May 7 ~ Psalm 91:3-8
The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases. He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall. You won't need to worry about dangers at night or arrows during the day. And you won't fear diseases that strike in the dark or sudden disaster at noon. You will not be harmed, though thousands fall all around you. And with your own eyes you will see the punishment of the wicked.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In 2004, while teaching a junior High Sunday School class at our church, I searched for a way to get the kids to read their Bible. I asked them to write down twelve issues that they struggled with or had questions about… and they listed school, family, peer pressure, love, friends, possessions, and more. I searched the Bible for scriptures to fit each topic and developed an outline… “devos” for each month. I printed them out each week as a hand-out for the students on Sundays, and several began using them to study their Bible.
In 2005, Susan Miles, the wife of our pastor at that time, came to me and said, “We need something for our “in-betweeners” – those who have graduated from high school but are not quite adults. It needs to be something we could e-mail them – like a daily devotional. Would you help me do this?” I shared with her the year-long set of daily devos that I had written, and Susan used a list of e-mail addresses – mostly youth in our church who had graduated, along with those I worked with in Jr/Sr High Sunday School classes and S.P.A.M. small groups – to send the “devos” each day, beginning in August when school resumed. When we had used all of the devotionals for that year, I started writing more… and I’ve written them ever since.
If you ever wonder why sometimes the devo seems slanted toward younger people, this is the reason. As years have passed, people have shared the devos with friends and family who said, “I want to be on the list,” and now I send the daily devotional to over 120 e-mail addresses for people whose ages range from early teens to late 80’s. I have no idea how many people actually see each devo, because I know some of you share them with family and friends… and that’s wonderful. I also post them on my blog… http://auntdebsattic.blogspot.com. Since I started writing the devos, I have truly come to appreciate God’s protection. I have used personal experiences and current events to show you how God’s word is real for our lives every day – and at every age… and how He is always working on our behalf. I’ve shared with you the struggles and joys of the journey of a little boy named Job, who received a lung transplant in 2007 - and just celebrated his 12th birthday, by the way! (www.caringbridge.org/ar/job) I’ve tried to always write what God wants me to say and not what I want to share. And I’ll tell you, the days when I feel that my words are not that great are often when I hear from more of you – things like “That was just what I needed today!” See…God spoke, not me… and what He wanted said was sent to you that day. What is really cool is a day when several of you write and say, “That was just for me!” How amazing it is to realize that God uses the same message for so many individuals. My prayer is to send out what God wants said each and every day!
So today, know that God is protecting you and caring for you – each step of every day. He knows your joys, your sorrows, your fears, your thrills, your illnesses, and your good health. He cares about everything that has to do with you… and He stands ready to shield you from all of Satan’s slings and arrows. I do hope you believe this… and that you are trusting God to keep you safe. I pray that you will find encouragement and answers in these daily devotionals. As long as God keeps giving me words to share, I will keep writing. If you know someone who would be interested in receiving the devos each day, they can send their e-mail address to me, and I will add them to the list. I’m so happy to be able to share with you my insights on how God’s word works for us today. I pray you feel Him at work in your life this day – and always.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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