Daily Devotional for January 1, 2017

1 John 2:1-2
My children, I am writing this so that you won’t sin. But if you do sin, Jesus Christ always does the right thing, and he will speak to the Father for us. Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world’s people.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Happy New Year! I hope yours is off to a great start (and includes some black-eyed peas, greens, pork – and maybe big ole piece of cornbread!!!). Sweet tea is optional!

Okay, enough about our Southern traditions...but I do have a point in sharing them.  I saw a meme on Facebook this morning that offered an explanation for why we eat these foods on New Year’s Day.  Rather than go into detail about each dish, let me just say that the collective reason is – HOPE!  We hope that these foods will bring us good luck in the coming year.  Yes, it is a “superstition”…and okay, maybe it’s ridiculous.  But what is NOT silly is hope in Jesus…and that’s where these verses from 1 John 2 come into play.

When Jesus takes away our sins, we all know that this doesn’t mean we will never sin again…right?  We surrender our hearts to Jesus…He washes us clean…and we make every effort to stay that way.  But scripture tells us over and again that, as human beings, we will never be completely free of sin or a sinful nature.  Only Jesus can claim this perfection.

BUT...because of Jesus, we can humbly acknowledge our failures and shortcomings, and ask forgiveness...and Jesus will petition God on our behalf.  Because of Jesus, we always have hope.  HE is the assurance that we are claimed and sanctified before God…that our seat at the Heavenly Table is forever secure.

Just as I will probably never stop eating peas and greens on New Year’s Day, I will never stop depending on Jesus to stand in the gap for me and ask God to continually forgive my sins.  And He will do this for you – and all of the world’s people – just as surely.  All you have to do is genuinely and humbly surrender your sinful nature to Jesus…to beg His forgiveness and accept His generous gift of Salvation.  THEN…you must make every effort to live a holy and acceptable life…to serve Jesus and share His Good News with others.

Because we have the promise of salvation and an Eternal Home…we are free to live with hope and confidence…and encourage others to do the same.  Will this be the year that you fully let go and let God have control?  Will you live in expectation that Jesus has your back?  I pray that this is the case.

Old habits die hard, so I’ll probably keep eating peas and greens on New Year’s Day.  But I know that with Jesus standing in the gap for us, anything and everything is possible…with no “good luck” meals required!

©2017 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for January 1, 2015

2 Peter 2:1
But there were false prophets, too, in those days, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end.
 
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
 
Happy New Year!  Today, we start with a “clean slate” as we welcome a new year…365 days of endless possibilities!  Try as some might, no one can truly predict what will happen in the coming year.  We really cannot accurately predict what type of weather we will have…how the economy will do or what the price of gas will be at the pump…or who will win the Final Four, the World Series, or the BCS Championship!  But that will not stop many from trying. And sadly, more than a few will try to tell us that “the end is near”…that Jesus is returning and that there are “signs and symbols” which we must heed.
 
Here’s how I see it.  When I leave this earth, I know where I am headed.  I am not in any hurry to depart…but I am also not the least bit afraid of dying.  I understand that there is work to be done…that there are souls yet to be saved…and that “the clock is ticking.”  But the Bible clearly tells us we do not know the hour when Jesus will return.  Even clearer is our mission in the meantime.  We have been charged with telling others the Good News of Jesus Christ …and with emulating Him as much as we possibly can.  If we are doing these two things, God will handle the rest.
 
Let’s make this the year that we stop listening to those false prophets and the people who want to scare us half to death…about death AND the return of Jesus.  Let’s live every day like it may be our last (because that is very much a possibility)…and let’s fully represent Jesus in every breath we take.
 
Let’s make 2015 a year in which we can say that we served God with faith and fullness of heart, mind, body and soul.  It’s a new day…and a new year…a gift that God has given each of us. What will you do with yours?
 
©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for December 31, 2014

2 John 7-11
Many liars have gone out into the world. These deceitful liars are saying that Jesus Christ did not have a truly human body. But they are liars and the enemies of Christ. So be sure not to lose what we have worked for. If you do, you won’t be given your full reward. Don’t keep changing what you were taught about Christ, or else God will no longer be with you. But if you hold firmly to what you were taught, both the Father and the Son will be with you. If people won’t agree to this teaching, don’t welcome them into your home or even greet them. Greeting them is the same as taking part in their evil deeds.
 
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 
Social media is wonderful for certain purposes…sharing photos of family members, keeping people updated when someone is sick and needs prayer, reveling in victories over decades-old football foes…and much more.  But this venue is also a hotbed of venomous attacks, untruths, malicious gossip, and other evils.  Because of the latter, I have had to “unfriend” a few people on Facebook.
 
This has cost me more than one “friendship”…and maybe you have had the same experience.  But here’s the thing…by allowing posts from those people to appear on my “feed”, I feel I am quietly condoning their sentiments.  If even one person sees these ugly things and thinks, “She must feel the same way”…I have failed in my Christian discipleship.
 
We cannot live our lives in a vacuum…and yes, associating with “deceitful liars” offers those folks a chance to see Jesus in us and the way we conduct our lives.  But they can observe this from a distance.  You can demonstrate a life filled with truth, grace, mercy, tolerance, love, compassion, respect, and redemption from sin through the blood of Jesus without hanging around those who behave differently.  The balance is delicate…but with prayerful consideration, you can be a loving Light for Christ – and turn your back to evil at the same time.
 
As 2014 comes to a close, this might be a good time to “clean up the list”…to evaluate our “friendships” and associations and see if we are holding tightly to the teachings of Jesus…or if we have taken part in evil deeds – if only by default.  Will 2015 be a year when we focus more on Jesus…and less on the world and its ways?  This is my resolution…what’s yours?
 
©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for December 31, 2013

Titus 3:7
Jesus treated us much better than we deserve.
He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life.
 
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you.
He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.”
 
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 
This morning, a friend of mine posted this on Facebook:

Ok, so here's the deal…Satan REALLY hates me. He's a thief, a liar, and the lowest of low. He'll use any of his cohorts; anxiety, imperfection, depression, oppression, regret, fear, doubt, loss, pain, apathy, indifference ...to SNUFF out my light. Be on the lookout… because if you've said “YES!” to God, you better believe he'll come for you too!

 Clearly, she is dealing with some serious challenges… as are all of us at one time or another. So these two verses… one from the New Testament and one from the Old Testament, both bring us a message of hope.  Jesus treats us much better than we deserve and makes us acceptable to God.  We have hope of Eternal Life because of Jesus.  AND…God wins victory after victory and is always with us!  God actually sings because of us and refreshes us with His love.
 
Satan cannot stand it when we give our heart to God.  He absolutely despises even the thought that we belong to God and are protected and reinvigorated by His love and care.  So he uses all of his cohorts to TRY to snuff out our light…just as my friend said.  But the all-important filled-with-hope-and-and-comfort GOOD NEWS is that Satan can never win when we belong to God!
 
As we close out this year, I am sure that there have been moments of joy and peace in your life in the last twelve months.  But I am also fairly certain that many have experienced a time when you felt like the devil was coming after you.  I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I am resolving to put on God’s full armor this year… to remind myself often of His presence - and His unending love and care.  When Satan sends his cohorts to try to snuff out my light, I’ll stomp my foot and tell him to “Get lost!”  As the old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness”… and I know that He is covering me in both.
 
I pray that you will end this year – and enter the next – with hope… the hope of always being acceptable to God through Jesus… the hope of God’s victory after victory – and his unending presence in your life… and the ultimate hope of Eternal Life with Him in heaven someday.  Resolve to make 2014 a year of HOPE…refreshed with God’s love and armed against Satan and every one of his cohorts.  God bless and keep you… Happy New Year!
 
©2013 Debbie Robus