January 21 ~ Acts 22:10
"Then I said, 'What do I do now, Master?' "He said, 'Get to your feet and enter Damascus. There you'll be told everything that's been set out for you to do.' And so we entered Damascus, but nothing like the entrance I had planned—I was blind as a bat and my companions had to lead me in by the hand.”
(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. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever been at an amusement park on a ride that took you through dark tunnels? I’m thinking of “Fire-In-The-Hole,” a roller coaster ride at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The ad on SilverDollarCity.com says the ride offers “thrilling surprises around every corner.” No matter how well you think you know what will happen next, there are indeed surprises… some scary, almost all thrilling.
Paul started on the road to Damascus as Saul, a Jew born in Tarsus, who was authorized to hunt down Christians and kill them. That was his plan. But God had other plans. He caused a bright light to fall on Saul – a blinding light – and when He had Saul’s attention, He asked Saul why he was persecuting the followers of Christ. God then brought Ananias on the scene to explain His plan for Saul to transform to Paul and become one of God’s greatest witnesses for Christ.
Life is like a roller coaster, filled with ups and downs. And so often, like Saul, we trudge ahead, so sure of our plans… so sure that what we are doing is the “right thing.” And often, God has to correct us and bring us back to HIS plans for us, which are always better. He may not blind us, literally, to get our attention, but he has ways of doing that. Like the surprises and thrills of the roller coaster ride, God fills our life with surprises and thrills, and in the end, the Ride with Christ is the one we need to take.
So the next time something happens to “blind” you temporarily… the next time you are surprised by where your life ride takes you, stop and ask God, “What is your purpose? What are you planning for me? Make sure your plans line up with His, and everything will come clearly into focus once again.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 20 ~ Acts 20:7
We met on Sunday to worship and celebrate the Master's Supper. Paul addressed the congregation. Our plan was to leave first thing in the morning, but Paul talked on, way past midnight. We were meeting in a well-lighted upper room. A young man named Eutychus was sitting in an open window. As Paul went on and on, Eutychus fell sound asleep and toppled out the third-story window. When they picked him up, he was dead.
(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. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I’m learning to be flexible. It’s a good thing to make plans, but it is important to remember that plans can change. There were two things that came to mind when I read this passage. First, I was reminded of times when I made all sorts of plans, and then things happened that kept those plans from materializing. I can think of several times when I had a whole day of activities planned, and someone got sick and needed my help or a problem arose at work and I had to attend to it and abandon other projects, or even on my “day off.” Or somebody suggested we do something fun on the spur of the moment, and I was able to change my plans and go along. I can think of times when I got in a hurry and caused a spill or an accident that required attention and deflected my plans and interrupted my day – and not in a positive manner!
And that brings to mind the second thing, and that is that sometimes changes in plans are the work of God… and sometimes they are the work of the devil. Look at Eutychus. I seriously doubt he planned on falling out a window and dying! Was that God’s hand at work – or Satan’s? Was Eutychus paying attention and keeping his focus on the right things? Are we? How many times do we “fall asleep” and allow Satan an opportunity to slip in and cause us harm or change our plans and steer us off course?
I want you to remember Eutychus and what happened to him. Remind yourself that plans may change at any moment. Know that sometimes God changes our plans for His purposes, and sometimes Satan changes them for a much less favorable result. Stay alert and learn to tell the difference, and know WHO is changing your plans! If you find yourself “falling asleep” and allowing Satan to change them, ask God to help you stay focused. Keep Him at the forefront of your life, and you will do much better at staying on track!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 19 ~ Acts 16:6
They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province, but the Holy Spirit blocked that route. So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn't let them go there either. Proceeding on through Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas.
(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. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Has the Holy Spirit ever blocked your plans? Remember when I told you about trying to change teaching positions? I was so sure I would get the position as a fifth-grade teacher, and I was truly devastated for awhile when it didn’t work out as I had planned. But God’s plans for my future were so much better! I couldn’t see it at the time, but it is crystal clear to me that His hand was at work in everything. I have tried to envision what my life would have been like had that position been given to me, and I can think of a thousand and one reasons God wanted something else!
What is God blocking for you today? Is there something you are trying to do that just will not come together? It is as if you hit a brick wall and cannot get through it, and you don’t have a clue why this is happening. I would like to suggest that maybe your plans are not God’s plans in this area. Maybe He is “blocking the route” so that you will find His path. If you are struggling with plans and things are not working out as you had hoped, stop and ask God where HE would have you go. Open your heart and mind to the possibilities when God does the planning. I predict you will look back someday and realize His plans for your future were much better!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 18 ~ Acts 3:17
"And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans.”
(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. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Thank goodness we are never too old to learn! I learn new things – especially about how God works – every day. But I sure wish I had learned a few of these things in my teens and twenties… it would have made those years a lot easier in many ways. So hear me when I say again, “God can use any situation for His purposes.” Yes, there are things that we do and say that grieve God. Yes, God is heartbroken when children are mistreated and in desperate situations. Yes, God despises puppy mills and cruelty to animals. Sure, God doesn’t want his children to end up homeless and on the streets.
But God can take a disjointed, abusive childhood and create a social worker who empathizes with the plight of children in similar situations. Or He can rescue children from these situations and place them with loving parents who are praying for a child to bless. God can take a situation of animal cruelty to raise awareness about issues such as spaying and neutering or animal adoption. In our own community, a puppy mill raid resulted in the citizens coming together for a common cause and adopting over 150 puppies in just a few days. People took time from busy schedules to buy food and blankets and more to take to the animal shelter for these helpless animals. Do you see God’s hand in this?
God doesn’t want us to become homeless and destitute. But He can place His servants in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and public assistance agencies to help those who succumb to this situation. He can use others to become activists who work to enact programs and legislation that keeps this from happening. He can use His believers to witness to those who have made a series of poor choices that led them to a life on the streets.
What have I learned as I have grown in my faith? I have learned that a lot of how I see things determines my outcome. So when I see human suffering and tragedy – in others’ lives or my own – I am learning to ask “What do you want me to do with this Lord? What is The Plan?” And that is making the difference. I encourage you to start to look at things with this mindset and ask God what “The Plan” is for your life. Try to look at things with a Godly perspective and see how God can use you for His purposes today!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 17 ~ Acts 2:22
"Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all: I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side. I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I've pitched my tent in the land of hope. I know you'll never dump me in Hades; I'll never even smell the stench of death. You've got my feet on the life-path, with your face shining sun-joy all around.
(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. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I don’t know about you, but when I stop and think that every minute of Jesus’ life was thought out and planned for by God, I am both humbled and amazed. God planned the wedding at Cana and the changing of water into wine. He planned the feeding of the masses with the fish and five loaves of bread. He planned Christ’s taunting and questioning of the rabbis and teachers in the synagogue. He even planned the crucifixion and the empty tomb and the resurrection of Christ.
”But wait!” you are probably thinking. Haven’t I said that I do not believe God causes bad things to happen? So why would he cause the crucifixion? The key to this answer lies in the word “cause”. I do not believe God caused these things to happen to Jesus, but He knew they would happen and He planned for them – to the extent that He planned for a way to use them for His purposes.
In the same way, God has thought out and planned for every minute of your life – and mine! So when your family moves to a new town in your senior year and you have to make a whole new set of friends, God is not punishing you. He is opening doors for you to grow as a person and expand your circle of friends and experiences. When your grandmother gets Alzheimer’s and doesn’t recognize you any more, God is not being mean. He knew this would happen, and He planned ways for you to learn patience in caring for your grandmother. And He may have given you an opportunity to become involved in groups that provide support or awareness about Alzheimer’s.
We have to start recognizing that God has plans for us… and as we learned in Jeremiah 29:11, they are good plans. So when bad things happen, or we are hurt or disappointed or a devastating tragedy occurs, we must realize that God did not cause this to happen to us, but He knew it would take place, and He made plans to use it for His purposes – and our good - if we will let Him. Jesus got this… He knew that His suffering and torturous death were necessary in order for us to have Eternal Life. He accepted God’s plan, and am I ever glad He did! In the same way, when life doesn’t go exactly as we had planned and troubles come, we must ask God, “What do I need to do with this? How will YOU use this situation? What are YOU planning?” We must ask these questions with a sincere, humble heart, and then stand back and watch God work!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 16 ~ John 15:26
"When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes—the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father—he will confirm everything about me. You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence, since you are in this with me from the start."
"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. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788."
Have you ever had to say “Goodbye” to someone who was moving or going away for a long time, or maybe your loved one died? Do you remember how it felt – how empty you were and how alone you seemed and how gut-wrenchingly painful it may have been? Imagine if Jesus had died on the cross and gone to heaven and left us with nothing. Imagine how desperate and empty life would be.
But God knew this, and it was all part of His plan to send the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts and be our constant companion until Christ comes again. And the Holy Spirit is so all knowing and all powerful that He can even help to fill the gaps that are left when we are hurting over the loss of someone to earthly distance or even death.
Don’t miss this! The Holy Spirit lives within each of us, and He will never leave us. When you start to feel sad or lonely, call on the Holy Spirit to fill you with joy and peace. When you are overwhelmed and feeling helpless, ask the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort you. Consider the Holy Spirit your “best friend Who lives in your heart,” and share anything and everything with Him – any time or place!
How amazing it is that God would plan so completely that He even planned for a Comforter to be with us until Christ comes again! You have a Forever Friend and He will always be with you – through thick and thin. Thank God today for sending His Holy Spirit… and throw open the doors of your heart and let Him truly live in you and guide your plans and your daily living.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 15 ~ John 15:11
"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from 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. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
When you have plans for something fun or exciting, you want to share them with others, don’t you? If you get engaged and plan a wedding, you want to let your friends and family know the details. If you get accepted to the college of your choice – and even better, offered scholarships – you want to share that news. If you get sick, people will ask, “what did the doctor say?” In other words… what is the plan of treatment? If you find out you are expecting a baby (or grandbaby), you want everyone to know your plans – from which doctor will handle the delivery to what color you will do the nursery to what you will name the child! If you are changing jobs or moving to a new town, you want to let people know – and they want to know your new address, how you will execute the move, whether there is anything they can do to help, and more.
Part of loving others is sharing things with them… happy AND sad events in your life, plans for the future, important decisions. Sometimes we try to bottle things up inside and handle it all ourselves. For whatever reason, we don’t let others in, and we don’t share ourselves with others – thoughts, feelings, plans, fears, discouragements, joys, desires, frustrations, and more. And this leads to feelings of loneliness, isolation, more discouragement, and sometimes a distance from the Lord.
Jesus has clearly called us to include other people in our own lives. He has called for our plans to include time and energy for sharing with others. He has set the example by sharing His thoughts, feelings and plans with us. His plans call for us to love others, to be willing to sacrifice for them, and to find joy in the friendship.
So share your life with others. Make sure that whatever you plan, you include time and energy for friendship and sharing God’s love through fellowship with others. You will be healthier, happier, and more like Him. And as an added bonus His joy will become yours!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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