Matthew 5:21-26
You know that our ancestors were told, “Do not murder” and “A murderer must be brought to trial.” But I promise you that if you are angry with someone, you will have to stand trial. If you call someone a fool, you will be taken to court. And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell.
So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God.
Before you are dragged into court, make friends with the person who has accused you of doing wrong. If you don’t, you will be handed over to the judge and then to the officer who will put you in jail. I promise you that you will not get out until you have paid the last cent you owe.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend shared a story about a woman who was standing in line at the grocery store, talking on her cell phone… in a foreign language. When she finished, the man in front of her turned and said, “If you want to speak Spanish, go back to Mexico. This is America…you should speak English – not Spanish.” She replied, “I was speaking Navajo… if you want to speak English, go back to England.” Okay, so it’s a silly joke… but it does make the point that we often choose to say things we shouldn’t – and frequently there are consequences for said comments.
Are we really so naïve as to think that we can harbor ill feelings toward someone else and still ask God to cut us some slack? Do we truly believe that we can treat others unkindly and expect God to welcome us with open arms? What is wrong with us, people?! Have we really sunk so lowly that we honestly believe we have some sort of “Golden Pass” when it comes to God’s favor? I’ve got a news flash… Jesus says it just ain’t so! And it would serve us well to listen to what He is telling us!
Before you start asking God for anything, make sure you “have your ducks in a row.” Apologized to your kids for being short and ill-tempered with them? Check! Told your roommate you’re sorry you have been such a slob and promised to do better? Check! Forgiven your neighbor for playing his/her music too loudly or mowing the yard before dawn and disrupting your sleep? Check! Prayed for those who say and do things to ruffle your feathers on a daily basis? Check! Held your tongue in the checkout line when you wanted to say something unkind or derogatory? CHECK!
We all sin… we all fall short. People will offend us and wrong us – and some will treat us unkindly or unfairly. But until we ask forgiveness of others, we cannot ask God for the same. Until we forgive in our hearts those who wrong or offend us and make things right, we have no entitlement to ask God to forgive us and restore us to an authentic relationship with Him. Remember… whatever we do to the least of His creatures, we do to Him. (Matthew 25:40)
Who do you have to forgive today – either personally or in your heart? Where do you need to ask for forgiveness and a second chance? Are you coming before God with a “clean slate” and a pure heart? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 29, 2013
Matthew 27:22
Pilate asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”
They all yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am something of a packrat. And if you know my penchant for repurposing, you know that no scrap is too small to be reused for SOMETHING! So it’s very hard for me to clean closets and drawers and truly get rid of anything. But I’ve done better recently. And though it bothered me on several levels to do this, there have been a few items that I have not tried to salvage. I’ve simply tossed them into the trash and said, “Just get rid of it!”
This is pretty much what the Romans said to Pontius Pilate when he asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus?” Surely many of them felt uneasy about this on some level. Some must have thought, “There has to be some way He could be useful to us.” But in the end, they chose to ruthlessly toss Jesus out like yesterday’s trash. Even worse, they wanted Him brutalized in the process!
How often do we do this? How many times do our words and actions essentially say, “Jesus isn’t worth anything to me…He’s not even as ‘good’ as garbage”… and treat Him as such? Have you considered that a lot of your actions and words… the way you have treated others and conducted your life… your attitudes and general indifference… have all been the equivalent of lashes across Jesus’ back – or nails through His hands and feet? Pretty humbling thoughts, huh?!
“Oh, I would NEVER do this to Jesus!” you may be protesting. But you have… my friend… you have – and so have I. And we’ve made the choice to do so. Maybe we didn’t say, “Today I think I will nail Jesus to the cross”… but we chose thoughts, words and actions that did essentially the same thing. We are in control of these things far more than we often care to admit!
Here’s your wake-up call. What you say, think, and do matters! You make choices every minute of the day… whether to serve Jesus – or to nail Him to the cross. Remember Matthew 25:40 (NLT) …“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Where are you choosing to treat Jesus like garbage? Where have you battered and beaten Him… or nailed Him to the cross? When you think about your life in these terms, doesn’t it make you want to choose differently? Shouldn’t it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Pilate asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”
They all yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am something of a packrat. And if you know my penchant for repurposing, you know that no scrap is too small to be reused for SOMETHING! So it’s very hard for me to clean closets and drawers and truly get rid of anything. But I’ve done better recently. And though it bothered me on several levels to do this, there have been a few items that I have not tried to salvage. I’ve simply tossed them into the trash and said, “Just get rid of it!”
This is pretty much what the Romans said to Pontius Pilate when he asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus?” Surely many of them felt uneasy about this on some level. Some must have thought, “There has to be some way He could be useful to us.” But in the end, they chose to ruthlessly toss Jesus out like yesterday’s trash. Even worse, they wanted Him brutalized in the process!
How often do we do this? How many times do our words and actions essentially say, “Jesus isn’t worth anything to me…He’s not even as ‘good’ as garbage”… and treat Him as such? Have you considered that a lot of your actions and words… the way you have treated others and conducted your life… your attitudes and general indifference… have all been the equivalent of lashes across Jesus’ back – or nails through His hands and feet? Pretty humbling thoughts, huh?!
“Oh, I would NEVER do this to Jesus!” you may be protesting. But you have… my friend… you have – and so have I. And we’ve made the choice to do so. Maybe we didn’t say, “Today I think I will nail Jesus to the cross”… but we chose thoughts, words and actions that did essentially the same thing. We are in control of these things far more than we often care to admit!
Here’s your wake-up call. What you say, think, and do matters! You make choices every minute of the day… whether to serve Jesus – or to nail Him to the cross. Remember Matthew 25:40 (NLT) …“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Where are you choosing to treat Jesus like garbage? Where have you battered and beaten Him… or nailed Him to the cross? When you think about your life in these terms, doesn’t it make you want to choose differently? Shouldn’t it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 28, 2013
Mark 9:38-41
John said, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But he wasn’t one of us, and we told him to stop.”
Jesus said to his disciples: Don’t stop him! No one who works miracles in my name will soon turn and say something bad about me. Anyone who isn’t against us is for us. And anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, just because you belong to me, will surely be rewarded.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“You’re either with us or against us!” I bet you’ve heard this adage more than once. Many politicians have used this phrase – or some form of it – to illustrate that we cannot accept support from our enemies and continue to declare that they are our adversaries. In the words of former President George W. Bush as he addressed Congress in 2001, “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed similar sentiments that same year…”Every nation has to either be with us, or against us. Those who harbor terrorists, or who finance them, are going to pay a price.” Few would find it difficult to argue with these statements.
But Christians seem to take this concept to a whole other level at times. Many tend to believe that those who support another political party…accept people who practice alternative lifestyles…and those who embrace people of all races, creeds, and colors are at the very least “less Christian” than they are. How do we miss the mark so badly? How do we figure that feeding starving, disease-ridden children in a foreign nation – or in our own backyard – somehow endorses and encourages bad politics? How can we justify belittling those whose skin is not the same color as ours? How in the world can we look Jesus in the eye and say we serve Him while we shun and humiliate anyone we consider to be different from us in any way? How can we claim to follow Jesus’ commands to love one another… then behave in such an unloving manner?
Jesus is telling us in this passage that true Christian discipleship has no room for “us” versus “them.” This is not a social “club” where some are in and some are out. Just because another believer’s politics, lifestyle, skin color - or even their broad view of scripture and discipleship - is different from yours doesn’t emphatically mean they are less a Christian than you!
Each Sunday morning as our pastor offers corporate prayer during worship, he asks God to bless and care for our President, his cabinet, and all world leaders. This is scriptural… we are to respect and obey our leaders (Romans 13:1). Still, I am certain there are more than a few who dislike this prayer… those who would declare our pastor “not one of us” and would like for him to stop. Some have probably even ceased to attend worship because of this. Our pastor’s obedience to scripture may be unpopular with some, but it does not negate his Christian witness.
By the same token, I have read posts on Facebook from “friends” who claim to be Christian disciples… yet they take advantage of this public forum to spew political venom… to call names… to share jokes and cartoons about those whose opinions and lifestyles differ from theirs… to ridicule and berate other races, and more. They may very well have moments when they truly serve Jesus well and lead others to Him… but in this case, they negate it all with these ungodly actions.
Do you see where I’m headed? We are passing judgment at every turn… and it’s not ours to pass. We are so hung up on our own agendas… on people conforming to our own ways of thinking… that we have totally taken the focus off of Jesus. Many of us are so busy pushing our opinions, principles and politics on others that we don’t even see Jesus any more. Quite frankly, this thing of “us versus them” is really more of “us” instead of Jesus! We’ve totally taken Him out of the equation. Oh, we claim we haven’t, but this is exactly what we have done! If you read the next few verses of Mark 9, Jesus is very clear about what will happen if we do anything to steer another in the wrong direction… if we cause them to sin in any way. By “drawing lines in the sand” in our daily living – and making these lines abundantly clear to others – we could very well be paving the way for others to sin.
So where do you need to take a long hard look at your life? Where have you “drawn lines in the sand” and created a “club” where a chosen few are allowed to participate? Where have you chosen to alienate those who would dare to behave differently – or worse yet… to disagree with you?! How have your actions set the stage for others to sin? How are you actively representing the name of Jesus Christ and bringing others into a relationship with Him?
It’s all about choices. Jesus’ own words say “anyone who isn’t against us is for us.” Where do you stand? How have you chosen, if even inadvertently? Is it time for you to re-tool your Christian discipleship? Is it time for you to change your mind? Isn’t this the perfect day to get started?
©2013 Debbie Robus
John said, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But he wasn’t one of us, and we told him to stop.”
Jesus said to his disciples: Don’t stop him! No one who works miracles in my name will soon turn and say something bad about me. Anyone who isn’t against us is for us. And anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, just because you belong to me, will surely be rewarded.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“You’re either with us or against us!” I bet you’ve heard this adage more than once. Many politicians have used this phrase – or some form of it – to illustrate that we cannot accept support from our enemies and continue to declare that they are our adversaries. In the words of former President George W. Bush as he addressed Congress in 2001, “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed similar sentiments that same year…”Every nation has to either be with us, or against us. Those who harbor terrorists, or who finance them, are going to pay a price.” Few would find it difficult to argue with these statements.
But Christians seem to take this concept to a whole other level at times. Many tend to believe that those who support another political party…accept people who practice alternative lifestyles…and those who embrace people of all races, creeds, and colors are at the very least “less Christian” than they are. How do we miss the mark so badly? How do we figure that feeding starving, disease-ridden children in a foreign nation – or in our own backyard – somehow endorses and encourages bad politics? How can we justify belittling those whose skin is not the same color as ours? How in the world can we look Jesus in the eye and say we serve Him while we shun and humiliate anyone we consider to be different from us in any way? How can we claim to follow Jesus’ commands to love one another… then behave in such an unloving manner?
Jesus is telling us in this passage that true Christian discipleship has no room for “us” versus “them.” This is not a social “club” where some are in and some are out. Just because another believer’s politics, lifestyle, skin color - or even their broad view of scripture and discipleship - is different from yours doesn’t emphatically mean they are less a Christian than you!
Each Sunday morning as our pastor offers corporate prayer during worship, he asks God to bless and care for our President, his cabinet, and all world leaders. This is scriptural… we are to respect and obey our leaders (Romans 13:1). Still, I am certain there are more than a few who dislike this prayer… those who would declare our pastor “not one of us” and would like for him to stop. Some have probably even ceased to attend worship because of this. Our pastor’s obedience to scripture may be unpopular with some, but it does not negate his Christian witness.
By the same token, I have read posts on Facebook from “friends” who claim to be Christian disciples… yet they take advantage of this public forum to spew political venom… to call names… to share jokes and cartoons about those whose opinions and lifestyles differ from theirs… to ridicule and berate other races, and more. They may very well have moments when they truly serve Jesus well and lead others to Him… but in this case, they negate it all with these ungodly actions.
Do you see where I’m headed? We are passing judgment at every turn… and it’s not ours to pass. We are so hung up on our own agendas… on people conforming to our own ways of thinking… that we have totally taken the focus off of Jesus. Many of us are so busy pushing our opinions, principles and politics on others that we don’t even see Jesus any more. Quite frankly, this thing of “us versus them” is really more of “us” instead of Jesus! We’ve totally taken Him out of the equation. Oh, we claim we haven’t, but this is exactly what we have done! If you read the next few verses of Mark 9, Jesus is very clear about what will happen if we do anything to steer another in the wrong direction… if we cause them to sin in any way. By “drawing lines in the sand” in our daily living – and making these lines abundantly clear to others – we could very well be paving the way for others to sin.
So where do you need to take a long hard look at your life? Where have you “drawn lines in the sand” and created a “club” where a chosen few are allowed to participate? Where have you chosen to alienate those who would dare to behave differently – or worse yet… to disagree with you?! How have your actions set the stage for others to sin? How are you actively representing the name of Jesus Christ and bringing others into a relationship with Him?
It’s all about choices. Jesus’ own words say “anyone who isn’t against us is for us.” Where do you stand? How have you chosen, if even inadvertently? Is it time for you to re-tool your Christian discipleship? Is it time for you to change your mind? Isn’t this the perfect day to get started?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 27, 2013
Luke 14:25-27
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.
Our property is located near a national nature trail. Recently, builders have reconstructed a wooden overlook that anchors the end of the trail closest to our house. This was done in preparation for the 50th anniversary celebration of the dedication of Greers Ferry Dam, a concrete dam built on the Little Red River for flood control and hydroelectric power. Last night after dinner, Greg, Timothy and I took a walk to check out the overlook. We had to go down a dirt path through a heavily wooded area. The overlook is surrounded on three sides by thick woods, and the bluff underneath that leads to the river is thickly forested, also. Timothy’s latest “thing” is a fear of the forest. He told me all afternoon that there were monsters, alligators and crocodiles (and zombies and vampires!) in the forest, and that his dad would protect him from all of these… that “Daddy will defeat the monsters in the forest.”
As we walked, Timothy talked of being afraid, even though we assured him that he was safe with us… that we would protect him. He clung to our hands and even said a few times, “Let’s go back… we better go back!” Finally, Greg walked away from Timothy and up the trail a few yards. Timothy was upset at first, but then he realized that he was okay… that he could manage on his own and conquer his fears. He even climbed a big rock and stood atop it, pretending to be a ‘mean Indian”. As we walked home and got close to our cul-de-sac, he took off running ahead of us, exploring the street and our yard and running with wild abandon. He knew we were near… that we were still present and a part of his life… but he took ownership of his actions and ran happily ahead of us.
I’ll be the first to tell you that putting Jesus first can be scary. We depend on our relationships with others… they make us feel safe, loved, important. Our earthly relationships represent a “comfort zone” that can extend to material possessions, our job, our hobbies and interests, and more. Change is often hard… and letting go of what we know and love can be truly difficult and uncomfortable.
Just as we were not asking Timothy to stay in the woods by himself, God isn’t calling you to do this with Him, either. He’s not saying you have to fend for yourself. But you have to be willing to trust Him and step out on your own – with only Him – in order to fully experience Christian discipleship. While this sometimes means you have to disassociate completely from people and things that compete for your attention, it often means you just have to reorder your priorities. So you don’t have to “divorce” yourself completely from your spouse or partner, your parents, siblings, cousins, friends… or even your hobbies and possessions. You just have to understand that they all take a backseat to Jesus Christ and your relationship with Him!
I’m amazed at how a four-year-old like Timothy can grasp something we often cannot. In his night-time prayers, he said, “Father, thank You for keeping Uncle Greg and Debbie and me safe in the woods…and for letting me be the ‘mean Indian on the rock’.” (Yes, he referred to God as "Father" - probably mimicking me or another adult he has heard offer a prayer!) Timothy recognized Who was really in charge… Who truly kept him safe. It didn’t diminish his love for us…he merely put it into perspective. What about you… do you have your priorities straight? Do you have the right perspective on your relationship with Jesus Christ – and others? Are you ready to shoulder your own cross… step out on your own… and truly follow Him? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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.
Our property is located near a national nature trail. Recently, builders have reconstructed a wooden overlook that anchors the end of the trail closest to our house. This was done in preparation for the 50th anniversary celebration of the dedication of Greers Ferry Dam, a concrete dam built on the Little Red River for flood control and hydroelectric power. Last night after dinner, Greg, Timothy and I took a walk to check out the overlook. We had to go down a dirt path through a heavily wooded area. The overlook is surrounded on three sides by thick woods, and the bluff underneath that leads to the river is thickly forested, also. Timothy’s latest “thing” is a fear of the forest. He told me all afternoon that there were monsters, alligators and crocodiles (and zombies and vampires!) in the forest, and that his dad would protect him from all of these… that “Daddy will defeat the monsters in the forest.”
I’ll be the first to tell you that putting Jesus first can be scary. We depend on our relationships with others… they make us feel safe, loved, important. Our earthly relationships represent a “comfort zone” that can extend to material possessions, our job, our hobbies and interests, and more. Change is often hard… and letting go of what we know and love can be truly difficult and uncomfortable.
Just as we were not asking Timothy to stay in the woods by himself, God isn’t calling you to do this with Him, either. He’s not saying you have to fend for yourself. But you have to be willing to trust Him and step out on your own – with only Him – in order to fully experience Christian discipleship. While this sometimes means you have to disassociate completely from people and things that compete for your attention, it often means you just have to reorder your priorities. So you don’t have to “divorce” yourself completely from your spouse or partner, your parents, siblings, cousins, friends… or even your hobbies and possessions. You just have to understand that they all take a backseat to Jesus Christ and your relationship with Him!
I’m amazed at how a four-year-old like Timothy can grasp something we often cannot. In his night-time prayers, he said, “Father, thank You for keeping Uncle Greg and Debbie and me safe in the woods…and for letting me be the ‘mean Indian on the rock’.” (Yes, he referred to God as "Father" - probably mimicking me or another adult he has heard offer a prayer!) Timothy recognized Who was really in charge… Who truly kept him safe. It didn’t diminish his love for us…he merely put it into perspective. What about you… do you have your priorities straight? Do you have the right perspective on your relationship with Jesus Christ – and others? Are you ready to shoulder your own cross… step out on your own… and truly follow Him? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 26, 2013
Joshua 24:13-15
I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.
“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I found a suggestion on Pinterest for rewarding children for good behavior at home. This idea involves a little printed card with blocks for numbers 1-20. We are trying this with Timothy. Each time he deserves to be recognized for what he has done, a number is punched. When all of the blocks on the card have been punched, Timothy gets to pick a “treat” from a box or basket. Everything Timothy needs for growth and survival is provided in our home… food, clothing, shelter, love and nurture, and more. We freely provide all of this for him. But let’s be honest… it’s great when he chooses to behave nicely and honor our nurture and provisions - to play carefully with his toys and put them away when he is done, to use good table manners, and to respond quickly and positively when we ask him to do something!
I tell Timothy and Zola often… “It’s your choice.” But I had to laugh as I read this passage, where it said…”if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.” Often I say to them, “It’s your choice,” and add…”but choose now!” Even at ages four and two, children are able to make simple choices and to understand the outcomes of each option, and there is no sense in prolonging the decision!
From an early age, we learn to make choices. We learn that choices determine the outcome… and some come with consequences. The choices may seem easier when you are two and four… but essentially, they are no different. You know what it means to serve God… you’ve read the scriptures… you’ve seen true Christian discipleship in action. You know that the life of a Christian isn’t always easy… but you also know the rewards – both promised for Eternity, and those here on earth each and every day.
This passage seems a little cold and callous on the surface, but when you boil it all down, it’s really pretty basic. Pick a side. Serve God or serve whoever or whatever you like. But understand what you are in for if you choose to serve something or someone else. I’m happy to be able to say that for me and my family, it’s a no brainer! One day with God is better than a zillion without Him. I’m going to be “punching the discipleship card” and reaping God’s rewards “to infinity and beyond”! What about you? It’s your choice…what have you decided?
©2013 Debbie Robus
I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.
“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I found a suggestion on Pinterest for rewarding children for good behavior at home. This idea involves a little printed card with blocks for numbers 1-20. We are trying this with Timothy. Each time he deserves to be recognized for what he has done, a number is punched. When all of the blocks on the card have been punched, Timothy gets to pick a “treat” from a box or basket. Everything Timothy needs for growth and survival is provided in our home… food, clothing, shelter, love and nurture, and more. We freely provide all of this for him. But let’s be honest… it’s great when he chooses to behave nicely and honor our nurture and provisions - to play carefully with his toys and put them away when he is done, to use good table manners, and to respond quickly and positively when we ask him to do something!
I tell Timothy and Zola often… “It’s your choice.” But I had to laugh as I read this passage, where it said…”if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.” Often I say to them, “It’s your choice,” and add…”but choose now!” Even at ages four and two, children are able to make simple choices and to understand the outcomes of each option, and there is no sense in prolonging the decision!
From an early age, we learn to make choices. We learn that choices determine the outcome… and some come with consequences. The choices may seem easier when you are two and four… but essentially, they are no different. You know what it means to serve God… you’ve read the scriptures… you’ve seen true Christian discipleship in action. You know that the life of a Christian isn’t always easy… but you also know the rewards – both promised for Eternity, and those here on earth each and every day.
This passage seems a little cold and callous on the surface, but when you boil it all down, it’s really pretty basic. Pick a side. Serve God or serve whoever or whatever you like. But understand what you are in for if you choose to serve something or someone else. I’m happy to be able to say that for me and my family, it’s a no brainer! One day with God is better than a zillion without Him. I’m going to be “punching the discipleship card” and reaping God’s rewards “to infinity and beyond”! What about you? It’s your choice…what have you decided?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 25, 2013
John 6:61-69
Jesus knew that his disciples were grumbling. So he asked, “Does this bother you? What if you should see the Son of Man go up to heaven where he came from? The Spirit is the one who gives life! Human strength can do nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are from that life-giving Spirit. But some of you refuse to have faith in me.” Jesus said this, because from the beginning he knew who would have faith in him. He also knew which one would betray him.
Then Jesus said, “You cannot come to me, unless the Father makes you want to come. That is why I have told these things to all of you.”
Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I read this scripture passage today, I immediately thought, “I know just how Peter felt” [when he said there was no one else that they could go to]. Don’t misunderstand me… I do not consider Jesus a “last resort”…He is the ONLY choice for me. But that doesn’t mean that He has not called me (and you and countless other believers) to do some really hard things… to make some difficult choices and decisions!
If you are like me, there are times when you truly do not know what to do. You don’t have a clue what the best option is in a particular situation… you see pros and cons to all available options. In these instances, I have learned to say, “LORD… it’s up to you. I have no wisdom and discernment about this issue. I don’t even know what to ask You for - except YOUR WILL… so I leave it at that!” Now here’s the tricky part… deep down inside your heart, you probably do have an opinion. You probably know how you really wish things would go. And when God decides differently, you may have to face some difficulties – and accept them. That’s where faith comes into play!
We must follow Jesus…and believe in His life-giving Spirit. We must trust Him to work things out in our best interest. And when He allows our path to be tough and riddled with challenges, we must accept the tests and stick with Him. We must do this not because He is our only hope… but because He is our only hope! Do you see the difference?
I get it. I understand how hard this can be. I am a “git-r-done” kind of girl who likes to cross all the “t’s”, dot all the “i’s” and know exactly how things are going to go from the outset. I like to have a plan, figure out the best way to achieve an outcome, and hop to it! So I am really out of my comfort zone with this faith thing much of the time. Learning to trust God and wait on His timing has not come easily for me… and on any given day, I am still a mess. But I know that Jesus is God’s Holy One… that He is my Rock and my Redeemer – and my only hope. Slowly but surely, I’m learning to rest in that… to trust Him to give me what I need – when I need it! I’m learning to “let go and let God”… and it’s a wonderful thing!
Wherever you are in your journey, understand that there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer here...as long as you are trusting in God. You will have days where everything seems peaceful and your confidence soars. There will also be days where you say, “LORD, I don’t think I can do this.” That’s when He will pick you up and carry you for a while. Just do not turn your back on Him. Focus on Jesus and trust Him to always operate in your best interest. Bask in the comfort of feeling His life-giving Spirit deep in your heart!
The most important choice we can ever make is to allow Jesus to make all of the others. Who is making the choices in your life today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Jesus knew that his disciples were grumbling. So he asked, “Does this bother you? What if you should see the Son of Man go up to heaven where he came from? The Spirit is the one who gives life! Human strength can do nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are from that life-giving Spirit. But some of you refuse to have faith in me.” Jesus said this, because from the beginning he knew who would have faith in him. He also knew which one would betray him.
Then Jesus said, “You cannot come to me, unless the Father makes you want to come. That is why I have told these things to all of you.”
Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I read this scripture passage today, I immediately thought, “I know just how Peter felt” [when he said there was no one else that they could go to]. Don’t misunderstand me… I do not consider Jesus a “last resort”…He is the ONLY choice for me. But that doesn’t mean that He has not called me (and you and countless other believers) to do some really hard things… to make some difficult choices and decisions!
If you are like me, there are times when you truly do not know what to do. You don’t have a clue what the best option is in a particular situation… you see pros and cons to all available options. In these instances, I have learned to say, “LORD… it’s up to you. I have no wisdom and discernment about this issue. I don’t even know what to ask You for - except YOUR WILL… so I leave it at that!” Now here’s the tricky part… deep down inside your heart, you probably do have an opinion. You probably know how you really wish things would go. And when God decides differently, you may have to face some difficulties – and accept them. That’s where faith comes into play!
We must follow Jesus…and believe in His life-giving Spirit. We must trust Him to work things out in our best interest. And when He allows our path to be tough and riddled with challenges, we must accept the tests and stick with Him. We must do this not because He is our only hope… but because He is our only hope! Do you see the difference?
I get it. I understand how hard this can be. I am a “git-r-done” kind of girl who likes to cross all the “t’s”, dot all the “i’s” and know exactly how things are going to go from the outset. I like to have a plan, figure out the best way to achieve an outcome, and hop to it! So I am really out of my comfort zone with this faith thing much of the time. Learning to trust God and wait on His timing has not come easily for me… and on any given day, I am still a mess. But I know that Jesus is God’s Holy One… that He is my Rock and my Redeemer – and my only hope. Slowly but surely, I’m learning to rest in that… to trust Him to give me what I need – when I need it! I’m learning to “let go and let God”… and it’s a wonderful thing!
Wherever you are in your journey, understand that there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer here...as long as you are trusting in God. You will have days where everything seems peaceful and your confidence soars. There will also be days where you say, “LORD, I don’t think I can do this.” That’s when He will pick you up and carry you for a while. Just do not turn your back on Him. Focus on Jesus and trust Him to always operate in your best interest. Bask in the comfort of feeling His life-giving Spirit deep in your heart!
The most important choice we can ever make is to allow Jesus to make all of the others. Who is making the choices in your life today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 24, 2013
John 3:16-18
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to 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.
One of my former students posted a story on his blog about his trip to a local donut shop one recent Sunday. An older man came in with two scrubbed and dressed-for-church children. As he approached the counter, he told them that each could spend one dollar. My student observed that the older child – a boy - headed for the “cold case” filled with bottled soft drinks. The little girl, who my student guessed was about four years old, pointed to a tray of donuts – specifically a heavily sprinkled one near the back of the case - and said, “That one.” The clerk selected a donut near the one to which the little girl pointed. She said, “No, that one.” Over the course of several exchanges, the clerk and the older man determined that the donut the clerk selected for her was… “fine.” As the man put it, “They’re all the same.”
My student was beside himself as he watched this exchange. The man and the clerk totally ignored the little girl’s pleas. Yes, it was only a donut… but the two adults totally degraded the child’s self-worth by ignoring her preferences. Her choice didn’t matter… it was all about what they wanted. After all… how hard would it have been to put that donut back and get the one the child wanted? In truth, it would have been faster and easier than the exchange that ensued. My student concluded by saying that once the adults insisted the child take the first donut, she slumped down and said, “Now I’m not going to like my donut.” The man then ordered himself a kolache with jalapenos. My student said he secretly wished the clerk would hand him a plain kolache with the explanation that they were… “all the same.”
Here’s the thing…in life, we are often the four-year-old being told, “It’s all the same.” In other words, it doesn’t really matter whether you choose Jesus – especially at a young age. You have things to experience…a life to live… there is plenty of time for Jesus later. Others will tell you that you don’t have to study the Bible or fellowship with other Christians… go fishing, climb a mountain or work out and “be one with nature”. That’s spiritual enough! Yes, you can discover God’s presence on a mountaintop or in your favorite fishing hole – or even through physical activity and meditation… but this is simply not enough. Still others think that they can claim the name of Jesus in one breath, and berate or degrade others in the next. They fail to recognize that as Disciples of Christ, we are to do our dead-level best to become like Him… and Jesus would never demean or attempt to humiliate anyone.
Jesus is the total package. He’s the One and ONLY Savior…the only Son of God sent to earth in human form to freely and willfully die for our sins. Whether we allow outside forces to influence our choices and actions - or listen to God’s commands - matters. Whether we serve wholeheartedly matters… all service to God is NOT the same. Whether we choose to worship possessions, a statue, another “god” of any sort …or to serve Jesus Christ… matters. There is only one Jesus Christ… only one Holy Spirit… only one Almighty God. We want THAT ONE!!!
Stop and ask yourself… “Am I living like an ‘all the same’ Christian? Am I even truly a Christian in the first place? Have I chosen THAT ONE… Jesus Christ… the one and only Savior who died for my sins so that he could be the LORD of my life?” If you are not living singly for Jesus, you’re not there – yet. But there is still time! Unlike a four-year-old child whose voice is sometimes squelched, you need to stand up and loudly proclaim that “all the same” is not good enough…a life that isn’t “all in” for Jesus is no life at all!
We all need to stand up for Jesus Christ and say, “I want THAT ONE!” and accept no substitutes. Are you ready and willing to do this? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to 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.
One of my former students posted a story on his blog about his trip to a local donut shop one recent Sunday. An older man came in with two scrubbed and dressed-for-church children. As he approached the counter, he told them that each could spend one dollar. My student observed that the older child – a boy - headed for the “cold case” filled with bottled soft drinks. The little girl, who my student guessed was about four years old, pointed to a tray of donuts – specifically a heavily sprinkled one near the back of the case - and said, “That one.” The clerk selected a donut near the one to which the little girl pointed. She said, “No, that one.” Over the course of several exchanges, the clerk and the older man determined that the donut the clerk selected for her was… “fine.” As the man put it, “They’re all the same.”
My student was beside himself as he watched this exchange. The man and the clerk totally ignored the little girl’s pleas. Yes, it was only a donut… but the two adults totally degraded the child’s self-worth by ignoring her preferences. Her choice didn’t matter… it was all about what they wanted. After all… how hard would it have been to put that donut back and get the one the child wanted? In truth, it would have been faster and easier than the exchange that ensued. My student concluded by saying that once the adults insisted the child take the first donut, she slumped down and said, “Now I’m not going to like my donut.” The man then ordered himself a kolache with jalapenos. My student said he secretly wished the clerk would hand him a plain kolache with the explanation that they were… “all the same.”
Here’s the thing…in life, we are often the four-year-old being told, “It’s all the same.” In other words, it doesn’t really matter whether you choose Jesus – especially at a young age. You have things to experience…a life to live… there is plenty of time for Jesus later. Others will tell you that you don’t have to study the Bible or fellowship with other Christians… go fishing, climb a mountain or work out and “be one with nature”. That’s spiritual enough! Yes, you can discover God’s presence on a mountaintop or in your favorite fishing hole – or even through physical activity and meditation… but this is simply not enough. Still others think that they can claim the name of Jesus in one breath, and berate or degrade others in the next. They fail to recognize that as Disciples of Christ, we are to do our dead-level best to become like Him… and Jesus would never demean or attempt to humiliate anyone.
Jesus is the total package. He’s the One and ONLY Savior…the only Son of God sent to earth in human form to freely and willfully die for our sins. Whether we allow outside forces to influence our choices and actions - or listen to God’s commands - matters. Whether we serve wholeheartedly matters… all service to God is NOT the same. Whether we choose to worship possessions, a statue, another “god” of any sort …or to serve Jesus Christ… matters. There is only one Jesus Christ… only one Holy Spirit… only one Almighty God. We want THAT ONE!!!
Stop and ask yourself… “Am I living like an ‘all the same’ Christian? Am I even truly a Christian in the first place? Have I chosen THAT ONE… Jesus Christ… the one and only Savior who died for my sins so that he could be the LORD of my life?” If you are not living singly for Jesus, you’re not there – yet. But there is still time! Unlike a four-year-old child whose voice is sometimes squelched, you need to stand up and loudly proclaim that “all the same” is not good enough…a life that isn’t “all in” for Jesus is no life at all!
We all need to stand up for Jesus Christ and say, “I want THAT ONE!” and accept no substitutes. Are you ready and willing to do this? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 23, 2013
Luke 10:38-42
The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”
The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning, a friend posted a video on Facebook from former NFL wide receiver (and Little Rock, Arkansas native) Trent Shelton, who founded a Christian, non-profit organization called Rehab Time. Shelton travels the country as an author and motivational speaker, and he conducts seminars on how to “rehab” your life. The theme of this video by Shelton was “Evaluating Your Circle.” Using references to athletic teamwork, Shelton explained how we must evaluate those in our “circle” and ask if they are “playing for the team… or playing for themselves”. He asks, “Do they use ‘me’ instead of ‘we’… ‘I’ instead of ‘us’?”
Shelton notes that “Successful teams have loyal, committed people who are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the team succeeds. Everybody is a role player.” He asks, “Who’s sitting at your table with a personal agenda… who is sitting at your table that refuses to sacrifice? Who’s sitting at your table and bringing more problems to it than solutions? Make sure that everyone at your table is more concerned about what they can do for each other than what they can do for themselves.”
In this familiar scripture passage that tells the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha, we find two friends of Jesus’ - both of whom He loved dearly…and they loved Him in return. Both were “on His team”. And while neither would totally fit Shelton’s description of someone who was playing for herself rather than the team, it’s safe to say that one of them was a tad misguided. Martha was so concerned with all of the little details… whether the meal was just right… whether the table was set correctly…had she forgotten anything – and would Jesus be disappointed. Mary plopped down at Jesus’ feet and simply absorbed His presence. She listened and learned His ways… she internalized the “team mission” and made mental note of what Jesus was saying – and what He was calling her to do. There would be plenty of time to fret and stress over details like table settings and meal planning. Jesus was here… the need for her full attention was now! Her personal agenda could wait.
I will be the first to tell you that I have been a “Martha” far too often. I’m a details person… I like to make sure that things are done correctly and nicely. I love to make memories for others. So when I share baked goods or a casserole, I like to send it in a nice dish with a pretty card. When I prepare a family dinner, I like for the table to be decorated… and I want the food to be special. Would a loaf of banana bread wrapped in tin foil taste just as good to a grieving family or someone who is ill? Certainly! Would my family be any less gathered together to enjoy one another’s company if I served bologna sandwiches on paper plates? Not in the least! Would the “spirit” of the gestures be lessened if I paid more attention to their intention and less on “looking good”? Absolutely!
Fifteen years ago this morning, angels carried my 37-year-old brother, Tim, to heaven. It was a beautiful, sunny morning… much like this one, although not as cool and crisp. Time has lessened the grief of his passing, but not the ache I often feel in my heart for his earthly presence. There’s a good chance that you have a similar ache in your heart for someone who was special and dear to you. In the days leading to and surrounding his death, I learned that the most important thing I could do was spend time with Him and my family. This was a lesson I have never forgotten.
I saw how countless friends and members of my parents’ church dropped everything to come and stay from dusk to dawn, preparing and organizing meals, cleaning the house, running errands, and more. Casseroles, desserts and full meals appeared off and on in the days before Tim passed. When he died, people came to prepare coffee and pastries for breakfast… and someone mopped the kitchen floor at bedtime each night before leaving - for almost a week. It might sound like we were never granted a private moment, but you would be amazed at the stealth with which these servants operated. They were in the background, completing the “teamwork”, and focusing completely on meeting our needs.
I never cease to be amazed at how God uses even the most heart-wrenching circumstances to teach us more about His love, grace and mercy. I have tried to take to heart the lessons I learned in observing those who came to our aid at this sad time… and again 13 months later when my dad followed Tim to heaven. I have tried to set aside personal agendas to serve others in Jesus’ name, as I felt Him leading me. And when another “Tim” came into our lives four years ago, followed by his sister Zola and brother Nathan, I vowed to instill in them a spirit of “teamwork” and service above self. It’s not always easy… there are plenty of days when I would rather do what I had in mind than to do something for someone else. We are still human, after all!
We all make choices. It is so easy to become self-centered… to focus on just making it through the day and meeting your own personal needs. But Jesus has told us that… “only one thing is necessary” - that we focus on Him and His agenda. And He has promised that the “sacrifice” of this choice will not be taken from us. In other words… this is where the real joy and blessings lie!
Trent Shelton’s reminder to evaluate our “circle” is timely. We do need to take a look at who is on our “team”, as well as our own role there. How are we functioning… who are we serving? Is it time to reposition ourselves… or could we possibly be playing for the wrong team? Do we need to choose more wisely… and isn’t this a good time to begin?
©2013 Debbie Robus
http://trentshelton.com
The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”
The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning, a friend posted a video on Facebook from former NFL wide receiver (and Little Rock, Arkansas native) Trent Shelton, who founded a Christian, non-profit organization called Rehab Time. Shelton travels the country as an author and motivational speaker, and he conducts seminars on how to “rehab” your life. The theme of this video by Shelton was “Evaluating Your Circle.” Using references to athletic teamwork, Shelton explained how we must evaluate those in our “circle” and ask if they are “playing for the team… or playing for themselves”. He asks, “Do they use ‘me’ instead of ‘we’… ‘I’ instead of ‘us’?”
Shelton notes that “Successful teams have loyal, committed people who are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the team succeeds. Everybody is a role player.” He asks, “Who’s sitting at your table with a personal agenda… who is sitting at your table that refuses to sacrifice? Who’s sitting at your table and bringing more problems to it than solutions? Make sure that everyone at your table is more concerned about what they can do for each other than what they can do for themselves.”
In this familiar scripture passage that tells the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha, we find two friends of Jesus’ - both of whom He loved dearly…and they loved Him in return. Both were “on His team”. And while neither would totally fit Shelton’s description of someone who was playing for herself rather than the team, it’s safe to say that one of them was a tad misguided. Martha was so concerned with all of the little details… whether the meal was just right… whether the table was set correctly…had she forgotten anything – and would Jesus be disappointed. Mary plopped down at Jesus’ feet and simply absorbed His presence. She listened and learned His ways… she internalized the “team mission” and made mental note of what Jesus was saying – and what He was calling her to do. There would be plenty of time to fret and stress over details like table settings and meal planning. Jesus was here… the need for her full attention was now! Her personal agenda could wait.
I will be the first to tell you that I have been a “Martha” far too often. I’m a details person… I like to make sure that things are done correctly and nicely. I love to make memories for others. So when I share baked goods or a casserole, I like to send it in a nice dish with a pretty card. When I prepare a family dinner, I like for the table to be decorated… and I want the food to be special. Would a loaf of banana bread wrapped in tin foil taste just as good to a grieving family or someone who is ill? Certainly! Would my family be any less gathered together to enjoy one another’s company if I served bologna sandwiches on paper plates? Not in the least! Would the “spirit” of the gestures be lessened if I paid more attention to their intention and less on “looking good”? Absolutely!
Fifteen years ago this morning, angels carried my 37-year-old brother, Tim, to heaven. It was a beautiful, sunny morning… much like this one, although not as cool and crisp. Time has lessened the grief of his passing, but not the ache I often feel in my heart for his earthly presence. There’s a good chance that you have a similar ache in your heart for someone who was special and dear to you. In the days leading to and surrounding his death, I learned that the most important thing I could do was spend time with Him and my family. This was a lesson I have never forgotten.
I saw how countless friends and members of my parents’ church dropped everything to come and stay from dusk to dawn, preparing and organizing meals, cleaning the house, running errands, and more. Casseroles, desserts and full meals appeared off and on in the days before Tim passed. When he died, people came to prepare coffee and pastries for breakfast… and someone mopped the kitchen floor at bedtime each night before leaving - for almost a week. It might sound like we were never granted a private moment, but you would be amazed at the stealth with which these servants operated. They were in the background, completing the “teamwork”, and focusing completely on meeting our needs.
I never cease to be amazed at how God uses even the most heart-wrenching circumstances to teach us more about His love, grace and mercy. I have tried to take to heart the lessons I learned in observing those who came to our aid at this sad time… and again 13 months later when my dad followed Tim to heaven. I have tried to set aside personal agendas to serve others in Jesus’ name, as I felt Him leading me. And when another “Tim” came into our lives four years ago, followed by his sister Zola and brother Nathan, I vowed to instill in them a spirit of “teamwork” and service above self. It’s not always easy… there are plenty of days when I would rather do what I had in mind than to do something for someone else. We are still human, after all!
We all make choices. It is so easy to become self-centered… to focus on just making it through the day and meeting your own personal needs. But Jesus has told us that… “only one thing is necessary” - that we focus on Him and His agenda. And He has promised that the “sacrifice” of this choice will not be taken from us. In other words… this is where the real joy and blessings lie!
Trent Shelton’s reminder to evaluate our “circle” is timely. We do need to take a look at who is on our “team”, as well as our own role there. How are we functioning… who are we serving? Is it time to reposition ourselves… or could we possibly be playing for the wrong team? Do we need to choose more wisely… and isn’t this a good time to begin?
©2013 Debbie Robus
http://trentshelton.com
Daily Devotional for September 22, 2013
September 22 ~ John 16:23-24
“This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!"
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.
Our 2-year-old niece, Zola, has been “campaigning” to come to our house for a visit for more than a week now. Every time we visit, she gets her little pink backpack… or stands by the door… or latches onto one of us and won’t let go…and she repeats over and over, “Go! Go!” One night last week we kept Nathan, Zola’s baby brother. When I went to get him, Timothy told Zola, “It’s Nathan’s turn to go… then it’s my turn. It’s not your turn.” Zola kept saying, “NO! It’s MY turn!”
So when we picked the children up for church this morning, Zola was very happy… until we stopped in the church parking lot. She “froze” in her car seat and refused to get out. “No! No!” she cried. I carried her into the building… crying. We know that she thought we were picking her up for a visit to our house. That would have been her preference. The hour spent with friends in the church nursery was worthwhile… but it was our will for Zola – not hers! Once she saw her friends and toys in the nursery, she was fine, and she was happy when we returned for her and took her back to her home. But her choice was a visit to Aunt Debbie and Uncle Greg’s house!
I have to tell you that I am one of the world’s worst for “campaigning” to God for the things that I want. I pray continually… oh, man, do I pray! But I can’t say that I always pray for God’s will. In fact, I would have to admit that I interject far too much of my own desires into my communication with our Heavenly Father… as if I know better than He does how things should go!
Now I know better… and I do try to ask for God’s will. But I’m pretty sure that He can see right through me. He hears me say, “If it be your will”… but he also hears that little undertone in my voice that says…”but I really want it this way!” If ever there was a scripture passage that clearly tells us that God will answer our prayers, it is this one. If ever there was a passage that tells us He will do so according to His will… it is this one!
We can “campaign” all we want. God will still do what is best for us. We can kick and scream and go rigid and “refuse to get out of the car,” and He will still do what fulfills His perfect plans. Does this mean we waste our breath when we pray? Absolutely not! God wants to hear from us. But He wants to hear the surrender in our voice… He wants to fully recognize our humility and our desire for His will – not our own.
If we can ever truly relax and let God have control, I honestly believe we will see that His ways are better than ours… that His choices trump ours every time. I, for one, am a work in progress… and I suspect you are, too. But we need to do this… we must do this! We have to call on God to meet our needs… in Jesus’ name…according to His will. When we get to the point where we can genuinely make this shift in attitude… when we can completely surrender control to God… we invite Him to fully and freely work in our lives – and the floodgates of joy and blessings are blown wide open. I know I want this in my life and the lives of those for whom I’m praying… don’t you? Isn’t it time we chose to “let go and let God”? When you ask God to hear your prayers… will you be invoking His will – or yours?
©2013 Debbie Robus
“This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!"
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.
Our 2-year-old niece, Zola, has been “campaigning” to come to our house for a visit for more than a week now. Every time we visit, she gets her little pink backpack… or stands by the door… or latches onto one of us and won’t let go…and she repeats over and over, “Go! Go!” One night last week we kept Nathan, Zola’s baby brother. When I went to get him, Timothy told Zola, “It’s Nathan’s turn to go… then it’s my turn. It’s not your turn.” Zola kept saying, “NO! It’s MY turn!”
So when we picked the children up for church this morning, Zola was very happy… until we stopped in the church parking lot. She “froze” in her car seat and refused to get out. “No! No!” she cried. I carried her into the building… crying. We know that she thought we were picking her up for a visit to our house. That would have been her preference. The hour spent with friends in the church nursery was worthwhile… but it was our will for Zola – not hers! Once she saw her friends and toys in the nursery, she was fine, and she was happy when we returned for her and took her back to her home. But her choice was a visit to Aunt Debbie and Uncle Greg’s house!
I have to tell you that I am one of the world’s worst for “campaigning” to God for the things that I want. I pray continually… oh, man, do I pray! But I can’t say that I always pray for God’s will. In fact, I would have to admit that I interject far too much of my own desires into my communication with our Heavenly Father… as if I know better than He does how things should go!
Now I know better… and I do try to ask for God’s will. But I’m pretty sure that He can see right through me. He hears me say, “If it be your will”… but he also hears that little undertone in my voice that says…”but I really want it this way!” If ever there was a scripture passage that clearly tells us that God will answer our prayers, it is this one. If ever there was a passage that tells us He will do so according to His will… it is this one!
We can “campaign” all we want. God will still do what is best for us. We can kick and scream and go rigid and “refuse to get out of the car,” and He will still do what fulfills His perfect plans. Does this mean we waste our breath when we pray? Absolutely not! God wants to hear from us. But He wants to hear the surrender in our voice… He wants to fully recognize our humility and our desire for His will – not our own.
If we can ever truly relax and let God have control, I honestly believe we will see that His ways are better than ours… that His choices trump ours every time. I, for one, am a work in progress… and I suspect you are, too. But we need to do this… we must do this! We have to call on God to meet our needs… in Jesus’ name…according to His will. When we get to the point where we can genuinely make this shift in attitude… when we can completely surrender control to God… we invite Him to fully and freely work in our lives – and the floodgates of joy and blessings are blown wide open. I know I want this in my life and the lives of those for whom I’m praying… don’t you? Isn’t it time we chose to “let go and let God”? When you ask God to hear your prayers… will you be invoking His will – or yours?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 21, 2013
John 14:5-7
Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t even know where you are going! How can we know the way?”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father. If you had known me, you would have known the Father. But from now on, you do know him, and you have seen him.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This week, 78-year-old Christian author Henry Blackaby was reported missing in Atlanta, Georgia. Blackaby is the author of Experiencing God, a best-selling workbook for Christian discipleship that was published in the 1990s. The author’s family reported that he was a diabetic, and he did not have his medication with him. Volunteers combed the Atlanta area in an attempt to assist police in locating Blackaby. Some 29 hours later, he was found.
This updated information was posted on the website for Blackaby Ministries International (www.henryblackaby.com)...
I saw several e-mail reports about this situation throughout the day. While we live over 500 miles from the Atlanta area, we were asked to pray for this family and those who were searching for Henry. Information was given in each update, including a description of his car and the license plate number and the fact that he was a diabetic without his medication - indicating that he might need immediate medical attention, if found. I can’t help but believe that God answered the prayers of many by providing clues such as the credit card purchases, so that Henry could be found.
I know you are wondering… has she lost her mind? What does this have to do with John 14? More than you might think! See, Jesus’ disciples were questioning Him. They wanted physical proof of His true identity… that what He told them was true. It wasn’t enough that He said, “If you have seen me, you have seen my Father!” They wanted Him to show them. Moreover, they seemed clueless about how to follow Him… how to get to Heaven. He kept telling them, “I am the way”… but they wanted a map – or at least some pretty good directions…and maybe more than a few clues and hints.
And here’s the thing… God’s “clues” are all around us. Some are subtle and easily missed… that “still, small voice” you sometimes get…a scripture verse that keeps popping up and you wonder, “Why do I keep seeing this?”…a passing comment from a friend that keeps running through your head. Others are smack-you-in-the-face obvious, like when an elderly friend of mine said that three times in one morning she had an encounter with another driver who pulled in front of her. She told me, “I think God’s trying to get my attention and telling me I need to stop driving!”
The trouble with us is that we’re stubborn! We don’t pay attention. We walk right past God’s equivalent of flashing neon signs and choose to look the other direction. Now maybe we don’t do this deliberately, but in essence, we make choices every day with regard to whether we will pay attention to what God is telling and showing us… or not. God shows us how to follow Him… the direct path to true discipleship and an eternity spent with Him in Heaven… and we are so busy doing what we choose that it often doesn’t even register. I’m not saying that we necessarily make a conscious effort to ignore God. But by choosing to allow ourselves to be preoccupied with other things… or to serve our own interests… we essentially do exactly that!
I don’t know what clues and signals God is sending you today. But I know that we can either choose to pay attention – to look and listen for God’s messages and guidance… or we can choose to ignore the signs and “wing it.” If you ask me, the latter choice is the surest way to end up in your own equivalent of driving aimlessly around Atlanta for twenty-nine hours. Mr. Blackaby’s outcome could have been far more serious… and so could ours, if we don’t figure out who God really is and start following Him. Is this a chance you are willing to take?
What choices have you made that need rethinking? The “search party” is out on your behalf. God wants you found and returned to Him… restored and placed back on the right path. Won’t you recognize His presence and choose to follow His lead?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t even know where you are going! How can we know the way?”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father. If you had known me, you would have known the Father. But from now on, you do know him, and you have seen him.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This week, 78-year-old Christian author Henry Blackaby was reported missing in Atlanta, Georgia. Blackaby is the author of Experiencing God, a best-selling workbook for Christian discipleship that was published in the 1990s. The author’s family reported that he was a diabetic, and he did not have his medication with him. Volunteers combed the Atlanta area in an attempt to assist police in locating Blackaby. Some 29 hours later, he was found.
This updated information was posted on the website for Blackaby Ministries International (www.henryblackaby.com)...
On Thursday, September 19, Henry Blackaby drove his car to pick up his wife Marilynn from an appointment. Henry apparently suffered a heart attack while driving. He became disoriented and unable to find his way back home. He drove for the next 29 hours until finally being found in a small town south of Atlanta. He did not have his cell phone with him nor insulin for his diabetes. As a result, his blood sugar rose and his kidneys began to struggle as well. The family was able to track his movements as he used a credit card to make occasional purchases. He is currently in a hospital undergoing extensive tests. He seems to be in good spirits and lucid. We appreciate your prayers. With Henry disoriented, suffering from a heart attack, and driving for 29 hours throughout the night all over Atlanta, it is clear that GOD HEARD AND ANSWERED THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE! Thank you to everyone who prayed and helped in the search.Any time someone is missing, there is confusion and uncertainty. Where do you begin the search for them? How do you make sure that someone will recognize them? There are choices to make… when to truly declare a person missing… who are the proper authorities are to which this should be reported… how the search should be handled – and who should be involved. In this case, it all came down to a credit card. By tracing Henry Blackaby’s credit card transactions, searchers could figure out where he was and follow him. You may not find it a stretch that someone thought to check his credit card activity… but that a man in his physical and mental condition actually used said card in his condition is nothing short of miraculous in my mind!
I saw several e-mail reports about this situation throughout the day. While we live over 500 miles from the Atlanta area, we were asked to pray for this family and those who were searching for Henry. Information was given in each update, including a description of his car and the license plate number and the fact that he was a diabetic without his medication - indicating that he might need immediate medical attention, if found. I can’t help but believe that God answered the prayers of many by providing clues such as the credit card purchases, so that Henry could be found.
I know you are wondering… has she lost her mind? What does this have to do with John 14? More than you might think! See, Jesus’ disciples were questioning Him. They wanted physical proof of His true identity… that what He told them was true. It wasn’t enough that He said, “If you have seen me, you have seen my Father!” They wanted Him to show them. Moreover, they seemed clueless about how to follow Him… how to get to Heaven. He kept telling them, “I am the way”… but they wanted a map – or at least some pretty good directions…and maybe more than a few clues and hints.
And here’s the thing… God’s “clues” are all around us. Some are subtle and easily missed… that “still, small voice” you sometimes get…a scripture verse that keeps popping up and you wonder, “Why do I keep seeing this?”…a passing comment from a friend that keeps running through your head. Others are smack-you-in-the-face obvious, like when an elderly friend of mine said that three times in one morning she had an encounter with another driver who pulled in front of her. She told me, “I think God’s trying to get my attention and telling me I need to stop driving!”
The trouble with us is that we’re stubborn! We don’t pay attention. We walk right past God’s equivalent of flashing neon signs and choose to look the other direction. Now maybe we don’t do this deliberately, but in essence, we make choices every day with regard to whether we will pay attention to what God is telling and showing us… or not. God shows us how to follow Him… the direct path to true discipleship and an eternity spent with Him in Heaven… and we are so busy doing what we choose that it often doesn’t even register. I’m not saying that we necessarily make a conscious effort to ignore God. But by choosing to allow ourselves to be preoccupied with other things… or to serve our own interests… we essentially do exactly that!
I don’t know what clues and signals God is sending you today. But I know that we can either choose to pay attention – to look and listen for God’s messages and guidance… or we can choose to ignore the signs and “wing it.” If you ask me, the latter choice is the surest way to end up in your own equivalent of driving aimlessly around Atlanta for twenty-nine hours. Mr. Blackaby’s outcome could have been far more serious… and so could ours, if we don’t figure out who God really is and start following Him. Is this a chance you are willing to take?
What choices have you made that need rethinking? The “search party” is out on your behalf. God wants you found and returned to Him… restored and placed back on the right path. Won’t you recognize His presence and choose to follow His lead?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 20, 2013
Joel 3:14
Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision.
There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Recently, a Facebook friend posted an interesting question. In part, she said, “What is with the people on Facebook who literally spill their guts about woes, heartbreaks, and how ‘just when u think u can trust someone... Blah blah blah’?? I seriously don't understand what they believe they will be gaining from it?? AND THEN 150 LIKE THE POST?? What do they like?? Do they like that their ‘friend’ is miserable? Do they like that their ‘friend’ is writing this depressing stuff on here?” She made some valid points. She also mentioned that she has grown weary of posts from people who are “in a relationship” one day, “it’s complicated” the next, and then suddenly there is someone new – and wonderful – in their life.
Now you may be wondering… “What does this have to do with this passage from Joel 3?” I’m glad you asked! Joel is prophesying about the end of the world… when Christ will return and “thousands upon thousands” will gather in the “Valley of Decision” for judgment. I believe this is important… but I also believe that this has relevance in terms of today – and somewhat answers my friend’s Facebook question. Here’s how… we find “safety in numbers”. People want to know that others relate to them… that we care… that someone else has gone through what they are experiencing. Even if others judge us, we want to know that we are not alone.
Now this doesn’t mean I am excusing – or condoning – the kinds of posts my friend mentioned. I’m weary of them, too. But when a friend posts that her brother has been placed on Hospice and dying of cancer, I can respond to her, because I know firsthand what it’s like to have a brother on Hospice who is dying. When someone says, “I am a terrible mother… my 4-year-old cannot use scissors and the pre-K sent a note that we need to work on this”… I can speak to her as a teacher and a “foster-mother” to little ones that he is just not ready – and she is an excellent mother.
When a friend posts that she wants to crawl into bed and pull the covers over her head as she tries to juggle the challenges of a job, marriage, parenthood, ownership of a retail business, and the in-home care of her father… as well as caregiving duties for her aging grandmother…I can commiserate, offer to pray for her, and assure her that she is not alone and that others care.
See, we are all waiting in the Valley of Decision for something… whether even our own self-judgment. We have gathered together with decisions to make, challenges to face, worries, concerns, joys and sorrows. And we eagerly await feedback… just as those on Facebook want others to reassure them that they are not the only person with such-and-such problem or experience. The bottom line is that you are not unique… your challenges, choices, and their outcomes are shared by countless other people. This doesn’t lessen the impact… make you less worried, upset, or important. It just means that you’re not the first person that XYZ has ever happened to… and you won’t be the last.
In the Spiritual sense, you are incredibly unique and valuable to God… while at the same time, He feels this way about millions of others. We will all have to answer to Him for the events and choices of our lives. So why not choose to live for Him every minute… to trust Him for outcomes in all circumstances and act in a way that honors and pleases Him, no matter what happens? Why not choose to be one of those in the crowd on Judgment Day who hears, “Well done, my servant. You weren’t perfect… but you were obedient and faithful… you honored the gift of My Only Son with your conduct.”? Why not bare your soul to God about many of your issues - instead of to your Facebook friends - and live in such a way that the things you DO choose to post reflect a life of faith-filled discipleship?
When the LORD arrives, and you stand among the thousands, it won’t matter how your neighbors chose. God will judge each of us on our own merits. This should affect the choices we make now… how we handle today’s challenges and experiences – and how we respond to others in similar situations. What are your choices? How are you managing the blessings and resources God has given you? Are you ready to stand in the Valley of Decision with a clear conscience? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision.
There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Recently, a Facebook friend posted an interesting question. In part, she said, “What is with the people on Facebook who literally spill their guts about woes, heartbreaks, and how ‘just when u think u can trust someone... Blah blah blah’?? I seriously don't understand what they believe they will be gaining from it?? AND THEN 150 LIKE THE POST?? What do they like?? Do they like that their ‘friend’ is miserable? Do they like that their ‘friend’ is writing this depressing stuff on here?” She made some valid points. She also mentioned that she has grown weary of posts from people who are “in a relationship” one day, “it’s complicated” the next, and then suddenly there is someone new – and wonderful – in their life.
Now you may be wondering… “What does this have to do with this passage from Joel 3?” I’m glad you asked! Joel is prophesying about the end of the world… when Christ will return and “thousands upon thousands” will gather in the “Valley of Decision” for judgment. I believe this is important… but I also believe that this has relevance in terms of today – and somewhat answers my friend’s Facebook question. Here’s how… we find “safety in numbers”. People want to know that others relate to them… that we care… that someone else has gone through what they are experiencing. Even if others judge us, we want to know that we are not alone.
Now this doesn’t mean I am excusing – or condoning – the kinds of posts my friend mentioned. I’m weary of them, too. But when a friend posts that her brother has been placed on Hospice and dying of cancer, I can respond to her, because I know firsthand what it’s like to have a brother on Hospice who is dying. When someone says, “I am a terrible mother… my 4-year-old cannot use scissors and the pre-K sent a note that we need to work on this”… I can speak to her as a teacher and a “foster-mother” to little ones that he is just not ready – and she is an excellent mother.
When a friend posts that she wants to crawl into bed and pull the covers over her head as she tries to juggle the challenges of a job, marriage, parenthood, ownership of a retail business, and the in-home care of her father… as well as caregiving duties for her aging grandmother…I can commiserate, offer to pray for her, and assure her that she is not alone and that others care.
See, we are all waiting in the Valley of Decision for something… whether even our own self-judgment. We have gathered together with decisions to make, challenges to face, worries, concerns, joys and sorrows. And we eagerly await feedback… just as those on Facebook want others to reassure them that they are not the only person with such-and-such problem or experience. The bottom line is that you are not unique… your challenges, choices, and their outcomes are shared by countless other people. This doesn’t lessen the impact… make you less worried, upset, or important. It just means that you’re not the first person that XYZ has ever happened to… and you won’t be the last.
In the Spiritual sense, you are incredibly unique and valuable to God… while at the same time, He feels this way about millions of others. We will all have to answer to Him for the events and choices of our lives. So why not choose to live for Him every minute… to trust Him for outcomes in all circumstances and act in a way that honors and pleases Him, no matter what happens? Why not choose to be one of those in the crowd on Judgment Day who hears, “Well done, my servant. You weren’t perfect… but you were obedient and faithful… you honored the gift of My Only Son with your conduct.”? Why not bare your soul to God about many of your issues - instead of to your Facebook friends - and live in such a way that the things you DO choose to post reflect a life of faith-filled discipleship?
When the LORD arrives, and you stand among the thousands, it won’t matter how your neighbors chose. God will judge each of us on our own merits. This should affect the choices we make now… how we handle today’s challenges and experiences – and how we respond to others in similar situations. What are your choices? How are you managing the blessings and resources God has given you? Are you ready to stand in the Valley of Decision with a clear conscience? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 19, 2013
Jeremiah 1:4-10
The Lord said:
“Jeremiah, I am your Creator,
and before you were born,
I chose you to speak for me
to the nations.”
I replied, “I’m not a good speaker, Lord, and I’m too young.”
“Don’t say you’re too young,” the Lord answered. “If I tell you to go and speak to someone, then go! And when I tell you what to say, don’t leave out a word! I promise to be with you and keep you safe, so don’t be afraid.”
The Lord reached out his hand, then he touched my mouth and said, “I am giving you the words to say, and I am sending you with authority to speak to the nations for me. You will tell them of doom and destruction, and of rising and rebuilding again.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Do you remember when you were a little kid, and team captains “chose sides” on the playground or in gym class? Do you remember how it felt to stand there, inwardly thinking, “Pick me! Pick me!” and knowing that it was the captain’s choice? Who – and how – he/she chose would affect everyone… but still, the choice was his/hers to make.
Nearly every day, someone will make a choice that is theirs to make… but it will greatly affect your life. Your friend may decide to drink and drive… smoke, do drugs, participate in something illegal or immoral… and you may have to distance – or dissolve – your friendship, if a resolution cannot be reached. Your roommate may fail to study… and flunk out of college. Not only will he/she be affected… you will lose your roomie. Your friends may neglect to pay their bills or show up for work, and the loss of their job, property and more may be devastating to them – and to you. Your aging spouse may refuse to give up driving… and you may have to refuse to ride with him/her any more. Your parents may move to another state… and you may have to go with them. Or your children may move across the country – and take your grandchildren along. OR… you may have to make room in your home for aging relatives who can no longer live alone.
When people make personal choices that are well within their rights – and sometimes when “life” makes choices for them - others still may be greatly affected. And when we are one of those people, how do we handle this? The only answer that makes any sense to me is to trust God for the outcome. If God decides to allow the choice and you are hurt in the bargain, trust Him to comfort you and restore your hope and joy. If God elects to lead the person in the direction that favors your preferences, humbly and gratefully praise Him. When God seems to allow “bad things to happen to good people”, ask Him to show you what He wants you to learn from this… how you can grow – and how you can use the outcome to glorify His name and bless and encourage others.
My mother shared one of her recent devotionals from a book written by Bishop TD Jakes, in which he suggested that when we face adversity or challenge, we throw it at God… that we hurl it as hard and fast as we can toward Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins, and say, “Here you go, LORD… handle THIS for me!” (I’m paraphrasing.) I don’t know about you, but I will probably be doing a lot of throwing in the coming days/weeks/years. The GOOD NEWS is that God can catch – and handle – every test of faith that I toss His way.
What about you… what will you do with your challenges? Are you ready to warm up your “pitching arm”?
©2013 Debbie Robus
The Lord said:
“Jeremiah, I am your Creator,
and before you were born,
I chose you to speak for me
to the nations.”
I replied, “I’m not a good speaker, Lord, and I’m too young.”
“Don’t say you’re too young,” the Lord answered. “If I tell you to go and speak to someone, then go! And when I tell you what to say, don’t leave out a word! I promise to be with you and keep you safe, so don’t be afraid.”
The Lord reached out his hand, then he touched my mouth and said, “I am giving you the words to say, and I am sending you with authority to speak to the nations for me. You will tell them of doom and destruction, and of rising and rebuilding again.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Do you remember when you were a little kid, and team captains “chose sides” on the playground or in gym class? Do you remember how it felt to stand there, inwardly thinking, “Pick me! Pick me!” and knowing that it was the captain’s choice? Who – and how – he/she chose would affect everyone… but still, the choice was his/hers to make.
Nearly every day, someone will make a choice that is theirs to make… but it will greatly affect your life. Your friend may decide to drink and drive… smoke, do drugs, participate in something illegal or immoral… and you may have to distance – or dissolve – your friendship, if a resolution cannot be reached. Your roommate may fail to study… and flunk out of college. Not only will he/she be affected… you will lose your roomie. Your friends may neglect to pay their bills or show up for work, and the loss of their job, property and more may be devastating to them – and to you. Your aging spouse may refuse to give up driving… and you may have to refuse to ride with him/her any more. Your parents may move to another state… and you may have to go with them. Or your children may move across the country – and take your grandchildren along. OR… you may have to make room in your home for aging relatives who can no longer live alone.
When people make personal choices that are well within their rights – and sometimes when “life” makes choices for them - others still may be greatly affected. And when we are one of those people, how do we handle this? The only answer that makes any sense to me is to trust God for the outcome. If God decides to allow the choice and you are hurt in the bargain, trust Him to comfort you and restore your hope and joy. If God elects to lead the person in the direction that favors your preferences, humbly and gratefully praise Him. When God seems to allow “bad things to happen to good people”, ask Him to show you what He wants you to learn from this… how you can grow – and how you can use the outcome to glorify His name and bless and encourage others.
My mother shared one of her recent devotionals from a book written by Bishop TD Jakes, in which he suggested that when we face adversity or challenge, we throw it at God… that we hurl it as hard and fast as we can toward Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins, and say, “Here you go, LORD… handle THIS for me!” (I’m paraphrasing.) I don’t know about you, but I will probably be doing a lot of throwing in the coming days/weeks/years. The GOOD NEWS is that God can catch – and handle – every test of faith that I toss His way.
What about you… what will you do with your challenges? Are you ready to warm up your “pitching arm”?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 18, 2013
Isaiah 64:8
You, Lord, are our Father.
We are nothing but clay,
but you are the potter
who molded us.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Timothy and Zola love to play with Play-doh®. Timothy, especially, likes to “make things” out of his. Zola is more content to just roll “snakes” or “eggs”. Sometimes I will make her a little “basket” and she puts her “eggs” into it. Sometimes, she tries to eat the clay! But Timothy wants sculptures… dinousaurs, “cuckoo birds” (a reference to an episode of Jack’s Big Music Show® on NickJr®). The Play-doh® is nothing more than a colorful blob in the can… until we transform it into something recognizable or purposeful. And what we make is our choice… and only as good as the skills of the creator whose hands form it.
There is no stretch to imagining where I am headed with this one! As the scripture points out, God is the Potter… we are the Play-doh®. God ultimately chooses how we will be fashioned and molded… but He allows us to dictate the options to a large degree. Just as Timothy will say, “Make another ‘cuckoo bird’,” when I was thinking we might make something else… we tell God, “I think I will do this or that.” And most of the time, He allows us to wander down the path of our own choosing… at least for awhile.
The neat thing about Play-doh® is that generally, nothing created with it is permanent. Yes, creations can be allowed to air dry and become hard and rigid… just as our own hearts can harden for the long haul. But just because we have made a decision that doesn’t line up with God’s… or chosen a path that ran counter to His desires for our lives… doesn’t mean we cannot change. We can ask God to mold us again… to reform us into something more pleasing and beautiful…to “Have Thine Own Way, LORD”, as the old hymn pleads.
Where do you need a little “remodeling” today? Where have you chosen to be molded into something that was not what God had in mind? Are you beginning to harden around the edges? It’s not too late… there is still time to ask God to “mold me and make me after Thy will”. Won’t you take a look at the “sculpture” that is your life and see where you might need to ask Him for a little do-over?
You, Lord, are our Father.
We are nothing but clay,
but you are the potter
who molded us.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Timothy and Zola love to play with Play-doh®. Timothy, especially, likes to “make things” out of his. Zola is more content to just roll “snakes” or “eggs”. Sometimes I will make her a little “basket” and she puts her “eggs” into it. Sometimes, she tries to eat the clay! But Timothy wants sculptures… dinousaurs, “cuckoo birds” (a reference to an episode of Jack’s Big Music Show® on NickJr®). The Play-doh® is nothing more than a colorful blob in the can… until we transform it into something recognizable or purposeful. And what we make is our choice… and only as good as the skills of the creator whose hands form it.
There is no stretch to imagining where I am headed with this one! As the scripture points out, God is the Potter… we are the Play-doh®. God ultimately chooses how we will be fashioned and molded… but He allows us to dictate the options to a large degree. Just as Timothy will say, “Make another ‘cuckoo bird’,” when I was thinking we might make something else… we tell God, “I think I will do this or that.” And most of the time, He allows us to wander down the path of our own choosing… at least for awhile.
The neat thing about Play-doh® is that generally, nothing created with it is permanent. Yes, creations can be allowed to air dry and become hard and rigid… just as our own hearts can harden for the long haul. But just because we have made a decision that doesn’t line up with God’s… or chosen a path that ran counter to His desires for our lives… doesn’t mean we cannot change. We can ask God to mold us again… to reform us into something more pleasing and beautiful…to “Have Thine Own Way, LORD”, as the old hymn pleads.
Where do you need a little “remodeling” today? Where have you chosen to be molded into something that was not what God had in mind? Are you beginning to harden around the edges? It’s not too late… there is still time to ask God to “mold me and make me after Thy will”. Won’t you take a look at the “sculpture” that is your life and see where you might need to ask Him for a little do-over?
Have Thine Own Way, LORD
Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907 ~ Public Domain
Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907 ~ Public Domain
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 17, 2013
Isaiah 30:19-21
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“You can teach yourself to type.” That’s what several people told me when I was in high school. I really thought I would save the time block allotted for typing class and take something else in its place. I got a manual – maybe from the local library, and I practiced over the summer. This was long before the Internet, and so long ago that I’ve forgotten some of the details. Suffice it to say that when the school year rolled around, I decided I needed to take the class…I needed the teacher’s help. I can still remember her hovering over me as I typed… giving me instruction about not only how to type, but also how to care for the typewriter itself.
Since I type every single day, I am so grateful that I chose to take that class and learn the proper technique. Typing served both Greg and me very well through college… and it certainly played a huge role in our publishing business! I think of my grandfather and how he “hunted and pecked” as he typed information onto insurance and real estate forms, and I am thankful for every struggle… every minute of frustration and boredom as I learned how to type properly.
Could I have learned to type on my own? Probably. Would I have been good at it, in my own way? Possibly. But knowing that I had an expert standing behind me to whisper, “Do this” or “Don’t do that” made a difference. I know that now… just as I know that I can’t make it on my own without help from the LORD. Believe me, there have been plenty of times when I have tried. But there have been more when I’ve cried out for help… and received it.
People ask why God allows us to go through trials. Why are we challenged? A friend posted on Facebook today… “I need a book or a course on how to not let "frustrating" customers annoy the bajeepers out of me and drain me of life.” I responded…”Not to sound trite or "preachy", but I know a GOOD ONE! Start with Philippians 4:9... ‘Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.’ Philippians 4:13 is a good ‘mantra’ to repeat when frustrated... ‘For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.’”
A lot of what happens to us in life boils down to a choice… whether to try to handle things on our own – or to “let go and let God.” I don’t know about you, but I’m not up for living life via the “hunt and peck” method. I’m ready to ask for God’s help… and to listen to His reply. Are you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“You can teach yourself to type.” That’s what several people told me when I was in high school. I really thought I would save the time block allotted for typing class and take something else in its place. I got a manual – maybe from the local library, and I practiced over the summer. This was long before the Internet, and so long ago that I’ve forgotten some of the details. Suffice it to say that when the school year rolled around, I decided I needed to take the class…I needed the teacher’s help. I can still remember her hovering over me as I typed… giving me instruction about not only how to type, but also how to care for the typewriter itself.
Since I type every single day, I am so grateful that I chose to take that class and learn the proper technique. Typing served both Greg and me very well through college… and it certainly played a huge role in our publishing business! I think of my grandfather and how he “hunted and pecked” as he typed information onto insurance and real estate forms, and I am thankful for every struggle… every minute of frustration and boredom as I learned how to type properly.
Could I have learned to type on my own? Probably. Would I have been good at it, in my own way? Possibly. But knowing that I had an expert standing behind me to whisper, “Do this” or “Don’t do that” made a difference. I know that now… just as I know that I can’t make it on my own without help from the LORD. Believe me, there have been plenty of times when I have tried. But there have been more when I’ve cried out for help… and received it.
People ask why God allows us to go through trials. Why are we challenged? A friend posted on Facebook today… “I need a book or a course on how to not let "frustrating" customers annoy the bajeepers out of me and drain me of life.” I responded…”Not to sound trite or "preachy", but I know a GOOD ONE! Start with Philippians 4:9... ‘Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.’ Philippians 4:13 is a good ‘mantra’ to repeat when frustrated... ‘For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.’”
A lot of what happens to us in life boils down to a choice… whether to try to handle things on our own – or to “let go and let God.” I don’t know about you, but I’m not up for living life via the “hunt and peck” method. I’m ready to ask for God’s help… and to listen to His reply. Are you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 16, 2013
Hebrews 11:24-28
By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king’s blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch 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.
I still remember when a lifelong friend of mine telephoned his wife from another state, where he had traveled on business, to tell her that he was quitting his lucrative job as a sales manager for a five-state area in order to return to college and earn a teaching degree. He became a second grade teacher… one of the best I’ve ever known. He took a lot of flak for this decision, but quite frankly, we don’t have enough male teachers in elementary classrooms, where many children need a strong, positive masculine influence.
I recall the words of 17-year-old Cassie Bernall, a senior at Columbine High School, who was reportedly asked, “Do you believe in God?” by one of two deranged shooters who killed 15 people and injured twenty-four more. Observers report that when Bernall answered, “Yes,” she was shot and killed. Some claim that several students were asked this same question - not just Bernall - but the story of her supposed encounter and response has circulated the world and caused more than one person to choose to follow Jesus.
We are not all called to make noble sacrifices. We will not all be faced with choosing to stay stuck in a career we don’t enjoy or “changing gears” and going in a different direction. Most of us will not face the decision of whether to sign up to serve our country in the military, as countless men and women have before us – and more will in the future. I pray that none of us will ever be asked at gunpoint whether we love Jesus. But we will each face choices and decisions that frame our lives and define us... and how we respond will have lifelong - if not eternal - impact.
If you have not chosen a life partner and/or spouse, you probably will. You may be faced with the decision to have children – or not… to change majors – or universities… to change jobs or move to another area of the country (or another country altogether)…to end – or drastically alter – friendships, lifestyles, and more. At every turn, we face choices… and there will be plenty of people just like the Egyptian king who are unhappy with your decisions – if not reduced to blind rage, as this scripture mentions. Not every choice we make will be popular, and we will have to endure the ramifications and consequences. Just because we listen to God and choose to do what He directs does not ensure smooth sailing.
As this scripture passage indicates, this all comes down to a matter of faith. When we trust God and listen to His voice, our choices may be difficult… they may raise eyebrows among family and friends…and they may cause our heart to race as we commit to God and believe in Him for the desired outcome. But like Moses, we will be looking ahead to a bigger payoff… we will have our eye on the One no eye can see. And HE will make the ultimate difference.
Whatever decisions you face today, prayerfully consider your options and LISTEN for God’s voice. Follow His direction…trust His plans… choose faithfully… and trust Him to handle the rest.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 15, 2013
Galatians 6:7-8
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
There’s a new Sonic® commercial where two guys are sitting in the car, and one of them says that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and the other guy says, “Tell me about it”… then proceeds to talk about something. Guy #1 says, “Wait a minute! You said ‘tell me about it,’ and then you didn’t give me a chance to tell you!” Guy #2 says, “Man, you really did wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!” It’s a silly commercial… not as funny in my opinion as most by these two actors… but it does make a good point.
We are often so caught up in our own life that we really don’t give the other person a chance to “tell us about it.” We ask people how they are doing as we pass them… but we certainly don’t intend for them to answer us - and we’re not about to stop what we are doing long enough to hear their answer! We don’t notice that others have needs, because we are so busy whining and complaining about our own. We can’t be bothered to help a friend, because we might have to give up or postpone something that we want to do for ourselves. We’ll spend hours shopping online or in a store for just the right shoes, purses, golf clubs, hunting rifle, fishing pole, or outfit to wear to an event… but we can’t spend thirty minutes talking to a friend in need… much less take an hour or two on Sunday to attend a worship service.
We don’t stop to think how others are affected by our decisions because we are too busy worrying about whether or not we will be “fulfilled”, satisfied or happy with the choice. I’m just as guilty as the rest of you… I have made my share of excuses when I didn’t want to do something. But I have also done things I didn’t want to do because they were the right choice… like spend time taking my grandmother to events that didn’t interest me because she had no other way to get there and needed assistance getting around once there. I don’t always want to bite my tongue when someone says something that I disagree with, even though I know to respond might start World War Three or destroy a friendship. I have to consciously choose to pay the guy at the farmer’s market more than he is asking for his home-grown vegetables, even when it means I’m giving him the last of my change… or to tell the girl who sells me her daughters’ hand-me-downs that she is undercharging and give her extra money, even though she didn’t ask for it, and I could rightfully pay her pennies on the dollar.
The point is that we have choices. We can choose to serve ourselves and always do what “feels good.” Or we can ask, “Does this please God and honor my commitment to serve Him as a Christian disciple?” and choose to do what is right. Sometimes, that choice actually feels good and serves us, whether we intended for it to do so or not. Often, we get the bigger blessing when we make a hard choice. Either way, we must deal with our decisions and face the results.
I don’t know what hard choices you are encountering. I don’t know whether you are serving yourself more than you serve God and others… or if you have made a habit of living selflessly. The balance can be delicate. But if you will practice serving God and others first, you will find that you end up served in the bargain more often than not. At the end of the day, God will be pleased with your decisions. And that’s really all that matters.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
There’s a new Sonic® commercial where two guys are sitting in the car, and one of them says that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and the other guy says, “Tell me about it”… then proceeds to talk about something. Guy #1 says, “Wait a minute! You said ‘tell me about it,’ and then you didn’t give me a chance to tell you!” Guy #2 says, “Man, you really did wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!” It’s a silly commercial… not as funny in my opinion as most by these two actors… but it does make a good point.
We are often so caught up in our own life that we really don’t give the other person a chance to “tell us about it.” We ask people how they are doing as we pass them… but we certainly don’t intend for them to answer us - and we’re not about to stop what we are doing long enough to hear their answer! We don’t notice that others have needs, because we are so busy whining and complaining about our own. We can’t be bothered to help a friend, because we might have to give up or postpone something that we want to do for ourselves. We’ll spend hours shopping online or in a store for just the right shoes, purses, golf clubs, hunting rifle, fishing pole, or outfit to wear to an event… but we can’t spend thirty minutes talking to a friend in need… much less take an hour or two on Sunday to attend a worship service.
We don’t stop to think how others are affected by our decisions because we are too busy worrying about whether or not we will be “fulfilled”, satisfied or happy with the choice. I’m just as guilty as the rest of you… I have made my share of excuses when I didn’t want to do something. But I have also done things I didn’t want to do because they were the right choice… like spend time taking my grandmother to events that didn’t interest me because she had no other way to get there and needed assistance getting around once there. I don’t always want to bite my tongue when someone says something that I disagree with, even though I know to respond might start World War Three or destroy a friendship. I have to consciously choose to pay the guy at the farmer’s market more than he is asking for his home-grown vegetables, even when it means I’m giving him the last of my change… or to tell the girl who sells me her daughters’ hand-me-downs that she is undercharging and give her extra money, even though she didn’t ask for it, and I could rightfully pay her pennies on the dollar.
The point is that we have choices. We can choose to serve ourselves and always do what “feels good.” Or we can ask, “Does this please God and honor my commitment to serve Him as a Christian disciple?” and choose to do what is right. Sometimes, that choice actually feels good and serves us, whether we intended for it to do so or not. Often, we get the bigger blessing when we make a hard choice. Either way, we must deal with our decisions and face the results.
I don’t know what hard choices you are encountering. I don’t know whether you are serving yourself more than you serve God and others… or if you have made a habit of living selflessly. The balance can be delicate. But if you will practice serving God and others first, you will find that you end up served in the bargain more often than not. At the end of the day, God will be pleased with your decisions. And that’s really all that matters.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 14, 2013
Ezekiel 18:20
Only those who sin will be put to death. Children won’t suffer for the sins of their parents, and parents won’t suffer for the sins of their children. Good people will be rewarded for what they do, and evil people will be punished for what they do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In her book The Glass Castle, author Jeannette Walls describes what life was like for her and her brother and sister as they grew up with parents who were “different” at best… and downright neglectful and shady in some regards. They didn’t pay bills… they “skedaddled” in the middle of the night a few steps ahead of landlords, collection agents and law enforcement. Walls’ mother, a well-educated teacher, chose to spend her days and nights painting while the children slept, quite literally, under an old boat that protected them from water dripping through a leaky roof… and rats hung out in the large bowl of sugar that sat atop the dining table. Food was scarce, and the children were forced to forage in the garbage cans at school and elsewhere in order to fill their stomachs. The children suffered abuse at the hands of a grandmother, and the parents looked the other way. The book is fascinating and heartbreaking on every page, and I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already.
What is truly amazing is that the children survived. Walls and her brother fared better than their sister, but all of the children made their own way and were able to carve something of a life separate from their parents. Their story gives hope to countless families in which either the children feel destined to repeat the “sins of the father and mother,” or the parents feel responsible for how their kids “turned out”. While there is a distinct and often traceable connection…you can’t account for the power of choice. And that is what this scripture passage clearly indicates.
Just because your parents were not the greatest doesn’t mean you have to turn out to be like them. You don’t have to be a poor manager just because your parents were. You can break the “curse” of alcoholism, drug addiction, physical abuse, and more. You can be the first person in your household to finish school and go to college. You can have a marriage that is strong and steady and doesn’t fall apart within the first few years. You can choose to serve God and act as His disciple…even if your parents never darkened the door of a church or picked up a Bible.
By the same token, parents are not ultimately responsible for their children’s choices. You can serve as the model example of Godly, loving, responsible parents… do everything “right”… and still produce children who choose to behave in a completely different manner. You can live in the same house with brothers and sisters who are downright scoundrels… but that doesn’t make you one. You can have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who have poor reputations… who are disobedient and disrespectful to God and to others…but you can choose NOT to be like them.
At the end of the day, there comes a time when we all make choices. We choose whether to throw our hands up and say, “Look at me and my family – this is just who we are”… or we can say, “I am only responsible for MYSELF… God will judge ME on my own merits. I am choosing to follow Him and behave in a way that honors this commitment.” I truly dislike it when someone makes a comment about another person that references his/her family… as if it is accepted as fact that we cannot be our own person and must operate in a manner similar to those in our bloodline. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You do have a choice. And yours is the only one that will matter to God.
How will you decide? Who will you follow? When God looks at the sum of your life, what will you have to show Him?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Only those who sin will be put to death. Children won’t suffer for the sins of their parents, and parents won’t suffer for the sins of their children. Good people will be rewarded for what they do, and evil people will be punished for what they do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In her book The Glass Castle, author Jeannette Walls describes what life was like for her and her brother and sister as they grew up with parents who were “different” at best… and downright neglectful and shady in some regards. They didn’t pay bills… they “skedaddled” in the middle of the night a few steps ahead of landlords, collection agents and law enforcement. Walls’ mother, a well-educated teacher, chose to spend her days and nights painting while the children slept, quite literally, under an old boat that protected them from water dripping through a leaky roof… and rats hung out in the large bowl of sugar that sat atop the dining table. Food was scarce, and the children were forced to forage in the garbage cans at school and elsewhere in order to fill their stomachs. The children suffered abuse at the hands of a grandmother, and the parents looked the other way. The book is fascinating and heartbreaking on every page, and I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already.
What is truly amazing is that the children survived. Walls and her brother fared better than their sister, but all of the children made their own way and were able to carve something of a life separate from their parents. Their story gives hope to countless families in which either the children feel destined to repeat the “sins of the father and mother,” or the parents feel responsible for how their kids “turned out”. While there is a distinct and often traceable connection…you can’t account for the power of choice. And that is what this scripture passage clearly indicates.
Just because your parents were not the greatest doesn’t mean you have to turn out to be like them. You don’t have to be a poor manager just because your parents were. You can break the “curse” of alcoholism, drug addiction, physical abuse, and more. You can be the first person in your household to finish school and go to college. You can have a marriage that is strong and steady and doesn’t fall apart within the first few years. You can choose to serve God and act as His disciple…even if your parents never darkened the door of a church or picked up a Bible.
By the same token, parents are not ultimately responsible for their children’s choices. You can serve as the model example of Godly, loving, responsible parents… do everything “right”… and still produce children who choose to behave in a completely different manner. You can live in the same house with brothers and sisters who are downright scoundrels… but that doesn’t make you one. You can have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who have poor reputations… who are disobedient and disrespectful to God and to others…but you can choose NOT to be like them.
At the end of the day, there comes a time when we all make choices. We choose whether to throw our hands up and say, “Look at me and my family – this is just who we are”… or we can say, “I am only responsible for MYSELF… God will judge ME on my own merits. I am choosing to follow Him and behave in a way that honors this commitment.” I truly dislike it when someone makes a comment about another person that references his/her family… as if it is accepted as fact that we cannot be our own person and must operate in a manner similar to those in our bloodline. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You do have a choice. And yours is the only one that will matter to God.
How will you decide? Who will you follow? When God looks at the sum of your life, what will you have to show Him?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)