Author Archives: jgarrott

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About jgarrott

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

True Success; September 17, 2024


Job 11:17 Life will be brighter than noonday,    and darkness will become like morning. I somewhat regret including this passage in the Scripture readings, because it is nothing but platitudes. That’s the tricky thing about reading Job: you have to be … Continue reading

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Being Smart; September 16, 2024


Nehemiah 9:20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. Differing translations can be fascinating. Where the NIV and other English translations say, “to instruct them,” the … Continue reading

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Speaking for God; September 15, 2024


2 Samuel 23:2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me;    his word was on my tongue. From one perspective, this seems like a statement of incredible conceit. From another perspective, actively voiced by a TV personality about someone else not long ago, it … Continue reading

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God’s Amazing Grace; September 14, 2024


2 Samuel 22:36 You make your saving help my shield;    your help has made me great. God gave David some very interesting revelations about Himself. This particular one seems to be difficult to translate from the Hebrew. Where the NIV says, “your … Continue reading

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Trusting God; September 13, 2024


Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” This is a wonderful promise, but put a little differently, it’s a little amusing. “I’ve got this, so would you shut up?” Various cultures have traditions of loud verbal … Continue reading

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Guidance; September 12, 2024


Exodus 13:22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. God gave the Israelites the guidance they needed, when and how they needed it. He had decided … Continue reading

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Light vs. Darkness; September 11, 2024


Exodus 10:21-23 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could … Continue reading

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Our Creator; September 10, 2024


Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is one of the most important verses in the whole Bible, but it’s been a long time since I’ve read Genesis 1. It wasn’t until the 19th Century that there … Continue reading

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Active Faith; September 9, 2024


Jude 1:20-21 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. This … Continue reading

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Love; September 8, 2024


2 John 1:6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. John is sometimes called “The Apostle of Love,” because he talks about it … Continue reading

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