Psalm 103:11, 17
How great is God’s love for all
who worship him?
Greater than the distance
between heaven and earth!
The Lord is always kind
to those who worship him,
and he keeps his promises
to their descendants
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible, Used by Permission.
These
days, heaven seems closer – and farther away – than ever! So when I
read Psalm 103:11, I thought of God’s love as both vast…and
all-encompassing. I envisioned God wrapping His arms around me and
holding me closely as I settled in with Him and gave Him gratitude and
glory for all that He has done for me.
As I read verse 17, I
thought of my mother…the legacy of Christian faith that she left with
her children and extended family. And while it may not seem like the
Lord has been very kind to us lately, I can assure you that He has
indeed. He has not given us more than we can bear. Oh, yes…there are
moments when our hearts are so heavy and our minds cannot concentrate -
and we think that we will surely fall apart completely. But
always…ALWAYS…God rescues us…and we thank Him for His grace and tender
mercy.
Today, our respite came in the form of three little
children – Timothy, Zola, and Nathan - who were eager to return to
church and learn more about Jesus. After lunch, we went to a local
man-made “lake” to look at trumpeter swans that migrate here each
winter. The children fed the birds and ran along the fence that edges
the big lake with the wild abandon of 3, 4, and 6-year-olds. You cannot
help but smile and laugh when you are with happy kids…and I know that
God gave us that much-needed time of joy as a respite from our grief.
A
young father of three elementary school-aged children is on the last
leg of his journey with a 2-year cancer battle. This dear friend is as
ready as anyone ever is for God to call him home. It breaks our hearts
to think that he will not be around to see his children grow up…to help
his wife with all of the milestones and accomplishments…to nurture his
family as its spiritual leader. But as I look at the events of the last
two years, I see much of what I observed with my own mother - a
testament to God’s promises and glory…a person of tremendous faith and
steadfast worship, even in the midst of great tribulation…an example for
countless friends and acquaintances who are now surely closer to God
because of His witness.
The lesson I have learned from my mother –
and my friend – is that God’s love for each of us is vast AND
all-encompassing, all at the same time. We have seen amazing
demonstrations of worship of the LORD in even the most trying
circumstances…and we have seen the glory of His love rain down on those
who were faithful…and their descendants.
This morning, Timothy
got in the car and asked, “Why did Granny die?” I told him that she got
sick and could not get well, and God took her to heaven to live with
Him. He said, “She’s with Jesus now!” “Yes,” I agreed…”and someday we
will be with Jesus, too. If you love Jesus and give Him your heart, you
get to go to heaven someday.” Timothy said, “Oh, I LOVE Jesus…even
when I’m naughty and do bad things.” I told him that Jesus loves HIM,
too…even when he’s naughty. In my mother’s stead…I want to perpetuate
the legacy of worship – and hope in God’s promises. And as I get
opportunities at church to share God’s love with my friend’s children, I
hope to do that, also.
Look around…where can you demonstrate
worship – and hope – that glorifies God and demonstrates His amazing
love for each of us? Where can you perpetuate to those around you –
particularly future generations – how God’s love never fails? Who has
demonstrated this in your life? Who has given you great examples for
how it’s done? Aren’t you ready to “carry the torch” and leave your own
legacy of faith and love in Christ Jesus? Isn’t it time you got
started?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label building endurance character and hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label building endurance character and hope. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for December 31, 2013
Titus 3:7
Jesus treated us much better than we deserve.
He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you.
He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning, a friend of mine posted this on Facebook:
Satan cannot stand it when we give our heart to God. He absolutely despises even the thought that we belong to God and are protected and reinvigorated by His love and care. So he uses all of his cohorts to TRY to snuff out our light…just as my friend said. But the all-important filled-with-hope-and-and-comfort GOOD NEWS is that Satan can never win when we belong to God!
As we close out this year, I am sure that there have been moments of joy and peace in your life in the last twelve months. But I am also fairly certain that many have experienced a time when you felt like the devil was coming after you. I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I am resolving to put on God’s full armor this year… to remind myself often of His presence - and His unending love and care. When Satan sends his cohorts to try to snuff out my light, I’ll stomp my foot and tell him to “Get lost!” As the old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness”… and I know that He is covering me in both.
I pray that you will end this year – and enter the next – with hope… the hope of always being acceptable to God through Jesus… the hope of God’s victory after victory – and his unending presence in your life… and the ultimate hope of Eternal Life with Him in heaven someday. Resolve to make 2014 a year of HOPE…refreshed with God’s love and armed against Satan and every one of his cohorts. God bless and keep you… Happy New Year!
©2013 Debbie Robus
Jesus treated us much better than we deserve.
He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you.
He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning, a friend of mine posted this on Facebook:
Ok, so here's the deal…Satan REALLY hates me. He's a thief, a liar, and the lowest of low. He'll use any of his cohorts; anxiety, imperfection, depression, oppression, regret, fear, doubt, loss, pain, apathy, indifference ...to SNUFF out my light. Be on the lookout… because if you've said “YES!” to God, you better believe he'll come for you too!Clearly, she is dealing with some serious challenges… as are all of us at one time or another. So these two verses… one from the New Testament and one from the Old Testament, both bring us a message of hope. Jesus treats us much better than we deserve and makes us acceptable to God. We have hope of Eternal Life because of Jesus. AND…God wins victory after victory and is always with us! God actually sings because of us and refreshes us with His love.
Satan cannot stand it when we give our heart to God. He absolutely despises even the thought that we belong to God and are protected and reinvigorated by His love and care. So he uses all of his cohorts to TRY to snuff out our light…just as my friend said. But the all-important filled-with-hope-and-and-comfort GOOD NEWS is that Satan can never win when we belong to God!
As we close out this year, I am sure that there have been moments of joy and peace in your life in the last twelve months. But I am also fairly certain that many have experienced a time when you felt like the devil was coming after you. I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I am resolving to put on God’s full armor this year… to remind myself often of His presence - and His unending love and care. When Satan sends his cohorts to try to snuff out my light, I’ll stomp my foot and tell him to “Get lost!” As the old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness”… and I know that He is covering me in both.
I pray that you will end this year – and enter the next – with hope… the hope of always being acceptable to God through Jesus… the hope of God’s victory after victory – and his unending presence in your life… and the ultimate hope of Eternal Life with Him in heaven someday. Resolve to make 2014 a year of HOPE…refreshed with God’s love and armed against Satan and every one of his cohorts. God bless and keep you… Happy New Year!
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 30, 2013
Titus 1:1-2
From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I encourage God’s own people to have more faith and to understand the truth about religion. Then they will have the hope of eternal life that God promised long ago. And God never tells a lie!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Yesterday when I picked Timothy up, he said (as he often does), “I waited and waited for you to come, and I was worried that you weren’t coming!” I reminded him that his Uncle Greg and I will always come to get him when we say we will… that when we make a promise to him, we will not break it. He can trust us to keep our word. And for the record, I don’t think his mother even told him that we were coming after him until right before I arrived! But he always tells us that he waited and worried that we might not come. And I have to tell you…even if that is a manipulative ploy on the part of a 4-year-old boy… it tugs at my heart to think that he might actually fear that we won’t keep a promise.
As I read this passage and thought about Timothy’s comments, it struck me that God must feel much the same way. He has promised so much to us… and He would never lie to His children. So when we question and doubt… worry and wonder… it has to bother Him. And it also robs us of our hope, faith, confidence and peace.
So how can we combat this? Paul is very clear in his letter to Titus. He challenges us to understand God’s truths… which means to study His word, to spend time in communication with Him through prayer and meditation (listening for God’s voice), and to observe the words and actions of faith-filled Christian disciples in our midst. The old adage that “knowledge is power” has never been more profound than in this instance.
I reminded Timothy again yesterday that he never has to worry that we won’t come for him as promised… or that we will fail to keep any other promises we make to him. The timing may not be to his liking… and the circumstances may not line up perfectly with his expectations, but we will always respond. And God will also respond… to each of us who hopes, trusts, and believes in Him. As Timothy grows older, he will understand more about trust and who keeps their word and makes good on promises… including God. And as we study and understand more about God and the teachings of Jesus, the more our faith and hope will increase.
Are you studying and learning about God? Are you making efforts to increase your knowledge… and to grow your faith and hope in Him? Isn’t it time you did exactly this? As we move toward the New Year and make resolutions about everything under the sun, wouldn’t this be the perfect time to resolve to get to know God better? Will this be the year that you begin to really believe His promises for your life? Shouldn’t it be?
©2013 Debbie Robus
From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I encourage God’s own people to have more faith and to understand the truth about religion. Then they will have the hope of eternal life that God promised long ago. And God never tells a lie!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Yesterday when I picked Timothy up, he said (as he often does), “I waited and waited for you to come, and I was worried that you weren’t coming!” I reminded him that his Uncle Greg and I will always come to get him when we say we will… that when we make a promise to him, we will not break it. He can trust us to keep our word. And for the record, I don’t think his mother even told him that we were coming after him until right before I arrived! But he always tells us that he waited and worried that we might not come. And I have to tell you…even if that is a manipulative ploy on the part of a 4-year-old boy… it tugs at my heart to think that he might actually fear that we won’t keep a promise.
As I read this passage and thought about Timothy’s comments, it struck me that God must feel much the same way. He has promised so much to us… and He would never lie to His children. So when we question and doubt… worry and wonder… it has to bother Him. And it also robs us of our hope, faith, confidence and peace.
So how can we combat this? Paul is very clear in his letter to Titus. He challenges us to understand God’s truths… which means to study His word, to spend time in communication with Him through prayer and meditation (listening for God’s voice), and to observe the words and actions of faith-filled Christian disciples in our midst. The old adage that “knowledge is power” has never been more profound than in this instance.
I reminded Timothy again yesterday that he never has to worry that we won’t come for him as promised… or that we will fail to keep any other promises we make to him. The timing may not be to his liking… and the circumstances may not line up perfectly with his expectations, but we will always respond. And God will also respond… to each of us who hopes, trusts, and believes in Him. As Timothy grows older, he will understand more about trust and who keeps their word and makes good on promises… including God. And as we study and understand more about God and the teachings of Jesus, the more our faith and hope will increase.
Are you studying and learning about God? Are you making efforts to increase your knowledge… and to grow your faith and hope in Him? Isn’t it time you did exactly this? As we move toward the New Year and make resolutions about everything under the sun, wouldn’t this be the perfect time to resolve to get to know God better? Will this be the year that you begin to really believe His promises for your life? Shouldn’t it be?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 29, 2013
Titus 3:11-14
God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.
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.
Timothy is visiting us for three days and two nights… and as he put it, “I have a LOT of work to do.” In the first 90 minutes, he ate two cheese sandwiches (NO crust!), drank a glass of orange juice, sampled his first eggnog (and loved it!), watched “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and part of “Frosty the Snowman”, played with cars and planes, looked at the ornaments on the Christmas tree, made characters out of new Play-Doh®, and grabbed his “Christmas” blanket and a “soft” Santa Claus, headed upstairs to his Uncle Greg’s office, and piled up on the daybed for a “rest”! Every time he visits, there are familiar toys and rituals… but he makes many of them see new and fresh… as if he is experiencing them for the very first time! For him, there are lots of “do-overs” at our house!
New life… a second chance…starting over…even something as seemingly mundane as a new package of Play-Doh®…don’t we all long for this at one time or another? Don’t we long for the slate to be wiped clean and anticipate a day when everything is perfect… or pretty darn close?
The GOOD NEWS is that the perfect day IS coming, for those of us who have hope in Jesus Christ. We can eagerly await this day with the anticipation of a four-year-old boy who has just been told he gets an extended stay with his aunt and uncle in the “Playland” that is like heaven on earth for him. We have each been granted a new life… a second chance… an opportunity to turn our backs on the godless, indulgent life of our past and fill our hearts and minds with the things of God.
Sound boring and un-exciting? Let me assure you, this life is entirely the opposite. Because of God’s grace, mercy, and blessings… because of the sacrifices of Jesus Christ for our sins… we have the opportunity to enjoy abundant life. We can live free of the constraints of trying to conform to the standards of others. Ours are clear cut…love God with all our heart, mind, and soul… and love others as God loves us! If anything we are doing, saying, or thinking doesn’t line up with this… we know we are off track and need to get back on the right path. The best part is that God stands ready to give and forgive… to help us start over - every day if necessary! So just like Timothy, each day can be as new and fresh as the first time we visited… our first day as a disciple of Christ.
Do you need a “do-over” with Jesus? Did you know that He is willing to grant this to you? Have you placed your hope in Him to give you a pure life filled with energetic goodness? Are you making Him proud in your service as His disciple? Do you have the child-like wonder in your relationship with Jesus that makes even a cheese sandwich with no crust and your first sips of eggnog seem glorious and refreshing? Shouldn’t you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.
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.
Timothy is visiting us for three days and two nights… and as he put it, “I have a LOT of work to do.” In the first 90 minutes, he ate two cheese sandwiches (NO crust!), drank a glass of orange juice, sampled his first eggnog (and loved it!), watched “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and part of “Frosty the Snowman”, played with cars and planes, looked at the ornaments on the Christmas tree, made characters out of new Play-Doh®, and grabbed his “Christmas” blanket and a “soft” Santa Claus, headed upstairs to his Uncle Greg’s office, and piled up on the daybed for a “rest”! Every time he visits, there are familiar toys and rituals… but he makes many of them see new and fresh… as if he is experiencing them for the very first time! For him, there are lots of “do-overs” at our house!
New life… a second chance…starting over…even something as seemingly mundane as a new package of Play-Doh®…don’t we all long for this at one time or another? Don’t we long for the slate to be wiped clean and anticipate a day when everything is perfect… or pretty darn close?
The GOOD NEWS is that the perfect day IS coming, for those of us who have hope in Jesus Christ. We can eagerly await this day with the anticipation of a four-year-old boy who has just been told he gets an extended stay with his aunt and uncle in the “Playland” that is like heaven on earth for him. We have each been granted a new life… a second chance… an opportunity to turn our backs on the godless, indulgent life of our past and fill our hearts and minds with the things of God.
Sound boring and un-exciting? Let me assure you, this life is entirely the opposite. Because of God’s grace, mercy, and blessings… because of the sacrifices of Jesus Christ for our sins… we have the opportunity to enjoy abundant life. We can live free of the constraints of trying to conform to the standards of others. Ours are clear cut…love God with all our heart, mind, and soul… and love others as God loves us! If anything we are doing, saying, or thinking doesn’t line up with this… we know we are off track and need to get back on the right path. The best part is that God stands ready to give and forgive… to help us start over - every day if necessary! So just like Timothy, each day can be as new and fresh as the first time we visited… our first day as a disciple of Christ.
Do you need a “do-over” with Jesus? Did you know that He is willing to grant this to you? Have you placed your hope in Him to give you a pure life filled with energetic goodness? Are you making Him proud in your service as His disciple? Do you have the child-like wonder in your relationship with Jesus that makes even a cheese sandwich with no crust and your first sips of eggnog seem glorious and refreshing? Shouldn’t you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 28, 2013
Romans 8:22-25
We know that all creation is still groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth.
The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
It’s that time of year again… the time when we start to mark important dates in a new calendar and plan for the coming year. It is probably pretty safe to surmise that every one of us has anticipated some date in our future… a graduation… a wedding… the birth of a child…a move… even a special “date” or event, like prom…moving into a new house… starting a new job…or even the arrival of Christmas Day. And if we are brutally honest, at least once we’ve gotten to said date and asked ourselves, “Now what?”! This reminds me of a book by Dawn Brown titled, Been There, Done That… Now What?...which could be the mantra for a lot of us! The excitement and anticipation of “getting there” often culminates with something of a letdown of sorts.
Once that event for which we yearned has come and gone… where is our hope? Since we are human, we generally move on to “the next big thing”…we pack up the Christmas decorations and plan our New Year’s celebration. We graduate from high school and plan our move to college… or graduate from college and start looking for a job. We marry and start planning our lives together - or creating a new family. We move into a new house and busy ourselves with all of the projects and chores that come with it… or we work hard at a new job and seek ways to “move up the ladder”.
In the realm of our Spiritual faith…what are we doing? Where is our focus? We place our hope in God to see us through all sorts of experiences, ”growth spurts” and challenges. But our ultimate hope is to see Jesus face-to-face… to dwell in His presence forever and ever… to “have all the answers”. And truthfully, God could do all of that for us today…here… now… without any of us having to die. He could come back to earth in the form of Jesus, explain all of the mysteries of the universe to us… and make everything completely “perfect”.
So why doesn’t God do this? Doesn’t He love us? The answer lies in one single sentence from this passage…” if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping.” If we had all of the answers and God gave us everything now, we would have no reason to continue to trust in Him… to rely on Him… to work patiently to reach the ultimate goal of His eternal presence. I know that we think it would be fantastic if everything were all complete today… if we knew the answers to everything and all of God’s promises for our life were fulfilled with the snap of a finger. But the truth is that we would be standing around saying, “Been there, done that… now what?”… and it is very likely that we would not fully appreciate what God has in store for us.
I once lamented to a friend about how my brother and others suffered in the days/weeks prior to their death. I questioned why this had to happen…what was the purpose in their anguish and pain? My friend reminded me that this time frame was but a “blip on the screen” compared to Eternity… that their glory in heaven was made all the sweeter for the struggles they endured in this lifetime. Their perseverance and patience was rewarded… and so ours will be! Hope is a good thing… it keeps us faithful and eager… hungry for the things of God. In His timing, all will be revealed… and when it is, the “next big thing” - eternity with Him in heaven - will be all the sweeter.
So as you fill in the boxes on your new calendar, do so with hope. We can’t know everything the coming weeks and months will hold, but we know that God will be involved every step of the way. I am asking Him to allow me to patiently wait on Him and the experiences and blessings yet to come… are you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
We know that all creation is still groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth.
The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
It’s that time of year again… the time when we start to mark important dates in a new calendar and plan for the coming year. It is probably pretty safe to surmise that every one of us has anticipated some date in our future… a graduation… a wedding… the birth of a child…a move… even a special “date” or event, like prom…moving into a new house… starting a new job…or even the arrival of Christmas Day. And if we are brutally honest, at least once we’ve gotten to said date and asked ourselves, “Now what?”! This reminds me of a book by Dawn Brown titled, Been There, Done That… Now What?...which could be the mantra for a lot of us! The excitement and anticipation of “getting there” often culminates with something of a letdown of sorts.
Once that event for which we yearned has come and gone… where is our hope? Since we are human, we generally move on to “the next big thing”…we pack up the Christmas decorations and plan our New Year’s celebration. We graduate from high school and plan our move to college… or graduate from college and start looking for a job. We marry and start planning our lives together - or creating a new family. We move into a new house and busy ourselves with all of the projects and chores that come with it… or we work hard at a new job and seek ways to “move up the ladder”.
In the realm of our Spiritual faith…what are we doing? Where is our focus? We place our hope in God to see us through all sorts of experiences, ”growth spurts” and challenges. But our ultimate hope is to see Jesus face-to-face… to dwell in His presence forever and ever… to “have all the answers”. And truthfully, God could do all of that for us today…here… now… without any of us having to die. He could come back to earth in the form of Jesus, explain all of the mysteries of the universe to us… and make everything completely “perfect”.
So why doesn’t God do this? Doesn’t He love us? The answer lies in one single sentence from this passage…” if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping.” If we had all of the answers and God gave us everything now, we would have no reason to continue to trust in Him… to rely on Him… to work patiently to reach the ultimate goal of His eternal presence. I know that we think it would be fantastic if everything were all complete today… if we knew the answers to everything and all of God’s promises for our life were fulfilled with the snap of a finger. But the truth is that we would be standing around saying, “Been there, done that… now what?”… and it is very likely that we would not fully appreciate what God has in store for us.
I once lamented to a friend about how my brother and others suffered in the days/weeks prior to their death. I questioned why this had to happen…what was the purpose in their anguish and pain? My friend reminded me that this time frame was but a “blip on the screen” compared to Eternity… that their glory in heaven was made all the sweeter for the struggles they endured in this lifetime. Their perseverance and patience was rewarded… and so ours will be! Hope is a good thing… it keeps us faithful and eager… hungry for the things of God. In His timing, all will be revealed… and when it is, the “next big thing” - eternity with Him in heaven - will be all the sweeter.
So as you fill in the boxes on your new calendar, do so with hope. We can’t know everything the coming weeks and months will hold, but we know that God will be involved every step of the way. I am asking Him to allow me to patiently wait on Him and the experiences and blessings yet to come… are you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 27, 2013
Romans 5:2-5
Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
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.
A friend of mine lost her brother to cancer a few months ago, and she commented on Facebook that “I did not send Christmas cards this year.” Between repeated trips to another state to spend precious time with her brother before he passed and the challenges of caring for her own family (and conducting the children’s program at our church, to boot), she simply did not have the time and energy for sending out seasonal greetings. I don’t know about you, but I fully understand this. Sometimes “life” is such a challenge that we absolutely must prioritize and delegate our strength to the things that really matter. And sending cards during the holidays may be something that we push to the bottom of the list.
Does this mean that we aren’t celebrating Christmas? Have we lost our faith and confidence in the promises and blessings this season represents? Absolutely not! To the contrary, the trials and problems of life often show us that we are tougher than we realize. In turn, our strength and integrity are refined, so that we are more sensitive to the things of this season that really matter… sharing God’s love and care with other people… recognizing His role as the central focus of the holiday… and reminding ourselves of what is truly important.
This may mean scheduling a family dinner at a restaurant rather than slaving over a stove for several days to create the perfect meal – or conversely, making special recipes and carrying on the traditions that have created family memories for decades – and foregoing some other activity in order to find the time to do this. It may mean recognizing that Christmas was not “ruined” because UPS or FedEx did not deliver our packages on time. Or it may mean not giving gifts at all… or seriously curtailing the gift-giving… in order to focus on the true spirit of the holiday – and those who have real, tangible physical needs.
In strengthening our character, we truly do develop a deeper sense of hope. Our focus is narrowed and concentrated on Jesus, who gives us the strength and uses His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us through times of trial and difficulty. We are better able to reach out to others who are hurting or questioning… those who might be in the early stages of “trial and tribulation”. We can say with confidence that God loves all of us… that He is fully engaged in each and every situation for those who call on Him… and that better days are ahead.
I honestly cannot remember a recent Christmas season where I have been so acutely aware of people who were hurting or in great need of God’s comfort and care. I also cannot remember a Christmas in the last few years in which I have felt more hopeful. I wish there were some way to magically convey this hope to each of you… to fill you with a true assurance that God is at work in your life… strengthening you…building character… and offering you hope. All I can tell you is that He has done this for me – over and again. I know that I am not unique… that what God has done for me, He will surely do for anyone who asks in Jesus’ name.
So even though the actual holiday was two days ago… what are you asking for this Christmas? Will this be the year that you fully recognize God’s strength and power in your life and begin to depend upon the confident hope of salvation through Jesus Christ? Don’t you think it should be?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
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.
A friend of mine lost her brother to cancer a few months ago, and she commented on Facebook that “I did not send Christmas cards this year.” Between repeated trips to another state to spend precious time with her brother before he passed and the challenges of caring for her own family (and conducting the children’s program at our church, to boot), she simply did not have the time and energy for sending out seasonal greetings. I don’t know about you, but I fully understand this. Sometimes “life” is such a challenge that we absolutely must prioritize and delegate our strength to the things that really matter. And sending cards during the holidays may be something that we push to the bottom of the list.
Does this mean that we aren’t celebrating Christmas? Have we lost our faith and confidence in the promises and blessings this season represents? Absolutely not! To the contrary, the trials and problems of life often show us that we are tougher than we realize. In turn, our strength and integrity are refined, so that we are more sensitive to the things of this season that really matter… sharing God’s love and care with other people… recognizing His role as the central focus of the holiday… and reminding ourselves of what is truly important.
This may mean scheduling a family dinner at a restaurant rather than slaving over a stove for several days to create the perfect meal – or conversely, making special recipes and carrying on the traditions that have created family memories for decades – and foregoing some other activity in order to find the time to do this. It may mean recognizing that Christmas was not “ruined” because UPS or FedEx did not deliver our packages on time. Or it may mean not giving gifts at all… or seriously curtailing the gift-giving… in order to focus on the true spirit of the holiday – and those who have real, tangible physical needs.
In strengthening our character, we truly do develop a deeper sense of hope. Our focus is narrowed and concentrated on Jesus, who gives us the strength and uses His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us through times of trial and difficulty. We are better able to reach out to others who are hurting or questioning… those who might be in the early stages of “trial and tribulation”. We can say with confidence that God loves all of us… that He is fully engaged in each and every situation for those who call on Him… and that better days are ahead.
I honestly cannot remember a recent Christmas season where I have been so acutely aware of people who were hurting or in great need of God’s comfort and care. I also cannot remember a Christmas in the last few years in which I have felt more hopeful. I wish there were some way to magically convey this hope to each of you… to fill you with a true assurance that God is at work in your life… strengthening you…building character… and offering you hope. All I can tell you is that He has done this for me – over and again. I know that I am not unique… that what God has done for me, He will surely do for anyone who asks in Jesus’ name.
So even though the actual holiday was two days ago… what are you asking for this Christmas? Will this be the year that you fully recognize God’s strength and power in your life and begin to depend upon the confident hope of salvation through Jesus Christ? Don’t you think it should be?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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