September 30~ Acts 26:19
"What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change - this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life - right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I hope you will go back and read all of Acts 26 for yourself. You can click on www.biblegateway.com to find it in The Message if you don’t have a copy of that translation. Paul is speaking before King Agrippa, who has told him to tell his story… to explain what changed him from being a very cruel man (who most likely participated in the torture and beatings of Jesus before His crucifixion) to becoming such a fervent witness for Christ and a preacher and planter of churches.
Paul is explaining about his experience on the road to Damascus and how incredible this was. You know the commercial where the guy whops himself on the head and says, “WOW! I could have had a V-8!” Imagine that times 1000 or better! I mean, this was a HUGELY PROFOUND experience. Paul explains that he could not walk away from that kind of a vision!
Now, your conversion experience may not have been nearly that profound. In fact, it may have been seemingly uneventful by comparison. But I assure you that in Jesus’ eyes, it was not. In the eyes of our Lord and Savior, EVERY conversion experience is equally important and incredible. Paul is telling King Agrippa and his court that his experience was so amazing that he had to share it with others, even at the risk of life and limb – and certainly imprisonment and torture.
What about you? Was your Salvation experience life changing? Are you willing to say, “I can’t walk away from a vision like that!”? Are you willing to do whatever – whenever – for God? I encourage you to ask God to show you what He wants you to do for Him… and to give you the courage to be like Paul. I pray that you will become an “obedient believer” and radically turn to Him in your everyday life.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 29 ~ Acts 20:22-36
(The words of Paul to the leaders of Ephesus) 22-24 "But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I'm completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won't be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God. 25-27 "And so this is good-bye. You're not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so long proclaiming the news of God's inaugurated kingdom. I've done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God's will for you. 28 "Now it's up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God's people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for. 29-31 "I know that as soon as I'm gone, vicious wolves are going to show up and rip into this flock, men from your very own ranks twisting words so as to seduce disciples into following them instead of Jesus. So stay awake and keep up your guard. Remember those three years I kept at it with you, never letting up, pouring my heart out with you, one after another. 32 "Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends. 33-35 "I've never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. With these bare hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. In everything I've done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than getting.'" Then Paul went down on his knees, all of them kneeling with him, and prayed. And then a river of tears. Much clinging to Paul, not wanting to let him go. They knew they would never see him again—he had told them quite plainly. The pain cut deep. Then, bravely, they walked him down to the ship.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I visited with a young man who is part of the 39th Infantry Brigade of the Arkansas Army National Guard. They will leave the in the next few days for their second tour of duty in Iraq. This young man will leave behind a wife, a 22-month old child, and a baby who is only weeks old. The 39th has been told to prepare to be gone another year. He commented, “my children won’t even know me when I return.” I pray that he and his fellow soldiers do indeed return. The man told me of the preparations he is making now with his wife and children… computers and webcams for communication, and talks and plans for the separation. His wife was finding it almost impossible to talk about this deployment with him, and yet he knew they needed to talk about a lot of things.
Paul knew what he faced, and he knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. He loved those he was leaving behind. And he had things they needed to discuss before he left. He was preparing them. And he was encouraging them to carry on without him. He was telling them in plain language how to survive on their own… and to prosper and continue his work.
Paul’s message to the leaders from Ephesus is our message from Christ. He has gone before us, but He prepared us for this time. He has turned us over to God and given us all of the tools and information for not only surviving until we see Him again… but also winning others to Him in the meantime.
I can’t imagine the day the 39th will officially leave and say “Good-bye” to their families and loved ones. I often cannot watch the farewells and reunions of soldiers on television news reports. The pain cuts deep. Saying “Good-bye” to a loved one is hard. I can’t even begin to comprehend how hard it was for Jesus’ mother, brother and loved ones to watch Him beaten, tortured, and crucified. But because of this, I know that we can make it. We can “walk Jesus down to the ship,” so to speak, kiss Him “Good-bye” and trust that we will meet Him again some day in Heaven. Meanwhile, WE can carry on in the name of Jesus. We can be His hands and feet on this earth, and I promise you, HE will walk beside you every step of the way.
Pray for the 39th and other soldiers who are being deployed. Pray for each other as we do what we have been called and prepared to do in Jesus’ name. Pray for peace.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 28 ~John 11:9
Jesus replied, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in daylight doesn't stumble because there's plenty of light from the sun. Walking at night, he might very well stumble because he can't see where he's going."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever been out at night when it is really dark. Maybe you are camping and you are walking to a nearby restroom, flashlight in hand, but unsure of the pathway. Maybe you are finding your way back to your car or the bus after an “away” ballgame. Maybe you are awakened from a deep sleep and stumbling to find the bathroom, especially if you are visiting someone and unfamiliar with their home.
Walking with Jesus is like walking in daylight. The way is sure and bright and clear, and you see the obstacles before you. Notice I didn’t say you avoid them, necessarily, but the light allows you the opportunity to see them and choose how to proceed. But in the darkness, quite literally, we often stumble. And in the darkness of walking without Christ, we cannot see where we are going. We are “flying blind” as some would say, and that is a scary, slippery slope. Most likely, at some point, we will stumble, and the fall may be quite painful… even deadly.
So walk in the daylight with Christ. Avoid the darkness of Satan’s world. Be safe, and don’t stumble… there is plenty of Light from the Son!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 27 ~ John 10:1
"Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he's up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
My two cats, Mabel and Lucy, are probably about as asocial as cats come. I know cats are, by nature, aloof, but these two take that concept to a completely new level. Yet, when they see my husband or me, they walk right to us, and we can walk right up to them. They know us… and we know them. We know how to approach them, and when to leave them alone. They know our voices, and we call their names and they look our way – and sometimes they come when called! I told you, cats have minds of their own!
But let a stranger come – or someone ring our doorbell – and the cats scatter like marbles. They find a hidey-hole where they feel safe and hidden, and they don’t come out until they are certain that it is all okay… or the strangers are gone! Sometimes we have to coax them to come out and relax.
I am so glad that Jesus knows me. I am glad He knows my heart and my “style.” I’m glad that I know Him, and that usually, I recognize His voice. What about you? Do you recognize Jesus when He speaks to you? Do you recognize His knock at the door of your heart? Or is He so much of a stranger to you that you mistake him for a sheep rustler who is up to no good? I pray that you will walk so closely with Jesus that there is no mistaking Who He is. I pray that Jesus is your gatekeeper, and you are His sheep, and that the voice of a stranger causes you to scatter until He speaks to you and calls for you once again.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 26 ~ Mark 6:47
Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Can you imagine being out on a boat in the middle of Greers Ferry Lake in a wind storm, and you look up and a man is walking toward you… on the water! You would be scared out of your wits, too, wouldn’t you?!
But consider this… we all know – or at least we say we know – that Jesus can do anything, even walk on water. Yet walking with Him, spiritually, scares some of us out of our wits! We are afraid of what others will think, or of what Jesus will ask us to do in His name. In other words, we are afraid it may cost us something – cause us to have to “sacrifice” for the One Who sacrificed everything for us… even to His very life. And so, we scream – inside, at least – and fight, and kick and struggle against the very One Who can set us free. I could ask you why we do that, but the answers are vast and varied.
But the bigger question is, why are we continuing? Isn’t it time we stopped being frightened by our daily walk with Christ and embraced it? Isn’t it time we did what Jesus has already done for us and set ourselves free?
So c’mon! Walk on water with Jesus, and see where He takes you!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 25 ~ John 5:1-16
Soon another Feast came around and Jesus was back in Jerusalem. Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there was a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, with five alcoves. Hundreds of sick people—blind, crippled, paralyzed—were in these alcoves. One man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, "Do you want to get well?" The sick man said, "Sir, when the water is stirred, I don't have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is already in." Jesus said, "Get up, take your bedroll, start walking." The man was healed on the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off. That day happened to be the Sabbath. The Jews stopped the healed man and said, "It's the Sabbath. You can't carry your bedroll around. It's against the rules." But he told them, "The man who made me well told me to. He said, 'Take your bedroll and start walking.'" They asked, "Who gave you the order to take it up and start walking?" But the healed man didn't know, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd. A little later Jesus found him in the Temple and said, "You look wonderful! You're well! Don't return to a sinning life or something worse might happen." The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. That is why the Jews were out to get Jesus—because he did this kind of thing on the Sabbath.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
How often are we like the lame man… waiting for someone to pick us up and do something to help us? Sure, the lame man needed help getting into the healing pool. But you know what? WE need help, too! We need Someone to pick us up and set us in the healing pool of God’s grace and mercy and love. And Jesus does that for us. He tells us to get up, take our bedroom (the doormat of our lives where we wallow in our burdens), and start walking! And He heals us, forgives us, restores us to life in Him.
But there is more to this story. If you read it again, you will see that when Jesus saw the lame man later, He admonished him not to return to a sinful life. And that is the same message He has for us. Stay the course. Keep walking with Him! He has made us well… now let’s stay that way!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 24 ~Luke 7:21-23
In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight. Then he gave his answer: "Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard: The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth have God's salvation hospitality extended to them. "Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I guess the phrase “the lame walk,” will forever have more personal meaning for me. I never gave walking much thought. I would see someone in a wheelchair and think how hard it must be to always have to travel in that chair… how so many things were unreachable – literally – and how many places were inaccessible. Or I would see someone hobbling along on crutches and briefly feel sorry for them.
When I broke my ankle and was unable to walk without crutches, I knew firsthand what it was like to be unable to climb stairs. We were building a new house, and for several weeks, I could only glance upward and imagine what was there – I certainly could not get up the 15 or so steps to see for myself! I couldn’t travel on uneven terrain. The crutches rubbed raw places under my armpits, and maneuvering anywhere that required very many steps was a challenge – and very tiring! The handful of times I ventured out to a store to shop, my husband pushed me in a wheelchair or I used a motorized cart, and both were very challenging. Looking at everything from the seat of a wheelchair or cart gives you a totally different perspective on the world. I remember being in Home Depot and trying to look at light fixtures, and everything was boxed high overhead on shelves. I got a headache from looking up into the glare of the bright overhead lights, and my neck was quickly stiff from craning to see what was on those shelves!
But the good news is that God healed me. Even better, He healed me ahead of schedule by a couple of weeks at least! And even better than that is the message of this scripture passage… “the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the wretched of the earth have God’s salvation hospitality extended to them!” You see… the best news of all is that we… the Spiritually blind, lame, deaf, dead lepers are saved by God’s grace and mercy! We may not literally be any of these things, but in Spiritual terms, we are all of them. And yet, God heals us. He delivers us. He promises us Eternal Life with Him!
This is GREAT news! It may not be what we were expecting, but it is a wonderful gift! I don’t know about you, but I do count myself fortunate… and I pray you do the same. What about it? Are you “walking” today?
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 23 ~ Luke 24:13-32 The Road to Emmaus
13-16 That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.
17-18 He asked, "What's this you're discussing so intently as you walk along?" They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, "Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn't heard what's happened during the last few days?"
19-24 He said, "What has happened?" They said, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn't find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn't see Jesus."
25-27 Then he said to them, "So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don't you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?" Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.
28-31 They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: "Stay and have supper with us. It's nearly evening; the day is done." So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.
32 Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I was sitting in the airport, waiting to catch a plane. A very nice young man was sitting next to me, and we struck up a conversation. He told me his name was Raymond House, and he was finishing his senior year as an Arkansas Razorback football player. I told him that the head coach’s secretary was a lifelong personal friend of mine, and we talked about what a lovely person she is. He was reading a local newspaper, and quietly turning the pages in the sports section. We talked quite awhile… he was headed to a football game in Florida… a showcase for those with potential to play in the pros. I was impressed with his intelligence and how polite he was.
The first leg of our flight was on the same plane, and when we deplaned somewhere in Texas to finish our flights, I wished him well in the game, and he wished me a safe flight. When my husband picked me up later, I excitedly told him about meeting Raymond House, who was a star defensive end for the Razorbacks. I had brought along a copy of our local paper, and as my husband read it, he asked, “Did you congratulate Raymond on his most recent award?” I gave him a puzzled look, and he showed me a rather large article in the Sports section about a prestigious award this young man had just received. The athlete had probably read the article right beside me as we sat in the terminal, but he never even mentioned it. Most young men would have pointed it out and said, “This is ME!” Not Raymond! Now I was really impressed, but also embarrassed that I had not recognized more about him. Raymond went on to play pro ball for the Atlanta Falcons. I didn’t even ask him for his autograph!
On a much larger scale, this is how it was for Cleopas and his friend when they encountered Jesus. They did not recognize Him, and they went on and on about the rumors they had heard of the Nazarene and all that happened to Him… the crucifixion, the empty tomb, and more. And all the time, they were talking to JESUS! Once they realized Who had been walking with them… Who had broken bread with them… they were stunned. They were also probably embarrassed.
Aren’t we so often like these two men? Don’t we often stand in the presence of Christ and not even recognize Him? Don’t we often give credit for things in our life to someone or something else, when all along, it was the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we didn’t even see it? How long will we walk along the road to Emmaus with blinders on? How many times will we fail to “get it?” I pray that we would all stop and pay closer attention to our daily walk and Who is on the road beside us. I pray that we would never fail to recognize Christ’s presence in our lives, and that He would become so much a part of the fabric of our daily existence it is as if we live and breathe Christ. Open your eyes… open your heart… walk daily with Jesus and KNOW He is with you!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 22 ~ Luke 14:25
25-27 One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one's own self!—can't be my disciple. Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I am reminded of my days as a kindergarten teacher. More than once a tearful mother came to my door the first days of the school year, with a crying child in tow who was clinging desperately to her leg. “Nooooo… don’t leave me!” the child would cry. “Momma, momma, momma!” I would assure the mother that it would all be okay once she actually left and the child could no longer see her. And truly it was. Sometimes the child continued to cry for awhile, but more often than not the crying ended almost immediately.
Sometimes, it’s hard to let go of our mommas. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine doing anything on our own. Few of us are truly alone, with no other family that we can’t at least reach by telephone, mail or e-mail. But think for a minute what it would be like if you didn’t have your family and friends. Think what it would be like if you had to totally disconnect from all of those you knew and loved in order to truly follow Jesus.
Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t call us to physically disconnect from our loved ones. In fact, He wants us to enjoy the company and fellowship of family and friends. BUT… He does want to be first in our lives. He wants us to totally surrender our hearts to Him. Sometimes that means we have to physically disconnect from others. If you are associating with someone who is not committed to Christ and “drags you down” Spiritually, you may have to separate from them. If you are living with someone who is always trying to get you to engage I sinful activity, or who does not support your efforts to walk with Christ, you may have to move. Truly, Jesus is asking you to follow HIM at all costs… including your parents, your spouse, your siblings, your best friend… ANYONE who separates you from Christ must be separated from you. Nobody wants to think about totally disconnecting from their momma. But better your momma than Jesus!
I pray that your family and friends all walk with Christ and that this is a no-brainer for you. But more than this, I pray that you are strong enough in your Spiritual walk to make the tough choices. May God be with you – may His strength and courage be powerful in and through you – and may you walk freely with Him every day.
©2007 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotionals for September 2007, Week 3
September 21 ~ Luke 5:27
27-28 After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." And he did - walked away from everything and went with him.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I remember when my husband and I were dating. He could stop by my house or call me on the telephone, and it didn’t matter what I was doing – I dropped everything to give him my total attention. And that’s what Levi the tax collector did when Jesus walked by and called out to him, “Come along with me.” If I am to be totally honest, I don’t always react to my husband in the same way now. It’s not that I don’t love him or want to spend time with him. But after three years of dating and 33 years of marriage, it’s not always quite as exciting, and the “worries of the day” are more pressing and seem more important at times than dropping everything I am doing at that moment. I sometimes have to ask if he can wait… or if what he wants me to do can wait. Or I have to ask if I can call him back later. And thankfully, he is quite accommodating of this – most of the time.
Sadly, we do this with Jesus all the time. He calls to us to do things with Him or for Him… to spend time worshipping Him at church on Sundays… to minister to others in His name… to study the Bible or pray… to witness to others and tell them about Him… and in essence we say, “Can it wait, Lord? I’m sorta busy here!” And maybe we get back to Him, but more often than not, we never “return His call.”
When I think of how this must grieve Jesus, I am so ashamed and saddened. I am embarrassed and disheartened to think that the One Who gave everything for me… the One Who is the Author and Finisher of my life – and my eternal life… is so often pushed to the corner to wait until it is convenient for me. And I am humbled and inspired by the actions of Levi. Are you?
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 20 ~ Mark 15:16-24
16-20 The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.
21 There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus' cross.
22-24 The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning "Skull Hill." They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn't take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Can you imagine it? You are walking home from work or school, minding your own business, and a policeman stops you and says, “you have to carry this prisoner’s ball and chain to the courtsquare – we’re going to hang him.” You don’t have a choice. You are forced to do this. The ball and chain is heavy, and it’s hot, and people are lining the street like it’s some sort of parade. They are shouting and jeering, and throwing things at the prisoner. And then you look up and realize that the “prisoner” is your friend… maybe even your relative. You love this person. You have lived with him and worked with him and you know him… and he is NOT a criminal! Yet you are being forced to walk alongside him and carry his ball and chain and lead him to his death.
How would you feel? Surely the walk would not be easy. But what if the prisoner leaned out and whispered to you that “it’s okay. Thank you for doing this for me.” What if you realized that, by walking with your friend in this horrible, totally unfair circumstance, you were being the ultimate friend – sticking with him even in the worst hours of his life?
Christ does that for us… but when the going gets tough, do we carry the cross for him? Are we willing to do whatever He asks of us, no matter what it means or what we have to give up to accomplish it? Are we truly walking with Christ, or do we only walk when the weather is right and everything is pleasant and easy? Yes, the scripture says that the soldiers made Simon the Cyrene carry Jesus’ cross. But I would like to think that he did so in part because he felt it was the right thing to do for his Lord. And in that regard, I pray that we may always be willing to do the same.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 19 ~ Matthew 19:21-24
21 "If you want to give it all you've got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me."
22 That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crest-fallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn't bear to let go.
23-24 As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom? Let me tell you, it's easier to gallop a camel through a needle's eye than for the rich to enter God's kingdom."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever seen the movie The Jerk with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters? In this 1979 film, Martin plays a dimwit named Navin Johnson who discovers he is not black like the rest of his family, so he runs away from home. He gets into all sorts of trouble, but eventually he invents an eyeglass device that makes him rich. He marries Bernadette Peters’ character and they start living the lavish life of the rich and famous. He loves his possessions and his lifestyle. Through a series of events, he loses all of his money and becomes destitute. As he is leaving his palatial home for the last time, he tells his wife…
”Well I'm gonna to go then. And I don't need any of this. I don't need this stuff, and I don't need you. I don't need anything except this. (He picks up an ashtray.) And that's it and that's the only thing I need, is this. I don't need this or this. Just this ashtray. And this paddle game, the ashtray and the paddle game and that's all I need. And this remote control. The ashtray, the paddle game, and the remote control, and that's all I need. And these matches. The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control and the paddle ball. And this lamp. The ashtray, this paddle game and the remote control and the lamp and that's all I need. And that's all I need too. I don't need one other thing, not one - I need this. The paddle game, and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches, for sure. And this. And that's all I need. The ashtray, the remote control, the paddle game, this magazine and the chair.”
The spiel goes on a bit longer, but you get the idea. Here was a man who loved his things and felt he could not part with them. In the end, Navin returns home to his family, who waited patiently for him and welcomed him with open arms.
Navin missed the boat on a lot of things in life, but aren’t we all Navins at times? We get so caught up in our “things” and appearances, and we miss the fact that the way to Christ is very simple and narrow, and we can’t drag all of the baggage of our life with us on the walk with Him. He wants us to drop everything and come to Him totally unburdened with “stuff”. My husband and I have laughed and laughed about this movie scene over the years, and it has become something of a “gut-check” for us when we feel ourselves becoming too materialistic or focusing too much on “things” rather than what really matters.
What about you? Are you trying to walk with Christ while lugging your “ashtray, remote control, paddle game, lamp and chair?” He wants you to leave it all behind and come follow HIM. Can you do that? Or will you be like the young man who can’t bear to let them go? Remember, all your wealth will be in Heaven. And THAT is all you need!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 18 ~ Matthew 14:23-26; 28-30
22-23 As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.
24-26 Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror.
28 Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water."
29-30 He said, "Come ahead." Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I would like to share with you the words of a song I wrote titled “Walk on Water.” I believe we all have a choice to make… we can “walk on water” with Jesus, or we can sink or swim. It’s up to us… which will you choose?
Walk On Water
©2004 Debbie Robus
Verse 1:
Sometimes it's hard to know where to turn
To know who to trust and what to believe
But I've got a Friend, with lessons I'm learning
A Hope and a Faith, and gifts He brings to me…
Chorus:
Walk on Water… keep your eyes on Christ
Walk on Water… let Faith fill your life
When life seems confusing, you can choose to sink or swim
Or you can keep your eyes on Jesus, and walk close to Him
It's a matter of faith, and it's up to me and you
Keep your eyes on the Master… He will get you through
Walk on Water
Verse 2:
Sometimes life is up; sometimes life is down
Sometimes you have friends; sometimes you're alone
But I serve a King, and His name is Jesus
In Him I know I am always at home
Chorus:
Walk on Water… keep your eyes on Christ
Walk on Water… let Faith fill your life
When life seems confusing, you can choose to sink or swim
Or you can keep your eyes on Jesus, and walk close to Him
It's a matter of faith, and it's up to me and you
Keep your eyes on the Master… He will get you through
Walk on Water
Walk on Water
Walk on Water
September 17 ~ Matthew 11:27-30
27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. 28-30 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
In my twenties, I took up running. I started out walking, and then I would intersperse some running, and soon I was running more than walking. My brother-in-law was running in 10K races and even a couple of marathons, so he was much better at running than I was. But one weekend we both ended up at a family get-together, and he invited me to take a morning run. He was planning to run three miles. I had never run that far – in fact, I had only run between 1.5 and two miles. He told me, “If you can run 1.5 miles, you can run three miles.” And he proved it! We ran and talked, and soon I had completed three miles!
”Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it.” That’s exactly what I did on this run. We didn’t run faster or harder than I was able… we maintained a steady unforced rhythm. We kept each other company along the way. Returning home, I found myself repeating the thought, “If you can run 1.5 miles, you can run three.” And soon, I realized if I could run three miles, I could run five… and pretty soon, I was running 5K races, and then 10K races. I even garnered a couple of medals for finishing well in my age division (okay, so there weren’t that many women runners in my category!).
The point is, someone encouraged me and took the time to show me the way to accomplish this, and he made it easy and comfortable. And that is what Jesus wants to do for us. He wants us to walk with Him, to pay attention and let Him show us how to do this. He wants to make it easy for us and comfortable. I can’t imagine anyone I would rather have for a “running partner” in life than Jesus, can you? So what are you waiting for? “Walk with me and work with me” … He’s ready when you are!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 16 ~ Hosea 14:9
If you want to live well,
make sure you understand all of this.
If you know what's good for you,
you'll learn this inside and out.
God's paths get you where you want to go.
Right-living people walk them easily;
wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
The Old Testament talks a lot about men and women who “walked with God.” These were people who followed God’s paths. Their life wasn’t always easy, but by living right and following God, trouble was pretty well always “in the other lane.”
Have you ever tried to get somewhere without a map, and in doing so, you got all turned around and ended up in the wrong spot? My mother had a friend who traveled to New York once and decided to take a subway ride. She got off in the wrong spot and ended up near Harlem in a very dangerous situation. Suddenly she was surrounded by several people who looked as if they meant to do her great harm. She began to pray… I mean really pray! And she kept walking. Soon someone appeared beside her and started walking with her. She was not sure this person was any more harmless than the others, but she had no choice but to keep walking and praying. And the person stayed right with her all the way to safety. It’s been a long time since this happened, and some of the details are hazy, but I’m pretty sure she was finally able to hail a cab and return to her hotel. Somehow, she made it back safely.
I find this story incredible. This woman did a foolish thing and did not pay attention to her maps or where she was going. And in doing so, she tripped and stumbled into an amazingly dangerous situation. But she did the right thing… she called on God to help her, and a “stranger” appeared to walk beside her. You do the math! From my vantage point, it is pretty clear that she wasn’t in the company of a “stranger” at all, but rather the only Walking Partner Who really matters.
Don’t try this at home, so to speak. Don’t go your own way and expect to pray when things get dicey and expect God to get you out of trouble. It doesn’t always work that way. Keep Him with you and guiding you at all times… in all situations… and learn His ways “inside and out.”
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 15 ~ Ecclesiastes 10:2-4
2 Wise thinking leads to right living;
Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.
3 Fools on the road have no sense of direction.
The way they walk tells the story: "There goes the fool again!"
4 If a ruler loses his temper against you, don't panic;
A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever seen someone walk with a swagger, as if they were really somebody and they knew it? Did you think to yourself… “there goes the fool again!”? C’mon, be honest… I betcha did! Have you ever seen someone who was inebriated or high on drugs try to walk the straight line in a field sobriety test? Did you think they were foolish?
The point is this… the way you walk does tell the story. And the way you WALK in your daily living tells the story of your relationship with Christ. Are you acting foolish? Sure, to Christ, you are a “somebody.” But are you swaggering and puffing your chest and acting like you are more of a “somebody” than you really are? God wants you to be real. He wants you to think wisely, live right, have a sense of direction in Him, and stay calm. So how are you doing? Which way do you walk?
©2007 Debbie Robus
27-28 After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." And he did - walked away from everything and went with him.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I remember when my husband and I were dating. He could stop by my house or call me on the telephone, and it didn’t matter what I was doing – I dropped everything to give him my total attention. And that’s what Levi the tax collector did when Jesus walked by and called out to him, “Come along with me.” If I am to be totally honest, I don’t always react to my husband in the same way now. It’s not that I don’t love him or want to spend time with him. But after three years of dating and 33 years of marriage, it’s not always quite as exciting, and the “worries of the day” are more pressing and seem more important at times than dropping everything I am doing at that moment. I sometimes have to ask if he can wait… or if what he wants me to do can wait. Or I have to ask if I can call him back later. And thankfully, he is quite accommodating of this – most of the time.
Sadly, we do this with Jesus all the time. He calls to us to do things with Him or for Him… to spend time worshipping Him at church on Sundays… to minister to others in His name… to study the Bible or pray… to witness to others and tell them about Him… and in essence we say, “Can it wait, Lord? I’m sorta busy here!” And maybe we get back to Him, but more often than not, we never “return His call.”
When I think of how this must grieve Jesus, I am so ashamed and saddened. I am embarrassed and disheartened to think that the One Who gave everything for me… the One Who is the Author and Finisher of my life – and my eternal life… is so often pushed to the corner to wait until it is convenient for me. And I am humbled and inspired by the actions of Levi. Are you?
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 20 ~ Mark 15:16-24
16-20 The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.
21 There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus' cross.
22-24 The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning "Skull Hill." They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn't take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Can you imagine it? You are walking home from work or school, minding your own business, and a policeman stops you and says, “you have to carry this prisoner’s ball and chain to the courtsquare – we’re going to hang him.” You don’t have a choice. You are forced to do this. The ball and chain is heavy, and it’s hot, and people are lining the street like it’s some sort of parade. They are shouting and jeering, and throwing things at the prisoner. And then you look up and realize that the “prisoner” is your friend… maybe even your relative. You love this person. You have lived with him and worked with him and you know him… and he is NOT a criminal! Yet you are being forced to walk alongside him and carry his ball and chain and lead him to his death.
How would you feel? Surely the walk would not be easy. But what if the prisoner leaned out and whispered to you that “it’s okay. Thank you for doing this for me.” What if you realized that, by walking with your friend in this horrible, totally unfair circumstance, you were being the ultimate friend – sticking with him even in the worst hours of his life?
Christ does that for us… but when the going gets tough, do we carry the cross for him? Are we willing to do whatever He asks of us, no matter what it means or what we have to give up to accomplish it? Are we truly walking with Christ, or do we only walk when the weather is right and everything is pleasant and easy? Yes, the scripture says that the soldiers made Simon the Cyrene carry Jesus’ cross. But I would like to think that he did so in part because he felt it was the right thing to do for his Lord. And in that regard, I pray that we may always be willing to do the same.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 19 ~ Matthew 19:21-24
21 "If you want to give it all you've got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me."
22 That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crest-fallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn't bear to let go.
23-24 As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom? Let me tell you, it's easier to gallop a camel through a needle's eye than for the rich to enter God's kingdom."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever seen the movie The Jerk with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters? In this 1979 film, Martin plays a dimwit named Navin Johnson who discovers he is not black like the rest of his family, so he runs away from home. He gets into all sorts of trouble, but eventually he invents an eyeglass device that makes him rich. He marries Bernadette Peters’ character and they start living the lavish life of the rich and famous. He loves his possessions and his lifestyle. Through a series of events, he loses all of his money and becomes destitute. As he is leaving his palatial home for the last time, he tells his wife…
”Well I'm gonna to go then. And I don't need any of this. I don't need this stuff, and I don't need you. I don't need anything except this. (He picks up an ashtray.) And that's it and that's the only thing I need, is this. I don't need this or this. Just this ashtray. And this paddle game, the ashtray and the paddle game and that's all I need. And this remote control. The ashtray, the paddle game, and the remote control, and that's all I need. And these matches. The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control and the paddle ball. And this lamp. The ashtray, this paddle game and the remote control and the lamp and that's all I need. And that's all I need too. I don't need one other thing, not one - I need this. The paddle game, and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches, for sure. And this. And that's all I need. The ashtray, the remote control, the paddle game, this magazine and the chair.”
The spiel goes on a bit longer, but you get the idea. Here was a man who loved his things and felt he could not part with them. In the end, Navin returns home to his family, who waited patiently for him and welcomed him with open arms.
Navin missed the boat on a lot of things in life, but aren’t we all Navins at times? We get so caught up in our “things” and appearances, and we miss the fact that the way to Christ is very simple and narrow, and we can’t drag all of the baggage of our life with us on the walk with Him. He wants us to drop everything and come to Him totally unburdened with “stuff”. My husband and I have laughed and laughed about this movie scene over the years, and it has become something of a “gut-check” for us when we feel ourselves becoming too materialistic or focusing too much on “things” rather than what really matters.
What about you? Are you trying to walk with Christ while lugging your “ashtray, remote control, paddle game, lamp and chair?” He wants you to leave it all behind and come follow HIM. Can you do that? Or will you be like the young man who can’t bear to let them go? Remember, all your wealth will be in Heaven. And THAT is all you need!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 18 ~ Matthew 14:23-26; 28-30
22-23 As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.
24-26 Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror.
28 Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water."
29-30 He said, "Come ahead." Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I would like to share with you the words of a song I wrote titled “Walk on Water.” I believe we all have a choice to make… we can “walk on water” with Jesus, or we can sink or swim. It’s up to us… which will you choose?
Walk On Water
©2004 Debbie Robus
Verse 1:
Sometimes it's hard to know where to turn
To know who to trust and what to believe
But I've got a Friend, with lessons I'm learning
A Hope and a Faith, and gifts He brings to me…
Chorus:
Walk on Water… keep your eyes on Christ
Walk on Water… let Faith fill your life
When life seems confusing, you can choose to sink or swim
Or you can keep your eyes on Jesus, and walk close to Him
It's a matter of faith, and it's up to me and you
Keep your eyes on the Master… He will get you through
Walk on Water
Verse 2:
Sometimes life is up; sometimes life is down
Sometimes you have friends; sometimes you're alone
But I serve a King, and His name is Jesus
In Him I know I am always at home
Chorus:
Walk on Water… keep your eyes on Christ
Walk on Water… let Faith fill your life
When life seems confusing, you can choose to sink or swim
Or you can keep your eyes on Jesus, and walk close to Him
It's a matter of faith, and it's up to me and you
Keep your eyes on the Master… He will get you through
Walk on Water
Walk on Water
Walk on Water
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 17 ~ Matthew 11:27-30
27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. 28-30 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
In my twenties, I took up running. I started out walking, and then I would intersperse some running, and soon I was running more than walking. My brother-in-law was running in 10K races and even a couple of marathons, so he was much better at running than I was. But one weekend we both ended up at a family get-together, and he invited me to take a morning run. He was planning to run three miles. I had never run that far – in fact, I had only run between 1.5 and two miles. He told me, “If you can run 1.5 miles, you can run three miles.” And he proved it! We ran and talked, and soon I had completed three miles!
”Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it.” That’s exactly what I did on this run. We didn’t run faster or harder than I was able… we maintained a steady unforced rhythm. We kept each other company along the way. Returning home, I found myself repeating the thought, “If you can run 1.5 miles, you can run three.” And soon, I realized if I could run three miles, I could run five… and pretty soon, I was running 5K races, and then 10K races. I even garnered a couple of medals for finishing well in my age division (okay, so there weren’t that many women runners in my category!).
The point is, someone encouraged me and took the time to show me the way to accomplish this, and he made it easy and comfortable. And that is what Jesus wants to do for us. He wants us to walk with Him, to pay attention and let Him show us how to do this. He wants to make it easy for us and comfortable. I can’t imagine anyone I would rather have for a “running partner” in life than Jesus, can you? So what are you waiting for? “Walk with me and work with me” … He’s ready when you are!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 16 ~ Hosea 14:9
If you want to live well,
make sure you understand all of this.
If you know what's good for you,
you'll learn this inside and out.
God's paths get you where you want to go.
Right-living people walk them easily;
wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
The Old Testament talks a lot about men and women who “walked with God.” These were people who followed God’s paths. Their life wasn’t always easy, but by living right and following God, trouble was pretty well always “in the other lane.”
Have you ever tried to get somewhere without a map, and in doing so, you got all turned around and ended up in the wrong spot? My mother had a friend who traveled to New York once and decided to take a subway ride. She got off in the wrong spot and ended up near Harlem in a very dangerous situation. Suddenly she was surrounded by several people who looked as if they meant to do her great harm. She began to pray… I mean really pray! And she kept walking. Soon someone appeared beside her and started walking with her. She was not sure this person was any more harmless than the others, but she had no choice but to keep walking and praying. And the person stayed right with her all the way to safety. It’s been a long time since this happened, and some of the details are hazy, but I’m pretty sure she was finally able to hail a cab and return to her hotel. Somehow, she made it back safely.
I find this story incredible. This woman did a foolish thing and did not pay attention to her maps or where she was going. And in doing so, she tripped and stumbled into an amazingly dangerous situation. But she did the right thing… she called on God to help her, and a “stranger” appeared to walk beside her. You do the math! From my vantage point, it is pretty clear that she wasn’t in the company of a “stranger” at all, but rather the only Walking Partner Who really matters.
Don’t try this at home, so to speak. Don’t go your own way and expect to pray when things get dicey and expect God to get you out of trouble. It doesn’t always work that way. Keep Him with you and guiding you at all times… in all situations… and learn His ways “inside and out.”
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 15 ~ Ecclesiastes 10:2-4
2 Wise thinking leads to right living;
Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.
3 Fools on the road have no sense of direction.
The way they walk tells the story: "There goes the fool again!"
4 If a ruler loses his temper against you, don't panic;
A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever seen someone walk with a swagger, as if they were really somebody and they knew it? Did you think to yourself… “there goes the fool again!”? C’mon, be honest… I betcha did! Have you ever seen someone who was inebriated or high on drugs try to walk the straight line in a field sobriety test? Did you think they were foolish?
The point is this… the way you walk does tell the story. And the way you WALK in your daily living tells the story of your relationship with Christ. Are you acting foolish? Sure, to Christ, you are a “somebody.” But are you swaggering and puffing your chest and acting like you are more of a “somebody” than you really are? God wants you to be real. He wants you to think wisely, live right, have a sense of direction in Him, and stay calm. So how are you doing? Which way do you walk?
©2007 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotionals for September 2007, Week 2
September 14 ~ 1 Kings 2:1-4
1-4 When David's time to die approached, he charged his son Solomon, saying, "I'm about to go the way of all the earth, but you—be strong; show what you're made of! Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you'll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. Then God will confirm what he promised me when he said, 'If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you'll always have a successor on Israel's throne.'
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I will never forget the night my dad died and the conversation we shared about an hour beforehand. Sprinkled in between the things we said to each other, he told me more than once, “take care of your momma.” When I told my mother this later, she said, “your daddy should not have said that!” She didn’t want me to feel responsible for her or obligated to see after her.
Quite often, in the last moments, people will say profound things to their loved ones. And many times these comments include admonishments to take care of certain things or people. I have to wonder, what if David had not offered a charge to Solomon?! What if he had not advised him to “Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths He shows you.” Hopefully Solomon would have been strong enough in his faith to do this anyway. But it surely didn’t hurt that his earthly father’s last words were to stick close to his Heavenly Father!
My dad didn’t have to tell me to take care of my mother, and he knew that. It was more a way of expressing one last time his love and concern for her and for her earthly well-being. In the same way, David was showing love and concern for Solomon – in this life and in Eternity. And if you think about it, David’s charge was not just for Solomon, but for each of us. God used David in mighty ways, and I feel certain that He gave him the words of this charge. So now it’s up to you… will you listen to David’s words and take them to heart for yourself? Will you walk in God’s paths and do what He tells you? You aren’t obligated in any way, but you are responsible for your choices and the results. So “be strong; show what you're made of” and choose your path and Walking Companion wisely.
©2007 Debbie Robus
-----------------------------------------------------------
September 13 ~ Ruth 2:20
Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Why, God bless that man! God hasn't quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!" Naomi went on, "That man, Ruth, is one of our circle of covenant redeemers, a close relative of ours!"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
When my grandmother and her sister were little girls of about 12 and ten, their father (my great-grandfather) walked out on the family. He had met someone else, and he moved with her to Oklahoma and started another life. My grandmother did not see her dad again until my own father was a boy of about 12. One day my great-grandfather just showed up again. We have pictures of him with my dad. He was only here a day or so, and then they didn’t see him again.
My grandmother and her sister were especially bitter about all of this for most of my life. In their later years, they mellowed somewhat, but the bitter sting of being deserted by their father never left. They told me that life before he left was fun and carefree. Theirs was a life of “little girl” activities – dolls, games, school, and fun. Afterward, they had to help their mother and older brother in the fields, planting and harvesting crops, gathering firewood… even sorting potatoes for a neighboring farmer for a few pennies a day and a bucket of potatoes for supper. The fun was gone, and they had to grow up rather quickly.
Isn’t it good news that God does not desert His children? Isn’t it wonderful to know that we never have to wonder if He is going to wander in and out of our lives. We always know where God is and how to reach Him. God DOES still love us in bad times as well as good, and that is very good news. There is a saying… “if you don’t feel close to God, guess who moved.” What about you? Is God walking beside you, or have you moved away? I encourage you to call to Him today, and I assure you, He will be there in a heartbeat!
©2007 Debbie Robus
-----------------------------------------------------
September 12 ~ Deuteronomy 5:32-33
32-33 So be very careful to act exactly as God commands you. Don't veer off to the right or the left. Walk straight down the road God commands so that you'll have a good life and live a long time in the land that you're about to possess.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever played the game “Operation?” You know the one… you have to “operate” on the little man with a pair of tweezers that are wired to the game board. If you touch the sides of the board when you try to retrieve an injured body part, i.e. a game piece, the “patient’s” nose lights up and you lose a turn. The person who successfully removes the most pieces and “earns” the most money wins the game. It’s a quirky, but fun little game, and for many of us, it is part of the fabric of our childhood.
In the “game” of life, “touching the sides” can have far more serious consequences than merely lighting up a red bulb. The Bible gives us a clear road map for “walking straight down the road God commands.” It is up to us to read The Map and pay attention. This scripture passage from Deuteronomy promises that walking straight will result in a good live and a long time in the land.
When Christ died on the cross for us, He “won the game” for us, if we will invite Him to walk with us. He will keep us on the straight path, so that not only will we have a good life on this earth, but we will experience an Eternity in His presence in Heaven. That is great news! I don’t know about you, but it makes me want to “practice with my tweezers” by reading, studying, and praying and inviting Jesus to walk with me each day, so that I am assured a place as the “winner” when this life is done. What about you? Will you be a “winner” in Christ, also?
©2007 Debbie Robus
--------------------------------------------------------------------
September 11 ~ Job 30:24-31
"What did I do to deserve this? Did I ever hit anyone who was calling for help? Haven't I wept for those who live a hard life, been heartsick over the lot of the poor? But where did it get me? I expected good but evil showed up. I looked for light but darkness fell. My stomach's in a constant churning, never settles down. Each day confronts me with more suffering. I walk under a black cloud. The sun is gone. I stand in the congregation and protest. I howl with the jackals, I hoot with the owls. I'm black-and-blue all over, burning up with fever. My fiddle plays nothing but the blues; my mouth harp wails laments."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Poor Job! He tried so hard to follow God. And yet his life was full of suffering that he could not understand. Do you ever feel like that? Do you ever wonder, “God, I’ve tried and tried to do what you want – why is my life still so hard?” Do you ever “walk under a black cloud?”
I am here to tell you that God did not put you under that cloud. He does not want you to suffer. He may use your misfortune to show you how to strengthen your faith, but He will never delight in your hardship or struggle. And you cannot use it as an excuse to turn your back on God or to do anything other than your best for Him.
I know it’s hard sometimes. I know we struggle and question why things happen to us… why we don’t have friends (or the friends we think we want); why we can’t seem to get that A in physics or why we suffer with allergies and eyes that water and a nose that runs; why our mom or dad got cancer; why we lost our job to cheap labor in China; why we can’t get a better job and struggle to make ends meet… the list is endless!
But understand this… God knows your heart, and He feels your sadness and your pain. He understands your questions, and He is waiting with open arms to reassure you, to life your burdens and to stand with you as you figure out your next steps and/or how to cope. Invite Him to help you. Be real with Him. Tell Him how badly you hurt, even though He already knows! Allow Him to walk with you on this journey. If you will do this, I truly believe it will be easier for you. I’m not saying the pain will be gone or the suffering will disappear or your circumstances will instantly change in your favor. But you will be equipped with a peace and comfort – and even a joy – and in time, the cloud will be lifted, and praise God, the sun will shine again for you!
©2007 Debbie Robus
----------------------------------------------------
Learning to Walk
September 10 ~ Psalm 138:7-8
When I walk into the thick of trouble,
keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
With one hand
strike my foes,
With your other hand
save me.
Finish what you started in me, God.
Your love is eternal—don't quit on me now.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
In March 2007, I fell and broke my ankle. Worse yet, I tore almost all of the ligaments in my foot. The doctor told me I was not to put any weight on my foot for possibly 12 weeks. It turned out to be closer to 9 weeks, but that was plenty long. I remember clearly the day I returned to the doctor’s office for a check-up, and he asked, “Did you bring your other shoe?” I had worn the “Frankenstein boot” for weeks, and I had no idea he would allow me to remove it this day, so I had not brought any other footwear. I told him no, I did not have another shoe, and he said, “Well, put on your sock and step out into the hallway and let’s see you walk.”
Now you would think that, at nearly 50 years of age, this would have been a no-brainer for me. But I have to tell you, those first few steps felt weird. I had to really think about what to do after all those weeks on crutches… how to balance myself and where to put my weight as I stepped out. And in fact, I was pretty wobbly at first! Thankfully, my orthopedist was standing there to rescue me… to prop me up with a strong hand and set me on a straight path down the hallway.
That’s how it is with Christ. He stretches out His hand as we stumble along the way in life, and He straightens the path for us, if we will let him. I hope you never break your ankle or have to be on crutches for any reason. And I pray that in life, your troubles and stumbles are few. But know that Jesus will always be there to steady you with His strong hands and set you on a straight and steady path, and step out in confidence. Jesus will NEVER quit on you … He will save you if you let Him.
©2007 Debbie Robus
--------------------------------------------------------------
September 9 ~ Proverbs 31
10-31 A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!" Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
This passage can be considered a metaphor for model Christian behavior. Think of “good woman” as us, and the “husband” is Christ. If we, as Christians, work hard and bring joy and blessings to our Heavenly Father, then He will bless us in return. Think about the Christians you know. How many of them are busy serving their Lord by being “a good woman” so to speak? Look at the criteria in this scripture passage for what constitutes “a good woman” and think of those you know who fit this bill. I’m guessing that you could name quite a few who you could characterize as “a good woman” in Christ.
Nobody is perfect, but there are wonderful examples all around you, if you look for them. I encourage you to think of those you know who exemplify “a good woman” and a faithful Christian walk. Think of how many of the virtues extolled in The Book of Proverbs that these people live out daily, and ask yourself, “Where can I do better?” I’m betting we all have work to do and areas where we could improve. And clearly we have a great road map in The Book of Proverbs for Christian living. So what are you waiting for? Christ is counting on you. He is waiting for you to “be His bride” and receive His blessings! I promise, it doesn’t get any better than that!
©2007 Debbie Robus
--------------------------------------------------------------
September 8 ~ Proverbs 31
1 The words of King Lemuel, the strong advice his mother gave him:
2-3 "Oh, son of mine, what can you be thinking of! Child whom I bore! The son I dedicated to God! Don't dissipate your virility on fortune-hunting women, promiscuous women who shipwreck leaders.
4-7 "Leaders can't afford to make fools of themselves, gulping wine and swilling beer, lest, hung over, they don't know right from wrong, and the people who depend on them are hurt. Use wine and beer only as sedatives, to kill the pain and dull the ache of the terminally ill, for whom life is a living death.
8-9 "Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Did you know people are depending on you? I know you may find that hard to believe, especially if you are still living at home, but everyone is depended on by somebody for something! Maybe your mom depends on you to help with household chores, like taking out the trash or watching your little brother or sister. Maybe your dad depends on you to be “the man of the house” while he travels each week for his work. Maybe your parents are depending on you to finish college and get a degree and a good job and help pay back your student loans.
Maybe your best friend is depending on you to help him/her through a rough time. Maybe you are older, and your parents or grandparents are depending on you to help them with the challenges of aging. Maybe your boss is depending on you to work hard and do the best job you can for the company. Maybe your platoon is depending on you to help them stay safe and complete your missions.
Or maybe you don’t feel like anyone depends on you for anything. But that is where you are so wrong. You see, whether you realize it or not, if you are a Christian, God is depending on you. He is counting on you to tell others about Him. He is counting on you to use good judgment, to work hard, to do what is right and to be a good Christian example for others. He is counting on you, just as King Lemuel’s mother counted on him, to stay away from things that would distract you and draw you into poor choices and bad behaviors. He depends on you to help the poor and needy, to stand up for the rights of others, and to be His vessel on this earth for the love and light of Christ.
Where do you stand? Are you a faithful, dependable Christian? Or are you a foolish leader who waters down your effectiveness with poor choices and bad behaviors? The lines are clearly drawn in the sand… which side will you choose?
©2007 Debbie Robus
1-4 When David's time to die approached, he charged his son Solomon, saying, "I'm about to go the way of all the earth, but you—be strong; show what you're made of! Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you'll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. Then God will confirm what he promised me when he said, 'If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you'll always have a successor on Israel's throne.'
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I will never forget the night my dad died and the conversation we shared about an hour beforehand. Sprinkled in between the things we said to each other, he told me more than once, “take care of your momma.” When I told my mother this later, she said, “your daddy should not have said that!” She didn’t want me to feel responsible for her or obligated to see after her.
Quite often, in the last moments, people will say profound things to their loved ones. And many times these comments include admonishments to take care of certain things or people. I have to wonder, what if David had not offered a charge to Solomon?! What if he had not advised him to “Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths He shows you.” Hopefully Solomon would have been strong enough in his faith to do this anyway. But it surely didn’t hurt that his earthly father’s last words were to stick close to his Heavenly Father!
My dad didn’t have to tell me to take care of my mother, and he knew that. It was more a way of expressing one last time his love and concern for her and for her earthly well-being. In the same way, David was showing love and concern for Solomon – in this life and in Eternity. And if you think about it, David’s charge was not just for Solomon, but for each of us. God used David in mighty ways, and I feel certain that He gave him the words of this charge. So now it’s up to you… will you listen to David’s words and take them to heart for yourself? Will you walk in God’s paths and do what He tells you? You aren’t obligated in any way, but you are responsible for your choices and the results. So “be strong; show what you're made of” and choose your path and Walking Companion wisely.
©2007 Debbie Robus
-----------------------------------------------------------
September 13 ~ Ruth 2:20
Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Why, God bless that man! God hasn't quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!" Naomi went on, "That man, Ruth, is one of our circle of covenant redeemers, a close relative of ours!"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
When my grandmother and her sister were little girls of about 12 and ten, their father (my great-grandfather) walked out on the family. He had met someone else, and he moved with her to Oklahoma and started another life. My grandmother did not see her dad again until my own father was a boy of about 12. One day my great-grandfather just showed up again. We have pictures of him with my dad. He was only here a day or so, and then they didn’t see him again.
My grandmother and her sister were especially bitter about all of this for most of my life. In their later years, they mellowed somewhat, but the bitter sting of being deserted by their father never left. They told me that life before he left was fun and carefree. Theirs was a life of “little girl” activities – dolls, games, school, and fun. Afterward, they had to help their mother and older brother in the fields, planting and harvesting crops, gathering firewood… even sorting potatoes for a neighboring farmer for a few pennies a day and a bucket of potatoes for supper. The fun was gone, and they had to grow up rather quickly.
Isn’t it good news that God does not desert His children? Isn’t it wonderful to know that we never have to wonder if He is going to wander in and out of our lives. We always know where God is and how to reach Him. God DOES still love us in bad times as well as good, and that is very good news. There is a saying… “if you don’t feel close to God, guess who moved.” What about you? Is God walking beside you, or have you moved away? I encourage you to call to Him today, and I assure you, He will be there in a heartbeat!
©2007 Debbie Robus
-----------------------------------------------------
September 12 ~ Deuteronomy 5:32-33
32-33 So be very careful to act exactly as God commands you. Don't veer off to the right or the left. Walk straight down the road God commands so that you'll have a good life and live a long time in the land that you're about to possess.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever played the game “Operation?” You know the one… you have to “operate” on the little man with a pair of tweezers that are wired to the game board. If you touch the sides of the board when you try to retrieve an injured body part, i.e. a game piece, the “patient’s” nose lights up and you lose a turn. The person who successfully removes the most pieces and “earns” the most money wins the game. It’s a quirky, but fun little game, and for many of us, it is part of the fabric of our childhood.
In the “game” of life, “touching the sides” can have far more serious consequences than merely lighting up a red bulb. The Bible gives us a clear road map for “walking straight down the road God commands.” It is up to us to read The Map and pay attention. This scripture passage from Deuteronomy promises that walking straight will result in a good live and a long time in the land.
When Christ died on the cross for us, He “won the game” for us, if we will invite Him to walk with us. He will keep us on the straight path, so that not only will we have a good life on this earth, but we will experience an Eternity in His presence in Heaven. That is great news! I don’t know about you, but it makes me want to “practice with my tweezers” by reading, studying, and praying and inviting Jesus to walk with me each day, so that I am assured a place as the “winner” when this life is done. What about you? Will you be a “winner” in Christ, also?
©2007 Debbie Robus
--------------------------------------------------------------------
September 11 ~ Job 30:24-31
"What did I do to deserve this? Did I ever hit anyone who was calling for help? Haven't I wept for those who live a hard life, been heartsick over the lot of the poor? But where did it get me? I expected good but evil showed up. I looked for light but darkness fell. My stomach's in a constant churning, never settles down. Each day confronts me with more suffering. I walk under a black cloud. The sun is gone. I stand in the congregation and protest. I howl with the jackals, I hoot with the owls. I'm black-and-blue all over, burning up with fever. My fiddle plays nothing but the blues; my mouth harp wails laments."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Poor Job! He tried so hard to follow God. And yet his life was full of suffering that he could not understand. Do you ever feel like that? Do you ever wonder, “God, I’ve tried and tried to do what you want – why is my life still so hard?” Do you ever “walk under a black cloud?”
I am here to tell you that God did not put you under that cloud. He does not want you to suffer. He may use your misfortune to show you how to strengthen your faith, but He will never delight in your hardship or struggle. And you cannot use it as an excuse to turn your back on God or to do anything other than your best for Him.
I know it’s hard sometimes. I know we struggle and question why things happen to us… why we don’t have friends (or the friends we think we want); why we can’t seem to get that A in physics or why we suffer with allergies and eyes that water and a nose that runs; why our mom or dad got cancer; why we lost our job to cheap labor in China; why we can’t get a better job and struggle to make ends meet… the list is endless!
But understand this… God knows your heart, and He feels your sadness and your pain. He understands your questions, and He is waiting with open arms to reassure you, to life your burdens and to stand with you as you figure out your next steps and/or how to cope. Invite Him to help you. Be real with Him. Tell Him how badly you hurt, even though He already knows! Allow Him to walk with you on this journey. If you will do this, I truly believe it will be easier for you. I’m not saying the pain will be gone or the suffering will disappear or your circumstances will instantly change in your favor. But you will be equipped with a peace and comfort – and even a joy – and in time, the cloud will be lifted, and praise God, the sun will shine again for you!
©2007 Debbie Robus
----------------------------------------------------
Learning to Walk
September 10 ~ Psalm 138:7-8
When I walk into the thick of trouble,
keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
With one hand
strike my foes,
With your other hand
save me.
Finish what you started in me, God.
Your love is eternal—don't quit on me now.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
In March 2007, I fell and broke my ankle. Worse yet, I tore almost all of the ligaments in my foot. The doctor told me I was not to put any weight on my foot for possibly 12 weeks. It turned out to be closer to 9 weeks, but that was plenty long. I remember clearly the day I returned to the doctor’s office for a check-up, and he asked, “Did you bring your other shoe?” I had worn the “Frankenstein boot” for weeks, and I had no idea he would allow me to remove it this day, so I had not brought any other footwear. I told him no, I did not have another shoe, and he said, “Well, put on your sock and step out into the hallway and let’s see you walk.”
Now you would think that, at nearly 50 years of age, this would have been a no-brainer for me. But I have to tell you, those first few steps felt weird. I had to really think about what to do after all those weeks on crutches… how to balance myself and where to put my weight as I stepped out. And in fact, I was pretty wobbly at first! Thankfully, my orthopedist was standing there to rescue me… to prop me up with a strong hand and set me on a straight path down the hallway.
That’s how it is with Christ. He stretches out His hand as we stumble along the way in life, and He straightens the path for us, if we will let him. I hope you never break your ankle or have to be on crutches for any reason. And I pray that in life, your troubles and stumbles are few. But know that Jesus will always be there to steady you with His strong hands and set you on a straight and steady path, and step out in confidence. Jesus will NEVER quit on you … He will save you if you let Him.
©2007 Debbie Robus
--------------------------------------------------------------
September 9 ~ Proverbs 31
10-31 A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!" Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
This passage can be considered a metaphor for model Christian behavior. Think of “good woman” as us, and the “husband” is Christ. If we, as Christians, work hard and bring joy and blessings to our Heavenly Father, then He will bless us in return. Think about the Christians you know. How many of them are busy serving their Lord by being “a good woman” so to speak? Look at the criteria in this scripture passage for what constitutes “a good woman” and think of those you know who fit this bill. I’m guessing that you could name quite a few who you could characterize as “a good woman” in Christ.
Nobody is perfect, but there are wonderful examples all around you, if you look for them. I encourage you to think of those you know who exemplify “a good woman” and a faithful Christian walk. Think of how many of the virtues extolled in The Book of Proverbs that these people live out daily, and ask yourself, “Where can I do better?” I’m betting we all have work to do and areas where we could improve. And clearly we have a great road map in The Book of Proverbs for Christian living. So what are you waiting for? Christ is counting on you. He is waiting for you to “be His bride” and receive His blessings! I promise, it doesn’t get any better than that!
©2007 Debbie Robus
--------------------------------------------------------------
September 8 ~ Proverbs 31
1 The words of King Lemuel, the strong advice his mother gave him:
2-3 "Oh, son of mine, what can you be thinking of! Child whom I bore! The son I dedicated to God! Don't dissipate your virility on fortune-hunting women, promiscuous women who shipwreck leaders.
4-7 "Leaders can't afford to make fools of themselves, gulping wine and swilling beer, lest, hung over, they don't know right from wrong, and the people who depend on them are hurt. Use wine and beer only as sedatives, to kill the pain and dull the ache of the terminally ill, for whom life is a living death.
8-9 "Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Did you know people are depending on you? I know you may find that hard to believe, especially if you are still living at home, but everyone is depended on by somebody for something! Maybe your mom depends on you to help with household chores, like taking out the trash or watching your little brother or sister. Maybe your dad depends on you to be “the man of the house” while he travels each week for his work. Maybe your parents are depending on you to finish college and get a degree and a good job and help pay back your student loans.
Maybe your best friend is depending on you to help him/her through a rough time. Maybe you are older, and your parents or grandparents are depending on you to help them with the challenges of aging. Maybe your boss is depending on you to work hard and do the best job you can for the company. Maybe your platoon is depending on you to help them stay safe and complete your missions.
Or maybe you don’t feel like anyone depends on you for anything. But that is where you are so wrong. You see, whether you realize it or not, if you are a Christian, God is depending on you. He is counting on you to tell others about Him. He is counting on you to use good judgment, to work hard, to do what is right and to be a good Christian example for others. He is counting on you, just as King Lemuel’s mother counted on him, to stay away from things that would distract you and draw you into poor choices and bad behaviors. He depends on you to help the poor and needy, to stand up for the rights of others, and to be His vessel on this earth for the love and light of Christ.
Where do you stand? Are you a faithful, dependable Christian? Or are you a foolish leader who waters down your effectiveness with poor choices and bad behaviors? The lines are clearly drawn in the sand… which side will you choose?
©2007 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotionals for September 2007, Week 1
September 7 ~ Proverbs 30
Four Insatiables
16 Three things are never satisfied, no, there are four that never say, "That's enough, thank you!"—
hell,
a barren womb,
a parched land,
a forest fire.
17 An eye that disdains a father and despises a mother - that eye will be plucked out by wild vultures and consumed by young eagles.
Four Mysteries
18-19 Three things amaze me, no, four things I'll never understand—
how an eagle flies so high in the sky,
how a snake glides over a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
why adolescents act the way they do.
20 Here's how a prostitute operates: she has sex with her client, takes a bath, then asks, "Who's next?"
Four Intolerables
21-23 Three things are too much for even the earth to bear, yes, four things shake its foundations—
when the janitor becomes the boss,
when a fool gets rich,
when a whore is voted "woman of the year,"
when a "girlfriend" replaces a faithful wife.
Four Small Wonders
24-28 There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are—
ants—frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter;
marmots—vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes;
locusts—leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment;
lizards—easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards.
Four Dignitaries
29-31 There are three solemn dignitaries, four that are impressive in their bearing—
a lion, king of the beasts, deferring to none;
a rooster, proud and strutting;
a billy goat;
a head of state in stately procession.
32-33 If you're dumb enough to call attention to yourself by offending people and making rude gestures, don't be surprised if someone bloodies your nose. Churned milk turns into butter; riled emotions turn into fist fights.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever heard someone say, “As long as I live, I will never understand so-and-so.”? This is what this wise man, Agur Ben Yakeh, is saying in this passage. He is pondering life’s mysteries and wonders and sort of “journaling” his thoughts. And among them, he makes the observation that stupid behaviors may have stupid results and bring trouble.
We have talked a lot in this study of the Proverbs about several themes… foolishness, disrespect – especially for your parents, all kinds of insatiable appetites, and the value and rewards of wisdom and hard work. I think the last sentence of this passage speaks volumes… “Churned milk (hard work) turns into butter (has rewards); riled emotions (giving in to your feelings and desires) turn into fist fights (has serious, often negative consequences).” It’s a fairly simple concept, but one that we often miss. I challenge you to keep your head, work hard, and stay out of the fist fights of life. What do you say? Are you up for it?
©2007 Debbie Robus
-------------------------------------------------------------
September 6 ~ Proverbs 30
10 Don't blow the whistle on your fellow workers behind their backs;
They'll accuse you of being underhanded, and then you'll be the guilty one!
11 Don't curse your father or fail to bless your mother.
12 Don't imagine yourself to be quite presentable when you haven't had a bath in weeks.
13 Don't be stuck-up and think you're better than everyone else.
14 Don't be greedy, merciless and cruel as wolves, tearing into the poor and feasting on them, shredding the needy to pieces only to discard them.
15-16 A leech has twin daughters named "Gimme" and "Gimme more."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
My cousin is a kindergarten teacher. Before school began, I assisted her and the other kindergarten teachers with a screening of the children who would be coming to kindergarten. While the teachers did individual testing with the children, I kept the others busy with puzzles, blocks, and reading stories. Hogan, a 5-year-old friend of mine, was glad to see me at the screening. But his mother told me that afterward he was quite upset when they got in their car to go home. He said, “I left the room with a teacher, and when I got back, she was halfway through reading a story. Didn’t she know she was supposed to wait for Hogan?!”
This is a very cute story about a 5-year-old who was temporarily disappointed with an adult. I’m sure he’s already over it… although it will be interesting to see what he has to say the next time I see him! Self-centeredness in a kindergartner is one thing… needing to be the center of attention at your age or mine is another. And this passage tells us clearly that greed, arrogance, and disrespect for others all displease God.
In kindergarten we are taught how to share, play well with others, and to be respectful of other people and their property. Sadly, these are lessons that some people never quite master. I pray that you will pay attention to this scripture passage, and that you will not be one of them.
©2007 Debbie Robus
-----------------------------------------------------------
September 5 ~ Proverbs 30
1-2 The skeptic swore, "There is no God! No God! - I can do anything I want! I'm more animal than human; so-called human intelligence escapes me.
3-4 "I flunked 'wisdom.' I see no evidence of a holy God. Has anyone ever seen Anyone climb into Heaven and take charge? grab the winds and control them? gather the rains in his bucket? stake out the ends of the earth? Just tell me his name, tell me the names of his sons. Come on now -- tell me!"
5-6 The believer replied, "Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help. So don't second-guess him; he might take you to task and show up your lies."
7-9 And then he prayed, "God, I'm asking for two things before I die; don't refuse me - banish lies from my lips and liars from my presence.
Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little.
If I'm too full, I might get independent, saying, 'God? Who needs him?'
If I'm poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I don’t know if this has happened to you or not, but it really frustrates me for someone to ask, “How do you know that God exists? You can’t see Him!” I read Just Give Me Jesus by Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham, and in the first chapters, she answers this question in a wonderful way. She says to tell the person posing the question to think of the wind. You can’t see it, but you can feel it, and you can hear the noise it makes. You know it is there – you have faith that it is there… it is the WIND! And yet, much like God, you cannot capture it in a bottle or your hand and show it to others. Still you know it is there.
So the next time someone asks you how you know God is real – how you know He is with you – tell them He is as real as the wind – and more so! Tell them you feel His Holy Spirit and hear His voice just as clearly as you feel and hear the air that blows past you. “Come on now – tell them!”
©2007 Debbie Robus
-----------------------------------------------------------
September 4 ~ Proverbs 29
21 If you let people treat you like a doormat, you'll be quite forgotten in the end.
22 Angry people stir up a lot of discord; the intemperate stir up trouble.
23 Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors.
24 Befriend an outlaw and become an enemy to yourself. When the victims cry out, you'll be included in their curses if you're a coward to their cause in court.
25 The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.
26 Everyone tries to get help from the leader, but only God will give us justice.
27 Good people can't stand the sight of deliberate evil; the wicked can't stand the sight of well-chosen goodness.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
The movie Breach is about FBI operative Robert Hannsen, a man who is suspected of selling secrets to the Russians. Another agent, Eric O’Neill, is brought in to pretend to be Hannsen’s assistant, while he is really spying on him. Hannsen is crafty and very astute, and he is suspicious of O’Neill, but thankfully, O’Neill is able to satisfy any concerns Hannsen has and successfully unravel the evil doings of this man.
It’s not an easy assignment. At times, O’Neill doubts the guilt of Hannsen, because the man seems to live a life of devotion to his family, his church, and his country. And Hannsen is a very proud man… arrogant, in fact. In the end, he is a broken, distraught, destroyed human being. You could easily say that his pride – and greed – lands him flat on his face.
This movie points out that you cannot hide behind a wall of pretending to be a devoted Christian, father or mother, employee, and citizen. You cannot use God and His worship as a cover while you go about your sinful life behind the scenes. Over and over we have seen people get “too high and mighty” and then suffer a fall of mammoth proportions. Don’t go there! Don’t fall into that pit. Keep your pride in check, and ask God to keep you humble.
©2007 Debbie Robus
----------------------------------------------------------------------
September 3 ~ Proverbs 29
15 Wise discipline imparts wisdom; spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents.
16 When degenerates take charge, crime runs wild, but the righteous will eventually observe their collapse.
17 Discipline your children; you'll be glad you did — they'll turn out delightful to live with.
18 If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.
19 It takes more than talk to keep workers in line; mere words go in one ear and out the other.
20 Observe the people who always talk before they think — even simpletons are better off than they are.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
My husband and I were both blessed with parents who taught us good manners and many life lessons that laid a foundation of wisdom that enabled us to be successful adults. We both worked with and for people who had obviously not had such good upbringing. These people said and did stupid things on occasion. We were both able to avoid the landmines created by these people.
Believe it or not, on more than one occasion, a coworker or supervisor came to each of us and said, basically, “I’ve been watching you and how you conduct yourself. I have seen you pass up opportunities to retaliate or be unkind or make a poor choice.” These people just wanted us to know that our efforts to do what was right had been noticed. They wanted us to know that our discipline… and the lessons our parents taught… had blessed us and those with whom we worked. I’ve said it many times, but others ARE watching you and noticing your behaviors and actions!I know many of you are anticipating the day when you will be a parent. I encourage you to remember the words of this scripture and to start preparing your heart and mind now to be the most Godly person you can be. This will ensure that the discipline and lessons you impart to your own children will result in delightful blessings.
©2007 Debbie Robus
---------------------------------------------------
September 2 ~ Proverbs 29
7 The good-hearted understand what it's like to be poor; the hardhearted haven't the faintest idea.
8 A gang of cynics can upset a whole city; a group of sages can calm everyone down.
9 A sage trying to work things out with a fool gets only scorn and sarcasm for his trouble.
10 Murderers hate honest people; moral folks encourage them.
11 A fool lets it all hang out; a sage quietly mulls it over.
12 When a leader listens to malicious gossip, all the workers get infected with evil.
13 The poor and their abusers have at least something in common: they can both see -- their sight, God's gift!
14 Leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Do you recall when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005? Many of our national leaders were saying that rescue efforts were difficult, if not impossible. Yet celebrities… and some who were not so famous… found ways to get into New Orleans with food, clothing, rescue vehicles, medicine, and more. It was as if their hearts were good, while those of the “suits” in Washington were hard. Understand that I am not lumping all politicians or governmental leaders together. There are many who have big, huge hearts for all people – rich, poor, and in between. And there are plenty of celebrities and people in general who have hard hearts.
But events like Katrina stand to illustrate what happens when celebrities and those with means rally for the cause of the less fortunate. Things happen. Wheels turn. Decisions are made and plans enacted, and results are evident. When leaders and those with the means to aid the less fortunate harden their hearts, things also happen, and often the results are evident. But they are far different!
What is the lesson? In Verse 13 we see that all – rich, poor, kind, abusive – are given God’s gift of sight – and we all depend on Him to provide that and many other gifts - even our very breath! So remember the Ultimate Leader and how He treats you and others. His grace and mercy are offered freely and generously to everyone… is yours?
©2007 Debbie Robus
---------------------------------------------------------
September 1 ~ Proverbs 30
1 For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, there'll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it'll be too late to help them.
2 When good people run things, everyone is glad, but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans.
3 If you love wisdom, you'll delight your parents, but you'll destroy their trust if you run with whores.
4 A leader of good judgment gives stability; an exploiting leader leaves a trail of waste.
5 A flattering neighbor is up to no good; he's probably planning to take advantage of you.
6 Evil people fall into their own traps; good people run the other way, glad to escape.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I hope you never have to work for someone who is a poor leader. I hope YOU are never a poor leader or boss. I do not consider myself a quitter, and I’ve tried to stick out some pretty awful situations. But there comes a day when you have to say, “Enough!” and move forward. And as you can see in Verse 6, it is Biblical.
I knew of a person who was teaching in a school where the principal and superintendent wanted them to lie… they wanted her to sign a paper saying that she taught a class, so that the school would not lose its accreditation. However, the teacher was a Christian and new that this was not only illegal, but sinful. She also knew that refusing to sign the paper would mean losing her job. So this teacher asked for prayer – that a new job could be found – and she refused to sign the paper. I never heard for sure the outcome, but I have an idea she did indeed lose her job… probably some “reason” was created to justify her dismissal. And most likely the principal and superintendent concocted another scheme for falsifying the papers and keeping the accreditation. I am praying that she was able to get an even better job in a school with morally upright Christian leaders.
Should you find yourself in a situation where the leadership is foolish or evil, ask God to give you the courage, patience, and wisdom to figure out a way to escape and “run the other way”- or at least to stand up for what is right. And should the consequences of your choices cost your job, be assured that God will bless you and provide for your needs… and He may even give you a better job or opportunity, as well!
©2007 Debbie Robus
Four Insatiables
16 Three things are never satisfied, no, there are four that never say, "That's enough, thank you!"—
hell,
a barren womb,
a parched land,
a forest fire.
17 An eye that disdains a father and despises a mother - that eye will be plucked out by wild vultures and consumed by young eagles.
Four Mysteries
18-19 Three things amaze me, no, four things I'll never understand—
how an eagle flies so high in the sky,
how a snake glides over a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
why adolescents act the way they do.
20 Here's how a prostitute operates: she has sex with her client, takes a bath, then asks, "Who's next?"
Four Intolerables
21-23 Three things are too much for even the earth to bear, yes, four things shake its foundations—
when the janitor becomes the boss,
when a fool gets rich,
when a whore is voted "woman of the year,"
when a "girlfriend" replaces a faithful wife.
Four Small Wonders
24-28 There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are—
ants—frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter;
marmots—vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes;
locusts—leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment;
lizards—easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards.
Four Dignitaries
29-31 There are three solemn dignitaries, four that are impressive in their bearing—
a lion, king of the beasts, deferring to none;
a rooster, proud and strutting;
a billy goat;
a head of state in stately procession.
32-33 If you're dumb enough to call attention to yourself by offending people and making rude gestures, don't be surprised if someone bloodies your nose. Churned milk turns into butter; riled emotions turn into fist fights.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever heard someone say, “As long as I live, I will never understand so-and-so.”? This is what this wise man, Agur Ben Yakeh, is saying in this passage. He is pondering life’s mysteries and wonders and sort of “journaling” his thoughts. And among them, he makes the observation that stupid behaviors may have stupid results and bring trouble.
We have talked a lot in this study of the Proverbs about several themes… foolishness, disrespect – especially for your parents, all kinds of insatiable appetites, and the value and rewards of wisdom and hard work. I think the last sentence of this passage speaks volumes… “Churned milk (hard work) turns into butter (has rewards); riled emotions (giving in to your feelings and desires) turn into fist fights (has serious, often negative consequences).” It’s a fairly simple concept, but one that we often miss. I challenge you to keep your head, work hard, and stay out of the fist fights of life. What do you say? Are you up for it?
©2007 Debbie Robus
-------------------------------------------------------------
September 6 ~ Proverbs 30
10 Don't blow the whistle on your fellow workers behind their backs;
They'll accuse you of being underhanded, and then you'll be the guilty one!
11 Don't curse your father or fail to bless your mother.
12 Don't imagine yourself to be quite presentable when you haven't had a bath in weeks.
13 Don't be stuck-up and think you're better than everyone else.
14 Don't be greedy, merciless and cruel as wolves, tearing into the poor and feasting on them, shredding the needy to pieces only to discard them.
15-16 A leech has twin daughters named "Gimme" and "Gimme more."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
My cousin is a kindergarten teacher. Before school began, I assisted her and the other kindergarten teachers with a screening of the children who would be coming to kindergarten. While the teachers did individual testing with the children, I kept the others busy with puzzles, blocks, and reading stories. Hogan, a 5-year-old friend of mine, was glad to see me at the screening. But his mother told me that afterward he was quite upset when they got in their car to go home. He said, “I left the room with a teacher, and when I got back, she was halfway through reading a story. Didn’t she know she was supposed to wait for Hogan?!”
This is a very cute story about a 5-year-old who was temporarily disappointed with an adult. I’m sure he’s already over it… although it will be interesting to see what he has to say the next time I see him! Self-centeredness in a kindergartner is one thing… needing to be the center of attention at your age or mine is another. And this passage tells us clearly that greed, arrogance, and disrespect for others all displease God.
In kindergarten we are taught how to share, play well with others, and to be respectful of other people and their property. Sadly, these are lessons that some people never quite master. I pray that you will pay attention to this scripture passage, and that you will not be one of them.
©2007 Debbie Robus
-----------------------------------------------------------
September 5 ~ Proverbs 30
1-2 The skeptic swore, "There is no God! No God! - I can do anything I want! I'm more animal than human; so-called human intelligence escapes me.
3-4 "I flunked 'wisdom.' I see no evidence of a holy God. Has anyone ever seen Anyone climb into Heaven and take charge? grab the winds and control them? gather the rains in his bucket? stake out the ends of the earth? Just tell me his name, tell me the names of his sons. Come on now -- tell me!"
5-6 The believer replied, "Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help. So don't second-guess him; he might take you to task and show up your lies."
7-9 And then he prayed, "God, I'm asking for two things before I die; don't refuse me - banish lies from my lips and liars from my presence.
Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little.
If I'm too full, I might get independent, saying, 'God? Who needs him?'
If I'm poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I don’t know if this has happened to you or not, but it really frustrates me for someone to ask, “How do you know that God exists? You can’t see Him!” I read Just Give Me Jesus by Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham, and in the first chapters, she answers this question in a wonderful way. She says to tell the person posing the question to think of the wind. You can’t see it, but you can feel it, and you can hear the noise it makes. You know it is there – you have faith that it is there… it is the WIND! And yet, much like God, you cannot capture it in a bottle or your hand and show it to others. Still you know it is there.
So the next time someone asks you how you know God is real – how you know He is with you – tell them He is as real as the wind – and more so! Tell them you feel His Holy Spirit and hear His voice just as clearly as you feel and hear the air that blows past you. “Come on now – tell them!”
©2007 Debbie Robus
-----------------------------------------------------------
September 4 ~ Proverbs 29
21 If you let people treat you like a doormat, you'll be quite forgotten in the end.
22 Angry people stir up a lot of discord; the intemperate stir up trouble.
23 Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors.
24 Befriend an outlaw and become an enemy to yourself. When the victims cry out, you'll be included in their curses if you're a coward to their cause in court.
25 The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.
26 Everyone tries to get help from the leader, but only God will give us justice.
27 Good people can't stand the sight of deliberate evil; the wicked can't stand the sight of well-chosen goodness.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
The movie Breach is about FBI operative Robert Hannsen, a man who is suspected of selling secrets to the Russians. Another agent, Eric O’Neill, is brought in to pretend to be Hannsen’s assistant, while he is really spying on him. Hannsen is crafty and very astute, and he is suspicious of O’Neill, but thankfully, O’Neill is able to satisfy any concerns Hannsen has and successfully unravel the evil doings of this man.
It’s not an easy assignment. At times, O’Neill doubts the guilt of Hannsen, because the man seems to live a life of devotion to his family, his church, and his country. And Hannsen is a very proud man… arrogant, in fact. In the end, he is a broken, distraught, destroyed human being. You could easily say that his pride – and greed – lands him flat on his face.
This movie points out that you cannot hide behind a wall of pretending to be a devoted Christian, father or mother, employee, and citizen. You cannot use God and His worship as a cover while you go about your sinful life behind the scenes. Over and over we have seen people get “too high and mighty” and then suffer a fall of mammoth proportions. Don’t go there! Don’t fall into that pit. Keep your pride in check, and ask God to keep you humble.
©2007 Debbie Robus
----------------------------------------------------------------------
September 3 ~ Proverbs 29
15 Wise discipline imparts wisdom; spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents.
16 When degenerates take charge, crime runs wild, but the righteous will eventually observe their collapse.
17 Discipline your children; you'll be glad you did — they'll turn out delightful to live with.
18 If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.
19 It takes more than talk to keep workers in line; mere words go in one ear and out the other.
20 Observe the people who always talk before they think — even simpletons are better off than they are.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
My husband and I were both blessed with parents who taught us good manners and many life lessons that laid a foundation of wisdom that enabled us to be successful adults. We both worked with and for people who had obviously not had such good upbringing. These people said and did stupid things on occasion. We were both able to avoid the landmines created by these people.
Believe it or not, on more than one occasion, a coworker or supervisor came to each of us and said, basically, “I’ve been watching you and how you conduct yourself. I have seen you pass up opportunities to retaliate or be unkind or make a poor choice.” These people just wanted us to know that our efforts to do what was right had been noticed. They wanted us to know that our discipline… and the lessons our parents taught… had blessed us and those with whom we worked. I’ve said it many times, but others ARE watching you and noticing your behaviors and actions!I know many of you are anticipating the day when you will be a parent. I encourage you to remember the words of this scripture and to start preparing your heart and mind now to be the most Godly person you can be. This will ensure that the discipline and lessons you impart to your own children will result in delightful blessings.
©2007 Debbie Robus
---------------------------------------------------
September 2 ~ Proverbs 29
7 The good-hearted understand what it's like to be poor; the hardhearted haven't the faintest idea.
8 A gang of cynics can upset a whole city; a group of sages can calm everyone down.
9 A sage trying to work things out with a fool gets only scorn and sarcasm for his trouble.
10 Murderers hate honest people; moral folks encourage them.
11 A fool lets it all hang out; a sage quietly mulls it over.
12 When a leader listens to malicious gossip, all the workers get infected with evil.
13 The poor and their abusers have at least something in common: they can both see -- their sight, God's gift!
14 Leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Do you recall when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005? Many of our national leaders were saying that rescue efforts were difficult, if not impossible. Yet celebrities… and some who were not so famous… found ways to get into New Orleans with food, clothing, rescue vehicles, medicine, and more. It was as if their hearts were good, while those of the “suits” in Washington were hard. Understand that I am not lumping all politicians or governmental leaders together. There are many who have big, huge hearts for all people – rich, poor, and in between. And there are plenty of celebrities and people in general who have hard hearts.
But events like Katrina stand to illustrate what happens when celebrities and those with means rally for the cause of the less fortunate. Things happen. Wheels turn. Decisions are made and plans enacted, and results are evident. When leaders and those with the means to aid the less fortunate harden their hearts, things also happen, and often the results are evident. But they are far different!
What is the lesson? In Verse 13 we see that all – rich, poor, kind, abusive – are given God’s gift of sight – and we all depend on Him to provide that and many other gifts - even our very breath! So remember the Ultimate Leader and how He treats you and others. His grace and mercy are offered freely and generously to everyone… is yours?
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 1 ~ Proverbs 30
1 For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, there'll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it'll be too late to help them.
2 When good people run things, everyone is glad, but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans.
3 If you love wisdom, you'll delight your parents, but you'll destroy their trust if you run with whores.
4 A leader of good judgment gives stability; an exploiting leader leaves a trail of waste.
5 A flattering neighbor is up to no good; he's probably planning to take advantage of you.
6 Evil people fall into their own traps; good people run the other way, glad to escape.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I hope you never have to work for someone who is a poor leader. I hope YOU are never a poor leader or boss. I do not consider myself a quitter, and I’ve tried to stick out some pretty awful situations. But there comes a day when you have to say, “Enough!” and move forward. And as you can see in Verse 6, it is Biblical.
I knew of a person who was teaching in a school where the principal and superintendent wanted them to lie… they wanted her to sign a paper saying that she taught a class, so that the school would not lose its accreditation. However, the teacher was a Christian and new that this was not only illegal, but sinful. She also knew that refusing to sign the paper would mean losing her job. So this teacher asked for prayer – that a new job could be found – and she refused to sign the paper. I never heard for sure the outcome, but I have an idea she did indeed lose her job… probably some “reason” was created to justify her dismissal. And most likely the principal and superintendent concocted another scheme for falsifying the papers and keeping the accreditation. I am praying that she was able to get an even better job in a school with morally upright Christian leaders.
Should you find yourself in a situation where the leadership is foolish or evil, ask God to give you the courage, patience, and wisdom to figure out a way to escape and “run the other way”- or at least to stand up for what is right. And should the consequences of your choices cost your job, be assured that God will bless you and provide for your needs… and He may even give you a better job or opportunity, as well!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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