Harvest; July 16, 2025

Posted on July 17, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow with tears
    will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.

This brief Psalm is dearly loved because it is such a beautiful message of hope. These verses have been set to music multiple times, and the songs are fighting for dominance in my head! This Psalm is a reaction to the Jews returning to their land after the Babylonian captivity, which was a demonstration to them that indeed, nothing is impossible for God. (Jeremiah 32:17) We know that in our heads, but life has a way of slapping us in the face, and we forget. We need to remember that God has a plan and it is going to be fulfilled, and it is a good plan. (Jeremiah 29:11) We are to apply ourselves fully and not be presumptive, but at the same time leave it all in God’s hands. These verses are particularly applicable to missionary or evangelistic work, because of Jesus’ famous parable of the seed being the message of the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 13:1-23) There are countless frustrations and even tears involved, but the Psalmist reminds us that there will be harvest. We are never to forget that.

Of course, as a missionary pastor, I cling to this! We’ve been in Omura now going on 44 years, and though the Lord has brought people of many nations to Himself through us in that interval, our current attendance on Sunday mornings runs around 20 – which is at least much better than the less-than-10 it was just a few years ago. The thing is, it’s not about numbers, but about specific individuals. We have had some triumphs, but we have also seen people we had witnessed to for years die without a sign of commitment to Christ. That is heartbreaking. We have certainly learned that we ourselves can save no one, but that God can use even us to save people. Right now there is one man I’m working with particularly, but there are many more that we earnestly want to see come into the Kingdom. I am not to give up on any of them, but focus on faithfulness. I really want the Lord to return, but I also want to see massive harvest in Japan before He does!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your plans, even though we see just hints of them. Help me trust You fully and obey You faithfully, so that I may be useful to You in all that You want to do in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Joy in God’s Word; July 15, 2025

Posted on July 16, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;
    they are the joy of my heart.

Verse 11 and verse 105 are the most famous in this longest chapter in the Bible, and reasonably so, but we should not let the familiar keep us from noticing other facets of God’s truth. This verse strikes me because, properly understood, it should allow any believer to live in peace and joy. The whole Psalm is about the Word of the Lord, particularly as expressed in the Torah. Since every verse, all 176 of them, references that, the Psalmist used a number of words as synonyms, and translators have been equally varied in how they have expressed each of those synonyms. The point to remember, however, is that all of them point to the same thing: what God has said and is saying to us. In this verse, the Psalmist is claiming God’s Word as his eternal heritage. That means it can never be taken away from him for all eternity. That’s a pretty amazing statement, but it’s true for everyone who genuinely believes, in all humility. When we grasp that, then God’s Word indeed becomes the joy of our heart, whatever is going on around us. That doesn’t mean “easy street;” Jesus clearly said that in this world we will have trouble, (John 16:33) and sometimes that trouble threatens to tear us apart. However, if we let the Word of the Lord fill our heart, we can have peace and even joy in spite of it all. After all, Jesus also said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Luke 21:33) That’s repeated in all three synoptic Gospels! When we truly grasp that we have an eternal heritage, the mess of this transient world won’t shake us.

I was incredibly blessed to be raised in a home where God’s Word faith in it were absolutely foundational. I commented in the message this past Sunday that the best thing about having been raised a Baptist was their focus on the Bible. I am continuing to grow in my application of it, because just like Paul, I won’t be perfect on this earth. (Philippians 3:12-14) It is a joy to teach the Bible, because as many have noted, one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to others. At this point the Lord is preparing me for a broader teaching ministry, and I am to be faithful and diligent, not taking anything for granted. As familiar as I am with the Bible, the temptation is to wing it, whatever I’m asked to teach on, but that is hubris. God’s Word is my eternal heritage, but I must never treat it lightly! That said, the study that is called for is no burden, but rather a privilege and joy.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for sharpening my focus in various ways. Help me truly be the tool, the servant that You desire, so that Your will may be accomplished in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Warfare; July 14, 2025

Posted on July 15, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:15 I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.

Verse 11 is justly famous, and I memorized it at a very young age, but this verse too is important in the objective stated in verse 9, a young man keeping his way pure. For that matter, it applies to older guys, too! This verse deals with visual temptations, and the world is full of those today to a degree that would have been unimaginable when this Psalm was written. Pornography is a major scourge, and the electronic means to proliferate it continue to expand. On top of that, modesty seems to be a forgotten concept in many corners, so exposure to visual temptation is unavoidable. This verse gives two important clues for resisting all that. The first is meditating on what God has said. The Japanese term for “meditate” used here is very interesting. It literally means, “to dye thoughts.” Fabric is dyed by letting it soak in a coloring solution. When we let our thoughts “dye” in God’s Word, we are very well protected against the mental temptations that are the starting point for the majority of sins. The second point is literally what we choose to look at. (Translating that “consider” seems to weaken it, to me. The Japanese says, “fix my eyes on.”) In the world today, visual temptations are unavoidable, as I’ve already mentioned. However, there’s a difference between seeing and looking at something. We are to be aware of our surroundings, or we might as well be blind. However, we choose what we fix our attention on. Both my desktop computer and my cellphone sometimes flash screens at me that, if clicked on, would lead to pornography, with my having done nothing to invite such. That’s the world we live in. The solution is to fix our eyes on the way God lays out for us.

As I have already indicated, this is personal for me. Even age 76, I’m still a man! However, as verse 11 says, I have stored up a lot of God’s Word in my heart, and the more I let that color my thoughts, the more secure I am. I am concerned for my sons-in-law and my grandsons, and I pray for them. Life in this world is a constant spiritual battle! Part of my calling as a pastor is to equip believers with the armor God provides, (Ephesians 6:11-18) training them to fight as God intends. Jesus is already the Victor, and in Him we are more than conquerors. (Romans 8:37)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that when I do as Your Word says, I am secure. Help me be a faithful coach and guide to those around me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Eternal Goodness; July 13, 2025

Posted on July 14, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 118:28-29 You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

This Psalm has many famous lines, and I was quite torn as to what to write on this time. However, these two verses are worthy of being remembered and quoted constantly, besides having been set memorably to music. We need to be aware of God constantly, that He is not just God in the abstract, but our God, and that awareness needs to be filled with gratitude. Out of that gratitude, we need to worship Him. So often we think of worship as something we do on Sunday mornings in church, but this is talking about a consistent, prevailing attitude. Verse 28 is addressed to God, but verse 29 is an exhortation, to ourselves and to all who will listen to us. We are to be consistent in expressing thanks to God, and encouraging others to do likewise. We are to be aware of the goodness of God and seek to make others aware of it as well. The last line gets translated many different ways, with English Bibles using phrases like “steadfast love” and “mercy.” The Japanese says, “grace.” All of those are certainly representative of God! We do, however, need to remember that He’s not going to change on us, being nice for a while and then being mean. There’s a reason this says “forever!” There is a security in knowing God and His character that can be had no other way, because nothing but God is indeed, forever. That’s why He alone can offer eternal life, as it so famously says in John 3:16.

My life is dedicated to communicating the truth found in these verses, but I’ve got to be careful to keep remembering it myself. I am all too prone to proclaim a truth and then turn around and act like it’s not true. That’s the height of stupidity! I need to live out verse 28 here, as well as proclaim verse 29. My life should be a testimony to the truth of this passage, not because I have everything easy but because God brings me through everything He brings me to. I need to remember that I can indeed handle everything through the One who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) Some people are ready to receive that message, but many are not. I am to love them all, and pray for them to receive God’s gift of faith, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the opportunities You are opening up for me to be teaching on spiritual gifts. Help me not “wing it,” but be faithful to prepare properly, guiding people into Your truth so that they will bear the fruit You intend, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Salvation; July 12, 2025

Posted on July 13, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 118:14 The Lord is my strength and my defense (or song);
    he has become my salvation.

As I read this I was regretting that I hadn’t extended the reading to the end of the Psalm when I made up the list, and then I noticed that the 2nd half is tomorrow’s reading! This particular verse has long been a favorite of mine, probably because of my coming from such a musical family. The Japanese specifies “song of praise,” and I think that’s an important distinction. There are lots of songs that aren’t expressions of the Lord, unfortunately. I think it’s interesting that it says the Lord has become my salvation. He is the only Savior, but it is when we turn our hearts to Him in the obedience of love that He becomes our salvation. It’s been many years since I first heard the explanation that salvation in Christ is like a huge fortune deposited in a bank in our name. It might be there, but until we believe it’s there and go to take possession of it, it does us no good. Evangelism is telling people the money is there, but too many people either think they don’t need it, or that you must be lying to them, because they don’t deserve it. Frankly, they don’t, because none of us do, so that’s why it’s all by grace through faith. When we really get His salvation into our hearts and minds we are strong indeed, and we can’t help singing His praise!

As I have mentioned before, I really love the little chorus that goes, “You are the words and the music; You are the song that I sing. You are the melody, You are the harmony, praises to You I will bring. You are the Mighty God, You are the Prince of Peace, You are the King of all kings. Now I return to You the song that You gave to me; You are the song that I sing.” I consistently used singing as a tool in teaching speech therapy (since it is an effective tool for that purpose) and I would teach my students that song, explaining that it was the reason for my singing so much. You could say that song is an expansion of this verse! I have received Christ as my salvation, and I need to let Him pour through me as strength and song, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’ve been quite aware of You using me the past few days, and I’m deeply grateful. May I be ever more available and useful to You, for Your purposes to be accomplished in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Women; July 11, 2025

Posted on July 12, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 113:9 He settles the childless woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.

The vast majority of the Psalms are stated or assumed to have been written by men. However, this verse gives me the impression that this Psalm might well have been written by a woman. The vast majority of women were illiterate, with most rabbis even in Jesus’ day refusing to teach females. However, that wouldn’t have stopped a poetic spirit, though it might have hindered it. This particular Psalm is entirely praise, with no mention of the sins of mankind. The focus in general is on how God lifts up those who would otherwise be powerless, and this verse, the climax, focuses on women being able to have children. I am reminded of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, in 1 Samuel, who pours forth what is actually a beautiful Psalm in the 2nd chapter, though it is not included in the collection with that name. Throughout history the biological differences between men and women have led to all sorts of distortions. For starters, the greater muscle mass in men has led to a power imbalance, and all sorts of things have followed from that. One of the more scandalous things about Jesus’ ministry was that He allowed women to follow Him, even letting them sit at His feet as disciples. (Luke 10:38-42) I find it very significant that the first human eyes allowed to see Jesus after His resurrection were those of Mary Magdalene. (John 20) For men who are stuck in misogyny, I would point out that none of us would exist without a woman having given birth to us! However, equality in value and gifting doesn’t mean sameness. One of the tragedies of modern society is the push to say that women are the same as men. It is the very differences that make things interesting, and beautiful. That’s why homosexual marriage is such an abomination: it denies the differences God created in order for us to be in His image. That can blow our minds intellectually, because God is One, but facts are facts. That’s not to say that, in most areas, women can’t do whatever men can do, or vice versa, but it is to say that the differences are to be recognized and even celebrated. Every human being alive is more blessed, more satisfied, when they operate in the unique abilities God has given them, starting with their physical bodies.

This is close to home for me in a number of ways. My maternal grandfather, W. O. Carver, is currently rather out of favor with the Southern Baptist Convention, even though he played a major role in their history. He founded the oldest continuing Department of Missions in the world, in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and recognizing the unique gifting of women, also founded the Carver School of Missions (which has since been absorbed into the seminary). This was to give a theological education to women who were called by God, because at that point they were excluded from regular seminaries. At one point, over half the missionaries of the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board were graduates of that school, either as single missionaries or as missionary wives. My own mother came to Japan as a single missionary, and married my father here. I have been blessed with a wonderful wife who is different from me in practically every area, but far exceeds me in several of them. I couldn’t begin to count how many times she has heard the Lord more accurately than I have. A significant part of our ministry is in being a demonstration of God’s plan for mankind in marriage and family, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for Your incredible grace to Cathy and me. May we indeed fulfill all Your purposes for us, as individuals and as a couple, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Word; July 10, 2025

Posted on July 11, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 107:20 He sent out his word and healed them;
    he rescued them from the grave.

I use this same devotional format in an online Bible study I do every week with a pastor friend in Northern Japan. We have been working steadily through Psalms, so I wrote on this verse just two days ago! I think that is an indication that there is powerful truth here that I need to implement! I have heard this verse quoted many times in relation to praying for healing. Oral Roberts was famous for saying, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” I have long thought it would be more accurate to say, “God said it, that settles it.” God’s truth is true whether or not I believe it! However, much of the time I need to believe it in order to receive the benefits, rather than just be judged by His words. Faith always brings blessings! God’s Word is absolute. As He said through Isaiah, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11) Genesis 1 tells us that God spoke the universe into being! Most people think of that in strictly poetic terms, but I think it is much closer to literal. After all, speech is an expression of the will, so the terminology in Genesis could probably be expressed, “God willed.” We talk a lot about “the will of the Lord,” but He has already expressed that will in considerable detail through His Word, as we call the Bible. If we believe that God desires good for us, as He told Jeremiah He does, (Jeremiah 29:11) then we will take the Bible in faithfully, consistently, and seek to apply it in every area of our lives. There is infinite power in the simple fact that God said it, and we should rejoice in that.

I think one reason God has brought this verse to my attention so strongly is that I have recently been aware of my need for healing. I’m used to thinking of healing in terms of others, since I am remarkably healthy for my age, but recently I’ve been having trouble with my ears and my hearing. Since I am very much a man of words, that has been depressing. I have said for many years that the voice I need to hear most, and best, is God’s, and that doesn’t depend on my physical ears. However, I interact with people constantly, and physical hearing is very important for that. I need to believe the truth that I have expressed to others over the years, and trust God fully with every part of my life and my being, including my hearing. I am to be humble before Him and grateful for His grace, acting each moment as He directs, and not trying to “grab the steering wheel” myself, so to speak. His plans for me are perfect, and I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in that assurance, whatever it looks like in the moment.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. There are several people around me who are in need of physical healing, and even more in need of emotional or spiritual healing. Help me be a faithful conduit of Your Word to them, for their healing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Ancestral Sin; July 9, 2025

Posted on July 10, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 106:6 We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
    we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

Awareness of sin is a strange thing. Some actions jump out at us, in our own lives or in the lives of those around us, and some we either don’t see or we don’t recognize as sin. That is certainly applicable in reference to our ancestors. All of us have “black sheep” somewhere in our family tree, but I don’t think most of us have much awareness of all the sins committed by our genetic ancestors. The thing is, the Bible is very clear that all have sinned, so our ancestors aren’t let out of that. In idolatrous countries, becoming a Christian involves recognizing that your ancestors were unbelievers, and that can be a very high step for some people. My wife had a friend who steadfastly refused to become a Christian because “My ancestors aren’t in heaven, and I’m supposed to go where they are.” She sadly had no real concept of hell, and one day she abruptly dropped dead. Ancestor worship, either formal or informal, is a very real thing in Japan. God’s grace is absolutely essential for every person in every age. Until we grasp that, we won’t be secure in our own salvation.

I find it particularly difficult to imagine the sins of my ancestors, at least in the short term, because they were active, faithful believers. It takes a real effort on my part to realize that they too had minds that wandered and hearts that sometimes hardened. I honestly don’t know of any “active sins” of my ancestors going back at least three generations, but thinking about my own heart, I do know that they were as human as I am, and that means they sinned. And that doesn’t touch on all the people My Heritage has come up with, tracing my family tree. I’ve got a lot of royalty in it, from England, France, Hungary and the like, so I can see that pride came naturally to me, and if it was sinful for me – which it certainly was – then it was equally sinful for them. I need to expand my awareness of the grace and mercy of God, to understand that He stands ready to extend it to all who will come to Him in repentance and faith. I have the privilege of sharing that truth with others, and I must not let it go to waste!

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s not at all something I think about most of the time. Help me walk in humility all the time, so that I will be available for whatever You want to do through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Faithfulness; July 8, 2025

Posted on July 9, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 105:43 He brought out his people with rejoicing,
    his chosen ones with shouts of joy.

I learned a musical setting for the passage that includes this verse around 45 years ago, and I can’t read it without that song running through my mind and heart. The song is based on the King James translation, so there are differences in terminology, and the order of the verses is scrambled, but the message gets through. Only the last two verses get left off, which is interesting, because they express the climax and the purpose of all that is described in the song: to give the people the land in order that they might be obedient to God. God does give us joy and provisions, but they are always with an eye to drawing us closer to Him, in holy fellowship. As has been said, He is more interested in our character than our comfort. He is indeed Father God. A good father provides for his children and delights to meet their needs and see them happy, but he doesn’t spoil them. Too many people want a god who spoils them! Such a god doesn’t exist, but the devil will try to give us physical and emotional pleasures to make us think that he is such a god, to drag us down to hell with him. To go back to this verse, some translations say “shouts of joy,” and some say “singing.” I prefer singing, but maybe shouts of joy are more dramatic! In any case, this Psalm is a celebration of the goodness of God, and that is entirely appropriate.

Looking back over my life, and for that matter, the lives of my immediate ancestors that I am aware of, God’s grace and blessings certainly stand out. There have certainly been difficulties. My paternal grandmother almost died after a miscarriage, losing so much blood that they had to do a transfusion, back when that meant putting my grandfather in the bed next to her and hooking a line between his vein and hers. Today, that sounds really scary, and it was certainly risky, but the Lord protected them. There have been scary moments in my own life as well, but God has been incredibly faithful. After all, that’s who He is! It is my joy and privilege, as well as responsibility, to let others know of Him so that they too may commit their lives to Him, to receive all that He has planned for them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s certainly a kick in the seat to get me back to working on my autobiography! My life has been a tale of Your grace, mercy, and faithfulness, and that is more than worth sharing. Help me be faithful to what You have for me to do, because You have been more than faithful to me. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Language; July 7, 2025

Posted on July 8, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 105:3 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

The first thing I noticed in reading this passage was that verses 8-11 completely settle the question of who the land of Israel belongs to. However, this verse seems applicable to believers around the world. It makes me think of the difference between “glory” as a noun, and “glory” as a verb, as it is here. That struck me, because the Japanese says, “make it your pride.” Language is vitally important, because it is one of our distinctives as human beings, but it can also be very confusing, not just between languages but even within the same language. I think we’re still suffering the fallout from the Tower of Babel! (Genesis 11) That said, we are to use what we have available, for good and not for evil. James talked about the incongruity of using our words both to bless and to curse. (James 3:1-12) Language changes constantly, and it seems like the pace has picked up. We have some trouble with Shakespeare or the King James Bible, but not too much. However, I recently watched a video of a college linguistics professor addressing a classroom full of students deliberately using their slang. It totally broke the students up, but there was also shock that their “code” had been broken! (Incidentally, I understood a little over half, and that mostly by context.) I’ve also recently read things written by ordinary people around the time of the American Revolution, and their spelling was creative to say the least. Language is an essential tool, but it is to be used carefully, intentionally. I’m not at all in favor of “political correctness,” but sometimes our words hurt completely needlessly, and we need to be careful of that. We are not to use our words to deceive or to promote lies. Agreeing with someone who insists they were “born in the wrong body” is not love! It is significant that several of the spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 involve speech, so we need to remember what Peter said about it. “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 4:11) Our entire lives, explicitly including our words, should reflect the character of God and give Him glory.

This couldn’t be any closer to home for me. I grew up bilingual, speaking more Japanese than English when I first went to the US around the time I turned four. All of my schooling after kindergarten has been in English, so that is definitely stronger at this point, but Japanese is no less a “heart language” for me than English is. My father was linguistically gifted, getting his Masters in Hebrew and his PhD in Biblical Greek. He was even used as a reference for questions about Japanese in Board meetings of Seinan University! My family delighted in language, playing word games of all sorts. At one point we were deliberately using opposite adjectives for things, and my mother later recalled to me, very fondly, a time when she had cooked a particular dish, my father took a bite, his face lit up, and he said, “Foul!” It’s no surprise that I am “afflicted” with “the pun disease!” All that said, I have to be careful of how my words impact others. Misunderstandings are a part of life, but I am to seek to avoid them at all times. I am always to speak the truth in love, not deceiving by silence, but not injuring by verbosity, either. I need to do as Peter said!

Father, thank You for this reminder. This topic obviously triggers me, but not in a bad way. May my words be Yours indeed, working Your will in the hearts and lives of my hearers (and readers), for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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