Daily Devotional for December 6, 2016

Luke 11:10-13    
“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?”

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 is the time of year when children ask Santa Claus for specific items…and they expect to receive them. After all, we’re talking about SANTA CLAUS!  He would never disappoint a child…right?  You and I both know that we adults have to sometimes do some fancy finagling…like when the child comes up with a totally new request, just days before Christmas - and after “Santa” has already “made” all of the toys asked for back in November!

Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t operate like this?  Isn’t it comforting to know that we can go to Him any hour of the day and say, “Lord, I need…” and He will answer our request.  Notice I did not say that God will always give us exactly what we asked for.  God is not in the business of doling out wishes and whims willy-nilly!  But God will always meet our true needs - according to His will for us.

Every year, I give the children pajamas, socks and underwear for Christmas. A few years ago, Timothy pulled a package of underwear out of his stocking, walked over to his father and said, “Here, Dad…these are for YOU!”  Needless to say, our nephew was not impressed with this gift!  But I knew that it was something that he and his siblings truly needed.

God always gives us what we need when we ask.  He will ALWAYS send His Holy Spirit if we ask for comfort, wisdom, guidance and companionship…even when our actual requisition takes a more vague form, as in, “I need help with XYZ.”  He may even send us an “underwear-type” gift, if that is what He feels is appropriate.  But the point is…we will never lack when we seek God.  He will always give us good and perfect gifts.

Thank goodness God doesn’t operate on the “naughty or nice” scale of giving.  We will never be able to earn His goodness…nor will we deserve His gift of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  But God gives them anyway…because He loves us more than we can ever imagine.  His “Christmas gift” is available to us 24/7/365. What a blessing!

What are you asking God for these days?  And what are you expecting?  When He gives you good and perfect gifts, will you recognize them and be truly grateful?  Don’t you think you should be?

©2016 Debbie Robus 

Daily Devotional for April 12, 2016

James 4:1-3
Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.

You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own 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.

Greg and I watched Bridge of Spies*, a movie about the Cold War and the exchange of a Russian spy captured by Americans for an American Pilot – and a private citizen who was doing graduate studies in Eastern Europe.  The story was really about the American attorney, James Donovan (played by Tom Hanks), who was recruited to negotiate the exchange.

Donovan had been tapped to defend the Russian spy, Rudolph Abel – to give the public appearance that Abel received a “fair trial.”  However, Donovan took his job seriously.  While public sentiment prevailed - and the judge and jury found Abel guilty - Donovan was able to persuade the judge to sentence Abel to prison rather than death.  Donovan could foresee the time when it might be helpful to have a Russian spy who could be exchanged for an American held captive abroad…and he was right.  On February 10, 1962, Rudolph Abel was exchanged for American U2 Pilot Frances Gary Powers, and graduate student Frederic Pryor.

The point of sharing this is to say that the prevailing sentiment was that Rudolph Abel should be put to death.  He had given “our” secrets to the Russians…and Americans wanted him to pay.  People were outraged by the judge’s decision to imprison Abel instead of executing him…and attorney James Donovan became nothing short of a pariah.  Yet, when Abel was exchanged for two Americans, Donovan was hailed as a hero.  It all came down to a matter of perspective…and personal desires.

So what does this have to do with us?  We will likely never be involved in international negotiations involving spies.  But we might find ourselves involved in a discussion at school, church, in the workplace or our community over this issue or that one.  Indeed, we “argue” over political choices every day…from legislation to candidates to the Bill of Rights – or even the umpire’s call at our kids’ little league game.  Sometimes we pray for God’s will…and sometimes, we know that our attitude is such that we dare not mention our desires to God.

In many ways, we’ve gotten to a point where there are more and more issues that we know better than to pray about, because we feel certain that God would hang His head in shame at our selfishness.  Our attitudes represent a lack of love and understanding, compassion and caring for our fellow man in favor of coddling our own desires – and yes, our fears.  Because we have made no effort to understand another person’s position, we impose our own view of things – and fight to make it the norm.  And often, the outcomes are messy at best – and potentially life-changing for some.

Bridge of Spies does not fully examine James Donovan’s faith and what role it might have played in his treatment of Rudolph Abel – or his subsequent role in negotiating the famous exchange of men.  But one has to believe that He sought the counsel of a Higher Power…that He asked God, “What is the right thing to do here?” Even in the face of threats and personal endangerment, Donovan looked at a Russian spy as a human being with thoughts, feelings, and a soul…and treated him accordingly.  I have to believe that he trusted God to mete out justice…and to show him the right way to conduct himself.

Can we say the same in our daily living?  Are we operating in selfishness and our own desires, fears and frustrations?  Or are we able to say to God, “LORD…I don’t know what is the right direction to take…but You do.  I trust You to show me how to proceed.”  Your decisions might not determine the fate of three men held captive by opposing forces…but it does matter.  Does knowing this in any way change your thinking?  Don’t you think it should?

©2016 Debbie Robus

*Bridge of Spies ~ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3682448/

Daily Devotional for June 1, 2015

1 John 2:15-17
Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

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 once worked with a woman whose cousin was killed in a car accident.  When she went to visit the family, the widow was sitting on a couch with her head in her hands.  She tearfully told this woman, “He was going to buy me a fur coat!”  I cannot express how this made the cousin feel.  But before you cluck your tongue and declare this widow to be so horrible, consider that each of us has a “fur coat moment”…probably more often than we realize.

The problem is, we make things all about us…what we want…what we think we need…whether or not we feel validated and important.  And in the process, we totally leave God out of the equation.  There is a saying that no one ever said on his/her death bed, “I wish I had spent more time in the office.”  We could add to this…”No one ever said on his/her death bed, ‘I wish I had one more car, piece of jewelry, electronic gadget, or trophy.’”

Too often, we are so busy loving the world and its goods that we truly do squeeze out love for God.  And even those with what seem to be the best of intentions may be doing this in ways that are not readily recognized. We all pretty well “get it” about selfish desires for possessions, positions and personal desires.  But things like signing up to serve on every committee and attend every group or mission that your church sponsors may not include God, either. 

How can this be?  Clearly, God has a plan for each of us…things that He wants us to do to honor and glorify Him.  Just because you are “all in” with church or civic activities…or you are running here and there doing things for your family doesn’t mean that God commissioned you to participate in all of these activities.  Whether we realize it or not, too many people are overly-involved so that others will say, “I don’t know how he/she does it all!”  And this isolates us from God.

So the challenge for each of us today is to sit quietly and evaluate who we are, what we are doing, and where we are headed.  Are we listening for God’s voice?  Is He guiding our steps and showing us how and where to serve?  Are we carefully considering how God feels about every aspect of our lives…from our possessions to how we spend our time, talents and money to those who are in our circle of friends and associates?  Are we seeking HIS approval – or the world’s?  And are we ready to change any and all of this to put Him front and center in our lives? 

Are we living in the world of “fur coats”, mortal accolades and appreciation, and the immediate future…or are we focused on Eternity and how we will account for ourselves when we get to Heaven?  Who DO we love…the world – or God?  It’s time we figured this out, once and for all.   

©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for April 15, 2015

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.

Arkansas Razorbacks basketball forward Bobby Portis announced that he will not return to college for his junior year.  Instead, he has declared himself eligible for the NBA draft this summer.  Portis weighed the pros and cons of this decision, and in the end, the need to provide for his family probably proved to be the tipping point.  Portis has already done wonderful things in his college career. He set school records as a Razorback…received national accolades…and won the hearts of Arkansans in particular – and Razorbacks fans in general.  I am sure that his mother would tell you that his accomplishments far exceed her own – or anyone else’s in the Portis family.

Parents will often say, “I want better for my own kids than I had.”  I don’t think too many parents would say, “I want my children to be mediocre,” or even, “If they do half as well as I have done, I’ll be happy!” So when we read this scripture and think about what Jesus is saying, it seems to me that He isn’t expecting us to literally turn water into wine or cast out demons.  He most certainly does not expect us to be nailed to a cross for the sins of man, because HE has already covered that detail!  I believe that Jesus wants us to “take a page from His book”, so to speak…and do all that we can to continue His work.

What are the works of Jesus?  I made a mental list of some of them…and I am sure I have missed many.  But in part, Jesus:  demonstrated honor and glory to God, humility, kindness, mercy and compassion, respect for others, tolerance and forgiveness…fed the hungry…healed the sick and the injured…ministered to the poor…consoled the grieving and “poor in spirit”…and taught us how to pray – and to love one another.
   
Clearly, we cannot literally heal the sick and injured (unless we are physicians and nurses)…but we can do our best to minister to those who are experiencing these conditions.  We can meet their needs to the best of our ability – and with the strength and power of God Almighty.  We can feed the hungry – both literally and figuratively…we can show respect, tolerance, forgiveness, humility, kindness, mercy, and compassion.  We can minister to the poor…we can console and encourage those who are grieving and hurting.  We can pray…and love one another as God loved us.  And in all of these things, we can give glory and honor to God!

At the end of the day, we will be doing what is best for our “family” – the body that we are a part of as believers in Jesus Christ and children of the Most High God.  If we humbly do the works of Jesus according to God’s guidance and wisdom…and we call on Him to equip us… we will “do greater things” – not because WE are so wonderful, but because God is empowering our efforts.

We cannot all be NBA players and support our families in this manner.  But we can serve on “Team Jesus” and do great things for the family of God.  This should be our daily goal…to trust God to equip us to do whatever He ordains. We should confidently ask Him to give us these abilities, knowing that whatever we ask for that He has sanctioned will be accomplished.

There is no doubt that Bobby Portis would have garnered many more accolades in the next two years as an Arkansas Razorbacks basketball star. And I am sure he will receive a lot of recognition in the NBA.  But at the end of the day, Bobby had to decide whether to make a difference and provide for his family now…or to stick around and make more of a name for himself in his home state.  We have to decide the same thing – in a different way.  Will we focus on what feels good to us…what promotes OUR agenda…or will we do the work of Jesus, and give God the glory?  Will we make a point…or will we make a difference?

©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for April 14, 2015

James 4:1-3
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it because there is a whole army of evil desires within you? You want what you don’t have, so you kill to get it. You long for what others have, and can’t afford it, so you start a fight to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it. And even when you do ask you don’t get it because your whole aim is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

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

For more than a year, we’ve gone out to eat with the children after church on Sunday.  There are about five restaurants that we have rotated through…and of course, the children have their favorites – Pizza Hut® and Burger King®, for starters!  Timothy and Zola “campaigned” for one of these two options every Sunday, so Greg would say, “Okay, today is Zola’s day to choose,” or “It’s Grandma E’s day to choose,” and we would rotate through the five of us in just over a “month of Sundays”!

One Sunday, Timothy chose Pizza Hut® - and the next week, it was Uncle Greg’s turn.  Timothy asked, “Uncle Greg…where do you want to eat?  I think Pizza Hut® would be a great choice…don’t you?  Wouldn’t you like to eat at Pizza Hut®, Uncle Greg?”  We had to laugh at his “diplomatic” attempt to manipulate the choice.

This is cute when one is five years old.  It’s not cute at all when you are our age…and we are trying to manipulate God for what we want, rather than what He has in store for us.  We sometimes pray in specifics…as we should.  But our motives are often misguided at best…if not downright selfish.  So instead of asking God to guide our interview for a new job and to work in the hearts of those who decide which person to hire, we say, “LORD, please help me get this job.”  We give no consideration to whether this is the place God wants us to be, because it’s where we desire to work!

Or we pray for God to heal us…or to fix a relationship…or to help us get a new car or pass a particular class…or to save a loved one from dying…or whatever is on our heart.  And we never even ask God what He desires.  Because you see…that really doesn’t matter to us, quite often. 

Several weeks ago, our pastor asked us “Are you making a difference…or making a point?”  It’s a valid question for all of us.  I know that learning to ask God for His will over our own is a hard practice for many of us to master.  We are not wired to submit to the will of another – not even to God!  So we “campaign” for whatever our “Pizza Hut®” desire is…even to the point of trying to manipulate God into doing it.  “LORD, it would be great if You could take this cancer from me…don’t You think that I could do so many wonderful things if I wasn’t sick?!”  Or, “LORD, I really need a new house/car/job/relationship…so that I can do even more for YOU!”  Pah-lease! (insert eye-roll here!)  God is not fooled for even one second!

If we will learn to pour our hearts out to God…and even tell Him what we want (like He doesn’t already know!)…He will listen.  But we must humbly and genuinely submit to Him that what we really want – and need – is His will for our lives…and we are ready to accept this and eagerly abide in whatever He designs for us.  We can stomp our 5-year-old “spiritual feet” and demand our own way…or we can surrender to God’s will and actually make a difference.  The choice is ours…what will you decide?

©2015 Debbie Robus