Luke 1:46-50
Mary said: With all my heart I praise the Lord, and I am glad because of God my Savior. He cares for me, his humble servant.
From
now on, all people will say God has blessed me. God All-Powerful has
done great things for me, and his name is holy. He always shows mercy to
everyone who worships him.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I
have quite the Christmas nativity collection, and I love to display it
each year in our piano room. A few years ago, I acquired several
porcelain “Madonnas,” and I now proudly display those alongside the full
nativity sets. At first, I thought it was a little strange to add the
Madonnas. But I have to say, as I have studied scripture over the years
and pondered the circumstances of Jesus’ “conception,” I have grown
quite fascinated with Mary, the mother of Jesus.
In the first
place, Mary was probably all of age 13 or 14 at best…and yet, she
exhibited tremendous maturity – especially for a young girl who was
“disgraced” with an unwed pregnancy. The fact that she quickly
recognized the importance of what God was placing on her – and humbly
accepted it – astounds me. Knowing that she might be ostracized by
Joseph AND her entire family because of this…yet praising God for His
“blessing”…is nothing short of incredible.
After studying other
Biblical accounts of Mary and how she “mothered” Jesus, I have gained a
newfound respect for her – and for her tremendous level of faith. I ask
myself sometimes, “Could you even come close to operating at this
level, if you were presented with Mary’s circumstances?” I simply don’t
know if I would really have her fortitude and confidence. I’d like to
think so…but what this young woman was asked to do was truly
extraordinary.
What God is asking us to do pales in comparison to
what He asked of Mary. Yet many of us are hesitant…full of excuses…and
fearful. We see the things that God asks us to do as burdens – not
blessings. We want to know “What’s in it for me?” We are anything but
ready to step up and out and say, “With all my heart, I praise the Lord”
– and eagerly accept His assignments.
But we can take a page
from Mary’s book. We can begin to trust God more - and change how we
look at the things He asks of us. We can take on a more positive,
worshipful, and grateful persona…and look for the blessings in the
things that we are called to do…rather than the challenges and
roadblocks. We can trust God and fear less…and we can begin today.
Are
you ready to emulate the Madonna? Are you prepared to risk everything
to gain even more? Will this be the Christmas season that you begin to
throw your fears to the wind and say, “It’s all in or nothing with
God…and I’m ready to go all in!”? Isn’t it time you made this level of
commitment? If a teenage girl can do it, why can’t we?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label being mature in our faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label being mature in our faith. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for October 15, 2014
October 15 ~ Mark 11:22-24
Jesus told his disciples:
Have faith in God! If you have faith in God and don’t doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Several years ago, I watched a certain televangelist’s morning program every week. In fact, I recorded his “sermons” and studied them each Sunday afternoon. Do not judge! I gained a lot of Bible knowledge from this exercise. That is not to say that I believed everything this man taught – or his interpretation of the scriptures he presented each day. He took the scripture promise of Mark 11:22-24 in a totally different direction – and he quoted other scriptures in an attempt to support his stance.
This man believed that God wanted us to all live in “McMansions”, drive an expensive vehicle (or own a fleet of cars), wear expensive watches and diamond jewelry, own private jets and more. He assured us that all of this was within our reach...if we would believe for it AND “sow seeds” of money gifts to the church – even when we couldn’t pay our light bill! This is called “prosperity teaching/preaching”, and it’s become quite popular in certain “Christian” circles. No apologies are made for having excessive wealth...this is considered God’s reward or “favor” for faithfulness and obedience.
One of the things I did learn from all of this was how to study the scriptures for myself...to dig deeply and discover what God intended me to glean from His word. And here’s what I feel He tells me about this particular set of verses...”the rest of the story”!
If you continue reading in Mark 11, verses 25-26 say, “Whenever you stand up to pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins.” Oh, but wait! You mean...I have to forgive others in order to “move that mountain”? Certainly! John 15:16 says “You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.” So I have to ask for GOD’s will rather than my own? Most definitely!
In Isaiah 55:9, God tells us, “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.” Then we must not only have faith in God...but also in His ways – even when they are not what we expected or desired? Absolutely!
So while we may grow up wanting to be an architect or ballerina...believing with every fiber of our being that we will end up in the NBA or the NFL...or that we will marry the person of our dreams, have 2.5 children and the proverbial “house with the picket fence, two cars a dog and a cat” and live happily ever after...God may have far different plans. We can believe all day long that all we have to do is ask God for something, and He will give it to us...but if it doesn’t fit into His perfect plan, this simply will not happen. If we operate with anger, hatred, ill will or unforgiveness in our hearts and ask God to produce certain results, we’ve gotten it all wrong.
Understand this...God is in the business of miracles and moving mountains. He is ready, willing, and able to answer our prayers...to help us soar to heights beyond any we could ever imagine. But this only happens within His will and the parameters that He has outlined for us. We must have obedient faith...we must get rid of any ulterior or selfish motives...we must come to Him with a humble attitude and a genuine confidence that His answer is the best one. If all of these things come together as God desires, the “mountain” will be moved. If it is not...we must be ready to accept this and ask, “What did YOU have in mind, LORD?”
I don’t know what “mountains” you are asking God to move today. Perhaps you are asking for healing for yourself or someone you know. Maybe you are struggling at school or in the workplace...looking for a job...grappling with bills and a way to make ends meet...fighting for your marriage or resolution in another personal relationship...coping with the challenges of aging (your own or someone else’s)...seeking a deeper spiritual connection and/or grappling with relationships that involve fellow believers and/or your church family. Whatever your situation entails...God has a plan. He already knows what is best for us. But He wants us to ask for His help...in the right way, with the right attitude and expectations.
A lot of people want to tout the “power of positive thinking”...the notion that if we just believe strongly enough...if we just envision what we want with enough conviction...it will happen. Don’t leave God out of this equation. There is no “secret”, as some would have you believe. Everything is clearly spelled out in the scriptures...and everything you ask for in prayer – according to God’s perfect will – can indeed be yours. What are you asking for today...and how did you ask? There is faith...and then there is faith. In which will you choose to operate? How you answer may spell the difference in what happens to the “mountain”!
©2014 Debbie Robus
Jesus told his disciples:
Have faith in God! If you have faith in God and don’t doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Several years ago, I watched a certain televangelist’s morning program every week. In fact, I recorded his “sermons” and studied them each Sunday afternoon. Do not judge! I gained a lot of Bible knowledge from this exercise. That is not to say that I believed everything this man taught – or his interpretation of the scriptures he presented each day. He took the scripture promise of Mark 11:22-24 in a totally different direction – and he quoted other scriptures in an attempt to support his stance.
This man believed that God wanted us to all live in “McMansions”, drive an expensive vehicle (or own a fleet of cars), wear expensive watches and diamond jewelry, own private jets and more. He assured us that all of this was within our reach...if we would believe for it AND “sow seeds” of money gifts to the church – even when we couldn’t pay our light bill! This is called “prosperity teaching/preaching”, and it’s become quite popular in certain “Christian” circles. No apologies are made for having excessive wealth...this is considered God’s reward or “favor” for faithfulness and obedience.
One of the things I did learn from all of this was how to study the scriptures for myself...to dig deeply and discover what God intended me to glean from His word. And here’s what I feel He tells me about this particular set of verses...”the rest of the story”!
If you continue reading in Mark 11, verses 25-26 say, “Whenever you stand up to pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins.” Oh, but wait! You mean...I have to forgive others in order to “move that mountain”? Certainly! John 15:16 says “You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.” So I have to ask for GOD’s will rather than my own? Most definitely!
In Isaiah 55:9, God tells us, “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.” Then we must not only have faith in God...but also in His ways – even when they are not what we expected or desired? Absolutely!
So while we may grow up wanting to be an architect or ballerina...believing with every fiber of our being that we will end up in the NBA or the NFL...or that we will marry the person of our dreams, have 2.5 children and the proverbial “house with the picket fence, two cars a dog and a cat” and live happily ever after...God may have far different plans. We can believe all day long that all we have to do is ask God for something, and He will give it to us...but if it doesn’t fit into His perfect plan, this simply will not happen. If we operate with anger, hatred, ill will or unforgiveness in our hearts and ask God to produce certain results, we’ve gotten it all wrong.
Understand this...God is in the business of miracles and moving mountains. He is ready, willing, and able to answer our prayers...to help us soar to heights beyond any we could ever imagine. But this only happens within His will and the parameters that He has outlined for us. We must have obedient faith...we must get rid of any ulterior or selfish motives...we must come to Him with a humble attitude and a genuine confidence that His answer is the best one. If all of these things come together as God desires, the “mountain” will be moved. If it is not...we must be ready to accept this and ask, “What did YOU have in mind, LORD?”
I don’t know what “mountains” you are asking God to move today. Perhaps you are asking for healing for yourself or someone you know. Maybe you are struggling at school or in the workplace...looking for a job...grappling with bills and a way to make ends meet...fighting for your marriage or resolution in another personal relationship...coping with the challenges of aging (your own or someone else’s)...seeking a deeper spiritual connection and/or grappling with relationships that involve fellow believers and/or your church family. Whatever your situation entails...God has a plan. He already knows what is best for us. But He wants us to ask for His help...in the right way, with the right attitude and expectations.
A lot of people want to tout the “power of positive thinking”...the notion that if we just believe strongly enough...if we just envision what we want with enough conviction...it will happen. Don’t leave God out of this equation. There is no “secret”, as some would have you believe. Everything is clearly spelled out in the scriptures...and everything you ask for in prayer – according to God’s perfect will – can indeed be yours. What are you asking for today...and how did you ask? There is faith...and then there is faith. In which will you choose to operate? How you answer may spell the difference in what happens to the “mountain”!
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 4, 2013
April 4 ~ 1 Samuel 13:6-14
When the Israelites saw that they were way outnumbered and in deep trouble, they ran for cover, hiding in caves and pits, ravines and brambles and cisterns—wherever. They retreated across the Jordan River, refugees fleeing to the country of Gad and Gilead. But Saul held his ground in Gilgal, his soldiers still with him but scared to death.
He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. Samuel failed to show up at Gilgal, and the soldiers were slipping away, right and left.
So Saul took charge: “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” He went ahead and sacrificed the burnt offering. No sooner had he done it than Samuel showed up! Saul greeted him. Samuel said, “What on earth are you doing?”
Saul answered, “When I saw I was losing my army from under me, and that you hadn’t come when you said you would, and that the Philistines were poised at Micmash, I said, ‘The Philistines are about to come down on me in Gilgal, and I haven’t yet come before God asking for his help.’ So I took things into my own hands, and sacrificed the burnt offering.”
“That was a fool thing to do,” Samuel said to Saul. “If you had kept the appointment that your God commanded, by now God would have set a firm and lasting foundation under your kingly rule over Israel. As it is, your kingly rule is already falling to pieces. God is out looking for your replacement right now. This time he’ll do the choosing. When he finds him, he’ll appoint him leader of his people. And all because you didn’t keep your appointment with God!”
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.
My Mam-ma Polly had many virtues… patience was not one of them! When I was growing up, she would call my parents and say, “The peas need to be picked,” or “We’ve got beans to snap,” or “The corn is ready to shuck.” My parents would gather all of us together after work and head for my grandparents’ farm… and the peas would be picked, shelled and bagged for the freezer… the beans would be snapped and ready to can, and the corn would all be laid out nicely… ready to be frozen on the cob or scraped off for soups, stews and eating “cream-style.” And a nice hot supper with some of these delectable fresh veggies would be simmering on the stove!
In later life, it was things like light bulbs that needed changing or a gutter that needed cleaning. My grandmother would call and ask for my husband or me, and before we could get to her house, she would have had the chore completed by her deacon or another church member, a neighbor, or even a friend who stopped by for a visit! Her “excuse” was always, “Well, I decided you weren’t coming!” Not only did her impatience keep us from truly helping her… it often made for unnecessary hard feelings on both sides – and blocked the blessing!
We try to hurry up all sorts of things, and like Saul, we often do a “fool thing” and block a blessing. Does this mean that God will punish us for our impatience and/or excuses? Maybe not in the way you think. See, when we get in God’s way and try to handle things on our own, we often throw a kink in His plans and force Him to move in another direction. So the person that God was grooming to witness to someone for whom you were praying may never get this opportunity, because you stepped in and tried to orchestrate things yourself. God might give the joy that you would derive from seeing His perfect timing in action to someone else. Your reputation for faithfulness and “waiting faithfully on the LORD” might change to that of a person who “jumps the gun” and is impulsive – and your true faithfulness might be questionable.
We all have our own excuses… we were trying to help… we didn’t think anyone was coming…we thought this was what God wanted us to do. But the truth is that we often fail to keep our appointments with God. We ask for His help and guidance… and then we go right ahead and do as we please. Not all of God’s answers and instructions are instantaneous. Some take days/weeks/years. And in that waiting period, we often become impatient and try to take control. This is never a good idea!
Spend some time today with God and talk to Him about the situations and circumstances in your life… and in the lives of those for whom you pray. Ask Him where – and how – you should be proceeding. Call on Him to clearly reveal to you where you should be waiting on Him. Don’t block a blessing… or miss an assignment! Don’t try to hurry God… or to take matters into your own hands. There really is no good excuse for either.
©2013 Debbie Robus
When the Israelites saw that they were way outnumbered and in deep trouble, they ran for cover, hiding in caves and pits, ravines and brambles and cisterns—wherever. They retreated across the Jordan River, refugees fleeing to the country of Gad and Gilead. But Saul held his ground in Gilgal, his soldiers still with him but scared to death.
He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. Samuel failed to show up at Gilgal, and the soldiers were slipping away, right and left.
So Saul took charge: “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” He went ahead and sacrificed the burnt offering. No sooner had he done it than Samuel showed up! Saul greeted him. Samuel said, “What on earth are you doing?”
Saul answered, “When I saw I was losing my army from under me, and that you hadn’t come when you said you would, and that the Philistines were poised at Micmash, I said, ‘The Philistines are about to come down on me in Gilgal, and I haven’t yet come before God asking for his help.’ So I took things into my own hands, and sacrificed the burnt offering.”
“That was a fool thing to do,” Samuel said to Saul. “If you had kept the appointment that your God commanded, by now God would have set a firm and lasting foundation under your kingly rule over Israel. As it is, your kingly rule is already falling to pieces. God is out looking for your replacement right now. This time he’ll do the choosing. When he finds him, he’ll appoint him leader of his people. And all because you didn’t keep your appointment with God!”
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.
My Mam-ma Polly had many virtues… patience was not one of them! When I was growing up, she would call my parents and say, “The peas need to be picked,” or “We’ve got beans to snap,” or “The corn is ready to shuck.” My parents would gather all of us together after work and head for my grandparents’ farm… and the peas would be picked, shelled and bagged for the freezer… the beans would be snapped and ready to can, and the corn would all be laid out nicely… ready to be frozen on the cob or scraped off for soups, stews and eating “cream-style.” And a nice hot supper with some of these delectable fresh veggies would be simmering on the stove!
In later life, it was things like light bulbs that needed changing or a gutter that needed cleaning. My grandmother would call and ask for my husband or me, and before we could get to her house, she would have had the chore completed by her deacon or another church member, a neighbor, or even a friend who stopped by for a visit! Her “excuse” was always, “Well, I decided you weren’t coming!” Not only did her impatience keep us from truly helping her… it often made for unnecessary hard feelings on both sides – and blocked the blessing!
We try to hurry up all sorts of things, and like Saul, we often do a “fool thing” and block a blessing. Does this mean that God will punish us for our impatience and/or excuses? Maybe not in the way you think. See, when we get in God’s way and try to handle things on our own, we often throw a kink in His plans and force Him to move in another direction. So the person that God was grooming to witness to someone for whom you were praying may never get this opportunity, because you stepped in and tried to orchestrate things yourself. God might give the joy that you would derive from seeing His perfect timing in action to someone else. Your reputation for faithfulness and “waiting faithfully on the LORD” might change to that of a person who “jumps the gun” and is impulsive – and your true faithfulness might be questionable.
We all have our own excuses… we were trying to help… we didn’t think anyone was coming…we thought this was what God wanted us to do. But the truth is that we often fail to keep our appointments with God. We ask for His help and guidance… and then we go right ahead and do as we please. Not all of God’s answers and instructions are instantaneous. Some take days/weeks/years. And in that waiting period, we often become impatient and try to take control. This is never a good idea!
Spend some time today with God and talk to Him about the situations and circumstances in your life… and in the lives of those for whom you pray. Ask Him where – and how – you should be proceeding. Call on Him to clearly reveal to you where you should be waiting on Him. Don’t block a blessing… or miss an assignment! Don’t try to hurry God… or to take matters into your own hands. There really is no good excuse for either.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 27, 2013
1 Corinthians 14:20
To be perfectly frank, I’m getting exasperated with your infantile thinking. How long before you grow up and use your head—your adult head? It’s all right to have a childlike unfamiliarity with evil; a simple no is all that’s needed there. But there’s far more to saying yes to something. Only mature and well-exercised intelligence can save you from falling into gullibility.
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 will probably step on some toes today, but I feel like I have to share this. On my Facebook feed today, I found a post from an organization claiming that Beyoncé flashed a sign of the devil during her Super Bowl halftime performance this year. Additionally, these folks claim that Beyoncé’s husband, rapper Jay-Z, uses this sign on t-shirts and other products that promote his own celebrity as a public figure and entertainer. The claim is that Beyoncé and Jay-Z are part of a Satanic cult, and they are using their prominence to spread their message. Regardless of how you feel about Beyoncé (and I am neither endorsing nor condemning her and Jay-Z), I do not believe they have a hidden – and/or Satanic – agenda!
What does this have to do with 1 Corinthians 14:20? I’ll tell you! God wants us to be cognizant of evil. He want us to operate in wisdom… to be awake and alert to danger and attempts by the devil to creep into the tiniest corners of our lives. But God wants us to be smart, too. He doesn’t want us to fall for every claim we see and hear. Just because someone makes such statements on behalf of a “Christian” organization doesn’t mean they are speaking the truth – much less for God!
Just as we know that scammers contact us on e-mail and by telephone claiming to represent our bank or credit card company and needing vital information in order to “protect” us, we must be aware that the devil is plenty busy finding so-called “believers” to do his dirty work by keeping Christians riled up unnecessarily and “chasing rabbit trails.” To better understand this passage, I considered the verses before and after it. I also consulted several leading commentaries.
My conclusion is that Paul is reminding us to be innocent and child-like in our faith… to accept Jesus Christ and fully believe in Him even though we have not seen Him with our own eyes… to fully serve as His disciples and share His Good News with others. But at the same time, he is warning us not to get high and mighty in our actions and behaviors as Christians. We are not superior to others… we do not have a “secret code” or “inside scoop.” Moreover, we are not to run off on a tangent… to engage in hateful protests, or promote rumors and – at best – half-truths that look for the “boogey man” behind every rock. Instead of condemning others or acting as if we have it all figured out, we are to operate in child-like humility and faith… to earnestly and continually seek God and His wisdom and will for our lives.
Furthermore, I believe we are called to look out for one another… to share the knowledge and wisdom God provides us with fellow believers and those with whom we are sharing the Good News of Jesus. But we are called to refrain from perpetuating the falsehoods and negativity that some want to offer in the name of God…and in fact, to speak out against these things when we see and hear them being proffered. I know this is not always easy or popular, but serving God is not always a smooth ride. I know that by even sharing this with you today, some could decide not to read these daily devotionals any longer. It’s a chance I’m willing to take. I want to be child-like in my faith… and mature in God’s wisdom. Don’t you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
To be perfectly frank, I’m getting exasperated with your infantile thinking. How long before you grow up and use your head—your adult head? It’s all right to have a childlike unfamiliarity with evil; a simple no is all that’s needed there. But there’s far more to saying yes to something. Only mature and well-exercised intelligence can save you from falling into gullibility.
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 will probably step on some toes today, but I feel like I have to share this. On my Facebook feed today, I found a post from an organization claiming that Beyoncé flashed a sign of the devil during her Super Bowl halftime performance this year. Additionally, these folks claim that Beyoncé’s husband, rapper Jay-Z, uses this sign on t-shirts and other products that promote his own celebrity as a public figure and entertainer. The claim is that Beyoncé and Jay-Z are part of a Satanic cult, and they are using their prominence to spread their message. Regardless of how you feel about Beyoncé (and I am neither endorsing nor condemning her and Jay-Z), I do not believe they have a hidden – and/or Satanic – agenda!
What does this have to do with 1 Corinthians 14:20? I’ll tell you! God wants us to be cognizant of evil. He want us to operate in wisdom… to be awake and alert to danger and attempts by the devil to creep into the tiniest corners of our lives. But God wants us to be smart, too. He doesn’t want us to fall for every claim we see and hear. Just because someone makes such statements on behalf of a “Christian” organization doesn’t mean they are speaking the truth – much less for God!
Just as we know that scammers contact us on e-mail and by telephone claiming to represent our bank or credit card company and needing vital information in order to “protect” us, we must be aware that the devil is plenty busy finding so-called “believers” to do his dirty work by keeping Christians riled up unnecessarily and “chasing rabbit trails.” To better understand this passage, I considered the verses before and after it. I also consulted several leading commentaries.
My conclusion is that Paul is reminding us to be innocent and child-like in our faith… to accept Jesus Christ and fully believe in Him even though we have not seen Him with our own eyes… to fully serve as His disciples and share His Good News with others. But at the same time, he is warning us not to get high and mighty in our actions and behaviors as Christians. We are not superior to others… we do not have a “secret code” or “inside scoop.” Moreover, we are not to run off on a tangent… to engage in hateful protests, or promote rumors and – at best – half-truths that look for the “boogey man” behind every rock. Instead of condemning others or acting as if we have it all figured out, we are to operate in child-like humility and faith… to earnestly and continually seek God and His wisdom and will for our lives.
Furthermore, I believe we are called to look out for one another… to share the knowledge and wisdom God provides us with fellow believers and those with whom we are sharing the Good News of Jesus. But we are called to refrain from perpetuating the falsehoods and negativity that some want to offer in the name of God…and in fact, to speak out against these things when we see and hear them being proffered. I know this is not always easy or popular, but serving God is not always a smooth ride. I know that by even sharing this with you today, some could decide not to read these daily devotionals any longer. It’s a chance I’m willing to take. I want to be child-like in my faith… and mature in God’s wisdom. Don’t you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)