January 14 ~ Isaiah 32:7-8
Cruel people tell lies-- they do evil things, and make cruel plans to destroy the poor and needy, even when they beg for justice.
But helpful people can always be trusted to make helpful plans.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
What a contrast I saw on Facebook today! On one hand, some of my “friends” are being contacted by another supposed “friend” who claims to be stranded in London and needs money wired to them immediately. It’s a scam… these Facebook “friends” have been hacked. This particular scam has gone around for a few months now, and some people (no one I know personally) have actually sent the money. Trust me, NOBODY is stranded in London and needing your help, much less your money!
On the same day on Facebook, the United Methodist Church announced that plans are already in place through their relief program, UMCOR, to help those in Haiti who have been devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
These are excellent examples of cruel people telling lies and doing evil things to try and destroy others versus helpful people who are making helpful plans. And these are two isolated examples. Every day, we have the chance to make helpful plans in ways great and small. And nearly every day, we have opportunities to make choices and plans that are less noble, if not downright cruel and/or evil. It comes down to a choice.
How will you spend your days? Will you look for ways to help others and to plan helpful activities? Or will you fold and follow a less noble path – even for a day or two? The choice is pretty clear in my mind. Remember John Wesley’s admonition to do all the good you can in all the places you can for all the people you can for as long as you can (I’m paraphrasing). God expects no less from His children… how are you doing so far?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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January 13 ~ Isaiah 25:1
You, LORD, are my God! I will praise you for doing the wonderful things you had planned and promised since ancient times.
|Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Lately, I’ve spent some time sitting at the window watching the songbirds feast on black sunflower seeds from our feeders. I have become fascinated with how intricate the color patterns are on their feathers… how each feather has to sit just right aside another in order to create the stripes, dots, and distinct markings. And more than that, every single bluejay has the same feathers in exactly the same places. Each hairy woodpecker has the same white dots on a black back and the exact same pattern of red across the back of his head! Each female cardinal is a muddy mix of browns and reds, in contrast to her bright red male counterpart. And God took time to plan all of these details “in the beginning.”
When I think of the many things God planned… down to the details in the feathers of birds or how a “walking stick” insect really does look like a walking stick and all babies develop on approximately the same timeline for their particular species – and much more… I can’t help but be astounded. I can’t help but stop and thank God for being so detail oriented… so thoughtful… so careful and caring toward all of his creatures.
As bad and destructive as the recent heavy rains and flooding were for some people, did you stop to think that God promised in Genesis that He would never again wipe out the entire earth with a flood? In Hebrews 4:16, God promises to be there whenever we need Him. In Psalm 23, God promises to be with us even in the shadow of death. God promised to send a Savior… and He did! God promises those of us who believe in Him that we will spend Eternity in His presence!
If we stop and think for a while, we can all list ways God has fulfilled His promises in our own lives. But so often, we fail to take time to thank Him and praise Him for such intricate, detailed plans – and His power to work them out for each of us. So today, thank God for His perfect plans. Praise Him for the details and how intricate and incredible they are. Tell Him how astounded you are by the amazing love He must have for us that He would be so careful about even the smallest details, such as freckles on our noses and feathers on a woodpecker’s back! Acknowledge God’s power – and His grace for those of us who often take Him for granted. Promise to do better! Promise to pay closer attention to God’s plans for your life… and ask for His sgrace and mercy in the process.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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January 12 ~ 2 Isaiah 14:24
The LORD All-Powerful has made this promise: Everything I have planned will happen just as I said.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Think about the plans we make every day. How many of them get changed? Maybe you plan to go somewhere with friends, and you wake up feeling sick and have to stay home instead. My husband and I once drew up house plans and were within a week of breaking ground when a flooding rainstorm occurred, and we realized that the water runoff would all go right through our garage! We had to start over and totally redesign our house plans to accommodate potential heavy rains. More than one of us has “planned” one career, only to end up doing something totally different. And almost all of us have had to change seemingly less significant plans at one time or another.
One of the biggest lessons of life is that nothing is certain, and we must learn to be flexible with our plans. If we set everything in concrete, we are going to be disappointed. And often, this is because our plans don’t line up with God’s! I cannot stress enough that His ways are perfect and sure… ours are not. Because we are human – and because Satan is always busy working on us – we have a really hard time accepting this.
Don’t misunderstand me… when you wake up sick and unable to do what you planned that day, God didn’t make you sick. But He may have allowed you to miss out on your plans in order to prepare you for what He has in store. God is not in the business of causing wars, failed marriages and relationships, illness, job loss, destruction, and heartache. That’s the devil’s domain! But God will take circumstances and changes in plans and work them into His plans. If God had not shown my husband the results of the flooding rains that were washing across our yard, we would have built a house that could have been a frequent source of problems and headaches.
Lately, I asked God, “Why on earth did you let certain things happen in my life? And how can you bless me so much after the ways I disappoint you?” I was amazed by His answer. First, He reminded me that it is okay to question Him… to ask Him anything that is on our mind or in our heart. Beyond that, He showed me that He uses my failings and misgivings for His glory. He turns the mistakes and shortcomings around and uses them to draw me closer to Him – to deepen our relationship, and to witness to others. We plan for the short-term; God plans for Eternity. He knows how everything will work throughout our lives, according to His purposes.
So when our short-term plans are changed, we would do well to ask God, “What do you have in store for me? What are you trying to tell me?” We should ask, “Where did my plan not fit in with yours?” God’s plans are exciting… because they are perfect. I’m learning rest in that…confident that whenever He changes my plans, it is for my benefit. And just maybe, something bigger and better is around the corner! Are you resting in God’s plans for your life?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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January 11 ~ Proverbs 24:27
Get your fields ready and plant your crops before starting a home.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My husband and I have moved several times in 35 years and sold more than one house in the process. One of the things we learned is how important it is to get your house ready to sell before you advertise. This isn’t always fun – it may take a while, and it often requires minor (or major) repairs, possibly some paint and improvements, and certainly a lot of cleaning and scrubbing. But getting the house in tip-top shape for potential buyers and doing the necessary “field work” is essential.
By the same token, we have built a few houses, and this process cannot be hurried, either. The temptation is there to skip a few steps… to go ahead and move in before the painting is all finished or the exterior covering (like brick or siding) are all attached. In our last home, my husband and I had to delay our move for a week or so until the concrete finishers could pour our driveway. For a lot of reasons, it made no sense to move in before this was completed.
Life offers us lots of situations where we must “prepare our fields” before we move into the home. If you are a student, you probably wish school were over and you could get on with your life. But the “field work” is important – and necessary. If you are starting a new relationship, you may feel like this person is “the one!” But it takes time to get to know someone well enough to make a long-term commitment. Preparing for a career takes time, education and training... and maybe an internship or two!
We are always in a hurry. We don’t like waiting and saving for everything from a new car to a family vacation or new home furnishings. We always want instant results, from transitioning out of school and into a career to healing from an illness or injury. We don’t have time for study, physical therapy, saving our money, or getting to know someone. But all of this “field work” is incredibly essential… and we all have seen examples of what happens when people rush through this process.
In our Spiritual life, there is also “field work” to be done. While Salvation is immediate when we give our heart to Jesus, becoming a faithful, committed disciple of Christ takes time and effort. If we want to be effective in serving God, we must study His word, spend time in prayer and meditation, and put our faith into practice by sharing the Good News with others. We can’t rush Heaven – our ultimate home as Christians. There is “field work” to be done first – there are “crops” to plant in the form of sharing the love of Christ with others.
The preparation is always worth the effort… in even the seemingly “small” things like saving for a new car or painting the house before you advertise it for sale. How well are you planning? Have you carefully prepared your “fields and crops?”
©2009 Debbie Robus
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January 10 ~ Proverbs 24:8-9
No one but troublemakers think up trouble. Everyone hates senseless fools who think up ways to sin.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
As I thought about this passage and looked at it in other translations, I was reminded over and over of recent political and current events and how so many have schemed and planned to “bring down” the other party (on both sides of the aisle) or its members. Truly, many in this country and around the world lie awake at night thinking of ways to harm those who do not agree with them politically. I read posts on Facebook from those who are joining groups to “get rid” of politicians, and while I am not against political activism – or standing up for one’s convictions – I think we often skew the lines to suit our personal feelings rather than acting as responsible citizens, much less Christians.
John Wesley is quoted as saying… "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can." Somehow, I don’t see anything in that quote about forwarding unkind e-mails, providing links to vicious propaganda on the Internet about this politician or that political group. I don’t see anything that says it’s okay to make your living as a comedian by joking about the killing of Al Qaeda leaders or their families… or the downfall of the latest celebrity. These jokes, e-mails, links and more don’t just happen – someone plans and prepares them!
And we’re not immune on a local level, either. Even if you are not sending out these e-mails or joining the groups on Facebook or writing vile letters to your newspaper editor, you may be passing on the latest rumor in your town or school about the person down the street. “Did you hear about So-and-so?” is another form of trouble-making… and we are all guilty of the sin of gossip from time to time.
I’ve said many times that people are always watching – and taking notice of how we conduct ourselves. Do we want to be known as troublemakers who are always planning ways to perpetuate sin? Or do we want to be true disciples of Christ who follow the guidelines of John Wesley and do all the good we can wherever and whenever we can? Rise above troublemaking… ask God to help you do this. Honor Him by “taking the high road.” Voice your political opinion with your vote, not venom. Stop paying attention to celebrity – or even local – gossip, and for goodness’ sake, don’t share it with others! Live by positive example, not by causing trouble… and let others see the love and light of Christ in you.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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January 9 ~ Proverbs 21:5
If you plan and work hard, you will have plenty; if you get in a hurry, you will end up poor.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever watched one of those cable television shows about people who won the lottery? If so, you may have noticed that many of them rose quickly and fell almost as fast. They ran through the money like water through a sieve, and soon they were worse off than before they ever purchased a ticket. Or consider the Camden, Arkansas, man who won $1000 in the Arkansas lottery recently, only to lose his SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits because he was now making money. He was granted a $20 “general exclusion,” but he lost $980 in benefits. His attempt to turn a few dollars for a scratch-off ticket into a fortune backfired.
I have heard people say, “Joe What’s-his-name is so lucky. He just always seems to do well.” Luck has nothing to do with it! Most likely, Joe plans well (and prayerfully) and works hard! I have seen countless people spend hours, days and weeks on “get-rich-quick” schemes, only to have their dreams dashed by the reality that there is no such thing. I’ve seen the pictures of boats and cars and fancy houses taped to refrigerators… and big “commission” checks waved in front of others with the assurance that “this is so easy – and you can make big money, too.”
Do not fall for this. Think about the wealthy celebrities we see in the news frequently. How many of them appear to be truly happy or successful? They can’t seem to get things right in their marriages and relationships. They develop dependencies on everything from alcohol and drugs to gambling and sex. They flit from one religion to another. This is not success!
I want you to remember two things… 1) money doesn’t always equal success or happiness; and 2) there is no substitute for a good plan and hard work. You can’t hurry success, but with God’s help, you can achieve it. You may never live in a big house or drive a fancy car. You may always live paycheck to paycheck. But if you are honest, caring, faithful, and serve God with your whole heart, you will be one of the most successful people in the world. Some of the poorest people I know have more money than they could ever spend. And some of the most successful barely get by each month, but somehow they always have plenty.
Where do you fit in this group? Are you working hard and planning well? Or are you looking for a quick and easy path to success? Plan to live well by planning to work hard and serve God with everything you have… and you will always have more than enough.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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January 8 ~ Proverbs 16:9
We make our own plans, but the LORD decides where we will go.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Several years ago, my husband and I built our “dream home” on forty acres east of town. We had purchased the land from my dad (who purchased it from his parents), and our home-based business was located there, also. We thought we would live on “the family farm” forever, so we really made the house special. And it was! We loved that home and the land on which it sat. Life there was great, and we have many fond memories of time spent with family and friends on that property!
But then a series of life-changing events occurred, and we realized that God was showing us another plan. He was moving us, even if we went somewhat kicking and screaming. Over time, we realized that we needed to leave our “dream home” and move to another. Now, two homes and a business sale later, we see how God has orchestrated every single detail of our lives – and our moves. And… we have learned that all of our plans are temporary… and must be flexible.
Do not misunderstand me… we need to make plans for our lives (with God’s help, of course). But we need to understand that God may change our plans at any time… and if/when He does, it will be the right move. Our plans are just a small part of God’s bigger plan! God may show us that we need to go in a different direction, but failure to follow through will almost always result in a missed blessing. Take it from one who knows… plans are important, as long as we keep an open mind (and open eyes and ears) toward God’s leadership. If you feel Him steering you in a different direction, pay attention! His plans are perfect, and His decisions are always the right ones.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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