Daily Devotional for November 13, 2016

Revelation 1:8
“I am the A and the Z, the Beginning and the Ending of all things,” says God, who is the Lord, the All Powerful One who is, and was, and is coming again!

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

This morning, the 2nd/3rd graders and I studied the question, “What Is the Truth About the Devil?” in our Sunday school class.  We learned some interesting things about Satan…how he was once one of God’s most special angels…how he lives on earth – among us, and not in hell (that will come later).  We discovered that our mental images of how the devil looks are not anywhere close to what he really looks like…and how he can never defeat God.

We learned that the devil likes to take on many forms to try and trip us up.  He could be sitting right beside us, and we might not recognize him. So we practiced turning our backs, facing God, and whispering the name “Jesus”…because even when we whisper Jesus’ name, the devil shrinks and flees.  It absolutely drives him mad for us to call on Jesus.

Finally, we practiced saying one perfect phrase…”God wins.”  I encouraged the children to stay close to God and remember this…that God IS the beginning and the ending of all things…that the devil can never become powerful enough to defeat Him.  I reminded them that we can carry Jesus and His Holy Spirit in our hearts on this earth – and spend all of Eternity with Him in heaven.  But the devil will NEVER reside there…he is destined for

This lesson is one that should not only be studied by 2nd/3rd graders.  We adults sometimes need to be reminded that the devil is real…and powerful…and vying night and day for our attention and allegiance.  But GOD is the ALL POWERFUL ONE who is, and was, and is coming again! When our focus is steadfast on HIM, the devil doesn’t stand a chance!

GOD WINS!  Hallelujah!  Cling to this thought…celebrate it…and serve the One who is truly the Beginning and Ending of all things.

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for November 17, 2015

Psalm 48:9-14
Our God, here in your temple
    we think about your love.
You are famous and praised
    everywhere on earth,
    as you win victories
    with your powerful arm.
Mount Zion will celebrate,
and all Judah will be glad,
    because you bring justice.
Let’s walk around Zion
    and count its towers.
We will see its strong walls
    and visit each fortress.
Then you can say
    to future generations,
“Our God is like this forever
    and will always guide us.”

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

This morning as I prepared to write this devotional, I must admit that I was conflicted.  The world seems turned upside down…senseless terrorism and murder in Paris…displaced and orphaned people by the thousands in the Middle East…people closing their hearts and their “borders” to those who have nowhere to turn…illness and disease…those who are aging and declining – and there is nothing to do but watch it happen…humans in every corner of the world are suffering and troubled…orphans abound in our own back yard, where there are 2 beds for every three children in need.  And on top of it all, the weathermen are continually warning that a strong system is approaching with high winds and potentially flooding rains.  The list seems unending.

Then I opened my Bible to Psalm 48:9-14 and read these words about the love and power of God Almighty.  And I was humbled…and renewed…and encouraged.

• We don’t know what to do with all of the senseless violence and hatred in this world.  “Our God is like this forever and will always guide us.”
• We are fearful of helping those we do not know and trust.  We are powerless to control the weather.  Honestly, we are just a little afraid of virtually everything!  ”…You win victories with Your powerful arm.”
• We feel helpless to meet the needs of orphans, the elderly, those who are sick and suffering, the grieving, and those who are homeless and in need.  “We will see its [Zion’s] strong walls and visit each fortress…we think about Your love.”
• We are weary and do not know how to keep going.  Our faith and confidence have wavered in light of all that is happening, and we cannot see how things will ever improve.  “…all Judah will be glad, because You bring justice.”

It’s easy to get caught up in the worry, frustration and grief of current events.  We go from faith-filled prayer warriors to spineless wimps afraid of our own shadows in the blink of an eye!  And we should all be ashamed.  Where is our confidence in God?  Where is our affirmation that these claims in Psalm 48 about His power and strength are absolute and indisputable?  Are we telling our next generations the truth…or selling them a bill of goods?  Because if we do not truly believe – and internalize – what the Bible tells us about God, we really are failing as Christian witnesses and Disciples.

This is the day to “hitch up your britches”…to “pull yourself up by the bootstraps”…to rise up out of your “funk” and get it together in response to God’s call.  It’s time to truly honor our gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ by modeling His teachings and affirming that God is everything the scriptures tell us He is.  More importantly, it is time for us to live out what God has demonstrated over and again – in our lives and throughout history…to walk and breathe in the truth of His victories and His power, and to validate this to the world at large. 

Worry, fear, and a closed heart have no place in the lives of faith-filled Christians.  Today is the day to kick these attitudes to the curb, once and for all, and live out God’s truths.  Will you stand with me and make this a day of great renewal?  Are you really ready to represent our mighty God?  Isn’t it time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for November 16, 2015

Isaiah 46:1-3
God is our mighty fortress,
    always ready to help
    in times of trouble.
And so, we won’t be afraid!
    Let the earth tremble
    and the mountains tumble
    into the deepest sea.
Let the ocean roar and foam,
    and its raging waves
    shake the mountains.

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

Several days a week, superheroes reign supreme at our house – namely Batman, Spiderman, and Superman.  There is no evil they cannot avenge…no mountain too high to climb nor ocean too deep to swim.  The sky really IS the limit as they soar high above the buildings and earth below and stamp out crime and troubles of all kinds!  Often, three-year-old Nathan wears a Batman cape and mask much of his day…even to eat and nap!

I know this is a rite of passage.  For people my age, the “heroes” included cowboys like the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and the Rifleman…Mighty Mouse…and Daniel Boone.  For many young boys, a “coonskin cap” or a cowboy hat, holster and pistols was as much a part of the daily attire as underwear!

But I think we realized – even as children – that these characters were not real…that they couldn’t really “leap tall buildings in a single bound”…that their powers would not truly save us in times of trouble.  So even at the young ages of six, four, and three, we are trying to make a distinction with our little ones about the “powers” of these imaginary characters…and the TRUE powers of God Almighty.

I sometimes wonder if we “grown-ups” really get it.  Do we honestly know and trust the “super-powers” of our amazing God?  Do we believe that He is our mighty fortress in times of trouble…able to protect us from every difficulty and tribulation?  Do we live with confidence in God’s ability to still the “ocean’s roar and foam” in our lives…to stop the “raging waves” and “shake the mountains?”  Equally important, do we demonstrate this level of trust and faith to those we encounter in our everyday living?

These are all questions worth asking and giving prayerful consideration.  This is a powerful passage of scripture that covers a lot of ground about our Christian faith - and speaks volumes for what we should believe and how we should act.  Will you spend some time pondering its words today and imprinting them on your heart?  Is God your ultimate super-hero…and do you demonstrate this in your own life?  Isn’t it time you did?

© Debbie Robus