our grief, You are our Comfort.
In our despair, You are our Hope.
In our confusion, You are our Wisdom.
In time of terrorism, You are our Shield.
In time of war, You are our Peace.
In times of uncertainty, You are the Rock on which we stand.

We make our prayer to You using the words of the prophet Daniel:

O Lord, You are the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments. You are merciful and forgiving. You are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame because we have sinned against You, and done wrong. We have turned away from Your commands and principles. We have turned away from You.

Yet You have promised in 2 Chronicles 7, that if we–a people identified with You–would humble ourselves, pray, seek Your face, and turn from our wicked ways, then You would hear our prayer, forgive our sin and heal our land.

So we choose to stop pointing our finger at the sins of others, and examine our own hearts and lives. We choose to acknowledge our own sin–our neglect and defiance and ignorance and even rejection of You. This day we choose to repent.

In response to our heartfelt repentance, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Father of Jesus Christ, in keeping with all Your righteous acts and according to Your promise, turn away Your anger and Your wrath from the United States of America. Hear the prayers and petitions offered to You on this National Day of Prayer, as we give You our full attention. Give ear, our God, and hear; open Your eyes and see. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy.

For the glory of Your Name hear our prayer, forgive our sin, and heal our land.
We ask this in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ who offers us salvation from Your judgment, forgiveness for our sin, and reconciliation with You through His own blood shed on the Cross. Amen.
[2014 National Prayer by Anne Graham Lotz]

 

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April 30, 2014

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God's Word: The Bible, Wisdom & Guidance

Who Built Your House?

2014-4-30Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. [Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)]

We can establish our careers, our homes, and our families, but without God at their center, they won’t flourish; they might even crumble and fall apart. We can try to protect our lives, but without Christ as our foundation, we may collapse at the first challenge.

There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around, you’ll stand firm if you stand on His love. [Charles Stanley]