February 14 ~ Matthew 9:35
Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!"
Matthew 10:5
Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: "Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
(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 try to walk at least two miles every day. If the weather is nice, I like to walk outside on a trail near my house. While I am walking, I often pray. On any given day I have a long, long list of people/situations to talk to God about, and the two miles passes really fast. God reveals Himself to me during these “walking prayer sessions,” and He often steers me toward a certain train of thought. Sometimes it is those who are sick and grieving. Sometimes it is toward a personal struggle I am having. Sometimes it is toward world situations or national issues.
But the overriding theme God keeps bringing to me is the tremendous need “in my own back yard.” Sure, He wants me to care about issues that affect our nation and those in other countries. Sure, He wants me to be concerned with missions worldwide. But He also wants me to realize that there are a lot of people within our own local circle – family, friends, neighbors – who need our prayers and our ministry. You’ve heard people say, “Not everyone is called to be a missionary to Africa,” and that is so true. I think quite often we get so caught up in the “big picture” on a broad scale that we forget there are people/situations in our own little circle that need our attention.
So look around your own neighborhood. Pay attention and see what is right in front of you. Look for chances to help your family, your friends, your neighbors, your community. “Charity starts at home,” is a very true phrase… and more importantly, it is scriptural in basis. Get busy helping locally and serving God at home, and see where He leads you. This Valentine’s Day, love your neighbor and share God’s love with those who surround you.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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A valentine may play a love song for you, but God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe.
THE LORD YOUR GOD...WILL REJOICE OVER YOU WITH GLADNESS, HE WILL QUIET YOU WITH HIS LOVE, HE WILL REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING. ZEPHANIAH 3:17
A valentine may give you flowers, but God sent you the most beautiful rose of all, Jesus.
I AM THE ROSE OF SHARON, AND THE LILY OF THE VALLEYS. SONG OF SOLOMON 2:1
A valentine may take you out to dinner, but God has invited you to the most amazing feast ever given.
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE CALLED TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB. REVELATION 19:9
A valentine may bring you chocolate, but God provides you with something even sweeter, His Word.
HOW SWEET ARE YOUR WORDS TO MY TASTE, SWEETER THEN HONEY TO MY MOUTH. PSALM 119:103
A valentine may be far away, but God is always with you.
I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS. MATTHEW 28:20
A valentine may give you something, but God has given you everything.
GOD...GIVES US RICHLY ALL THINGS TO ENJOY. 1TIMOTHY 6:17
A valentine may love you for a lifetime, but God loved you before you were born and He will love you for all eternity!
YES, I LOVED YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE... WITH LOVINGKINDNESS I HAVE DRAWN YOU. JEREMIAH 31:3
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February 13 ~ Matthew 8:1
Jesus came down the mountain with the cheers of the crowd still ringing in his ears. Then a leper appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, praying, "Master, if you want to, you can heal my body."Matthew 8:3Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be clean." Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone. Jesus said, "Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done."Matthew 8:7Jesus said, "I'll come and heal 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. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Let’s say someone drinks and drives and ends up in a terrible car wreck. By all rights, they should have been killed, but miraculously, they survive. Everyone acknowledges that God must have intervened and saved this person, and surely this will be a turning point in their life. Even the person who was spared credits God for the miracle and praises Him for the rescue. But before you know it, that person is drinking and driving again. Everybody is astounded… they really thought this person had changed. But the actions speak for themselves.
Or you may know someone who was overweight and smoked and didn’t take care of themselves and suffered a massive heart attack. For awhile they stopped smoking, lost weight, and seemed to be really making an effort to take care of themselves and the gift of life God had bestowed upon them. But before you know it, you see the person, and the weight is creeping back, and they are lighting up a cigarette. You are dumbfounded. Their actions speak louder than any praise they could ever offer. They may credit God for saving their life, but they are not living in a manner that expresses their gratitude.
The most important thing I got from these scriptures was that it’s one thing to acknowledge God’s healing and blessings out loud… a sort of “look at what God has done for me!” But it is quite another to live it out in our actions and daily behavior. There is nothing wrong with telling others what God has done for you – in fact, you should be willing to share your blessings. But Jesus is telling us that it is even more important that we live it out every day in a way that is clearly evident to others.
Our miracles may not be as profound as an instant healing from leprosy or even restoration after a heart attack or car wreck, but we have all experienced “miracle” touches from God. Does it show in our lives? Can others see the change? Are we bearing witness to what He has done for us?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 12 ~ Matthew 4:23
From there he went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's kingdom was his theme - that beginning right now they were under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering. Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the "Ten Towns" across the lake, others up from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan.
(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.)
We all know that Jesus healed people of diseases and physical crippling. But did you catch what was said in the first part of this passage? It says he healed people of their diseases – AND the bad effects of their bad lives. To me, that means things like addictions, abusive and aggressive personalities, and mental illness that might cause them to behave badly. It even says, “people brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical.
Do you get this? Do you see that it doesn’t matter what is happening to you – God can heal you! If you are depressed, God can heal you. If you are angry, God can heal you! If you can’t stop gambling or drinking or doing drugs, God can heal you! If you can’t stop lying, God can heal you. If you are unkind and abusive, God can heal you! God can heal any and all afflictions. Nothing is to big or too small for Him to handle.
Take your burdens and your “ailments” to God. Ask Him to help you to heal and be restored completely. Ask for guidance to those who can help this to happen for you – medical personnel, psychologists, counselors, ministers. Use every resource God provides, and be healed today in Jesus’ name.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 11 ~ Zephaniah 3:18
"The accumulated sorrows of your exile will dissipate. I, your God, will get rid of them for you. You've carried those burdens long enough. At the same time, I'll get rid of all those who've made your life miserable. I'll heal the maimed; I'll bring home the homeless. In the very countries where they were hated they will be venerated. On Judgment Day I'll bring you back home—a great family gathering! You'll be famous and honored all over the world. You'll see it with your own eyes— all those painful partings turned into reunions!" God's Promise.
(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.)
February 5, 2008, was a day for the history books in Arkansas. A severe weather system converged on the state in the late afternoon/early evening, and over 63 tornadoes were reported. At least thirteen people were killed, and many more were injured. The property devastation from Ola to the Missouri border, and again along the eastern edge of Arkansas, is indescribable. Countless families lost everything they owned. Many stepped out from under the rubble or crawled out of basements, tubs, showers and hallways to see that nothing else was left of their home. Cars were tossed and turned. Businesses were leveled. Even hospitals were destroyed.
The next day, I began receiving e-mail bulletins from the Arkansas United Methodist Conference Ministry Team about how we could help. Disaster teams were assembled, and staging areas were established for collecting food, relief, and organizers. Our Bishop sent out a letter to remind us that we are called to more than prayer… we are called to take action in these situations… and the Arkansas Methodists were already rallying.
There was something else Bishop Crutchfield said… “We are an Easter people. We already know the way out of the tomb, out of despair, out of hopelessness. We know the way out from lives that are disrupted, and grief that seems overwhelming. We are an Easter people!” And this made me think… are we taking this to heart? Are you and I truly “Easter people” when disaster comes or tragedy strikes? Long, long ago, Zephaniah spoke a word from God that HE would take our burdens and carry them. HE would heal the maimed and bring homes to the homeless. What a promise for those in Arkansas who are hurting and devastated today! What a promise – GOD’s promise – that someday we will all be reunited as a big family, with HIM as the head of the household. No more pain and sorry will exist – GOD has promised! So take heart, think of Zephaniah 3:18 and remember you are an “Easter people” who know The Way out of despair!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 10 ~ Hosea 14:4
"I will heal their waywardness. I will love them lavishly. Everything you need is to be found in me."
(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 was talking with a friend who shared a story about her son. I don’t know the details, but apparently he made some choices that were unacceptable to her, and she told him so. It must have been really bad, because he left, and for ten years, she didn’t even know where he was. A few years ago, the son returned, and my friend said they have “made their peace.” She said, “I never stopped praying. Prayer was all I had, but it was enough.”
You see, my friend understood that God can heal waywardness. He can love lavishly. And most importantly, she understood that everything she needed was found in God. And that’s why she never stopped praying. She stayed close to God and believed that HE would heal her AND her son. She also believed that even if God did not answer in the form of a reconciliation and reunion, she would be okay… and as she told me, her son would be okay, too. That is healing. That is comfort! That level of faithfulness and resting in the comfort of the Lord is my constant goal.
What about you? Are you there yet? Do you rest in the lavish love of God, letting Him heal your waywardness and meet all of your needs? If not, isn’t it time you did?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 9 ~ Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace— a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies— and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness" planted by God to display his glory. They'll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They'll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. You'll hire outsiders to herd your flocks and foreigners to work your fields, But you'll have the title "Priests of God," honored as ministers of our God. You'll feast on the bounty of nations, you'll bask in their glory. Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, Your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever.
(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.)
My husband and I had only been married a year when a little kitten entered our lives. We named her Tigger. One year later, she had four kittens… we watched them come into the world in an old cardboard box in the living room of our little mobile home. The year was 1976, and we were college students on a strict budget. We couldn’t afford to keep all of the kittens, so we found homes for three of them. Grady and his mother, Tigger, would be our “children” for the next 15 years. After fighting a valiant battle with skin cancer, we had to have Tigger “put down” in 1990. That was our first heartbreak. If you have never owned and loved a pet, you can’t imagine how we ached and grieved. And after that, Grady flourished, because we lavished all of our love and attention onto him as our “one and only.”
Grady developed a thyroid imbalance that led to his death four years later, at the age of 19. This time, we were truly devastated and heartbroken. He was our constant companion and such a joy to both of us, and we loved him with all our hearts. We felt so alone without Grady, and to this day, we miss him and his mother… the way they would cuddle and nuzzle us, their meows and dancing when we would use the electric can opener, the way they loved to roll in the dirt and grass outside and chase birds and leaves and anything that moved. We didn’t see how we could ever love another pet as much as these… and frankly, we didn’t want to try. We sort of wallowed in our grief for awhile.
Four years later, we began to think, “what if?” What if we just went to the pound and “looked” at the kittens. No pressure – we would take our time and find just the right cat. We decided that this time, unlike our first two tiger-stripes, we wanted a black and white cat.
So one warm spring day, I stopped at the pound. There she was… a little black and white kitten sitting in a cage with a huge calico mother and four other kittens, each one a different color. This little “tuxedo cat” was cocking her head from side to side and looking at me as if to say, “whatcha lookin’ at?” I mentally chose her and went home to tell my husband that I really did want this kitten, but there was another I wanted, too. He said, “Well, why didn’t you get them?” So back I went to adopt the kittens! But the yellow and white sister kitten I wanted was spoken for, and that’s when I spotted the calico in the back of the cage, happily running on a hamster wheel. “I’ll take her,” I told the attendant, pointing to the active kitten. And that’s how we got Lucy (the tuxedo cat) and her sister Mabel (the calico).
I won’t tell you that my heart doesn’t occasionally ache for my first cats. But God blessed us with two very different, but very loving new “children” to love and adore, and our lives are rich and full because of the joy they bring us. Oh, sure, there is a LOT of fur at our house now (that’s why they call it FURniture!), but there is also a lot of laughter as the cats chase a toy, each other, or their own tails. There is comfort in knowing that every night Lucy will snuggle close to me as I sleep. There is a joy I cannot explain in watching Mabel sleep in the sunlight - her face so peaceful and perfect. God understood the heartbreak we experienced, and He comforted us… He healed us.
If God understands the heartbreak of losing a pet and comforts us in that circumstance, surely He will also understand and heal when we experience other heartbreaks. Nothing is to great or too small for God to handle. What is your heartbreak today? Are you trusting God to heal you?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 8 ~ Isaiah 53:2-5
The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on 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. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
A few years ago, a woman who worked with me was talking about someone she knew who was ill and received healing, and she quoted Isaiah 53:5 and said, “by His stripes we are healed.” Now, I had probably read this scripture and possibly even studied it in a Sunday School class, but the full impact of it had been lost on me until this day.
Isaiah is foretelling the life of Christ on earth. He is talking about how Jesus will be mistreated, even punished, bruised and beaten for our sins. He points out that God is not punishing Jesus for His failures – because He has none – but rather, God is giving our sins, our bad health, our afflictions of all kinds to Jesus, and through HIS suffering, we are healed.
Don’t miss this! God does not desire that even one of us suffer in any way, shape or form. He wants us to be happy, healthy and whole… and so He sent Jesus to bear our sins, our afflictions, our pain, and yes – our illnesses!
So the next time you or someone you know is ill, remember Isaiah 53:5 and pray. Remind God that He has promised in this scripture that “by His stripes we are healed,” and ask Him to heal you or this person in Jesus’ name. Then be faithful, be patient, and watch God work!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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