Ephesians 2:1-6
It wasn’t so long ago that you were
mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t
know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled
your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all
did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like
doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his
temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy
and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives
and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help
from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in
company with Jesus, our Messiah.
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.
I recently saw someone from a
distance, and for a split second, I thought this person was someone I
knew...a pastor friend who moved away several years ago. I began to
think about how much I miss this friend...how important his support and
nurture was to my spiritual growth. I still speak with him occasionally
via e-mail, but there are times when I wish we could have one of our
long heart-to-heart talks. There have been times in the last several
years when I would have given anything if he had been here to advise me
in person.
As I thought of my friend, I very clearly received
this message...”If he had been here, you would have depended upon him
instead of Me. You might not have grown as much in your faith.”
Sometimes, I think God makes us go through some hard times...to “tough
it out” (so to speak) in certain circumstances...so that we depend more
on Him than we do on mere mortals. It’s not that my friend would not
have given me excellent, Godly advice. But I needed to be somewhat
alone, isolated and vulnerable. I needed to realize that all I had...and all I needed...was God – that HE could handle things for me, and that I had to trust Him to do so.
I
am not the same person I once was...and you probably are not either. I
am still a sinner, but I am not mired in the stagnant life of sin.
More importantly, I am knee-deep or more in faith and trust in God...for
everything. I’ve seen His grace in action. I’ve felt His mercy on
more than one occasion. I am immersed in His love and have physical
evidence of His miracles and power. And He did this for me all on His
own, without human assistance or interference!
I don’t know
where you are on your faith walk. I hope you have Godly friends and
disciples to whom you can turn when things are tough. But I also hope
you know that you are truly NEVER alone when you give your heart to
Jesus. Our gracious, merciful, loving Heavenly Father is always, always available to us...always working on our behalf...and capable of handling anything and everything we throw at Him!
Sometimes,
we need to bask in the unadulterated grace, mercy, compassion, power
and love of God. We need to peel back the layers and “go it alone” with
Him...and trust that He truly is enough! We say that we believe that
Jesus is all we need...and He is! Now it’s time to act like it!
©2014 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label Gods grace mercy forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gods grace mercy forgiveness. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for May 12, 2014
Luke 15:24
This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.” And they began to celebrate.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Forty-six-year-old Lacey Wildd has undergone 35 plastic surgeries, including 12 breast augmentations that have enlarged her to a size LLL. Despite protests from her six children, she recently underwent surgery to remove fat from various places on her body – including her eyelids - and to inject four pounds of it into her backside. She will now have to sleep on a specially designed mattress with a “cut-out” to accommodate her enlargements. She also got a “nose job”. Wildd makes public appearances for a living and said she hopes to become an “extreme adult Barbie”.
After surgery, Wild’s daughter Tori, a college sophomore, tearfully said, “I just hope she can open her eyes.” Her 26-year-old son, Silas, stroked her hair and said, “You’ve really done it this time, Mom.” He told an interviewer, “We kinda have to suffer through the consequences with her.” Tori put her “battle” aside while her mom recuperates…but this woman’s antics are clearly taking a toll on the family. One wonders how many times her children will go with her to the surgeries (because she does plan to have even more!)…and how long they will continue to welcome her back into their lives as she persists to make herself look even more extreme and cartoon-like.
Do you ever have a day when you truly want to give up? Your friendship or relationship is in the pits, and you feel like it would be easier to throw up your hands, walk away and start over with new friends or another partner. Maybe someone in your life keeps doing things you feel are really crazy (like Lacey Wildd), and you wonder how much longer you can support them. Your kids/parents/grandparents are driving you nuts with their comments and antics, and you feel like you just can’t take it any longer. Perhaps you are like the man in this scripture passage whose brother wandered away and wasted his money (and potentially his very life) on “wild living”… you are fed up and disgusted – and maybe even done!
If you go back and start reading at Luke 15:11, you will see that the son realized his mistake and decided to go to his father and ask forgiveness. And when the father saw this long lost son coming toward him, he dropped everything and ran to him with open arms. He ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast, and he gave him new, clean clothes to wear. He told everyone that his son had returned…that it was time for a celebration.
Could you do this? If someone stole from you, hurt you deeply, or just went nuts and did things that were embarrassing and ridiculous – then came to you and humbly asked forgiveness - could you allow them back into your life? Could you forgive so readily and even throw them a party? Now let me ask this in a different way. Think about your own life and the mistakes you have made. What if you humbled yourself before God and asked for His forgiveness…and He refused you? What if God ignored your sincere apologies and vows to turn over a new leaf and do better? Can you even imagine it?
We take God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness for granted. We assume that God will always be there for us, no matter what! And honestly, as born-again believers in Jesus Christ, this is true. It doesn’t mean we should “test the waters” or take advantage of God’s love and kindness…but we do have the assurance that He will do this for us. So we have the confidence that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
But do we offer this same level of love, forgiveness, grace and mercy to others…and in doing so, do we demonstrate God’s unconditional love and care to others? Do we extend a welcoming hand…do we greet someone who is truly repentant with a hug and a kiss and celebrate their new beginning? Are we willing to put the past in the past and move forward? In this parable from Luke 15, you see that the older son actually protested all of the festivities. He pointed out to his father how he had done everything right…how he had been obedient and trustworthy…and no party had ever been given on his behalf.
Here’s my take on the point of his father’s response…God doesn’t give up on us, so we should not be so quick to give up on others. God doesn’t love those who are obedient and faithful any more…or any less. He does not take your loyalty and devotion for granted. He loves you and relishes His relationship with you. But God wants this same kind of relationship with your “brother” or “sister”, too. Each one of us is incredibly important to God. So when one of us “stinkers” comes back to Him, God is ready to open His arms, greet us with a hug, kiss and new beginning – and truly throw a party.
Let’s be real here…this is great news! On any given day, you or I could be the wild and crazy person… or the “stinker”. Let’s hope none of us goes off the deep end with plastic surgeries! The children of this woman will have a big challenge ahead of them as they figure out how to live with their mother’s appearance - and how to love and accept her in spite of it. But God can help them figure this out. And He can help us persevere and walk in love, grace, mercy and forgiveness toward others.
God can use us to reveal Himself to others…and even throw a party in their honor. Are you at a point in your relationship with Him where this is possible? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.” And they began to celebrate.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Forty-six-year-old Lacey Wildd has undergone 35 plastic surgeries, including 12 breast augmentations that have enlarged her to a size LLL. Despite protests from her six children, she recently underwent surgery to remove fat from various places on her body – including her eyelids - and to inject four pounds of it into her backside. She will now have to sleep on a specially designed mattress with a “cut-out” to accommodate her enlargements. She also got a “nose job”. Wildd makes public appearances for a living and said she hopes to become an “extreme adult Barbie”.
After surgery, Wild’s daughter Tori, a college sophomore, tearfully said, “I just hope she can open her eyes.” Her 26-year-old son, Silas, stroked her hair and said, “You’ve really done it this time, Mom.” He told an interviewer, “We kinda have to suffer through the consequences with her.” Tori put her “battle” aside while her mom recuperates…but this woman’s antics are clearly taking a toll on the family. One wonders how many times her children will go with her to the surgeries (because she does plan to have even more!)…and how long they will continue to welcome her back into their lives as she persists to make herself look even more extreme and cartoon-like.
Do you ever have a day when you truly want to give up? Your friendship or relationship is in the pits, and you feel like it would be easier to throw up your hands, walk away and start over with new friends or another partner. Maybe someone in your life keeps doing things you feel are really crazy (like Lacey Wildd), and you wonder how much longer you can support them. Your kids/parents/grandparents are driving you nuts with their comments and antics, and you feel like you just can’t take it any longer. Perhaps you are like the man in this scripture passage whose brother wandered away and wasted his money (and potentially his very life) on “wild living”… you are fed up and disgusted – and maybe even done!
If you go back and start reading at Luke 15:11, you will see that the son realized his mistake and decided to go to his father and ask forgiveness. And when the father saw this long lost son coming toward him, he dropped everything and ran to him with open arms. He ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast, and he gave him new, clean clothes to wear. He told everyone that his son had returned…that it was time for a celebration.
Could you do this? If someone stole from you, hurt you deeply, or just went nuts and did things that were embarrassing and ridiculous – then came to you and humbly asked forgiveness - could you allow them back into your life? Could you forgive so readily and even throw them a party? Now let me ask this in a different way. Think about your own life and the mistakes you have made. What if you humbled yourself before God and asked for His forgiveness…and He refused you? What if God ignored your sincere apologies and vows to turn over a new leaf and do better? Can you even imagine it?
We take God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness for granted. We assume that God will always be there for us, no matter what! And honestly, as born-again believers in Jesus Christ, this is true. It doesn’t mean we should “test the waters” or take advantage of God’s love and kindness…but we do have the assurance that He will do this for us. So we have the confidence that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
But do we offer this same level of love, forgiveness, grace and mercy to others…and in doing so, do we demonstrate God’s unconditional love and care to others? Do we extend a welcoming hand…do we greet someone who is truly repentant with a hug and a kiss and celebrate their new beginning? Are we willing to put the past in the past and move forward? In this parable from Luke 15, you see that the older son actually protested all of the festivities. He pointed out to his father how he had done everything right…how he had been obedient and trustworthy…and no party had ever been given on his behalf.
Here’s my take on the point of his father’s response…God doesn’t give up on us, so we should not be so quick to give up on others. God doesn’t love those who are obedient and faithful any more…or any less. He does not take your loyalty and devotion for granted. He loves you and relishes His relationship with you. But God wants this same kind of relationship with your “brother” or “sister”, too. Each one of us is incredibly important to God. So when one of us “stinkers” comes back to Him, God is ready to open His arms, greet us with a hug, kiss and new beginning – and truly throw a party.
Let’s be real here…this is great news! On any given day, you or I could be the wild and crazy person… or the “stinker”. Let’s hope none of us goes off the deep end with plastic surgeries! The children of this woman will have a big challenge ahead of them as they figure out how to live with their mother’s appearance - and how to love and accept her in spite of it. But God can help them figure this out. And He can help us persevere and walk in love, grace, mercy and forgiveness toward others.
God can use us to reveal Himself to others…and even throw a party in their honor. Are you at a point in your relationship with Him where this is possible? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 1, 2014
Luke 23:34-35
Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don’t know what they’re doing.”
While the crowd stood there watching Jesus, the soldiers gambled for his clothes. The leaders insulted him by saying, “He saved others. Now he should save himself, if he really is God’s chosen Messiah!”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When Greg and I were in college, we used to sit in our car nearly every day and share a sandwich/potato chip lunch while listening to radio broadcaster Paul Harvey. There was something charming and compelling about Harvey’s delivery. His “hook” was to tell part of an interesting story, then break for a commercial… and then he would return to finish his tale. At the end he would say, “And now you know the rest of the story.” Harvey became famous for “the rest of the story!” and even wrote a book by this title.
So often in life, there is a “rest of the story”… and many times, we react without getting it! Our thoughts, comments and judgments are erroneous, harsh – even cruel at times – because we have failed to consider that there may be more going on with the other guy. We might not have the full picture. Even more importantly, we neglect to recognize that GOD is the only true judge…that this is not our place to draw conclusions. We are to act – and react – with compassion…to offer the same grace, mercy, forgiveness and understanding to others that Jesus offered his abusers - even on the cross and as they gambled for his clothing.
Tall order? Maybe! But when you consider what Jesus did for us… how HE responded to his assailants…any leniency and benefit of the doubt that we offer to others pales by comparison.
I know that people say and do ugly and hurtful things. I know that we are all judged unfairly and treated unkindly at one time or another. I know that it sometimes seems like “life” knocks us down and drags us through the mud. But if Jesus can hang naked and disfigured on a cross and ask God to forgive those who have desolated Him, can’t we surely offer compassion and charity to those who mistreat us?
Today we begin a new year… we turn the page on the calendar and start with a “clean slate”. Isn’t this the perfect day to resolve to be more empathetic… to show more compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness to others? I’m ready to stop giving the devil a victory by holding grudges, harboring insults and judging others…I’m ready to be more like Jesus and operate in a spirit of kindheartedness and tolerance of others. I’m ready to recognize that there might very well be a “rest of the story” and offer others a hefty dose of the same mercy Jesus offers to each of us. What about you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don’t know what they’re doing.”
While the crowd stood there watching Jesus, the soldiers gambled for his clothes. The leaders insulted him by saying, “He saved others. Now he should save himself, if he really is God’s chosen Messiah!”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When Greg and I were in college, we used to sit in our car nearly every day and share a sandwich/potato chip lunch while listening to radio broadcaster Paul Harvey. There was something charming and compelling about Harvey’s delivery. His “hook” was to tell part of an interesting story, then break for a commercial… and then he would return to finish his tale. At the end he would say, “And now you know the rest of the story.” Harvey became famous for “the rest of the story!” and even wrote a book by this title.
So often in life, there is a “rest of the story”… and many times, we react without getting it! Our thoughts, comments and judgments are erroneous, harsh – even cruel at times – because we have failed to consider that there may be more going on with the other guy. We might not have the full picture. Even more importantly, we neglect to recognize that GOD is the only true judge…that this is not our place to draw conclusions. We are to act – and react – with compassion…to offer the same grace, mercy, forgiveness and understanding to others that Jesus offered his abusers - even on the cross and as they gambled for his clothing.
Tall order? Maybe! But when you consider what Jesus did for us… how HE responded to his assailants…any leniency and benefit of the doubt that we offer to others pales by comparison.
I know that people say and do ugly and hurtful things. I know that we are all judged unfairly and treated unkindly at one time or another. I know that it sometimes seems like “life” knocks us down and drags us through the mud. But if Jesus can hang naked and disfigured on a cross and ask God to forgive those who have desolated Him, can’t we surely offer compassion and charity to those who mistreat us?
Today we begin a new year… we turn the page on the calendar and start with a “clean slate”. Isn’t this the perfect day to resolve to be more empathetic… to show more compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness to others? I’m ready to stop giving the devil a victory by holding grudges, harboring insults and judging others…I’m ready to be more like Jesus and operate in a spirit of kindheartedness and tolerance of others. I’m ready to recognize that there might very well be a “rest of the story” and offer others a hefty dose of the same mercy Jesus offers to each of us. What about you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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