Isaiah 55:9-11
Just as the heavens
are higher than the earth,
my thoughts and my ways
are higher than yours.
“Rain and snow fall from the sky.
But they don’t return
without watering the earth
that produces seeds to plant
and grain to eat.
That’s how it is with my words.
They don’t return to me
without doing everything
I send them to do.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A
49-year-old realtor left her home in central Arkansas to meet a
potential client at a nearby-but-secluded riverfront property and was
never heard from again. Her body was retrieved four days later from a
shallow grave - at a location nearly 30 miles away from the house she
was showing. The person believed to have kidnapped and murdered her was
apprehended, and people began to ask, “Why did this happen?
“Why?”
seems to be the pervading question in many of life’s circumstances. Why
does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why are young
mothers and fathers with little ones to rear and so many obligations
taken from this earth? Why do children get cancer and other illnesses?
Why are babies born with defects? Why are there wars, famines,
droughts and other natural disasters? Why can’t I find a job, friend,
mate – or my “place” in this world? When a deranged person is about to
behead another...or a demented adult is begins to abuse or molest a
child, why doesn’t God stop it? If God loves us SO much, why doesn’t He
make our lives more comfortable and fix all of these things?
Recently,
we hired a painter to do some work at our house. One of the projects
was to repaint the front door. He worked for several hours to make our
metal door to look as if it were made of wood. The painter remarked to
me that there were always moments in the process where everything looked
like a giant mess...but as he kept working at it, the end result came
into focus. I’ve done a few faux finish projects, and I shared with him
that I once purchased a wall sconce on clearance at a home decorating
store. Friends who were with me asked, “Why in the world would you want
that? What will you do with it?” I assured them that by the time I
finished my project, they would not recognize the original piece. And
just as this painter noted in his project, there were moments when I
thought, “This is the biggest mess...it will never look like anything!”
But I kept working...adding and removing...daubing here and patting
there...and the beauty of the piece began to come through. Before I
knew it, I the sconce looked just as I had envisioned – or even better!
And my friends could not believe it was the same ugly item I had
purchased.
I use these illustrations to show you that God has a
“vision” that we cannot comprehend. He can take what appears to be a
“total mess” and turn it into a masterpiece. Like the faux finishes,
there may be times when things look like they are in such a state that we
feel as if they are beyond repair. But God uses His strength and power
to create something beautiful...and His handiwork is fully displayed.
So
many people get bogged down in the question...“Why me, LORD?” Why
can’t we skip the “ugly” steps in the “faux finish” of life and go
straight to the pretty results? Surely we are missing something
here...but what? And that is the crux of this passage from Isaiah...”My
thoughts and my ways are higher than yours”. This is where we have to
truly exercise our faith as Christians. We have to step out and trust
that God has a perfect plan...and believe that even in the most heinous
of situations or our deepest grief and heartache, He will produce
something positive and beautiful.
Will we ever see the final
product – God’s “vision”? Yes...but maybe not in this lifetime.
Someday, we will understand all of this. In 1 Corinthians 13:12, Paul
assures us that “Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a
mirror. Later we will see him face to face. We don’t know everything,
but then we will, just as God completely understands us.” I have no clue
what God intended for this realtor and her family. It occurs to me that
at the very least, realtors everywhere may change how they show
property. They may become more cautious and/or meet clients in
pairs...particularly when the property is in a remote location.
I
know that in my own life, I have been kept from getting a job I wanted –
only to be granted a better one! Twenty-four-year-old Blessing Offor
took the stage on NBC’s “The Voice” and sang his way into the
competition. Judges were astonished to learn that Offor was born blind
in one eye, and an accident took his vision in the other eye before he
was eleven. He explained that “I had to figure out what God meant by
this”...adding, “This is just another thing to work through.”
We’ve
all got things to work through...and we won’t understand “what God
meant by this” much of the time. But we can be assured that nothing is
wasted. We can trust that God - our great provider, protector and
healer – is using the “rain” in our lives to “water seeds and produce
good fruit”. Our real question should not be “Why me, LORD?”...but
rather, “What are You showing me?” Shouldn’t we be asking God to reveal
to us how to accomplish His will with each and every circumstance of
our lives? Don’t you think it’s time we did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 29, 2014
Isaiah 53:4-5
Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed!
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.
Pick someone...anyone...who is truly important to you. I don’t care if you choose a “significant other”, your spouse, a child, a parent, your best friend – or even your beloved pet. Now imagine that every time you sin, this person (or pet) takes a beating. Every time you get sick, this person or animal will be whipped until bloody. And you will feel better...right?
Wouldn’t you be mortified if you thought that your well-being...mentally, physically or spiritually...depended on the suffering and mistreatment of someone else? Yet this is exactly the exchange that Jesus offers us. He was wounded, beaten, and pressed down by our sorrows and sins...all so that we could have peace and healing of all kinds – and Eternal Life in His presence!
Crazy, isn’t it? Heart-wrenching even! Yet we essentially brandish the whip and hammer the nails day in and day out. We press the thorns of the crown deeper into His head and either take His forgiveness and restoration for granted...or we thumb our nose and effectively say, “I really don’t care what He did for me.”
Here’s a challenge for each of us...the next time you are tempted to be unkind to someone else...to pass judgment...to criticize...or to berate...hear the lash of the whip as it tears Jesus’ flesh – for you. The next time you are healed of a sickness or injury...think of the Roman soldiers spitting on our Savior – for you. The next time you turn your back on God and try to do things your way...the next time you go days without talking to God or studying His word and then wondering why things aren’t going so well...think of Jesus hanging on the cross as nails dig through His hands and feet and people mock Him – all for you.
When we stop and remember Jesus...when we focus on what He did for us – it surely must seem a little harder to disappoint and disrespect Him. Hopefully, we will pay closer attention to how we are acting and thinking as we think of Jesus and what He did for us – what He does for us each and every day. He suffered greatly...for us. Believe it...He really loves us that much!
We cannot fathom another breathing thing suffering such horrors because of anything we have said or done. So why can we so readily accept this treatment of Jesus on our behalf? Isn’t it time for a mental shift? Don’t we need to refocus our awareness...and re-direct our efforts to live in a way that glorifies the tremendous sacrifices of our Great Healer? Will this be the day that you say, “By His stripes I am healed...and I will serve Him forever with each word and action!”? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed!
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.
Pick someone...anyone...who is truly important to you. I don’t care if you choose a “significant other”, your spouse, a child, a parent, your best friend – or even your beloved pet. Now imagine that every time you sin, this person (or pet) takes a beating. Every time you get sick, this person or animal will be whipped until bloody. And you will feel better...right?
Wouldn’t you be mortified if you thought that your well-being...mentally, physically or spiritually...depended on the suffering and mistreatment of someone else? Yet this is exactly the exchange that Jesus offers us. He was wounded, beaten, and pressed down by our sorrows and sins...all so that we could have peace and healing of all kinds – and Eternal Life in His presence!
Crazy, isn’t it? Heart-wrenching even! Yet we essentially brandish the whip and hammer the nails day in and day out. We press the thorns of the crown deeper into His head and either take His forgiveness and restoration for granted...or we thumb our nose and effectively say, “I really don’t care what He did for me.”
Here’s a challenge for each of us...the next time you are tempted to be unkind to someone else...to pass judgment...to criticize...or to berate...hear the lash of the whip as it tears Jesus’ flesh – for you. The next time you are healed of a sickness or injury...think of the Roman soldiers spitting on our Savior – for you. The next time you turn your back on God and try to do things your way...the next time you go days without talking to God or studying His word and then wondering why things aren’t going so well...think of Jesus hanging on the cross as nails dig through His hands and feet and people mock Him – all for you.
When we stop and remember Jesus...when we focus on what He did for us – it surely must seem a little harder to disappoint and disrespect Him. Hopefully, we will pay closer attention to how we are acting and thinking as we think of Jesus and what He did for us – what He does for us each and every day. He suffered greatly...for us. Believe it...He really loves us that much!
We cannot fathom another breathing thing suffering such horrors because of anything we have said or done. So why can we so readily accept this treatment of Jesus on our behalf? Isn’t it time for a mental shift? Don’t we need to refocus our awareness...and re-direct our efforts to live in a way that glorifies the tremendous sacrifices of our Great Healer? Will this be the day that you say, “By His stripes I am healed...and I will serve Him forever with each word and action!”? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 28, 2014
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t be afraid. I am with you.
Don’t tremble with fear.
I am your God.
I will make you strong,
as I protect you with my arm
and give you victories.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
On a recent edition of ABC’s 20/20, I heard the story of 12-year-old Payton Leutner, who was stabbed 19 times on May 31, 2014, by two classmates who had invited her for a sleepover in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The morning after celebrating the 12th birthday of one of the girls, they invited Payton to join them for a game of “hide-and-seek” in the woods. Payton reluctantly went along, and soon one of the girls was sitting on her and holding her down, while the other stabbed her in an attempt to kill her. This was all a plot by these two young girls to do something they thought would please “Slender Man”, a fictitious online character who supposedly lives in the woods in a mansion. These girls convinced themselves that Slender Man is real, and that they would commit this murder, and then escape into the woods to find him and his mansion...and live there forever.
In a story of heroics (and an untold story of God’s grace), Payton Leutner willed herself to live. She crawled out of the woods to a sidewalk-like trail in the park that had been blocked off to the public with a chain. Remarkably, a bicyclist chose to ignore the signs and chain and take this trail on that very morning, and he discovered little Payton lying in the grass - clinging to life. Doctors told her parents, Joe and Stacie Leutner, that one of the stab wounds missed Payton’s heart by less than a hair’s breadth. Had this wound been less than a millimeter farther in one direction, it would have been almost instantly fatal.
When Stacie Leutner first saw Payton in the hospital, she said that she was very pale. Stacie told ABC news anchor David Muir that Payton put her hand out, and she rushed over to her. She said, “I put my arms around her and I laid next to her, and I hugged her and I said, ‘You're gonna be okay. It's gonna be fine.’" As the doctors and nurses wheeled Payton away for surgery, her mother told her that she loved her...and that she would be okay.
Virtually any mother would have said and done the same thing. But Stacie Leutner could not be sure that her reassurances were accurate. She really didn’t know with certainty that Payton would be okay...that the surgeon and his team could repair all of the damage. Truthfully, Joe and Stacie Leutner do not know yet whether Payton will fully recover mentally and emotionally. She seems to be doing well...but who knows what long-term effects such a traumatic experience will have on this child. Still, in the moment, reassurance was all they had...and it’s all they have now as they hope and pray that Payton truly won’t suffer any lasting damage.
You and I often face situations that are fraught with opportunities for fear to take over. We receive unsettling news...we face challenges of a physical, mental or emotional nature...we have cause to worry to the point of making ourselves sick! And in all of these circumstances, God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.” The difference between these words as spoken by a mortal parent and those of our Heavenly father is important. Our earthly parents want this to be so...they hope that the outcome will be as they spoke of it. But God guarantees His promises! When He says that He will make us strong and give us victories, we can count on Him to make it happen!
I would bet that at one time or another in our lives, every single one of us heard our parents tell us that everything would be alright...and we believed them – even when a small part of us might have known that they could not be sure they were speaking the truth. So why would we doubt or question God when He promises to heal us and give us strength and victory? Don’t we know that God’s word is infallible? Don’t we believe that God’s promises are steadfast and certain?
One of the hardest things for Payton Leutner to process has been the knowledge that her two friends meant to kill her. She is still wrestling with this profound betrayal. And her parents acknowledge that they are concerned for these two little girls and their families. But they believe that Payton was rescued for a reason...that she is here for a purpose and meant to do something special. Perhaps God is using this little girl and her story to remind parents to pay a little closer attention to what their children are doing...and to remind us of His presence and power.
Where is God telling you today that He will heal you...protect you...make you strong and give you victories? Do you trust Him and believe His promises? Isn’t it time you did? How would your life be different if you “let go and let God” have control? Wouldn’t you like to find out?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Don’t be afraid. I am with you.
Don’t tremble with fear.
I am your God.
I will make you strong,
as I protect you with my arm
and give you victories.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
On a recent edition of ABC’s 20/20, I heard the story of 12-year-old Payton Leutner, who was stabbed 19 times on May 31, 2014, by two classmates who had invited her for a sleepover in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The morning after celebrating the 12th birthday of one of the girls, they invited Payton to join them for a game of “hide-and-seek” in the woods. Payton reluctantly went along, and soon one of the girls was sitting on her and holding her down, while the other stabbed her in an attempt to kill her. This was all a plot by these two young girls to do something they thought would please “Slender Man”, a fictitious online character who supposedly lives in the woods in a mansion. These girls convinced themselves that Slender Man is real, and that they would commit this murder, and then escape into the woods to find him and his mansion...and live there forever.
In a story of heroics (and an untold story of God’s grace), Payton Leutner willed herself to live. She crawled out of the woods to a sidewalk-like trail in the park that had been blocked off to the public with a chain. Remarkably, a bicyclist chose to ignore the signs and chain and take this trail on that very morning, and he discovered little Payton lying in the grass - clinging to life. Doctors told her parents, Joe and Stacie Leutner, that one of the stab wounds missed Payton’s heart by less than a hair’s breadth. Had this wound been less than a millimeter farther in one direction, it would have been almost instantly fatal.
When Stacie Leutner first saw Payton in the hospital, she said that she was very pale. Stacie told ABC news anchor David Muir that Payton put her hand out, and she rushed over to her. She said, “I put my arms around her and I laid next to her, and I hugged her and I said, ‘You're gonna be okay. It's gonna be fine.’" As the doctors and nurses wheeled Payton away for surgery, her mother told her that she loved her...and that she would be okay.
Virtually any mother would have said and done the same thing. But Stacie Leutner could not be sure that her reassurances were accurate. She really didn’t know with certainty that Payton would be okay...that the surgeon and his team could repair all of the damage. Truthfully, Joe and Stacie Leutner do not know yet whether Payton will fully recover mentally and emotionally. She seems to be doing well...but who knows what long-term effects such a traumatic experience will have on this child. Still, in the moment, reassurance was all they had...and it’s all they have now as they hope and pray that Payton truly won’t suffer any lasting damage.
You and I often face situations that are fraught with opportunities for fear to take over. We receive unsettling news...we face challenges of a physical, mental or emotional nature...we have cause to worry to the point of making ourselves sick! And in all of these circumstances, God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.” The difference between these words as spoken by a mortal parent and those of our Heavenly father is important. Our earthly parents want this to be so...they hope that the outcome will be as they spoke of it. But God guarantees His promises! When He says that He will make us strong and give us victories, we can count on Him to make it happen!
I would bet that at one time or another in our lives, every single one of us heard our parents tell us that everything would be alright...and we believed them – even when a small part of us might have known that they could not be sure they were speaking the truth. So why would we doubt or question God when He promises to heal us and give us strength and victory? Don’t we know that God’s word is infallible? Don’t we believe that God’s promises are steadfast and certain?
One of the hardest things for Payton Leutner to process has been the knowledge that her two friends meant to kill her. She is still wrestling with this profound betrayal. And her parents acknowledge that they are concerned for these two little girls and their families. But they believe that Payton was rescued for a reason...that she is here for a purpose and meant to do something special. Perhaps God is using this little girl and her story to remind parents to pay a little closer attention to what their children are doing...and to remind us of His presence and power.
Where is God telling you today that He will heal you...protect you...make you strong and give you victories? Do you trust Him and believe His promises? Isn’t it time you did? How would your life be different if you “let go and let God” have control? Wouldn’t you like to find out?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 27, 2014
Hosea 14:1-4
Israel, return! Come back
to the Lord, your God.
Sin has made you fall.
Return to the Lord and say,
“Please forgive our sins.
Accept our good sacrifices
of praise instead of bulls.
Assyria can’t save us,
and chariots can’t help.
So we will no longer worship
the idols we have made.
Our Lord, you show mercy
to orphans.”
Israel, you have rejected me,
but my anger is gone;
I will heal you and love you
without limit.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Albert Einstein is credited with saying that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!” By this “definition,” we are all more than a little insane. We know that eating too much and sitting on our duffs will likely keep us from being fit and healthy...yet we continue to stuff our faces with all the wrong things and slack on the exercise regimens. We know that other habits will produce unhealthy results, also...yet we can’t seem to kick them, either!
We understand that a negative attitude breeds negativity in those around us...yet we continue to gossip, backbite, speak and think cynically, and treat others unkindly. We even say we understand that we need to study God’s word, communicate with Him continually in prayer and meditation (listening), and fellowship with other believers who can encourage us in order to be healthy spiritually. But many of us spend more time watching TV and surfing the Internet than we would ever hope to spend strengthening our relationship with God...and then we wonder why our lives seem to be coming apart at the seams – or are far less satisfying and “successful” than we would hope in so many areas.
Quite honestly, we are the modern-day “children of Israel”. God has given us every chance in the book to make changes and do better...and we continue to falter and/or fail. But here’s the Good News. God will not give up on us! He offers us a chance to make things right. If we are truly repentant, He will heal us and love us like we never imagined possible.
We really can break the cycle...we most certainly can do better and “get healthy” – not just spiritually, but in other ways, as well. And it begins with our admission that we have failed to be obedient...that we have worshipped “idols” rather than God – money, fame or “success”, possessions, friends, other people and relationship, and more...that we have not listened to God and sought a deep and abiding relationship and continual dialogue with Him. God will honor true repentance. He knows when we are genuine and sincere...and when we aren’t. IF we come to him with an apologetic heart...and an authentic desire to change, He will heal us and forgive us - and set us upright.
God is willing to forgive and restore us. It may seem like insanity to think that He would do this over and over again, but the only “insane” thing about it is how madly in love God is with each of us! He is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain a relationship with us...but we have to be willing to give Him our heart and soul – quite literally.
We have to be ready to truly lay down our “idols” and do whatever God asks of us...whenever and wherever we are needed. In return, He will say, “My anger is gone, and I am ready to heal you and love you without limit.” Are you ready to accept His gifts and be healed?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Israel, return! Come back
to the Lord, your God.
Sin has made you fall.
Return to the Lord and say,
“Please forgive our sins.
Accept our good sacrifices
of praise instead of bulls.
Assyria can’t save us,
and chariots can’t help.
So we will no longer worship
the idols we have made.
Our Lord, you show mercy
to orphans.”
Israel, you have rejected me,
but my anger is gone;
I will heal you and love you
without limit.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Albert Einstein is credited with saying that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!” By this “definition,” we are all more than a little insane. We know that eating too much and sitting on our duffs will likely keep us from being fit and healthy...yet we continue to stuff our faces with all the wrong things and slack on the exercise regimens. We know that other habits will produce unhealthy results, also...yet we can’t seem to kick them, either!
We understand that a negative attitude breeds negativity in those around us...yet we continue to gossip, backbite, speak and think cynically, and treat others unkindly. We even say we understand that we need to study God’s word, communicate with Him continually in prayer and meditation (listening), and fellowship with other believers who can encourage us in order to be healthy spiritually. But many of us spend more time watching TV and surfing the Internet than we would ever hope to spend strengthening our relationship with God...and then we wonder why our lives seem to be coming apart at the seams – or are far less satisfying and “successful” than we would hope in so many areas.
Quite honestly, we are the modern-day “children of Israel”. God has given us every chance in the book to make changes and do better...and we continue to falter and/or fail. But here’s the Good News. God will not give up on us! He offers us a chance to make things right. If we are truly repentant, He will heal us and love us like we never imagined possible.
We really can break the cycle...we most certainly can do better and “get healthy” – not just spiritually, but in other ways, as well. And it begins with our admission that we have failed to be obedient...that we have worshipped “idols” rather than God – money, fame or “success”, possessions, friends, other people and relationship, and more...that we have not listened to God and sought a deep and abiding relationship and continual dialogue with Him. God will honor true repentance. He knows when we are genuine and sincere...and when we aren’t. IF we come to him with an apologetic heart...and an authentic desire to change, He will heal us and forgive us - and set us upright.
God is willing to forgive and restore us. It may seem like insanity to think that He would do this over and over again, but the only “insane” thing about it is how madly in love God is with each of us! He is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain a relationship with us...but we have to be willing to give Him our heart and soul – quite literally.
We have to be ready to truly lay down our “idols” and do whatever God asks of us...whenever and wherever we are needed. In return, He will say, “My anger is gone, and I am ready to heal you and love you without limit.” Are you ready to accept His gifts and be healed?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 26, 2014
Hosea 6:1-3
Let’s return to the Lord.
He has torn us to shreds,
but he will bandage our wounds
and make us well.
In two or three days
he will heal us
and restore our strength
that we may live with him.
Let’s do our best
to know the Lord.
His coming is as certain
as the morning sun;
he will refresh us like rain
renewing the earth
in the springtime.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Our cats somewhat “chose sides” more than a decade ago. It started when we got a big television that apparently made some sort of noise that scared Lucy. She preferred that I watch TV in our bedroom, where she would happily join me on the bed and lie pressed against my side... on her back – and often with all four legs in the air! Mabel was perfectly content to stay with Greg and enjoy his attention as she curled up on the footrest of his recliner. When we moved into a two-story house, and Greg established an office space upstairs, Mabel somewhat became the “upstairs cat”, while Lucy is never very far from me downstairs.
So when Greg and a neighbor took an overnight motorcycle trip, poor little Mabel was more than a bit lost. She hung out with Lucy and me downstairs...but sometimes she roamed the house and cried as she looked for her “other owner”. She brought a toy mouse, hoping that Greg would appear and praise her. She stood up on the back door and pawed toward the handle, thinking he must surely be in the garage. And when I went upstairs to check on her once, she was curled atop a pair of Greg’s jeans. I stroked her face and cooed to her in a soothing tone and assured her that he would be back very soon...and that all would be well. If she could just hang on and take a little snooze, her buddy would be home before she knew it.
In this passage from Hosea, you really need to read Chapter 5 first to understand these verses. The people of Israel have been sinful and terribly disobedient, and God has allowed them to suffer as a result. In Hosea 5:13-16, we read...” Israel was brutally crushed. They got what they deserved for worshiping useless idols. Now I, the Lord, will fill Israel with maggots and make Judah rot. When Israel and Judah saw their sickness and wounds, Israel asked help from Assyria and its mighty king.” So the words of the first verses in Chapter 6 are those of the Israelites, who have realized that they caused their own suffering. But they also recognize that God will forgive them...heal and restore them...if only they will turn back to Him. He will return and make them well.
In our own ways, you and I have been as sinful and disobedient as the Israelites. It’s a wonder that God has not grown as disgusted with us and allowed us to be “filled with maggots and rot”. Amazingly, God provided us with a covenant in the form of the blood of Jesus. And while we may experience temporary discomfort (and it may even seem like God is crushing us!), we can call on Him to save us by Jesus’ blood, and He will rescue and restore us. This may happen quickly – or we may not fully be refreshed and renewed until Jesus greets us in heaven. But all who earnestly call on the name of Jesus are guaranteed forgiveness and healing.
Our sweet little calico cat did nothing to deserve the feelings of loneliness and desertion she experienced. Mabel will “get over it” quickly, and in a few days, she will have totally forgotten that she and Greg were ever separated. On the other hand, we have done plenty to alienate ourselves from God and disappoint Him. The love, grace and mercy He demonstrates to us is truly inexplicable...but nonetheless welcome!
The thought of God “bandaging our wounds, and making us well” is like a healing balm to my soul. The promise of Jesus waiting in heaven to welcome us with open arms for all eternity gives me strength and courage for this earthly journey. I know that He is coming for me someday...and this motivates me to turn to Him and let Him make me well. What about you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Let’s return to the Lord.
He has torn us to shreds,
but he will bandage our wounds
and make us well.
In two or three days
he will heal us
and restore our strength
that we may live with him.
Let’s do our best
to know the Lord.
His coming is as certain
as the morning sun;
he will refresh us like rain
renewing the earth
in the springtime.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Our cats somewhat “chose sides” more than a decade ago. It started when we got a big television that apparently made some sort of noise that scared Lucy. She preferred that I watch TV in our bedroom, where she would happily join me on the bed and lie pressed against my side... on her back – and often with all four legs in the air! Mabel was perfectly content to stay with Greg and enjoy his attention as she curled up on the footrest of his recliner. When we moved into a two-story house, and Greg established an office space upstairs, Mabel somewhat became the “upstairs cat”, while Lucy is never very far from me downstairs.
So when Greg and a neighbor took an overnight motorcycle trip, poor little Mabel was more than a bit lost. She hung out with Lucy and me downstairs...but sometimes she roamed the house and cried as she looked for her “other owner”. She brought a toy mouse, hoping that Greg would appear and praise her. She stood up on the back door and pawed toward the handle, thinking he must surely be in the garage. And when I went upstairs to check on her once, she was curled atop a pair of Greg’s jeans. I stroked her face and cooed to her in a soothing tone and assured her that he would be back very soon...and that all would be well. If she could just hang on and take a little snooze, her buddy would be home before she knew it.
In this passage from Hosea, you really need to read Chapter 5 first to understand these verses. The people of Israel have been sinful and terribly disobedient, and God has allowed them to suffer as a result. In Hosea 5:13-16, we read...” Israel was brutally crushed. They got what they deserved for worshiping useless idols. Now I, the Lord, will fill Israel with maggots and make Judah rot. When Israel and Judah saw their sickness and wounds, Israel asked help from Assyria and its mighty king.” So the words of the first verses in Chapter 6 are those of the Israelites, who have realized that they caused their own suffering. But they also recognize that God will forgive them...heal and restore them...if only they will turn back to Him. He will return and make them well.
In our own ways, you and I have been as sinful and disobedient as the Israelites. It’s a wonder that God has not grown as disgusted with us and allowed us to be “filled with maggots and rot”. Amazingly, God provided us with a covenant in the form of the blood of Jesus. And while we may experience temporary discomfort (and it may even seem like God is crushing us!), we can call on Him to save us by Jesus’ blood, and He will rescue and restore us. This may happen quickly – or we may not fully be refreshed and renewed until Jesus greets us in heaven. But all who earnestly call on the name of Jesus are guaranteed forgiveness and healing.
Our sweet little calico cat did nothing to deserve the feelings of loneliness and desertion she experienced. Mabel will “get over it” quickly, and in a few days, she will have totally forgotten that she and Greg were ever separated. On the other hand, we have done plenty to alienate ourselves from God and disappoint Him. The love, grace and mercy He demonstrates to us is truly inexplicable...but nonetheless welcome!
The thought of God “bandaging our wounds, and making us well” is like a healing balm to my soul. The promise of Jesus waiting in heaven to welcome us with open arms for all eternity gives me strength and courage for this earthly journey. I know that He is coming for me someday...and this motivates me to turn to Him and let Him make me well. What about you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 25, 2014
Galatians 3:13
But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself. For it is written in the Scripture, “Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed” (as Jesus was hung upon a wooden cross).
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Once in a while, there will be a post on social media about “the good ole days”...in the vein of “do you remember this?” or “do you know what this is?” There will be a photograph of some gadget from a previous decade...and the object will be something that perhaps we relied on every day - but now we have something better/faster/easier to use that has replaced it. One example of this might be a wringer washing machine. Say WHAT? Yes...a few decades ago, people washed clothing in a big tub, then they pressed each garment through two heavy rollers that squeezed out all of the excess water. This was a far cry from the “spin cycle” of our modern-day washers!
Even older is the rub board! I have my grandmother’s ribbed glass rub board, on which she “rubbed” the clothes to get the dirt out. I also have a wooden paddle that she used to stir clothing in a big iron cauldron of hot water and lye soap! Not my idea of a fun wash day...is it yours?!
Another gadget that some of you may still use today is the ice cube tray. Most of these are made of plastic – or silicone – today, but when I was a child, we had aluminum trays with a “handle” in the middle that you lifted to separate the ice cubes and release them. Of course, this usually resulted in shatters and shards of ice rather than the nice, neat, perfectly formed cubes of our present-day ice-making machines. And NOW, some of my friends even have “Sonic® ice” machines that create the crushed ice like patrons of Sonic® drive-ins enjoy.
My mom commented recently that she had seen two working "pay telephones". She remarked that many younger people don’t know about pay phones - or phone booths...and will only see them in the media. We both remember the not-so-distant years when she and my dad were traveling and they would search for a pay telephone in order to call home and check in with us. There were no cell phones...much less texting, iPads, and Skype or Face Time!
Here’s the thing... there are a lot of things from the past that we would not wish to return. Who among us wishes there were no cell phones and that we had to rely on finding a pay telephone or dialing 0 for Operator in order to accomplish some of our communications? I enjoy going to my refrigerator and getting a cup of ice cubes or crushed ice. I would not want to spend an entire day or two slaving over a hot iron wash pot filled with laundry and caustic soap...nor would I want to have to crank a “wringer” to get the water out of every garment before I hung the clothing on a line to air dry!
By the same token, I would not want to have to kill an innocent lamb or calf every time I committed a sin. I’d never get anything else done...and neither would you! Because you see, we are ALL sinful, despite our best efforts to behave otherwise. Just like many of us take a daily dose of medicine to keep certain ailments at bay...or vitamins to boost our immune systems...we need a “daily dose” of Jesus to keep us spiritually healthy. And because of his amazing love, grace, mercy – and sacrifice on the cross – the “old ways” of atonement are forever gone for those of us who have accepted His great gift of salvation.
We need the “daily dose” of Jesus to keep us healthy...to boost our spiritual “immune systems”...but when we give our hearts to Jesus, we no longer have to worry about the old laws that required continual sacrifices of animals...rituals to cleanse our souls...intermediaries to petition God on our behalf. Jesus healed ALL of that! And I, for one, can never thank Him enough!
My question today is this...are you living in the “modern world” of Jesus’ healing grace and mercy? Or are you stuck in the past? Do you know the joy of living well, fit, and strong with Jesus? Aren’t you ready to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself. For it is written in the Scripture, “Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed” (as Jesus was hung upon a wooden cross).
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Once in a while, there will be a post on social media about “the good ole days”...in the vein of “do you remember this?” or “do you know what this is?” There will be a photograph of some gadget from a previous decade...and the object will be something that perhaps we relied on every day - but now we have something better/faster/easier to use that has replaced it. One example of this might be a wringer washing machine. Say WHAT? Yes...a few decades ago, people washed clothing in a big tub, then they pressed each garment through two heavy rollers that squeezed out all of the excess water. This was a far cry from the “spin cycle” of our modern-day washers!
Even older is the rub board! I have my grandmother’s ribbed glass rub board, on which she “rubbed” the clothes to get the dirt out. I also have a wooden paddle that she used to stir clothing in a big iron cauldron of hot water and lye soap! Not my idea of a fun wash day...is it yours?!
Another gadget that some of you may still use today is the ice cube tray. Most of these are made of plastic – or silicone – today, but when I was a child, we had aluminum trays with a “handle” in the middle that you lifted to separate the ice cubes and release them. Of course, this usually resulted in shatters and shards of ice rather than the nice, neat, perfectly formed cubes of our present-day ice-making machines. And NOW, some of my friends even have “Sonic® ice” machines that create the crushed ice like patrons of Sonic® drive-ins enjoy.
My mom commented recently that she had seen two working "pay telephones". She remarked that many younger people don’t know about pay phones - or phone booths...and will only see them in the media. We both remember the not-so-distant years when she and my dad were traveling and they would search for a pay telephone in order to call home and check in with us. There were no cell phones...much less texting, iPads, and Skype or Face Time!
Here’s the thing... there are a lot of things from the past that we would not wish to return. Who among us wishes there were no cell phones and that we had to rely on finding a pay telephone or dialing 0 for Operator in order to accomplish some of our communications? I enjoy going to my refrigerator and getting a cup of ice cubes or crushed ice. I would not want to spend an entire day or two slaving over a hot iron wash pot filled with laundry and caustic soap...nor would I want to have to crank a “wringer” to get the water out of every garment before I hung the clothing on a line to air dry!
By the same token, I would not want to have to kill an innocent lamb or calf every time I committed a sin. I’d never get anything else done...and neither would you! Because you see, we are ALL sinful, despite our best efforts to behave otherwise. Just like many of us take a daily dose of medicine to keep certain ailments at bay...or vitamins to boost our immune systems...we need a “daily dose” of Jesus to keep us spiritually healthy. And because of his amazing love, grace, mercy – and sacrifice on the cross – the “old ways” of atonement are forever gone for those of us who have accepted His great gift of salvation.
We need the “daily dose” of Jesus to keep us healthy...to boost our spiritual “immune systems”...but when we give our hearts to Jesus, we no longer have to worry about the old laws that required continual sacrifices of animals...rituals to cleanse our souls...intermediaries to petition God on our behalf. Jesus healed ALL of that! And I, for one, can never thank Him enough!
My question today is this...are you living in the “modern world” of Jesus’ healing grace and mercy? Or are you stuck in the past? Do you know the joy of living well, fit, and strong with Jesus? Aren’t you ready to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 24, 2014
Exodus 23:25-26
Worship only me, the Lord your God! I will bless you with plenty of food and water and keep you strong. Your women will give birth to healthy children, and everyone will live a long life.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My mother-in-law has been going through old photo albums and journals...many that belonged to her mother and her aunts and uncles. In some of these, there are accounts of the 1918-1919 flu pandemic and its effects. Greg’s family hails from Iowa. I have heard about the 1918 Flu Pandemic most of my life...ancestors of mine succumbed to it in rural Arkansas communities just east of where I live today, including four people in one family alone who died over the course of a couple of days.
I had not realized that this was such a widespread “event”, but information at http://www.flu.gov/pandemic/history/1918/index.html explains that this deadly outbreak covered not only much of the United States – but Europe, as well, since soldiers were traveling back and forth to fight in the war, and they carried the flu with them. I’ve heard my grandparents and other relatives share recollections (a few firsthand!) of how no one dared to even try to go to a home and care for the sick, for fear that they would also become ill with the virus. Burying the dead was a challenge...many people were too sick to even dig the graves for those who had perished.
I share this as a way of way of demonstrating that hardships are nothing new. If you think you or your family has it rough...if you think you have been given “too much to handle”...consider that you probably don’t have a corner on that market! So why do your problems seem bigger than those of others? It may have more to do with where your focus and your worship lie than what is actually happening to you.
In a crazy twist of events that can only be described as a “God thing,” I became friends with Veronica Squef, a young woman who lives in Massapequa, New York – a community on Long Island. Veronica’s husband, Keith Glascoe, was a firefighter who lost his life on 9-11-2001. Veronica and Keith had two boys, Nolan (age 2), and Owen (age 1). She was pregnant with their third child – Keith, Jr. – who was born in April 2002. I have never met Veronica and her boys in person, but we correspond frequently through the mail and via Facebook. I asked her one day...”What is your secret? How have you survived this all?” She replied that her boys were her focus...that every day she reminded herself that “you have three boys who are counting on you”...and this motivated her to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Now I ask you...Who do you think whispers this encouragement to her each day and undergirds her efforts?
Focus is the key. We can focus on God and trust Him to bless us...to feed us...to keep us healthy and strong...to give us the courage and energy to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Or we can wallow in our struggles and sorrows – and we ALL have them – and have a giant pity party. We can pretend that we are the most persecuted person on the planet, wring our hands and cry, “Why ME, Lord?!”...and flounder in the “wilderness” of misery and defeat.
Like so many things in life...this is our choice. But it doesn’t have to be so. Regardless of what we face today, God can help us handle things. We need to stop and fully recognize how incredibly – and abundantly – we are loved and nurtured by God. We need to start focusing on His tremendous gifts and the amazing power of His care and blessings. We need to shift our focus from our own selfishness and pity to the compassionate, merciful sacrifices of Jesus for each of us – and how we can glorify His ransom and shower Him with our praises and service.
Choosing life in Christ...and an emphasis on worshipping God in all things and at all times...will not guarantee that every day will be a bed of roses and all of your problems and challenges will disappear. But this shift in attention and motivation invites God to share the burden... to heal your heart, mind and soul...and to carry you when you cannot walk on your own. Don’t you want this? Isn’t He worth it? Where will you choose to direct your focus? Who do you truly worship?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Worship only me, the Lord your God! I will bless you with plenty of food and water and keep you strong. Your women will give birth to healthy children, and everyone will live a long life.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My mother-in-law has been going through old photo albums and journals...many that belonged to her mother and her aunts and uncles. In some of these, there are accounts of the 1918-1919 flu pandemic and its effects. Greg’s family hails from Iowa. I have heard about the 1918 Flu Pandemic most of my life...ancestors of mine succumbed to it in rural Arkansas communities just east of where I live today, including four people in one family alone who died over the course of a couple of days.
I had not realized that this was such a widespread “event”, but information at http://www.flu.gov/pandemic/history/1918/index.html explains that this deadly outbreak covered not only much of the United States – but Europe, as well, since soldiers were traveling back and forth to fight in the war, and they carried the flu with them. I’ve heard my grandparents and other relatives share recollections (a few firsthand!) of how no one dared to even try to go to a home and care for the sick, for fear that they would also become ill with the virus. Burying the dead was a challenge...many people were too sick to even dig the graves for those who had perished.
I share this as a way of way of demonstrating that hardships are nothing new. If you think you or your family has it rough...if you think you have been given “too much to handle”...consider that you probably don’t have a corner on that market! So why do your problems seem bigger than those of others? It may have more to do with where your focus and your worship lie than what is actually happening to you.
In a crazy twist of events that can only be described as a “God thing,” I became friends with Veronica Squef, a young woman who lives in Massapequa, New York – a community on Long Island. Veronica’s husband, Keith Glascoe, was a firefighter who lost his life on 9-11-2001. Veronica and Keith had two boys, Nolan (age 2), and Owen (age 1). She was pregnant with their third child – Keith, Jr. – who was born in April 2002. I have never met Veronica and her boys in person, but we correspond frequently through the mail and via Facebook. I asked her one day...”What is your secret? How have you survived this all?” She replied that her boys were her focus...that every day she reminded herself that “you have three boys who are counting on you”...and this motivated her to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Now I ask you...Who do you think whispers this encouragement to her each day and undergirds her efforts?
Focus is the key. We can focus on God and trust Him to bless us...to feed us...to keep us healthy and strong...to give us the courage and energy to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Or we can wallow in our struggles and sorrows – and we ALL have them – and have a giant pity party. We can pretend that we are the most persecuted person on the planet, wring our hands and cry, “Why ME, Lord?!”...and flounder in the “wilderness” of misery and defeat.
Like so many things in life...this is our choice. But it doesn’t have to be so. Regardless of what we face today, God can help us handle things. We need to stop and fully recognize how incredibly – and abundantly – we are loved and nurtured by God. We need to start focusing on His tremendous gifts and the amazing power of His care and blessings. We need to shift our focus from our own selfishness and pity to the compassionate, merciful sacrifices of Jesus for each of us – and how we can glorify His ransom and shower Him with our praises and service.
Choosing life in Christ...and an emphasis on worshipping God in all things and at all times...will not guarantee that every day will be a bed of roses and all of your problems and challenges will disappear. But this shift in attention and motivation invites God to share the burden... to heal your heart, mind and soul...and to carry you when you cannot walk on your own. Don’t you want this? Isn’t He worth it? Where will you choose to direct your focus? Who do you truly worship?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 23, 2014
Exodus 15:26
That’s the place where God set up rules and procedures; that’s where he started testing them.
God said, “If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won’t strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer.”
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.
We all know people who go to see a doctor about a particular ailment, then they refuse to accept his/her prescription. Maybe the doctor says, “You have skin cancer or pre-cancerous cells. Stay out of the sun...wear a hat...use a high SPF sunscreen every day!” Or the doctor tells you to stop smoking and/or drinking...drop some pounds or eat less...drink more water...exercise more...or change another lifestyle habit. A specific course of treatment might be recommended...chemotherapy or other medications...radiation...physical therapy...or surgery. And you might walk out of the office and flatly refuse to do any of this.
Sometimes, the doctor cannot heal us if we won’t allow it! This is especially true when it comes to our relationship with God, our Great Healer. I will tell you that I have spent a lot of time talking to God...telling Him my “ailments”, worries, concerns and needs. But I haven’t always paid attention to His “prescription”. I’m betting it is very much the same for you.
Do not misunderstand me...if you are sick right now and cannot seem to improve, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are not listening and doing everything you are being told to do...that God is not healing you as a form of punishment. I believe that our definition of “healing” is very different from God’s. In her book Feathers From My Nest*, author/speaker Beth Moore tells about moving from Arkansas to Texas as a teenager. Her parents would not delay their departure for even one hour so that she could get in a car and go down the street with friends for a “farewell lunch”. Upon arriving in Texas, they learned that the teens had been in a serious car accident, and that at one was injured and two were killed – including her best friend in the whole world. Beth Moore relates how she had been so angry with her parents for their decision...had hardly spoken a word to them all the way to their new home. While she still doesn’t fully understand why this tragedy happened, Moore says that she realized that her safety – and possibly her very life – had been spared.
We will not always understand how God heals...and that’s okay. All we have to do is trust that He is indeed our Healer. God will heal some instantly and completely - while others, like the Apostle Paul, will be left with a “thorn in the flesh” that must be tolerated. Some will be given health and restoration on this earth...others will receive their healing in Heaven. God will use physicians, counselors, family and friends, teachers, coaches, and ministers of all kinds to deliver His healing. Relief and restoration won’t always come in the form of a pill or surgery...a splint or a crutch. But never doubt for one minute that God will heal us when we trust Him. And if you want “maximum results” (as the pill bottle sometimes describes), practice obedience, faithfulness, and servitude!
In the human world, the choice to skip medication or treatment is a very personal one...and you might even feel that God is telling you to choose another option – or no treatment whatsoever. But we won’t know for sure that we are hearing from God if we are not truly paying attention and listening for His voice. Two entertainers were bantering back and forth on a television show in a light-hearted debate, and one said to the other, “Oh, just SHUSH IT!” Maybe it’s time for us to “shush it” with God...and let Him do the talking for a while. The ultimate “Doctor” IS in...are you listening to what He has to say?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*Feathers From My Nest...”A Mother’s Reflections” - ©2001 Beth Moore ~ Broadman and Holman - Nashville, Tennessee
That’s the place where God set up rules and procedures; that’s where he started testing them.
God said, “If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won’t strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer.”
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.
We all know people who go to see a doctor about a particular ailment, then they refuse to accept his/her prescription. Maybe the doctor says, “You have skin cancer or pre-cancerous cells. Stay out of the sun...wear a hat...use a high SPF sunscreen every day!” Or the doctor tells you to stop smoking and/or drinking...drop some pounds or eat less...drink more water...exercise more...or change another lifestyle habit. A specific course of treatment might be recommended...chemotherapy or other medications...radiation...physical therapy...or surgery. And you might walk out of the office and flatly refuse to do any of this.
Sometimes, the doctor cannot heal us if we won’t allow it! This is especially true when it comes to our relationship with God, our Great Healer. I will tell you that I have spent a lot of time talking to God...telling Him my “ailments”, worries, concerns and needs. But I haven’t always paid attention to His “prescription”. I’m betting it is very much the same for you.
Do not misunderstand me...if you are sick right now and cannot seem to improve, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are not listening and doing everything you are being told to do...that God is not healing you as a form of punishment. I believe that our definition of “healing” is very different from God’s. In her book Feathers From My Nest*, author/speaker Beth Moore tells about moving from Arkansas to Texas as a teenager. Her parents would not delay their departure for even one hour so that she could get in a car and go down the street with friends for a “farewell lunch”. Upon arriving in Texas, they learned that the teens had been in a serious car accident, and that at one was injured and two were killed – including her best friend in the whole world. Beth Moore relates how she had been so angry with her parents for their decision...had hardly spoken a word to them all the way to their new home. While she still doesn’t fully understand why this tragedy happened, Moore says that she realized that her safety – and possibly her very life – had been spared.
We will not always understand how God heals...and that’s okay. All we have to do is trust that He is indeed our Healer. God will heal some instantly and completely - while others, like the Apostle Paul, will be left with a “thorn in the flesh” that must be tolerated. Some will be given health and restoration on this earth...others will receive their healing in Heaven. God will use physicians, counselors, family and friends, teachers, coaches, and ministers of all kinds to deliver His healing. Relief and restoration won’t always come in the form of a pill or surgery...a splint or a crutch. But never doubt for one minute that God will heal us when we trust Him. And if you want “maximum results” (as the pill bottle sometimes describes), practice obedience, faithfulness, and servitude!
In the human world, the choice to skip medication or treatment is a very personal one...and you might even feel that God is telling you to choose another option – or no treatment whatsoever. But we won’t know for sure that we are hearing from God if we are not truly paying attention and listening for His voice. Two entertainers were bantering back and forth on a television show in a light-hearted debate, and one said to the other, “Oh, just SHUSH IT!” Maybe it’s time for us to “shush it” with God...and let Him do the talking for a while. The ultimate “Doctor” IS in...are you listening to what He has to say?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*Feathers From My Nest...”A Mother’s Reflections” - ©2001 Beth Moore ~ Broadman and Holman - Nashville, Tennessee
Daily Devotional for September 22, 2014
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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.
Timothy’s kindergarten class is learning about choices. His teacher has a color system, with some colors equaling poor choices, while others indicate excellent options. The ultimate color is blue...and as Timothy’s mother described it, “I think you have to be close to perfect to get that one!” One day last week, Timothy got “blue”! Of course, two days later, he got “yellow” – which equals a warning. I asked him what happened, and he said, “I was too loud.”
I love that these children are learning to take responsibility for their choices at such an early age – and in such a positive manner. They realize that a lot of what happens to them is of their own doing...that they have options that bring rewards – and some that result in consequences. They are experiencing the glory of the “highs” and the accompanying returns...and the disappointment of the lows – and their penalties.
Some of us need to go back to kindergarten! If we ever learned about how much God wants to shower us with His love and blessings – and the correlation between these and our choices – many of us seem to have forgotten. Too often, we see God as Someone who stands over us with a whip and a chair...ready to strike us down for the smallest infraction. We have such a distorted image of how God operates!
A lot of us fail to see God as the loving, caring, healing Father that He is...Someone who wants to give us only good things – but Who also wants us to have the freedom to make our own choices. Therein lies the problem! I can almost picture Timothy stomping his foot and furrowing his brow when he got that "yellow” warning last week. He was probably so frustrated with himself, because he doesn’t mean to be too loud – he just gets carried away. Like all children, he often gets caught up in the moment, which is why there is a “warning” color in between the really good ones and those that signify a serious problem.
The GOOD NEWS for us is that God offers us the warmth and safety of His loving arms...via the blood of Jesus Christ for all of our sins. When we give our hearts to Jesus, we know that “excellent choices” will bring us immeasurable blessings from God. There may be a few “warning” colors mixed in... every day will not be “blue” perfect! But we can dwell in the land of the “good colors” and experience the healing balm of God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness.
Just like the “color chart” in Timothy’s kindergarten class represents choices – and associated results, God has set options and outcomes before each of us. The next step is ours to take. So how will you choose?
©2014 Debbie Robus
I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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.
Timothy’s kindergarten class is learning about choices. His teacher has a color system, with some colors equaling poor choices, while others indicate excellent options. The ultimate color is blue...and as Timothy’s mother described it, “I think you have to be close to perfect to get that one!” One day last week, Timothy got “blue”! Of course, two days later, he got “yellow” – which equals a warning. I asked him what happened, and he said, “I was too loud.”
I love that these children are learning to take responsibility for their choices at such an early age – and in such a positive manner. They realize that a lot of what happens to them is of their own doing...that they have options that bring rewards – and some that result in consequences. They are experiencing the glory of the “highs” and the accompanying returns...and the disappointment of the lows – and their penalties.
Some of us need to go back to kindergarten! If we ever learned about how much God wants to shower us with His love and blessings – and the correlation between these and our choices – many of us seem to have forgotten. Too often, we see God as Someone who stands over us with a whip and a chair...ready to strike us down for the smallest infraction. We have such a distorted image of how God operates!
A lot of us fail to see God as the loving, caring, healing Father that He is...Someone who wants to give us only good things – but Who also wants us to have the freedom to make our own choices. Therein lies the problem! I can almost picture Timothy stomping his foot and furrowing his brow when he got that "yellow” warning last week. He was probably so frustrated with himself, because he doesn’t mean to be too loud – he just gets carried away. Like all children, he often gets caught up in the moment, which is why there is a “warning” color in between the really good ones and those that signify a serious problem.
The GOOD NEWS for us is that God offers us the warmth and safety of His loving arms...via the blood of Jesus Christ for all of our sins. When we give our hearts to Jesus, we know that “excellent choices” will bring us immeasurable blessings from God. There may be a few “warning” colors mixed in... every day will not be “blue” perfect! But we can dwell in the land of the “good colors” and experience the healing balm of God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness.
Just like the “color chart” in Timothy’s kindergarten class represents choices – and associated results, God has set options and outcomes before each of us. The next step is ours to take. So how will you choose?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 21, 2014
Deuteronomy 28:1-6
“If you fully obey all of these commandments of the Lord your God, the laws I am declaring to you today, God will transform you into the greatest nation in the world. These are the blessings that will come upon you:
We have a system that we use with Timothy and his siblings to promote good behavior when they visit us. I have little cards that have a spot for the child’s name, and boxes with numbers 1-20. Each time the child does something good, I punch a number. When the card has all of its boxes punched, the child gets to pick a “prize”. My brother-in-law calls this bribery...but you can see from this scripture passage that the “if/then” method of “behavior modification” is nothing new!
The children have seen the prize basket. They know what is in there and what they are working toward, and they are motivated to earn those toy cars, dinosaurs, tiny baby dolls, and more. These are mostly thrift-store or Dollar Tree® finds...nothing expensive or extraordinary. But the children really work hard to do what is asked of them so that they can earn those punches – and a prize! There ARE consequences for bad choices and behaviors. But by putting the focus on doing what is right, we avoid most conflicts and infractions. At school, Timothy’s kindergarten teacher refers to this as “making excellent choices”.
There is a bigger payoff...the children build a sense of responsibility for their actions, a feeling of pride in doing what is right, and a delight in showing their mom and others the fully punched cards and hearing, “You did a good job! I’m proud of you!” I don’t think it’s all that different for us as Christians...or it shouldn’t be.
God has clearly laid out the “rules and consequences”. He has told us what He expects of us...and what blessings will be ours as a result of our obedience. He has told us that “the wages of sin are death”...and that a life without Christ will keep us from spending Eternity in heaven. And as I have pointed out before, God’s blessings are so numerous...and Jesus’ sacrifices on our behalf were so tremendous...that we should be filled with desire to honor and obey out of our own sense of devotion and gratitude.
I don’t know about you, but I am appreciative of the “health and blessings” that God provides. I don’t mind knowing what is required of me...and doing all I can to live up to those expectations. I feel so much better about myself when I know that I am pleasing God and operating within His will for my life. And I look forward to the day when I meet Jesus face-to-face and hear, “Well done! I’m so proud of you! Welcome Home!!!”
There is healing power in the “rules and consequences” of God. We have a clear “prescription” for how to live as disciples of Christ. And like all people, we have a choice to make...we can “follow the Doctor’s orders” and be healthy...or we can set the “medicine” on the shelf and try to do things on our own. We pretty well know what the end results will be. So what choices will YOU make today? Will they be “excellent”, healthy, and pleasing to God...or not?
©2014 Debbie Robus
“If you fully obey all of these commandments of the Lord your God, the laws I am declaring to you today, God will transform you into the greatest nation in the world. These are the blessings that will come upon you:
Blessings in the city,The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Blessings in the field;
Many children,
Ample crops,
Large flocks and herds;
Blessings of fruit and bread;
Blessings when you come in,
Blessings when you go out.
We have a system that we use with Timothy and his siblings to promote good behavior when they visit us. I have little cards that have a spot for the child’s name, and boxes with numbers 1-20. Each time the child does something good, I punch a number. When the card has all of its boxes punched, the child gets to pick a “prize”. My brother-in-law calls this bribery...but you can see from this scripture passage that the “if/then” method of “behavior modification” is nothing new!
The children have seen the prize basket. They know what is in there and what they are working toward, and they are motivated to earn those toy cars, dinosaurs, tiny baby dolls, and more. These are mostly thrift-store or Dollar Tree® finds...nothing expensive or extraordinary. But the children really work hard to do what is asked of them so that they can earn those punches – and a prize! There ARE consequences for bad choices and behaviors. But by putting the focus on doing what is right, we avoid most conflicts and infractions. At school, Timothy’s kindergarten teacher refers to this as “making excellent choices”.
There is a bigger payoff...the children build a sense of responsibility for their actions, a feeling of pride in doing what is right, and a delight in showing their mom and others the fully punched cards and hearing, “You did a good job! I’m proud of you!” I don’t think it’s all that different for us as Christians...or it shouldn’t be.
God has clearly laid out the “rules and consequences”. He has told us what He expects of us...and what blessings will be ours as a result of our obedience. He has told us that “the wages of sin are death”...and that a life without Christ will keep us from spending Eternity in heaven. And as I have pointed out before, God’s blessings are so numerous...and Jesus’ sacrifices on our behalf were so tremendous...that we should be filled with desire to honor and obey out of our own sense of devotion and gratitude.
I don’t know about you, but I am appreciative of the “health and blessings” that God provides. I don’t mind knowing what is required of me...and doing all I can to live up to those expectations. I feel so much better about myself when I know that I am pleasing God and operating within His will for my life. And I look forward to the day when I meet Jesus face-to-face and hear, “Well done! I’m so proud of you! Welcome Home!!!”
There is healing power in the “rules and consequences” of God. We have a clear “prescription” for how to live as disciples of Christ. And like all people, we have a choice to make...we can “follow the Doctor’s orders” and be healthy...or we can set the “medicine” on the shelf and try to do things on our own. We pretty well know what the end results will be. So what choices will YOU make today? Will they be “excellent”, healthy, and pleasing to God...or not?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 20, 2014
Deuteronomy 7:12-15
And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God, on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors:
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.
Okay. Trivia time! Who remembers dialing 0 for Operator? If you were born any time after 1980, this could possibly be a foreign concept for you...and for sure if you were born after 1990! The button still existed on phones at that time, but the function had changed. When I was growing up, you could dial 0 and speak to an operator and get all sorts of assistance...the Operator would locate a phone number for you, help you make “collect calls”, summon emergency personnel, and more. When my parents were growing up, the Operator actually connected calls from one home to another. You would dial 0 and tell a real person on the other end of the line that you wanted to talk to “So-and-So”, and she would ring them for you. Think “Sarah” on the Andy Griffith show!
A few decades ago, we really needed the Operator to help us. Today, technology has virtually obliterated the need for any human intermediary when contacting others. We telephone, text, e-mail, Skype or Face-time, and more...all at the push of a button. In the days of Moses, people had to “jump through hoops” to please God – and to assure that He would love them, bless them, heal them, and increase them. They had to “do their part”, as Moses directs in this passage. When they made mistakes, they had to offer sacrifices to atone for them.
When Jesus died on the cross, He changed everything. The very act of asking Him to forgive us...to wash us clean and fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit...is the equivalent of pushing a button to connect a call to God – for the rest of our lives. Does this mean that we no longer have to “do our part”...that we can live as we please and guarantee that God will keep us healthy, prosperous, and safe? Absolutely not! But stop and think about this...there is no need to live in continual fear and stress – to obsess over whether or not every single breath you take is potentially bringing you to the brink of disaster and condemnation!
By the blood of Jesus Christ, we can be healed...forever and ever! We can bask in the glory of Moses’ promises for his people...God will love us. He will bless us. He will increase us! For me, this changes the motivation to serve God from that of fear and obligation to an expression of my devotion and gratitude. Because of Jesus and the cleansing healing He offers each of us, we should want to serve Him and live in a way that pleases Him and honors His commitment to us. And one of the coolest things is that we no longer need an “Operator” to “connect our calls” to God. We can “dial Him up” directly any time we want or need!
Change can be good. There are times when it would be handy to dial 0 and ask for a telephone number or an instant connection...but now we have such a wealth of methods for reaching others in a heartbeat that it wouldn’t really be worth it to return to “the good ole days”. As for our relationship with God, I wouldn’t trade Jesus and what He has given me for anything...surely not for the antiquated rituals and expectations of Moses’ time!
Take a little time today and think about Jesus. Consider how easy He has made it for you to live in health, wealth and hope. I can hear you now, and I get it! Yes, we may have challenges – and even heartaches...our definition of these blessings – particularly health, wealth and prosperity – may not match what God intends for us. His timing may not be the same as ours. But when we trust God, we always have hope and a future...and when we give our hearts to Jesus and commit our lives to Him, we have a “direct line” to His love and care. Are you fully “connected”...or are you still trying to “dial 0 for Operator”? Isn’t it time you accepted Jesus’ direct connection? Is today the day?
©2014 Debbie Robus
And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God, on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors:
- He will love you,
he will bless you,
he will increase you.
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.
Okay. Trivia time! Who remembers dialing 0 for Operator? If you were born any time after 1980, this could possibly be a foreign concept for you...and for sure if you were born after 1990! The button still existed on phones at that time, but the function had changed. When I was growing up, you could dial 0 and speak to an operator and get all sorts of assistance...the Operator would locate a phone number for you, help you make “collect calls”, summon emergency personnel, and more. When my parents were growing up, the Operator actually connected calls from one home to another. You would dial 0 and tell a real person on the other end of the line that you wanted to talk to “So-and-So”, and she would ring them for you. Think “Sarah” on the Andy Griffith show!
A few decades ago, we really needed the Operator to help us. Today, technology has virtually obliterated the need for any human intermediary when contacting others. We telephone, text, e-mail, Skype or Face-time, and more...all at the push of a button. In the days of Moses, people had to “jump through hoops” to please God – and to assure that He would love them, bless them, heal them, and increase them. They had to “do their part”, as Moses directs in this passage. When they made mistakes, they had to offer sacrifices to atone for them.
When Jesus died on the cross, He changed everything. The very act of asking Him to forgive us...to wash us clean and fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit...is the equivalent of pushing a button to connect a call to God – for the rest of our lives. Does this mean that we no longer have to “do our part”...that we can live as we please and guarantee that God will keep us healthy, prosperous, and safe? Absolutely not! But stop and think about this...there is no need to live in continual fear and stress – to obsess over whether or not every single breath you take is potentially bringing you to the brink of disaster and condemnation!
By the blood of Jesus Christ, we can be healed...forever and ever! We can bask in the glory of Moses’ promises for his people...God will love us. He will bless us. He will increase us! For me, this changes the motivation to serve God from that of fear and obligation to an expression of my devotion and gratitude. Because of Jesus and the cleansing healing He offers each of us, we should want to serve Him and live in a way that pleases Him and honors His commitment to us. And one of the coolest things is that we no longer need an “Operator” to “connect our calls” to God. We can “dial Him up” directly any time we want or need!
Change can be good. There are times when it would be handy to dial 0 and ask for a telephone number or an instant connection...but now we have such a wealth of methods for reaching others in a heartbeat that it wouldn’t really be worth it to return to “the good ole days”. As for our relationship with God, I wouldn’t trade Jesus and what He has given me for anything...surely not for the antiquated rituals and expectations of Moses’ time!
Take a little time today and think about Jesus. Consider how easy He has made it for you to live in health, wealth and hope. I can hear you now, and I get it! Yes, we may have challenges – and even heartaches...our definition of these blessings – particularly health, wealth and prosperity – may not match what God intends for us. His timing may not be the same as ours. But when we trust God, we always have hope and a future...and when we give our hearts to Jesus and commit our lives to Him, we have a “direct line” to His love and care. Are you fully “connected”...or are you still trying to “dial 0 for Operator”? Isn’t it time you accepted Jesus’ direct connection? Is today the day?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 19, 2014
Acts 5:15-16
Sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow would fall across some of them as he went by! And crowds came in from the Jerusalem suburbs, bringing their sick folk and those possessed by demons; and every one of them was healed.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning on ABC’s The View, I watched Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal present a tribute to their dear friend, Robin Williams, who left this earth two months ago. Essentially, both comics described a person who “lit up a room” when he entered. Just the mention of the name - “Robin Williams” – evokes memories of hilarious routines, a favorite movie or television episode, “Nanu! Nanu!”, and more. I am sure you have your favorites...but it’s safe to assume that when you hear Robin Williams’ name, you can’t help but smile. His effect on people was like that of a healing balm.
Greg and I learned yesterday that a childhood friend of ours succumbed to cancer. Sherman was something of our own personal “Robin Williams”. He entered the doorway telling a hilarious story, and he left everyone smiling – and sometimes shaking their heads in the context of “what just happened?!” We can’t help but smile when we hear Sherman’s name. Just the thought of our sweet friend makes us happy - even in his passing.
Here’s how this passage about healing relates to the recollections of these two men...we can easily understand how the thought of a brilliant, witty comedian or friend is enough to make us smile. But we cannot comprehend how the “passing shadow” of one of Christ’s disciples could heal the sick and possessed. We cannot fathom being so filled with Jesus that His healing power flows through us to the point that even our walking past someone who is sick or in need could result in their healing. Furthermore, we can’t imagine a faith so strong that we would believe that falling underneath the shadow of such an anointed person could result in making us well.
But this is exactly what happened.
What does this all mean for us? Are we to begin seeking anointed healers – or those who claim to be – and believing in their healing powers as agents of Jesus? Are we to seek this power in our own lives? I don’t believe that we will physically become able to heal the sick in Jesus’ name – although some would claim otherwise. For me, this passage says two things: 1) do not underestimate Jesus’ ability and desire to use you as His disciple – in whatever way He sees fit; and 2) grow your faith in Christ’s “healing power” over your own life. In other words, be ready and willing to reach out to others in Jesus’ name - wherever and whenever He sends you. Trust in a God who is so powerful that His healing power can flow through the shadow of a mere mortal and restore another – if He so desires.
Live in such a way that the mention of your name causes others to conjure a mental image of Jesus Christ and His love and care. We can’t BE Jesus...but we can be more like Him! And we can be servants that honor and glorify His name in all that we do. Recognize the power of even a smile delivered to a stranger by someone whose heart is filled with Jesus.
I thank God for the joy that was Robin Williams and our friend Sherman...for the happiness and brightness they brought to the lives of so many. You can cast a “shadow” of the love of Christ over others...you really can - if you are closely attuned to His word and will for your life. You can be the “healing balm” that brightens another person’s day and “soothes their soul” – if not their body. Time’s a wastin’! None of us is promised tomorrow, so we need to get started! Learn to recognize Jesus’ power and presence in your own life...discover how – and where – He wants you to represent His love and care...and go “light up a room” in His name!
©2014 Debbie Robus
Sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow would fall across some of them as he went by! And crowds came in from the Jerusalem suburbs, bringing their sick folk and those possessed by demons; and every one of them was healed.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning on ABC’s The View, I watched Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal present a tribute to their dear friend, Robin Williams, who left this earth two months ago. Essentially, both comics described a person who “lit up a room” when he entered. Just the mention of the name - “Robin Williams” – evokes memories of hilarious routines, a favorite movie or television episode, “Nanu! Nanu!”, and more. I am sure you have your favorites...but it’s safe to assume that when you hear Robin Williams’ name, you can’t help but smile. His effect on people was like that of a healing balm.
Greg and I learned yesterday that a childhood friend of ours succumbed to cancer. Sherman was something of our own personal “Robin Williams”. He entered the doorway telling a hilarious story, and he left everyone smiling – and sometimes shaking their heads in the context of “what just happened?!” We can’t help but smile when we hear Sherman’s name. Just the thought of our sweet friend makes us happy - even in his passing.
Here’s how this passage about healing relates to the recollections of these two men...we can easily understand how the thought of a brilliant, witty comedian or friend is enough to make us smile. But we cannot comprehend how the “passing shadow” of one of Christ’s disciples could heal the sick and possessed. We cannot fathom being so filled with Jesus that His healing power flows through us to the point that even our walking past someone who is sick or in need could result in their healing. Furthermore, we can’t imagine a faith so strong that we would believe that falling underneath the shadow of such an anointed person could result in making us well.
But this is exactly what happened.
What does this all mean for us? Are we to begin seeking anointed healers – or those who claim to be – and believing in their healing powers as agents of Jesus? Are we to seek this power in our own lives? I don’t believe that we will physically become able to heal the sick in Jesus’ name – although some would claim otherwise. For me, this passage says two things: 1) do not underestimate Jesus’ ability and desire to use you as His disciple – in whatever way He sees fit; and 2) grow your faith in Christ’s “healing power” over your own life. In other words, be ready and willing to reach out to others in Jesus’ name - wherever and whenever He sends you. Trust in a God who is so powerful that His healing power can flow through the shadow of a mere mortal and restore another – if He so desires.
Live in such a way that the mention of your name causes others to conjure a mental image of Jesus Christ and His love and care. We can’t BE Jesus...but we can be more like Him! And we can be servants that honor and glorify His name in all that we do. Recognize the power of even a smile delivered to a stranger by someone whose heart is filled with Jesus.
I thank God for the joy that was Robin Williams and our friend Sherman...for the happiness and brightness they brought to the lives of so many. You can cast a “shadow” of the love of Christ over others...you really can - if you are closely attuned to His word and will for your life. You can be the “healing balm” that brightens another person’s day and “soothes their soul” – if not their body. Time’s a wastin’! None of us is promised tomorrow, so we need to get started! Learn to recognize Jesus’ power and presence in your own life...discover how – and where – He wants you to represent His love and care...and go “light up a room” in His name!
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 18, 2014
Acts 4:20-30
We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we saw Jesus do and heard him say.”
The Council then threatened them further and finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God for this wonderful miracle - the healing of a man who had been lame for forty years.
As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other disciples and told them what the Council had said.
Then all the believers united in this prayer:
“O Lord, Creator of heaven and earth and of the sea and everything in them - you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant, saying, ‘Why do the heathen rage against the Lord, and the foolish nations plan their little plots against Almighty God? The kings of the earth unite to fight against him and against the anointed Son of God!’
“That is what is happening here in this city today! For Herod the king, and Pontius Pilate the governor, and all the Romans—as well as the people of Israel—are united against Jesus, your anointed Son, your holy servant. They won’t stop at anything that you in your wise power will let them do. And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and grant to your servants great boldness in their preaching, and send your healing power, and may miracles and wonders be done by the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
On the September 17th episode of her new talk show, journalist Meredith Vieira disclosed that she was involved in an abusive relationship more than 30 years ago. She provided details of this abuse on her program and explained why she stayed in such a situation for so long. She talked of fear...and yes, guilt...and how her abuser was usually quite remorseful afterward. I don’t know for sure why Vieira shared this on her program. Perhaps she felt it would garner ratings, since abuse and neglect are currently hot-button issues in the news. Or maybe she felt God telling her, “Someone needs to hear this information. Your words can be the rescue vehicle...the healing balm for those who are hurting and in trouble.”
We’ve all been in situations where we may have felt an urge to say or do something...and then we thought, “That is none of my business,” or “I can’t say or do THAT!” And often, we kept silent...or held back. As we observed what happened next, we sometimes regretted our hesitation. Other times, we boldly forged ahead, even though we might not have known the person well. We offered suggestions, shared our own personal experiences, or simply said, “I’m praying for you,” and faithfully trusted God to do the rest...and the results were amazing.
Understand that I am not suggesting that we all start getting up in each other’s business! This must always be done prayerfully and responsibly. But when you get that nagging feeling that you need to share a scripture or a prayer with someone...to pick up the phone...to drop by for a visit...to reach out to another person in a particular manner...or to step up and offer your assistance...ask God what to do with these urges. Then listen for His answer...and when you feel that He is telling you to proceed, do not hesitate.
I will not deal in specifics, but in recent weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to reach out to more than one person in situations where I really did not know him/her all that well...they were more what I would consider “acquaintances” than close friends. Yet I saw that they had needs and struggles, and I sensed strongly that I needed to send them a message in some way. Trust me when I say that in more than one instance, I hesitated...I procrastinated – delayed hitting the “send” button or making a call. But to a person, every time I trusted that God was leading me and took a leap of faith, that person responded and said, essentially...”Your timing was perfect! Your care and concern meant so much...and I am better for it.”
We don’t fully comprehend how vital we “disciples” are to the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ. Every day, He reaches out to us and gives us “assignments”...ways great and small that we are to minister and heal others in His name. Too often, we are so caught up in the busyness of OUR day...our own selfish desires and agendas...that we miss these opportunities. We are fearful and timid...embarrassed and insecure. For whatever reason, we don’t really want to get involved. Surely God can’t mean for US to do these things! Surely He doesn’t think we are the right vehicle for reaching others in His name! Doesn’t God know who – and what – we are?!
God has equipped us with everything we will need to accomplish His plans. If we are confident that He is powering and endorsing our efforts, we truly have nothing to fear...and everything to gain! He knows exactly who is the right person for every task...and that includes each of us!
Where has God been gently nudging you toward discipleship? Where are you being shown opportunities for “healing” in Jesus’ name? Are you paying attention? Are you “show and tell Disciples” for the amazing love, grace, mercy, forgiveness – and healing power – of Jesus Christ? Are you ready to truly serve Him obediently and confidently? Are you “all in” for Jesus? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we saw Jesus do and heard him say.”
The Council then threatened them further and finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God for this wonderful miracle - the healing of a man who had been lame for forty years.
As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other disciples and told them what the Council had said.
Then all the believers united in this prayer:
“O Lord, Creator of heaven and earth and of the sea and everything in them - you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant, saying, ‘Why do the heathen rage against the Lord, and the foolish nations plan their little plots against Almighty God? The kings of the earth unite to fight against him and against the anointed Son of God!’
“That is what is happening here in this city today! For Herod the king, and Pontius Pilate the governor, and all the Romans—as well as the people of Israel—are united against Jesus, your anointed Son, your holy servant. They won’t stop at anything that you in your wise power will let them do. And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and grant to your servants great boldness in their preaching, and send your healing power, and may miracles and wonders be done by the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
On the September 17th episode of her new talk show, journalist Meredith Vieira disclosed that she was involved in an abusive relationship more than 30 years ago. She provided details of this abuse on her program and explained why she stayed in such a situation for so long. She talked of fear...and yes, guilt...and how her abuser was usually quite remorseful afterward. I don’t know for sure why Vieira shared this on her program. Perhaps she felt it would garner ratings, since abuse and neglect are currently hot-button issues in the news. Or maybe she felt God telling her, “Someone needs to hear this information. Your words can be the rescue vehicle...the healing balm for those who are hurting and in trouble.”
We’ve all been in situations where we may have felt an urge to say or do something...and then we thought, “That is none of my business,” or “I can’t say or do THAT!” And often, we kept silent...or held back. As we observed what happened next, we sometimes regretted our hesitation. Other times, we boldly forged ahead, even though we might not have known the person well. We offered suggestions, shared our own personal experiences, or simply said, “I’m praying for you,” and faithfully trusted God to do the rest...and the results were amazing.
Understand that I am not suggesting that we all start getting up in each other’s business! This must always be done prayerfully and responsibly. But when you get that nagging feeling that you need to share a scripture or a prayer with someone...to pick up the phone...to drop by for a visit...to reach out to another person in a particular manner...or to step up and offer your assistance...ask God what to do with these urges. Then listen for His answer...and when you feel that He is telling you to proceed, do not hesitate.
I will not deal in specifics, but in recent weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to reach out to more than one person in situations where I really did not know him/her all that well...they were more what I would consider “acquaintances” than close friends. Yet I saw that they had needs and struggles, and I sensed strongly that I needed to send them a message in some way. Trust me when I say that in more than one instance, I hesitated...I procrastinated – delayed hitting the “send” button or making a call. But to a person, every time I trusted that God was leading me and took a leap of faith, that person responded and said, essentially...”Your timing was perfect! Your care and concern meant so much...and I am better for it.”
We don’t fully comprehend how vital we “disciples” are to the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ. Every day, He reaches out to us and gives us “assignments”...ways great and small that we are to minister and heal others in His name. Too often, we are so caught up in the busyness of OUR day...our own selfish desires and agendas...that we miss these opportunities. We are fearful and timid...embarrassed and insecure. For whatever reason, we don’t really want to get involved. Surely God can’t mean for US to do these things! Surely He doesn’t think we are the right vehicle for reaching others in His name! Doesn’t God know who – and what – we are?!
God has equipped us with everything we will need to accomplish His plans. If we are confident that He is powering and endorsing our efforts, we truly have nothing to fear...and everything to gain! He knows exactly who is the right person for every task...and that includes each of us!
Where has God been gently nudging you toward discipleship? Where are you being shown opportunities for “healing” in Jesus’ name? Are you paying attention? Are you “show and tell Disciples” for the amazing love, grace, mercy, forgiveness – and healing power – of Jesus Christ? Are you ready to truly serve Him obediently and confidently? Are you “all in” for Jesus? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 17, 2014
Acts 10:37-38
“You know the story of what happened in Judea. It began in Galilee after John preached a total life-change. Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with 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.
When we think of “healing”, we think of some sort of physical illness or injury. But everywhere you look, people are in need of “healing” from all kinds of “ailments”. Students are struggling with homework assignments and concepts they can’t seem to grasp and retain. Parents are concerned about every aspect of the lives of their children. There are people struggling with bills, jobs, physical illnesses and injuries, loneliness, relationship issues, and grief. Seniors have a plethora of troubles related to aging and declining health. And we haven’t even mentioned those “sicknesses” that grip our headlines...abuse of children and spouses..., conflict and combat in American cities and on foreign soil...retaliatory beheadings and senseless brutality...and even natural disasters like drought, wildfires and flooding. We truly are a sick world in need of healing!
What struck me instantly about the scripture passage today was this sentence...”He was able to do all this because God was with him.” Even Jesus - the Great Healer and Physician - needed God’s power and presence. If Jesus Christ needed God with Him in order to be well and heal others, don’t you think we certainly need Him in our lives?
Let’s be honest...we can’t do this on our own or under our own power! The only way we even have a CHANCE is to embrace God and ask Him to wield His power in our lives. Our “healing” starts with a liberal dose of the anointing by God with the Holy Spirit - who will dwell in our heart and guide our steps. Again, if it was important for Jesus, it surely is vital for us!
Does this guarantee that we will have “smooth sailing?” Is this an instant “cure” for all that ails us? Yes...and NO! Think of it this way...if you have allergies, you take an antihistamine to alleviate the symptoms. This drug doesn’t remove your condition – but you are able to manage it. If something causes you pain - like a splinter in your hand or a broken toe - you determine the problem and take measures to address it. Sometimes these ailments or injuries can be fully cured and alleviated. At other times, we determine methods of coping with these challenges and relieving some of the symptoms.
This is how it is with God’s power and care. There are burdens and “ailments” that He will remove from you completely. In other cases, He will show you how to cope with your circumstances...and grow and learn from the experience. But God will never leave you to flounder and struggle without any hope of relief. He will never allow you to be completely beaten down by the devil.
So think about what “ails” you today. Consider the “sicknesses” of this world and how the devil attempts to beat us down each and every day. Then turn to God and ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit...to “inoculate” you against Satan’s attempts to capture you and destroy your “health” – in every area of life. Trust God to know the right “prescription” for you and your circumstances...and never, ever let go of His power and presence! If Jesus needed God with Him...surely we do, as well. Who is your “Great Physician”?
©2014 Debbie Robus
“You know the story of what happened in Judea. It began in Galilee after John preached a total life-change. Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with 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.
When we think of “healing”, we think of some sort of physical illness or injury. But everywhere you look, people are in need of “healing” from all kinds of “ailments”. Students are struggling with homework assignments and concepts they can’t seem to grasp and retain. Parents are concerned about every aspect of the lives of their children. There are people struggling with bills, jobs, physical illnesses and injuries, loneliness, relationship issues, and grief. Seniors have a plethora of troubles related to aging and declining health. And we haven’t even mentioned those “sicknesses” that grip our headlines...abuse of children and spouses..., conflict and combat in American cities and on foreign soil...retaliatory beheadings and senseless brutality...and even natural disasters like drought, wildfires and flooding. We truly are a sick world in need of healing!
What struck me instantly about the scripture passage today was this sentence...”He was able to do all this because God was with him.” Even Jesus - the Great Healer and Physician - needed God’s power and presence. If Jesus Christ needed God with Him in order to be well and heal others, don’t you think we certainly need Him in our lives?
Let’s be honest...we can’t do this on our own or under our own power! The only way we even have a CHANCE is to embrace God and ask Him to wield His power in our lives. Our “healing” starts with a liberal dose of the anointing by God with the Holy Spirit - who will dwell in our heart and guide our steps. Again, if it was important for Jesus, it surely is vital for us!
Does this guarantee that we will have “smooth sailing?” Is this an instant “cure” for all that ails us? Yes...and NO! Think of it this way...if you have allergies, you take an antihistamine to alleviate the symptoms. This drug doesn’t remove your condition – but you are able to manage it. If something causes you pain - like a splinter in your hand or a broken toe - you determine the problem and take measures to address it. Sometimes these ailments or injuries can be fully cured and alleviated. At other times, we determine methods of coping with these challenges and relieving some of the symptoms.
This is how it is with God’s power and care. There are burdens and “ailments” that He will remove from you completely. In other cases, He will show you how to cope with your circumstances...and grow and learn from the experience. But God will never leave you to flounder and struggle without any hope of relief. He will never allow you to be completely beaten down by the devil.
So think about what “ails” you today. Consider the “sicknesses” of this world and how the devil attempts to beat us down each and every day. Then turn to God and ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit...to “inoculate” you against Satan’s attempts to capture you and destroy your “health” – in every area of life. Trust God to know the right “prescription” for you and your circumstances...and never, ever let go of His power and presence! If Jesus needed God with Him...surely we do, as well. Who is your “Great Physician”?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 16, 2014
Acts 3:12-16
Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “Men of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why look at us as though we by our own power and godliness had made this man walk? For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. I refer to the Jesus whom you rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s determination to release him. You didn’t want him freed—this holy, righteous one. Instead you demanded the release of a murderer. And you killed the Author of Life; but God brought him back to life again. And John and I are witnesses of this fact, for after you killed him we saw him alive!
“Jesus’ name has healed this man—and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name—faith given us from God—has caused this perfect healing.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Some of you may be watching the resurrected version of the television series “Dallas”. Back in the 70s and 80s when this show first aired, one of the main characters, “Bobby Ewing”, played by Patrick Duffy, was killed when the sister of his brother’s wife ran over him with a car...or so we thought. We learned in a subsequent season that this “death” had all been the “bad dream” of Bobby’s ex-wife Pamela. Still with me? I know this is crazy, and even writing it all down made me wonder, “What were we thinking?!”
I share this to tell you that we are no strangers to modern-day “resurrection” stories. They happen all the time in television series, movies...and even our favorite novels. Someone appears to be dead, but we discover that they really aren’t. Children watch cartoons in which the characters come back to life over and again. All of this combines to create a sort of “numbness” and indifference in each of us...and on certain levels, it causes us to detach from reality.
It is no surprise that we are somewhat numb to the profound significance of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection...that we are not as cognizant of Jesus’ healing power as we should be. It isn’t even that big of a stretch to see how we could give ourselves and the “healers” in our midst more credit than we deserve for our health and well-being in every area of life. Although it’s a “slippery slope”, one can see how easy it might be to give too much credit to physicians, therapists, coaches, teachers, parents, friends, and even clergy for enabling us to put one foot in front of the other.
While these people may play a significant role in our overall health and well-being...their true power comes from Jesus. We may benefit from their wisdom, expertise, kindness, compassion, mercy, and life experiences, but none of this would be available to us without our Savior. Jesus knows what we need...when we need it...and how to get it to us. He uses human beings as the vehicle for our healing...but ultimately, He is the Great Healer.
Unlike the original “Dallas” series and its 2012 revival, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were no television soap opera. Jesus is as real as it gets...and His power to heal and restore us – and meet our every need – is unsurpassed. His use of ordinary people like you and me to carry out His missions is equally real.
Maybe it’s time for us to open our eyes and re-align our focus a bit. Maybe we need to be more aware of Who is really running the show...and give Him the appropriate measure of gratitude. Maybe we need to stop thinking so highly of ourselves and stop to recognize Who fuels our every breath! Perhaps we need to start looking a little more closely at Who is truly the Author of our lives...and give credit where it is due. Isn’t this the perfect time to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “Men of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why look at us as though we by our own power and godliness had made this man walk? For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. I refer to the Jesus whom you rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s determination to release him. You didn’t want him freed—this holy, righteous one. Instead you demanded the release of a murderer. And you killed the Author of Life; but God brought him back to life again. And John and I are witnesses of this fact, for after you killed him we saw him alive!
“Jesus’ name has healed this man—and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name—faith given us from God—has caused this perfect healing.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Some of you may be watching the resurrected version of the television series “Dallas”. Back in the 70s and 80s when this show first aired, one of the main characters, “Bobby Ewing”, played by Patrick Duffy, was killed when the sister of his brother’s wife ran over him with a car...or so we thought. We learned in a subsequent season that this “death” had all been the “bad dream” of Bobby’s ex-wife Pamela. Still with me? I know this is crazy, and even writing it all down made me wonder, “What were we thinking?!”
I share this to tell you that we are no strangers to modern-day “resurrection” stories. They happen all the time in television series, movies...and even our favorite novels. Someone appears to be dead, but we discover that they really aren’t. Children watch cartoons in which the characters come back to life over and again. All of this combines to create a sort of “numbness” and indifference in each of us...and on certain levels, it causes us to detach from reality.
It is no surprise that we are somewhat numb to the profound significance of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection...that we are not as cognizant of Jesus’ healing power as we should be. It isn’t even that big of a stretch to see how we could give ourselves and the “healers” in our midst more credit than we deserve for our health and well-being in every area of life. Although it’s a “slippery slope”, one can see how easy it might be to give too much credit to physicians, therapists, coaches, teachers, parents, friends, and even clergy for enabling us to put one foot in front of the other.
While these people may play a significant role in our overall health and well-being...their true power comes from Jesus. We may benefit from their wisdom, expertise, kindness, compassion, mercy, and life experiences, but none of this would be available to us without our Savior. Jesus knows what we need...when we need it...and how to get it to us. He uses human beings as the vehicle for our healing...but ultimately, He is the Great Healer.
Unlike the original “Dallas” series and its 2012 revival, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were no television soap opera. Jesus is as real as it gets...and His power to heal and restore us – and meet our every need – is unsurpassed. His use of ordinary people like you and me to carry out His missions is equally real.
Maybe it’s time for us to open our eyes and re-align our focus a bit. Maybe we need to be more aware of Who is really running the show...and give Him the appropriate measure of gratitude. Maybe we need to stop thinking so highly of ourselves and stop to recognize Who fuels our every breath! Perhaps we need to start looking a little more closely at Who is truly the Author of our lives...and give credit where it is due. Isn’t this the perfect time to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 15, 2014
3 John 1:2
Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with you and that your body is as healthy as I know your soul is.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning as I left the pool at our local Aquatic Center, I met my Mam-ma Polly’s best friend, Ruby. She was just getting into the therapy pool for a morning exercise class. Ruby has a number of health issues, including diabetes and neuropathy. She is also 95 years young, still lives in her own home, and drives her own car...even to the community Aquatic Center on a rainy Monday morning! If Ruby misses a church service or Sunday school, you know that she is more than a little under the weather!
Ruby is like my Mam-ma Polly – she comes from “good stock!” She has endured a number of challenges and heartaches in her life, including the deaths of two husbands and her daughter. Ruby took it hard when Mam-ma Polly had to move to the Assisted Living Facility – and even harder when she went to heaven. Mam-ma Polly was Ruby’s “partner in crime” in many things for a number of years! You hardly saw one without the other, so I know she has been lonely without her friend.
Still, Ruby is one of the most upbeat and cheerful women I know...and she reminds me of the “Engergizer® Bunny”! Her soul is incredibly healthy, even as her body ages and declines...and I don’t think this is any accident. I’ve known quite a few remarkable men and women who lived well into their 90s...and some to nearly 100. And when I say “lived well”...I mean, they lived well! If you take a good look at these amazing role models, you can see a common thread...they all have/had healthy souls! Their hearts belong to Jesus...they trust Him to meet their needs and keep them upright and moving forward...and they eagerly and joyfully anticipate spending eternity in His presence!
There are “Rubys” and “Pollys” in our midst...and we would do well to watch and learn from their extraordinary examples of faith and Christian service. Look around you and see who demonstrates a healthy soul – even when their body may not be serving them so well. Pay attention to how they persevere...what keeps them motivated and encouraged. Learn from their “spiritual fitness regimen”... and incorporate their methods into your own life.
Many of us have a role model for physical fitness...and/or someone to whom we look for guidance in business and personal matters. And our “health” in these areas is important to God. But fewer of us have found a role model for a healthy “faith walk,” and it’s time we made this a priority. There are people around us who are, for the most part, getting it right! Ask God to reveal their presence...then pay attention to how they serve Him! Thank God for examples of “good stock” who trust Him for their health and well-being in every area of their lives...and take a page from their book for your own circumstances.
Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with YOU this day, and that your body - AND your soul - are both very well and healthy.
©2014 Debbie Robus
Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with you and that your body is as healthy as I know your soul is.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning as I left the pool at our local Aquatic Center, I met my Mam-ma Polly’s best friend, Ruby. She was just getting into the therapy pool for a morning exercise class. Ruby has a number of health issues, including diabetes and neuropathy. She is also 95 years young, still lives in her own home, and drives her own car...even to the community Aquatic Center on a rainy Monday morning! If Ruby misses a church service or Sunday school, you know that she is more than a little under the weather!
Ruby is like my Mam-ma Polly – she comes from “good stock!” She has endured a number of challenges and heartaches in her life, including the deaths of two husbands and her daughter. Ruby took it hard when Mam-ma Polly had to move to the Assisted Living Facility – and even harder when she went to heaven. Mam-ma Polly was Ruby’s “partner in crime” in many things for a number of years! You hardly saw one without the other, so I know she has been lonely without her friend.
Still, Ruby is one of the most upbeat and cheerful women I know...and she reminds me of the “Engergizer® Bunny”! Her soul is incredibly healthy, even as her body ages and declines...and I don’t think this is any accident. I’ve known quite a few remarkable men and women who lived well into their 90s...and some to nearly 100. And when I say “lived well”...I mean, they lived well! If you take a good look at these amazing role models, you can see a common thread...they all have/had healthy souls! Their hearts belong to Jesus...they trust Him to meet their needs and keep them upright and moving forward...and they eagerly and joyfully anticipate spending eternity in His presence!
There are “Rubys” and “Pollys” in our midst...and we would do well to watch and learn from their extraordinary examples of faith and Christian service. Look around you and see who demonstrates a healthy soul – even when their body may not be serving them so well. Pay attention to how they persevere...what keeps them motivated and encouraged. Learn from their “spiritual fitness regimen”... and incorporate their methods into your own life.
Many of us have a role model for physical fitness...and/or someone to whom we look for guidance in business and personal matters. And our “health” in these areas is important to God. But fewer of us have found a role model for a healthy “faith walk,” and it’s time we made this a priority. There are people around us who are, for the most part, getting it right! Ask God to reveal their presence...then pay attention to how they serve Him! Thank God for examples of “good stock” who trust Him for their health and well-being in every area of their lives...and take a page from their book for your own circumstances.
Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with YOU this day, and that your body - AND your soul - are both very well and healthy.
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 14, 2014
1 Peter 2:21-25
This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
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.
This morning, I substituted in Timothy’s Sunday school class as an assistant leader. As this little group of five-year-olds waited for their parents to pick them up after class, I watched while each took turns “hanging” from a miniature “cross” that was placed against the wall in one corner of the classroom. “Look!” one of the little girls cried, “Timothy is nailed to the cross!” And sure enough, there stood Timothy...arms raised to the cross-beam...body pressed against the vertical post. I didn’t fuss at them... I just smiled at the children and nodded as I called the names of those whose parents had arrived.
These precious five-year-olds do not – and cannot – fully grasp the meaning of the cross. They have been told that Jesus died on the cross for their sins...they’ve seen pictures and heard stories. But they don’t fully understand what happened there...the “how and why” of it all, or the holiness – and healing - of this symbol. But the sad thing is...for the most part, neither do we.
Very few of us really grasp the power of the cross. It’s understandable that we don’t fully comprehend the grace, mercy and love that God extended to us through Jesus in this manner. Even more difficult for us to take in is how the wounds of Jesus became our healing...mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Jesus took everything that happens to us on His shoulders. He essentially asked, “What else have you got? I’ll take that, too!”
So the next time you start to start to worry and stew over something...think of the cross. When you are sick or injured, and fear and panic start to set in...remember that the wounds of Jesus are your healing. When you are confused or uncertain...when you face difficult decisions and circumstances...remember Whose you are. When all seems hopeless or you feel like you cannot take another step, remind yourself that you are named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your soul.
The One who never did anything wrong or said anything amiss paid a huge price for our “healing”. Isn’t it time we recognized Him? What does the cross mean to you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
He never did one thing wrong,They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.
Not once said anything amiss.
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.
This morning, I substituted in Timothy’s Sunday school class as an assistant leader. As this little group of five-year-olds waited for their parents to pick them up after class, I watched while each took turns “hanging” from a miniature “cross” that was placed against the wall in one corner of the classroom. “Look!” one of the little girls cried, “Timothy is nailed to the cross!” And sure enough, there stood Timothy...arms raised to the cross-beam...body pressed against the vertical post. I didn’t fuss at them... I just smiled at the children and nodded as I called the names of those whose parents had arrived.
These precious five-year-olds do not – and cannot – fully grasp the meaning of the cross. They have been told that Jesus died on the cross for their sins...they’ve seen pictures and heard stories. But they don’t fully understand what happened there...the “how and why” of it all, or the holiness – and healing - of this symbol. But the sad thing is...for the most part, neither do we.
Very few of us really grasp the power of the cross. It’s understandable that we don’t fully comprehend the grace, mercy and love that God extended to us through Jesus in this manner. Even more difficult for us to take in is how the wounds of Jesus became our healing...mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Jesus took everything that happens to us on His shoulders. He essentially asked, “What else have you got? I’ll take that, too!”
So the next time you start to start to worry and stew over something...think of the cross. When you are sick or injured, and fear and panic start to set in...remember that the wounds of Jesus are your healing. When you are confused or uncertain...when you face difficult decisions and circumstances...remember Whose you are. When all seems hopeless or you feel like you cannot take another step, remind yourself that you are named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your soul.
The One who never did anything wrong or said anything amiss paid a huge price for our “healing”. Isn’t it time we recognized Him? What does the cross mean to you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 13, 2014
1 John 5:14-15
We are certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. And if we know that God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“Can you hear me now?” We’re all familiar with this question and its pop-culture reference. But who among us has not asked some form of this question of God? Surely you have wondered at least once in your life whether He really heard you or not when you asked Him for something.
What about that time you needed help with your studies...your job...your bills...your health...your children...your relationships? What did you ask of Him? Did you ask Him to give you XYZ...did you give God a list of demands? Or did you come to God with a humble, trusting spirit and ask Him to do what He felt was best?
Do we say to God, “LORD, I need you to do this!” Or do we ask, “LORD, will you give me what you know that I need?” The first question reflects our will...the second reflects His...and there IS a difference!
One of the hardest things for Christians to master is the confidence to ask God for His will, rather than their own. It’s one thing to come to God and say, “I’m struggling with my bills...what should I do?” It’s quite another to say, “Lord, please pay my bills!” We can beseech God to “please heal me of this cancer”...but only if we add...”in YOUR way and in Your timing.” We must fully understand that God’s healing may not come in this earthly lifetime...and His answers may not be what we want to hear!
Many of us receive frequent prayer requests from others...and of course, we agree to pray. But rather than telling someone, “Yes, I will pray that you get pregnant, and you and your husband finally have the family you want,” or “Yes, I will pray that you are selected for that prestigious recognition you seek,” or “Yes, I will pray that you win the game/election/prize”...I tell them, “Yes, I will pray for you.” And I do...but I pray for God’s will in these situations...and for that person’s acceptance of His answers.
Here’s the thing...God wants us to solicit His time, attention and care...but He wants us to accept His methods and timetable. He hears us...He really does. But sometimes, what we ask for and what He knows to be best for us are entirely different things. Rather than give us what we want and deal with the potential perils and fallout, God occasionally appears to be silent. Take this as a sign. Carefully study your path and your motives, and make sure they are in line with God’s. I assure you that He is working on your behalf...but maybe not in the way you expected. Will you trust Him to do what He has said...to meet your needs...show you the right direction to take...to heal you completely?
You know that God hears and answers prayers that please Him. What are you asking of Him today? Do you need to change your attitude toward your petitions - and God’s answers? Do you have the right mindset to ask, “LORD...can you hear me now?”
©2014 Debbie Robus
We are certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. And if we know that God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“Can you hear me now?” We’re all familiar with this question and its pop-culture reference. But who among us has not asked some form of this question of God? Surely you have wondered at least once in your life whether He really heard you or not when you asked Him for something.
What about that time you needed help with your studies...your job...your bills...your health...your children...your relationships? What did you ask of Him? Did you ask Him to give you XYZ...did you give God a list of demands? Or did you come to God with a humble, trusting spirit and ask Him to do what He felt was best?
Do we say to God, “LORD, I need you to do this!” Or do we ask, “LORD, will you give me what you know that I need?” The first question reflects our will...the second reflects His...and there IS a difference!
One of the hardest things for Christians to master is the confidence to ask God for His will, rather than their own. It’s one thing to come to God and say, “I’m struggling with my bills...what should I do?” It’s quite another to say, “Lord, please pay my bills!” We can beseech God to “please heal me of this cancer”...but only if we add...”in YOUR way and in Your timing.” We must fully understand that God’s healing may not come in this earthly lifetime...and His answers may not be what we want to hear!
Many of us receive frequent prayer requests from others...and of course, we agree to pray. But rather than telling someone, “Yes, I will pray that you get pregnant, and you and your husband finally have the family you want,” or “Yes, I will pray that you are selected for that prestigious recognition you seek,” or “Yes, I will pray that you win the game/election/prize”...I tell them, “Yes, I will pray for you.” And I do...but I pray for God’s will in these situations...and for that person’s acceptance of His answers.
Here’s the thing...God wants us to solicit His time, attention and care...but He wants us to accept His methods and timetable. He hears us...He really does. But sometimes, what we ask for and what He knows to be best for us are entirely different things. Rather than give us what we want and deal with the potential perils and fallout, God occasionally appears to be silent. Take this as a sign. Carefully study your path and your motives, and make sure they are in line with God’s. I assure you that He is working on your behalf...but maybe not in the way you expected. Will you trust Him to do what He has said...to meet your needs...show you the right direction to take...to heal you completely?
You know that God hears and answers prayers that please Him. What are you asking of Him today? Do you need to change your attitude toward your petitions - and God’s answers? Do you have the right mindset to ask, “LORD...can you hear me now?”
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 12, 2014
1 Kings 8:56
Praise the Lord! He has kept his promise and given us peace. Every good thing he promised to his servant Moses has happened.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“I promise!” These two words often roll off the tongue fairly easily, don’t they? I promise I will be on time...study hard...never say or do that again...call/write/visit...love you forever and ever, no matter what may happen. But here’s the thing...we’re HUMAN. So we often “write checks we can’t cash.” We can’t see the “bumps in the road” or the mitigating circumstances that may arise. We can’t fully know what twists and turns lie ahead...and how we will react and respond to them. So we make promises – hopefully with all of the best intentions in the world – and then “life” gets in the way of our delivery.
The GREAT NEWS is that God never breaks a promise. He never tells us that He will do something and then fails us. We can fully believe that God will do what He has said that He will do. God promised Moses that He would deliver his people out of Egypt. And he did...it just took forty years.
In Exodus 6:6-8, God promised Moses...
Whether you realize it or not, God has made many promises to each of us. If you have surrendered to God and asked Him to forgive your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ...
Where have you failed to listen to God? Where have you blocked His promises for your life and delayed His answers and blessings? Will this be the day that you recognize the strength and power of God’s promises... feel His healing touch...and allow Him to work every area of your life? Isn’t it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Praise the Lord! He has kept his promise and given us peace. Every good thing he promised to his servant Moses has happened.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“I promise!” These two words often roll off the tongue fairly easily, don’t they? I promise I will be on time...study hard...never say or do that again...call/write/visit...love you forever and ever, no matter what may happen. But here’s the thing...we’re HUMAN. So we often “write checks we can’t cash.” We can’t see the “bumps in the road” or the mitigating circumstances that may arise. We can’t fully know what twists and turns lie ahead...and how we will react and respond to them. So we make promises – hopefully with all of the best intentions in the world – and then “life” gets in the way of our delivery.
The GREAT NEWS is that God never breaks a promise. He never tells us that He will do something and then fails us. We can fully believe that God will do what He has said that He will do. God promised Moses that He would deliver his people out of Egypt. And he did...it just took forty years.
In Exodus 6:6-8, God promised Moses...
- I will punish the Egyptians and free you from slavery.
- I will accept you as my people.
- I will be your God.
- I will bring you into the land that I solemnly promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and it will be yours.
Whether you realize it or not, God has made many promises to each of us. If you have surrendered to God and asked Him to forgive your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ...
- God has promised to be all that you need. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "But he replied, 'My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.' So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am."
- God has promised to meet all of your needs. Philippians 4:19 tells us, "I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus!"
- God has promised to always work on your behalf. In Romans 8:28, we read..."We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose..."
- God has promised that you will not be tempted beyond what you can handle with His help. 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that..."You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations."
- God has promised to save you, if you believe in Jesus Christ. Mark 16:16 declares that... "Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned."
- God has promised that death is not the end! In Acts2:32, we see that...”All of us can tell you that God has raised Jesus to life!"
- God has promised to protect you as His child and give you eternal life. In John 10:27, we are told..."My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me..."
Where have you failed to listen to God? Where have you blocked His promises for your life and delayed His answers and blessings? Will this be the day that you recognize the strength and power of God’s promises... feel His healing touch...and allow Him to work every area of your life? Isn’t it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 11, 2014
Titus 3:5
He saved us because
of his mercy,
and not because
of any good things
that we have done.
God washed us by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
He gave us new birth
and a fresh beginning.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“That which tears open our souls, those holes that splatter our sight, may actually become the thin, open places to see through the mess of this place to the heart-aching beauty beyond. To Him. To the God whom we endlessly crave.” – Ann Voskamp ~ One Thousand Gifts*
Today, we remember the horror and heartache of a tragic event that occurred thirteen years ago. It’s probably safe to say that all of our lives were altered forever in some way because of what happened in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, during those early morning hours of September 11, 2001. Through a series of events that can only be explained as a “God thing,” I became friends with a woman in Massapequa, New York, whose husband, Keith Glascoe, perished that day while serving as a firefighter for Ladder Co. 21 of the Fire Department New York (FDNY). Veronica Glascoe Squef was the mother of two boys, 2-year-old Nolan and 1-year-old Owen. Baby Keith was, as she puts it, “a little peanut in my belly.” He would enter this world in April 2002.
If you are old enough to remember “9-11”, you recall how incredibly “dirty” everything was. Not only were lives lost...they were buried beneath tons of dust and rubble. The bodies of many – including Keith Glascoe - were never recovered. Rescue crews dug for days...cleanup teams worked for months and years...and we all wondered if the area was ever going to be “presentable” again. Would we ever “see through the mess of this place” to heart-aching beauty beyond? Would we ever find God in this tragedy? Would He be able to truly restore us and decontaminate our hearts from this event?
Last week, Veronica posted a photo of her boys on their first day back to school...Nolan now a high school junior; Owen beginning high school as a freshman; and Keith starting to middle school. All three boys are healthy, thriving, and always smiling. Veronica posted a tribute to Keith on her Facebook wall that said in part...” We love you, we miss you, we think of you every day, and we will never forget.”
It is important that we remember what happened...that we are vulnerable... and yes, that bad things can – and will – happen. But more importantly, we must focus on the incredible grace, mercy and cleansing power of God Almighty. We must recognize His presence in the form of the Holy Spirit...guiding us and “cleaning up the mess” so that we can see the beauty beyond – because it does exist!
God did not leave us on September 11, 2001...He has not left us today. Whatever you are facing...wherever you are “sifting through rubble and debris” and wondering if your life will ever be neat and tidy again...know that God is with you. He is doing the heavy lifting...the Holy Spirit can mend your broken heart and strengthen you for the days to come...and the beauty of a brighter day lies just beyond the “window” of your present struggle. Veronica Squef and countless others understand the concept of “heart-aching beauty beyond”. They face it every day in the smiles of children left behind...of putting one foot in front of the other and rebuilding their lives – different, but filled with potential.
What God does – and has done – for those who suffer so much as a result of the events of 9-11, He will surely do for each of us. His desire is to wash away whatever keeps us from a deep, abiding relationship with Him and a continual communion with the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t matter who you are...where you are...what you have – or don’t...or what you have or haven’t done...God wants to do this for you. You may not realize it, but God’s presence and grace may truly be “the very thing that you endlessly crave.” Are you ready to find out? Will this be the day that you turn to Him and begin to trust in His cleansing power? Don’t you think it should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
He saved us because
of his mercy,
and not because
of any good things
that we have done.
God washed us by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
He gave us new birth
and a fresh beginning.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“That which tears open our souls, those holes that splatter our sight, may actually become the thin, open places to see through the mess of this place to the heart-aching beauty beyond. To Him. To the God whom we endlessly crave.” – Ann Voskamp ~ One Thousand Gifts*
Today, we remember the horror and heartache of a tragic event that occurred thirteen years ago. It’s probably safe to say that all of our lives were altered forever in some way because of what happened in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, during those early morning hours of September 11, 2001. Through a series of events that can only be explained as a “God thing,” I became friends with a woman in Massapequa, New York, whose husband, Keith Glascoe, perished that day while serving as a firefighter for Ladder Co. 21 of the Fire Department New York (FDNY). Veronica Glascoe Squef was the mother of two boys, 2-year-old Nolan and 1-year-old Owen. Baby Keith was, as she puts it, “a little peanut in my belly.” He would enter this world in April 2002.
If you are old enough to remember “9-11”, you recall how incredibly “dirty” everything was. Not only were lives lost...they were buried beneath tons of dust and rubble. The bodies of many – including Keith Glascoe - were never recovered. Rescue crews dug for days...cleanup teams worked for months and years...and we all wondered if the area was ever going to be “presentable” again. Would we ever “see through the mess of this place” to heart-aching beauty beyond? Would we ever find God in this tragedy? Would He be able to truly restore us and decontaminate our hearts from this event?
Last week, Veronica posted a photo of her boys on their first day back to school...Nolan now a high school junior; Owen beginning high school as a freshman; and Keith starting to middle school. All three boys are healthy, thriving, and always smiling. Veronica posted a tribute to Keith on her Facebook wall that said in part...” We love you, we miss you, we think of you every day, and we will never forget.”
It is important that we remember what happened...that we are vulnerable... and yes, that bad things can – and will – happen. But more importantly, we must focus on the incredible grace, mercy and cleansing power of God Almighty. We must recognize His presence in the form of the Holy Spirit...guiding us and “cleaning up the mess” so that we can see the beauty beyond – because it does exist!
God did not leave us on September 11, 2001...He has not left us today. Whatever you are facing...wherever you are “sifting through rubble and debris” and wondering if your life will ever be neat and tidy again...know that God is with you. He is doing the heavy lifting...the Holy Spirit can mend your broken heart and strengthen you for the days to come...and the beauty of a brighter day lies just beyond the “window” of your present struggle. Veronica Squef and countless others understand the concept of “heart-aching beauty beyond”. They face it every day in the smiles of children left behind...of putting one foot in front of the other and rebuilding their lives – different, but filled with potential.
What God does – and has done – for those who suffer so much as a result of the events of 9-11, He will surely do for each of us. His desire is to wash away whatever keeps us from a deep, abiding relationship with Him and a continual communion with the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t matter who you are...where you are...what you have – or don’t...or what you have or haven’t done...God wants to do this for you. You may not realize it, but God’s presence and grace may truly be “the very thing that you endlessly crave.” Are you ready to find out? Will this be the day that you turn to Him and begin to trust in His cleansing power? Don’t you think it should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 10, 2014
Romans 5:6-8
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever 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.
Several years ago, I got the flu. It just so happened that I was scheduled for a yearly physical with my family doctor during the time when I felt the worst. I called the clinic and told the receptionist that I could not come in...that I was too sick to get there. I heard a long, slow, dubious, “Okaaaaaaaaaayyy” on the other end of the line. It didn’t make any sense to her that someone could be “too sick” to see the doctor!
Believe it or not, when I was a little girl, the doctor would have probably visited ME in such a situation. There really was a time when doctors made “house calls”! When people were too weak or sick to get ready or leave their homes, physicians and nurses would leave their offices, get in their cars, and drive to patient’s homes to treat them! While this was not a “sacrifice” on their part that could in any way compare to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross...I’m sure it was an inconvenience for them - one they were willing to endure for the health and well-being of their patients.
If your doctor actually came to your home to treat you today, wouldn’t you be astounded at his/her care and kindness? Wouldn’t you feel just a tad special...like you were receiving preferential treatment? Surely the doctor doesn’t do this for just anybody...you must be someone pretty important to him/her!
Here’s the thing...there are a lot of things that we think we would do for certain people. But when it comes to those we don’t know very well...or never even met...we’d think twice about inconveniencing ourselves on their behalf – much less making a big sacrifice for them. The concept of offering our lives for people who don’t know us – and really don’t deserve our help – is beyond our comprehension. Yet this is exactly what Jesus did for us. He stepped up and offered His very life for ours...people who were yet to be born and would never be worthy of such generous grace and mercy.
Jesus is the Healer who shows up on your doorstep when you are too weak to get up and take yourself to the doctor. When life beats you down so badly that you can’t move – and don’t know what to do – Jesus makes a “house call”. You and I needed a Savior...Someone who understood that we will never be able to cover our own sins, so He did it for us with a payment of His very life. If you will start paying closer attention, you’ll see how Jesus shows up in your life over and again – right on time. He seems to anticipate what we will need before we even know that we need it. When we whisper, “LORD...” we hear Him say, “I’m already on it!”
Don’t misunderstand me...I love my family doctor – even if he doesn’t make house calls! But I am so glad to know that the Great Physician will visit me anywhere, anytime...that He will go to the ends of the earth to meet the needs of all of His “patients”...and that there is NOTHING that he cannot cure! What ails you today? Do you need a “house call” from Jesus? Aren’t you ready to call on Him to give you a “clean bill of health”? Will this be the day that you truly get well?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever 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.
Several years ago, I got the flu. It just so happened that I was scheduled for a yearly physical with my family doctor during the time when I felt the worst. I called the clinic and told the receptionist that I could not come in...that I was too sick to get there. I heard a long, slow, dubious, “Okaaaaaaaaaayyy” on the other end of the line. It didn’t make any sense to her that someone could be “too sick” to see the doctor!
Believe it or not, when I was a little girl, the doctor would have probably visited ME in such a situation. There really was a time when doctors made “house calls”! When people were too weak or sick to get ready or leave their homes, physicians and nurses would leave their offices, get in their cars, and drive to patient’s homes to treat them! While this was not a “sacrifice” on their part that could in any way compare to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross...I’m sure it was an inconvenience for them - one they were willing to endure for the health and well-being of their patients.
If your doctor actually came to your home to treat you today, wouldn’t you be astounded at his/her care and kindness? Wouldn’t you feel just a tad special...like you were receiving preferential treatment? Surely the doctor doesn’t do this for just anybody...you must be someone pretty important to him/her!
Here’s the thing...there are a lot of things that we think we would do for certain people. But when it comes to those we don’t know very well...or never even met...we’d think twice about inconveniencing ourselves on their behalf – much less making a big sacrifice for them. The concept of offering our lives for people who don’t know us – and really don’t deserve our help – is beyond our comprehension. Yet this is exactly what Jesus did for us. He stepped up and offered His very life for ours...people who were yet to be born and would never be worthy of such generous grace and mercy.
Jesus is the Healer who shows up on your doorstep when you are too weak to get up and take yourself to the doctor. When life beats you down so badly that you can’t move – and don’t know what to do – Jesus makes a “house call”. You and I needed a Savior...Someone who understood that we will never be able to cover our own sins, so He did it for us with a payment of His very life. If you will start paying closer attention, you’ll see how Jesus shows up in your life over and again – right on time. He seems to anticipate what we will need before we even know that we need it. When we whisper, “LORD...” we hear Him say, “I’m already on it!”
Don’t misunderstand me...I love my family doctor – even if he doesn’t make house calls! But I am so glad to know that the Great Physician will visit me anywhere, anytime...that He will go to the ends of the earth to meet the needs of all of His “patients”...and that there is NOTHING that he cannot cure! What ails you today? Do you need a “house call” from Jesus? Aren’t you ready to call on Him to give you a “clean bill of health”? Will this be the day that you truly get well?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 9, 2014
Romans 15:1-2
Even if we believe that it makes no difference to the Lord whether we do these things, still we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves; for we must bear the “burden” of being considerate of the doubts and fears of others—of those who feel these things are wrong. Let’s please the other fellow, not ourselves, and do what is for his good and thus build him up in the Lord.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
You’re watching a ballgame, and the referees make a terrible call – or at least YOU feel it is poor. Without a second thought, you react...you yell, scream, throw up your hands and gesture wildly. You never curse...you don’t make any obscene motions...but you do throw something of a “fit” over this decision. Some around you join in...they offer “high fives”...they agree with your sentiments and echo them. Others sit quietly and say nothing. They may agree with you...or not. But they do not make a public display of their anger and frustration.
In any crowd, there will be a mix of “seasoned” Christians, new Christians, and unbelievers. Many of these people know you that you call yourself a Christian...that you demonstrate several of the qualities and characteristics of a Disciple of Christ. Yet they wonder about your present actions and what they ultimately say about your faith.
Or let’s say you have a particular displeasure with a particular political candidate or office holder – or a certain group of people...and you eagerly share jokes, comments and cartoons about thems on social media. You enjoy “commiserating” with others who share your views at parties, around the water cooler or in the halls at school, or even in the aisles at Wal-Mart, school sporting events and even at church on Sunday! You don’t hide your feelings...just like you are generous with your posts and comments about your Christian faith and how much God loves us.
People are watching...and if you claim to be a Christian, others are scrutinizing your words and actions to see if they line up with what you declare – and what they read in the scriptures and hear from other believers. Many of those who see your posts about your faith peppered among unkind or derogatory comments about another person or group wonder whether you truly love others as God loves you. It’s not that you aren’t entitled to an opinion...or that what you have said is necessarily so bad (although sometimes, we have to admit that it is!). It’s more that you give others the wrong impression.
There’s nothing wrong with showing your spirit at sporting events...or disagreeing with a call, a coach, or the performance of a particular player. But when we “throw a fit” over it...there will be others who wonder about our peace and joy in Jesus. Christians don’t have to be stoic and unfeeling - little robots who never get agitated or voice an opinion. But if our actions and reactions cause another person to question whether we truly operate with grace and mercy, then we have failed in our witness.
Too often, we Christians operate with the attitude of “do as I say, not as I do.” It’s not that what we say and do is so wrong...that we are committing a sin and/or displeasing God. But if our words and actions cause another to question what is acceptable to God and what isn’t – or to doubt or be confused in any way about what it means to live as a Christian...then we have crossed the line.
Remember, God loves us. He wants us to be filled with joy...positive...and confident. He cares about everything we experience, say and do...but not necessarily in the way that you think. There are plenty of things we say and do that, by themselves, are harmless and don’t offend God in the least. But in a different context...when others are influenced by these things...they can have a totally different connotation. We need to make a habit of checking our words and actions...of asking ourselves, “How will others see this? Will it be pleasing to God and encouraging to them in their faith walk...or could it be misconstrued to weaken their faith – or even turn them away from a relationship with Jesus Christ?”
When we ask these tough questions, we may see that a lot of what we say and do needs to go! If we are serious about sharing the grace, mercy, love and forgiveness of Jesus with others, we need to be willing to check our words and actions. People ARE watching! When they look at you...what – and WHO – will they see?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Even if we believe that it makes no difference to the Lord whether we do these things, still we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves; for we must bear the “burden” of being considerate of the doubts and fears of others—of those who feel these things are wrong. Let’s please the other fellow, not ourselves, and do what is for his good and thus build him up in the Lord.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
You’re watching a ballgame, and the referees make a terrible call – or at least YOU feel it is poor. Without a second thought, you react...you yell, scream, throw up your hands and gesture wildly. You never curse...you don’t make any obscene motions...but you do throw something of a “fit” over this decision. Some around you join in...they offer “high fives”...they agree with your sentiments and echo them. Others sit quietly and say nothing. They may agree with you...or not. But they do not make a public display of their anger and frustration.
In any crowd, there will be a mix of “seasoned” Christians, new Christians, and unbelievers. Many of these people know you that you call yourself a Christian...that you demonstrate several of the qualities and characteristics of a Disciple of Christ. Yet they wonder about your present actions and what they ultimately say about your faith.
Or let’s say you have a particular displeasure with a particular political candidate or office holder – or a certain group of people...and you eagerly share jokes, comments and cartoons about thems on social media. You enjoy “commiserating” with others who share your views at parties, around the water cooler or in the halls at school, or even in the aisles at Wal-Mart, school sporting events and even at church on Sunday! You don’t hide your feelings...just like you are generous with your posts and comments about your Christian faith and how much God loves us.
People are watching...and if you claim to be a Christian, others are scrutinizing your words and actions to see if they line up with what you declare – and what they read in the scriptures and hear from other believers. Many of those who see your posts about your faith peppered among unkind or derogatory comments about another person or group wonder whether you truly love others as God loves you. It’s not that you aren’t entitled to an opinion...or that what you have said is necessarily so bad (although sometimes, we have to admit that it is!). It’s more that you give others the wrong impression.
There’s nothing wrong with showing your spirit at sporting events...or disagreeing with a call, a coach, or the performance of a particular player. But when we “throw a fit” over it...there will be others who wonder about our peace and joy in Jesus. Christians don’t have to be stoic and unfeeling - little robots who never get agitated or voice an opinion. But if our actions and reactions cause another person to question whether we truly operate with grace and mercy, then we have failed in our witness.
Too often, we Christians operate with the attitude of “do as I say, not as I do.” It’s not that what we say and do is so wrong...that we are committing a sin and/or displeasing God. But if our words and actions cause another to question what is acceptable to God and what isn’t – or to doubt or be confused in any way about what it means to live as a Christian...then we have crossed the line.
Remember, God loves us. He wants us to be filled with joy...positive...and confident. He cares about everything we experience, say and do...but not necessarily in the way that you think. There are plenty of things we say and do that, by themselves, are harmless and don’t offend God in the least. But in a different context...when others are influenced by these things...they can have a totally different connotation. We need to make a habit of checking our words and actions...of asking ourselves, “How will others see this? Will it be pleasing to God and encouraging to them in their faith walk...or could it be misconstrued to weaken their faith – or even turn them away from a relationship with Jesus Christ?”
When we ask these tough questions, we may see that a lot of what we say and do needs to go! If we are serious about sharing the grace, mercy, love and forgiveness of Jesus with others, we need to be willing to check our words and actions. People ARE watching! When they look at you...what – and WHO – will they see?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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