Author Archives: jgarrott

About jgarrott

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

God’s Guidance; June 25, 2024

Posted on June 26, 2024 by jgarrott

Psalm 25:8-9 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. I got the immediate impression that this was an acrostic poem, with each verse starting with a succeeding letter … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged depending on God, exercising gifts, free will, God's character, humility, learning from God, listening to God, teaching others about God, the fear of the Lord, wisdom | Leave a comment

Language; June 24, 2024

Posted on June 25, 2024 by jgarrott

Psalm 9:13 Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death. Nuances of translation are interesting. The NIV and the Japanese both speak of “mercy” here, but the ESV, which is the English in … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged Bible translations, communication, God's Word, heaven, language, language nuances, Scripture memory, the Holy Spirit's guidance | Leave a comment

Physical Issues; June 23, 2024

Posted on June 24, 2024 by jgarrott

Psalm 6:2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. I think the older a person gets, the closer to home this verse becomes! Different translations render this as “My bones are troubled” … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged aging, dependence on God, faithfulness, focus, health, pain, priorities | Leave a comment

Righteousness; June 22, 2024

Posted on June 23, 2024 by jgarrott

Psalm 5:8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make your way straight before me. I have written repeatedly on verse 3, in reference to morning devotions, but this verse is even more famous, having been beautifully set to music. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged C. S. Lewis, enemies, God's guidance, humility, pride, repentance, resisting the devil, righteousness, spiritual warfare, The Screwtape Letters | Leave a comment

Knowing God; June 21, 2024

Posted on June 22, 2024 by jgarrott

Psalm 4:8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Even in this short Psalm there were several verses that spoke to me, but I’ll limit myself to this one for the moment. The benefits … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged anxiety, C. S. Lewis, dreams, human desires, knowing God, loving God, satisfaction, seeking God, sleep, spiritual growth | 2 Comments

Remembering God’s Mercy; June 20, 2024

Posted on June 21, 2024 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 9:31 But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah has given quite a litany of the sins of Israel, without going into very many … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged anxiety, assurance, difficulties, God's mercy, gratitude, human sin, remembering God, repentance, rest relax rejoice, strength | Leave a comment

Houses of Worship; June 19, 2024

Posted on June 20, 2024 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:41-42 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name—for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged buildings, churches, Constantine, Gentiles, God's presence, God's temple, idolatry, Solomon, state religion, the Temple, worship | 1 Comment

Presumption; June 18, 2024

Posted on June 19, 2024 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:25 “Now Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged accountability, conditional promises, following God's plan, God's promises, humility, IQ, presumption, pride, repentance, Solomon, wisdom | 1 Comment

David’s Example; June 17, 2024

Posted on June 18, 2024 by jgarrott

2 Samuel 24:14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” David had learned the character of God. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged being used by God, character flaws, depending on God, examples, giving to God, God's character, knowing God, life experiences | Leave a comment

With All Our Heart; June 16, 2024

Posted on June 17, 2024 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. I’m so familiar with Jeremiah 29:12-13 that I hadn’t realized … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged accountability, finding God, God's unchanging character, hubris, seeking God, self-deception, sins, spiritual growth, the Gospel | Leave a comment

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