Exodus 21:23-25
But if any harm comes to the woman and she dies, he shall be executed.
“If
her eye is injured, injure his; if her tooth is knocked out, knock out
his; and so on—hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for
wound, lash for lash.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Children are notorious for
“hitting back”…and ours are no different. We will hear, “He/she hit me
first!” Timothy will sometimes say of his younger siblings, “I needed
to teach him/her a lesson!” We are definitely a work in progress!
The
sad fact is that adults do this very same thing. The retaliation may
not be physical…but words and actions can have a damaging effect, as
well. Someone will ask, “What about me? Don’t MY feelings matter?
What he/she said or did hurt me! Don’t I have rights, too?” The short
answer is “Yes…and NO.”
The first thing we have to look at is the location of this scripture passage…in the Old
Testament. Laws were very different before the time of Jesus. His
birth, death and resurrection changed EVERYTHING…and thankfully so! We
don’t have to sacrifice baby animals or present burnt offerings to atone
for our sins…and we don’t have to handle offenses on our own! We have a
Savior who does all of this for us! Lashing out at others and
retaliation tactics are not only childish…they are sinful! They suggest
that we do not trust Jesus to handle these situations and circumstances
for us…that we do not fully understand and believe that He can – and
will - meet our every need.
There will be times in our lives when
we would love to exchange an eye for an eye…when we would like nothing
more than to teach someone a lesson – to make him/her suffer just a
little and feel our pain. But we have to stop and ask ourselves, “What
if Jesus had done this?” He is our Savior…our Ultimate Example of how
to treat others and share God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness with
them.
The “lesson” we need to be teaching is tolerance and
understanding…not revenge. We need to be paying it forward…not doling
out paybacks. Yes, the Bible does say “an eye for an eye”…but it also
notes that Jesus said, “Father, forgive them.” The former serves as a
reminder that we have been freed from the shackles of operating under a
system of oppressive parameters, punishments and penance.
Because
of Jesus, we can now live in the freedom of His deliverance. Our
liberation from sin and the old laws provides us with the opportunity to
serve in hope, faith, and forgiveness…to take the high road and let
Jesus handle any discipline and retribution.
Philippians 4:13
tells us that…”I can do everything God asks me to with the help of
Christ who gives me the strength and power.” Are you demonstrating this
in your daily living? Or do you still have the mistaken idea that it
is your job to help God show others a thing or two? When others look at
you, do they see an Old Testament believer…or a disciple of Christ’s
Good News? There IS a difference! Have you chosen Salvation and
freedom in the power of Jesus Christ? Will this be the day that you do?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label because of Jesus we are free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label because of Jesus we are free. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for July 23, 2014
Ephesians 1:7-10
Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
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.
Recently, I did an online search for some free sheet music for piano arrangements of hymns. The search results included a site that sounded perfect. So when I visited the actual website, I was disappointed to see that each piano arrangement had a “click here to purchase” button. Where was the “free” stuff? Then I noticed that there was a button to click for “free information” about piano arrangements of hymns. Deceptive advertising? Yes...but sadly, not all that uncommon. These days, you truly have to read the fine print...on virtually everything!
But here’s the GOOD NEWS...there is no “fine print” when it comes to Jesus. His blood paid for our sins on the cross...ALL.OF.THEM. Just like this scripture passage tells us, God thought of absolutely everything and sent Jesus to handle it all for us. There is nothing that was left undone...no plans are incomplete. God loves us so much that He accounted for everything.
This does not give us license to go on our merry way and do whatever we please, confident that Jesus has us, quite literally...covered! This actually adds to our responsibilities and duties. Such a Gift as our salvation and the promise of eternal life begs for our devotion and discipleship in return! But God knows us...He knows we are human – and therefore imperfect. We will have days when things simply do not go well for us...or anyone else in our line of fire! And on those days, God says, “It’s paid for...I’ve got this! Jesus has already paid the price in full. Now go...and do better tomorrow.”
Isn’t this wonderful news? Aren’t you grateful to God for such an amazing sacrifice in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ? Doesn’t the very thought of this make you love Him even more...and desire to worship and serve Him with every fiber of your being? Will you stop today and affirm your promise to honor Jesus in everything you say and do...to give Him the glory and the reverence that He is due...and to show your respect with every single word and gesture?
Not all “free gifts” are truly free...but Jesus’ gift of salvation most certainly is! Isn’t it time we held this in the highest regard? Wouldn’t today be a perfect time to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
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.
Recently, I did an online search for some free sheet music for piano arrangements of hymns. The search results included a site that sounded perfect. So when I visited the actual website, I was disappointed to see that each piano arrangement had a “click here to purchase” button. Where was the “free” stuff? Then I noticed that there was a button to click for “free information” about piano arrangements of hymns. Deceptive advertising? Yes...but sadly, not all that uncommon. These days, you truly have to read the fine print...on virtually everything!
But here’s the GOOD NEWS...there is no “fine print” when it comes to Jesus. His blood paid for our sins on the cross...ALL.OF.THEM. Just like this scripture passage tells us, God thought of absolutely everything and sent Jesus to handle it all for us. There is nothing that was left undone...no plans are incomplete. God loves us so much that He accounted for everything.
This does not give us license to go on our merry way and do whatever we please, confident that Jesus has us, quite literally...covered! This actually adds to our responsibilities and duties. Such a Gift as our salvation and the promise of eternal life begs for our devotion and discipleship in return! But God knows us...He knows we are human – and therefore imperfect. We will have days when things simply do not go well for us...or anyone else in our line of fire! And on those days, God says, “It’s paid for...I’ve got this! Jesus has already paid the price in full. Now go...and do better tomorrow.”
Isn’t this wonderful news? Aren’t you grateful to God for such an amazing sacrifice in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ? Doesn’t the very thought of this make you love Him even more...and desire to worship and serve Him with every fiber of your being? Will you stop today and affirm your promise to honor Jesus in everything you say and do...to give Him the glory and the reverence that He is due...and to show your respect with every single word and gesture?
Not all “free gifts” are truly free...but Jesus’ gift of salvation most certainly is! Isn’t it time we held this in the highest regard? Wouldn’t today be a perfect time to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 21, 2013
Colossians 1:19-20
God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I would not have made a good “Old Testament” woman! I cannot imagine living every day with the knowledge that I would have to make this sacrifice or another to atone for my sins…that a priest would talk to God for me and decide how I should live and what I should do to show my loyalty and honor to Him. I can barely remember to take my grocery list to the store, so how on earth would I remember all of the rules about what was unclean – and when…which days to do what…how to clean and dress this animal or that and what we could and could not eat! I have to imagine that for most, life in Old Testament days was anything but peaceful.
We don’t fully comprehend how blessed we are because of Jesus. Few of us really understand how peaceful He made life for us because of His sacrifices on the cross. We take for granted the privilege of talking directly to God… and most of us certainly lack ample appreciation for our salvation and all that it implies. In a nutshell, the incredibly horrific, selfless and complicated sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross gave our lives amazing simplicity, by comparison. Because of Jesus, all who believe in Him and call on His name are saved – forever. Because of Jesus…we can talk to God anytime we want or need, and His Holy Spirit can dwell in our heart to guide us every second of the day. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to worry about sacrificing animals or which meat is clean or unclean… we don’t have to pay attention to rites, rituals and burnt offerings. We don’t need anyone else to tell us how to worship, what to believe, or what the Bible says… we can read God’s word for ourselves and personally discover His teachings.
The beauty of finding God’s peace lies in the simplicity of a relationship with Him. We don’t have to jump through hoops. We don’t need bells and whistles… we just need Jesus. My cousin JD is preaching a tent revival in Fairview, Alabama. He and two other evangelists have held worship every night for three weeks now. A local newspaper interviewed the evangelists about the services and the hundreds of people who are coming every night to hear God’s word and find His peace and healing.
I read the interview online, along with several dozen comments submitted by other readers. Sadly, most were negative. How could these men believe that drug addicts would immediately lose their addiction at the altar? Who in their right mind would think people could really be healed by God in an instant and lay down a cane or a walker and stroll away without pain? Many said this was like many other “business ventures”… when the money (or in this case, the people) dried up and stopped coming in… the evangelists will “close shop.”
Sadly, too many people do not see the simplicity and peace that Jesus can bring. There is nothing fancy about an open-air tent on a hot June night in Alabama. There is no big choir or even a Praise and Worship Team. One man from a local congregation plays a keyboard and leads congregational praise and worship singing. People are coming for a hefty dose of one thing… Jesus… and they are getting all they asked for, and more. But many of us are skeptical. We are like the Old Testament people. We think we surely must jump through some hoops, butcher a goat, or SOMETHING! It surely can’t be as simple as trusting in Jesus… can it?
The time has come to start truly seeking Jesus...and trusting Him to give us peace. We need to un-complicate our lives and stop looking for blaring horns, fireworks and bright lights… and focus on the One who can change things forever. The answer to 99% of our stresses can be found in Jesus. Through His own chaos, turmoil and suffering, He bought and paid for perpetual peace for each of us. So why aren’t we operating in it?
When was the last time you called on Jesus… for anything? Isn’t it time to turn back to Him? God is waiting… what’s keeping you from Him – and from operating in His peace?
©2013 Debbie Robus
God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I would not have made a good “Old Testament” woman! I cannot imagine living every day with the knowledge that I would have to make this sacrifice or another to atone for my sins…that a priest would talk to God for me and decide how I should live and what I should do to show my loyalty and honor to Him. I can barely remember to take my grocery list to the store, so how on earth would I remember all of the rules about what was unclean – and when…which days to do what…how to clean and dress this animal or that and what we could and could not eat! I have to imagine that for most, life in Old Testament days was anything but peaceful.
We don’t fully comprehend how blessed we are because of Jesus. Few of us really understand how peaceful He made life for us because of His sacrifices on the cross. We take for granted the privilege of talking directly to God… and most of us certainly lack ample appreciation for our salvation and all that it implies. In a nutshell, the incredibly horrific, selfless and complicated sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross gave our lives amazing simplicity, by comparison. Because of Jesus, all who believe in Him and call on His name are saved – forever. Because of Jesus…we can talk to God anytime we want or need, and His Holy Spirit can dwell in our heart to guide us every second of the day. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to worry about sacrificing animals or which meat is clean or unclean… we don’t have to pay attention to rites, rituals and burnt offerings. We don’t need anyone else to tell us how to worship, what to believe, or what the Bible says… we can read God’s word for ourselves and personally discover His teachings.
The beauty of finding God’s peace lies in the simplicity of a relationship with Him. We don’t have to jump through hoops. We don’t need bells and whistles… we just need Jesus. My cousin JD is preaching a tent revival in Fairview, Alabama. He and two other evangelists have held worship every night for three weeks now. A local newspaper interviewed the evangelists about the services and the hundreds of people who are coming every night to hear God’s word and find His peace and healing.
I read the interview online, along with several dozen comments submitted by other readers. Sadly, most were negative. How could these men believe that drug addicts would immediately lose their addiction at the altar? Who in their right mind would think people could really be healed by God in an instant and lay down a cane or a walker and stroll away without pain? Many said this was like many other “business ventures”… when the money (or in this case, the people) dried up and stopped coming in… the evangelists will “close shop.”
Sadly, too many people do not see the simplicity and peace that Jesus can bring. There is nothing fancy about an open-air tent on a hot June night in Alabama. There is no big choir or even a Praise and Worship Team. One man from a local congregation plays a keyboard and leads congregational praise and worship singing. People are coming for a hefty dose of one thing… Jesus… and they are getting all they asked for, and more. But many of us are skeptical. We are like the Old Testament people. We think we surely must jump through some hoops, butcher a goat, or SOMETHING! It surely can’t be as simple as trusting in Jesus… can it?
The time has come to start truly seeking Jesus...and trusting Him to give us peace. We need to un-complicate our lives and stop looking for blaring horns, fireworks and bright lights… and focus on the One who can change things forever. The answer to 99% of our stresses can be found in Jesus. Through His own chaos, turmoil and suffering, He bought and paid for perpetual peace for each of us. So why aren’t we operating in it?
When was the last time you called on Jesus… for anything? Isn’t it time to turn back to Him? God is waiting… what’s keeping you from Him – and from operating in His peace?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 23, 2012
Ezra 4:4-6
Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.
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.
Lies… threats… bribery… gossip and rumors…the Bible says all of these things – and more – have gone on since the long before the time of King Cyrus of Persia, who lived from 576 B.C. to 530 B.C. Frustration is nothing new, dear friend!
What HAS changed is JESUS! In the time of King Cyrus, all of these things that discouraged, frightened and frustrated were a distraction at best… causing people to lose focus and wander away from God. In this particular instance, these actions were attempts to stop the building of a temple. But even today, it would be so easy for us to become mired in the problems of the “daily grind” and lose our way… were it not for Jesus.
If you read much of the Old Testament, you will see that people had to jump through some pretty big hoops to stay close to God. They were not able to communicate with Him directly and relied on priests and prophets to intercede on their behalf. They had to burn offerings and sacrifices in order to atone for their sins. You think we have laws now? You should read the Old Testament laws concerning every behavior and action under the sun!
When God sent Jesus, everything changed. Now, not only are we able to communicate directly with Him… Jesus paid for every single one of our sins. No more sacrifices or burnt offerings are needed… no more asking someone else to speak to God on our behalf is required… no more wondering where we stand need happen! Because of Jesus, we have a direct line to God! Today, when we are frustrated, we can tell God how we feel. His Holy Spirit helps us maneuver the challenges that arise in our lives each day and keeps us on track.
There will still be lies, threats, bribery, gossip and rumors… but when these are lodged in our direction, we can talk to God and ask Him to help us handle these things according to His will. And we most certainly do not have to engage in these behaviors ourselves! When we are discouraged, frightened, and distracted, we don’t have to wander away from God and wonder how we will ever manage. All we have to do is humbly ask Him to help us… and He will deliver answers, calm and peace.
People often say that the true celebration of Jesus lies in the Holy Week of Easter, when we remember His crucifixion, death and resurrection… how He took our sins on the cross. But since we are very near the celebration of Christmas, let’s fully revel in Christ’s birth… the fact that God did send Him to rescue us and give us great help - including coping skills for frustration and the devil’s attempts to distract us.
Let’s take time to stop and thank God for offering us such a tremendous sacrifice and opening the door for us to communicate with Him directly. Let’s praise God for loving us so much… for offering us grace, mercy and forgiveness. AND… let’s be sure we accept His great gift! If you have never invited Jesus Christ to be the LORD of your life and fill your heart with His Holy Spirit, I can’t think of a better time to do so!
Don’t waste another minute wandering around in confusion. Embrace the gift of Jesus and let Him help you handle everything. He can… He will. All you have to do is ask.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.
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.
Lies… threats… bribery… gossip and rumors…the Bible says all of these things – and more – have gone on since the long before the time of King Cyrus of Persia, who lived from 576 B.C. to 530 B.C. Frustration is nothing new, dear friend!
What HAS changed is JESUS! In the time of King Cyrus, all of these things that discouraged, frightened and frustrated were a distraction at best… causing people to lose focus and wander away from God. In this particular instance, these actions were attempts to stop the building of a temple. But even today, it would be so easy for us to become mired in the problems of the “daily grind” and lose our way… were it not for Jesus.
If you read much of the Old Testament, you will see that people had to jump through some pretty big hoops to stay close to God. They were not able to communicate with Him directly and relied on priests and prophets to intercede on their behalf. They had to burn offerings and sacrifices in order to atone for their sins. You think we have laws now? You should read the Old Testament laws concerning every behavior and action under the sun!
When God sent Jesus, everything changed. Now, not only are we able to communicate directly with Him… Jesus paid for every single one of our sins. No more sacrifices or burnt offerings are needed… no more asking someone else to speak to God on our behalf is required… no more wondering where we stand need happen! Because of Jesus, we have a direct line to God! Today, when we are frustrated, we can tell God how we feel. His Holy Spirit helps us maneuver the challenges that arise in our lives each day and keeps us on track.
There will still be lies, threats, bribery, gossip and rumors… but when these are lodged in our direction, we can talk to God and ask Him to help us handle these things according to His will. And we most certainly do not have to engage in these behaviors ourselves! When we are discouraged, frightened, and distracted, we don’t have to wander away from God and wonder how we will ever manage. All we have to do is humbly ask Him to help us… and He will deliver answers, calm and peace.
People often say that the true celebration of Jesus lies in the Holy Week of Easter, when we remember His crucifixion, death and resurrection… how He took our sins on the cross. But since we are very near the celebration of Christmas, let’s fully revel in Christ’s birth… the fact that God did send Him to rescue us and give us great help - including coping skills for frustration and the devil’s attempts to distract us.
Let’s take time to stop and thank God for offering us such a tremendous sacrifice and opening the door for us to communicate with Him directly. Let’s praise God for loving us so much… for offering us grace, mercy and forgiveness. AND… let’s be sure we accept His great gift! If you have never invited Jesus Christ to be the LORD of your life and fill your heart with His Holy Spirit, I can’t think of a better time to do so!
Don’t waste another minute wandering around in confusion. Embrace the gift of Jesus and let Him help you handle everything. He can… He will. All you have to do is ask.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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