November 14 ~ 1 Chronicles 29:16-17
Our LORD God, we have brought all these things for building a temple to honor you. They belong to you, and you gave them to us. But we are happy, because everyone has voluntarily given you these things. You know what is in everyone's heart, and you are pleased when people are honest.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Have you ever gone to church on Sunday when you would rather have stayed home? But you went to church anyway, thinking all the while you wished you were home, still in bed or sipping coffee and reading the Sunday newspaper. I’m not saying that anytime we wake up on Sunday and wish we could sleep in, we should skip church. But when we go to church wishing we were somewhere else, God knows what is in our heart. So maybe I am suggesting an “attitude adjustment” is in order on our part?
When we give to the church or charities or make any donation, and we do it because “it’s the thing to do,” or our friends are giving - or we feel obligated in any way - God knows our heart. When we pretend to be nice to people but talk about them behind their backs, God sees our heart. When we act one way in front of some people and another when they aren’t around, God sees this.
God knows our heart. He knows when we do things out of love and a desire to serve and honor Him. He sees when we are genuinely kind to others… when we give generously out of a desire to help others… when we strive to be moral and upright out of respect for Him – and for ourselves. And this pleases Him immensely.
Doesn’t it seem a little preposterous to think that God wouldn’t know our heart? Doesn’t it seem phony and disrespectful to try to pretend to Him that we feel one way when He knows good and well our feelings are the opposite? Do we really want to please God? Isn’t being honest and showing Him a genuine heart a good place to start? Open up to God and share your true self… He knows already, but He will be so pleased when you are real with Him. When you honor God and respect your relationship with Him in this manner, you be blessed with joy and satisfaction in knowing you did the right thing.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 13 ~ 1 Chronicles 16:10
Celebrate and worship his holy name with all your heart.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
We have no trouble cheering and celebrating when the home team wins a football game. Pretty well everybody in Arkansas and several surrounding states knows how to “call the Hogs!” Little girls (and a few not-so-little ones) go ga-ga over Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift… and people line up for days to see the American Idol tour. We “celebrate with all our heart” at these events and others.
But when we think of God, do we celebrate as fervently? Do we feel so excited and genuinely ecstatic that we want to jump for joy in our heart, if not with our physical body? When we worship, are we totally in the moment, forgetting everything from what we will do after church service to the pot roast we left in the oven to the friends we hung out with the night before?
Doesn’t God deserve better?
Let’s make an effort to give God the celebration and worship He deserves. I’m not saying we have to jump up and shout – or even wiggle our big toe! But let’s focus totally on Him when we pray, read the Bible, or gather together for a worship service. Let’s celebrate Him in the way we live our daily lives and demonstrate clearly to others Who we serve.
God DOES deserve better than we give Him. Let’s start making changes and truly celebrate and worship His holy name with all our heart.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 12 ~ 1 Kings 8:39
You know what is in everyone's heart. So from your home in heaven answer their prayers, according to the way they live and what is in their hearts.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Suppose you are struggling to make ends meet. There always seems to be a whole lot more month than money. But in your heart, you desire to do great things for God… to accomplish things that you cannot physically afford. If you pray about this, and pour out your desires to God, don’t you think He will figure out a way for these things to be accomplished? Let’s be more specific. Our church is having a “Shoe Box Drive” to send decorated shoe boxes filled with toys, school supplies, toiletries, and more to needy children. Sounds like a great project, right? But what if your financial situation doesn’t match your desire to participate? How can you possibly help?
I believe that in this situation, you could pray and ask God to see that enough boxes were donated. Ask Him to soften the hearts of those who can afford to pack a shoe box. This would be one example of God looking at your heart and answering according to what He finds there, rather than on what you were physically able to accomplish. The same could be said for being a prayer warrior. When you don’t feel you can do anything else, you can certainly pray for others and their needs. This shows God your heart… your desire to serve, witness and make changes in His name.
God looks at our heart… and when He sees that what we harbor there is pure and loving and obedient, He is moved… and He does move! Keep a close check on your heart and its motives… be bold and ask God for great things from the depths of your heart… then sit back and watch Him work!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 11 ~ 1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD told him, "Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts."
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Man, is this ever a hard lesson for us! We form our impressions of people in the first few seconds… and often, we don’t give them – or ourselves – a chance to decide otherwise! How many times have you met someone, and instantly you disliked something about him/her, only to find out later what a wonderful person he/she was.
Think about a coconut. On the outside, it looks pretty rough, doesn’t it! In fact, the hard, ugly brown shell is fairly impenetrable. But once you get inside, you find this wonderful milk and coconut “meat.” The heart is home to the good stuff! Imagine if God judged us by outward appearances. If God judged us by the things we said and how we looked and acted, most of us would be in pretty sad shape. Aren’t you glad He looks at the heart?
Let’s make sure our heart is right… that when God looks deep within us, He sees someone who is striving to serve Him and be obedient, even if it doesn’t always show on the outside. And let’s give others a second look. Let’s look at their heart and not make rash judgments. Surely if God judges us by our hearts, we should do the same for others. How are you evaluating others these days? Do you only see the “coconut shell” on the outside? What is in your heart?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 10 ~ 1 Samuel 12:20-24
Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid. But you must always follow the LORD and worship him with all your heart. Don't worship idols! They don't have any power, and they can't help you or save you when you're in trouble. But the LORD has chosen you to be his own people. He will always take care of you so that everyone will know how great he is.
I would be disobeying the LORD if I stopped praying for you! I will always teach you how to live right. You also must obey the LORD - you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
When you were a child, did you ever do something wrong and then hide, hoping nobody would find you and discover what had happened? Or maybe you hoped your grandparents would come along and stick up for you. If only you could find someone to be on your side and protect you from punishment and disapproval! If you are like most people, there has been at least one time in your life when you felt like you had messed things up so badly that God would never forgive you! Or maybe you feared that the “wrath of God” was about to rain down on you for your sins or misdeeds. And sometimes, in fear, we turn to people we think can help us… or worse yet, we turn to Satan. “Devil,” we say… “help me create a story to cover this. Give me an alibi… justify what I did, so that I can get out of this mess!”
The truth is, we go “looking for love in all the wrong places.” God is not standing with a whip and a chair, ready to beat us senseless for our sins. Hello! Jesus took every single one of those when He died on the cross. They are paid in full! If someone bought your lunch at a restaurant, you wouldn’t try to pay again, would you? So why do we think we have to pay over and over for the sins that Jesus bought with His own blood? This is not what God desires. All He wants is for us to love and worship Him out of the depths of our heart (that means with everything we have in us!). If we love with our whole heart, it will be harder and harder for us to sin… it just won’t feel right to us… it will go against everything we hold dear.
Our grandparents and others may be able to save us from certain troubles when we are children, but that doesn’t work well for very long. It’s time we grew up in our faith and trusted God for the promises He has given us… and loved Him with our whole heart. This is true protection and freedom… this is true safety and comfort… this is where the real blessings lie. Who has your heart today?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 9 ~ Deuteronomy 30:11-14
You know God's laws, and it isn't impossible to obey them. His commands aren't in heaven, so you can't excuse yourselves by saying, "How can we obey the LORD's commands? They are in heaven, and no one can go up to get them, then bring them down and explain them to us." And you can't say, "How can we obey the LORD's commands? They are across the sea, and someone must go across, then bring them back and explain them to us." No, these commands are nearby and you know them by heart. All you have to do is obey!
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
This is one of the hardest things for some people to grasp. How do we worship and obey a God we have never physically seen? How do we trust that what is written in the Bible is infallible… that the Bible really IS God’s word? How do we know for sure that following God’s commands will work… that this really IS the way to Heaven?
For me, this is where the heart comes into play. See, for nearly 35 years, I knew in my head that God was real and that the Bible was filled with guidance and perfect law for my life. I had heard this over and over from countless people. I had studied and prayed and attended church services and Sunday School classes. I had participated in Training Union on Sunday nights, “Bible drills,” youth classes and more.
But it wasn’t until I began to truly invite the Holy Spirit to penetrate my heart and I revisited a scripture verse… John 20:29, in which…”Jesus said, ‘Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!’" I realized that Jesus was talking about you and ME! We have never seen Him, yet we believe, so we are blessed because of our faith!
As I meditated on this thought… and internalized it, I began to understand that yes, this IS all a leap of faith, but I learned something else. I learned to look for God in ordinary and unusual places… places besides just the Bible and my prayer time. I began to see His hand in the order and circumstances of my day… and in the timing and care of His children and the events of their lives. I began to see how much God blesses those who obey Him – and how hard things are for those who don’t. This is not because God punishes, but rather because He allows us to wander aimlessly if we choose… He allows us free will.
I don’t know about you, but I want every blessing God stands ready to give me. I want to obey Him – not out of fear or concern that He won’t bless – but out of love and adoration… gratefulness for all He has given me… and a deep desire of the heart to serve Him completely. If you love someone from the depths of your heart, you understand this desire. Who deserves our heartfelt love more than God? Are His commands in your heart? Won’t you make room for them and begin living in His abundance?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 8 ~ Deuteronomy 30:10
But you must decide once and for all to worship him with all your heart and soul and to obey everything in The Book of God's Law.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
On the surface, you may be thinking… “This is an easy one… I’ve already done it!” And maybe you have – if so, God bless you! But think about it… have you truly decided to worship Him with all your heart and soul and obey His word completely? Or do you still disrespect your parents? Do you send out disrespectful messages about others via e-mail or make derogatory comments on social network sites? Do you party too much and ask forgiveness later? Do you use foul language – in person and/or on the Internet? Are you unkind and/or quick-tempered with others? What haven’t you given to God?
Last week I told you about a friend suggesting that I write about loving God with our head and our heart. We all know what the Bible says… we all know the Ten Commandments… and even the commandments of Jesus to love others as we love ourselves, and to love God with our heart, mind, soul and strength. And intellectually, we do this… and we say, “I love God with all of these things.” But deep in our heart… do we? Do we love Him enough to say, “Lord, whatever You desire from me, I’ll give you. I will live for You and love You even when it is hard, painful, or even grieves me. If I have to give up some old habits – or even my friends, I’ll do it. If I have to step out of my comfort zone and serve you by serving someone else, I will do that!
I didn’t notice in this passage anything about whether or not we like doing this, necessarily. This may come in time, but not all of the choices to follow God are easy ones. Still, we will never experience God and His plans for us – or His blessings – until we decide once and for all to worship Him completely with our heart and soul. What’s holding you back today? What else do you need to surrender to God?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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