Luke 22:8-13
So Jesus said to Peter and John, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us to eat.”
But they asked, “Where do you want us to prepare it?”
Jesus
told them, “As you go into the city, you will meet a man carrying a jar
of water. Follow him into the house and say to the owner, ‘Our teacher
wants to know where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.’
The owner will take you upstairs and show you a large room ready for you
to use. Prepare the meal there.”
Peter and John left. They found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My
idea of a “perfect vacation” is to go somewhere for a few days and be
totally pampered…no meals to cook, no dishes to wash, nothing to clean…
just do as I please ALL.DAY.LONG! It has been suggested that I can do
this at home – and those of you who know what a huge homebody I am may
figure that this would be a good fit! But there would still be dishes
(if only carry-out containers to dispose) and little things to be
done…or reminders of tasks that I need to do.
Think about times
you have gone on vacation – or even to a friend’s house for dinner –
and EVERYTHING was done for you. All you had to do was show up and
enjoy the meal and fellowship. Someone else took care of all of the
details. Isn’t that a good feeling? Don’t you feel just a little bit
special?
Now think about this scripture passage and how Jesus had
taken care of everything. All the disciples had to do was to go to the
specific house and prepare the Passover meal. Everything was there for
them…it was all arranged. The disciples simply had to follow Jesus’
directions, and they would find the right place. And every detail of
our lives is arranged by God in just this manner. All we have to do is
communicate with Him…listen for His directions…and follow them…and
everything is planned and prepared.
Today, I am grateful for preparation.
- I am grateful that God loves me…that He planned and prepared for my life eons ago!
- I am grateful that God sent Jesus to prepare us to live according to His teachings.
- I am grateful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins – that He prepared for my salvation long before I was even born.
- I am grateful that Jesus has gone to prepare an Eternal place for me…and you…and all who seek Him and give their hearts to Him.
I feel incredibly special and loved. To think that God has done all of this for me is overwhelming, in a way. I cannot wrap my brain around such love and preparation…and yet, I will gladly accept it!
I
know that there is really no such thing on this earth as the “perfect
vacation.” But I also know that this - and so much more - awaits me in
heaven, thanks to God’s incredible preparation. I plan to enjoy every
single minute of it! Meanwhile, I will pay close attention to the daily
“preparations” that God makes in my life and relish each and every
one. What about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Luke 22:1-6
And now the Passover celebration was
drawing near—the Jewish festival when only bread made without yeast was
used. The chief priests and other religious leaders were actively
plotting Jesus’ murder, trying to find a way to kill him without
starting a riot—a possibility they greatly feared.
Then Satan
entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he
went over to the chief priests and captains of the Temple guards to
discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. They were, of course,
delighted to know that he was ready to help them and promised him a
reward. So he began to look for an opportunity for them to arrest Jesus
quietly when the crowds weren’t around.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Do you remember when you
were a little kid, and maybe a group of other youngsters wanted to do
something that they knew they shouldn’t…so they sought a scapegoat?
Maybe they wanted to bust some windows in an old building…and they
encouraged a younger sibling or friend to actually do the dirty work
while they watched. Wanting to please…and maybe motivated by some sort
of incentive (like a candy bar or a special toy – or merely the approval
of the older children)…the younger child agreed to “do the dirty
deed.” And then, when the damage was discovered, the older kids
scattered like marbles…leaving their “patsy” to suffer the consequences.
I’ve
read the scriptures about Judas Iscariot…I’ve examined some writings
about his life and speculations on his motives. And here’s what I have
concluded…Judas loved Jesus. And Jesus surely loved Judas. But Judas
was “one of those people” who could be easily swayed, and this passage
from Luke 22 says that the devil took advantage of this character flaw.
He (the devil) started small…planting seeds of doubt about the
effectiveness of Jesus’ ministries…filling Judas’ mind with questions
about why such expensive perfumed oil was used to wash Jesus’
feet…creating seemingly tiny “frictions” between Judas and the other
disciples.
From there, it escalated to a point that Judas found
himself accepting a paltry 30 pieces of silver in exchange for a “kiss”
that he agreed to plant on Jesus’ cheek. I don’t know that Judas ever
in his wildest dreams imagined that the horrors of this Holy Week would
occur. At the most, he probably thought the Romans would rough Jesus up
a bit, detain Him for a few days, then release Him and maybe tell Him
to “hit the road, Jack - and never come back!” Judas’ suicide indicates
to me that he was remorseful…frightened…distraught over his mistake.
Taking his life was ultimately Judas’ worst transgression, because I
believe that Jesus would have forgiven him, had he repented.
But
this is how these things happen. They start small…often with something
that is seemingly innocent. We listen to a comment here…we laugh and
snicker at a racist remark there…we turn and look the other way when
someone is mistreated or discriminated against. And the first thing you
know, we’ve signed on for bigger “jobs”. We’re openly calling people
derogatory names…picking up our bag and moving to another row or seat
when someone we deem to be offensive sits beside us…or teaching our
children to hate certain races, ethnicities, people of different
lifestyles, those who do not fit our “model” of socio-economic success,
and those who are too fat or have a wild hair color or body art and
piercings. We “plant the kiss” that says, “This is the person to
persecute!” And it never even occurs to us that in doing such things,
we have just betrayed Jesus as surely as Judas Iscariot did that fateful
night in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Hear the Good News…just as
surely as Jesus loved Judas – He loves each of us. And just as I
believe that Judas could have been forgiven and set upright, I believe
that each of us can experience forgiveness – and salvation/restitution
through the blood of Jesus. THIS is the Good News of Holy Week!
We
are all potentially “Judas”…but we can turn this around…today…now…this minute! We
can close the door on the devil, drop the money bag, and “turn this car
around”! Don’t you want to do this? Aren’t you ready to sit at the
feet of Jesus once again…free of any guilt, shame or remorse? Will this
be the day that you seek His forgiveness and get started? Don’t you
think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Luke 19:35-44
They brought the colt to Jesus. Then,
throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. As he rode,
the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the
street.
Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its
descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise
over all the mighty works they had witnessed:
Blessed is he who comes,
the king in God’s name!
All’s well in heaven!
Glory in the high places!
Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, “Teacher, get your disciples under control!”
But he said, “If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.”
When
the city came into view, he wept over it. “If you had only recognized
this day, and everything that was good for you! But now it’s too late.
In the days ahead your enemies are going to bring up their heavy
artillery and surround you, pressing in from every side. They’ll smash
you and your babies on the pavement. Not one stone will be left intact.
All this because you didn’t recognize and welcome God’s personal visit.”
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.
What a difference one week
can make! In the course of seven days, Jesus was heralded as a hero,
arrested, interrogated, beaten to a pulp, crucified…and He rose from the
grave. Now that’s a week!
Our pastor likes to say that “you
cannot travel from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday without considering the
cross.” And he is correct! But you also cannot safely and successfully
travel a single step of many of “life’s journeys” unless you “recognize
and welcome God’s personal visit”. Trials, physical abuse and
executions were common in Jesus’ day. Believe me…the mere mortals who
were convicted and crucified did not rise from the dead! And many of
those who were so eager and anxious to laud Jesus as the Messiah on one
Sunday were nowhere to be found by “Good Friday”.
Ours is not a
solitary journey. We cannot base our faith on one happy day…or one
devastating experience. We must embrace life as a whole...and trust God
in every minute of it. We must “recognize and welcome God’s personal
visit” in each and every aspect of our life…”the good, the bad, and the
ugly”…and believe that He will lead us “from Palm Sunday to Easter
Sunday” - and see us through what lies in between.
As difficult
as life seems some days, it can never compare to what Jesus endured for
us on the cross. How can we ignore the One who did so much for us - for
even one minute? Isn’t it time we welcomed God to reign in our lives
and dwell in our hearts…each and every minute of the day? Will this be
the Palm Sunday that you herald His presence…and give Him a permanent
“home”?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Psalm 119:103-105
Your teachings are sweeter
than honey.
They give me understanding
and make me hate all lies.
Your word is a lamp
that gives light
wherever I walk.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve
been sewing for the kids for Easter…a dress and matching pants for
Zola, t-shirts with pockets in a coordinating fabric for the boys.
Everywhere I turn in my sewing room, there are lights. There is bright
fluorescent light overhead…a bright LED light on my sewing machine, and
another bright bulb on my serger. Even my iron has a light that tells
me when the device is turned on – and blinks when the iron has been left
unattended for more than a few minutes! I cannot imagine trying to sew
without these lights. Well, okay…I guess I could do without the light
on the iron – or could I?!
Without a strong light source, many
daily tasks would be virtually impossible. And so it is with God. If
we do not have His “Light source” – Jesus Christ – there are a lot of
things that will always loom just beyond our grasp…like true joy, peace,
comfort, wisdom, and courage. If our hearts are not illuminated with
the “Light” of the Holy Spirit, we will never experience an
understanding of what it means to belong fully to God.
Someone
told me recently that there are those who teach and preach God’s grace
and love…but really do not feed us the scriptures. They do not give us
doctrine and Biblical instruction. My reply was that until one
understands the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ…until
the LIGHT of His passion – and compassion – for each of us fills our
hearts and minds, we will not hear the teachings of the scriptures.
They will hold no meaning for us – at least not to the extent that God
intends.
My message to you today is that God loves you…far beyond
what you could ever imagine and in spite of anything you might have
ever thought, said, or done. GOD LOVES YOU…so much that He sent Jesus
to light the way for you to find Him. GOD LOVES YOU…so much that He
allowed Jesus to die for your sins - and then gave you His Holy Spirit
to illuminate your heart. God wants His word and will for your life to
be sweeter than honey…He wants you to understand how perfect His plans
and promises are for each of us.
I cannot imagine what my
sewing projects would look like if I created them in the dark…and I
don’t even want to think about what my life would look like without the
Light of Christ! Won’t you fully embrace His Light for yourself and
walk in His ways? Will this be the day that you begin?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Psalm 119:10-11
I have tried my best to find
you—don’t let me wander off from your instructions. I have thought much
about your words and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me
back from sin.
The Living
Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All
rights reserved.
Have you ever misplaced something and
“hunted high and low” for it? When you finally DID locate whatever it
was you were looking for, did you vow to put it in a safe place so that
you would remember that it was there? Have you ever said, “Someday,
when I least expect it, XYZ will show up”…and stopped looking for
whatever you lost?
This is exactly what a lot of us do with God.
I’m not talking about misplacing our Bible…although I’m sure that
happens! I’m talking about getting so caught up in our own desires and
agendas and pushing God to the “back burner” to the point that He
ultimately ends up under a pile of “stuff”, shoved to the corner. And
the first thing you know it, we wonder, “Where did God go?” Sadly, some
of us leave Him there and assume that we’ll “find Him when we really
need Him”!
The truth is that God didn’t go anywhere. We
wandered off! And a lot of us have found our way back to God and said,
“I’m ever going to let You go again!” But then things happen, “life”
gets in the way, and we slip back into old habits.
We are
reminded in this verse from Psalm 119 that we must make every effort to
see that this doesn’t happen! We must stay in constant fellowship with
God…seek His word and wisdom…rest in His peace and comfort…and
diligently pursue His will for our lives. We must keep God in a place
where we always know that He is there – and we must make sure that we
never “lose” Him again.
Unlike some of our things that get
“buried” or “lost”, God is not hard to find. He is only a whisper
away. Will this be the day that you call to Him and give Him a place of
permanent prominence in your life, once and for all?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Proverbs 8:17
I love everyone who loves me,
and I will be found by all
who honestly search.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Greg
and I watched an old episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” last night in
which Opie was upset because he got a new teacher – “Old Lady Crump”!
This teacher had doubled Opie’s homework and was emphasizing the
importance of the study of history. Andy, Barney, Aunt Bee and Opie sat
at the breakfast table and debated the importance of gaining wisdom
about our history, and Opie got the mistaken idea that studying this
subject might not be so valuable or worthwhile.
In the end, Andy
made historical events “come to life” for Opie and his friends…and they
decided that this knowledge was pretty important, after all. The boys
formed a “Minutemen Club” of cool kids who knew historical facts…and
those who weren’t “in” were dubbed the “Redcoats”. The bottom line was
that these children discovered the value of gaining wisdom…and how it
impacted every area of their lives.
The eighth chapter of Proverbs is about God’s wisdom. If you will go to BibleGateway.com
and read this entire chapter, you will find that King Solomon outlines
in detail the benefits of seeking God’s wisdom. Chief among them is the
emphasis of this verse – that God is totally available to everyone who
seeks Him…and that He LOVES us and our hunger for His knowledge. I
particularly like verse 9, which says, “If you have understanding, you
will see that my words are just what you need.”
Like 4th graders
who cannot see the value in gaining wisdom through study and homework,
we often cannot comprehend the value of gaining GOD’s wisdom through
time spent in fellowship with Him. We do not grasp how “cool” it is to
operate in God’s “Minutemen Club”…to be ready at a minute’s notice
because we are backed by the wisdom and power of our Heavenly Father.
We
can change this…and we can start right now. Verses 34-35 say, “Come to
my home each day and listen to me. You will find happiness. By finding
me, you find life, and the Lord will be pleased with you.” Won’t you
visit the “home of Wisdom” today and spend some time in fellowship with
God? Will this be the day that you begin to truly find life – and
wisdom - in Him?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Proverbs 3:5-6
With all your heart
you must trust the Lord
and not your own judgment.
Always let him lead you,
and he will clear the road
for you to follow.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Get
ready to wave your hands in the air and say, “Noo-noo, Noo-noo!”
(“Twilight Zone” theme song reference, for those of you of a certain
age!). I went to bed last night praying for protection and care for
several of our family members who are traveling. I have to admit…the
devil tried to fill my heart and mind with trepidation and fear. I was
awakened more than once in the night with this thought…”Trust in the
LORD with all your heart…and lean not on your own understanding.” –
Proverbs 3:5. I also was given the first verses of Psalm 121…“I look to
the hills! Where will I find help? It will come from the Lord, who
created the heavens and the earth.”
I woke up with these verses
playing like a loop in my head. And while you may think, “She must not
have gotten a wink of sleep!”… I have to tell you, I slept very well!
What does this tell me? That God is 100%...totally…in control. He is
with me, for me…even while I sleep. God never leaves me…and He never
will. I have comfort today - for myself and for my loved ones. When I
opened the outline I had prepared for this series of devotionals and
discovered what was “on tap” as a scripture reference for today, I
simply had to laugh out loud! If this isn’t a sign that God is on top
of the situation, I don’t know what would be!
Dozens of people I
know and love are traveling because it is Spring Break. They are having
fun, spending time together as families, and making memories. And God
is watching over each of them. I thank Him daily for this care and
protection…and I know that He hears not only my prayers of praise, but
also my “gentle-reminder petitions” on behalf of them. He hears my
prayers – and answers perfectly…and I am learning to fully rest in this.
With
all my heart, I trust the LORD. I learned the hard way what a waste of
energy it is to doubt…to wring my hands and worry…to ask God to handle
certain situations – and then pick them right back up and try to
“massage” them myself! I’m done with that. I’m all in…believing that
He is in complete control. I still present my cares and concerns to him
each day…but I fully trust Him to handle them without my interference.
I look to the hills for God’s help…and then I trust in God and His
judgment. What about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Revelation 2:14-16
But our homeland is in heaven,
where our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is; and we are looking forward
to his return from there. When he comes back, he will take these dying
bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using
the same mighty power that he will use to conquer all else everywhere.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
December 11, 2007, is a
date I remember vividly. A few of you who have followed my daily
devotionals for many years know that several years ago, I learned of a
little boy from Bigelow, Arkansas - Job McCully - who totally stole my
heart. Job was diagnosed in July 2002 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
(ALL). He was four. He underwent chemotherapy…and radiation…in
preparation for a bone marrow transplant.
During Job’s hospital
stays, his family was incredibly supportive…his parents, Rob and
Tina…big sister Nicole, Aunt Tammy – and his maternal grandmother,
Glenda, who had lived with Job’s family since he was born. One night as
Glenda lay with Job, he asked her to stay close to him. Then Job said,
"Don't cry for me grandma". She wasn't crying or sad at the time and
probably did not understand why Job said this. But over the next
several years, there would be plenty of times when tears flowed - for
both Job and his grandmother.
Job received a bone
marrow transplant in October 2002. During his hospital stay, Grandma
Glenda was often with him as a caregiver…and she was a source of
strength for everyone. In 2003, Job battled RSV pneumonia, the flu, and
Broncholitios Obliterans, which caused his lungs to deteriorate…and he
was hospitalized many times. Grandma Glenda was always there with his
parents to offer care and support. Then in 2006, Grandma Glenda was
diagnosed with breast cancer. Her philosophy was [paraphrasing]…”if Job
can endure all of these treatments, so can I”. And she did.
Job
was hospitalized pretty much all of the year 2007…first at Arkansas
Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, then in Houston…and finally in St.
Louis. By September 2007, it did not look like this little guy – now
all of nine years – would make it. The doctors encouraged Job’s mother
to sign a DNR – Do Not Resucitate – order. They explained how dire
Job’s situation was, and that there was not much left for them to do.
Tina McCully wrote in Job’s *CaringBridge journal…”They wanted me to
sign it. Anyway, I just stood there and listened to them, smiled and
said thank you, and walked away. The only way I'm signing that paper is
if God Himself tells me to, and He's not going to do that because He is
too busy HEALING JOB.” And God did heal Job.
On December 11,
2007, Job McCully received a double lung transplant. And on February 21,
2008 – the one-year anniversary of his hospitalization, Job was
released. The family stayed in the St. Louis area for a few days to
make sure that all was well. In early March, the McCully family came
home to a “hero’s welcome” in Bigelow, Arkansas - complete with a
parade! In the months and years since then, Job has survived
histoplasmosis, CMV, Adenovirus, and diabetes. For his 16th birthday in
May 2014, he received a shiny, new red pickup truck. Job is now
enjoying his junior year of high school life.
Grandma Glenda
survived breast cancer…but the beast returned in her kidneys. And in
the last few weeks, she was hospitalized once again. Doctors gave her
six months to live two days ago…and God called her home this morning.
This remarkable woman can now fully attest that “our homeland is
Heaven”…because I am sure that she is there!
If you visit Job’s
CaringBridge page and read the posts, you will see that this family
walks in some of the most powerful faith I have ever witnessed.
Whatever challenges or devastating news they have been given, their
trust in Jesus remains strong. They never doubted His presence…and they
have clung to His promises. And I know that this will not change now.
There
will be times when God heals us on this earth…and times when we are
given glorious bodies for all Eternity. Our job is to never doubt His
mighty power and presence in all circumstances. The McCullys
demonstrate this beautifully…and I have been incredibly inspired and
encouraged by their faith and discipleship. I can only hope that I
represent Jesus even half as well.
What about you? Do you trust
in the mighty power of God in all situations and circumstances? Are
you able to say, “the only way I’m going to do XYZ is if GOD tells me
to”? Do you confidence in God’s presence in your life…and His ability
to manage anything and everything? Don’t you want to?
Please
pray for the McCully family in the days to come…and for others who are
sick, suffering, and grieving the passing of loved ones. Thank God for
His amazing power and presence…His compassion, mercy, and healing. And
ask God to give you the ability to recognize His presence in your life
on an hourly basis… to walk in His wisdom and care - always and in all
ways.
©2015 Debbie Robus
*http://caringbridgeclassic.org/ar/job/index.htm
Philippians 3:15-19
So let’s keep focused on that
goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have
something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will
clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right
track, let’s stay on it.
Stick with me, friends. Keep track of
those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There
are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying
to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times;
sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They
hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who
live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all
they can think of is their appetites.
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.
It
started simply enough…I opened a drawer in the kitchen one morning,
rummaged for what I was needing, and ended up taking everything out of
the drawer and reorganizing it. Soon, I had moved on to the next
drawer…and the next…and a couple of hours later, every drawer in the
kitchen had been cleaned and organized. I felt like a new woman! That
was early January. I was so inspired and motivated by my newly
organized kitchen drawers that I moved on to other drawers and closets.
I am not finished, but I am just a closet and a couple of
drawers away from having reorganized my entire house. It’s not
perfect…by a long stretch. And I bet I could go back through and weed
out even more unnecessary “stuff” and make things look a whole lot
better. But I am very much a “work in progress” – even in the areas of
closets and drawers!
I’ll admit…more than once, I got sidetracked
– and discouraged. After all, what difference does it make if there is
a mess behind the cabinet doors? Who cares what’s in the drawers...
and is it really worth my time and energy to finish this project? I
only had to think of the time I’ve wasted looking for a particular
fastener or thread spool in my sewing cabinet to realize that the days I
spent organizing, cleaning and alphabetizing these items will make my
future sewing projects – and other activities - go so much smoother.
And I will be able to accomplish a lot more with less stress!
The old adage that anything worth doing is worth doing right is
true…and nowhere more than in our Spiritual life. If we are going to
do this “Disciple of Christ thing”…if we are going to walk with Jesus,
follow His teachings, share His Good News, and bask in His
blessings…doesn’t it make sense to stay on course and do the hard work?
Jesus does not offer us short-cuts to full-blown
discipleship…and with good reason – He doesn’t take them, either! Read
the New Testament and study His 30+ years on this earth. Read Paul’s
letters and see how Jesus left a legacy of ministry with His
disciples…to be carried on through the generations – even to us and
beyond. There is very little that is easy and simple, once you open
your heart and invite Jesus to dwell there and guide your every breath.
But oh, it’s so worth the effort. The joy and blessings you feel in
opening your Spiritual “closet and drawers” and finding peace and
organization… purpose and overflow…are so worth any struggle and
challenge.
Will everything stay neat and orderly? Probably not?
Will you have to reorganize a “drawer or closet” from time to time –
both spiritually and physically? Most likely. Will it be worth the
effort? Most definitely!
Won’t you make this the day that you
start to get organized…in your Spiritual fellowship with Jesus AND maybe
your physical life? Will this be the day that you open your heart and
see Christ in charge instead of chaos? Are you ready to get busy
“cleaning” and get back on the right path? Don’t you think you should
be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Philippians 3:12-14
I’m not saying that I have this
all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching
out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t
get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this,
but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to
Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
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.
On January 15, 2015, climbers
Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson reached the summit of The Dawn Wall
of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. At an elevation of 3,000 feet,
this smooth sheer granite mountainside is considered to be the most
difficult free climb in the world. Somewhere around 70 people greeted
the climbers atop the summit and celebrated with champagne.
This
was not the first time these two had attempted the climb. In 2010,
Jorgeson broke his ankle early in an ascent and could not
continue...while Caldwell got to the most difficult pitch and could not
finish. The two climbers subsequently worked on the areas of the
mountain that gave them the most trouble…before attempting the full
climb again in December 2014.
I watched footage of the climb on
television news reports...and even from the safety of my own home, I
sometimes felt like I could not “look down”. There was coverage of the
men lounging in "tents" that were somehow tethered to the side of the
mountain. I marveled at how calmly they lay reading, texting,
eating...as if they were perfectly secure on level ground.
Our
journey as Christians is something like the free climb of El Capitan's
Dawn Wall...fraught with potential for danger and disaster, yet so worth
the struggle. It is reported that these climbers…Caldwell in
particular…were focused on accomplishing this ascent with something akin
to single-minded obsession. They “kept their eye on the goal” and
trusted in the safety measures they had set in place – and the coaching
and encouragement from each other, family members and friends – and they
forged onward and upward. And this is what we are called to do with
Christ.
There will be days when we will be tempted to “look
down”…there will be “injuries” and setbacks along the way. But if we
stay focused…if we keep on looking toward heaven and working toward the
goal of standing before Jesus someday in celebration of a “good
climb”…we will get there. God will make it so.
Don’t throw in
the towel. Don’t let “life” beat you down and discourage you to the
point that you cannot continue the “climb” with Christ. Hear God’s
voice encouraging you to reach higher…to dig deeper…to stick with Him
for the long haul. Feel His hands supporting you in safety…His arms
surrounding you in love…His spirit filling your heart. Know that you
can do this…that with God, all things truly are possible. Keep looking
upward toward Heaven and working toward the goal that God has set for
you in Jesus. Now…don’t you have some climbing to do?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Philippians 3:7-11
But Christ has shown me that
what I once thought was valuable is worthless. Nothing is as wonderful
as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and
count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ and to know that I belong
to him.
I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the
Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. All
I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want
to suffer and die as he did, so that somehow I also may be raised to
life.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I
was sitting in the parking lot after attending a funeral, and I spotted
a friend from church walking to her car. I called to her and asked if
she would like to ride with me to the cemetery. She gladly accepted my
offer, and as she got in the car, she said, “I wish I was dressed
properly.” She had come to the service directly from her job as a
nurse, and she was wearing her white lab coat. I assured her that she
looked fine…that nobody would give her attire a second thought – other
than to notice that she took time out of her busy day to attend this
service!
Here’s the thing…there are times when it is important to
be “prim and proper”…when wearing the right outfit is critical. And
there are times when it is simply most important that you show up! I’ve
had to make a mad dash to the Emergency Department with a loved one in
the wee hours of the morning when I looked scary enough to frighten
grown men! But there was no way I was going to say to those in need or
the EMTs, “Hang on a few minutes while I put on some makeup and fluff up
my hair!” I seriously doubt that very many people would pause to check
their outfit in the mirror if they found themselves in a burning
building! It’s all a matter of priorities!
Too often, we get
caught up in what we think will “look pretty” to God…and we miss Him
completely. The moment comes and goes…we waste the connection and lose
out on a blessing. We get so mired in how many Bible verses we can
quote, who killed who in the Old Testament and what sacrifices were
required to atone…we worry about whether we gave enough money, sat on
enough committees, said enough prayers, and participated in enough
worship activities…and we are completely deaf and dumb to Jesus calling
to us…”Hey…c’mon over here and let Me love on you!”
Do not
misunderstand me…I believe that Christian rituals are important. I
believe in the sanctity of Holy Communion and only wish that more people
fully understood its significance and the profound sacredness of this
experience. I also believe in the holiness of God’s word…all of it!
But if we don’t fully understand the lineage of all of the kings or have
a firm grasp on all of the names of the leaders of this battle or that
one, yet we truly know Jesus and strive to follow Him…I would say that
we have our values in proper alignment. If we are in fellowship with
Jesus and understand WHY He came to earth for us and the full extent of
what He accomplished on our behalf…THIS is what matters the most! The
rest will surely fall into place.
I am a “Field of Dreams”
Christian…I believe in the “If you build it, they will come”
philosophy. In other words, when we focus on Jesus…when we fully commit
to Him and follow His teachings, I believe all of the rest will follow –
the desire to study God’s word in depth…the yearning to fellowship with
other believers…the conviction to give of our “time, talents and money”
to the church…and a craving for time in His presence.
Jesus
doesn’t care if we are wearing a lab coat or our “Sunday best”! He just
wants US! And I want Him, as well. What about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Philippians 3:1
Whatever happens, dear friends, be
glad in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you this, and it is good
for you to hear it again and again.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
When I was teaching, my
school district participated in something called PET…Program for
Effective Teaching. PET training was intense, and consisted of actual
classroom instruction in this method for all teachers…followed by
exercises where we taught lessons using this method while we were
observed and critiqued by those trained to determine if we were
implementing the concepts correctly. So there was a lot of
repetition…and some “trial and error” involved.
In PET, the
concept is that each lesson has three components…the “set” – or quite
literally, the set-up for the lesson…the lesson itself…and closure. In
the “set”, the teacher provides an activity, a relatable analogy, plays a
game, or does something to engage the students and provide
relevance…and then he/she explains what the students will be learning.
In the lesson, obviously the instruction and practice occur until the
teacher is sure that the student understands the concept. Finally, the
closure reviews what was learned. The objective is repeated during the
closure to ensure that students remember it.
Studies have shown
that people best remember the first and last things they are told, so
in order to remember that middle “lesson”, repetition on the front and
back end is necessary. Personally, I LOVED the PET method of teaching
and have applied it to other areas of my life…from teaching a Sunday
school lesson to writing these devotionals!
If you are still
reading, you may be wondering what this has to do with the Apostle
Paul’s letter to the Philippians – and feeling God’s presence in your
life. TV celebrity Dr. Phil and others like to say that “People don’t
care what you know…until they know that you care!” And this is what I
want you to remember today…that God loves you! He sent Jesus to die on
the cross for you!
God cares about every single thing that is
happening in your life…from that test you struggled to pass to your
relationship breakup to how the waiter mixed up your order at the
restaurant! He cares about your wayward child, your disagreeable spouse or aging parent(s), your health, your daily
ups and downs – and even your struggle to lose a few pounds. God
numbers the hairs on your head…whether they are blond, brunette, red,
grey or purple…long, short – or fairy sparse!
Until we understand
how much God loves us – how much He cares for us – we will never fully
understand how much He is involved with each and every detail of our
lives. We will miss out on blessings, comfort, wisdom, and peace,
because we do not trust that God really IS with us…listening and loving
us through every single experience of our lives. But we can change
that! We can remind ourselves continually that “I am a child of God.
He loves me as I am. God is always available to me…He is only a whisper
away!” And we can begin today!
Are you ready to fully recognize
God’s presence…to understand how much He cares for you? Will this be
the day that you begin to operate differently…more completely in His
wisdom and peace? Don’t you think it should be? Have you said “Hello”
to God today? Isn’t it time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Philippians 2:5-11
Think of yourselves the way
Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t
think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that
status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the
privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!
Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly
humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a
selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and
the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
Because of that
obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or
anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even
those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus
Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the
glorious honor of God the Father.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
I saw this quote
Facebook…”Don't worry about what I'm doing. Worry about why you're
worried about what I'm doing.” The author was un-cited. As I read this
scripture passage, I was struck by a couple of thoughts. I’m reading
Marjorie Holmes’ book, Three From Galilee*, a fictional novel based on
the lives of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Through this account, the reader
is able to see Jesus as a real person…a little boy very much like our
nephews Timothy and Nathan…or a precocious pre-teen like our nephew
Chase.
I am still reading the book, so I do not know whether
this story concludes before Jesus becomes a man. But the point is that
even in this fictional depiction, Jesus took on the very ordinary life
of a young boy. He played and worked alongside Joseph, did chores for
His mother, and was very much an “ordinary” boy. Jesus set aside His
“position” and became 100% human!
Okay, so what does this mean for us? It means that Jesus KNOWS what it’s like to be us…I mean, He really
knows! He understands what we have gone through – and what is ahead
for us, because He lived much of it! He endured things that – hopefully
– none of us will ever have to experience…torture, unimaginable
ridicule, and the most heinous of deaths. Jesus gets us!
Again
I thought about this quote…and how we are often consumed with what
others are thinking and/or how they are acting. We are so worried about
what he did or she said – and WHY – and in doing so, we elevate
ourselves to a level of superiority that is unmerited. If Jesus Christ
humbled Himself and didn’t “play the Son of God card” as a general
rule…what right do we have to judge others and act all high and mighty?
The bottom line is that we do not know what is in another person’s
heart…we have no clue what demons they battle, how well they slept last
night, or what is going on behind the closed doors of their abode. But
God does.
So we must trust God to judge…to rule…to “fix
people”…and we must concentrate on our own relationship with Him and
doing what WE are supposed to do. We must look at Jesus’ model and learn
His ways. We must humbly interact with others and serve God with
faithful obedience…and He will bless us in ways we cannot begin to
imagine.
Where is God in these everyday situations? Sometimes,
it is hard to see His presence in many people and circumstances of our
everyday living. But I assure you…God is with us! Just as surely as He
operated through the human Jesus, God is with us, each and every minute
of the day. We can allow Him room to work…or we can muddy
the waters with our meddling. Which will you choose?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*http://www.amazon.com/Three-From-Galilee-Young-Nazareth/dp/0425205509
Matthew 5:17-18
“Don’t suppose for a minute that I
have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God’s Law or the Prophets.
I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all
together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God’s Law is more
real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet.
Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive
and working.
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.
Yesterday, I attended the
funeral of a man named Jerry - one of my parents’ lifelong friends. His
children have been MY friends since childhood, and Jerry was even a
pallbearer at my dad’s funeral nearly 16 years ago. During the service,
the pastor read from Ecclesiastes 3, where King Solomon talks about
“seasons” of life – and a purpose for each one. He made the comment that
sometimes things happen in life that seem perfectly horrible…terrible,
painful, gut-wrenching things occur that we cannot fully understand.
But we see later that they were a “set-up” of sorts to prepare us to
handle something else. Had we not experienced the first situation, we
would not have been adequately equipped to handle what happened next –
or we might have missed out on understanding the joy and blessings of
the latter event.
I have found this to be so true in my own
life. And if a specific experience did not help me directly…I was able
to use it to help someone else at a later point. As I read this
scripture passage and Jesus’ claim that He did not come to negate what
God had already said and done – but rather to enhance it – I thought of
the words from yesterday’s service. If we don’t understand the rituals
and “living sacrifices” of the Old Testament…we cannot fully appreciate
how Jesus’ death on the cross settled that for us – once and for all.
If we don’t grasp how God guided and cared for those who loved Him in
the time before Jesus came to earth, we cannot begin to comprehend
Jesus’ love and care for people He had never even met…like you and me!
There
is something profound that happens in the life of a Christian when
he/she begins to realize how completely God orchestrates everything…from
the first day of our lives to the last – and beyond. When we start to
really understand how He “pulls it all together” – how today’s
challenges and heartaches prepare us for tomorrow’s successes and joys –
we begin to experience the fullness of God in a new way. His constant
presence becomes more real to us…and we are far more cognizant of how
truly alive Jesus is…here…now…today…and always!
Yesterday, I sat
between my mother and a dear “other mother figure”…and I considered the
pastor’s words about our life experiences and “seasons”. I thought of
Jerry and these ladies…and other dear souls who were in attendance…and I
was reminded of how this has “played out” in their lives over and
again. The same God who has guided and tended to these dear people of
faith is doing these things in your life and mine. Do you recognize His
work? Do you feel His presence? Don’t you want to?
Spend
some time today talking to God about this. Think over the events of
your life and see if you don’t recognize some distinct circumstances
where He has knit together the bigger picture for a blessed outcome.
Recognize God’s constant presence in your heart and mind…and trust Him
to orchestrate each “season” perfectly.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Matthew 25:33-40
He will place the sheep on his
right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his
right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was
prepared for you before the world was created. When I was hungry, you
gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something
to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked,
you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and
when I was in jail, you visited me.”
Then the ones who pleased
the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? When
did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit
you while you were sick or in jail?”
The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Yesterday,
a card arrived in the mail from my friend Connie. On the front was a
cute little fuzzy kitten, and inside, Connie had written a note
expressing how sad she was for us when she read my post on Facebook
about the death last week of our cat, Lucy…and how she was praying for
our peace and comfort. DOZENS of others commented to my post to express
their sympathies…and we were greatly comforted by each and every word.
In each one of these gestures, I felt the love of Jesus. I felt His hand
on my shoulder…His arms wrapped tightly around me…His peace and comfort
flooding my heart.
Sunday morning, the children settled on a
rug at church for their Sunday school opening. I was kneeling on the
floor nearby. Suddenly, Zola stood up and ran to me, threw her arms
around my neck, and planted a big kiss on my cheek…then she ran back to
her spot on the rug. That little almost-4-year-old girl will never know
the impact of her gesture…but for me, it was like a kiss from Jesus!
We
underestimate the power of little things…a smile…a gentle touch…a hug…a
simple comment on Facebook or a wave across the aisle or parking lot at
Wal-Mart. As much as true Christian discipleship is about getting into
God’s word and spending time in prayer and fellowship – with Him and
others – it’s also about being the hands and feet of Jesus in ways great
and small.
Sometimes we get so busy trying to APPEAR
“Christian” through things like attending worship services, meetings and
Bible studies...writing out big checks to the church...and making sure
that everything “looks pretty”…and we forget to “be a sheep who feeds
the sheep” in Jesus’ name. When we do this, we are instantly thrust
into the “goat” pen. I don’t know about you, but that’s not where I
want to be!
Look around today. Who needs to be “fed, clothed,
healed, comforted or visited” by you in Jesus’ name? Who is ministering
to YOU in this manner? Do you recognize the power and presence of God
in these gestures? Do you understand that THIS is our true role as
Christian disciples…letting the love of Christ flow through us to others
in this manner…sharing Him with each other through acts of love,
respect and service? Are you acting like a “sheep”…or have you somewhat
become a “goat”? This is the perfect day to “change pens”! Are you
ready to make a move?
©2015 Debbie Robus
John 9:28-33
Then they cursed him and said, “You
are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know God has spoken
to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t know anything about him.”
“Why,
that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He can heal blind men, and yet
you don’t know anything about him! Well, God doesn’t listen to evil men,
but he has open ears to those who worship him and do his will. Since
the world began there has never been anyone who could open the eyes of
someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t do it.”
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.
Someone posted a comment on a
Facebook group I belong to about the history of my home town. They
asked, “Where was the first hospital?” Comments began to pour in…many
adding, “I’ve lived here all my life…I know this is right!” The trouble
is…many of them were not right. Erroneous information flooded the
comments to this post.
Then someone posted a photo of a page from
a historical book written several years ago about our town. The page
clearly described the two hospitals in our town…which came first…who
owned them…who sold them…and who bought them! The facts were there in
black and white - yet comments continued to pour in that contradicted
this documentation.
Why does this matter? Because people will
soon skew the “facts” so badly that no one will know what to
believe…even though the real information is right in front of them.
What has been a fun and informative page of local history will lose
followers and become a watered-down source of half-truths and fuzzy
recollections.
In the spiritual world, when we fail to look at
the facts and recognize Jesus, it’s as if God stops listening. Now hear
me on this…God will always hear you when you call on Him. But when you
continually skew the facts and act in half-truths…when you attempt to
“have it your way” and operate under your own power…when you turn away
and ignore His presence…God is not going to be so eager to rush to your
rescue at the first sign of trouble! It’s like when a toddler throws a
tantrum and expects to get his/her own way. Often the parent will
simply ignore this outburst…at least for a while…and let the child
figure out that what he/she is doing is not working!
So what’s
the point of all of this? In order to truly hear from God, we have to
recognize – and acknowledge – Him. He is all around us…we can find
evidence of His handiwork in every activity of our day. But too many of
us are not looking - or don’t see what is right in front of us. We
most certainly have not sought the facts…dug out our Bibles and
discovered how the scriptures apply to our daily living…or spent some
time just sitting and “listening” for God’s voice. We’ve walked right
past the “page with the facts” about God and Jesus…and declared our
lives to be in shambles. And then we have wondered why this is!
We
can change all of this…and we should…now…here…today! Won’t you spend
some time with God and seek His presence in your life? Won’t you sit
and listen for His voice…open your eyes and “see” Him at work all around
you? What do you really know about God? Isn’t it time you learned
more? Will this be the day that you begin?
©2015 Debbie Robus
John 7:25-29
Some of the people who lived there in
Jerusalem said among themselves, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to
kill? But here he is preaching in public, and they say nothing to him.
Can it be that our leaders have learned, after all, that he really is
the Messiah? But how could he be? For we know where this man was born;
when Christ comes, he will just appear and no one will know where he
comes from.”
So Jesus, in a sermon in the Temple, called out,
“Yes, you know me and where I was born and raised, but I am the
representative of one you don’t know, and he is Truth. I know him
because I was with him, and he sent me to you.”
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Another
one of my high school teachers died this week. Mr. Stark taught my 8th
grade science class and my 10th grade biology class. He also taught
chemistry…a class I did not take! Mr. Stark taught in my hometown
school system for decades. He taught my mother’s sister…my husband and
me…and my siblings. I felt like I knew Mr. Stark well…and yet, there
was a lot I did not know about him.
As I read this man’s
obituary, I learned that he was born in a neighboring county…that he had
served in the U.S. Army…and that he had a great love for Mexico and
traveled there often. I knew that he had studied our county’s history
intensively and was something of an expert on Native Americans who lived
in this area, and that he had collected many Native American artifacts
as he scoured the countryside for evidence and information. But I
didn’t know that he was the “family historian” among his own clan.
In essence, I knew enough about this educator to call him an acquaintance…maybe even a friend. But I didn’t really know
him! And in a nutshell, this is how it is for many of us in our
relationship with Jesus. We know just enough about Jesus to call Him a
friend…to want to say that we belong to Him…to claim salvation and
forgiveness for our sins through His blood on the cross. But we don’t
really know him! Deep down, we don’t fully embrace
Jesus…we don’t trust Him completely and believe totally in His God-given
power and authority over every facet of our lives.
We know
Jesus enough to call on Him when “the chips are down” – to utter a quick
prayer when the mood strikes us. But we have never taken the time to
stop and fully consider the impact of His sacrifices on our behalf. We
have never given a lot of thought to the suffering He endured in
atonement for our sins – the ones we are committing
today…now…long after He was crucified, died, was buried, and ascended
into Heaven. We have not stopped to let the incredible, inexplicable,
unending love of Jesus soak into every pore of our being. We don’t
really, truly know Jesus!
But we can change this!
We can stop and listen for His voice. We can crack open our Bibles and
read what Jesus has to tell us. We can study the Gospels and examine
the teachings of Jesus…and we can apply them to our daily living in a
new and profound way. We can talk to Jesus…often…and ask Him to show us
how to live in a way that pleases Him. We can share our deepest fears
with Him…our hopes and dreams…our frustrations and disappointments. We
can learn to trust that He hears us…that because of Jesus, GOD meets our
every need – perfectly.
We.can.know.Jesus…in a way that
really matters. Don’t you want this? Are you ready to get started?
Is today the day that you will begin to truly know your Savior? Don’t’
you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
John 5:22-24, 30
And the Father leaves all judgment
of sin to his Son, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they
honor the Father. But if you refuse to honor God’s Son, whom he sent to
you, then you are certainly not honoring the Father.
“I say
emphatically that anyone who listens to my message and believes in God
who sent me has eternal life, and will never be damned for his sins, but
has already passed out of death into life.
“But I pass no
judgment without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And my
judgment is absolutely fair and just, for it is according to the will of
God who sent me and is not merely my own.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
When my Mam-ma Polly got
older, I was given her Durable Power of Attorney. This meant that I
could make major decisions for her in matters of pertaining to her
personal business and her health. I could sign papers on her behalf,
make decisions such as engaging Hospice care, and choose her primary
care physician. My grandmother had entrusted me with the authority to
make these decisions. But as long as she was able to communicate with
me, I still consulted her before giving my final answer. So even a
couple of weeks before she died, I asked her if she wanted to go to the
ER after she fell in her room and hit her head. She adamantly told me,
“NO!” And after I carefully assessed the situation and consulted
Hospice nurses and other family members, we did not go.
Before
she lost her ability to speak, Mam-ma would often wave off a major
decision (literally with a wave of the hand) and say, “Whatever y’all
decide is okay with me.” Now, I will admit that sometimes she said this
with all of the pitiful sarcasm her voice could muster…but in her heart
of hearts, she knew that I would never disrespect her – or make a
decision that I felt would be harmful in any way. My Mam-ma Polly knew
that I had her back!
God gave Jesus authority over each of us and
decisions with regard to our care – and our eternal destiny. As the
One who suffered, bled and died for our sins, it seems only right that
Jesus would have the say over whether our petition to belong to Him is
granted or not. But notice that even Jesus still consults the Heavenly
Father…that there is a deference and respect for Almighty God – even at
this “level”.
What does this mean for us? This passage reminds
us of God’s authority and power…and also of His love, grace, mercy and
compassion. Even Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and has the
complete and final say over whether we are forgiven of them for all
eternity, still listens for His Father’s voice. He still respects God’s
“place” as the ultimate and final word on all matters. And we must
value this, also. We must trust that in the end, it’s all up to God…and
He has our back!
We must also remind ourselves to respect the
earthly “chain of command”. We must honor the “position” of those in
power and authority, even when we might not agree with their decisions.
We must always offer them respect and behave toward them as would honor
and please God. This may often mean biting our tongue and keeping our
opinions – and ugly thoughts – to ourselves.
Sometimes in our
earthly judgments, we have to make hard decisions that go against the
preference of an elder or someone in authority. I am not telling you to
lie for your boss…or to allow your ailing or aging parent or loved one
to make a choice that will be harmful to them or someone else. This is
where we must turn to God and ask, “What do I do now?” And He will answer!
I
am so glad to know that Jesus chose me…that He deemed me worth saving.
And I am grateful to know that He has my back…each and every minute of
the day. I am doing all I can to honor this gift...to ensure that MY
decisions mirror His will in each and every situation. I am constantly
listening for His voice and seeking His opinion…what about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
John 3:27-30
John replied: No one can do anything
unless God in heaven allows it. You surely remember how I told you that I
am not the Messiah. I am only the one sent ahead of him.
At a
wedding the groom is the one who gets married. The best man is glad just
to be there and to hear the groom’s voice. That’s why I am so glad.
Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Anyone
who knew my Mam-ma Polly understands that she was a “corker”. So one
day when someone said to her of me…”You are so lucky to have such an
attentive grand-daughter,” my grandmother retorted…”Aw...she’s not so
hot!” Talk about knowing where I stood! I couldn’t help but think of
this when I read John’s words to his followers, who had gotten into an
argument with a Jewish man over John’s authority because he was
baptizing people…and JESUS was baptizing people also. The followers saw
this as a “competition” for disciples and felt that people would start
to follow Jesus instead of John.
John pointed out that HE was
“not so hot”…he was not the one to be followed. John explained that he
was merely the messenger who paved the way for the coming of Jesus - the
true Messiah. If you read on in this passage, you will hear John
explain that God has given each of us a purpose in our Christian
discipleship…that we are the messengers – and something of Jesus’ “best
man”.
We have to know where we stand. We are NOT Jesus. We
never will be, even though some of us have mentally elevated ourselves
to such status. We judge others…we decide what is acceptable and what
is not…we interpret scripture in a way that suits our agenda. We raise
the name of Jesus like a badge of honor and declare that what we are
saying and doing is sanctioned by Him – even when we know in our hearts
that it is not.
But the Good News is that God chose us for
specific, important roles in His Kingdom. If we pay attention and
listen carefully, our mission and “position” will become abundantly
clear. We will have no problem serving as “best man” to Jesus, because
we will understand that our eternal success is dependent upon our heavenly
help (paraphrased from John 3:27 The Message*). It’s not about what we
accomplish here on this earth – unless we serve God and further His
kingdom. In other words - in and of ourselves - we’re not so hot!
Our
goal should be to serve Jesus at every turn…to pave the way for others
to find Him and become His followers, also. We will stand beside Jesus
and serve as His “best man”…and be happy just to know His voice. If we
remember to give Jesus “top billing”, He will show up in our lives in
ways we never envisioned. Undergirded by His power and presence, we
will experience unimaginable confidence, peace and joy. That’s more than
good enough for me…what about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*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.
John 3:19-21
Their sentence is based on this fact:
that the Light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the
darkness more than the Light, for their deeds were evil. They hated the
heavenly Light because they wanted to sin in the darkness. They stayed
away from that Light for fear their sins would be exposed and they would
be punished. But those doing right come gladly to the Light to let
everyone see that they are doing what God wants them to.”
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Our kitchen, living and
dining areas are basically all one big room. The “house and garden
experts” call this “open concept living”. One wall of this room is
almost completely covered in windows that start about knee-high and go
all the way to the ceiling. So early on sunny mornings, this room is
flooded with bright light! And I will tell you, there have been
mornings that I wished for darkness! Every single speck of dust…every
crumb…every piece of lint, fuzz (and cat hair) shows in that bright
light.
I am not nearly as diligent with my housekeeping as I
once was - so there are times when it looks pretty bad. But I will also
add that in the brightest of sunrises, I don’t think there is any
amount of housekeeping that could prevent SOME dust from being exposed!
And that’s just how it is with our Christian fellowship!
There
is a delicate balance between wishing the morning was dark enough that
God wouldn’t so blatantly illuminate our sins and shortcomings…and
feeling like you have done your best and can proudly live with what His
bright “Sonlight” reveals. Because you see, we will never be
perfect…and by God’s grace and mercy, this is okay. But we cannot use
this as an excuse or a license to operate in darkness and expect God to
forgive and forget.
Those bright days when the house is not as
clean as it needs to be are a physical reminder to me of how my life in
Christ may be on any given day. And while I may not get any more
zealous with my housekeeping any time soon, I am doing all I can to
maintain a spotless home for God in my heart. I want to fellowship with
Him in a way that never causes embarrassment to either of us. I want
to be able to stand in God’s bright light and know that I am flawed, but
forgiven…less than perfect, but loved anyway. I want to know that I
have given Him my very best…and I have nothing to hide. What about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
John 3:17-18
God didn’t go to all the trouble of
sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world
how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone
who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long
since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why?
Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of
God when introduced to him.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
Our cat Lucy had the most demure appearance – and she was
a sweet cat. She could sit and look pretty – and innocent! But in
truth, she had her “ways” – and she ran this household! Mabel, our
calico cat and Lucy’s litter mate, stays mostly upstairs with Greg
during the day…while Lucy stayed mostly with me downstairs – usually in
my office. Both cats had certain spaces in the house they claimed as
“theirs”...Lucy more than Mabel. We would catch the “girls” giving each
other loving face washings…but like all siblings, we had to break up a
few squabbles, too!
So Mabel has spent the last few days
tiptoeing around…looking for Lucy. It’s as if she is quite certain that
Lucy will emerge unexpectedly from some nook or cranny – that she is
waiting just around the corner to pounce. Clearly, she has “trust
issues”. And this is how we often react to God. We are quite sure that
He is waiting in the wings to come down on us for something we said or
did…to remind us just how awful and unworthy we are of His love and
care. And nothing could be further from the truth.
Read this
passage again. God did not send Jesus to earth just so He could say,
“See how bad you are? You are NOTHING like Jesus! What is wrong with
you?!” In truth, God sent Jesus to say, “I know you have issues…I know
you aren’t perfect…but you are loved anyway. Trust me…believe in me…and
I will fix everything!”
Author and speaker Jen Hatmaker has just released a few chapters of her newest book,*For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards, which will be released in mid-August 2015. In the chapter titled “Dear Church…” she writes…
Church
people are regular old sinners too. If I could fix this, I would. As it
turns out, the church isn’t a gathering of shiny new pennies. It lets
anyone in the door! All sorts of hooligans fill the sanctuaries: kind
and good ones, angry and cynical ones, mean and judgmental ones, smart
and funny ones, broken and sad ones, weird and awkward ones, precious
and loving ones, scared and wounded ones, brave and passionate ones,
insiders and outliers, newbies and lifers and trying-one-more-timers.
Just a whole bunch of human people. Every church has all these folks. It
is just the hottest mess, but clearly you belong here because everyone
does. Find your little faith tribe (it exists) and learn to love it with
all the grace and humility you can muster.
I
don’t know about you, but I take heart in knowing that God is not
waiting to pounce on me for all of my misgivings. I am forever thankful
that He loves regular old sinners and hooligans like me…and I am
trusting that He will cover me in His love, grace and mercy every minute
of the day. What about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*http://www.amazon.com/Love-Fighting-Grace-Impossible-Standards/dp/0718031822/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426102938&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=hatmaker+for+the+lov
John 3:5-8
Jesus said, “You’re not listening.
Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original
creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible
moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter
God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can
look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by
something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living
spirit.
“So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have
to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well
enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling
through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where
it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’
by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
I love Jesus’ analogy of the
wind, because this physical phenomenon is something we all accept and
“understand”…yet none of us can explain the origin of its force. And if
you think about wind…sometimes it is like a gentle whisper…and
sometimes it blows with a rage and impact so profound that the results
are devastating…almost beyond belief!
This is how we experience
the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Some moments, the voice of
God is just a whisper…a gentle breeze that brushes over us. Other
times, He nearly knocks us off our feet with an experience or event that
says, “HEY! Wake up! I’m talking to you!” Just as we readily accept
and acknowledge physical “wind”…some of us need to learn to transfer
this understanding to the Holy Spirit and how He operates in our hearts
and minds.
Timothy sings a song from the movie “Pocahontas” about
the “Colors of the Wind”. One of the lines asks, “Can you paint with
all the colors of the wind?” Jesus “paints with all the colors of the
‘wind’” of His Holy Spirit. Do you see them in your life? Have you
embraced Him and experienced this “born-from-above” breath from God? Do
you recognize His presence and the many “colors of the wind” in your
daily living? Don’t you want to?
Stop what you are doing and
spend some time calling on the Holy Spirit to fill you. Say three
simple words…”Come, Holy Spirit!” Listen for the “wind” of God…and
learn to recognize it as readily as you do the earthy breezes. Let His
love and care blow across your heart like a gentle whisper of wind
across your face. Get ready to see God’s kingdom come into focus…maybe
for the first time ever. Get ready to fully embrace your “new life in
Christ”…and to see all of the “colors of the Wind” in every minute of
your day!
©2015 Debbie Robus
John 17:24-26
Father, I want everyone you have given
me to be with me, wherever I am. Then they will see the glory that you
have given me, because you loved me before the world was created. Good
Father, the people of this world don’t know you. But I know you, and my
followers know that you sent me. I told them what you are like, and I
will tell them even more. Then the love that you have for me will become
part of them, and I will be one with them.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have
you ever had a friendship with someone that started out fairly rocky –
until you got to know each other? Maybe you thought this person was
aloof, disinterested, or even over-bearing in some way. Maybe you just
didn’t “click” for some reason. And maybe you almost didn’t give this
person a second chance! But then you spent some time together…you got
to really know him/her…and you discovered that you’d made a pretty great
friend in the process!
It’s often like this with Jesus…many
people simply don’t give Him a chance. They don’t take the time or put
in the energy and effort to truly get to know Him – to see what a “great
Guy” Jesus is, so to speak!
Perhaps you are one of the people
who gave someone a second look and discovered a friend so precious that
now you cannot imagine your life without him/her in it on a regular – if
not daily - basis. And maybe you have made this same discovery about
Jesus Christ. If you haven’t…you should!
Spend some quality time
with Jesus. Read the New Testament and hear His words to the
disciples…and to us as they have been shared through the ages. Get to
know Jesus in a deep and profound way…learn how loyal and loving He is.
Find out firsthand just how merciful and gracious Jesus can be…and
cultivate an abiding and everlasting relationship with Him. Get to the
point where you cannot imagine a single minute without Jesus in your
life…and then nurture this bond - and offer a prayer of thanks that you
don’t have to ever be without Him!
Too often, we make snap
judgments – about other people and situations…and about our relationship
with Jesus. In both cases, we risk missing out on some amazing
opportunities and friendships. Will this be the day that you take a
second look at others – and more importantly - at Jesus? Will this be
the day that you truly get to know Jesus and learn what He has to
offer? Don’t you think it should be?©2015 Debbie Robus
John 17:12-19
While I was with them, I kept them
safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them
was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what
the Scriptures say would come true.
I am on my way to you. But I
say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers
will have the same complete joy that I do. I have told them your
message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t
belong to this world, just as I don’t.
Father, I don’t ask you to
take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil
one. They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. Your word is the
truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. I am sending them
into the world, just as you sent me. I have given myself completely for
their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
On
March 1, 2015, giant panda cub Bao Bao was officially and completely
separated from her mother, Mei Xiang, at the Smithsonian National
Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. This weaning process actually began
several weeks earlier, as the two spent more and more time away from
each other, and Bao Bao began to munch on bamboo to supplement her
mother’s nursing. Now she is completely dependent on the cane for her
sustenance.
According to information found at
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/, "Giant pandas Mei Xiang
and Tian Tian are at the National Zoo under a Giant Panda Cooperative
Research and Breeding Agreement, signed in January 2011, between the Zoo
and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. This extends the Zoo’s
giant panda program through 2015. Mei and Tian are the focus of an
ambitious research, conservation, and breeding program designed to
preserve this endangered species." 18-month-old offspring Bao Bao will
remain at the National Zoo until she is four years old. While she would
naturally separate completely from her mother and no longer see her,
this is not possible at the National Zoo, and staff members there hope
that this will result in her observing the breeding cycle between her
parents – and better understanding what she is to do in the wild when
she is released in China.
In many ways, Bao Bao’s parents have
done all they can for her…and at the end of her fourth year, the
National Zoo officials will have to say the same thing. It will be time
for Bao Bao to take the lessons she has learned – all that has been
instilled in her and taught to her – and carry on alone. Every human
involved in her nurture and care hopes and believes that this will be a
successful venture. Will there be trepidation and worry? Certainly.
Will it be hard to let her go…a little nerve-wracking to trust that she
will be okay and remember all that she learned? Most definitely! But
it will still be the right thing to do…an act of tremendous love and
faith – in the effectiveness and endurance of lessons and care
demonstrated – and in Bao Bao’s steadfastness and faithfulness to what
has been given her.
Now think of Jesus and all that He has done
for us. Consider how He taught us…nurtured and cared for
us…demonstrated the right path – showed us how to serve God and honor
His laws. Jesus did all that He was supposed to do for us – and then
some. Jesus did all He could to keep us safe…and now He trusts that we
learned our lessons well and will be able to serve as His disciples.
Here’s
where we differ from the pandas and other “parents/offspring”…Jesus
does not separate from us completely. He does not desert us. When He
returned to Heaven, He left His Holy Spirit as “back-up”…should we
choose to invite Him into our hearts. So we always have our Heavenly
Father with us…He is only a heartbeat and a whisper away.
This
is GREAT NEWS! We don’t have to wonder and worry what to do – the Holy
Spirit is always with us to give us the answer! We don’t have to wander
aimlessly…suffer or grieve without comfort…or operate in confusion and
uncertainty. Our God is always available…His presence takes many shapes and forms…and all we have to do is recognize Him.
I
know that it will be a hard day at the National Zoo when Bao Bao is
packed off to China. I have a feeling that with some of us, it’s pretty
hard for Jesus to watch us bumble around and try to do “life” on our
own. Thankfully, we don’t have to live like this…He will draw near in a
split second and set our feet on the right path. It’s up to us to
issue the invitation for Him to do just that. Have you invited Jesus
and His Holy Spirit into your heart…and do you keep Him there? Isn’t it
time that you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Job 12:7-10
If you want to learn,
then go and ask
the wild animals and the birds,
the flowers and the fish.
Any of them can tell you
what the Lord has done.
Every living creature
is in the hands of God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Yesterday,
Greg and I had to say “Goodbye” to our beloved tuxedo cat, Lucy. We
were blessed to be her “humans” for almost 16 years…having acquired her
and her litter mate, Mabel – a calico – in April 1999. Based on papers
we received at the local animal shelter, we “counted backward” and
declared their birthday to be March 1st.
We knew that Lucy had
been in declining health in recent months. The once plump cat with the
beautiful sleek and shiny coat of LONG black and white hair had become a
virtual skeleton covered in a dull blanket of fur. Yet she ate well,
drank lots of water, purred and delighted in our affection – and she
even chased a bird that made its way inside our house just two nights
before she died. (She actually caught the bird briefly…but without
front claws, she could not contain it in her grip.)
Greg and I
had prayed over and over that Lucy would just slip away from us – that
we would awaken one morning and find her “sleeping with the angels”.
She and Mabel never really acclimated to humans – other than us – and
all of these years, we have kept them completely indoors and fairly
isolated. They have not visited a veterinary clinic since they were
spayed as kittens. We did not want to have to put either of them
through the trauma of a final visit to a vet for euthanasia. So we
prayed for God to spare them – and us – this situation. And in Lucy’s
case at least, He did just that.
We sat with our precious “baby”
all through the night as she struggled through the stages of death. We
made her a pallet in the floor atop her heating pad (yes, our cats have
“pet heating pads”) – and we lay beside her and stroked her as she
steadily grew weaker. We prayed over her…and we thanked God that - in
the scheme of things - He allowed her such a peaceful passing. And
shortly after noon yesterday, her breaths slowed…and then the angels
came for her.
If you think that God doesn’t care about animals
and our beloved pets…read this scripture passage from Job again. And if
you think that a God who cares so much for animals of all sizes and
species doesn’t care as much – or more – for you, then hear the words of
Matthew 10:29-31…”Aren’t two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your
Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. Even the hairs on
your head are counted. So don’t be afraid! You are worth much more than
many sparrows.”
As gut-wrenching as these last few days have
been for us, we have felt God’s presence. We know that there is a place
for animals in heaven…and that SOME DAY, we will see our precious
tuxedo cat and our other beloved pets once again. We know that we serve
a God who is amazing, almighty, powerful…and compassionate…a God who
loves two lowly sparrows – and dearly-loved kitty cats - and cares just
as deeply about what happens to them as He does to us. We know that God
will sustain us - that He will fill the empty places in our hearts with
His peace…and flood our thoughts with happy memories of the hundreds of
days we enjoyed with this furry feline.
Don’t wait for a crisis
to happen before you call on God…make Him a part of your life NOW, so
that He is “at the ready” for whatever you encounter in life. We are so
glad that God was with us…that He IS with us…and we know that He has
safely guided our Lucy over the “Rainbow Bridge” and into His loving
care forever and ever. He is sustaining us and filling us with hope and
courage until we see her again.
The God who can comfort us in
the loss of our pet can also meet any and all of your needs. Our God
can do ANYTHING! I cannot imagine surviving without Him. And I’m so
glad that I don’t have to try. God is with us…today…tomorrow…and
always. Do you feel His presence? Have you asked Him to come near and
be with you? Isn’t it about time that you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
John 17:6-11
“I have told these men all about you.
They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they
were always yours, and you gave them to me; and they have obeyed you.
Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have
passed on to them the commands you gave me; and they accepted them and
know of a certainty that I came down to earth from you, and they believe
you sent me.
“My plea is not for the world but for those you
have given me because they belong to you. And all of them, since they
are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me with
everything else of yours, and so they are my glory! Now I am leaving the
world, and leaving them behind, and coming to you. Holy Father, keep
them in your own care—all those you have given me—so that they will be
united just as we are, with none missing.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Arkansas was blanketed
yesterday with a heavy coating of sleet and snow. Facebook is flooded
today with pictures of children sledding, beautiful snow scenes, and
reports of how many inches of “the white stuff” accumulated. Several of
our friends have posted pictures of kiddos on makeshift sleds and more –
pulled through the ice and snow by their dads and friends. This
brought back fond memories of my own childhood, when we would sled on
the city streets with my dad and my cousins.
There was one
particularly long, steep street that was the “go-to” hill. It spanned
about three city blocks in length and culminated at Main Street, where
bales of hay and saw horses blocked any potential thru traffic. My dad
and my cousin Leo would park their pickup trucks on the street one block
above Main and load up sledders to haul them back to the top of the run
for another exciting trip downhill. We did this over and over until
we were frozen like Popsicles®. Then we would go home and warm up before
returning. A bonfire was built in the yard of one home near the top,
and it seemed like half the town gathered there for a few days/evenings
to share in the fun.
My dad and my cousins are all gone now…and
I’m pretty sure that the city doesn’t allow sledding on this street
these days – much less a bonfire in someone’s front yard!…but the
memories remain. What does this have to do with the presence of God and
this scripture passage? Like the memories we make as children…the
teachings of Jesus remain with us. As these adults stopped what they
were doing for a few days of play, Jesus has given us His time and
teachings…His love and nurture. And in doing so, He laid a foundation
for our faith…provided us with life lessons, hope and promise…and
sustained us with faith and confidence as we bring Him to mind in our
daily living.
I no longer engage in sledding. Instead, I am
enjoying the beauty of this snowy landscape from the warmth and coziness
of my home as I look out the windows. But I “feel” the joy and
excitement of my childhood. I recall the exuberance of chilly wind in
my face, hot cocoa to warm me, and the thrill of that long ride down the
hill. I remember the lessons in “sledding technique” and safety. And I
treasure the memory of those loving adults who nurtured me and
facilitated such precious memories.
In the same manner, I bask in
the presence of God. I ponder the earthly life of Jesus and study His
teachings…and I try to apply them to my own life. I feel His love and
nurture…and I gratefully appreciate His blessings and gifts. I treasure
the legacy that He left…the hope and promise that we will be together
again in Heaven someday. And I am incredibly comforted to know how much
God loves me.
As you go about your day, consider the “memories”
and legacy that God has given to you through Jesus Christ. Even if it’s
not a snowy day where you are, take some time to sit quietly and
reflect on God’s presence – and His promises. Embrace the warmth and
coziness of His love and care…and thank Him for what is yet to come!
©2015 Debbie Robus
