May 21 ~2 Samuel 10:12
Courage! We'll fight with might and main for our people and for the cities of our God. And God will do whatever he sees needs doing!
(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.)
Unless you have been under a rock somewhere, you have no doubt heard in recent weeks about American Idol and the hometown favorite from Conway, Arkansas, Kris Allen, who is now the 2009 American Idol! As his name was called, you could see how stunned he was. Host Ryan Seacrest asked him what he was thinking, and Kris was virtually speechless. But he managed to say, “Adam should have won.” I don’t know if I agree with that, and certainly everyone has an opinion… and some of you have made it clear that you could care less about American Idol in the first place.
But here’s the deal. Tuesday night, as the finalists sang there last three songs, the “judges” congratulated each singer, but they pretty well gave Kris Allen the “it’s been nice to know you” speech. They all but said, “You were lucky to come this far, and you’ve had your day in the spotlight. Now run along! Adam Lambert will be the next American Idol.” What they underestimated was the American public’s appreciation for this humble artist… AND… the power of the dialing and texting fingers of Arkansans and others! AT&T says Arkansas made 38 million calls to American Idol on Tuesday night! If that isn’t fighting for our “hometown boy,” I don’t know what is!
I've seen posts on the internet where some have praised God for this result. And certainly, God’s hand is upon Kris Allen. But I don’t know that His hand is upon Adam Lambert and the other contestants any less. God knows their futures as well… and I am convinced God has something else in store for each of them – and maybe something even bigger and better than becoming the American Idol. God will do whatever He sees needs doing… even if it means causing one person to win American Idol over another so that the “loser” can accomplish His plans.
Meanwhile, this is one example of how the courage and perseverance of a group of people who are willing to fight (or phone and text) for one of their own can pay off. If we supported each other as Christians in our daily living even half as well as we have supported Kris Allen, imagine the possibilities! Imagine what we could accomplish for the Kingdom of Heaven if we fought for each other like many of us fought for Kris Allen to win this contest. What if we talked about God as often on Facebook, Twitter, and other message boards, like we have AI for the last several weeks? God could still do whatever He sees needs doing… but He would have so many more options if we were fighting courageously to support and encourage each other – and to bring others to know Him for themselves.
American Idol is over for this season. But our work as Christians is just beginning. My challenge for each of us is to put as much time, energy, and effort into fighting for our brothers and sisters in Christ – and those yet to know Him – as we have given to this contest and our “kick awesome” hometown boy. Will you do it? Are you in ready to roll up your sleeves and jump in with both feet?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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May 20 ~ 1 Samuel 4:6-9
Then they learned that the Chest of God had entered the Hebrew camp. The Philistines panicked: "Their gods have come to their camp! Nothing like this has ever happened before. We're done for! Who can save us from the clutches of these supergods? These are the same gods who hit the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues out in the wilderness. On your feet, Philistines! Courage! We're about to become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they have been slaves to us. Show what you're made of! Fight for your lives!"
(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 the “tornado sirens” sound in your town, how do you feel? Does your heart pound a little faster? Do you panic and head for a safe room or hide in the bath tub under a mattress? Do you pray? Recently I watched a video taken by a “storm chaser” who got too close to a tornado. Debris was pounding his windshield, and he realized he was in imminent danger. He made comments to the effect that “This is not good – we are in trouble!” The brunt of the tornado headed right for him… and he began to pray, “Oh, God! Oh, God! Help us!”
The man was able to get out of the storm, obviously… and I believe that God did help him! And often, when the “storms of life” are bearing down on us, we do just what he did… we pray, “Oh, God! Oh, God! Help us!” But we shouldn’t be waiting for a storm or a crisis. We should be calling on God for strength and courage – and protection – each and every day. We should be paying attention to His hand in our lives – even the most mundane things – and recognizing His presence and power.
We do not have to become slaves to our “storms.” We have a Savior who died for us so that we could LIVE… we have a God who loves us and wants to be our protector and defender in everything. It’s time we recognize Him… it’s time we acknowledge His power and His love. It’s time we started living in Christ Jesus with strength and courage to weather any – and all – storms!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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May 19 ~ Joshua 10:25
Joshua told them, "Don't hold back. Don't be timid. Be strong! Be confident! This is what God will do to all your enemies when you fight them."
(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 sister was little, she was shy. My parents and grandparents referred to her as “bashful.” My sister had more talent in her little finger at 3 and 4 years old than many people have at 33 or 44! She had the tiniest fingers, but they could fly across a piano or organ like those of someone many times her age. My mother taught piano lessons, and she always held an annual recital. From the time we were able to climb upon the piano bench, my sister and I were part of those recitals. I dutifully played a little piece about a froggie and sang a song called “I’m a Lonely Little Petunia in the Onion Patch” while wearing – don’t laugh – a hat made out of crepe paper that resembled a petunia!
But my “bashful” sister was urged onto the stage to perform her piece, and while she did walk out and sit at the bench, she did not play. She politely climbed up onto the bench – and then she climbed down… not a note was sounded from the piano! Now, since she was only two or three at the time, this was quite funny – and excusable. She was not old enough to understand that every person in the audience loved her dearly and supported her and was anxiously awaiting her little masterpiece. She didn’t understand that they would have appreciated her efforts and loved her, regardless of how well she performed. All she knew was that she was not comfortable “out there” – she did not want to be there, she didn’t like it, and she was not staying!
Are we like this with God? When He equips us with the abilities and wisdom for a task that frightens us or intimidates us, do we say, “Whoa, wait a minute! I’m out of my comfort zone, and I’m not staying!”? Do we take a few steps forward and then retreat? Don’t we know that God is with us, cheering us, encouraging and strengthening us for whatever task He has given us? Don’t we know that even our worst effort, if done faithfully and with a willing spirit, will please God and be fortified by Him? We don’t need to fear anything – failure, messing up, falling short, ridicule, and more. Pleasing God is all that matters, and any time we do what He calls us to do in total humility and service to Him, our efforts are blessed and bring honor to His name.
There is really no room in Christianity for “bashfulness” or timidity. If God calls us to it, He will take us through it… and He will equip us with the strength and courage we need for the task. So be strong, take courage, and get going! Remember that God is on our side… we have nothing to fear.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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May 18 ~ Joshua 1:16-18
They answered Joshua: "Everything you commanded us, we'll do. Wherever you send us, we'll go. We obeyed Moses to the letter; we'll also obey you - we just pray that God, your God, will be with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who questions what you say and refuses to obey whatever you command him will be put to death. Strength! Courage!"
(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.)
In our church newsletter last week, Bro. Tommy Toombs sent a letter to the members of our congregation. In the letter, he explained that God is sending him to our church as pastor in late June. God has commissioned Bro. David to move to Stuttgart to lead the Methodist congregation there. Bro. Tommy stressed that there will be changes… that no two people lead the same way. He will not do things exactly as Bro. David, nor will every member of the church like all of his methods and any changes he may make.
As in this passage from Joshua, the key issue here is not the changes and contrasts between two pastors – or how we feel about their methods and ministry styles. The KEY is that God, OUR God, is using both of these men. Really, that’s all we need to know. Because if God has called them to serve – if God is working in and through them – our role as Christians and fellow church members is easy and clear. We are to work beside them, follow their lead, pray for them, and share in their ministry, because it is GOD’s ministry.
This is a good time for each of us to stop and search our hearts and spend time with God and ask him, “Where are you sending me? What are you commanding me to do?” and to ask for the strength and courage to accomplish whatever He has in store for us. Strength! Courage! God IS with us, and His gifts of strength and courage are ours. With Him, all things are possible – it is up to us to seek His will and obey His commands. My prayer is that we will do just that… and that we will live fully in the strength and courage of our Lord in the days ahead.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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May 17 ~ Joshua 1:6-9
Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed. Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take."
(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 mom’s dog, Spot, is a 53-lb. boxer mix. She walks him each day (or does he walk her?!) and they travel pretty much the same route around the older neighborhoods of Heber Springs. But let Spot see a cat, and all bets are off! He gets completely off track – left AND right – and he ends up going anywhere but where my mother intended! Any time Spot is “on his own” outside, it is something of a disaster and we never know where he will end up!
Aren’t we like Spot? When we get distracted or have an opportunity to veer off course, we tend to head out in the wrong direction. And more often than not, the results are less than stellar, if not downright disastrous! We fail to stay focused on our Master and His direction for us… the path He has placed before us. And just like Spot and my mom, no matter how hard God “tugs at the leash,” sometimes we just have to have things our way, and we bolt ahead into the wilderness!
We need to stay focused. We need to ponder and meditate on God and His word night and day. We need to keep our thoughts and our heart on a “short leash.” This will keep us strong and encouraged… and on the right course. And God will be with us each step of the way.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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May 16 ~ Deuteronomy 31:23
Then God commanded Joshua son of Nun saying, "Be strong. Take courage. You will lead the People of Israel into the land I promised to give them. And I'll be right there with 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.)
A few weeks ago, my husband and I climbed Sugar Loaf one afternoon. When we got to “Fat Man’s Squeeze” at the base of the rock formation, I looked up at the steep, slippery crevice and considered how I would navigate it. “What is wrong with me?” I thought. “When I was a kid, I bounded up this gap like it was no big deal.” Now granted, my hip and knee joints are decades older, and I did suffered a fall two years ago that resulted in an ankle break and serious ligament damage. So maybe I have reason to be “gun shy” now. But still, I could do this.
“Be strong. Take courage,” I told myself…not in those exact words, but in the same spirit. Better still, my husband was wonderfully supportive. “Take your time,” he said, “I’m right here. I’ll help you. You can do this – you’re doing fine!” And slowly but surely, I made it to the top – and back down again – all in one piece!Every day we face obstacles and challenges. Every day we wonder, “Can I do this? Can I handle that? What will happen?” And every day, God is right there with us, offering support and encouragement… in essence saying, “Be strong. Take courage.” With His help, we can make it to the top of any mountain… and back down again safely. With God, all things really are possible. Be strong! Take courage! God is right there with you!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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May 15 ~ Deuteronomy 31:7
Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.”
(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 can remember times when I was a child, and I overheard conversations between my parents or other adults, and their talk worried me. I remember in particular when dear friends of my parents divorced, and I wondered if my parents would do the same. They assured me that divorce was not “contagious!” I remember being afraid when storms came and depending on my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to keep my siblings and me safe.
Now that I am an adult, others are depending on me for things… maybe not safety, per se, but I do have people who are counting on me for certain things. And some of these things are hard, or at the very least, challenging. They take stamina and courage – and strength… and I’ll be honest, some days I feel pretty pitiful on my own! Thankfully, though, I am never alone. God is always with me, and He will not let me fail! He will give me strength and courage, and I know that I can do ANYTHING that is asked of me when God is in charge.
Others are counting on you for many things. You may not be called to deliver your people into a foreign land and divide it among them, but you will face challenges and obstacles in life. And God will give you strength and courage, even when you feel like you have none of your own. Others are counting on you, but so is God… and if He takes you to it, He will take you through it. Be strong and courageous! God is on our side!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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