June 14 ~ Matthew 9:35-38
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!"
(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’ve been reading a series of articles in the newspaper about the tornado that devastated Atkins, Arkansas, on February 8, 2008. This killer tornado blew through our state and into Missouri, killing nearly two dozen people, and devastating many communities. In Atkins, a family of three – husband, wife and daughter – were blown from their home and into a field, where the little girl’s grandfather found their mangled and disfigured bodies. Two older ladies were blown from their mobile homes. After months of medical care and rehab, one survived… the other did not. The Union Grove Free Will Baptist Church building, only four years old, was virtually decimated.
As was the case throughout the state, the people of Atkins stood before the rubble and they were confused and aimless. They wondered how on earth they would ever heal bruised and hurt lives, broken hearts, and what was left of their homes and businesses. A year later, the town looks much different. New homes stand where many were leveled. The church building has been reconstructed. Bodies are healing, and those who grieve are finding ways to cope.
How is this possible? Harvest hands! There were those who led the way, like the Pastor Dave Bishop of the Union Grove Free Will Baptist Church that was hit so hard. But it took everyone pulling together to get this community back on its feet. Each person had to do his/her part to offer encouragement, support, physical assistance, and more. From the first chainsaw on the scene to the last dollop of potato salad at a church workday, everyone had to come together to see this to a productive end.
Could Jesus have waved His hands and cared for every need of the crowds he faced? For sure! Could Jesus restore a community after a tornado… or an individual after his/her own personal “storms?” Absolutely! But He wants us to do this (under His power, of course!)… He has given us a great example… and now He wants us to follow it. He wants us to minister to those in need and to report Kingdom news – He wants us to share His love with others and serve as His vessel to heal hurt and bruised lives. The “harvest” is huge… and it won’t get done unless we do it. The question is… are you ready to do your part? Do YOU have “harvest hands?”
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 13 ~ Matthew 8:16-17
That evening a lot of demon-afflicted people were brought to him. He relieved the inwardly tormented. He cured the bodily ill. He fulfilled Isaiah's well-known sermon:
He took our illnesses,
He carried our diseases.
(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.)
Can you imagine being sick and going to the doctor and he/she said, “You have a terrible illness. Meet Joe… we’re going to transfer your illness to him and he will carry it for you.” Suppose you had a terminal disease – one that was painful and ravaged the body – and the doctor said, “Your mom has agreed to take your disease and carry it so you won’t have to.” This meant that your mother would suffer – and ultimately die – for YOU! How would you feel? What if a family member or a friend you love dearly – or a pet – could take your pain and suffering – your heartache and your fears – and your sins… and carry them in your place… would you want them to do this? Would you feel tremendous heartache at the though of what this person would endure for you? Would you be humbled and grateful… or relieved, in a way?
Do you know that JESUS does exactly this for each of us? He was wounded and beaten and crucified for our burdens, our diseases, our pain and heartache, and yes… our sins. He took it ALL upon His shoulders and said, “Let me have this.”
If Jesus took all of this from us, why do we still have heartache, physical suffering, and more? Partly, we still have these things because we refuse to give them to Jesus. We refuse, even subconsciously, to say, “I can’t do this on my own – please help me.” As for physical suffering, I truly believe that we are allowed this sometimes in order to bring us closer to God. BUT, with every fiber of my being, I believe we ARE healed… eventually… sometimes not until we are in heaven… but we ARE healed of diseases and physical afflictions by our loving, merciful Savior.
I cannot imagine the love and compassion of Jesus. I cannot fathom a love so deep that He would take all of my cares and burdens and sicknesses upon Himself. There have been times when we may have said to someone else, “I wish I could take that for you.” But when push comes to shove, I wonder how many of us would really do it? But you know what? There ARE burdens we can share… grief, sadness, despair, loneliness. We can help those who are sick or in need… we can EASE their burdens, even when we can’t remove them. And that’s a good place to start! We are NOT Jesus… we can never take upon ourselves all that He does. But we can imitate Him to the best of our ability… we can show compassion and His love to others. Look around… see who needs you… and do what you can to help. Say in words and actions… “I’ve got this for you!”
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 12 ~ Matthew 8:3-4
Jesus 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."
(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 mother likes to say, “Love is an action, not a feeling.” Her point is that, in essence, “talk is cheap.” It is easy to say you love someone or something, but it is altogether another thing to show love – to act in a loving manner.
In one way or another, we are all Spiritual “lepers.” We are all covered with sins that blister and disfigure our souls. Jesus wants to touch us – to heal us. And when He does, it just isn’t enough to TELL others what He has done. We have to show them! How do we do this? We do our best to act like Jesus. We minister to others, we care for their needs, listen to them, encourage them, pray for them. We demonstrate patience and mercy.
When someone says something unkind to us or treats us unfairly, we should react kindly and with grace. When others are ungrateful for our generosity, we should continue to give. We should celebrate the joys and highs of others’ lives, and we should mourn the lows and the losses. How do you really know someone loves you? This is measured in actions, not words. How do others know Jesus has blessed you? They will know because you will extend those blessings to them!
Are you bearing witness to what Jesus has done for you? Are you compassionate and caring toward others – even the “unlovely” and the “lepers” you encounter in life? If you truly want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, you are going to have to be a person of action. Thank God for His healing in your own life… and get busy caring for others in His name!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 11 ~ Isaiah 63:7-9
I'll make a list of God's gracious dealings,
all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished, love extravagant.
He said, "Without question these are my people,
children who would never betray me."
So he became their Savior.
In all their troubles, he was troubled, too.
He didn't send someone else to help them.
He did it himself, in person.
Out of his own love and pity he redeemed them.
He rescued them and carried them along
for a long, long time.
(Scripture 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 fall, a dear friend of mine who is in her 90’s had back surgery. Jean and her husband Jim (who is also in his 90’s) have no children – and precious few relatives who live nearby. An ambulance took Jean to Little Rock for her surgery, where her niece was waiting stay with her through the hospitalization. Meanwhile, physically and emotionally drained from caring for her at home, Jim stayed behind. Dealing with Jean’s suffering and constant pain had taken its toll on him, and he was not up to making the trip.
I saw Jim in Wal-Mart a day or so before Jean’s surgery. I offered to come by and keep him company while Jean was in the operating room. He politely declined… “Oh, that’s not necessary, I’ll be fine,” but quickly, he added… “but if you want to stop by, I’d love a visit!” That was my cue. I spoke with Ms. Peggy, a fellow church member who visits many people each week, and I made sure she and members of the church staff were aware of this situation. Ms. Peggy said, “I’m going over there right away and take food, and I will go back on surgery day.”
I have to be honest… “surgery day” was already a busy one for me, and I was sorely tempted to renege on my promise to visit Jim. “Let Ms. Peggy handle this,” I thought to myself. I knew full well that Ms. Peggy’s day would be even busier than mine already, and I was a little ashamed. “Ms. Peggy is in her 80’s. If she can visit several people each day and accomplish a host of other things, why can’t I stop by and sit with Jim for awhile?” In the end, I did go to see Jim, and we had a wonderful visit. I asked him questions about his career as a commercial airline pilot and all of the cities in which he and Jean, a former nurse, had lived. And Ms. Peggy went by, too, of course… just as she had promised. Jean’s surgery went well, and she is recovering nicely. And I feel certain that I got a far bigger blessing from that visit than anyone else.
How often do we say (if only to ourselves)… “That’s not my problem.” How often do we think, “Let someone else do that!” I know we are all busy. I know we all have our own issues and agendas. But honestly, what if Jesus looked at us and said, “That’s not my problem.” What if Jesus looked at you and said, “He/she will just have to wait – I have to tend to So-and-So today instead.” I could have sent someone else – I could have depended on Ms. Peggy to handle this – but thankfully, I didn’t.
Who needs your attention today? Who needs to hear from you via e-mail or a phone call – who needs a visit or a hug? Who is sick or hurting or lonely and simply needs to know that you care? Are you depending on someone else to help them, or are you serving as Jesus’ hands and feet today? We make time for all sorts of things that don’t amount to a hill of beans… can’t we find time today to share the love and compassion of Christ with just one other person? Will you do this yourself, in person? Or will you “send someone else?”
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 10 ~ Isaiah 53:2-6
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 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 saw him at the end of an aisle in the grocery store – this dirty, disheveled man. “Who would come into the grocery store like that?” I thought as I pushed my shopping cart toward him. And then I realized… he was a friend of mine! He lives in a very nice house in an upscale neighborhood, and he is a successful businessman! He just happened to be working in his yard that day – hence the grubby clothes and the worn out, tired look! I don’t know what he needed at the grocery store, but I’m sure he figured he would zip in and get it and no one would recognize him. I bet many shoppers may have thought he was a bum – or worse! The saddest part is that he was probably not treated very nicely because of his appearance by anyone except me – and I have already admitted to wondering about him when I first noticed him!
I’ve seen this all too often, particularly during the summer in our local stores. People come in off the lake, and they look terrible. Maybe they are camping, and maybe it’s been rainy or muddy – or dry and dusty – and they don’t look very clean. Maybe they’ve been swimming and/or boating, and they are windblown and disheveled – but they need milk or diapers or sunscreen or whatever – and they have to make a dash to the store. I’ve been there myself, and I’ve felt shoppers looking at me as if I were a bum.
Jesus was so mistreated, and He was our Savior! He took everything that was hurled at Him… He was despised and passed over… abused, tortured and turned away… and still He took on OUR sins and burdens. Every bruise and abuse and stripe of the whip was for us – for our sins. Regardless of how He was treated, Jesus showed compassion for us. The question is, do we extend compassion to others? Do we stop to think about how it feels to be treated like scum – or a bum – and remind ourselves to “snap out of it” and show some kindness? Do we “judge a book by its cover?” Would Jesus do this? Would it matter to Him who the person was – bum, scum or otherwise – and would He treat them differently?
I am throwing down a challenge. This summer, as our towns fill with tourists – swimmers, campers and other visitors - as well as local residents who may not always look their best, let’s remember that we are ALL God’s children. In His eyes, none of us is a bum or scum. Let’s be compassionate and kind toward those we encounter, regardless of how they look or the first impression they make. Let’s ask God to use us as His hands and feet to minister to others in His name – to share His love and compassion. We can’t imagine what might happen… or how God might use us. But let’s give it a shot and find out!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 9 ~ Isaiah 40:9-11
Climb a high mountain, Zion.
You're the preacher of good news.
Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem.
You're the preacher of good news.
Speak loud and clear. Don't be timid!
Tell the cities of Judah,
"Look! Your God!"
Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power,
ready to go into action.
He is going to pay back his enemies
and reward those who have loved him.
Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock,
gathering the lambs in his arms,
Hugging them as he carries them,
leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.
(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 I was a little girl of probably 6 or 7, my grandmother took me to the chicken yard at her farm one day. She selected a big, fat, white hen, and picked her up off the ground. As I watched from my perch on a ledge at the well house, she sat the hen in my lap. I held the hen close in my arms, stroked her soft feathers, and listened to her warble. Then, with no warning, my grandmother took the hen out of my lap, grabbed her by the neck, and flung her around and around wildly until the head snapped off, and the body of the chicken ran wildly around the chicken yard for a few seconds. She had “wrung the chicken’s neck” – and that hen became our dinner!
I’ve told that story many times over the years, and everyone always laughs nervously. My grandmother thought she was teaching me a valuable life lesson about how to kill a chicken. And she was by no means the only person to ever wring the neck of a chicken. Many women did this – or they chopped off their heads with an axe! Let’s face it, something has to happen before the hen gets from the chicken yard to our table!
But as I thought about this passage and how Jesus will care for His flock and gather them to His arms and nurture them, I was reminded of the chicken in my arms. And I thought… “that’s just how Satan does it! He scoops us up and strokes our egos and makes us feel all snug and safe… and then WHAM! … he destroys us! He deceives us!” Following Satan and listening to him can have serious consequences. That chicken never saw it coming - and often, neither do we, because our focus is in the wrong place!
Loving Jesus will bring a totally different result. He will lead us to good pasture. He will slay the enemy (Satan) and carry us out of harm’s way. He will “lead us out of the chicken yard” and into areas of abundance and safety.
How are we treating others? Do we deceive them like Satan, and then “wring their necks” when we are done with them? Or do we show mercy and compassion… do we love and nurture others in Jesus’ name? We have a choice… we can imitate Jesus and treat each other with honesty, love and compassion. Or, we can pretend to care when we really don’t – and in the end, we may very well end up like that chicken… running around without a head, flapping our wings, so to speak. “Look! Your God! …the Master, comes in power.” Are you focused? In Whose arms do you rest? Whose arms are you offering to others?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 9 ~ Isaiah 42:1-4
"Take a good look at my servant.
I'm backing him to the hilt.
He's the one I chose,
and I couldn't be more pleased with him.
I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life.
He'll set everything right among the nations.
He won't call attention to what he does
with loud speeches or gaudy parades.
He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt
and he won't disregard the small and insignificant,
but he'll steadily and firmly set things right.
He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped
until he's finished his work—to set things right on earth.
Far-flung ocean islands
wait expectantly for his teaching."
(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 young friend of mine posted on Facebook that going to the movie with his new girlfriend had been the highlight in what he dubbed “my sad, pitiful thing that I call a life.” Did I mention he has a flare for the dramatic?! I’m quite sure he doesn’t mean this, but a lot of people do feel exactly like this – for real! All we have to do is walk into church and sit on a pew… or push a cart through Wal-Mart… or walk down the halls at school… and we pass dozens of people with all kinds of burdens, heartaches, bruises and hurts. We pass people who feel small and insignificant… people who are unemployed, sick, lonely, homeless, hungry, and frightened. In one way or another, many of them feel their life is a sad, pitiful thing.
Isaiah foretold of One who would come to minister to just these people – and to you and me. He spoke of Jesus, who doesn’t tire out and quit. Jesus wouldn’t just sit beside us on a pew or pass us in the hall or on the potato chip aisle at Wal-Mart. He would stop and ask us how we are doing… He would make eye contact… He would LISTEN. Do we do this for others? I will tell you, I’m not the greatest at this. It’s not that I’m unfeeling but more that I am busy or preoccupied with my own thoughts and “to do list.” But what if Jesus were this way? What if He were too busy or preoccupied to notice us?
Today I challenge ALL of us to stop and notice one person we would otherwise brush past. When you say “How are you?” to someone at church or in the store, stop and hear their answer. Check body language and tone of voice. Does an “Oh, I’m okay…” response hint that this person could really use a friendly ear? Smile! Don’t just PRETEND to care – really care about at least one person today other than yourself. Remind yourself of Jesus and how you would feel if HE brushed by you (which He would never do!) and put yourself in a position to be His vessel of caring and compassion today. And THANK HIM for loving us so much and never quitting on us.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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