October 14 ~ Jeremiah 29:7
Pray for peace in Babylonia and work hard to make it prosperous. The more successful that nation is, the better off you will be.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
From the time we are little kids, we learn to recite prayers… and in doing so, we learn patterns for our meditations. We pray for Mommy and Daddy, sisters and brothers, Grandmas and Grandpas, and the family pets. As we get older and start to mature, we may personalize our prayers even more… praying for friends and other loved ones and for special needs – both ours and those of others. If we are really advanced (!) we may even pray for our fellow church members, and possibly our church leaders!
I think where we probably fall the shortest is in our prayers for people in other lands that we’ve never even met. We may pray for “our soldiers” in the war and abroad… but do we pray for the people of the homeland where the war is being fought? Do we pray for the hungry and sick in Third World countries? Do we ask God to create opportunities for these people to be witnessed to with the Gospel, food, and a smile? Do we pray for people in inner cities of our own country and the homeless in other communities and our own home town?
Jeremiah is saying in this passage that in essence, as our prayers go for those outside our back yard, so goes the nation, and yes, the world. If we only pray for those we know, we really are not “going into the world” as Jesus commanded. He wants us to care about our family and our friends and neighbors… but we must care about – pray for and minister to – those outside our immediate circle and even beyond our borders. The more we serve and minister in these areas, the more God will bless them – and all of us!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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October 13 ~ Daniel 9:15-19
Our Lord God, with your own mighty arm you rescued us from Egypt and made yourself famous to this very day, but we have sinned terribly. In the past, you treated us with such kindness, that we now beg you to stop being so terribly angry with Jerusalem. After all, it is your chosen city built on your holy mountain, even though it has suffered public disgrace because of our sins and those of our ancestors.
I am your servant, Lord God, and I beg you to answer my prayers and bring honor to yourself by having pity on your temple that lies in ruins. Please show mercy to your chosen city, not because we deserve it, but because of your great kindness. Forgive us! Hurry and do something, not only for your city and your chosen people, but to bring honor to yourself.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Someone suggested to me not too long ago, “I don’t know why God doesn’t get fed up and just wipe us all off the earth and start over!” I’m so thankful that God is more patient than we are! But I know that our behavior grieves Him. I know He is sad about the death and destruction of war. I know He is saddened by the suffering of hungry children – and just as much, the lack of action by His children to do something about this. I know God’s heart is broken when we say and do things that are sinful.
More than this, I believe God is greatly grieved when we say unkind things about others – or skew the truth about them – in the name of Christianity. I heard a pastor say recently that we want to preach “politics” rather than the Gospel of Christ. We must be very careful not to do this. Everyone is entitled to a political opinion… and even to a personal opinion about other people. But we must be very careful not to express our thoughts under the umbrella of our faith, as in, “I vote with the Christians” or “That candidate’s party is not God’s chosen party.”
We must be just as careful not to claim that “God gave us that football win,” or “It was God’s will that such-and-such entertainer win an award or contest.” Whether it is God’s will or not, we must be very careful that we do not give others the impression that we are superior because we belong to God… or that God does not care for the “losing” team or contestants. Truly, God loves all of His children and wishes to bless each of them. Whether God chooses their team to win a football game or a particular person to excel and succeed in a certain manner has nothing to do with how much He loves them.
So often, we create problems where none exist… all in the name of our faith. We must be very careful not to do this. We seem to understand on some level how wars start on an international level, but we overlook the backbiting and dissention that goes on even in our own community. We don’t acknowledge or even understand that pitting one denomination against another… or even one athletic team against another… in the name of God is wrong and hurtful. Think carefully about what you say and how you act. If you have acted hurtfully or disrespectfully, ask God to forgive you and set you on the right path. Represent God well… serve Him with all your heart, and guard your thoughts and actions so that you act in a loving manner and don’t stir up trouble.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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October 12 ~ Daniel 9:3-14
Then, to show my sorrow, I went without eating and dressed in sackcloth and sat in ashes. I confessed my sins and earnestly prayed to the LORD my God: Our Lord, you are a great and fearsome God, and you faithfully keep your agreement with those who love and obey you. But we have sinned terribly by rebelling against you and rejecting your laws and teachings. We have ignored the message your servants the prophets spoke to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors, and everyone else.
Everything you do is right, our Lord. But still we suffer public disgrace because we have been unfaithful and have sinned against you. This includes all of us, both far and near--the people of Judah, Jerusalem, and Israel, as well as those you dragged away to foreign lands, and even our kings, our officials, and our ancestors. LORD God, you are merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against you and rejected your teachings that came to us from your servants the prophets.
Everyone in Israel has stubbornly refused to obey your laws, and so those curses written by your servant Moses have fallen upon us. You warned us and our leaders that Jerusalem would suffer the worst disaster in human history, and you did exactly as you had threatened. We have not escaped any of the terrible curses written by Moses, and yet we have refused to beg you for mercy and to remind ourselves of how faithful you have always been. And when you finally punished us with this horrible disaster, that was also the right thing to do, because we deserved it so much.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Everybody likes to talk about how evil the world is today. But truly, the world is probably no more evil now than it was in Daniel’s day… we just have the Internet and CNN and other media to tell us within the hour what horrible things are happening throughout the world. And wandering away from God is nothing new, either. Sin really has been part of our lives since the Garden of Eden.
Recently, President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. In an e-mail he issued, President Obama stated:
“To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so
many of the transformative figures who'vebeen honored by this prize --
men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world
through their courageous pursuit of peace.
But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not
just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a
means to give momentum to a set of causes. That is why I've said that
I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all
peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These
challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime.
But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that
they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.
So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun
together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored
to continue our vital work in the years to come.”
Recommitting to work together for justice and world peace is a great thing… and we all should be ready to roll up our sleeves and help. But we should not do this just because we are Americans or because President Obama has thrown down the challenge… but because GOD has called us to do this… even from the time of Moses! How and where do we even start? I believe the simplest beginnings are often the most effective. So I am challenging each of us to say and/or do something positive for someone else today. Maybe you can post a positive comment to a friend on Facebook. Maybe you can give someone a ride to or from school/church or to the store. Maybe you can do something nice for an elderly person in your neighborhood or your church family.
Or maybe, you will further peace by keeping quiet when tempted to say something in anger or to make an unkind comment. Perhaps you will resist the urge to act out in a sinful manner. But more importantly, I pray that each of us will consciously choose today to do or say at least one positive thing. Once we get the ball rolling and start making the effort, these acts become easier and more natural to us. It’s a start… and God will see our efforts and bless them!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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October 11 ~ Joel 2:12
The LORD said: It isn't too late. You can still return to me with all your heart. Start crying and mourning! Go without eating.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
It isn’t too late… these four words are powerful! You don’t have to just imagine that God is waiting for you… it’s a FACT! You drifted away, but He will welcome you back. You got into things you shouldn’t have… bad habits, sinful activities, poor judgment and bad relationships, and tons of wrong choices. In the human world, you may feel like you have blown it – that your situation is beyond repair.
Hear this passage loudly and clearly… “It isn’t too late. You can still return to me [God] with all your heart!” The next sentences say to start crying and mourning, and to go without eating. You don’t have to be nearly so drastic or dramatic. Just humble yourself before God and admit your shortcomings and sins. Ask Him to forgive you. Then feel his amazing, massive arms wrap around you and draw you to His chest in the best hug you’ve ever experienced. Feel His love and forgiveness… the hope of another chance. Hear Him say, “We’ll figure this out together. I’m just glad you are home.” With God, it isn’t too late… this is the best news you will receive – today or any other!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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October 10 ~ Psalms 74
Our God, why have you completely rejected us?
Why are you so angry with the ones you care for?
Remember the people you rescued long ago, the tribe you chose to be your very own. Think of Mount Zion, your home; walk over to the temple left in ruins forever by those who hate us. Your enemies roared like lions in your holy temple, and they have placed their banners there. It looks like a forest chopped to pieces. They used axes and hatchets to smash the carvings. They burned down your temple and badly disgraced it. They said to themselves, "We'll crush them!" Then they burned every one of your meeting places all over the country.
There are no more miracles and no more prophets. Who knows how long it will be like this? Our God, how much longer will our enemies sneer? Won't they ever stop insulting you? Why don't you punish them? Why are you holding back? Our God and King, you have ruled since ancient times; you have won victories everywhere on this earth. By your power you made a path through the sea, and you smashed the heads of sea monsters. You crushed the heads of the monster Leviathan, then fed him to wild creatures in the desert. You opened the ground for streams and springs and dried up mighty rivers. You rule the day and the night, and you put the moon and the sun in place. You made summer and winter and gave them to the earth.
Remember your enemies, LORD! They foolishly sneer and won't respect you. You treat us like pet doves, but they mistreat us. Don't keep forgetting us and letting us be fed to those wild animals. Remember the agreement you made with us. Violent enemies are hiding in every dark corner of the earth. Don't disappoint those in need or make them turn from you, but help the poor and homeless to shout your praises. Do something, God! Defend yourself. Remember how those fools sneer at you all day long. Don't forget the loud shouts of your enemies.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
This Psalm was written by King David’s Music Director, Asaph. Let’s just say that Asaph was disillusioned. Things had happened in his life to discourage him and drag him down. And haven’t we all been like this at times? Haven’t we all had times when we wanted to say, “Do something, God!”
Some of you have maybe felt that way in school, when students or maybe even teachers or coaches seemed to pick on you and deal you grief. Surely we have all felt this way about war, the natural disasters that have plagued our world in recent years, and world hunger. It’s like Satan is attacking on all sides. We KNOW that God is powerful enough to take him out with a snap of the finger, so to speak, but here he still is! One of my pitfalls is a lack of patience with God for His timing. I want Him to answer my prayers – now! And in looking back over my life, I can see that my times of extreme frustration over what seemed like “unanswered prayers” were anything but that. In retrospect, I can see that God was working, and I am sure he wanted to say, “Just hold on to your pants, Missy… I’m in charge here!” Now, I knew He was in charge, but I just wanted to help Him along a little. And don’t we all do this from time to time?
So here’s my word for you today. It is perfectly okay to let God know you are frustrated (He knows already, but it’s still okay) and to ask Him for help. He wants you to do this… and to be honest about your feelings. But the God who smashed the heads of sea monsters and put the moon and sun in place can surely handle our problems. He can help us resolve conflicts, get a job, sell a house, pass a test, get well, survive disasters and heartaches, and much more. We need to all take a deep breath and learn to “have a little faith” – seriously! Believe me, God is not going to be brought down by His enemies. I’ve read the end of the story – God wins! Hang in there with Him, and you will win, too!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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October 9 ~ 2 Chronicles 7:13-14
Suppose I hold back the rain or send locusts to eat the crops or make my people suffer with deadly diseases.
If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Now remember, this is Old Testament. Jesus had not yet come to earth and died on the cross for our sins. Life with God was a series of sacrifices and rewards. But… even though God has forgiven the sins of those of us who have asked… even though all who have invited Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to come into their lives are washed clean in the blood of Christ… God still blesses us when we turn to Him and stop sinning.
You may have heard the phrase, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” That is NOT a scripture in the Bible, but this passage comes pretty close to saying almost the same thing. The Lord does indeed help those who work hard to serve Him and be obedient to His will. And the more we honor Him with our service and obedience, the more He blesses us in return.
Halloween is coming. If you have ever passed out candy, you know there are some little “urchins” who knock on your door and seem rather greedy. Others are sweet and patient and polite. You may have found yourself wanting to reward the sweet, polite spooks and goblins with extra candy… and maybe even to hold back on those little grabbers who tried to stick their hand in the bucket and help themselves! It’s a lot the same way with us and God. Some of us are working hard to do what is right and to please Him, and God wants to heap extra blessings on us… while others are grabby and demanding (“You owe me, God!) and more than a little arrogant, and God seems to say, “I think I’ll hold onto his/her rewards a little while longer.”
I want you to get this… God has heaps and piles of blessings He wants to give each of us. But many of us are anything but deserving of His generosity. And some of us are wondering, “Why isn’t God helping me?” The answer may be as simple as turning around and facing Him, falling to your knees, and asking, “Will you forgive me and show me how I can serve You?” It’s worth a shot, isn’t it? What are YOU waiting for? Turn around today. See how fertile your “land” can become when you humble yourself before God.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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October 8 ~ Judges 21:2-4
After the war with Benjamin, the Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel and sat there until sunset. They cried loudly and bitterly and prayed, "Our LORD, you are the God of Israel. Why did you let this happen? Now one of our tribes is almost gone."
Early the next morning, the Israelites built an altar and offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
In order to understand this passage, I had to go back to Judges 19 and start reading… and believe me, it is a sordid tale that I bet many of you never realized was written in the Bible! Think of it this way… imagine Americans in 12 states fighting each other and virtually wiping out all of the people from one state… and – for real - God told you to do this! Would you be able to do it? More than that, would you be able to thank God and praise Him afterward… and continue to do what He called you to do?
Sometimes God calls us to do some very hard things. Most likely He will never call us to fight and kill our neighbors in other states. But still, you will face times in your life that you know that God is showing you a decision or an action you must make, and you really, really, really don’t want to do it. Maybe God shows you that you are in an unhealthy relationship that must end. Maybe God tells you that you need to change jobs… or move to another city. Maybe God tells you that, despite all of your best efforts to care for your parents or grandparents, they need to be in assisted living or a nursing home… or maybe He is saying, “That’s where YOU need to be!” Maybe God is saying, “You need to be serving in another ministry… a different Sunday School class or Bible study… or even a different church!”
When my grandfather had a stroke in August 1984 and was left unresponsive, the neurologist came into a waiting room and spoke to my grandmother and me. He explained that there was no brain activity, and that my grandfather was not going to survive… and he asked permission to turn off the respirator that was breathing for him. My grandmother agreed, knowing that this would be my grandfather’s wish. When my grandfather died a few minutes later, my grandmother, sister and I went in to see his body. My grandmother immediately began to pray aloud and thank God for her life with this man… 53 years of marriage… and for strength to endure this loss. And God has done just that. For the last 25 years, He has seen my grandmother through times of joy AND more terribly “hard times,” like the loss of her only son. We marvel at how she appears to take seemingly unbearable experiences relatively in stride. We are amazed by her faith.
The mark of a true Christian is the ability to do the hard things that God calls us to – or to endure those that God allows – and then to praise Him and continue serving afterward. We often have a very hard time believing that what God takes us to, He will take us through! And we surely have a hard time seeing that what’s on “the other side” might even be better… or that we will be able to praise God for this hard thing. But clearly, this is nothing new. God has been calling His children to do hard things – make difficult choices – for centuries. And He has always rewarded faithfulness.
Whatever “hard things” you face today, if God is leading your choices, He will be with you “on the other side of the fence.” And once you get there, remember to thank Him and give Him praise for walking with you.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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