Daily Devotional for May 30, 2012

May 30 ~ Ephesians 6:13-18
Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

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’s scripture passage in my devotional book, God Calling, was Ephesians 6:13. I would like to share some of the commentary with you, because I can’t say it any better…

“Regret nothing. Not even the sins and failures. When a man views earth’s wonders from some mountain height, he does not spend his time in dwelling on the stones and stumbles, the faints and failures, that marked his upward path. So with you. Breathe in the rich blessings of each new day – forget all that lies behind you.

Man is so made that he can carry the weight of twenty-four hours, no more. Directly, he weighs down with the years behind, and the days ahead, his back breaks. I [God] have promised to help you with the burden of today only, the past I have taken from you; and if you, foolish hearts, choose to gather again that burden and bear it, then, indeed, you mock Me to expect ME to share it.”*

Isn’t this exactly how we so often behave? We make mistakes, we fail to live a Godly life… we SIN… and we beg God to forgive us. Then we go on wringing our hands and recanting our faults and claiming them all over again. We cannot be effective in our discipleship if we are continually beating ourselves up for past mistakes. This totally belies our faith. When we give something to God, we must give it to Him completely. This doesn’t mean you totally dismiss what happened to you… or that you fail to learn from past blunders. But there is a huge difference between forgiving past missteps and forgetting them.

What is done is done. If you have sincerely and genuinely confessed your sins and blunders to God and asked Him to forgive you, it’s time to accept His grace and mercy and move forward. God is over and done with what you did or didn’t do yesterday… He is concerned with TODAY.

Where is your focus? Are you trying to carry the burdens of a thousand yesterdays … or have you truly given them to God and faced the challenges and blessings that await you today? Isn’t it time you put on the full armor of God, started living in this twenty-four hours, and faced the future with confidence and courage?

I urge you to let your prayer for today be that God will fully equip you to handle THIS DAY… that He will show you how to cope with your challenges and encourage those in your path to do the same. Leave the past at God’s doorstep, and confidently live in His promises for today and beyond.

©2012 Debbie Robus

*From God Calling, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.

Daily Devotional for March 6, 2012

John 3:8
Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

If you follow my devotionals, you know that on March 4th, I wrote about hope, based on the scripture passage from Romans 5:3-5. When I opened my Kindle to read the daily devotional from God Calling, the scripture passage for March 4th was… wait for it… Romans 5:3-5. I had already posted my own devo that day, based on this passage. As I said earlier, I am no longer truly surprised by God and how He works… but I am often incredibly impressed. This was one of those instances!

This morning, I sat in warm sunlight on my back porch, closed my eyes, and begged God to fill me with His wisdom, Holy Spirit, and all that I need to accomplish what He desires. For a while, I did not intercede on the behalf of others or ask for anything for myself… I merely sat and waited. Recent study of God’s word has convinced me that we need more of this… time spent waiting and listening… quiet time in which we allow God to reveal Himself to us. This morning, I asked God to handle what I cannot… and to show me how to be His agent in matters for which I have no answers of my own… how to be still – and softhearted.

My devotional for today from the book, God Calling, was based on the scripture passage from John 3. I found the comments to be quite profound… especially given my own morning meditations. Remember, the commentary is God speaking to us. In part, it said… “How silently My Spirit works. How gently and gradually souls are led into My Kingdom. Love and laughter form the plough that prepares the ground for the seed. Remember this. If the ground is hard, seed will not grow there. Prepare the ground, prepare it as I say.” *

This was my answer for today. God wants me to soften my heart… and to offer love, laughter, compassion and a gentle spirit to others, so that the “ground” of their hearts is softened for His seed. Where I am impatient, frustrated, disappointed, feeling hopeless and discouraged… I must find a way to relax and feel the joy of God’s presence, so that I can react and respond to others in a way that ploughs the ground for God to sow His seeds and work.

This was exactly what I needed today. My desire is for God to find “soft ground” in me and plant the seeds of His love, grace, mercy and wisdom there. If this is truly my desire, how can I even consider living in a way that would foster anything but this environment in others? I must continually look for ways to nurture joy and laughter… to plough “soft ground” in my own heart and the hearts of others, so that God has plenty of room to work. And then… I must step back and let Him accomplish what only He can… and trust His timing and perfection to produce perfect fruit.

I encourage you to take a few minutes today to sit quietly and listen for God. Soften your heart to Him – and to others – and allow him to plough and plant according to His perfect will. Feel his Spirit coming and going from all directions in and through you – just like the wind. Smile… laugh…find joy and hope in Him… and share this with every person you encounter. Then stand back… and watch God’s incredible “garden” of blessings, redemption and restoration grow!

©2012 Debbie Robus

*From God Calling, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”

Daily Devotional for February 27, 2012

Mark 3:10
After Jesus had healed many people, the other sick people begged him to let them touch him.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

In my daily devotional book, God Calling, the commentary for today was about touch… not just hearing from God or speaking to Him, but sitting still and feeling His presence – His touch. As if this were not inspiration enough, I opened a magazine, and the first article I turned to was about the healing effects of - you guessed it - touch! If this isn’t a clear sign that I am supposed to address the subject of touch today, I don’t know what is!

Over and again in scripture, we read about touch… a touch from God… the healing touch of Jesus… the woman who said (paraphrased), “If only I could touch the hem of His garment.” We hear Jesus feel the healing power leave his body and ask, “Who touched my clothing?” Touch is powerful! And just as I read in my devotional book today, we need to stop and rest in the moment and truly experience God’s touch.

The article I read suggested that the touch of another could lower blood pressure, facilitate physical healing, and soothe the soul. Even snuggling into a warm bathrobe or cupping a steaming mug of coffee or tea can elicit calm and a sense of well-being as your skin comes into contact with something soothing and warm. Stroking a devoted pet can make everything better. And the touch of God Almighty can truly heal and restore you in every area of life.

My husband and I used to have a farm house with a big front porch. Even on cold nights, I would sit there in a chair or swing… bundled in a warm bathrobe with a cup of hot tea to warm my hands… and I would talk to God. I would feel the warmth and comfort of His presence… like big arms wrapped around me. This was my sanctuary – my healing place – and God touched me there. I’ll be honest… I need to find a new sanctuary and rekindle that kind of daily “touch” from God… and maybe you do, as well. Make this the week you begin to find time each day to receive a touch from God… and to look for opportunities to offer a touch to someone else.

In the magazine article I read, there was a story from a 27-year-old single woman who attended church, and one Sunday the pastor said, “When you share God’s peace with others, reach over and touch somebody. Some people in here have not been touched all week.” She thought to herself that it was sad that there must be a lot of older people in the service who needed this touch. Then it hit her – SHE was one of those people! Are you one of those people who need a touch – from God and/or others? Have you made yourself available to God? Have you “stilled” yourself long enough for Him to touch you in whatever manner you need? Who do you need to reach out and touch this week with God’s love?

Make this the week that you beg to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. Make this the week that you begin to experience the blessings that result from the touch of God. Find your sanctuary and spend time in His presence… then pass on the blessings to others. Feel them multiply exponentially as you experience – and share - the healing power of God’s touch.

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for February 16, 2012

1 Peter 3:4
Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

The last few days, the remnants of a light snowfall have been evident on our lawns. There is something so quiet about a snowy day… as if the earth is nestled under a fluffy, white blanket. And as the snow melted and warmer temperatures have returned, the air has been filled with the chirping of birds… a red-winged blackbird, a Carolina wren, and other songbirds who are beckoning the return of spring. Where is God ever more evident than in these beautiful, quiet creations? Yet, so many of us miss them… we are looking for something louder and more profound.

If I weren’t learning to expect God in the most unexpected places, I would be amazed at what I am about to tell you. A few days ago, I visited with a friend in Wal-Mart, and she recommended a book to me… God Calling, a daily devotional book written by two British women in the early 1930s. I came home and downloaded the book onto my Kindle. A London newspaperman, A. J. Russell, edited the writings of these two ladies for publication, and the book has sold millions of copies worldwide. The book’s introduction states that these women always remained anonymous, and ... “’were poor, brave and courageously fighting against sickness and penury,’ in Russell’s words. They were facing a hopeless future and one of them even longed to be quit of this hard world for good. But then, God spoke to their hearts, and God Calling was born.”



God can speak through the quiet beauty
of fog rising over a river on a sunny morning.

 The devotionals begin with a scripture passage, and then there is a commentary, written as if God is speaking directly to the reader. Here’s where it gets amazing… today’s commentary on Psalm 4:3-5 says in part…“if you only sat still and longed for Me, if you just drew hungering breaths for Me, as you do for the fresh pure air of the open. Be still, be calm. Wait before Me. Learn of Me patience, humility, peace.”

When I began writing this devotional to share with you, I opened my prayer journal to the sermon notes I’ve been using, and the scripture passage I was drawn to for today was once again the message… “be gentle and quiet.” Only God could tie together the scripture passages from Psalm 4:3-5 and 1 Peter 3:4. Clearly this is the word He has for us today… and it came in the “quiet” of reading from His Holy Word!

If we can only learn to be quiet… to listen for God… and then to let others “hear” Him through our peaceful, calm nature…great things can be accomplished. If we stop long enough to listen for a songbird and recognize that God cares as much for these tiny creatures as He does for each of us, we will be blessed beyond measure. If we can operate in the beauty and peacefulness of quiet, we can have far more impact than if we scream and shout!

We need to slow down… to look and listen for God in the most ordinary of places. We’ve become to “wired” for grandeur and “the bigger the better.” It’s time to dial it down a notch or two and let God work through a quieter, calmer, more peaceful approach. Stop, look, listen… breathe deeply… inhale all that God wants to give you this day… and exhale all the negative “noise.” Operate in peace and quiet for a change, and see for yourself how God can bless you… and others.

©2012 Debbie Robus