John 10:22-30
It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.
No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
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.
Today would be the 101st birthday of my Mam-ma Polly ,were she still living. As I looked back through my prayer journal, I noted day after day for more than year, I asked… “Can’t Mam-ma come Home, LORD? She is so ready.” And on March 8, 2013, God whispered the name of his precious sheep, and she answered. All of the time I was asking this, I knew that He would answer…in His time – not mine. I truly respect the sovereignty of God… the wisdom of His plans and timing. And I believe that He heard my requests…and probably smiled as He whispered, “The timing was not perfect… until now.”
So when I received news this morning that the 32-year-old son of a childhood friend had died last night in an accident, I was once again reminded of how different God’s plans are from ours sometimes… and how important it is that we listen to His voice. I attended the baptism of this young man almost a decade ago. And I found his name peppered throughout my prayer journal entries in the years since that day. I truly believe that God answered my prayers to meet this person’s needs… just not in the way I had anticipated. And again, I am confident in the knowledge that He rests in the arms of Jesus this day… along with my beloved Mam-ma Polly and countless others – all sheep who know His voice.
I know that NO ONE can snatch these dear souls from Jesus…they are safe and protected in His arms… and that gives me tremendous comfort. I am learning that we are not going to always understand why God does what He does… or why He does it in a certain manner. But when we listen for His voice… when we know Him and follow Him, the outcome will be perfect – Eternal Life with Him where we never perish. NO ONE will be able to take us from Him…no harm can truly ever come to us when we are Jesus’ sheep.
The question becomes… “Do you hear the voice of Jesus?” Does He know you… and do you follow Him? Do you trust His power…His plans for you and the manner in which He executes them? Do you truly respect God? Isn’t it time to put your faith in the One who is more powerful than anyone else? Isn’t it time to stop trying to tell God how things ought to go… and trust His wisdom and power to bring about the most perfect results? Don’t you want to rest safely in the arms of Jesus someday?
This is the perfect day to stop and say, “LORD Jesus, I surrender to You…to Your will, Your power, and Your plans. I respectfully trade my desires for Yours. I humbly honor Your perfection and thank You for the love and protection You offer me… both now and for all Eternity.” Have you prayed a prayer like this one? Have you made Jesus your Great Shepherd? Can you say with confidence that you are one of His sheep? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label Gods timing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gods timing. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 8, 2013
Titus 2:1-6
Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives.
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.
Almost 30 years ago, my grandmother persuaded me to go dancing with her at a local barn dance. My grandmother came from a musical family, and she and her sisters were excellent dancers. My great-grandfather and his brother played the fiddle and other instruments at area dances “back in the day,” and their daughters learned to foxtrot, waltz, and two-step to their familiar folk tunes. On the other hand, I knew nothing of this sort of dance, save a semester of “folk dance” class in college. But my grandmother insisted I tag along… so I went with her. It wasn’t long before a very nice older gentleman friend of my grandmother’s named Jack asked me to dance. I politely declined, but my grandmother insisted I try. “He’s a good dancer,” she assured me. “Go on and dance with him.”
In the arms of an experienced lead dancer, even someone with two left feet like mine can do fairly well. Jack gave me a quick lesson in how the steps went and then said, “Just follow me.” He led me across the floor with ease… and I don’t think I stepped on his feet too many times! While I didn’t fare as well with a few other dance partners, Jack’s early guidance did make for a much more enjoyable night.
Paul challenges Titus in these first few verses to be an agent of God… an earthly, physical “lead” for God’s Spiritual dance. He gives Titus a list of character traits and qualities that will mold men and women into great “dancers” for God’s chorus line… temperance, dignity, wisdom, faith, love, endurance (patience), reverence, goodness…people of order who don’t gossip or drink to excess…people who are disciplined and conscientious.
You and I are the dancers in life… and God is our “lead.” If we pay attention and allow Him to guide us… if we learn His rhythm and follow His instructions… we can deliver a pretty solid performance. In His arms, we will glide across the “floor” of life. There will be some missteps… some bruised toes… and maybe even a stumble or two. But in all, we can rest in God’s rhythm with the assurance of things turning out as He intended. We will encounter other “dance partners” – most of whom the devil plants in front of us – but the outcome will usually be far less than stellar… with more than a few sore toes created in the process!
The question becomes… Who is your lead? How are you “dancing” through life? Do you have a solid grasp of God’s timing… or are you bumbling your way through with what are often spastic results? Are you patiently seeking your God-given dreams, or do you birth things prematurely. Is your life one of solid doctrine, as Paul describes to Titus… or are you impatiently trying to orchestrate things on your own? The choice is ours... we’ve been given a perfect example of how to live in Jesus… and reminders through scripture, in case we have any questions. What will you do with all of this? How well will you “dance?”
©2013 Debbie Robus
Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives.
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.
“Timing is so important! If you are going to be successful in dance, you must be able to respond to rhythm and timing. It’s the same in the Spirit. People who don’t understand God’s timing can become spiritually spastic, trying to make the right things happen at the wrong time. They don’t get His rhythm – and everyone can tell they are out of step. They birth things prematurely, threatening the very lives of their God-given dreams.” ~ T. D. Jakes
Almost 30 years ago, my grandmother persuaded me to go dancing with her at a local barn dance. My grandmother came from a musical family, and she and her sisters were excellent dancers. My great-grandfather and his brother played the fiddle and other instruments at area dances “back in the day,” and their daughters learned to foxtrot, waltz, and two-step to their familiar folk tunes. On the other hand, I knew nothing of this sort of dance, save a semester of “folk dance” class in college. But my grandmother insisted I tag along… so I went with her. It wasn’t long before a very nice older gentleman friend of my grandmother’s named Jack asked me to dance. I politely declined, but my grandmother insisted I try. “He’s a good dancer,” she assured me. “Go on and dance with him.”
In the arms of an experienced lead dancer, even someone with two left feet like mine can do fairly well. Jack gave me a quick lesson in how the steps went and then said, “Just follow me.” He led me across the floor with ease… and I don’t think I stepped on his feet too many times! While I didn’t fare as well with a few other dance partners, Jack’s early guidance did make for a much more enjoyable night.
Paul challenges Titus in these first few verses to be an agent of God… an earthly, physical “lead” for God’s Spiritual dance. He gives Titus a list of character traits and qualities that will mold men and women into great “dancers” for God’s chorus line… temperance, dignity, wisdom, faith, love, endurance (patience), reverence, goodness…people of order who don’t gossip or drink to excess…people who are disciplined and conscientious.
You and I are the dancers in life… and God is our “lead.” If we pay attention and allow Him to guide us… if we learn His rhythm and follow His instructions… we can deliver a pretty solid performance. In His arms, we will glide across the “floor” of life. There will be some missteps… some bruised toes… and maybe even a stumble or two. But in all, we can rest in God’s rhythm with the assurance of things turning out as He intended. We will encounter other “dance partners” – most of whom the devil plants in front of us – but the outcome will usually be far less than stellar… with more than a few sore toes created in the process!
The question becomes… Who is your lead? How are you “dancing” through life? Do you have a solid grasp of God’s timing… or are you bumbling your way through with what are often spastic results? Are you patiently seeking your God-given dreams, or do you birth things prematurely. Is your life one of solid doctrine, as Paul describes to Titus… or are you impatiently trying to orchestrate things on your own? The choice is ours... we’ve been given a perfect example of how to live in Jesus… and reminders through scripture, in case we have any questions. What will you do with all of this? How well will you “dance?”
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 13, 2013
Colossians 1:9-12
Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
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.
Over the weekend, my husband helped me recover my piano bench. The fabric I had stapled to the lid over 15 years ago had worn bare around the edges, and it was time for a makeover! My husband used his drill to remove the padded board that fit inside a wooden frame on the lid. I used a staple gun to attach the new fabric. When we got ready to re-insert the board, it would not fit. I had stapled the new fabric atop the old… which was attached over an original layer… and the three thicknesses were simply too much. The screws would not “grab” in the wood. Moreover, I had used a staple that we thought was the right size… but once everything was in place, the staples stuck through the wood. “Those will snag your clothes, little legs, and cause all sorts of problems,” my husband lamented.
They make this type of project look so easy on HGTV! There was nothing to do but take everything apart… pull out ALL of the staples and remove the new fabric and the second layer. We decided the first layer was holding the padding in place, so it should stay. A couple of hours later, we had everything back together again – this time with upholsterer’s tacks and duct tape! – and the bench looked great!
There was a time when this setback would have sent me into orbit. I would have sputtered, spewed and grumbled. I would have gritted my teeth and griped as I pulled out each staple. But this time, I just looked at the bench, took a deep breath, stuck with the project… and soon all was back in order. And there is a pattern here! I still get mad at myself when I break a dish or spill something… and I still get frustrated and impatient when things don’t work out just as I had hoped or happen as quickly as I would like. But I’m learning to operate in the glory-strength of God instead of my own grim strength.
Lately, I’ve been taking a few minutes fairly often to make a list (if only mentally) of all of the things God has done for me… all of the prayers He has answered in my life in just the last short while… all of the things He has worked out and the positive outcomes that are all around me. When I stop and examine them, I realize that He is at work… and I am learning how to do His work – on His terms. There are still plenty of things that I wish that God would fix! There are still areas that I need to work on – and situations in which I wish He was working a little faster. But that’s on me… because He is doing exactly what is necessary and needed. I am the one who still has real work that needs to be done.
The more we learn to operate in patience and the glory-strength of God, the more bearable and joyful our lives become. We are calmer, more confident, and certainly much more effective for His Kingdom. So what is your “broken glass” or project gone awry today? How will you handle it? Will you call on God to grant you the necessary patience, endurance and strength to handle things with dignity and calm? Or will you grit your teeth, grumble and fumble? The choice is totally yours… how will you decide?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
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.
Over the weekend, my husband helped me recover my piano bench. The fabric I had stapled to the lid over 15 years ago had worn bare around the edges, and it was time for a makeover! My husband used his drill to remove the padded board that fit inside a wooden frame on the lid. I used a staple gun to attach the new fabric. When we got ready to re-insert the board, it would not fit. I had stapled the new fabric atop the old… which was attached over an original layer… and the three thicknesses were simply too much. The screws would not “grab” in the wood. Moreover, I had used a staple that we thought was the right size… but once everything was in place, the staples stuck through the wood. “Those will snag your clothes, little legs, and cause all sorts of problems,” my husband lamented.
They make this type of project look so easy on HGTV! There was nothing to do but take everything apart… pull out ALL of the staples and remove the new fabric and the second layer. We decided the first layer was holding the padding in place, so it should stay. A couple of hours later, we had everything back together again – this time with upholsterer’s tacks and duct tape! – and the bench looked great!
There was a time when this setback would have sent me into orbit. I would have sputtered, spewed and grumbled. I would have gritted my teeth and griped as I pulled out each staple. But this time, I just looked at the bench, took a deep breath, stuck with the project… and soon all was back in order. And there is a pattern here! I still get mad at myself when I break a dish or spill something… and I still get frustrated and impatient when things don’t work out just as I had hoped or happen as quickly as I would like. But I’m learning to operate in the glory-strength of God instead of my own grim strength.
Lately, I’ve been taking a few minutes fairly often to make a list (if only mentally) of all of the things God has done for me… all of the prayers He has answered in my life in just the last short while… all of the things He has worked out and the positive outcomes that are all around me. When I stop and examine them, I realize that He is at work… and I am learning how to do His work – on His terms. There are still plenty of things that I wish that God would fix! There are still areas that I need to work on – and situations in which I wish He was working a little faster. But that’s on me… because He is doing exactly what is necessary and needed. I am the one who still has real work that needs to be done.
The more we learn to operate in patience and the glory-strength of God, the more bearable and joyful our lives become. We are calmer, more confident, and certainly much more effective for His Kingdom. So what is your “broken glass” or project gone awry today? How will you handle it? Will you call on God to grant you the necessary patience, endurance and strength to handle things with dignity and calm? Or will you grit your teeth, grumble and fumble? The choice is totally yours… how will you decide?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 11, 2013
2 Peter 3:8-9
Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.
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 a few days, our little Timothy will be four years old. We are celebrating his birthday tomorrow with an afternoon party. A few days ago, he told my niece, “Mother, my friends need to come for my party. When will they be here?” She explained that his party was not for several days, and he would have to wait. When you are almost four, several days can seem like several years! At the other end of the spectrum, my grandmother used to tell me often, “I don’t know why the LORD doesn’t take me.” She longed for heaven, and the last two years, especially, seemed like two hundred years to her. We would talk about how God still had plans for her... she still had work to do… but knowing this really made the waiting no easier.
One of the hardest things for us to understand in our Christian faith is God’s timing. We have a terrible time understanding that God’s “day” may be far longer than our 24-hours/1440 minutes. We may wonder why He doesn’t answer quickly – but on His timetable, He did exactly that! We may ask, “Why hasn’t the LORD healed me?” When we get to Heaven, He may say, I healed you in the same day – by my calculations! When we feel that God is not answering us… or that He is not working quickly, we need to stop and remind ourselves that we operate on very different schedules!
As this passage illustrates, we must also remember that what we observe as God’s reluctance to act quickly may actually be His patience as we find our way to him. He may very well operate with restraint in order to give us “space and time to change.” And we should be incredibly grateful for this!
Patience is not my strong suit. But if I wish to truly grow in my faith and my relationship with God, I need to cultivate endurance, tolerance, and staying power. I need to learn to “be still and know” that God is on my side… to rest in His timing and operate with confidence as I wait on Him to work. And when God seems “late,” I need to recognize His self-control on my behalf.
If we stop and look closely, we can often see the perfection in God’s timing. We can understand that He always has our best interests in mind. This may not make waiting for a fourth birthday party any easier, but it can help us to wait for the LORD to work – according to His perfect timing. Don’t you think it’s worth a try?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.
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 a few days, our little Timothy will be four years old. We are celebrating his birthday tomorrow with an afternoon party. A few days ago, he told my niece, “Mother, my friends need to come for my party. When will they be here?” She explained that his party was not for several days, and he would have to wait. When you are almost four, several days can seem like several years! At the other end of the spectrum, my grandmother used to tell me often, “I don’t know why the LORD doesn’t take me.” She longed for heaven, and the last two years, especially, seemed like two hundred years to her. We would talk about how God still had plans for her... she still had work to do… but knowing this really made the waiting no easier.
One of the hardest things for us to understand in our Christian faith is God’s timing. We have a terrible time understanding that God’s “day” may be far longer than our 24-hours/1440 minutes. We may wonder why He doesn’t answer quickly – but on His timetable, He did exactly that! We may ask, “Why hasn’t the LORD healed me?” When we get to Heaven, He may say, I healed you in the same day – by my calculations! When we feel that God is not answering us… or that He is not working quickly, we need to stop and remind ourselves that we operate on very different schedules!
As this passage illustrates, we must also remember that what we observe as God’s reluctance to act quickly may actually be His patience as we find our way to him. He may very well operate with restraint in order to give us “space and time to change.” And we should be incredibly grateful for this!
Patience is not my strong suit. But if I wish to truly grow in my faith and my relationship with God, I need to cultivate endurance, tolerance, and staying power. I need to learn to “be still and know” that God is on my side… to rest in His timing and operate with confidence as I wait on Him to work. And when God seems “late,” I need to recognize His self-control on my behalf.
If we stop and look closely, we can often see the perfection in God’s timing. We can understand that He always has our best interests in mind. This may not make waiting for a fourth birthday party any easier, but it can help us to wait for the LORD to work – according to His perfect timing. Don’t you think it’s worth a try?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 3, 2012
James 1:5-8
If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
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.
My sister was approached recently by someone who asked, “Does God answer your prayers?” The answer was “Yes.” The person asking questions followed with, “Well, just how long does it take?” My sister tried to explain that some prayers are answered right away, while some answers take longer… even days/weeks/years. The lady asking the questions said something to the effect of, “Oh! I can’t wait that long! I need my answer within fifteen minutes!”
I’m afraid we are all like this much of the time. We ask for what we think we can get - or feel we desperately need. We hesitate to ask God for some things, fearing He will think less of us for asking. And in all prayers, we are often impatient for an outcome. When we don’t get instant answers, we “worry our prayers” … repeat them… stew about whether – or how – God might be planning to answer. And I have to believe that all the while, God is just shaking His head in frustration.
I am still often confounded by God’s timing – because I am impatient. But as I learn to trust His answers and outcomes, I am no longer surprised them. I am still occasionally caught off guard by His delivery. Let’s just call these “pleasant surprises.” It’s not that I didn’t expect God to answer. But as I release my worries to Him, I give them to Him in faith. So when He does deliver, I feel like, “Oh! That’s great!” I knew an answer was coming…but I had stopped trying to orchestrate the arrival time and date!
Understand this… no prayer or thought is too big or too small for God. Trust Him in all things – in all sizes. Never hesitate to talk to God about anything. There is a difference between bringing concerns and praises before God over and again… and brow-beating Him in an effort to get an answer. In other words, praying for someone who is ill on a daily basis is not the same as saying, “LORD, I asked You to heal Tom… did you HEAR me?” The former speaks to what – and who – is on your heart. The latter reveals our impatience and lack of faith in God to answer. Believe me… HE knows when and how the outcome should be delivered!
The best summary I can offer for this passage today is to calm down and rest in the LORD. Talk to God about everything, without any fear of retribution or ridicule. Then trust Him to answer… when the time is right… in the most perfect way. As this passage says, stop “worrying your prayers.” Never give them a second thought. Assume that God heard you the first time… because He did… and move forward in confidence that His answer is on the way.
©2012 Debbie Robus
If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
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.
My sister was approached recently by someone who asked, “Does God answer your prayers?” The answer was “Yes.” The person asking questions followed with, “Well, just how long does it take?” My sister tried to explain that some prayers are answered right away, while some answers take longer… even days/weeks/years. The lady asking the questions said something to the effect of, “Oh! I can’t wait that long! I need my answer within fifteen minutes!”
I’m afraid we are all like this much of the time. We ask for what we think we can get - or feel we desperately need. We hesitate to ask God for some things, fearing He will think less of us for asking. And in all prayers, we are often impatient for an outcome. When we don’t get instant answers, we “worry our prayers” … repeat them… stew about whether – or how – God might be planning to answer. And I have to believe that all the while, God is just shaking His head in frustration.
I am still often confounded by God’s timing – because I am impatient. But as I learn to trust His answers and outcomes, I am no longer surprised them. I am still occasionally caught off guard by His delivery. Let’s just call these “pleasant surprises.” It’s not that I didn’t expect God to answer. But as I release my worries to Him, I give them to Him in faith. So when He does deliver, I feel like, “Oh! That’s great!” I knew an answer was coming…but I had stopped trying to orchestrate the arrival time and date!
Understand this… no prayer or thought is too big or too small for God. Trust Him in all things – in all sizes. Never hesitate to talk to God about anything. There is a difference between bringing concerns and praises before God over and again… and brow-beating Him in an effort to get an answer. In other words, praying for someone who is ill on a daily basis is not the same as saying, “LORD, I asked You to heal Tom… did you HEAR me?” The former speaks to what – and who – is on your heart. The latter reveals our impatience and lack of faith in God to answer. Believe me… HE knows when and how the outcome should be delivered!
The best summary I can offer for this passage today is to calm down and rest in the LORD. Talk to God about everything, without any fear of retribution or ridicule. Then trust Him to answer… when the time is right… in the most perfect way. As this passage says, stop “worrying your prayers.” Never give them a second thought. Assume that God heard you the first time… because He did… and move forward in confidence that His answer is on the way.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 28, 2012
Isaiah 30:15, 18
God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: "Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me — the very thing you've been unwilling to do.
But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you. He's gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right—everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
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.
When I visit my grandmother at her Assisted Living Facility during mealtime, I often have to laugh. The pervading topic of conversation at her table is how long she and her friends have to wait to be served their meal. There are probably 80 residents in this dining hall. Three or four nurse’s aides busily move from table to table, serving the meal… often a plate of hot food, and an extra dish or two with salads and dessert. This doesn’t count the aide who may circle the dining room serving coffee, iced tea, water, buttermilk… and often offering an extra dish of pudding, fruit, or maybe some sort of salad.
The point is… these residents are served a sit-down meal three times a day in a retirement center. Seldom, if ever, do these folks have a pressing appointment. While they sit and wait for the meal (perhaps as much as 30 minues), they have plenty to drink… and often the “appetizer” on which to snack. Yet it never fails… the residents in my grandmother’s area of the dining room, which is usually the last to be served, grow impatient.
I remember how frustrated Timothy used to grow when he was hungry. He would sometimes bang his high chair tray and cry while I prepared his meals… and once or twice, he tried to climb out! I would often occupy him with a snack of cheese, “goldfish” or cereal to satisfy him while he waited for the main event. The difference was… he was a baby who didn’t know any better. The residents at my grandmother’s facility should understand how this works by now!
Do you see where I am headed? Some of us are so young in our faith that maybe we have an excuse. We may not be mature enough to understand that we can rest in the LORD and let Him handle things for us. Others of us have been at this for a while… so we ought to know by now that God’s timing is perfect… He can handle what we cannot… and we need to calm down and rest in Him!
In God, we find the perfect example of patience in action. Do you think God gripes and grumbles and says to Himself, “I wish Tom would hurry up and get this! I wish Jane would figure out that I’ve got her back and quit running around like a chicken with its head cut off!”? No! God waits! He settles in and holds our treasures and blessings in store for us, so that when we finally DO calm down and turn to Him, He has plenty to share with us… grace, mercy, love, and an abundance of miracles.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to settle in, relax and give my cares to God. I often tell my grandmother that after all of the meals she has cooked and served – and cleaned up afterward – this is her reward… her time to be blessed by others. She should sit back and enjoy it! And while I’m not calling for us to become lazy in our faith… it IS time for us to get comfortable with trusting God and letting Him have control.
We need to be patient and stop wasting time trying to do God’s job for Him, so that we can enjoy the blessings and “good stuff” that comes with being His faithful servant. I know I don’t want to miss anything He has in store for me… do you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: "Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me — the very thing you've been unwilling to do.
But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you. He's gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right—everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
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.
When I visit my grandmother at her Assisted Living Facility during mealtime, I often have to laugh. The pervading topic of conversation at her table is how long she and her friends have to wait to be served their meal. There are probably 80 residents in this dining hall. Three or four nurse’s aides busily move from table to table, serving the meal… often a plate of hot food, and an extra dish or two with salads and dessert. This doesn’t count the aide who may circle the dining room serving coffee, iced tea, water, buttermilk… and often offering an extra dish of pudding, fruit, or maybe some sort of salad.
The point is… these residents are served a sit-down meal three times a day in a retirement center. Seldom, if ever, do these folks have a pressing appointment. While they sit and wait for the meal (perhaps as much as 30 minues), they have plenty to drink… and often the “appetizer” on which to snack. Yet it never fails… the residents in my grandmother’s area of the dining room, which is usually the last to be served, grow impatient.
I remember how frustrated Timothy used to grow when he was hungry. He would sometimes bang his high chair tray and cry while I prepared his meals… and once or twice, he tried to climb out! I would often occupy him with a snack of cheese, “goldfish” or cereal to satisfy him while he waited for the main event. The difference was… he was a baby who didn’t know any better. The residents at my grandmother’s facility should understand how this works by now!
Do you see where I am headed? Some of us are so young in our faith that maybe we have an excuse. We may not be mature enough to understand that we can rest in the LORD and let Him handle things for us. Others of us have been at this for a while… so we ought to know by now that God’s timing is perfect… He can handle what we cannot… and we need to calm down and rest in Him!
In God, we find the perfect example of patience in action. Do you think God gripes and grumbles and says to Himself, “I wish Tom would hurry up and get this! I wish Jane would figure out that I’ve got her back and quit running around like a chicken with its head cut off!”? No! God waits! He settles in and holds our treasures and blessings in store for us, so that when we finally DO calm down and turn to Him, He has plenty to share with us… grace, mercy, love, and an abundance of miracles.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to settle in, relax and give my cares to God. I often tell my grandmother that after all of the meals she has cooked and served – and cleaned up afterward – this is her reward… her time to be blessed by others. She should sit back and enjoy it! And while I’m not calling for us to become lazy in our faith… it IS time for us to get comfortable with trusting God and letting Him have control.
We need to be patient and stop wasting time trying to do God’s job for Him, so that we can enjoy the blessings and “good stuff” that comes with being His faithful servant. I know I don’t want to miss anything He has in store for me… do you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 7, 2012
Acts 1:6-8
While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, "Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?" Jesus said to them, "You don't need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Some friends and I were visiting about a particular situation, and one of them said, “I don’t know why it took so long to resolve this. Why didn’t God show us the solution sooner?” And surely we have all asked this question at one time or another. We wonder why God doesn’t open our eyes to some things or soften our hearts sooner in specific situations. To a person, we agreed that often, we simply do not understand – or accept - God’s perfect timing.
When we look back at certain events in our lives, we may ask, “How did I not see this? What took me so long?” What we should be asking is, “What was God showing me? How was I growing during this time? How did God specifically work in and through this to accomplish things I could not envision?” Just as importantly, we should now be asking, “What is God doing in this situation? How is He using me? How am I growing, and what am I learning?”
Trusting God’s timing is such a hard thing for us. We are all impatient and unwilling to release control – at least to some degree. We have a very hard time accepting that God will do a far better job with things than we ever could… and He really doesn’t need our meddling! At the same time, God may very well need our help to accomplish His will. If we will truly submit to Him completely, surrender our desires to offer our two-cents worth, and hear what He has to say… He can use us to work in amazing ways – and bless us in the bargain.
What do you need to give to God today? I know I have several things on my list, and if you are honest, you probably have a few of your own. What “if onlys” to you need to release and accept that God worked in and through those situations to accomplish great things? What is He preparing you to accomplish in the upcoming days/weeks/months? Are you attuned, humbled, and ready to listen – and serve? Shouldn’t you be?
©2012 Debbie Robus
While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, "Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?" Jesus said to them, "You don't need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Some friends and I were visiting about a particular situation, and one of them said, “I don’t know why it took so long to resolve this. Why didn’t God show us the solution sooner?” And surely we have all asked this question at one time or another. We wonder why God doesn’t open our eyes to some things or soften our hearts sooner in specific situations. To a person, we agreed that often, we simply do not understand – or accept - God’s perfect timing.
When we look back at certain events in our lives, we may ask, “How did I not see this? What took me so long?” What we should be asking is, “What was God showing me? How was I growing during this time? How did God specifically work in and through this to accomplish things I could not envision?” Just as importantly, we should now be asking, “What is God doing in this situation? How is He using me? How am I growing, and what am I learning?”
Trusting God’s timing is such a hard thing for us. We are all impatient and unwilling to release control – at least to some degree. We have a very hard time accepting that God will do a far better job with things than we ever could… and He really doesn’t need our meddling! At the same time, God may very well need our help to accomplish His will. If we will truly submit to Him completely, surrender our desires to offer our two-cents worth, and hear what He has to say… He can use us to work in amazing ways – and bless us in the bargain.
What do you need to give to God today? I know I have several things on my list, and if you are honest, you probably have a few of your own. What “if onlys” to you need to release and accept that God worked in and through those situations to accomplish great things? What is He preparing you to accomplish in the upcoming days/weeks/months? Are you attuned, humbled, and ready to listen – and serve? Shouldn’t you be?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)