November 22 ~ Psalm 139:13-16
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.
(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 seen the Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life? In this movie, George Bailey gets a chance to see what life would be like in his home town, Bedford Falls, if he had never been born. His guardian angel, Clarence, takes him around the town, and he gets to observe people he knows – his parents and family members, his wife and children (although they are not HIS wife and children, since he was never born!), and the people who live and work in Bedford Falls.
Can you imagine what it would be like to know everything about someone even before they were born… to see it spread out before you and to be able to see every single minute of every day, from before conception to death and into eternity? I can’t even begin to wrap my brain around that! But that is just exactly how it is for God… and not for just you and me, but for all of His children, past, present and future. It’s mind boggling, isn’t it? And yet, with all of that to do, God took time to shape and form each of us perfectly. He took time and energy to create each of us uniquely and with purpose… and to know us inside and out!
We will never be that special to anyone else… EVER! And honestly, that is what makes our relationship with God so wonderful… it is beyond comparison… 100% unique! So now that I’ve reminded you how special you are, don’t you feel better? Thank God today for loving you like no other could… and for making you so marvelously breathtaking!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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November 21 ~ Psalm 139:7-12
7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you're there!
If I go underground, you're there!
If I flew on morning's wings
to the far western horizon,
You'd find me in a minute—
you're already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
At night I'm immersed in the light!"
It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
When my nieces and nephews were babies, one of our favorite games to play was what we called “Peep-eye.” It’s a silly little game, but you cover the baby – or yourself with a blanket, and then say, “Where did Johnny go? Where’s Johnny?” And then one of you pulls the blanket away and yells, “Peep-eye!” Usually the baby laughs and thinks this is funny and wants to do it again right away. As children get older, they enjoy playing “Hide and Seek.” It is always funny to watch children hunker down in a spot that is clearly visible to the seeker, yet they firmly believe they are so well hidden that nobody will EVER find them!
Imagine how God must laugh sometimes when we try to hide from Him. There may also be times when He is not so amused that we are trying to hide. Certainly He was not amused when Adam and Eve tried to hide from Him in the Garden of Eden after they had sinned. And honestly, THAT story alone should have been lesson enough to us that we can never hide from God. But still we try, it seems.
It’s time to put away the childish games and stop trying to hide from God. We can’t in the first place, and all we do is look even more foolish. There is no place we can hide from God, and quite frankly, why would we want to? Remember, our lives are like an open book to Him… He knows EVERYTHING! And still He loves us. So come out of the dark, pull away the blanket, and be real with God. He’s waiting to love us and bless us, and all we are doing with our antics is wasting precious time and energy. Wherever “there” is… God is already waiting! Run to Him now… and snuggle up in His arms.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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November 20 ~ Psalm 139:1-6
1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I'm an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I'm never out of your sight.
You know everything I'm going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can't take it all in!
(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 sister is studying at ASU-Heber Springs/Searcy to get her AA degree in Medical Records & Health Information Technology. She is into the “core” coursework now, and she is learning a lot of information in a short period of time – and she has a lot of tests. In one course, her tests are “open book.” I think it is a “coding” course, where she learns the various codes for filing insurance claims. She says the information is so complex that there would be no way to test on it from memory.
Now, just because the tests are “open-book” doesn’t mean that they are easy. The information IS there, but you have to know where to look and how to find it… and this has to be done in a timely manner!
Imagine how we appear before God. Not only is our life an “open book,” and not only does He have all of the answers at His disposal, but God knows exactly where to look and how to find them! He is always on time. We look behind, and He is there… up ahead, and He is there. We meet Him coming and going!
In Wm. Paul Young’s novel, The Shack, the lead character is reminded that even when we don’t “see” or “feel” God with us, He is still there. We would do well to remind ourselves more often of this. The world might not seem as scary sometimes! God has all of the facts… and He is still with us! It does seem too wonderful to take in, but do just that! Enjoy the fact that you are never out of His sight. Let that wash over you like a warm snuggly blanket and fill you with encouragement and joy. God KNOWS us… and He stuck around anyway! Now THAT is worth celebrating!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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November 19 ~ Psalm 138:7-8
7-8 When I walk into the thick of trouble,
keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
With one hand
strike my foes,
With your other hand
save me.
Finish what you started in me, God.
Your love is eternal—don't quit on me now.
(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 couldn’t help but think of some of the “action hero movies” when I read this passage. You know the ones, where the hero is slaying dangerous characters on all sides. He looks to his left and takes out one villain as another rises on his right, and he spins to destroy that one… just as another lunges at him from behind. And he never loses his cool. To him it’s “all in a day’s work” as he makes the world safe for the “good guys” once again.
Think about your own life. Think about the troubles that come at you every day on all sides. You probably feel like some days all you do is put out one “fire” after another. You sleep through the alarm and grab a cup of coffee on the way out the door, sloshing it as you go… then the car is hovering near “Empty” and you hope you have enough gas to get to work or school. Then somebody creeps along ahead of you on the roadway, and another cuts ahead of you in the parking lot and takes “your” spot… and you’ve not even really begun your day!
Now imagine that in each of those situations, God – our Ultimate Hero – is “slaying the dragon” at every turn. God nudges you and wakes you and sends you to the shower. God keeps you from spilling coffee all down the front of your shirt – or the car seat. God gets you to work on the fumes from an almost-empty tank of gas and to the gas station afterward. God helps you make it on time, even though the person ahead of you on the highway seems to be taking his/her own sweet time. God helps you find another parking spot and clock in on time or slide into your desk before the bell rings! With one hand, God slays your “foes” and with the other, He saves you!
We are so in our own little “zone,” and we miss most of the blessings God sends our way each day. Most of us are definitely anything but spiritually awake and alert! Oh, we recognize the “angry turmoil” alright. We know when the enemies rear their ugly heads… and we sure want God to be with us then! But when He does rescue us and save us – even from ourselves – do we recognize His presence? Do we stop to thank Him for all of the tiny, seemingly insignificant things He does every day for us that keep us “between the lines?” God NEVER quits on us, but I’m afraid we quit on Him pretty frequently. But we can do better… and we can start now! Give God praise and glory today for EVERYTHING HE does for you… thank Him for being the Ultimate Superhero… and stay mindful of His power in every moment of your life!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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November 18 ~ Psalm 138:4-6
4-6 When they hear what you have to say, God,
all earth's kings will say "Thank you."
They'll sing of what you've done:
"How great the glory of God!"
And here's why: God, high above, sees far below;
no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.
(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.)
Last month, the weather was just right for seeing beautiful full “harvest moons” for about a week. At that time, my mother was in Maine, while I was in Arkansas. And yet, as we exchanged e-mails, we both commented on the beauty of that moon. The same moon that beamed brightly in Bar Harbor, Maine, was beaming in Heber Springs, Arkansas, just an hour or so later. The same moon that beamed on both of us, also beamed down on soldiers in the Middle East and our little boy Kodjo in Ghana.
Even more amazing, God saw all of this. He knew exactly when the moon would rise in our area – and what we would be doing when it appeared on the horizon. The same God who watches over me in Arkansas is watching over my friends in Iraq and Afghanistan, our foster child in Africa, and all the stars in the universe! To think that God knows every thing that has happened, is happening, and will happen in the future – to each and every one of us – is absolutely mind boggling to me. And yet the Bible tells us that it is so – and I know it in my heart.
How can we not be thankful? In this season of Thanksgiving, with the actual holiday only a few days away, how can we not reflect on the vastness of God… the greatness of His glory… and be thankful? God IS high above. He DOES see far below… and He DOES know everything. Sing of what He has done – and what He will do in the future. Give thanks to the Lord, for He IS good!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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November 17 ~ Psalm 138:1-3
1-3 Thank you! Everything in me says "Thank you!"
Angels listen as I sing my thanks.
I kneel in worship facing your holy temple
and say it again: "Thank you!"
Thank you for your love,
thank you for your faithfulness;
Most holy is your name,
most holy is your Word.
The moment I called out, you stepped in;
you made my life large with strength.
(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.)
Remember that “trampling boot” we read about in Psalm 136? It’s hard to be thankful when you feel it looming largely over our heads, isn’t it?! But you know what? That is when we need to be the most thankful! That is when we need to humbly, sincerely bow in worship and thank God for His love and faithfulness. “You’ve got to be kidding!” you may be saying... “We should be MOST thankful when we’re in the shadow of a ‘trampling boot?’” Yes!
Read the last verse again… “The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength.” When things look the worst – when it seems as if there is no way out – God steps in and makes life large with strength! Now if THAT doesn’t deserve our thanks, nothing will. “Everything in me says “Thank You!” to God… most holy is His name!”
©2008 Debbie Robus
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November 16 ~ Psalm 136:23-26
23-26 God remembered us when we were down,
His love never quits.
Rescued us from the trampling boot,
His love never quits.
Takes care of everyone in time of need.
His love never quits.
Thank God, who did it all!
His love never quits!
(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 am not sure who, in particular, this passage is for today, but I am quite sure it is for all of us in general. Maybe you are facing illness – your own or someone else’s. Maybe you have lost a loved one and feel hopeless and alone. Maybe you are challenged at school with a heavy course load, tests out the ears, and pressure to bring home good grades at the end of the semester. Maybe you are deployed overseas and anticipating your return stateside – and praying you stay safe and make it back in one piece. Maybe you are struggling at work – or maybe you have even lost your job. At the very least, you may be worried about bills, the economy, your health and health care coverage, your kids, your parents, your spouse, or your church. It may feel like you are standing under a giant trampling boot that is ready to come down on your head at any minute. If everything is hunky-dory in your world today, just wait… Satan will not leave you alone and happy for long!
Sound pessimistic? It would be… except for one thing… God’s love never quits! He will rescue us from the “trampling boot.” He will take care of our every need. When we are down, God will lift us. His love never quits.
Whatever you are facing today… whatever your “trampling boot,” picture God on the other side. He’s not pushing it down toward you – he is lifting it up and holding you clear of it! He is rescuing us in ways great and small each and every day. Stop and thank Him for such amazing love and care. God’s love never quits… we couldn’t ask for more than that!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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November 15 ~ Psalm 136:4-22
4-22 Thank the miracle-working God,
His love never quits.
The God whose skill formed the cosmos,
His love never quits.
The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations,
His love never quits.
The God who filled the skies with light,
His love never quits.
The sun to watch over the day,
His love never quits.
Moon and stars as guardians of the night,
His love never quits.
The God who struck down the Egyptian firstborn,
His love never quits.
And rescued Israel from Egypt's oppression,
His love never quits.
Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand,
His love never quits.
Split the Red Sea right in half,
His love never quits.
Led Israel right through the middle,
His love never quits.
Dumped Pharaoh and his army in the sea,
His love never quits.
The God who marched his people through the desert,
His love never quits.
Smashed huge kingdoms right and left,
His love never quits.
Struck down the famous kings,
His love never quits.
Struck Sihon the Amorite king,
His love never quits.
Struck Og the Bashanite king,
His love never quits.
Then distributed their land as booty,
His love never quits.
Handed the land over to Israel.
His love never quits.
(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’ve just come through a heated political election, where barbs and accusations were tossed back and forth as each party presented the qualifications and attributes of its candidates. In this Psalm, the writer is listing the attributes of God… all of the things He has done on our behalf. Throughout the campaign, each party presented lists of promises and programs that were supported by the particular candidate and his/her party. Pundits noted from the outset that all of these would not be fulfilled. There were arguments and discussions along the lines that each candidate’s agenda would be altered if elected – that the “real world” would merit some changes and adjustments. And ultimately, either candidate would have to face the possibility that some of their ideas and plans would have to be squelched.
Am I ever glad God is not running for office! God’s promises are sure! God NEVER quits – never backs down – never adjusts His program to fit society or the workings of a government. God always does what He says… He does not answer to congressmen and women or the public – or certainly the media! If God says He will do it, it gets done! God’s love is not conditional. It doesn’t matter if the economy is right or our allies agree or global warming is changing our environment. God still loves us! He still works on our behalf! His love NEVER quits!
I completely understand that politics are fickle. I know that there are promises made by ALL politicians that will never become law. I know there are programs that will be watered down and policies I don’t like – amendments and laws I didn’t approve and officials I didn’t elect! And in the scheme of our democracy, I can live with all of these things – or work to help effect a change. But when it comes to GOD and HIS promises, I can’t accept waffling… and thankfully I don’t have to! Dr. Seuss’s Horton said it best in Horton Hears a Who…”I meant what I said and I said what I meant… an elephant’s faithful one hundred percent.” I don’t know about elephants… but I know about God… and if He says it, He means it… God’s love NEVER quits!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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