Psalm 139:13-18
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.
Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
God, I’ll never comprehend them!
I couldn’t even begin to count them—
any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
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 you visited my laundry/craft room, you would see stacks of projects. In my head, I can see how they will look when they are finished. When I complete a garment… or a greeting card or whatever I am making, I know every stitch or piece of paper that went into it. I see every seam… each layer… and all the steps that went into its creation. Sometimes my projects work out as planned… sometimes they don’t. Once in a while, something turns out so badly that I have to totally scrap it and start over! And more than once, I’ve made something for myself that I disliked so much that it rarely – if ever – was worn. Every time I put it on, I saw all of the flaws… or it just didn’t look and feel right.
Maybe you have had a similar experience. Many of us have envisioned a recipe in our heads that sounded delicious. I recently read a recipe on Pinterest for a pumpkin smoothie. It sounded wonderful! I could almost taste it as I read through the ingredients and process. But I have to tell you, I was terribly disappointed with the finished product, and I don’t care to make another one… ever!
It’s a beautiful thing to know that God planned and envisioned us long before we were ever conceived. He designed, planned, and created every “seam” in the garment that is our body – each “layer” that is the greeting card of our personality – all of the ingredients that make up the “recipe” of our lives. And the coolest part of all is that He loves every single thing about us. There may be “stitches” that are a little uneven…a crooked “caption” here or there… or even an off-putting “taste” occasionally. Still, God loves us. He looks past the flaws and imperfections and says, “This is My creation. Perfection and purpose lie within him/her. There may be bumps in the road and even a few wrong turns… but at the end of the day, I know how this ends - and I am in love with My handiwork.”
No one will ever love you like God. Your parents may have planned for your birth. They may have thought about you and dreamed of your conception and delivery. They may have nurtured you and given you every advantage as you grew and developed. You may have friends, relatives and/or a significant other who adore you and make you feel important each and every day. But none of these compares to the immeasurable, unconditional love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and acceptance that God offers us every single minute of the day.
God would never “scrap” us like an ill-fitting garment or a distasteful recipe… yet many of us are ready to toss Him to the side at every turn. Our “justifications” run the gamut from disappointments over events in our lives and prayers we felt were unanswered – or answered in a way we did not like… a desire to have our own way in all things – at all times…or accession to outside forces that convince us that God is not real – that He could not possibly love us so amazingly. Regardless of the reasons, we can choose to correct our course. We can acknowledge God’s presence – and His power. We can say, “Thank You, LORD… for everything!”
One of my favorite things to do is to take an old garment that has begun to show wear – or has been donated to the thrift store – and repurpose it to create something new and useful. You may have somehow fallen into the “thrift store bin. You may feel useless, unloved… or separated from God. The good news is that He can repurpose you… He planned for this and knows exactly what to do to get you back on track. All you have to do is to choose Him… to ask GOd to let you rise in the morning and live always with Him. He will handle the rest.
God choose you… have you chosen Him in return?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label Gods purpose for your life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gods purpose for your life. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for March 10, 2013
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
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.
Thursday morning (March 8th) at 7:00, our phone rang. The nurse at my grandmother’s Assisted Living Facility told my husband that the aides went in to wake Mam-ma Polly for breakfast and found her unresponsive. We quickly dressed and rush to the facility, where she lay with her eyes shut…breathing heavily. I had suspected for a few days she might be developing pneumonia, but upon examination, the Hospice nurse felt certain that she had suffered a stroke. It did not look good.
We sat all day Thursday and through the night… into Friday morning. Many came and went, and all told her how much she was loved. Some told her “Good-bye” … that her heavenly home would be ready soon. Indeed, a group of men and women came to play gospel music for the residents, and they dedicated “Heaven Is My Home” to Mrs. Polly… then followed it with “I’ll Fly Away.”
The Hospice nurses encouraged me to talk to Mam-ma, to gently encourage her to let go and “fly away” to Jesus. During the day on Thursday, I read scripture passages to her from her own Bible… many she had marked in some way, underlined, or noted in the margins. One of the passages I read to her from the King James Version – her personal favorite – was John 14:1-4…
- Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
I told Mam-ma over and again, “We’ll be along after you soon. We’ll see you again. We’re coming, too… just not yet.” I believe that completely. I look forward to the day when my mansion is ready and I can truly see the face of Jesus. Meanwhile, I know I have work to do here. My grandmother gave me an incredible example in 100 years, 123 days of how it’s done…how to live for Jesus and put Him first… how to serve others and love them with grace, mercy and forgiveness… and how to never stop living and fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. As I have prepared for her funeral and read countless messages and memories from those who knew and loved her, I am sure that she found God’s will and purpose for her life and fulfilled it. I pray that I can be a good servant and model her faith. I pray that you are working on your mansion, as well.
I know it’s been a couple of days since I posted a devotional… and now you know why. I pray that God will bless and keep you… and that He will give me strength, courage and wisdom as I resume these writings in the next few days. Love others more than yourself… figure out God’s purpose for your life – and fulfill it… and live well on this earth in preparation for your Heavenly mansion. God bless and keep you…until you fly away Home.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 24, 2013
Ephesians 4:1-3
In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
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.
In The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren talks about how knowing your purpose simplifies your life. He says there is no way we can do all everyone wants us to do. We have a big enough challenge finding time to do God’s will! Pastor Warren says that if you can’t seem to get it all done, you’re probably trying to do too much! This sounds like a direct contradiction to the scripture passage you just read… right? Maybe not!
See, a lot of us aren’t necessarily sitting on our hands… but quite a few of us are strolling off down paths that go nowhere. We fill our lives with people who don’t encourage us or help us to grow in our faith. We spend too much time on meaningless activities. We start way too many projects that we never finish.
God wants us to figure out where to best spend our time… then get busy doing what He has called us to do. So rather than sign up for every activity at school, pick and choose those you feel God wants you to pursue… and really work hard to do your best. Instead of volunteering for every ministry at your church and not being able to serve well in any of them, ask God to show you where you can make the biggest impact for Him. Then pour your heart and soul into that ministry. Give 110% and be someone who is reliable, dependable, and accountable.
Too many people bite off more than they can chew. I know… I’ve spread myself too thinly and tried to do too much. It’s not that I chose to participate in more than was physically possible… but I wasn’t very effective in many of the activities. When you are trying to do too much – even if it is God’s work – you can’t possibly be fully helpful in every ministry. Think of the phrase “jack-of-all-trades… master of none.” God wants us to pour ourselves out for each other in acts of love as He directs… but He wants us to be able to physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually have the stamina to give our very best.
Won’t God equip us for such things? Yes. But God also gave us a brain… and He expects us to use it. He wants us to operate faithfully… to do His will. He also wants us to use the common sense that He gave us to know when to say “when.” We all know people who seem to have their finger in every pie… who seem to sign up for every committee, church and community project, hold down a fulltime class schedule or job (or both)… and maybe run a household, as well. But just how effective are they? Are they cutting corners and letting certain obligations or aspects of their ministries slide?
I encourage you to spend some time talking to God. Ask Him, “LORD, what is my purpose? Where do you want me to serve? What activities and ministries do I need to let go in order to be more successful at serving in your name? Where should I be focusing my efforts… and where have I strolled off down a path that goes nowhere?” Allow God to work in and through you. There is no shame in limiting your ministries, if you are giving your very best to those you keep and operating within the will of God. Where do you need to “trim the fat” or alter your course? Are you ready to run on the road God called you to travel?
©2013 Debbie Robus
In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
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.
In The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren talks about how knowing your purpose simplifies your life. He says there is no way we can do all everyone wants us to do. We have a big enough challenge finding time to do God’s will! Pastor Warren says that if you can’t seem to get it all done, you’re probably trying to do too much! This sounds like a direct contradiction to the scripture passage you just read… right? Maybe not!
See, a lot of us aren’t necessarily sitting on our hands… but quite a few of us are strolling off down paths that go nowhere. We fill our lives with people who don’t encourage us or help us to grow in our faith. We spend too much time on meaningless activities. We start way too many projects that we never finish.
God wants us to figure out where to best spend our time… then get busy doing what He has called us to do. So rather than sign up for every activity at school, pick and choose those you feel God wants you to pursue… and really work hard to do your best. Instead of volunteering for every ministry at your church and not being able to serve well in any of them, ask God to show you where you can make the biggest impact for Him. Then pour your heart and soul into that ministry. Give 110% and be someone who is reliable, dependable, and accountable.
Too many people bite off more than they can chew. I know… I’ve spread myself too thinly and tried to do too much. It’s not that I chose to participate in more than was physically possible… but I wasn’t very effective in many of the activities. When you are trying to do too much – even if it is God’s work – you can’t possibly be fully helpful in every ministry. Think of the phrase “jack-of-all-trades… master of none.” God wants us to pour ourselves out for each other in acts of love as He directs… but He wants us to be able to physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually have the stamina to give our very best.
Won’t God equip us for such things? Yes. But God also gave us a brain… and He expects us to use it. He wants us to operate faithfully… to do His will. He also wants us to use the common sense that He gave us to know when to say “when.” We all know people who seem to have their finger in every pie… who seem to sign up for every committee, church and community project, hold down a fulltime class schedule or job (or both)… and maybe run a household, as well. But just how effective are they? Are they cutting corners and letting certain obligations or aspects of their ministries slide?
I encourage you to spend some time talking to God. Ask Him, “LORD, what is my purpose? Where do you want me to serve? What activities and ministries do I need to let go in order to be more successful at serving in your name? Where should I be focusing my efforts… and where have I strolled off down a path that goes nowhere?” Allow God to work in and through you. There is no shame in limiting your ministries, if you are giving your very best to those you keep and operating within the will of God. Where do you need to “trim the fat” or alter your course? Are you ready to run on the road God called you to travel?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 22, 2012
Romans 12:1-2
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
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.
One of my dearest friends (who is now in Heaven) used to say, “I never did anything with my life.” This was so far from the truth that it was almost laughable. What Becky meant was that she never finished college – never got the nursing degree she had hoped to obtain… never “spread her wings” and lived anywhere but her home town. What she didn’t always recognize was how successful she was as a wife, mother, servant in her church and community, office manager in her dad’s construction business, and friend to more than she could count. Becky could never fathom that her life would leave such a mark on others that we still speak of her with admiration and respect to this day.
The point is that God doesn’t call everyone to become a celebrity or live in the limelight. And honestly, He uses the ordinary, everyday experiences of our lives as much or more than those we consider grand and impressive – if we are living for Him. In the coming weeks, many will graduate from high school or college, marry, move, or begin new jobs and new adventures. If you are one of them, remember that whatever you do is important to God… when you offer it to Him.
Whether you are spending the summer as an intern, babysitting, or filling boats with gas at a marina, you can serve God. If you are starting graduate school or an entry-level job, you can offer your work to Him and conduct yourself in a way that glorifies His name. If you are a stay-at-home mom or a retired grandpa who spends his days building bluebird houses or piddling in the garden, you can give these activities to God, and He will bless them.
My point is that God can use anything and everyone. When you do the laundry clean your house, wash the car or mow the lawn, you are caring for your family and being a good steward of God’s blessings… and He will bless you for doing so. When you nurture children, smile at the clerk at Wal-Mart, or rescue stray animals, God can be glorified. You don’t have to earn a Ph.D. or live in a mega-mansion for God to use you… although He can! You don’t have to be a certain age, have a specific amount of money, be a world-class athlete, or look like a model…you are special to God just as you are!
You may have heard the phrase, “Bloom where you are planted.” God wants us to bloom for Him… wherever He plants us. Recognize that everything you do and say is an opportunity to glorify His name. Don’t try to become something you are not – or that God did not design for you. Don’t let the world dictate how you think, speak or act. Ask GOD who you should be… and live comfortably and simply in His will… regardless of your age or where you find yourself these days,
If you are not completely certain you are living a mature, Christ-centered life, ask God to help you shift your focus and turn your attention back to Him. Whatever your age or station in life, you can focus on God and glorify Him in all you do. Are you blooming where you’ve been planted?
©2012 Debbie Robus
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
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.
One of my dearest friends (who is now in Heaven) used to say, “I never did anything with my life.” This was so far from the truth that it was almost laughable. What Becky meant was that she never finished college – never got the nursing degree she had hoped to obtain… never “spread her wings” and lived anywhere but her home town. What she didn’t always recognize was how successful she was as a wife, mother, servant in her church and community, office manager in her dad’s construction business, and friend to more than she could count. Becky could never fathom that her life would leave such a mark on others that we still speak of her with admiration and respect to this day.
The point is that God doesn’t call everyone to become a celebrity or live in the limelight. And honestly, He uses the ordinary, everyday experiences of our lives as much or more than those we consider grand and impressive – if we are living for Him. In the coming weeks, many will graduate from high school or college, marry, move, or begin new jobs and new adventures. If you are one of them, remember that whatever you do is important to God… when you offer it to Him.
Whether you are spending the summer as an intern, babysitting, or filling boats with gas at a marina, you can serve God. If you are starting graduate school or an entry-level job, you can offer your work to Him and conduct yourself in a way that glorifies His name. If you are a stay-at-home mom or a retired grandpa who spends his days building bluebird houses or piddling in the garden, you can give these activities to God, and He will bless them.
My point is that God can use anything and everyone. When you do the laundry clean your house, wash the car or mow the lawn, you are caring for your family and being a good steward of God’s blessings… and He will bless you for doing so. When you nurture children, smile at the clerk at Wal-Mart, or rescue stray animals, God can be glorified. You don’t have to earn a Ph.D. or live in a mega-mansion for God to use you… although He can! You don’t have to be a certain age, have a specific amount of money, be a world-class athlete, or look like a model…you are special to God just as you are!
You may have heard the phrase, “Bloom where you are planted.” God wants us to bloom for Him… wherever He plants us. Recognize that everything you do and say is an opportunity to glorify His name. Don’t try to become something you are not – or that God did not design for you. Don’t let the world dictate how you think, speak or act. Ask GOD who you should be… and live comfortably and simply in His will… regardless of your age or where you find yourself these days,
If you are not completely certain you are living a mature, Christ-centered life, ask God to help you shift your focus and turn your attention back to Him. Whatever your age or station in life, you can focus on God and glorify Him in all you do. Are you blooming where you’ve been planted?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 11, 2012
James 1:2-4
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
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.
This morning, my mother phoned me early to say she was headed onto the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina… a road which she had never traveled. Her husband, Lee, and his son and son-in-law were on a week-long bicycle trip on the Parkway, and Lee had taken ill. He was hospitalized, and Mother was leaving the campground in which she was staying in Asheville… headed to find the three men. She was clearly shaken and said, “Please pray for me… I’m entering unfamiliar territory.”
Some four hours later, Mother phoned to tell me that she had arrived, and Lee was fine. They were loading the bikes and gear and heading back to their motorhome in Asheville. Hopefully, in a couple of days they will be back at home, safe and sound.
I let a few close friends and relatives know this morning what was happening… including Mother and Lee’s pastor… who is my lifelong friend. He replied with a beautiful prayer – for my mother’s husband… for her safety… and for our own fears to be calmed in the mix. I told him, “I’ve never been prayed for via e-mail before… but I like it!”
Instantly, I was calmer. I was reminded of my faith and WHO is in charge at all times. Under pressure, my faith-life came to the forefront as my friend talked to God on our behalf and ministered to us. On Joel Osteen’s Facebook wall, I read the following quote: “God will not allow a challenge to come into our life unless He has a divine purpose for it. Nothing in life happens to us; it happens for us.”
I don’t yet fully know the purpose of this challenge. I’m not sure what God is trying to tell my mom and her husband. But I do know how He used this event for me. God clearly reminded me that, in all that has been happening lately in my little corner of the world, HE is still in charge. I am surrounded by many people who stand in agreement with me for His will to be done.
Whatever challenges you are facing – and I’d bet you are facing a few – they are not wasted. God has a divine purpose for them. Ask Him to show you what is happening for you in these trials… ask God to reveal to you what He has in mind. Don’t ask “Why me?” or even “What next?” Ask Him, “What do you want me to learn from this? What is Your purpose… and how do you want me to proceed?” Then listen for His answers, calm your spirit, and get ready to be amazed at His answers.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
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.
This morning, my mother phoned me early to say she was headed onto the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina… a road which she had never traveled. Her husband, Lee, and his son and son-in-law were on a week-long bicycle trip on the Parkway, and Lee had taken ill. He was hospitalized, and Mother was leaving the campground in which she was staying in Asheville… headed to find the three men. She was clearly shaken and said, “Please pray for me… I’m entering unfamiliar territory.”
Some four hours later, Mother phoned to tell me that she had arrived, and Lee was fine. They were loading the bikes and gear and heading back to their motorhome in Asheville. Hopefully, in a couple of days they will be back at home, safe and sound.
I let a few close friends and relatives know this morning what was happening… including Mother and Lee’s pastor… who is my lifelong friend. He replied with a beautiful prayer – for my mother’s husband… for her safety… and for our own fears to be calmed in the mix. I told him, “I’ve never been prayed for via e-mail before… but I like it!”
Instantly, I was calmer. I was reminded of my faith and WHO is in charge at all times. Under pressure, my faith-life came to the forefront as my friend talked to God on our behalf and ministered to us. On Joel Osteen’s Facebook wall, I read the following quote: “God will not allow a challenge to come into our life unless He has a divine purpose for it. Nothing in life happens to us; it happens for us.”
I don’t yet fully know the purpose of this challenge. I’m not sure what God is trying to tell my mom and her husband. But I do know how He used this event for me. God clearly reminded me that, in all that has been happening lately in my little corner of the world, HE is still in charge. I am surrounded by many people who stand in agreement with me for His will to be done.
Whatever challenges you are facing – and I’d bet you are facing a few – they are not wasted. God has a divine purpose for them. Ask Him to show you what is happening for you in these trials… ask God to reveal to you what He has in mind. Don’t ask “Why me?” or even “What next?” Ask Him, “What do you want me to learn from this? What is Your purpose… and how do you want me to proceed?” Then listen for His answers, calm your spirit, and get ready to be amazed at His answers.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 9, 2012
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.
When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it.
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 have just finished reading an amazing book…The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. Supposed to be a true account of the author’s childhood, this harrowing story will leave you frustrated in one moment, angry the next, and even laughing from time to time. I don’t want to spoil the story for you, but let’s just say that this woman and her siblings grew up in a situation of poverty, filth, and neglect that will astound you… and hopefully give you a new perspective on those you meet who appear to be in similar circumstances.
The author and her siblings did all they could to mask the fact that they were dirty, disheveled, and dressed in tatters. Ms. Walls manages to make it to college, and she is arguing in one class about the plight of the homeless. Based on her childhood and the fact that her parents are now homeless by choice, she tries to make the point that things are not always as they seem… and perhaps the homeless sometimes “get the lives they want”. The instructor asks, “What do you know about the lives of the underprivileged? What do you know about the hardships and obstacles that the underclass faces?” In an effort to hide her true identity, the author replies, “You have a point.”
My point is that we all have made up our minds, to a degree, about other people. We have looked at others and made judgments, based on appearance, their behavior, or our own hard-and-fast opinions about certain things. Sometimes, it takes “getting knocked down a peg or two” for us to become empathetic to others’ circumstances. I’m not saying God causes this… but I do believe He allows it. So often, we are full of what we think is good advice for others… until we walk a mile in their shoes. Or we neglect those around us who are in need, because we have not shared their experiences and don’t have a clue what they are feeling… but we have deemed them to be unworthy of our time and attention.
I have shared over and again several instances where I faced something that God saw me through… and then I was able to help someone else with a similar experience. I will tell you that I did not always recognize God’s presence as profoundly as I should have… nor did I clearly see how He could ever use some of my experiences to help others. But I am learning NEVER to question God… or the things that happen in my life. More importantly, I’m learning to continually ask, “What are you showing me, LORD? How will you use this… and me… for your glory?”
If you want to put this in perspective, take a few minutes and make a list of some things that have happened to you throughout the years. Then think back over the events and look at how God stood by you… how He blessed you and cared for you. Maybe He sent someone to encourage or comfort you. Maybe He orchestrated things in amazing perfection, even in the midst of what seemed like an impossible situation. Now think about how you have been able to use those same experiences to help someone in a similar position. Have you “paid it forward?”… or have you missed some opportunities to do this? Have you truly noticed those in your midst who need your assistance?
Paul tells us that suffering for Jesus brings benefits… and opportunities to bless others in His name. Our job is to take advantage of all of these… to make the most out of every experience, with God’s help. As Paul says, when we do this, we are unstoppable… there is no doubt that we are going to make it! Look around… see where God is walking beside you – and giving you valuable experience that you can use for His glory. Don’t be ashamed of your past experiences… use them to encourage and bless others. In the end, Ms. Walls has done exactly this by writing her story. Others will surely gain a different perspective on those who appear less fortunate. I know I did.
What is God calling you to share with others today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.
When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it.
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 have just finished reading an amazing book…The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. Supposed to be a true account of the author’s childhood, this harrowing story will leave you frustrated in one moment, angry the next, and even laughing from time to time. I don’t want to spoil the story for you, but let’s just say that this woman and her siblings grew up in a situation of poverty, filth, and neglect that will astound you… and hopefully give you a new perspective on those you meet who appear to be in similar circumstances.
The author and her siblings did all they could to mask the fact that they were dirty, disheveled, and dressed in tatters. Ms. Walls manages to make it to college, and she is arguing in one class about the plight of the homeless. Based on her childhood and the fact that her parents are now homeless by choice, she tries to make the point that things are not always as they seem… and perhaps the homeless sometimes “get the lives they want”. The instructor asks, “What do you know about the lives of the underprivileged? What do you know about the hardships and obstacles that the underclass faces?” In an effort to hide her true identity, the author replies, “You have a point.”
My point is that we all have made up our minds, to a degree, about other people. We have looked at others and made judgments, based on appearance, their behavior, or our own hard-and-fast opinions about certain things. Sometimes, it takes “getting knocked down a peg or two” for us to become empathetic to others’ circumstances. I’m not saying God causes this… but I do believe He allows it. So often, we are full of what we think is good advice for others… until we walk a mile in their shoes. Or we neglect those around us who are in need, because we have not shared their experiences and don’t have a clue what they are feeling… but we have deemed them to be unworthy of our time and attention.
I have shared over and again several instances where I faced something that God saw me through… and then I was able to help someone else with a similar experience. I will tell you that I did not always recognize God’s presence as profoundly as I should have… nor did I clearly see how He could ever use some of my experiences to help others. But I am learning NEVER to question God… or the things that happen in my life. More importantly, I’m learning to continually ask, “What are you showing me, LORD? How will you use this… and me… for your glory?”
If you want to put this in perspective, take a few minutes and make a list of some things that have happened to you throughout the years. Then think back over the events and look at how God stood by you… how He blessed you and cared for you. Maybe He sent someone to encourage or comfort you. Maybe He orchestrated things in amazing perfection, even in the midst of what seemed like an impossible situation. Now think about how you have been able to use those same experiences to help someone in a similar position. Have you “paid it forward?”… or have you missed some opportunities to do this? Have you truly noticed those in your midst who need your assistance?
Paul tells us that suffering for Jesus brings benefits… and opportunities to bless others in His name. Our job is to take advantage of all of these… to make the most out of every experience, with God’s help. As Paul says, when we do this, we are unstoppable… there is no doubt that we are going to make it! Look around… see where God is walking beside you – and giving you valuable experience that you can use for His glory. Don’t be ashamed of your past experiences… use them to encourage and bless others. In the end, Ms. Walls has done exactly this by writing her story. Others will surely gain a different perspective on those who appear less fortunate. I know I did.
What is God calling you to share with others today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 26, 2012
Ephesians 2:19-22
That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.
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.
For centuries, men and women have been creating beautiful, useful items out of scraps. Many things that would ordinarily be tossed into the trash can are pulled together by creative and industrious (if not a big crazy) people to make something useful… maybe even a work of art! If you can’t envision what would be worth saving, you need only look at my desk or laundry room! Greeting cards with beautiful designs can be repurposed into a new note card. Tiny fabric scraps can be fashioned into a frilly hair bow, doll dress, or applique for a t-shirt. My grandmother has used incredibly tiny fabric scraps to create intricately beautiful quilts as long as I can remember. My great-grandmothers created a “postage-stamp” out of fabric scraps that were… yes… the size of postage stamps! Even a worn bed sheet or pillowcase can be cut into smaller strips to use as cleaning cloths.
I saw on Pinterest where an artist in Texas took shovel spades and used them to create the individual spines of enormous “pine cones” for beautiful yard art. A discarded metal yard rake was made into everything from a wall rack to hold wine glasses to a desk sorter for mail and office supplies! On one of my favorite TV cooking shows… Chopped… contestants are given four unrelated (and often bizarre) food items and told to create an appetizer, entrée and dessert from them. And on American Pickers, the two hosts often buy items like vintage bicycles and motorcycles and restore them to their original luster. Others are used as spare parts to create a new bike. In this manner, the once useless piece is given a new purpose, whether as the foundation or as a vital “brick or stone.”
All of these projects have one thing in common – a cornerstone, or starting point. Often this is the idea itself. Then piece by piece, scrap by scrap, the project takes shape. You see the quilt or yard art develop. You smell flavorful aromas and discover that there is usually something in the pantry that can create a tasty meal! You look at the shiny new bike and have no clue that it was once a pile of rusty parts! You look at something deemed useless and realize that all you needed was a new attitude… and maybe a little teamwork and some ingenuity.
Here’s my point… we are the scraps… the useless bits ready for the discard heap. Jesus is the cornerstone… the Idea, the Creative Spark that says “There is something worth saving here!” The foundation is the Word of God and His will for our life… His desire for us to be more in Jesus than we could ever be on our own. The ultimate outcome is God’s Holy Temple… an ingenious, beautiful work of art. We are God’s children, coming together from all backgrounds and histories to represent Him as one body… one heartbeat… one family… one home.
Where do you fit into this picture today? Are you part of the body of Christ? Are you involved in the building of God’s Holy Temple… His family of believers? Do you feel welcome and a part of this home? Or are you still operating like a lowly scrap, destined for the trash heap? Have you discovered your purpose? Are you even looking for it?
Haven’t you wandered long enough? Aren’t you ready to come home… to pitch in and do your part to belong in God’s Kingdom? No skills are required… no ticket is needed. All you have to do is ask Jesus to wash you clean of your sins and set you upright. He will do exactly this… and assign you a spot on the construction crew. Are you ready for your hard hat?
©2012 Debbie Robus
That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.
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.
For centuries, men and women have been creating beautiful, useful items out of scraps. Many things that would ordinarily be tossed into the trash can are pulled together by creative and industrious (if not a big crazy) people to make something useful… maybe even a work of art! If you can’t envision what would be worth saving, you need only look at my desk or laundry room! Greeting cards with beautiful designs can be repurposed into a new note card. Tiny fabric scraps can be fashioned into a frilly hair bow, doll dress, or applique for a t-shirt. My grandmother has used incredibly tiny fabric scraps to create intricately beautiful quilts as long as I can remember. My great-grandmothers created a “postage-stamp” out of fabric scraps that were… yes… the size of postage stamps! Even a worn bed sheet or pillowcase can be cut into smaller strips to use as cleaning cloths.
I saw on Pinterest where an artist in Texas took shovel spades and used them to create the individual spines of enormous “pine cones” for beautiful yard art. A discarded metal yard rake was made into everything from a wall rack to hold wine glasses to a desk sorter for mail and office supplies! On one of my favorite TV cooking shows… Chopped… contestants are given four unrelated (and often bizarre) food items and told to create an appetizer, entrée and dessert from them. And on American Pickers, the two hosts often buy items like vintage bicycles and motorcycles and restore them to their original luster. Others are used as spare parts to create a new bike. In this manner, the once useless piece is given a new purpose, whether as the foundation or as a vital “brick or stone.”
All of these projects have one thing in common – a cornerstone, or starting point. Often this is the idea itself. Then piece by piece, scrap by scrap, the project takes shape. You see the quilt or yard art develop. You smell flavorful aromas and discover that there is usually something in the pantry that can create a tasty meal! You look at the shiny new bike and have no clue that it was once a pile of rusty parts! You look at something deemed useless and realize that all you needed was a new attitude… and maybe a little teamwork and some ingenuity.
Here’s my point… we are the scraps… the useless bits ready for the discard heap. Jesus is the cornerstone… the Idea, the Creative Spark that says “There is something worth saving here!” The foundation is the Word of God and His will for our life… His desire for us to be more in Jesus than we could ever be on our own. The ultimate outcome is God’s Holy Temple… an ingenious, beautiful work of art. We are God’s children, coming together from all backgrounds and histories to represent Him as one body… one heartbeat… one family… one home.
Where do you fit into this picture today? Are you part of the body of Christ? Are you involved in the building of God’s Holy Temple… His family of believers? Do you feel welcome and a part of this home? Or are you still operating like a lowly scrap, destined for the trash heap? Have you discovered your purpose? Are you even looking for it?
Haven’t you wandered long enough? Aren’t you ready to come home… to pitch in and do your part to belong in God’s Kingdom? No skills are required… no ticket is needed. All you have to do is ask Jesus to wash you clean of your sins and set you upright. He will do exactly this… and assign you a spot on the construction crew. Are you ready for your hard hat?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 7, 2012
Isaiah 42:1-4
"Take a good look at my servant. I'm backing him to the hilt. He's the one I chose, and I couldn't be more pleased with him. I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He'll set everything right among the nations. He won't call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right. He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped until he's finished his work—to set things right on earth. Far-flung ocean islands wait expectantly for his teaching."
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.
Those of you who know me well know that I am currently fascinated with repurposing objects and giving them a new life. I have turned the sleeves of shirts and dresses into leggings and pants for toddler girls. I’ve learned how to make vests and other garments from old t-shirts, and tired sweaters have become caps and mittens for babies. Vintage linens… doilies, tablecloths and bed sheets… have become dresses, jackets, collars, and bibs for babies and little ones. An old skirt became part of a bathrobe for my cousin Owen for Christmas, and I have a chenille bedspread that is begging to become several more robes!
And it’s not just fabric. A friend asked me for a piece of gum at the ballgame recently, and I opened my purse and whipped out a little plastic container that had once held Gerber baby food… now it houses my stash of gum! I melt leftover candle wax and pour it over wicks I bought at Hobby Lobby to make new candles and keep from wasting that last third of the jar of scented wax. An old box that held disposable coffee cups and lids was covered with paper and now holds my sewing patterns.
If I can figure out another use for something, I do not throw it away, no matter how small and insignificant it seems. That’s why I have a handy stash of fabric scraps and lace trims that are perfect for patching stains and holes… I almost always have a button when I need to replace one that is missing… and the rich chicken broth that I used to make soup last week came from boiling the leftover bones of our rotisserie chicken!
Have you ever considered that WE have been repurposed by God? Through the blood of Jesus, we are given a new life. In the scheme of things, we are each so seemingly insignificant and small… yet God sent His only Son to die for us and set things right! I like to imagine that God’s “craft room” is full of broken hearts and beaten-down spirits… sinners and downtrodden souls that He is repurposing into something wonderful for His glory!
We have very much become a “throw-away society.” Yes, I use disposable coffee cups on occasion – but only if I want to take coffee with me somewhere that it would not be convenient to rinse out a mug and stash it. And if I buy a cup of coffee at McDonald’s, I often bring the container home to wash and reuse a few times until the plastic lid disintegrates. The point is that God sees the potential in us. Recently I used a tiny piece of lace trim to cover a stain that threatened to ruin the leg of a pair of little girls’ leggings. That tiny scrap of trim turned something unlovely into something quite beautiful. In the same manner, God can use the tiniest “scrap” of a person to create something wonderful for His desires!
What is our “take-away” from this today? I believe there are two lessons:
©2012 Debbie Robus
"Take a good look at my servant. I'm backing him to the hilt. He's the one I chose, and I couldn't be more pleased with him. I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He'll set everything right among the nations. He won't call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right. He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped until he's finished his work—to set things right on earth. Far-flung ocean islands wait expectantly for his teaching."
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.
And it’s not just fabric. A friend asked me for a piece of gum at the ballgame recently, and I opened my purse and whipped out a little plastic container that had once held Gerber baby food… now it houses my stash of gum! I melt leftover candle wax and pour it over wicks I bought at Hobby Lobby to make new candles and keep from wasting that last third of the jar of scented wax. An old box that held disposable coffee cups and lids was covered with paper and now holds my sewing patterns.
If I can figure out another use for something, I do not throw it away, no matter how small and insignificant it seems. That’s why I have a handy stash of fabric scraps and lace trims that are perfect for patching stains and holes… I almost always have a button when I need to replace one that is missing… and the rich chicken broth that I used to make soup last week came from boiling the leftover bones of our rotisserie chicken!
Have you ever considered that WE have been repurposed by God? Through the blood of Jesus, we are given a new life. In the scheme of things, we are each so seemingly insignificant and small… yet God sent His only Son to die for us and set things right! I like to imagine that God’s “craft room” is full of broken hearts and beaten-down spirits… sinners and downtrodden souls that He is repurposing into something wonderful for His glory!
We have very much become a “throw-away society.” Yes, I use disposable coffee cups on occasion – but only if I want to take coffee with me somewhere that it would not be convenient to rinse out a mug and stash it. And if I buy a cup of coffee at McDonald’s, I often bring the container home to wash and reuse a few times until the plastic lid disintegrates. The point is that God sees the potential in us. Recently I used a tiny piece of lace trim to cover a stain that threatened to ruin the leg of a pair of little girls’ leggings. That tiny scrap of trim turned something unlovely into something quite beautiful. In the same manner, God can use the tiniest “scrap” of a person to create something wonderful for His desires!
What is our “take-away” from this today? I believe there are two lessons:
- God won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt… he won't disregard the small and insignificant, and
- God won’t quit… and neither should we.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 10, 2012
Psalm 148:5-7
Let all things praise the name of the LORD, because they were created at his command. He made them to last forever, and nothing can change what he has done. All creatures on earth, you obey his commands, so come praise the LORD!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This week, my dear, precious 3rd-grade teacher - Mrs. Ruth Garner - passed away. She was not only my teacher and friend for more than 45 years…she was also a dear friend to my grandmother. In fact, she sat at the same dining table with my grandmother in the assisted living facility where they both resided, and I visited with her often. Two other lifelong friends of my grandmother and Ruth also sit at this table. And these ladies who are left are incredibly sad and upset.
As we talked after Ruth died, my grandmother and I discussed God’s timing. My grandmother so desires to be next to go to heaven. She told me, “I have prayed about this and asked the LORD to take me.” But we agreed that we obey God’s commands - and when He says, “Come home,” we will go… but not a minute sooner. In the meantime, I pointed out to my grandmother that God apparently still has plans for her on this earth, because I believe He creates each of us with a purpose. Her purpose may be to smile at a nurse or a nurse’s aide and encourage her. She may be here to greet those who visit and offer them a word of wisdom or a reason to get up and out of the house. I really don’t know what her purpose is for each day… but God knows. And like each one of us, when she has done all He created her to do, He will call her home to heaven.
I know Mrs. Ruth was ready to go to heaven. Almost all of these ladies have lived past age 95. They are tired and ready to reunite with loved ones who have gone before them… and rest in the arms of Jesus. But as tired as she probably was, I never heard Mrs. Ruth complain about anything - except being served white meat chicken when she preferred dark meat! She was joyful and positive. She remembered dozens of her students by name… and you could tell she was thankful for each one. She appreciated visits from “young people” like me and others… and she always smiled. She praised the LORD for His creation… and she trusted and obeyed His commands.
My 3rd-grade teacher was still teaching me things at nearly 97 years of age… as are all of these dear elderly ladies I visit. I wonder… will we be sharing the example of praising God’s creation and His command when we are older? Do we even do this now? If not… shouldn’t we get started?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Let all things praise the name of the LORD, because they were created at his command. He made them to last forever, and nothing can change what he has done. All creatures on earth, you obey his commands, so come praise the LORD!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This week, my dear, precious 3rd-grade teacher - Mrs. Ruth Garner - passed away. She was not only my teacher and friend for more than 45 years…she was also a dear friend to my grandmother. In fact, she sat at the same dining table with my grandmother in the assisted living facility where they both resided, and I visited with her often. Two other lifelong friends of my grandmother and Ruth also sit at this table. And these ladies who are left are incredibly sad and upset.
As we talked after Ruth died, my grandmother and I discussed God’s timing. My grandmother so desires to be next to go to heaven. She told me, “I have prayed about this and asked the LORD to take me.” But we agreed that we obey God’s commands - and when He says, “Come home,” we will go… but not a minute sooner. In the meantime, I pointed out to my grandmother that God apparently still has plans for her on this earth, because I believe He creates each of us with a purpose. Her purpose may be to smile at a nurse or a nurse’s aide and encourage her. She may be here to greet those who visit and offer them a word of wisdom or a reason to get up and out of the house. I really don’t know what her purpose is for each day… but God knows. And like each one of us, when she has done all He created her to do, He will call her home to heaven.
I know Mrs. Ruth was ready to go to heaven. Almost all of these ladies have lived past age 95. They are tired and ready to reunite with loved ones who have gone before them… and rest in the arms of Jesus. But as tired as she probably was, I never heard Mrs. Ruth complain about anything - except being served white meat chicken when she preferred dark meat! She was joyful and positive. She remembered dozens of her students by name… and you could tell she was thankful for each one. She appreciated visits from “young people” like me and others… and she always smiled. She praised the LORD for His creation… and she trusted and obeyed His commands.
My 3rd-grade teacher was still teaching me things at nearly 97 years of age… as are all of these dear elderly ladies I visit. I wonder… will we be sharing the example of praising God’s creation and His command when we are older? Do we even do this now? If not… shouldn’t we get started?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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