Daily Devotional for December 3, 2013

Hebrews 6:10-12
God is always fair. He will remember how you helped his people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and he won’t forget the love you have shown his people.  We wish that each of you would always be eager to show how strong and lasting your hope really is.  Then you would never be lazy. You would be following the example of those who had faith and were patient until God kept his promise to them.
 
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 
If you have ever watched small children in a group setting, you have probably noticed that there is always at least one child who is eager to greet the others.  This child wants to welcome the other children with hugs… wants them to come and play with him/her… wants to “hang out” with them.  And often, at least a few of the children will bristle and resist these loving gestures.  Some might even be downright rude in their rejection.  It’s interesting to watch what happens next.  Sometimes the loving, caring child will be upset and even lament to an adult… or pout.  But most of the time, he/she simply moves on to another child – or another activity – and continues to happily dole out love and a positive attitude.
 
Have you ever been in a situation where no matter how much you do for someone… how much you love them and give of your time and energy to them… they seem to take every opportunity to kick you, put you down, and trample on your heart?  In essence, you stick out your hand to greet them and say, “Come and play with me”… and their answer is a resounding – and sometimes ugly – “NO!”  What do you do with this? How do you react?
 
I believe that we can learn a lot from the example of the children I described.  I believe that this is exactly what God is telling us to do in this scripture passage… “Move forward… keep loving and giving.  You may have to pick an alternate recipient, and/or you may have to grow a thicker skin toward those who reject and rebuke your efforts… but never lose confidence in God’s promises… and NEVER stop demonstrating your hope and faith to others in His name.”
 
It’s a tall order… especially when your feelings are raw and your heart is breaking.  But God will not fail you… He will not leave you to suffer and flounder under the weight of insults and burdens.  He will show you how and where to concentrate your efforts… where you can do the most good in His name.  And He will BLESS YOU for your obedience and perseverance!  Keep loving… keep doing things for others… and keep hoping and believing in God’s fairness and His promises.  He will not forget the love you have shown His people…and they won’t either!
 
©2013 Debbie Robus