Author Archive | janej

Creating Space for God – No Worries “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” –Jeremiah 17:7 For the last few weeks, I’ve been studying the life of the prophet Elijah, who burst on the scene in the Old Testament during the reign of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel […]

Prayer for the Military Written by Jane Josephs for the 2021 National Day of Prayer Dear Lord, We bring before You the men and women in our country’s military. We pray that You would help them be strong and mighty, fighting for You, Lord, so that our enemies, foreign and domestic, would not prevail over […]

For and Against “…but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.” –Matthew 14:24 One of the most famous Rembrandt paintings, titled The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, depicts Jesus’ disciples caught in a ferocious storm. The only seascape ever painted by Rembrandt, […]

Though the Earth Give Way “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” –Psalm 46:1 With all the clean-up that’s happening on our PLC campus, I’ve been inspired to start cleaning out and re-organizing my office. And for those of you who may not know me, that means books, books, and more […]

The Bread and the Fish “When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.” –Luke 24:30 Before the coronavirus pandemic arrived on our doorstep last year, my husband and I were part of a Friday Night Supper Club. Our group planned our […]

“What a Day!” “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’” –Matthew 27:63 I can still remember the day I realized that yes, Jesus truly had risen from the dead. Then and now (50 years later) that revelation has made all the […]

Here She Is… “This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful.” –Esther 2:7b When I was growing up, one of our favorite events on TV was the yearly Miss America Beauty Pageant. My sister and I would eagerly watch for Miss West Virginia, always hoping that this […]

Is This a Yoke? We finish our reading from the Moravian Texts today in the book of Ezra with a great sin exposed, a priest’s fervent prayer, and a wrenching act of repentance. The problem? The “remnant” that God has re-established in Israel has not “kept themselves separate” from the neighboring people with their “detestable […]

Wild Animals and Angels “He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” –Mark 1:13 Mark, also known as John Mark (the cousin of Barnabas), is the only Gospel writer who tells us that during Jesus’ time of temptation in the desert he was with the wild animals. Some commentators note that “in Jesus’ […]

In the Twinkling of an Eye Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. –1 Corinthians 15:51-52 I remember the day I stepped out of the airport into the San Diego sunshine for the […]