Daily Devotional for October 7, 2016

Matthew 21:12-14
Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:

My house was designated a house of prayer;
You have made it a hangout for thieves.

Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.

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.

How many people do you know who cannot park their car in the garage, because it is full of other things?  Maybe you are one of them!  I know people who live in an RV and use their shower/tub for a closet – and shower at RV park or truck stop bath/shower houses. Please don’t misunderstand me…this is totally none of my business where you park your car, bathe or shower!  But we all understand the concept of clutter and how it can overtake our lives – and our space!

The same can be said for “spiritual clutter.”  And just like those who set up shop in the temple and moved the focus away from that structure’s intended purpose, we fill our hearts and minds with things that truly don’t belong there and do not glorify God.  And at some point, Jesus calls us to clean house…to clear away the clutter of those things that steer our focus away from Him…and to make room in our heart and mind for His healing power.

All of my life, I’ve heard this story of Jesus kicking over tables in the Temple and scattering the money and merchandise of the merchants and thieves who had set up shop there.  And I can picture Jesus figuratively slashing at the things in our hearts that distract us and pull us away from a relationship that serves Him and honors our salvation – and the mission He calls us to accomplish in His name.

In a way, this is painful and shocking…but it is also necessary from time to time, because we are all human and imperfect.  But we can work on this.  We can make a concerted effort to keep our lives steeped in prayer…to ensure that we always have room for the will of God – and that our focus is on creating an atmosphere where Jesus has plenty of room to work.

What is cluttering your heart and mind?  Where in your life do you have areas that have become a “hangout for thieves” rather than a “house of prayer?”  Is there room for “the blind and the crippled” to get in…and for Jesus to heal them?  Are you a catalyst for His message and ministries…or do you need to get busy and clear out some clutter to make room for Him to work?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for April 20, 2016

John 14:11-14
“Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.

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.
   
Sunday, we took the children to see “The Jungle Book” at our local theater.  As we were driving home from church, Timothy said, “I’ve been to three movies at the movie theater…you took me to see ‘Planes’…Granny and Pap-Pa Lee took us to see ‘Minions’…and now you are taking us to see ‘The Jungle Book!’” 

Over the course of the afternoon, all three children talked about how their Granny [my mother] – took them to the movie last year.  For the record, Mother thought that experience was something of a disaster.  Nathan was barely three years old, and he wore his 3D glasses on his head most of the time…the other two wiggled and squirmed and (in her opinion) didn’t grasp the plot of the movie at all.  But in their minds, it was fantastic.  They each one have a fond memory of going to the movie with their great-grandmother and grandpa.

In many ways, we are “carrying the torch” for my mother.  She wanted the children to have swim lessons, music lessons, trips to museums and parks, outings to the movies, and many more experiences and adventures. And of course, it was VERY important to Mother that the children attend church and learn about God. Thankfully, these are things that Greg and I can do for the children.  We are blessed with both the time and the means to provide these opportunities.  We trust that God will continue to grant us good health and stamina to keep up with three active kiddos!

I know that God will help us accomplish what we prayerfully pursue with the children.  If the things we ask for line up with His will, they will happen.  I cannot even envision what the next several years will involve as these kids grow and become involved in more activities and cultivate individual interests.  I know that God is going to present us with a lot of different avenues for serving Him – not only with our own family, but in the church and community, also.  And I trust that whatever He ordains, we can accomplish.  He has promised that it will be so.

There are a lot of ordinary people doing extraordinary things…because they are powered by faith in what Jesus promised.  They trust Him to make a way where none  seems evident…to equip them for the tasks that He sets before them…and to enable them to “carry the torch” for the next generation.  This is our calling…our destiny.  And we have a choice…to accept this mission and operate fully in faith…or to do nothing and deny the power of Jesus to work in and through us.

I saw a post on Facebook that said, “Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, consider how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome.”  This didn’t just HAPPEN!  God saw us through these things…and He will equip us for so much more.  It’s time to “hitch up our britches” and get going.  I’m in…what about you?

©2016 Debbie Robus