Hebrews 11:1
What is faith? It is the confident
assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty
that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it
up ahead.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House
Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol
Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Leap of
faith…faith-based initiatives and organizations…faith
ministries…childlike faith…”have faith”…”keep the faith”...walk by
faith…we throw this word “faith” around pretty freely and broadly. But
what do we truly believe? What does faith mean in our everyday lives?
We’ve
all heard this scripture from Hebrews that pretty well defines the word
“faith.” But how do we demonstrate and explain Christian faith to
others…particularly those who are skeptical? In my own life, I believe
God has allowed me to experience some “stuff” so that I have a base for
sharing my faith with others. This is part of what I try to do with
these daily devotionals.
I am genetically wired to worry. It’s
just what we do in my family. When I was little, I worried about
tornadoes, because my grandmother instilled a healthy (and
experience-based) fear of them in my siblings and me. And now, Timothy
has begun to worry about tornadoes after participating in a few drills
at school and learning about weather and storms. Despite my best
efforts to assure him that we have safe places to ride out any potential
storms, he may just have to experience one firsthand to totally believe
this.
But wait…isn’t that the opposite of faith? Isn’t faith about believing we are safe and protected without
physical proof? Yes. But sometimes, we have to go through something
difficult and see firsthand how God provides before we can trust Him for
the unseen things yet to come. As I share my faith with others, I am
able to say, “God saw me through ABC”…”He delivered me from XYZ”…”God
protected me in this situation and solved that problem…and I know that
He will do the same again and again – for me AND for you!”
I
won’t say that I never worry any more…that I “keep the faith” every
minute of the day. I have my moments just like we all do. But I try to
quickly capture anxious thoughts and doubts and claim the promises of
God to handle all things in my life and in the lives of others. I
know that sometimes I need a “gentle reminder” of how well He cares for
me in order to further strengthen my faith for things to come.
Whatever
you are facing today, “keep the faith!” Believe that God is in
complete control and that He will never give you more than you can
handle – with His help and presence! When troubles come, ask God
to show you how He is using them to strengthen you – and your trust in
Him. Learn to use these situations to share with others how God has
sheltered and guided you through even the roughest patches of life – and
help them build up their own faith. And keep believing. What God has
already done…He will do again – and then some!
Build on your
past to shore up your future as you learn to increasingly “walk in
faith” every single day. God’s got this! My prayer is that we would
all grow in confidence and strengthen our “faith muscle” – and that we
would begin today. Are you in?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label God does not waste any experience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God does not waste any experience. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for March 20, 2014
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I recently attended the funeral of a friend who died suddenly at the age of 63. This man was an only child who moved to California as an adult and built a career there as a landscape architect. I only saw him in later life on occasions when he would return to visit his mother, who has been a friend of mine since I was a little girl. This woman is probably somewhere close to 90 now, and in failing health. She was absolutely devastated to lose her only son, and it broke my heart to see her so distraught at the funeral.
I have no firsthand knowledge of the profound grief that comes from losing a child. But I’ve witnessed it firsthand…my mother, my grandmother, the mothers and fathers of dear childhood friends, and even close friends about our age whose teenage son died in a car crash. As I hugged this woman and tried to offer her some semblance of comfort, I thought of my then-87-year-old grandmother and recalled how devastated she was when my dad passed away – also at age 63. This woman is probably about the same age as my grandmother was then. Remembering how God sent others to minister to us in our own grief, I felt confident in reassuring her that God would comfort her, too. I believe that God reminded me of things that comforted my own grandmother in her grief…and showed me how to offer consolation to this friend in the same manner.
Like most 56-year-olds, I have experienced troubles in my lifetime…but I know many people who have endured far worse – and lived to tell about it! Over and again, I have seen how God has given comfort to those in trouble…and used them to encourage and console many who are placed in their path. There are two things that I have taken away from my own experiences:
Take stock of your own life. Ask God to show you where you have experienced something that could aid you in comforting or encouraging someone else. Use your life events to offer compassion and hope to others. “Show and tell” them what God has done in your life – and assure them that He offers these same helps and blessings to them.
God never wastes an experience…and we shouldn’t either! How is he leading you to encourage or comfort someone today? Will you answer the call?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I recently attended the funeral of a friend who died suddenly at the age of 63. This man was an only child who moved to California as an adult and built a career there as a landscape architect. I only saw him in later life on occasions when he would return to visit his mother, who has been a friend of mine since I was a little girl. This woman is probably somewhere close to 90 now, and in failing health. She was absolutely devastated to lose her only son, and it broke my heart to see her so distraught at the funeral.
I have no firsthand knowledge of the profound grief that comes from losing a child. But I’ve witnessed it firsthand…my mother, my grandmother, the mothers and fathers of dear childhood friends, and even close friends about our age whose teenage son died in a car crash. As I hugged this woman and tried to offer her some semblance of comfort, I thought of my then-87-year-old grandmother and recalled how devastated she was when my dad passed away – also at age 63. This woman is probably about the same age as my grandmother was then. Remembering how God sent others to minister to us in our own grief, I felt confident in reassuring her that God would comfort her, too. I believe that God reminded me of things that comforted my own grandmother in her grief…and showed me how to offer consolation to this friend in the same manner.
Like most 56-year-olds, I have experienced troubles in my lifetime…but I know many people who have endured far worse – and lived to tell about it! Over and again, I have seen how God has given comfort to those in trouble…and used them to encourage and console many who are placed in their path. There are two things that I have taken away from my own experiences:
- I firmly believe that God will place people in your path to whom you can offer His grace, mercy, encouragement, comfort and compassion. OUR JOB is to be open and obedient to share out of our own life events…to demonstrate to others how God helped us…and to offer this same help to them in His name.
- I also believe that ANYONE who calls on God for help and comfort will receive it. You may not feel like He answers in the way you desired. You may think that God’s timing is slow or that He has allowed you to suffer too much. But the bottom line is that God is truly a “merciful God, who always gives us comfort”. God will never leave you…and when you call on Him for help, He will answer.
Take stock of your own life. Ask God to show you where you have experienced something that could aid you in comforting or encouraging someone else. Use your life events to offer compassion and hope to others. “Show and tell” them what God has done in your life – and assure them that He offers these same helps and blessings to them.
God never wastes an experience…and we shouldn’t either! How is he leading you to encourage or comfort someone today? Will you answer the call?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 26, 2014
James 1:12
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In the blink of an eye…everything can change. One minute you can be having the best day…eagerly anticipating the future…and then you step off a ledge, break your ankle and seriously damage your foot. That happened to me almost seven years ago. And for the next nine weeks, I was unable to walk without crutches and spent much of that time sitting rather helplessly on the couch or lying in bed. As we sat at our desks one hot summer morning, my mother-in-law called for Greg to come home quickly...his dad had died while sitting in his “easy chair”. An “ordinary” work day that started with picking peaches and gardening suddenly became a day that would change our lives forever.
A relative went to work one day as usual and was told “this is your last day with us.” In essence, she was fired from a job she had held for nine years – apparently over policy differences. Another cousin woke one recent morning with a fiery red rash around her mid-section that was later diagnosed as shingles – a painful, itchy, virus that can make one miserable for weeks and months. We’ve heard news reports more than once of a young athlete who collapsed and died on the football field or basketball court during a scrimmage or actual contest. I’m sure that no one wakes up on any given morning thinking, “Today I will lose my home – or my family or my life – in a tornado, fire, earthquake or flood.”
There are “good” tests, such as marriage, the arrival of a new baby, starting college, or beginning a new job. And we all know there are plenty of tests that appear to be anything but positive or happy. Let’s be honest…we are often left asking God, “Why?” We wonder “Why me?”…”Why now?”...”Why this?”. Why did God immobilize me with a foot injury just as we were building a new house and there were dozens of decisions to make? Why does God call our loved ones to heaven and leave us hurting and bewildered? Why do we experience sudden upheavals - such as a job loss or a debilitating illness - when we have bills to pay, people who are depending on us for a myriad of things, and a ton of things to get done?
Why do some people seem to have “Job-sized” troubles? I am thinking of those who experience multiple losses within the span of a few months…and often endure unexpected personal illness, needed home or vehicle repairs, and more? We truly are left to wonder “why bad things happen to good people”…and why God allows this! And the short answer is: I honestly do not know.
But here’s the thing. Every unpleasant – even devastating – experience in my life has brought blessings, strength, and a deeper dependence on God to meet my daily needs. I can look back at each one of the tests and temptations in my life and enumerate ways that God was caring for me and orchestrating events that bolstered my faith and Christian witness. And I’ve seen the same thing happen in the lives of others. If nothing else, these experiences have given me a more tender heart toward others who encounter similar circumstances. I am able to say with confidence, “You will be just fine.” I don’t offer this observation callously or without sympathy for what this person is enduring. I share this out of a deep love and concern…and firsthand knowledge of its truth.
Perhaps God is testing you as you read this. Perhaps you are in a season where life is pretty great and you are “in the zone”! Whatever lies behind you…and ahead of you…God is with you. He is equipping you to handle the tests and temptations. Just as importantly, God will give you opportunities to share compassion and empathy for these circumstances with others who are equally tested and tempted.
How will you respond? This is the real question…because you do have a choice. You can elect to wallow in self-pity and let the devil drag you down…or you can say, “LORD…I don’t understand, but I trust you completely. Show me how to use this experience for Your purposes. Strengthen me and give me courage, comfort and confidence. Place before me those who need to see how You are helping me through this…the ones who need to be encouraged and ministered to out of my own tests and temptations.”
Will this be easy? Probably not! I do not mean to imply that God will instantly take your heartaches, grief, and difficulties from you. But He will walk through them with you…every step of the way…and create opportunities and blessings you never even saw coming. Will you trust Him to do this? Are you ready for whatever comes your way because of your strength and faith in the LORD? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In the blink of an eye…everything can change. One minute you can be having the best day…eagerly anticipating the future…and then you step off a ledge, break your ankle and seriously damage your foot. That happened to me almost seven years ago. And for the next nine weeks, I was unable to walk without crutches and spent much of that time sitting rather helplessly on the couch or lying in bed. As we sat at our desks one hot summer morning, my mother-in-law called for Greg to come home quickly...his dad had died while sitting in his “easy chair”. An “ordinary” work day that started with picking peaches and gardening suddenly became a day that would change our lives forever.
A relative went to work one day as usual and was told “this is your last day with us.” In essence, she was fired from a job she had held for nine years – apparently over policy differences. Another cousin woke one recent morning with a fiery red rash around her mid-section that was later diagnosed as shingles – a painful, itchy, virus that can make one miserable for weeks and months. We’ve heard news reports more than once of a young athlete who collapsed and died on the football field or basketball court during a scrimmage or actual contest. I’m sure that no one wakes up on any given morning thinking, “Today I will lose my home – or my family or my life – in a tornado, fire, earthquake or flood.”
There are “good” tests, such as marriage, the arrival of a new baby, starting college, or beginning a new job. And we all know there are plenty of tests that appear to be anything but positive or happy. Let’s be honest…we are often left asking God, “Why?” We wonder “Why me?”…”Why now?”...”Why this?”. Why did God immobilize me with a foot injury just as we were building a new house and there were dozens of decisions to make? Why does God call our loved ones to heaven and leave us hurting and bewildered? Why do we experience sudden upheavals - such as a job loss or a debilitating illness - when we have bills to pay, people who are depending on us for a myriad of things, and a ton of things to get done?
Why do some people seem to have “Job-sized” troubles? I am thinking of those who experience multiple losses within the span of a few months…and often endure unexpected personal illness, needed home or vehicle repairs, and more? We truly are left to wonder “why bad things happen to good people”…and why God allows this! And the short answer is: I honestly do not know.
But here’s the thing. Every unpleasant – even devastating – experience in my life has brought blessings, strength, and a deeper dependence on God to meet my daily needs. I can look back at each one of the tests and temptations in my life and enumerate ways that God was caring for me and orchestrating events that bolstered my faith and Christian witness. And I’ve seen the same thing happen in the lives of others. If nothing else, these experiences have given me a more tender heart toward others who encounter similar circumstances. I am able to say with confidence, “You will be just fine.” I don’t offer this observation callously or without sympathy for what this person is enduring. I share this out of a deep love and concern…and firsthand knowledge of its truth.
Perhaps God is testing you as you read this. Perhaps you are in a season where life is pretty great and you are “in the zone”! Whatever lies behind you…and ahead of you…God is with you. He is equipping you to handle the tests and temptations. Just as importantly, God will give you opportunities to share compassion and empathy for these circumstances with others who are equally tested and tempted.
How will you respond? This is the real question…because you do have a choice. You can elect to wallow in self-pity and let the devil drag you down…or you can say, “LORD…I don’t understand, but I trust you completely. Show me how to use this experience for Your purposes. Strengthen me and give me courage, comfort and confidence. Place before me those who need to see how You are helping me through this…the ones who need to be encouraged and ministered to out of my own tests and temptations.”
Will this be easy? Probably not! I do not mean to imply that God will instantly take your heartaches, grief, and difficulties from you. But He will walk through them with you…every step of the way…and create opportunities and blessings you never even saw coming. Will you trust Him to do this? Are you ready for whatever comes your way because of your strength and faith in the LORD? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 16, 2014
Hebrews 2:18
Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Yesterday, a schoolmate named Carol messaged me and asked if I would post a prayer request for her on Facebook. She was distraught over recent events involving her mother, an Alzheimer’s patient who lives in a nursing home and has experienced several falls and a broken hip in recent weeks. Carol lives 800 miles away in another state and is unable to be with her mother right now, and she was feeling incredibly frustrated, worried, and alone. I posted a prayer request for her and spelled out her needs, as well as those of Carol’s mother – and her brother who lives close by and serves as his mother’s guardian.
In no time at all, dozens of comments were posted. Many “tagged” Carol on Facebook and gave her words of encouragement and advice. Some had “been there, done that” with their own parents, and they were able to offer tremendous comfort to Carol because of their own “suffering and testing”. One person in particular described how she had cared for her own mother as she suffered from dementia. She made some constructive suggestions for how to handle this situation – and the accompanying emotions. It was a blessing to be able to petition prayers for this family…and even more so to read the responses and see how so many people stepped up to offer compassion and support.
This is what we are supposed to do. I was listening to a sermon recently by Pastor Joel Osteen, and he reminded us that God uses our trials and tribulations for His purposes. When He allows us to experience something that is difficult or unpleasant, we often question why these things happened. Many times we cannot see that God has plans to use these circumstances in some manner. It may happen 3 days from now…or 30 years down the road. But God will not waste these events. And it might just be that He is setting us up to help someone else.
So while you wonder why you are facing so many challenges with your aging parents, God might be planning to put you in a position to someday support and encourage someone else who is going through the same thing. If you struggled to get through a course in biology, God might put others in your path who face the same struggle, so that you can reassure them that they can handle this. If someone stole your credit card and racked up a huge bill, God might show you a way to warn others…or to share with someone what you did to recover – and how he/she can, also.
The bottom line is that God never wastes an opportunity to show us His love and compassion…and He expects us to do the same for others. Look around you. Who needs your compassion, encouragement, and reassurance? Where can you share a personal experience and give something that may have seemed truly horrible a positive spin…while helping someone else who is going through the same thing? How can you share God’s love and compassion with others and emulate Jesus Christ?
Are you ready to reach out to the people around you…to allow God to work in and through you and turn your suffering and testing into opportunities to minister to others? In the words of Pastor Osteen, will this be the day you become a “victor” in Christ instead of a “victim” of circumstances? Will you truly demonstrate the love of Jesus to others by sharing in their burdens? Isn’t it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Yesterday, a schoolmate named Carol messaged me and asked if I would post a prayer request for her on Facebook. She was distraught over recent events involving her mother, an Alzheimer’s patient who lives in a nursing home and has experienced several falls and a broken hip in recent weeks. Carol lives 800 miles away in another state and is unable to be with her mother right now, and she was feeling incredibly frustrated, worried, and alone. I posted a prayer request for her and spelled out her needs, as well as those of Carol’s mother – and her brother who lives close by and serves as his mother’s guardian.
In no time at all, dozens of comments were posted. Many “tagged” Carol on Facebook and gave her words of encouragement and advice. Some had “been there, done that” with their own parents, and they were able to offer tremendous comfort to Carol because of their own “suffering and testing”. One person in particular described how she had cared for her own mother as she suffered from dementia. She made some constructive suggestions for how to handle this situation – and the accompanying emotions. It was a blessing to be able to petition prayers for this family…and even more so to read the responses and see how so many people stepped up to offer compassion and support.
This is what we are supposed to do. I was listening to a sermon recently by Pastor Joel Osteen, and he reminded us that God uses our trials and tribulations for His purposes. When He allows us to experience something that is difficult or unpleasant, we often question why these things happened. Many times we cannot see that God has plans to use these circumstances in some manner. It may happen 3 days from now…or 30 years down the road. But God will not waste these events. And it might just be that He is setting us up to help someone else.
So while you wonder why you are facing so many challenges with your aging parents, God might be planning to put you in a position to someday support and encourage someone else who is going through the same thing. If you struggled to get through a course in biology, God might put others in your path who face the same struggle, so that you can reassure them that they can handle this. If someone stole your credit card and racked up a huge bill, God might show you a way to warn others…or to share with someone what you did to recover – and how he/she can, also.
The bottom line is that God never wastes an opportunity to show us His love and compassion…and He expects us to do the same for others. Look around you. Who needs your compassion, encouragement, and reassurance? Where can you share a personal experience and give something that may have seemed truly horrible a positive spin…while helping someone else who is going through the same thing? How can you share God’s love and compassion with others and emulate Jesus Christ?
Are you ready to reach out to the people around you…to allow God to work in and through you and turn your suffering and testing into opportunities to minister to others? In the words of Pastor Osteen, will this be the day you become a “victor” in Christ instead of a “victim” of circumstances? Will you truly demonstrate the love of Jesus to others by sharing in their burdens? Isn’t it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 9, 2014
2 Corinthians 4:7-12
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!
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.
Early in our marriage, Greg’s mother gave us a “quilt” that Greg’s grandmother had made. Actually, I think it is probably an old quilt that was recovered with this red “bandana-like” material and “string tied”. This means the coverlet is not actually “quilted”… but every few inches, a piece of yarn was tacked through the material and tied into a strong knot to hold the fabric –and the quilting inside – in place. There is nothing especially pretty about this quilt. But over the years, it has kept us warm, padded our seat at countless ballgames, and served us well. The fabric is almost threadbare around the edges…still, it provides warmth and comfort. Now our little ones use the quilt…for warmth…as a “pallet” on the floor…and even once as a “fort” when it was draped over the playpen!
Oh, the places this quilt has been…the things it has done with us! This blanket holds a lot of “history”…picnics, ballgames, cookouts, snowy nights, childhood fun, and so much more! You cannot tell all of this just by looking at it…the naked eye cannot see the love and comfort that has emanated from the folds of this inanimate object. Considering that this quilt belonged to Greg’s family before I came on the scene, it is safe to say that this roughly 36-square-feet of blanketing has been a source of contentment and coziness for well more than 40 years!
The blanket itself is not extraordinary. What is truly worth noting is how it has served our family…and how we have repeatedly turned to this quilt in countless situations. And this is where my mind went when I read these verses from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. We are the vessel…the unadorned clay pot or the plain and simple quilt. Without God, our purposes – and their effects – are minimal, at best. The “beat-down” of life in general - and the devil specifically – should by all rights have done us in long ago. But we keep on going. We have amazing strength because of God’s power.
For a lot of us, plenty of people know the troubles we’ve seen… but not how we survived them - or more importantly, WHO got us through these trials. A few of us have understood that the “wear and tear” of our life has made us who we are in Christ…and we are supposed to share that with others in the same boat! Some of us get it that we got this far because of Jesus…and others need to know that they can do the same thing! We understand that we are plain, ordinary, everyday people through whom God has done extraordinary things. Oh, I don’t mean that He has necessarily used us to cure a world-wide plague or even to become the next big thing (whatever that is!)...but God has used us, just the same.
God has worked in and through you in countless instances that could be shared with others to help them in their journey. Just like an old clay pot or a well-used quilt, you may be a little rough around the edges…or you may appear to be so ordinary that others seem to walk right past you. But you are incredibly unique - and important - and so capable of sharing God’s love and compassion with others. It’s what He’s calling us to do all throughout the scriptures…and it’s time we started paying attention.
Will you ask God to show you how and where you can share His power at work in you with others? Will you find your purpose as a Christian disciple and see where you are to serve as His vessel? Who needs the warmth and comfort of your blanket of experiences…and kindheartedness? God is giving you His best – even when you are at your worst. Are you ready to “raise a corner of the quilt” and invite others to share in His love and power? Shouldn’t you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!
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.
Early in our marriage, Greg’s mother gave us a “quilt” that Greg’s grandmother had made. Actually, I think it is probably an old quilt that was recovered with this red “bandana-like” material and “string tied”. This means the coverlet is not actually “quilted”… but every few inches, a piece of yarn was tacked through the material and tied into a strong knot to hold the fabric –and the quilting inside – in place. There is nothing especially pretty about this quilt. But over the years, it has kept us warm, padded our seat at countless ballgames, and served us well. The fabric is almost threadbare around the edges…still, it provides warmth and comfort. Now our little ones use the quilt…for warmth…as a “pallet” on the floor…and even once as a “fort” when it was draped over the playpen!
Oh, the places this quilt has been…the things it has done with us! This blanket holds a lot of “history”…picnics, ballgames, cookouts, snowy nights, childhood fun, and so much more! You cannot tell all of this just by looking at it…the naked eye cannot see the love and comfort that has emanated from the folds of this inanimate object. Considering that this quilt belonged to Greg’s family before I came on the scene, it is safe to say that this roughly 36-square-feet of blanketing has been a source of contentment and coziness for well more than 40 years!
The blanket itself is not extraordinary. What is truly worth noting is how it has served our family…and how we have repeatedly turned to this quilt in countless situations. And this is where my mind went when I read these verses from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. We are the vessel…the unadorned clay pot or the plain and simple quilt. Without God, our purposes – and their effects – are minimal, at best. The “beat-down” of life in general - and the devil specifically – should by all rights have done us in long ago. But we keep on going. We have amazing strength because of God’s power.
For a lot of us, plenty of people know the troubles we’ve seen… but not how we survived them - or more importantly, WHO got us through these trials. A few of us have understood that the “wear and tear” of our life has made us who we are in Christ…and we are supposed to share that with others in the same boat! Some of us get it that we got this far because of Jesus…and others need to know that they can do the same thing! We understand that we are plain, ordinary, everyday people through whom God has done extraordinary things. Oh, I don’t mean that He has necessarily used us to cure a world-wide plague or even to become the next big thing (whatever that is!)...but God has used us, just the same.
God has worked in and through you in countless instances that could be shared with others to help them in their journey. Just like an old clay pot or a well-used quilt, you may be a little rough around the edges…or you may appear to be so ordinary that others seem to walk right past you. But you are incredibly unique - and important - and so capable of sharing God’s love and compassion with others. It’s what He’s calling us to do all throughout the scriptures…and it’s time we started paying attention.
Will you ask God to show you how and where you can share His power at work in you with others? Will you find your purpose as a Christian disciple and see where you are to serve as His vessel? Who needs the warmth and comfort of your blanket of experiences…and kindheartedness? God is giving you His best – even when you are at your worst. Are you ready to “raise a corner of the quilt” and invite others to share in His love and power? Shouldn’t you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 14, 2012
James 4:13-15
And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”
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.
If my grandmother lives to November 5th, we will celebrate her 100th birthday. I’ve begun to make plans… reserved the parlor at her assisted living facility, sent in the forms to Willard Scott for recognition on the TODAY show, and started thinking about refreshments and who to invite. At the same time, I am well aware that a LOT can happen in fifty-two days – especially when you are 99 and in declining health. So I preface all statements about future events with regard to my Mam-ma Polly with the word “if.”
I’ve also learned that any and all plans are subject to change. People get sick, accidents happen, events beyond our control occur… and our course is revised. Sometimes these are momentary setbacks… sometimes the result of the alteration is permanent. Many probably thought Hurricane Katrina would blow through and change things for a few days – or possibly weeks. No one knew that, in some ways, all of our lives would be forever altered by this natural disaster. We could not predict that terrorists would fly planes into the Twin Towers on a beautiful September morning eleven years ago and alter life for millions of people worldwide.
My friend had no clue that a visit to the doctor to investigate her husband’s headaches would result in a diagnosis of a cancerous – and virtually incurable – brain tumor. A young man who got caught in a 40+-car pileup on his way to work one icy, foggy morning last fall in Tennessee did not know that his life was over… his one-month marriage finished…that his destiny was heaven instead of his place of work.
Please understand that this is not meant to be a “bad news” message. More importantly, do not for one minute think that I am saying that God caused any of these events. But I know that He used them, because God never wastes an opportunity to work in and through His people. I am not telling you to stop making plans… to forget goals and aspirations. I am just reminding you that we are not in charge… and every plan we make is subject to change. We must learn to plan with God in mind. We must focus on expecting God to chart our course… and to guide us as we make our plans.
We must develop such a close relationship with God that we know for certain when HE is the one trying to alter our course… and when we are listening to the devil. And we must be very careful not to blame Satan when God says, “You’re on the wrong path.” “The devil did this,” is not a good excuse – or an “out” when things don’t go our way! We must trust that any alterations God allows in our plans are for our benefit…and we must be ready and willing to say, “Okay, LORD… which way do I go now?”
Will the devil try to trip you up? Absolutely – and often! Will you know the difference between his interference and a change in course designed or allowed by God? I surely hope so! Are you prepared to let God to chart your path… to guide your plans according to His perfect will? More importantly, will you accept God’s modifications with a glad heart and complete faith that plans are perfect? Do you get it that every minute of our life is like a wispy fog… here one minute and gone the next… but that God’s love and care – and His plans for us – endure forever?
Prayerfully – and carefully – plot a course for your life. Make every effort to stay attuned to God’s will and His design for each step you take. Live deliberately... don't put off telling others you love them, "mending fences," or fulfilling obligations. If you feel that God has told you something is important enough to incorporate into your plans, the phrase "I'll do it later" should not be uttered. Learn to tell the difference between the devil’s efforts to trip you up and a bona fide change in course delivered by God.
Live in the faith and confidence of knowing that you are obediently operating in God’s will for your life, and that He will never desert you… never allow more than you can handle with His help. When changes in your plans happen, stop and ask Him, “Which way now, LORD?” – and mean it!
©2012 Debbie Robus
And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”
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.
If my grandmother lives to November 5th, we will celebrate her 100th birthday. I’ve begun to make plans… reserved the parlor at her assisted living facility, sent in the forms to Willard Scott for recognition on the TODAY show, and started thinking about refreshments and who to invite. At the same time, I am well aware that a LOT can happen in fifty-two days – especially when you are 99 and in declining health. So I preface all statements about future events with regard to my Mam-ma Polly with the word “if.”
I’ve also learned that any and all plans are subject to change. People get sick, accidents happen, events beyond our control occur… and our course is revised. Sometimes these are momentary setbacks… sometimes the result of the alteration is permanent. Many probably thought Hurricane Katrina would blow through and change things for a few days – or possibly weeks. No one knew that, in some ways, all of our lives would be forever altered by this natural disaster. We could not predict that terrorists would fly planes into the Twin Towers on a beautiful September morning eleven years ago and alter life for millions of people worldwide.
My friend had no clue that a visit to the doctor to investigate her husband’s headaches would result in a diagnosis of a cancerous – and virtually incurable – brain tumor. A young man who got caught in a 40+-car pileup on his way to work one icy, foggy morning last fall in Tennessee did not know that his life was over… his one-month marriage finished…that his destiny was heaven instead of his place of work.
Please understand that this is not meant to be a “bad news” message. More importantly, do not for one minute think that I am saying that God caused any of these events. But I know that He used them, because God never wastes an opportunity to work in and through His people. I am not telling you to stop making plans… to forget goals and aspirations. I am just reminding you that we are not in charge… and every plan we make is subject to change. We must learn to plan with God in mind. We must focus on expecting God to chart our course… and to guide us as we make our plans.
We must develop such a close relationship with God that we know for certain when HE is the one trying to alter our course… and when we are listening to the devil. And we must be very careful not to blame Satan when God says, “You’re on the wrong path.” “The devil did this,” is not a good excuse – or an “out” when things don’t go our way! We must trust that any alterations God allows in our plans are for our benefit…and we must be ready and willing to say, “Okay, LORD… which way do I go now?”
Will the devil try to trip you up? Absolutely – and often! Will you know the difference between his interference and a change in course designed or allowed by God? I surely hope so! Are you prepared to let God to chart your path… to guide your plans according to His perfect will? More importantly, will you accept God’s modifications with a glad heart and complete faith that plans are perfect? Do you get it that every minute of our life is like a wispy fog… here one minute and gone the next… but that God’s love and care – and His plans for us – endure forever?
Prayerfully – and carefully – plot a course for your life. Make every effort to stay attuned to God’s will and His design for each step you take. Live deliberately... don't put off telling others you love them, "mending fences," or fulfilling obligations. If you feel that God has told you something is important enough to incorporate into your plans, the phrase "I'll do it later" should not be uttered. Learn to tell the difference between the devil’s efforts to trip you up and a bona fide change in course delivered by God.
Live in the faith and confidence of knowing that you are obediently operating in God’s will for your life, and that He will never desert you… never allow more than you can handle with His help. When changes in your plans happen, stop and ask Him, “Which way now, LORD?” – and mean it!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 3, 2012
Hosea 6:1-3
Let’s return to the Lord. He has torn us to shreds, but he will bandage our wounds and make us well. In two or three days he will heal us and restore our strength that we may live with him. Let’s do our best to know the Lord. His coming is as certain as the morning sun; he will refresh us like rain renewing the earth in the springtime.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I am sitting in the hospital with my grandmother, and she is crying out in pain. It is a hard thing to endure…watching her suffer. The natural instinct would be to cry out to God and ask WHY this little faithful servant of His must go through such an ordeal. Why, at almost 100 years old, must her life include such a miserable challenge.
I opened my Kindle this morning to read from God Calling – a daily devotional book. With all of this “excitement,” I had not read from this book in a few days, so my first “devo” was for April 28 – Hosea 6:1-3. Isn’t that just like God to give me exactly what I need today? I can’t begin to tell you how comforted I was to read that what God has allowed to be “torn to shreds,” He will bandage and make well. He will restore strength as sure as morning sun or refreshing rain.
So as much as it breaks my heart to hear my grandmother cry out in pain, I am at peace… knowing that God is holding her in the palm of His hand. He is using this experience for His good… as He has worked in and through her for almost a century. I don’t know who my grandmother is touching in God’s name… or how He is at work. But I know that He is not wasting a minute of this… and one way or another, my Mam-ma Polly will be ultimately refreshed and restored.
I don’t know what challenges you today… what pain and suffering you may experience… or how God will work in and through you. But I know that He will… and I pray that you find His peace and comfort…and rest in His promises for complete healing. To God be the glory for His amazing grace and mercy, now and forever. Amen.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Let’s return to the Lord. He has torn us to shreds, but he will bandage our wounds and make us well. In two or three days he will heal us and restore our strength that we may live with him. Let’s do our best to know the Lord. His coming is as certain as the morning sun; he will refresh us like rain renewing the earth in the springtime.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I am sitting in the hospital with my grandmother, and she is crying out in pain. It is a hard thing to endure…watching her suffer. The natural instinct would be to cry out to God and ask WHY this little faithful servant of His must go through such an ordeal. Why, at almost 100 years old, must her life include such a miserable challenge.
I opened my Kindle this morning to read from God Calling – a daily devotional book. With all of this “excitement,” I had not read from this book in a few days, so my first “devo” was for April 28 – Hosea 6:1-3. Isn’t that just like God to give me exactly what I need today? I can’t begin to tell you how comforted I was to read that what God has allowed to be “torn to shreds,” He will bandage and make well. He will restore strength as sure as morning sun or refreshing rain.
So as much as it breaks my heart to hear my grandmother cry out in pain, I am at peace… knowing that God is holding her in the palm of His hand. He is using this experience for His good… as He has worked in and through her for almost a century. I don’t know who my grandmother is touching in God’s name… or how He is at work. But I know that He is not wasting a minute of this… and one way or another, my Mam-ma Polly will be ultimately refreshed and restored.
I don’t know what challenges you today… what pain and suffering you may experience… or how God will work in and through you. But I know that He will… and I pray that you find His peace and comfort…and rest in His promises for complete healing. To God be the glory for His amazing grace and mercy, now and forever. Amen.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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