November 30 ~ Matthew 6:19-21
Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Have you ever known people who save their “good stuff” for a special occasion… like their best pajamas, or their “nice clothes.” Meanwhile, they wear the torn, tattered and frayed stuff every day while their good clothes hang in a closet or are folded in a drawer. I have known of people who died with beautiful things still hanging in the closet with tags on them… saved for another day. I’ve known of aunts and grandmothers who kept their “good pajamas” in the drawer “in case I have to go to the hospital.” How sad to save the “good stuff” for such an occasion!
But it’s not just clothes and possessions we store up for another day. We do this spiritually, too. We work hard to make lots of money while neglecting family and friends – and God. We “live it up” and enjoy our weekends and free time and have a blast, but we don’t serve others. We will go to Tunica and gamble all weekend long, but we don’t have an extra $100 to give to missions. We store up our “treasure” on earth and neglect the things of heaven.
What does this have to do with our heart? Everything! See, what your heart truly desires is what you will have. If your heart’s desire is to make lots of money and spend it on yourself, you will work hard to do just that. If your heart is for others and serving them… sharing what you have and serving God… you will make time for those things. If your heart is about appearances rather than substance, you’ll make a good show – but have nothing to show for it!
So what is your heart’s desire? What treasures are you storing? Are they earthly and expendable, or are they heavenly and eternal? The choice is ours… what sort of “good stuff” are you saving?”
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 29 ~ Matthew 5:8
God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see him!
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
What does it mean to have a “pure heart?” If you read this passage in The Message, it says, “You're blessed when you get your inside world - your mind and heart - put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” Do you see God in the outside world? Or are you a cynic? That means you look at people or things and see what’s wrong – or what could go wrong – rather than what is right. And we all do this from time to time… some of us more than others!
Our goal should be to see good in others rather than emphasize their negative traits… to see potential in unfortunate situations instead of ranting and raving about how awful or evil something is. This is part of recognizing that we are all God’s creatures and equally precious to Him. This is also recognizing God’s power to change any and all situations.
Yes, people make mistakes and fall short of what God desired for them – and so do you and I! Yes, there is evil in the world, and life often isn’t fair. But GOD is in control… and the closer we grow to Him, the more what we rationalize in our head matches our heart. The more attuned to God we become, the more we start to see people and situations with a pure heart, full of potential for God to work. This is not being simple or naïve… this is being faithful and confident in God to handle things we cannot – both seen and unseen! This is trusting His will for our lives.
So let me ask you again… do you see God in the outside world? Do you even LOOK for Him? The first step toward developing a pure heart may very well be to change your attitude! And to do this will take time spent in prayer and Bible study – listening to and looking for GOD! We all have work to do to develop a pure heart… isn’t this a great time to begin?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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.
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November 28 ~ Jeremiah 24:7
I will give them a desire to know me and to be my people. They will want me to be their God, and they will turn back to me with all their heart.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
When I was a junior high Sunday School teacher, there were lots of Sundays when I wondered if anything that was said or done in that class registered with any in attendance. The junior high years are tough ones for a lot of kids, and they have so much racing around in their minds – and learning more about God and/or the Bible isn’t high on the radar of many! Over and over, people told me, “You’re planting seeds.” A couple of people told me, “You may never know in this lifetime what impact your leading this class had, but it did make a difference for these kids.” And I felt that, if ONE kid was touched on ONE Sunday, I had faithfully served God in this capacity.
I didn’t have to wait that long to see evidence that God spoke to kids in those classes. I still see many of those former students from time to time, and I see the how God is working in their lives. Some wandered away… but I’m not worried. I know they love God in their heart, and they will want Him to be their God in a big way someday. I know that for others, God has been an ever-present help to them through high school – and now, college. One graduating senior sent me a note and said, “I wish we could return to the days when XYZ and I were harassing you in Sunday School.” It wasn’t much of an endorsement… but I’ll take it!
You don’t have to teach junior high Sunday School to plant a desire to know God in the hearts of others. You can model faith-filled, Godly behavior in other ways. You can serve God by serving others… and make a difference in their lives – a difference that might mean whether or not they choose to follow God for themselves. YOU can plant seeds of desire for God in the hearts of others. God will do the rest.
Do your part to share God’s love with others - then be patient. Step back and watch God work. You’ll be amazed at the results. And if someone you know has wandered away from God, keep praying for them and offering encouragement. Believe that they will turn back to Him with all their heart and trust God to do the rest.
2009 Debbie Robus
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November 27 ~ Jeremiah 20:12
LORD All-Powerful, you test those who do right, and you know every heart and mind. I have told you my complaints, so let me watch you take revenge on my enemies.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Recently, a jury in Little Rock found a man guilty of the murder of news anchor Anne Pressly. Many were astounded that this man received a sentence of life in prison, rather than the death penalty. Around the same time, a man at Ft. Hood, Texas, shot and killed 13 others… and survived. I have heard more than one person say, “He should have died, too,” or “I hope he gets the death penalty.”
Please understand, I am not defending murderers. I have no patience for people who brutalize and harm others in any way, shape, or form – or murder them. But I also believe that God knows the hearts of these people… and in His time, He will deal with them. He will mete out the revenge on them that they deserve. Whether I know of it or not doesn’t matter.
So often we want to take matters into our own hands. And the danger in this is that we don’t always know what is in another person’s heart. We don’t see “the big picture” that God sees. What if a person’s life is spared from death row, and he/she is offered the plan of salvation and accepts Jesus? I read just recently about a man serving a life sentence in prison who gave his life to Christ and is now witnessing to other inmates. He knows he will die as an inmate himself, but in the meantime, he is growing the Kingdom of Heaven. Might it be that God is using a once-evil situation for His purposes now?
By all accounts, Anne Pressly “did right” and was pure in heart and mind… yet she was brutally raped and murdered. The crime against her deserves God’s revenge. But that’s the point… the revenge is God’s to give! Meanwhile, He may be able to bring about something positive from something so horrible… and that is where we have to trust Him. We serve a God of second (and third, and fourth and more) chances… and what we would wish for God to give us, we have to be willing to accept when He offers to others. Give your complaints to God – then let Him decide what to do with them.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 26 ~ Isaiah 61:3
He sent me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts. They will be called "Trees of Justice," planted by the LORD to honor his name.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
On a day when we pause to be thankful for so much, we must remember above all else to be thankful for Jesus Christ. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, He came “to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives… to comfort those who mourn.” Jesus did come to free us from the captivity of sin. He came to heal our broken hearts and comfort us – to give us new life in Him. In Isaiah 61:10, we read, “I celebrate and shout because of my Lord God.” This truly is a day to celebrate and shout – a day to be thankful for a Savior who died for us and all of the blessings and privileges we enjoy because of what He has done in our lives.
We like to name so many things for which we are thankful during this season… and that is not a bad idea, because we are rich beyond measure. But let’s remember to be thankful – first and foremost – for Jesus Christ, and a loving Heavenly Father who sent His only Son to die for our sins. We are greatly blessed – let us pause and be thankful… not only today, but always.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 25 ~ Isaiah 59:13
We have rebelled and refused to follow you. Our hearts were deceitful, and so we lied; we planned to abuse others and turn our backs on you.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Have you ever heard of a “Devil-may-care” attitude? Have you ever wanted something so badly that you said, “I don’t care what I have to do to get it!”? Have you ever known someone who pursued their dreams and desires to the extent that they were ruthlessly willing to step over others to attain them? Did you realize that we all do this to some extent? Just the other day, I was so absorbed in my grocery shopping that I reached into the meat case to select a package of bacon and stepped right in front of someone else who was there. Now I will say, I thought this person had made her selection already. But I was so “in the zone,” that I didn’t realize she actually had backed away to let me make my choices. I quickly apologized and insisted I would wait while she finished choosing her bacon!
I know… that seems like a silly example. I had to ask myself… “For even a moment, did I think my time was more important than someone else’s?” We “inadvertently” pull out in front of people in our cars, step in front of someone in line, grab the last roll at dinner without asking, say hurtful or rude things, and more. We say we didn’t mean it, but if we examine ourselves more closely, we have to admit that we were so into ourselves at that moment that we really weren’t thinking about anyone or anything else.
Soon a “harmless” incident like cutting in line becomes habit, and the devil has an opening. He will use it to harden our hearts and make us more self-serving. Before we know it, we are deliberately taking advantage of others – and proud of it! We might even brag to our friends, “I never wait in line… I make up an excuse to move ahead of the others,” or “How could he be so stupid? I just had to tell him off and let him know what I thought!” We start to feel like we are superior – even to God. We start to bend the rules and mold the Scriptures to suit our whims and justify our behavior… “Well, God didn’t really mean that!”
From time to time, we all need to examine our hearts and see how we are doing. We need to make sure we are not deceiving ourselves – or others. We need to be sure we are not bending God’s word to suit our situations and justify our sinful behavior. In all things, when God examines our heart, what does He see? This should be what motivates us each day… to make sure God is pleased with what He finds. Have you examined your heart lately?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 24 ~ Proverbs 21:2
We may think we are doing the right thing, but the LORD always knows what is in our hearts.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
Have you ever heard someone say about another person, “He/she just has such a good heart.” You know how I love Andy Griffith. Have you seen the episode where Barney wants to sing with the choir, but his voice is terribly off-key. But he has such a good heart, and nobody wants to hurt his feelings, so Andy and the choir cook up a scheme for Barney to sing into a “super-sensitive microphone” while a more adept singer actually performs for him from behind the curtain. Poor Barney even tries to help the choir director find the person who is singing off-key, totally unaware HE is the culprit. And when he hears the beautiful voice coming from the better singer, he thinks HIS voice actually sounds better in this special microphone. It’s a tangled web of deception – all created in the name of saving Barney’s feelings and protecting his heart.
So often we do all sorts of dances and gyrations to convince ourselves that what we are doing is the right thing – and that God will understand – when truly, we know better. Barney and Andy’s little dance may have been harmless enough, but in the end, Barney found out the truth. And isn’t that always the way? The old adages that “the truth WILL come out” and “honesty is the best policy” are both solid pieces of advice!Here are a few examples of thinking you are doing the right thing, when God is looking at your heart and your motives:
- You’re at a party where underage teens are drinking, but because you aren’t drinking, you think it is okay to stay at the party.
- You are in a store with someone who is shoplifting. You don’t shoplift, but you don’t call your friend on it, either. Your justification is that you didn’t do anything illegal… and you don’t want to make your friend mad by saying anything.
- You let your underage kids have a party at your house and you allow them to consume alcohol. You rationalize that because you keep all of the kids there and nobody is driving, it’s okay.
- You use your friend’s handicapped parking permit to claim a prime parking space when you go grocery shopping. Your justification is that you’re a senior citizen and you are entitled. Besides, there weren’t any other spaces available near the store.
- You help yourself to pens, paper, paper clips, and more from your place of employment and take them home. The business has plenty, and no more than they pay you, you feel you are entitled to these “bonuses.”
- You cover for your friend who is cheating on his/her significant other because you don’t want to get caught in the middle or hurt anyone’s feelings.
- You chew out the refs at your kid’s Pee Wee basketball game in front of everyone because you feel they made a terrible call, and by golly, they need to be taken down a notch or two!
The point I am making is that sometimes, we feel completely justified… we have rationalized our behavior and/or our choices perfectly in our mind - and we have totally compartmentalized our thoughts and separated them from our conscience – or our heart! Deep within, we may even realize that what we are doing would not be pleasing to God – or may be wrong on some level. This is a great example of where the head and heart do not function the same!
The bottom line is that we should strive to act in a manner that we know in our heart pleases God. When we are in doubt about our actions, we should consult God first and ask Him if our choices line up with His will… and if He approves. Often God will speak to us from our heart and give us the answer. And no matter how hard it may be to accept – and act upon – the outcome will always be better, and God will help us navigate any difficulties along the way.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 23 ~ Psalm 139:23
Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking.
Proverbs 15:11
If the LORD can see everything in the world of the dead, he can see in our hearts.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
WHOA! I don’t know about you, but there are days I would really rather God not see everything I am thinking! And having said that, we have to ask ourselves, “What is wrong with this picture?” Surely God knows everything we are thinking. Yet when the devil gets hold of us, our thoughts are not always pleasing to God, are they? At least, I know mine aren’t! From the unkind thought I have about the driver who cuts me off in traffic to the envy I sometimes have when I see someone wearing a nice outfit to the frustration I experience when someone says or does something I don’t like – I allow the devil to creep into my heart and my thoughts… and sometimes it ain’t pretty!
The truth of this scripture is that the Psalmist is saying, “Go ahead, God… look at everything about me… see what isn’t pleasing to you…AND FIX IT!!!” Don’t be afraid for God to examine your heart. Certainly, we should all work harder to make sure what He sees there is pleasing. But the beauty of our relationship with God is that He is willing to help us change even the unpleasant things He finds in our heart. If we are willing to turn to God and completely give Him our heart, He will have mercy on us and show us how to correct “stinkin’ thinkin’!”
I’m going with the Psalmist on this one… “Bring it on, Lord! Look deep into every nook and cranny of my heart. Find the things I need to change. Forgive me for them. Then show me how to turn things around and head back toward You.” God already knows what we are thinking. The question is… do our thoughts please Him? If the answer is “not always,” are we ready and willing to change?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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November 22 ~ Psalm 84:2
Deep in my heart I long for your temple, and with all that I am I sing joyful songs to you.
(Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.)
The older I get, the more I look forward to heaven. Now, you probably think that sounds pretty morbid… and no, I do not have a death wish! But the more I discover about God’s love for us and how He works in our lives, the more I want to know of Him! Yet, I realize we won’t have all of the answers until we get to Heaven!
At the same time, the anticipation of Heaven makes life on this earth sweeter. Does that make sense? See, just like this scripture, as God fills me with joy and I live a life that I hope pleases – and glorifies – Him, the more I enjoy my earthly life. This doesn’t diminish my anticipation of Heaven someday, but it does give me patience for the journey. God doesn’t want us to just mark time in this life as we wait for Him… He wants us to fully LIVE it!!!
I often tell younger people not to wish their lives away… and this is good advice for all of us. Instead of anticipating the future, God wants us to savor every single day. Deep in our hearts we may long for Heaven. But day-to-day, we should be filled with joyful songs for the blessings God gives us. We should live every minute to the fullest in service and honor to Him. What’s deep within YOUR heart these days?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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