Author Archives: jgarrott

About jgarrott

Born and raised in Japan of missionary parents. Have been here as an adult missionary since 1981.

Gathering to Worship; September 29, 2022

Posted on October 3, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 122:1 I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” I don’t remember how old I was, but I was quite young when I first memorized this verse (not in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged gathering together, giving up, God's house, going to church, memorizing Scripture, worship | Leave a comment

Human Weakness; September 28, 2022

Posted on October 2, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands. After this great long Psalm in which the writer comes across as a great Bible scholar, he ends with this humble, … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged dying with Jesus, faith, gratitude, living for Jesus, lost sheep, obedience, shepherds, the awareness of God, wandering | Leave a comment

Praise and Obedience; September 27, 2022

Posted on October 2, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:108 Accept, O Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws. Verse 105 is insightful and has been set to music numbers of times, but this verse strikes me this morning. The word that stands … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged excuses, faithfulness, free will, hypocrisy, intention, listening to God, loving God, obeying God, praise, spiritual warfare | Leave a comment

Companions; September 26, 2022

Posted on October 1, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:79 May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes. I chose this verse from reading it in the NIV, but then I read it in Japanese and noticed an interesting distinction: where the NIV … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged companions, echo chamber, friends, humility, hypocrisy, learning, positive reinforcement, pride, relationships, spiritual growth | Leave a comment

Spiritual Growth; September 25, 2022

Posted on October 1, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:5-6 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I’m not sure I had noticed before that the Psalmist is confessing that his … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged accountability, commitment, excuses, faithfulness, human weakness, obedience to God, sin, spiritual growth, transformation | Leave a comment

Inner Peace; September 24, 2022

Posted on September 30, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 118:17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. I think that probably countless saints down through the centuries have been encouraged by this verse, and probably will be until the Lord’s return. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged anxiety, death, heaven, life, peace, purpose, resisting the devil, rest relax rejoice, troubles | Leave a comment

Deep Grace; September 23, 2022

Posted on September 30, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 109:21 But you, O Sovereign Lord, deal well with me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. Reading the last third of this Psalm I was sure it was by David, even before … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged deliverance, depth, faith, God's grace, God's love, obligations, spiritual growth, trials, truisms, truth | Leave a comment

Love; September 22, 2022

Posted on September 29, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 107:43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord. Once again where the NIV says “love,” the Japanese says, “grace.” The Japanese term is also used for blessings in general, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged grace, Japanese culture, knowing God, love, marriage, spiritual growth, wisdom | 1 Comment

God’s Word; September 21, 2022

Posted on September 29, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 107:20 He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Like Psalm 106, this Psalm is a recounting of Israel’s history, but rather than tying in specific events, it describes generic situations that happened … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged common experiences, crying out to God, faith, God's plans, God's Word, healing, Job, repentance | Leave a comment

Memory; September 20, 2022

Posted on September 28, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 106:12-13 Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. This Psalm is one of several condensed histories of Israel found in Psalms, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged brain surgery, daily devotions, false memories, forgetting, God's faithfulness, knowing God, memory, perception, remembering God's lessons, trials | Leave a comment

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