February 28 ~ Ephesians 6:13
Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
(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 one of those people who overpack. Just pick up my purse, and you will understand. I try so hard to carry one of those cute little clutch purses or travel with a little carry-on case and nothing else. But where do you put your wallet? and your keys? and your cell phone? And then there is gum and lipstick – and for me, an Epi-pen, and a case for my sunglasses. Oh, and I have to have some aspirin and a couple of antihistamines… and some tissues… and an ink pen and some sort of note pad… and well, you get the picture… and that was just my PURSE! I’ve tried leaving home without all of this stuff… and sometimes I can manage with just my phone and a couple of things stuck into a pocket. But invariably, my husband will ask, “Do you have any (insert gum, aspirin, tissues, etc. here)? Or someone will want to give me information I really should write down so I won’t forget, and there I am… stuck without my purse and all of my “essentials.”
How is it that we can be so dependent on what we carry in our purses, suitcases or pockets, and yet, when it comes to our Spiritual “tool bag,” we throw caution to the wind and try to “wing it” on our own? Don’t we know that we will get into situations where we need truth, righteousness, peace, faith and salvation? Can’t we see over and over how helpful it would be to have God’s Word to call upon when dealing with a challenging person or situation? What if nobody prayed – for each other or themselves? Our Spiritual “tool bag” needs to be bigger than any purse, suitcase, or pocket. We need to put on every weapon God has issued – every day – and we need to keep these tools with us at all times. We may occasionally skirt disaster by leaving home without wallets, tissues, an Epi-pen – and yes, even lipstick! But we cannot afford to ever, ever, EVER be without the Spiritual tools God has given us! So I ask you, what’s in your “bag” today? Did you remember to pack enough?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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February 27 ~ Hebrews 12:4-11
In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through - all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?
My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline,
but don't be crushed by it either.
It's the child he loves that he disciplines;
the child he embraces, he also corrects.
God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with 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.)
Are you a “babe in the woods” in your faith? For far too long… maybe even 30 years or better… this described me. I knew just enough scripture and hymns to feel smug in my faith. I went to church often and was a “good person.” I prayed and occasionally read my Bible. But I didn’t produce much fruit… and honestly, I didn’t understand God’s power to sustain me in times of need – or His love for me in sending Jesus Christ. In many ways, I was a pretty easy mark for the devil because of my lax attitude. For the longest, I didn’t get that Jesus’ very breath and blood flow through me and nourish me each day. THAT is powerful… and empowering!
Where are you in your walk? Are you in tune with the Holy Spirit? Do you feel Jesus’ breath and blood flowing through you? Is He the source of everything you do? I encourage you to stop today and re-examine your situation. Look for time in your day to read the Bible and pray – or to read the words of a good Christian author as God uses him/her to speak to your current needs. Visit with a strong Christian friend and see what you can learn from him/her. Listen to some good Christian music. In other words, feed upon the word of God through His word and the words He gives fellow believers for you. Grow in your faith. Don’t stay a “baby Christian.” Don’t be an easy mark for the devil. Grow up, recognize the truth, share it with others, and feel Christ nourishing you each day.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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February 26 ~ Hebrews 12:1-3
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
(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 in the 10th grade, I got a sore throat, and the doctor prescribed an antibiotic. I had an allergic reaction and ended up in the hospital for four days. The night before I was hospitalized, my hands and feet swelled so badly they looked like giant sausages. My dad took me to the doctor’s house, where he gave me a shot of adrenaline. One other time after I married, I had to get a shot of adrenaline for an allergic reaction, and I can tell you, those two times will do me for the rest of my life! If you have ever had adrenaline, you know what I mean. Your heart pounds! Think of a time when you were suddenly frightened, and your heart started to pound and your pulse quickened and you felt like you would jump out of your skin. Now multiply that by at least ten, and you have the idea!
While I don’t want to have a shot of real adrenaline anytime soon, I would love to have adrenaline shot into my soul! I would love to feel that way, Spiritually, and plow my way through everything the devil tosses my way on a daily basis. I would love to be better at keeping my sights on where I’m headed and putting up with anything along the way. I would love to be “Spiritually lean and mean!”
So what is keeping me from doing this? Absolutely nothing except the devil and my weak will. It’s time for me to get into better Spiritual shape. It’s time for me to take a good hard look at the saints who have gone before me and how THEY did it…and to model their faith and tenacity – their perseverance through thick and thin. And that’s what I am going to do. We are beginning the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and prayer for many Christians. Lent is also a season of taking stock and reflecting on Jesus – His crucifixion and resurrection – and the season of Easter.
Many Christians will “give up” something during Lent as an outward symbol of “suffering” and their commitment to focusing on Christ more. Some give up chocolate or sugar – others smoking, drinking or cursing! This season, I am not going to give up something for Lent – I am going to take on something! I am going to commit to spending more time in prayer and study. I may even revisit the 40 Days of Purpose in The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I’m going to give myself a shot of “Spiritual adrenaline” and plow through Lent and into Easter, squarely focused on Jesus, the cross, and the fact that I am headed to Eternity with HIM! What about you? How will you spend the Lenten season? Is Spiritual adrenaline shooting through YOUR soul?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 25 ~ Hebrews 10:32-39
Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse—some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn't touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don't throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It's still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion.
It won't be long now, he's on the way;
he'll show up most any minute.
But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust;
if he cuts and runs, I won't be very happy.
But we're not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We'll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.
(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.)
Just like with anything new, we are extremely excited and enthused about it at first. Think about something as trivial as a new pair of sneakers. You are so excited by them at first… you want to wear them everywhere. People notice and ask, “Are those new sneakers?” and you proudly hold up your foot and say, “Yeah!” It’s the same with a new hairstyle, a new car or house… or even a new job. The first few days are heady – you somehow feel better about yourself and everything around you. But over time, the “newness” wears thin, and it’s just another pair of sneakers or another hairstyle, car, house, or job. You may still enjoy whatever this “new thing” is in your life, but “the thrill is gone,” as the song says.
In much the same way, we act this way about our faith. When we first come to know Jesus – when the Holy Spirit fills us – we are overwhelmed with joy and excitement. Nothing fazes us because we are so enthralled with our Jesus and His power in our life. We live for Sundays and other opportunities to meet with fellow Christians and share in a worship experience. We can’t get enough of our Bible and will read it every chance we have. We have all of our radios tuned to Christian stations, and our CD players and iPods are filled with the latest contemporary Christian and worship music or hymns. Everything in our lives focuses on our Heavenly Father and His promises and blessings.
But over time, this thrill fades. I’ve seen it time and again – even in my own life. I see a new – or renewed – Christian who is “on fire” for Jesus, and I think, “that used to be me.” Sometimes you will see someone who is so excited they almost seem overbearing and obnoxious… a little too eager, maybe, to share the Good News with you. That was me at one time, too. I remember feeling so amazingly full and excited about the Gospel that I could NOT stop sharing. And judging from the looks on other people’s faces, it was probably overkill at times.
I’m not saying we should all be obnoxious and overbearing in our faith, or that we have to have enthusiasm practically oozing from our pores. But I see so many Christians who, for whatever reason, are not living their faith… or certainly they are not outwardly demonstrating it. You know the type… the “grump” who always has an issue or a problem… the person for whom everything is a major deal. Others have to wonder, do they really believe God will take care of them? Are they standing on God’s promises? What about someone you know from your church who is always talking about how wonderful their relationship is with God is, then sitting behind you at a pee-wee basketball game, where this “faith-filled” person is chewing on the referee like a piece of tough leather? Or maybe you know someone who is always negative about everything - cynical and sarcastic in their comments and personality - and this same person talks of Bible studies and church committees and even quotes scripture in their everyday conversation. And I haven’t even gotten to the person who is all talk and promises to work with (and help) others and then does whatever he/she pleases and acts selfishly.
We can’t have it both ways. I know the “new” wears off a lot of things in our lives, but we have to be very careful that it NEVER wears off in our Christian living. My prayer is that over the next few days and weeks, we would all take a long hard look at our lives and see where we are falling short in this area. I am asking God to reveal Himself to us in new ways, with fresh eyes, and to restore the enthusiasm and excitement in each of us for His message. I’m asking God to remind us of His promises and show us how to stand on them and reach others in His name. We may be one obnoxious group of Christians, but I can’t think of a better reason to be overbearing and excited. Can you?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 24 ~ Hebrews 10:22-25
So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.
(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 bet you think I’m going to use this passage as a justification for why we should go to church! I can see why that might be what some get from this passage, but I think the meaning is a little deeper. I think this passage is telling us to stick with God… to rely on His promises and believe wholeheartedly that He is Who the Bible says He is… and He does what He promises. I believe that this passage is also telling us that WE are to fulfill God’s promises by encouraging and loving one another, staying positive, and through fellowship with one another. That may include attending church services, but I don’t believe these verses limit our worship to Sundays and/or a church building.
Recently my husband and I shared a meal with nine other people in a friend’s home. Then we sat and discussed our thoughts about two books most of us had read recently. One was The Shack by William P. Young. It was interesting to learn what others got out of the book, and ultimately most of us ended up sharing about our faith and what God’s promises mean to us. We were “preaching to the choir,” somewhat, but we were also in fellowship and “edifying” (or building up) one another’s faith. We topped off our evening with Holy Communion.
Now you may be thinking, "That’s not exactly how I want to spend a Friday night!” But I have to tell you, it was one of the best nights out I’ve enjoyed in a long, long time! And I’d like to think it pretty well followed Jesus’ Biblical model of sharing a meal, fellowship, and the Good News!
My point is that we have been given the greatest gift of all time… salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ, and promises of God to help us navigate the waters of everyday life and then enjoy eternity with Him in heaven. I believe it is up to us to be inventive and creative in sharing this message with others – and in living for Him. His promises keep us going… now we must encourage others to do the same!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 23 ~ Hebrews 6:13-18
When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!" Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him. When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee - God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.
(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.)
Russell Kelso Carter was not unlike many of us. Born in 1849, he was surrounded by Christian influences. And like many of us, he “listened but did not hear” much of the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in his early life. That changed when he was 15. He gave his life to Jesus at a prayer meeting at his military academy. But then again, like so many, he proceeded to live life on his own terms, and he says that for the next 14 years, he was unwilling to pay the price to live for Christ. He says that “My soul cried for deliverance, and God’s unlimited promises stood out like stars above me.”
Fast forward to 1879, when Carter’s heart was severely diseased and resisting medical treatment. He heard prayers of healing, but he felt it was almost blasphemy to ask God to heal one who had been so rebellious. But God healed him anyway, and Carter knelt and “made a consecration that covered everything.” He rested in God’s promises of healing and never looked back. And he went on to attend college and live a long full, healthy life. In 1886, he wrote a well-known hymn, Standing on the Promises, which is still sung today in churches throughout the world. In verse two, Carter writes:
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail
By the living Word of God I shall prevail
Standing on the Promises of God.
What are your “howling storms of doubt and fear” today? Are you prevailing by the Word of God? Are you standing on His promises – promises that cannot fail? Isn’t it amazing to think that the promises of God that healed a man in the 1800’s are the same promises that can heal and rescue us today? The chorus to this hymn says… “Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior. Standing, standing – I’m standing on the promises of God.”
Are YOU standing on the promises of God today? If you aren’t, I pray that you will humble yourself before Him and “consecrate everything” – ask for forgiveness and recognize God’s power in every area of your life. Stand on the promises of God, and like Russell Kelso Carter, find them wonderfully and marvelously satisfying.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 22 ~ Hebrews 6:9-12
I'm sure that won't happen to you, friends. I have better things in mind for you—salvation things! God doesn't miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you've shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it. And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish. Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to 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.)
I don’t know about you, but some days, I cannot stay focused on the task at hand. Even things that I find fun, I sometimes have trouble sticking with. A movie that I really want to watch will arrive in the mail from Netflix, and I may put off sitting down to view it for several days. I drag my feet, because I get bogged down with other things. There is a show I want to watch on television, or I am busy writing at my computer, or I’m just not in the mood… a zillion reasons can come up, and days go by before I get to the movie. Often, I enjoy the show so much that we wonder why it took us so long to actually find time to watch it!
God has a lot of great things in store for us, but so often, we drag our feet about doing what we need to do for Him, and we miss out on these blessings. When we finally DO make time for Him and His plans, we are astounded at how good it feels… and how blessed we are for being obedient. We may wonder what took us so long! I know… “life happens.” It’s easy to get bogged down in the things of this world and drag our feet about serving God. We find a million reasons that we can’t stop and study our Bible. We let e-mail pile up in our Inbox until we have two weeks of daily devotionals unread! We sleep in on Sundays and don’t get to church – or something comes up and we don’t make it to other church events. And then we wonder why we feel out of sorts… why things just aren’t coming together for us like they should! Can you see that everything works together? Can you see that loving God is not enough – you have to serve Him, obey Him, and share Him with others in order to get the full experience of life in Christ?
As we read in Ecclesiastes, there is a time and place for everything… and surely “piddling” has its place, too. Just wasting away an hour or two – or even a day once in awhile is okay and even quite therapeutic. But a steady diet of this is not what God designed for us! Stay the course…stop dragging your feet. As a rule, be committed… and be blessed!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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