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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Music; July 6, 2025

Posted on July 7, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 104:33-34 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    as I rejoice in the Lord.

I can’t read this passage without singing it, at least in my heart, so I guess it’s pretty accurate for me! I have long been convinced that music was a special gift from God, for His pleasure and ours. I even read a science fiction story many years ago that portrayed scientists discerning the vibration rhythms of the universe, and when they sped it up, it was Bach! Conversely, atonal “music,” which frankly hurts my ears, became relatively popular in “serious” music circles around the time when atheism was the “in” thing. Today, much rap “music” has absolutely despicable lyrics, glorifying things I don’t even want to talk about. The devil loves to defile the beautiful things of God, and music is certainly no exception. Quite a few years ago, when a young man learned that my younger daughter was a music major in college he wanted to know what styles she liked. When I started talking about melody and harmony, he immediately put it down as “ear candy,” not really “serious music.” That is really pathetic to me. Real music connects on a deep level, as demonstrated by the many videos available of animals being entranced by humans making music. Some of them are quite amusing! God created us to make music, and to worship Him. Combining those two things is the most natural thing in the world.

Obviously, I grew up in a musical family. All six of us both sang and played instruments, and that was true for many in my extended family as well. I chose to play the clarinet largely because of the influence of a cousin who played with the Chicago Symphony while he was a college student. I certainly learned that proficiency requires practice! I also learned that there is wide variety in native ability. I have met several people who claimed to be “tone deaf,” but it has been medically demonstrated that genuine inability to distinguish tones is exceedingly rare. Environment, even in the womb, has a huge influence, and I was certainly blessed there. My family loved to gather around the piano and sing through the hymnal. I honestly think I could read music before I could read the words, because the notation seemed so simple and logical. Today, it has been literally years since I have played one of my clarinets, but I sing daily. At 76, my vocal control isn’t what it once was, but I certainly have quite a store of tunes and lyrics in my heart and mind. I look forward to singing to my heart’s content – and to the pleasure of my God – in heaven!

Father, thank You indeed for music, and most especially for the privilege and joy of making it to You. As that chorus says, “You are the Words and the Music, You are the Song that I Sing.” As the Psalmist says here, may the thoughts of my heart, musical or otherwise, be pleasing to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Accountability; July 5, 2025

Posted on July 6, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

This is absolutely essential to every human being, yet we all too often ignore part or even all of it. It starts with absolute, creationist monotheism. Just how God created us is open to interpretation, but the understanding that we are created beings is essential to avoid unbridled hubris on one side and nihilistic meaninglessness on the other. That understanding immediately leads to accountability, and that is addressed here as well: we belong to our Creator. The shepherd doesn’t create his sheep, but other than that, he has absolute authority over the sheep. We tend not to like that! We tend to be like little children whose favorite word is NO! The minute we are directed in something, we want to do something else! However, rebellion is not the path of joy, peace, and fulfillment. God has a plan for each one of us, and it is a far better plan than we could dream up for ourselves. (Jeremiah 29:11) It is when we acknowledge our Creator, and that we belong to Him, that we move more and more fully into the perfect plan that He has created for us. This is where faith comes in, because some of the steps along the way are NOT things we would choose for ourselves. We have to trust God that He knows what He’s doing, and believe that the ultimate outcome will be glorious beyond our imagination.

I have certainly had my rebellious moments, but I’m very grateful my parents instilled the principle of accountability into me. I have known that my actions had consequences, for myself and for those around me, and that has given me a desire for those consequences to be good. At this point I am convinced that God has been incredibly gracious to me, far more than I could ever have deserved. I have no idea how much longer the Lord will keep me in this body, but for however long that is, I want to be following His plan so that He may be pleased with me. Just yesterday I was invited to teach on Spiritual Gifts, and the prospect is exciting. I want everything God has placed in me to fulfill every purpose God had in giving it to me, so that many may be drawn to repentance and faith, for their salvation and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your perfect plan for me, Help me fulfill it more and more accurately and fully, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Salvation; July 4, 2025

Posted on July 5, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 98:1-2 Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known
    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

We tend to have many different definitions of salvation. In Japanese, the end of verse 1 says “victory,” rather than “salvation,” and that seems reasonable in context. However, in verse 2 it does say “salvation,” just like most English translations. When we think about it, “salvation” is simply the noun of the verb, “save,” and we apply that in many different ways. Often, I think we ourselves don’t know exactly what we mean when we say, salvation. Even for the firm believer, who has strong assurance that they will spend eternity in heaven with Christ, salvation can be a hard thing to explain. Victory is a much simpler concept, but even there we sometimes have trouble. It has famously been said that in Christ we have been saved from the penalty for sin, we are being saved from the power of sin, and we will be saved from the presence of sin. That is helpful, but we have to understand in the first place that sin is bad! That is where the devil does all he can to cloud our understanding. An extreme example is “pride month,” which we have just come out of. The devil is telling us to be proud of sexual perversion! And of course, that covers over the problem of pride itself. As Proverbs 16:18 famously says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” It is only when we realize what a trap we are in that we begin to understand salvation. Salvation is being rescued from the trap!

This is an issue I have wrestled with much of my life. As a child, I genuinely loved Jesus, but as I grew into my teenage years I discarded the idea that I needed help, thinking I could get by on my own. That was the whole trap of pride. At 24, already a married father, God got through to me and showed me how utterly in need of salvation I was. It was devastating, but I couldn’t be more grateful. As a missionary pastor now, one of my biggest issues is in helping people realize they need salvation. One of the fundamental characteristics of Japanese culture is the idea of ganbaru. The closest English translation I can come up with is “do your best,” or at times, “hang in there.” but that doesn’t get the full flavor. That makes Japanese reluctant to ask for help, and of course, the foundation of the Gospel is that we need help but can’t provide it for ourselves. I quickly run out of ways to explain it, because it is far more emotional than intellectual. Frankly, many Japanese have the feeling that “religion is for weak people who can’t ganbaru sufficiently.” That, of course, is a lie of the devil, and I can only counter it with the truth of God, asking and trusting the Holy Spirit to make it real in people’s hearts.

Father, thank You for Your salvation, which You so graciously make freely available to all who will receive it. I do ask You to use me to break through the lies of the enemy with Your truth, so that many will be set free to recognize their need and Your supply, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Light; July 3, 2025

Posted on July 4, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 97:11-12 Light shines (is sown) on the righteous
    and joy on the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.

The first part of this Psalm has been set to music that is even now echoing in my mind, and the point in verse 8 about God’s people rejoicing at things that terrify others is impressive, but it’s these last two verses that resonate most with me right now. The expression of light being sown seems unusual, to say the least. We speak often of shedding light, but not of sowing light. That’s a synonym for plant, as in seeds, implying that there will be growth, and eventually fruition. That brings to mind Proverbs 4:18, that says, “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” When God “plants” light in our hearts and lives we often don’t see it fully until later. What the Psalmist is saying is that if we live right, light is planted in our hearts and lives that will be manifested later, when it is needed. Going back to verse 8, circumstances might seem completely dark for those who don’t know God, but there is clear light for those who do know Him. We shouldn’t focus on “I’ve got to have light,” but rather focus on God who gives light, rejoicing in Him even when things aren’t as bright as we might like them to be.

I have had some pretty dark moments in my life, but in retrospect they don’t seem very long, or even that dark – even though I once attempted suicide. The problem was generally my perception, because God’s light never changes. When I am walking toward the light, everything is illuminated, but when I turn my back, my own shadow dominates. This is something I’ve expressed to others many times, but I need to keep remembering it myself! Circumstances change over time, so I need to stay focused on the One who is light, as John said in 1 John 1:5.

Father, thank You for this simple Word. Help me indeed be a sower of light, and not of darkness or confusion. May I allow Your light to grow in me and shine out from me, so that others may be drawn to You through me and allow Your light to grow in them as well, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Absolute Truth; July 2, 2025

Posted on July 3, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.

There are many musical settings to various parts of this Psalm, which is very appropriate when it talks so much about singing! This anonymous Psalmist had a good handle on the polytheistic culture that surrounded Israel. Today, many people would say this is politically incorrect, that we must respect other people’s religions. We are to respect other people, but we must call out lies for what they are. These days, the whole idea of absolute truth is seen as offensive by many people, simply because they want to be able to dictate “truth” in their own lives. That is actually very pathetic! We don’t create our own “facts” just by stating them! Some facts are indeed uncomfortable, but that doesn’t make them false. We all need to start the same way the Bible does: “In the beginning, God.” If we don’t have the foundation of a Creator to whom we are all accountable, everything falls apart. I don’t think God has left any culture without a testimony of who He is. Even in Japan, that calls itself “the land of 8 million gods,” there is a very old tradition of “Ame no Minakanushi,” the Lord in the Center of the Heavens. (I learned that from a DVD produced by Christian researchers in Hawaii, called God’s Fingerprints in Japan.) In most countries today we don’t have physical idols, but we refer to human entertainers as idols, and that’s not far off the mark! Whatever we place on the throne of our heart, apart from the One who created us and loved us enough to die for us, is an idol and a lie. God created the universe, and us in it, for His pleasure, because He is by nature Father, and He wanted children. All awareness of truth needs to start there.

Though I was born and raised in Japan, I was in a very Christian “bubble,” so to speak, and though I was aware of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples all around me, I was never tempted to worship at them. However, the devil got through to me on a more subtle level, and I was deceived by pride. Why couldn’t I dictate what was true? Why wasn’t I the arbiter of morality? That experience gives me a very strong reaction against the whole “my truth, your truth” movement today. No human being is the arbiter of truth; all we can do is agree with the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) At this point in my life I have finally come around to the sanity of fully agreeing with that statement, at least, and I spend my days seeking to know Him and His truth better and better.

Father, thank You for Your amazing patience with me. Thank You for the incredible gift of Your Son, to take the penalty for my sins, my stupid pride and rebellion against You. Help me be an effective conduit of Your grace and mercy to all who will receive it, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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