October 14 ~ Psalm 97:1-6
1 God rules: there's something to shout over!
On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate!
2 Bright clouds and storm clouds circle 'round him;
Right and justice anchor his rule.
3 Fire blazes out before him,
Flaming high up the craggy mountains.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear.
5 The mountains take one look at God
And melt, melt like wax before earth's Lord.
6 The heavens announce that he'll set everything right,
And everyone will see it happen—glorious!
(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 I was a very little girl, my maternal grandparents had a storm cellar in their yard. My grandmother was terribly afraid of storms. She had witnessed the destruction and death that resulted from a couple of tornadoes that ripped through our town when she was a child. So it seemed like nearly every time a cloud came up in the sky, we were whisked to the storm cellar to ride out the storm. This left a sold imprint on me, and I had a fairly strong fear of storms throughout my childhood.
But one summer evening, my dad’s parents took me to visit an aunt an uncle on their farm. My grandmother’s sister took me to the front door of this home, and as we stood peering out the screen into the distance, she held me close to her and talked softly as we watched fluffy thunderheads emit brilliant flashes of lightning. She talked of how this was just “heat lightning” and could not harm us – how it was truly beautiful… and God’s creation… a little “summer gift” of light, so to speak.
To this day, I enjoy “heat lightning.” Several times during the spring and summer, our skies are illuminated by fluffy white clouds or even a dark “line” that emits flashes of brilliant color and light. Now, mind you, I am not too fond of the bolts that pierce my driveway and are accompanied by loud blasts of thunder! THOSE do cause me to tremble in fear. But they do serve to remind me of God’s power and His rule. I am reminded that HE is in charge… and His thunder echoes this authority indisputably!
God is more than a force of nature… His power and authority are counterbalanced by His love and mercy toward each of us. Just like my great-aunt, His arms wrap around me and He whispers gently, “Don’t be afraid. I have come to bless you and give you joy and peace.” Sometimes He has to “thunder” home his message to get our attention. But the message is the same… God RULES! Give Him glory and praise!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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October 13 ~ Psalm 96:10-14
10 Get out the message—God Rules!
He put the world on a firm foundation;
He treats everyone fair and square.
11 Let's hear it from Sky,
With Earth joining in,
And a huge round of applause from Sea.
12 Let Wilderness turn cartwheels,
Animals, come dance,
Put every tree of the forest in the choir—
13 An extravaganza before God as he comes,
As he comes to set everything right on earth,
Set everything right, treat everyone fair.
(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.)
Don’t laugh, but when I read this, I immediately thought of the animals dancing and singing “The Bare Necessities” in the movie The Jungle Book. Here are selected verses from the lyrics:
Look for the bare necessities - The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities - Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life
Wherever I wander, wherever I roam - I couldn't be fonder of my big home
The bees are buzzin' in the tree - To make some honey just for me
When you look under the rocks and plants - And take a glance at the fancy ants
Then maybe try a few - The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!
Look for the bare necessities - The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife - I mean the bare necessities
That's why a bear can rest at ease - With just the bare necessities of life
And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true - The bare necessities of life will come to you
Now admit it, doesn’t this song make you want to sing and dance? And honestly, isn’t it true that God supplies all of our “bare necessities.” We fret and stew and run around like “fancy ants” for things that we want and can’t find, when all along, we already have everything we need. God has provided an “extravaganza” for His children. He has set everything right… everyone gets a fair shake at enjoying all He has provided. It is up to US to recognize the gifts. We can learn a lot from this simple song… we can be reminded to “be still and know that He is God.” God has given us the bare necessities…that’s why we can rest at ease in Him!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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October 12 ~ Psalm 96:1-9
1-2 Sing God a brand-new song! Earth and everyone in it, sing!
Sing to God—worship God!
2-3 Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea,
Take the news of his glory to the lost,
News of his wonders to one and all!
4-5 For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.
His terrible beauty makes the gods look cheap;
Pagan gods are mere tatters and rags.
5-6 God made the heavens—
Royal splendor radiates from him,
A powerful beauty sets him apart.
7 Bravo, God, Bravo!
Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!
In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.
8-9 Bring gifts and celebrate,
Bow before the beauty of God,
Then to your knees—everyone worship!
(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 time of year, I love to watch the “harvest moon” rise. Several months each autumn, for about a half-dozen evenings, a red-orange glow appears on the horizon, and quickly this giant fiery ball rises into the sky. From my back porch, it looks enormous as it moves ever upward. I enjoy sitting out in the cool night air and drinking in the bright glow as the moon towers high in the sky and reflects light over the earth. I can’t imagine anyone who could experience this and not be awed by the magnificence of God!
This month’s “full” moon is still three days away, but if the skies are clear in your area in late afternoon, you should be able to get a pretty cool “moonrise” - and for most of the nights this week, weather permitting, there will be great views - and wonderful illumination of all God has created. These will be even better in mid-November as the days shorten and the red-orange ball rises at dusk. Don’t miss it! If you live in an urban area with lots of “city lights,” it would be worth the drive to “get out of town” a bit and find a spot where you can truly experience the “royal splendor” of the moon’s rising.
Sit quietly and reflect on God’s amazing gifts – and power. Thank Him for giving us such beauty in something as simple – and free – as an autumn moonrise. Worship Him with a few friends – or by yourself as an act of personal communion with the Holy Spirit. If the weather is cloudy in your area, try again the next month. Take a few minutes this fall to bow before the beauty of God. If this doesn’t make you want to shout “Bravo, God, Bravo!” – nothing will!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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October 11 ~ Psalm 92:10-14
10-14 But you've made me strong as a charging bison,
you've honored me with a festive parade.
The sight of my critics going down is still fresh,
the rout of my malicious detractors.
My ears are filled with the sounds of promise:
"Good people will prosper like palm trees,
Grow tall like Lebanon cedars;
transplanted to God's courtyard,
They'll grow tall in the presence of God,
lithe and green, virile still in old age."
15 Such witnesses to upright God!
My Mountain, my huge, holy Mountain!
(Scripture 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 grandparents lived in the same house for over 50 years. It was surrounded by tall oak trees that towered over their home and helped to make it shady and cool on hot summer days. As a child, I spent hours under a massive oak tree just outside the back door of the house, playing in sandy dirt between the enormous roots. When I played beneath that tree, there was an intrinsic sense of security and joy. The branches towered over me and provided shelter and shade, and in my little world, all was well. In later years, many of the trees in my grandparents’ yard became too large and susceptible to high winds that could cause damage to the house, so they had to be removed. The tree under which I had played as a child was cut down, leaving a large trunk base that was over 3 feet in diameter and massive, deep roots that snaked across the yard. For many years, the trunk remained and reminded us of days gone by and times spent beneath the old oak.
Trees seem to be a great analogy for Christian living and God’s strength. I would like to think that my life in Christ would be like an old oak tree… strong and sure, with deep roots and full branches that reach out to minister to those around me. I know that even the strongest tree occasionally loses a few branches and twigs (which could be likened to my sins)… but those that are nurtured by rich soil and a good climate (as in God’s grace and mercy and the blood of Jesus) persevere and thrive. And just like the big tree in my grandparents’ yard, my time on earth will end. I hope that my “legacy” is a large trunk with deep roots… that my witness for God will be solid and far-reaching and a “shade” for many.
Barbara Walters used to ask celebrities, “If you could be a tree, any tree, which kind would you be?” My question to you is not which kind of tree you would be, in the context of an oak, maple, elm or hickory… but more importantly, how deep will your roots run… how much “shade” (blessing and witness) will you provide? Will your legacy be long-lasting and pleasing to God? If you are not as strong in the Lord as you could be, I encourage you to take whatever measures necessary to nurture your “roots” and to grow tall in Him! Considering all of this, which kind of tree are you becoming?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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October 10 ~ Psalm 92:1-9
1-3 What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God!
To announce your love each daybreak,
sing your faithful presence all through the night,
Accompanied by dulcimer and harp,
the full-bodied music of strings.
4-9 You made me so happy, God
I saw your work and I shouted for joy.
How magnificent your work, God!
How profound your thoughts!
Dullards never notice what you do;
fools never do get it.
When the wicked popped up like weeds
and all the evil men and women took over,
You mowed them down,
finished them off once and for all.
You, God, are High and Eternal.
Look at your enemies, God!
Look at your enemies—ruined!
Scattered to the winds, all those hirelings of evil!
(Scripture 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.)
Recently, I took a walk along a roadway that parallels a nature trail near our house. This was not an “exercise walk” – I took my time and stopped to really study the plants and trees along the way. I took my camera with me and chronicled my trip with photographs. Along the route, I captured images of acorns on an oak tree… the fruit of a French Mulberry bush… a bee perched atop a frond of Goldenrod. I photographed honeysuckle, delicate daisy-like flowers, and several varieties of little purple flowers. In a close-up, the intricacies of their stamen and petals came to life. A sheaf of grass and the cottony seed particles of a ragweed stem took on a beauty rarely noticed. The clusters of sumac berries hung blood-red, and surprisingly, they brought to mind the blood of Jesus as He hung on the cross and died for you and me.
My point is that we pass by “weeds” every day and hardly give them notice, yet God has invested much time and creativity in making even a weed incredibly detailed and beautiful. I think it is important for us to pay close attention to the second part of this scripture passage, where the psalmist refers to the wicked popping up like weeds and God mowing them down. That seems like a direct contradiction to what I just described, doesn’t it?
But consider this… everything God creates has beauty and potential… God created weeds, but He did not intend them to be wicked, just as He doesn’t intend for US to be wicked. This reminds me of the phrase “the devil is in the details.” In and of themselves, weeds are not bad things. Certainly along a nature trail, they cause no harm and can be quite beautiful. In your rose garden or flower bed, they may be a nuisance and choke out what you intentionally planted there. And we are created with every bit as much love and care as God gave the weeds… yet we have the potential to “grow” in the wrong places and in the wrong directions.
Today I challenge you to find beauty in unusual places and in the mundane “weeds” of life. I also challenge you to be the beautiful creation God intended… to be happy in the Lord – and to share your joy in Him with others. I challenge you to examine your life and see where you might be a “weed” or have potential to become one! Take all necessary steps to “mow down” these tendencies before they escalate and begin to ruin you. Bask in the joy of our amazing Creator and the beauty He has given us. Today, I pray that the only weeds in your life are those you admire along the roadside.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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October 9 ~ Psalm 91
1-13You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.
14-16 "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"
(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 love this Psalm. When we need comfort, we usually think of Psalm 23, but I hope after we look at Psalm 91, it will become one of your favorites, as well. The King James Version begins, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” In my back yard, I have a little bird feeder that sits on the ground. It is a plastic mold of large hands… a man’s… with a bird perched upon them. The base says “by His hands we are fed.”
I sat and studied this container the other day and thought about what the hands represented. I thought of the hands of Jesus… how they were nailed to the cross for you and me… how they broke five loaves of bread and fed more than five thousand men, plus women and children. I thought of the arms attached to those hands, and I had this image of Jesus, dressed in a silky white robe, engulfing me in those arms. Imagine how wonderful it would be to snuggle close to His chest, wrapped in His arms, patted by those hands. I can almost feel His heartbeat… can’t you?
As I look out across the valley behind my house on a sunny day, fluffy clouds often float by and cast shadows over the landscape. First one spot and then another will be covered by the darkness as the cloud blocks the sun for a few minutes. In the hot summertime, those moments in the clouds provide great relief from the sun. Even if only for a brief few minutes, the vegetation feels a respite from the stress and strain of the sun’s scorching rays. And so it is with God. He is sheltering us with His shadow… protecting us from the evils and traps of sin that would visit us. His arms engulf us and shelter us and provide us with a safe haven. We can rest in His arms any time we like… all we have to do is call on Him, and the invitation is extended.
We tend to focus on ourselves – on the negative things that happen to us, more than the positive. We often fail to realize that for every “bad” thing that happens in our lives, God is sheltering us and protecting us from dozens of others. It is not His will that we would ever have to endure trouble, heartache, traps and snares of sin – serpents and wickedness. It is we who step out of His shadow… not the other way around. But we can just as easily step back in… by calling on Him. The arms are wide open… the shelter is ready, and He’ll even throw you a party! You can cast all of your cares upon the Lord. It’s all up to you - the next move is yours!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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October 8 ~ Psalm 90
1-2 God, it seems you've been our home forever; long before the mountains were born,
Long before you brought earth itself to birth,
from "once upon a time" to "kingdom come"—you are God.
3-11 So don't return us to mud, saying,
"Back to where you came from!"
Patience! You've got all the time in the world—whether
a thousand years or a day, it's all the same to you.
Are we no more to you than a wispy dream,
no more than a blade of grass
That springs up gloriously with the rising sun
and is cut down without a second thought?
Your anger is far and away too much for us;
we're at the end of our rope.
You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed
since we were children is entered in your books.
All we can remember is that frown on your face.
Is that all we're ever going to get?
We live for seventy years or so
(with luck we might make it to eighty),
And what do we have to show for it? Trouble.
Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.
Who can make sense of such rage,
such anger against the very ones who fear you?
12-17 Oh! Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well!
Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—
and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
Surprise us with love at daybreak;
then we'll skip and dance all the day long.
Make up for the bad times with some good times;
we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
Let your servants see what you're best at—
the ways you rule and bless your children.
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
confirming the work that we do.
Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!
(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.)
“Why, God, why? I work hard and get to be old, and what do I have to show for it except a lot of work and heartache?” I had to laugh at the verse about all we can remember is the frown on God’s face. My dear precious Grand-dad Arlie had what we called “the Arlie frown.” It was a dark, foreboding furrow of his eyebrows over his coal black eyes, and we knew when we saw it that he was displeased over something. I have learned in recent months that he inherited that frown from his mother and HER mother… and generations before me knew that same look and all it conveyed.
While we grandchildren and cousins laugh about that facial expression today, we also remember the love and kindness of this same grandfather. In my Sunday School class, we have been studying the book of Genesis lately and examining God’s creation of the earth and all who inhabit it. One of the things we have looked at closely is the “timeline” and how a day in our mind is like a blip on the screen for God. We see our lives in minutes and hours – He sees our lives in total, from beginning to end – and he knows how our story starts and finishes before we ever are born.
While my grandfather was a faithful Christian and a wonderful man, he was also a workaholic. He worked six days a week pretty much all of his life. He worked so much that, to my grandmother’s dismay, he returned to work the day after they were married. Family vacations were almost non-existent. The only trips he ever took were those he “won” through his insurance agency – and he considered that “good business.” At the end of his career, he had no hobbies and few outside interests, and his story is repeated countless times by men and women around the world.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with hard work, and I admit, I’ve inherited many of my grandfather’s tendencies – from a messy desk with piles of papers to his penchant for becoming absorbed in work to the occasional “Arlie frown.” But I think the point of this Psalm is that life IS short… and we need to stop and evaluate how we are spending our time. Are we wasting a lot of it dashing here and there trying to get to the next deadline? Are we doing so many things at once that we end up doing all of them poorly? Are we selling God – and ourselves – short?
There are several good e-mails that circulate frequently, supposedly from little old ladies or gentlemen who have sage advice about living every day and not saving your best underwear for a special occasion or holding onto grudges and becoming bitter and cynical in our old age. But I will leave you with this today… when was the last time you stopped and really looked at a tree or a flower or the view out your window? When was the last time you really paused and looked at your child – or even your pet – and asked lovingly, “What do you need or want today?” When was the last time you realized that watching a television program or reading the newspaper can wait, that doing the dishes or putting that load of laundry in the dryer is not as important as hugging your spouse or pausing to pray and thank God for His blessings? When was the last time you did something for someone else instead of spending an hour playing solitaire on the computer? When was the last time you simply took a walk and inhaled the aroma of fresh air and contemplated God and how He is always working in your life? Isn’t about time you did at least one of these things?
I got so much more than the “Arlie frown” from my grandfather… and we all get far more than that from God each and every day. It’s time to “stop and smell the roses.” It’s time to slow down and let the loveliness of God rest on us. Take time for His blessings, and He WILL affirm you and your work.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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