Philippians 3:1
Whatever happens, dear friends, be
glad in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you this, and it is good
for you to hear it again and again.
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 teaching, my
school district participated in something called PET…Program for
Effective Teaching. PET training was intense, and consisted of actual
classroom instruction in this method for all teachers…followed by
exercises where we taught lessons using this method while we were
observed and critiqued by those trained to determine if we were
implementing the concepts correctly. So there was a lot of
repetition…and some “trial and error” involved.
In PET, the
concept is that each lesson has three components…the “set” – or quite
literally, the set-up for the lesson…the lesson itself…and closure. In
the “set”, the teacher provides an activity, a relatable analogy, plays a
game, or does something to engage the students and provide
relevance…and then he/she explains what the students will be learning.
In the lesson, obviously the instruction and practice occur until the
teacher is sure that the student understands the concept. Finally, the
closure reviews what was learned. The objective is repeated during the
closure to ensure that students remember it.
Studies have shown
that people best remember the first and last things they are told, so
in order to remember that middle “lesson”, repetition on the front and
back end is necessary. Personally, I LOVED the PET method of teaching
and have applied it to other areas of my life…from teaching a Sunday
school lesson to writing these devotionals!
If you are still
reading, you may be wondering what this has to do with the Apostle
Paul’s letter to the Philippians – and feeling God’s presence in your
life. TV celebrity Dr. Phil and others like to say that “People don’t
care what you know…until they know that you care!” And this is what I
want you to remember today…that God loves you! He sent Jesus to die on
the cross for you!
God cares about every single thing that is
happening in your life…from that test you struggled to pass to your
relationship breakup to how the waiter mixed up your order at the
restaurant! He cares about your wayward child, your disagreeable spouse or aging parent(s), your health, your daily
ups and downs – and even your struggle to lose a few pounds. God
numbers the hairs on your head…whether they are blond, brunette, red,
grey or purple…long, short – or fairy sparse!
Until we understand
how much God loves us – how much He cares for us – we will never fully
understand how much He is involved with each and every detail of our
lives. We will miss out on blessings, comfort, wisdom, and peace,
because we do not trust that God really IS with us…listening and loving
us through every single experience of our lives. But we can change
that! We can remind ourselves continually that “I am a child of God.
He loves me as I am. God is always available to me…He is only a whisper
away!” And we can begin today!
Are you ready to fully recognize
God’s presence…to understand how much He cares for you? Will this be
the day that you begin to operate differently…more completely in His
wisdom and peace? Don’t you think it should be? Have you said “Hello”
to God today? Isn’t it time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label God's wisdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's wisdom. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for December 14, 2013
Proverbs 24:14
In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul.
If you find it, you will have a bright future,
and your hopes will not be cut short.
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.
There is a lot of information available about the healing qualities of honey. Those who are especially interested in “natural healing” tout honey as something of a “wonder drug” for boosting your immune system, killing bacteria, and more. So when I saw a recipe on Pinterest for an “all-natural” tea made with honey, lemon and ginger root that was supposed to soothe sore throats and colds, I decided to make some.
The recipe said to slice fresh lemons and grate fresh ginger root. Layer both in a clean fruit jar. Cover the lemon and ginger root with honey, screw on a lid, and set the jar in the refrigerator. The honey will mix with the lemon oils and juices and the ginger flavoring over the next several days. The recipe suggested that you spoon some of this mixture into a heat-proof container and add very hot water, let it “steep”, then strain the mixture into a mug... and enjoy!
Last week, a friend visited us who was nursing the remnants of a cold and cough. I offered her some lemon-ginger tea, and she drank TWO cups! She said it was delicious… and that it did seem to soothe her throat. We all voiced a hope that her cold would soon be gone… and that the tea with honey would play a part in getting her well quickly!
Okay, so maybe that’s a stretch! But the wisdom of God is like honey. In fact, several translations of this passage actually refer to this sweet nectar by name. When we fill our hearts and minds with God’s wisdom, we also fill ourselves with hope that He will meet our needs… heal our bodies and souls…and create a promising future for us! Just like the simple, unadulterated recipe that soothes our scratchy sore throat, God’s wisdom can be a balm for our weary soul - and give us confidence and hope for the days ahead. It’s really not that much of a far-fetched notion, after all!
So if you have a sore throat or a cold, try some lemon-ginger-honey tea! If you need a hefty dose of hope and the promises of God… seek His wisdom. Picture Him standing at the door to your heart, holding a steaming hot mug of His love, grace, mercy, power, understanding… and hope. Now THAT’S a recipe worth sharing!
©2013 Debbie Robus
In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul.
If you find it, you will have a bright future,
and your hopes will not be cut short.
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.
There is a lot of information available about the healing qualities of honey. Those who are especially interested in “natural healing” tout honey as something of a “wonder drug” for boosting your immune system, killing bacteria, and more. So when I saw a recipe on Pinterest for an “all-natural” tea made with honey, lemon and ginger root that was supposed to soothe sore throats and colds, I decided to make some.
Last week, a friend visited us who was nursing the remnants of a cold and cough. I offered her some lemon-ginger tea, and she drank TWO cups! She said it was delicious… and that it did seem to soothe her throat. We all voiced a hope that her cold would soon be gone… and that the tea with honey would play a part in getting her well quickly!
Okay, so maybe that’s a stretch! But the wisdom of God is like honey. In fact, several translations of this passage actually refer to this sweet nectar by name. When we fill our hearts and minds with God’s wisdom, we also fill ourselves with hope that He will meet our needs… heal our bodies and souls…and create a promising future for us! Just like the simple, unadulterated recipe that soothes our scratchy sore throat, God’s wisdom can be a balm for our weary soul - and give us confidence and hope for the days ahead. It’s really not that much of a far-fetched notion, after all!
So if you have a sore throat or a cold, try some lemon-ginger-honey tea! If you need a hefty dose of hope and the promises of God… seek His wisdom. Picture Him standing at the door to your heart, holding a steaming hot mug of His love, grace, mercy, power, understanding… and hope. Now THAT’S a recipe worth sharing!
©2013 Debbie Robus
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