John 4:21-24
“Believe me, woman, the time is
coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this
mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we
Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made
available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact,
come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship
will not matter.
“It’s who you are and the way you live that
count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of
truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those
who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God
is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of
their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
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.
Today
we pause to remember the people who perished in the terroristic attacks
on the World Trade Center exactly 15 years ago. We think of the family
members and friends who were left to grieve and suffer…the survivors
who spent hours/days/weeks/months/years recuperating and physically
recovering to some degree. We pray for all who were affected…and
weren’t we ALL affected in some way?
As I read this scripture
passage, it struck me that the God I love…the God I trust and serve each
and every day…was the same God that many – if not most of us - prayed
to and sought in the midst of this horrific event. There has been much
talk about how the events of 9/11 brought us together as a country…and I
think to some degree, this is true. We didn’t see color, race, ethnic
background, gender, sexual identity, socio-economic level, intellect, or
even political leanings. We just saw people who were frightened,
hurting and suffering…people who had great needs and endured tremendous
losses…people who were “just like us” in so many fundamental ways. We
asked God to meet them right where they were…and I believe He did just
that.
We reached out…we served in the name of Jesus…we sent aid
of all kinds…and we genuinely expressed sympathy and empathy for these
victims and their extended “families.” We didn’t give it a second
thought, really…we just knew that this was what the God we worshipped
and adored wanted of us…and we did it.
I don’t know what
shifted…or really why…but we have lost a good deal of this honest and
simple faith and servitude in recent years. We’ve become skeptical,
cynical, and self-absorbed. Even worse, we have become elitist…the God
we serve is OUR God. His reach cannot possibly encompass those who are
different from us in even the slightest way. We are like the college
kid who makes good grades so Mom and Dad will keep sending money…we
serve God out of a sense of duty, obligation, and fear that to do
otherwise would result in a disconnect of sorts from His blessings and
rewards in our lives.
As devastating as the events of 9/11 were,
God brought about so many good things. Every time our country goes
through a crisis, we seem to rally just a bit – though not as much as we
did fifteen years ago. But it shouldn’t take a catastrophe to gather us
to God…and I pray that we don’t fall into the pattern of only turning
to Him and embracing one another when the unthinkable happens.
Where
does this leave us? Are we simply and honestly ourselves before God and
others? Are we serving God with a spirit of inclusiveness and
adoration? Do we desire that ALL PEOPLE cultivate a relationship with
God…and are we doing everything in our power to share His Spirit with
the masses? Are you a reactionary who only reaches out to others in the
midst of a crisis…or do others see your heart for Jesus – and ALL who
God has created – each and every day?
Will this anniversary serve
as a reminder that God sent Jesus for EVERYONE…and not just you and
me? Will you live in a way that this is evident to others? Don’t you
think you should?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label 9/11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 9/11. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for September 11, 2015
Matthew 7:12
“Do for others what you want them to do for you. This is the teaching of the laws of Moses in a nutshell."
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Social media is blowing up today with posts about 9/11/2001. Almost everyone has a “9/11 story”…if only to say, “I remember where I was when it happened.” And we do remember all of the horrific, devastating, life-altering events of that day - and the days/weeks that followed. May God grant His peace and comfort to all who were directly or indirectly affected by that tragedy…and in one way or another, this includes all of us.
Having said this, I wonder just how much we do remember about 9/11…because in that moment, many of us came together in extraordinary ways. We dropped the judgments and the pretenses, and we became friends helping friends, neighbors supporting neighbors…Christian brothers and sisters loving others. And I have to ask…what has happened to us in the last fourteen years?
The backbiting and judgment, hatred and fear seem to be at all-time highs. Because of our access to “instant media,” we not only know more about this…we are able to perpetuate it. “Did you hear what XYZ said or ABC did?” we ask almost giddily. We cannot wait to revel in the latest come-uppance of someone who played “high and mighty” in some way - and we are more than a little eager to knock him/her down a peg. We set ourselves apart from the masses and pretend that we have no problems – or shortcomings and downright failures…that we are just a smidge better than the next guy.
Or…we look at others, throw up our hands, and say, “Not my problem!” The current refugee crisis in Syria…and the hungry and homeless (both the 2-legged and four-legged varities) in our own community immediately come to mind. What happened to the spirit of camaraderie that followed 9/11? What happened to working together rather than picking each other apart? How have we lost our way so badly?
In her book, For the Love*, author Jen Hatmaker says, “We are not good gods over one another; we are better humans beside each other.” Matthew 7:12 is known by many as “The Golden Rule”…and indeed, its words encompass a hallmark by which we are all called to live. It’s time we got started…and I can’t think of a better day than this one.
©2015 Debbie Robus
*For The Love - ©2015 Thomas Nelson Books for HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
“Do for others what you want them to do for you. This is the teaching of the laws of Moses in a nutshell."
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Social media is blowing up today with posts about 9/11/2001. Almost everyone has a “9/11 story”…if only to say, “I remember where I was when it happened.” And we do remember all of the horrific, devastating, life-altering events of that day - and the days/weeks that followed. May God grant His peace and comfort to all who were directly or indirectly affected by that tragedy…and in one way or another, this includes all of us.
Having said this, I wonder just how much we do remember about 9/11…because in that moment, many of us came together in extraordinary ways. We dropped the judgments and the pretenses, and we became friends helping friends, neighbors supporting neighbors…Christian brothers and sisters loving others. And I have to ask…what has happened to us in the last fourteen years?
The backbiting and judgment, hatred and fear seem to be at all-time highs. Because of our access to “instant media,” we not only know more about this…we are able to perpetuate it. “Did you hear what XYZ said or ABC did?” we ask almost giddily. We cannot wait to revel in the latest come-uppance of someone who played “high and mighty” in some way - and we are more than a little eager to knock him/her down a peg. We set ourselves apart from the masses and pretend that we have no problems – or shortcomings and downright failures…that we are just a smidge better than the next guy.
Or…we look at others, throw up our hands, and say, “Not my problem!” The current refugee crisis in Syria…and the hungry and homeless (both the 2-legged and four-legged varities) in our own community immediately come to mind. What happened to the spirit of camaraderie that followed 9/11? What happened to working together rather than picking each other apart? How have we lost our way so badly?
In her book, For the Love*, author Jen Hatmaker says, “We are not good gods over one another; we are better humans beside each other.” Matthew 7:12 is known by many as “The Golden Rule”…and indeed, its words encompass a hallmark by which we are all called to live. It’s time we got started…and I can’t think of a better day than this one.
©2015 Debbie Robus
*For The Love - ©2015 Thomas Nelson Books for HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Daily Devotional for September 11, 2011
Psalm 111:1-4
Shout praises to the LORD! With all my heart I will thank the LORD when his people meet. The LORD has done many wonderful things! Everyone who is pleased with God's marvelous deeds will keep them in mind. Everything the LORD does is glorious and majestic, and his power to bring justice will never end. The LORD God is famous for his wonderful deeds, and he is kind and merciful.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
You may feel like this is a strange scripture passage to share on a day when we commemorate the 10th anniversary of one of the most horrific events in our nation’s history. But even in the midst of such mind-boggling devastation, God was there. And if you ask family members of some of the victims, they will tell you that the love and support – and prayers – of people they didn’t even know have strengthened them and reminded them of God’s kindness, mercy, and power. And for that, they shout praises to the LORD!
I have had the honor of corresponding with the families of two victims of 9/11 over the last decade. Joe Henry was the son of Ed and Alice. Ed and Joe’s brother were NYC firefighters, too… just like his grandfather had been. In fact, Ed suffered a serious back injury at the Twin Towers, where Joe died. Imagine the gut-wrenching despair of Alice as she tended to her husband while grieving the loss of her 24-year-old son, whose body was never recovered.
Imagine the devastation of Veronica Squef, wife of NYC Firefighter Keith Glascoe, as she sat with her two babies, Nolan and Owen… pregnant with their third child… and grieved for her husband who had perished. Consider what it must have been like for her, and dozens of other mothers, to deliver babies whose daddies were gone in a split second with the dust and rubble of Ground Zero.
I know in my heart that these two families, along with countless others, could not have survived these last ten years without God’s wonderful deeds… His kindness, mercy, and power. I know that they have made it through dozens of days on the wings of prayers lifted by people like you and me… and God’s answers. And I know that if they can survive this horrible event and hold their heads up… walk with joy and confidence in a future filled with God’s bright promises… then so can we!
Today, as we pause to remember the events of 9/11/2001, let us also give thanks to God, who is bigger than even the worst day of our lives. Give Him glory for bringing perfect justice… according to His will and timing. Praise Him for equipping us to endure what seems impossible to handle… and for showing us how to move forward with our lives through His grace. God bless all who were directly – and indirectly – affected by the events of September 11, 2001… and may God bless each of us as we strive to operate in His power, mercy and grace.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Shout praises to the LORD! With all my heart I will thank the LORD when his people meet. The LORD has done many wonderful things! Everyone who is pleased with God's marvelous deeds will keep them in mind. Everything the LORD does is glorious and majestic, and his power to bring justice will never end. The LORD God is famous for his wonderful deeds, and he is kind and merciful.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
You may feel like this is a strange scripture passage to share on a day when we commemorate the 10th anniversary of one of the most horrific events in our nation’s history. But even in the midst of such mind-boggling devastation, God was there. And if you ask family members of some of the victims, they will tell you that the love and support – and prayers – of people they didn’t even know have strengthened them and reminded them of God’s kindness, mercy, and power. And for that, they shout praises to the LORD!
I have had the honor of corresponding with the families of two victims of 9/11 over the last decade. Joe Henry was the son of Ed and Alice. Ed and Joe’s brother were NYC firefighters, too… just like his grandfather had been. In fact, Ed suffered a serious back injury at the Twin Towers, where Joe died. Imagine the gut-wrenching despair of Alice as she tended to her husband while grieving the loss of her 24-year-old son, whose body was never recovered.
Imagine the devastation of Veronica Squef, wife of NYC Firefighter Keith Glascoe, as she sat with her two babies, Nolan and Owen… pregnant with their third child… and grieved for her husband who had perished. Consider what it must have been like for her, and dozens of other mothers, to deliver babies whose daddies were gone in a split second with the dust and rubble of Ground Zero.
I know in my heart that these two families, along with countless others, could not have survived these last ten years without God’s wonderful deeds… His kindness, mercy, and power. I know that they have made it through dozens of days on the wings of prayers lifted by people like you and me… and God’s answers. And I know that if they can survive this horrible event and hold their heads up… walk with joy and confidence in a future filled with God’s bright promises… then so can we!
Today, as we pause to remember the events of 9/11/2001, let us also give thanks to God, who is bigger than even the worst day of our lives. Give Him glory for bringing perfect justice… according to His will and timing. Praise Him for equipping us to endure what seems impossible to handle… and for showing us how to move forward with our lives through His grace. God bless all who were directly – and indirectly – affected by the events of September 11, 2001… and may God bless each of us as we strive to operate in His power, mercy and grace.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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