Ephesians 2:8-9
You were saved by faith in God, who
treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and
not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have
earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day,
and all across America, mothers will receive gifts and cards…special
treats…breakfasts in bed…lunches and dinners that someone else
prepared…and all sorts of accolades. I can tell you that we would be
hard pressed to find many mothers who didn’t earn every single bit of
this! I seriously doubt many mothers are already bragging about how
they are due all of the wonderful things their children have done for
them. And few will say, “You’re treating me better than I deserve!”
On the other hand, I would say that most of our mothers have given us
much better than we deserve. On Pulptastic.com*, I found a list titled
“10 Things Your Mom Never Told You”. Visit the site to read the entire
list, but they include…1) You made her cry a lot (in both good and bad
ways); 2) She wanted that last piece of pie; 8) It broke her heart every
time you cried; and 9) She put you first. By and large, our mothers
have rescued us from more troubles than we could ever count… and as item
#10 on this list states, “She would do it all again.”
As much as
our mothers love us, God loves us even more. He doesn’t love us only
when we exhibit “good behavior” that is worthy of some sort of
recognition, prize or treat. While God does reward our obedience and
service with blessings and other “perks”, He is more than generous with
plenty that we in no way earned or deserved…particularly our salvation
through the blood of Jesus Christ.
There are times when we have a
right to brag…and times when most mothers deserve to pat themselves on
the back and say, “I did pretty well!” This weekend – and tomorrow in
particular – will be one of those times. But for the most part, we must
all turn our eyes toward the heavens and recognize WHO truly gives us
the very best blessings and care every single day…the One who created
mothers – and fathers – and each of us.
We can “brag” and
celebrate our wonderful mothers – and our incomparable Heavenly
Father…we can revel in all that we have been given by them – and remind
ourselves of all that we owe them! But we must humbly recognize that WE
had nothing to do with these blessings of our own accord…and we must
learn to say a humble, and truly heartfelt, “Thank YOU!”
Tomorrow
as we celebrate Mom, let’s turn to God and thank HIM for this
incredible gift – and ALL that He gives us. We don’t deserve this love
and care…but He gives it anyway…and for this we owe Him our utmost
gratitude and praise.
©2015 Debbie Robus
* http://pulptastic.com/10-things-mom-never-told/
Showing posts with label God's grace mercy forgiveness tolerance patience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's grace mercy forgiveness tolerance patience. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for February 18, 2015
Isaiah 53:6
We—every one of us—have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on him the guilt and sins of every one of us!
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
We have all heard stories of people who were falsely accused of crimes they did not commit – and imprisoned for them – only to be acquitted through DNA testing years later. Sadly, I am sure that some of these persons were never vindicated…and some probably were put to death. I’ve seen television interviews with more than one victim of false accusation…and many have looked their accusers squarely in the eye and forgiven them. While some of those who pointed the finger genuinely believed they “had the right guy”, I still marvel at the grace and compassion of the accused who could say, “It’s alright…I understand…and I do not begrudge you.”
Were I to cause someone else to take punishment that he/she did not deserve, I imagine that I would be greatly grieved by this. And hopefully, you would feel the same way. But we don’t seem to understand that this is our exact relationship with Jesus! All of the horrific things that happened to Him are a direct result of OUR sins and wrongdoings. While none of us would stand up and say, “HE did it! Punish HIM!”…this is essentially what we do every day. God sent Jesus to take our sins…to stand in the gap for us and take on our guilts – and the consequences. And Jesus says, “It’s okay…I still love you.”
I am astounded that someone to Whom I have been so ugly could be so loving and kind. I cannot comprehend the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Someone who suffered so greatly in my stead. I cannot fathom that He would want a fellowship with ME! But this is in fact the case. We – who left God’s path to follow our own – are loved, loved, LOVED by Him…and He is available to us 24/7!
Let this soak into your soul today. As you make the choices of your day, consider the ramifications – and consequences – of each. Think of Jesus suffering for your guilts and sins…and check your words and actions accordingly. God is always with us...even when we are acting in a manner that causes Him to suffer. Don’t you think we owe it to Him to at least try to live up to His love and care?
©2015 Debbie Robus
We—every one of us—have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on him the guilt and sins of every one of us!
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
We have all heard stories of people who were falsely accused of crimes they did not commit – and imprisoned for them – only to be acquitted through DNA testing years later. Sadly, I am sure that some of these persons were never vindicated…and some probably were put to death. I’ve seen television interviews with more than one victim of false accusation…and many have looked their accusers squarely in the eye and forgiven them. While some of those who pointed the finger genuinely believed they “had the right guy”, I still marvel at the grace and compassion of the accused who could say, “It’s alright…I understand…and I do not begrudge you.”
Were I to cause someone else to take punishment that he/she did not deserve, I imagine that I would be greatly grieved by this. And hopefully, you would feel the same way. But we don’t seem to understand that this is our exact relationship with Jesus! All of the horrific things that happened to Him are a direct result of OUR sins and wrongdoings. While none of us would stand up and say, “HE did it! Punish HIM!”…this is essentially what we do every day. God sent Jesus to take our sins…to stand in the gap for us and take on our guilts – and the consequences. And Jesus says, “It’s okay…I still love you.”
I am astounded that someone to Whom I have been so ugly could be so loving and kind. I cannot comprehend the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Someone who suffered so greatly in my stead. I cannot fathom that He would want a fellowship with ME! But this is in fact the case. We – who left God’s path to follow our own – are loved, loved, LOVED by Him…and He is available to us 24/7!
Let this soak into your soul today. As you make the choices of your day, consider the ramifications – and consequences – of each. Think of Jesus suffering for your guilts and sins…and check your words and actions accordingly. God is always with us...even when we are acting in a manner that causes Him to suffer. Don’t you think we owe it to Him to at least try to live up to His love and care?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 28, 2015
Romans 2:4
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
When I was much younger, I worked with someone who was not very nice to me. A co-worker told me one day, “Kill him with kindness.” This was a new concept for me…and I can tell you, it wasn’t easy to implement! But this phrase has stuck with me for decades…and served me well in the process.
No doubt, you have encountered someone who required a lot of patience, kindness and tolerance. Perhaps YOU have been the “stinker” who got bigger and better doses of acceptance and generous treatment than you probably deserved. The questions many ask are…”Why do others put up with this behavior?” and “Why should *I* tolerate a ‘stinker’ in my own life?” And the answer is…”Because it might make a difference in that person’s life…and/or your own.”
God sees potential in all of us. As long as we draw a breath, it’s never too late for us to change and turn from our sins…and the use of unpleasant words and actions. If God is loving, kind, tolerant and patient with us, we might actually begin to appreciate His efforts - and desire to try and live up to them. And the same can be said for those we encounter in our own lives.
We need to seriously examine all that God does for us and see where we have failed to live in a manner that demonstrates our appreciation and gratitude. And we need to make a concerted effort to emulate Him in our treatment of others. Whether they ever change toward us or not, God will be pleased with our actions toward them. And that really is all that should matter.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
When I was much younger, I worked with someone who was not very nice to me. A co-worker told me one day, “Kill him with kindness.” This was a new concept for me…and I can tell you, it wasn’t easy to implement! But this phrase has stuck with me for decades…and served me well in the process.
No doubt, you have encountered someone who required a lot of patience, kindness and tolerance. Perhaps YOU have been the “stinker” who got bigger and better doses of acceptance and generous treatment than you probably deserved. The questions many ask are…”Why do others put up with this behavior?” and “Why should *I* tolerate a ‘stinker’ in my own life?” And the answer is…”Because it might make a difference in that person’s life…and/or your own.”
God sees potential in all of us. As long as we draw a breath, it’s never too late for us to change and turn from our sins…and the use of unpleasant words and actions. If God is loving, kind, tolerant and patient with us, we might actually begin to appreciate His efforts - and desire to try and live up to them. And the same can be said for those we encounter in our own lives.
We need to seriously examine all that God does for us and see where we have failed to live in a manner that demonstrates our appreciation and gratitude. And we need to make a concerted effort to emulate Him in our treatment of others. Whether they ever change toward us or not, God will be pleased with our actions toward them. And that really is all that should matter.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)