John 14:21-24
The one who obeys me is the one who
loves me; and because he loves me, my Father will love him; and I will
too, and I will reveal myself to him.”
Judas (not Judas Iscariot,
but his other disciple with that name) said to him, “Sir, why are you
going to reveal yourself only to us disciples and not to the world at
large?”
Jesus replied, “Because I will only reveal myself to
those who love me and obey me. The Father will love them too, and we
will come to them and live with them. Anyone who doesn’t obey me doesn’t
love me. And remember, I am not making up this answer to your question!
It is the answer given by the Father who sent me.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
According
to my Facebook page, I have 608 “friends”. If you are one of them,
know that I like you…I really do! In fact, I even love you with the
love of Christ. But I have a handful of friends whom I love
deeply…profoundly…from the depths of my heart. I know them…we share our
joys and our heartaches…and we always have each other’s back. The
fondness and devotion I have for these people goes far beyond a casual
acquaintance on Facebook…or even a fairly regular interaction. We have a
“connection”! Aside from my husband, Greg, these are the people I
think of first when something happens in my life – good or bad. More
importantly, even the mundane, routine details of life are significant
between us.
Now here’s how this relates to John 14:21-24.
There are a lot of people who love God…I mean really love Him…to a
point! There are even more who know Him and say they love Him…but their
idea of “love” between them and God has more to do with God taking care
of them while they do as they please and giving them smooth sailing
than a genuine exchange. And then there are those who are “all
in”…those who seek God from sun-up to sun-down…those who maintain an
almost constant conversation with Him…who love Him, serve Him, and make
Him their constant companion.
These are the folks who pray
first, then act…who ask, “LORD, what do You want me to do with this?” or
“Who do you want me to serve/bless today?” They are the ones who know
without any doubt that God has their back in every situation…and they
rest in this! They wouldn’t think of lying to God, disrespecting Him,
or even ignoring Him. Their relationship with God is like a “treasure”
to them…and they treat it accordingly. And in return, God delights in
these believers.
Take a good look at the people around you. I
recently referenced Robin Roberts’ new book, Everybody’s Got Something.
Roberts says that her mother used to tell her this all the time. But
think about the people you know who “have something” happening in their
lives, yet they seem to still have joy and peace – and things just seem
to work out in their favor. If you look closely enough, I bet you will
find that they have the abiding, obedient “love relationship” with God
that is described in these scripture verses. Because they are so deeply
connected to God, He equips them to handle any circumstance…and blesses
them abundantly in the process.
Can I tell you something? God will do this for you, too. In fact, He wants
to do this for you. God loves you already. He cares deeply about
you. But He wants your devotion and your obedience…and those who show
Him this level of respect and commitment get “the really good stuff”!
Don’t misunderstand me… we cannot buy God’s love, nor our salvation.
There is nothing we can do to “earn our way into heaven”. But if we
want to operate in the fullness of God’s love and blessings, we have to
fully surrender to Him and walk in His will every single day.
It
seems to me like a very small price to pay for such abundance. To
think that I gain not only the full revelation of God’s presence in my
life…but that I secure Jesus and His Holy Spirit in the bargain…is
astounding to me – and something I don’t want to miss! What about you?
Are you willing to commit to God with complete loyalty and obedience?
Are you truly His “friend”…or are you merely an acquaintance? Isn’t it
time you relinquished your will for His? Are you ready for Jesus to
fully reveal Himself in your life? Aren’t you ready for “the really
good stuff”? Will this be the day that you begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label can't buy God's love and care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label can't buy God's love and care. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 30, 2011
Luke 12:29-32
"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.”
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 found myself involved in a discussion about a few well-known televangelists. It all started innocently when a group of people were discussing various ministries, and an acquaintance asked me about my own background. He said, “You seem to recognize many of these names. What exactly is your own story?” I explained the various denominations to which I have belonged over my lifetime and some of the Bible teachers I have found particularly helpful as I grew in my faith. I also expressed disappointment in some who seem more interested in teaching that God rewards our faith with material blessings. In other words, they teach that if you come and plant a $100 bill on the sanctuary altar, God will give you a gift worth many times that in return.
I got quite an earful from one person in the group who seemed to appreciate this philosophy and appeared very upset that I “didn’t get it!” My friends and I let him talk… somewhat because he refused to let anyone else talk! The acquaintance and I later evaluated the conversation and agreed that “works” alone won’t cut it with God. In other words, we can’t earn God’s favor, and we can’t buy His blessings.
The man asked me, “Don’t you want God to bless you?” Of course! He continued, “Do you think you might be blocking His blessings?” Sometimes… but not for the reasons he expressed. As I told my friend, I believe that we were created by God to bless others in His name… not to get fancy cars, mega-mansions, expensive jewelry and more. Some may indeed become wealthy along the way… but wealth is not the goal. However, I am afraid that it has become just that for some people and certain ministries.
We must be careful to guard our motives. God is very clear on this. Everything you have can be stripped from you in a heartbeat. God wants your needs to be met in every arena. But He does not want you to focus on what you can get or accumulate. He wants you to focus on HIM… who and how you can serve in His name… and never to miss out on even a single thing He is trying to give you.
The biggest blessings you will ever get from God will not be cars, jewels, houses, and furs… but rather the satisfaction of knowing you served others well in His name. The biggest blessings will be when someone says, “You helped me today,” or “Your words were just what I needed,” or “I was on my way down - your help couldn’t have come at a better time.” When you learn to operate in blessings and service to others, God opens the floodgates of blessings upon you.”
So chill out… work hard, but don’t make getting “stuff” your priority. Enjoy knowing that God is meeting your needs every single day… and using you to help meet the needs of others in the bargain. Make room for Him to work in and through you… and feel the blessings flow!
©2011 Debbie Robus
"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.”
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 found myself involved in a discussion about a few well-known televangelists. It all started innocently when a group of people were discussing various ministries, and an acquaintance asked me about my own background. He said, “You seem to recognize many of these names. What exactly is your own story?” I explained the various denominations to which I have belonged over my lifetime and some of the Bible teachers I have found particularly helpful as I grew in my faith. I also expressed disappointment in some who seem more interested in teaching that God rewards our faith with material blessings. In other words, they teach that if you come and plant a $100 bill on the sanctuary altar, God will give you a gift worth many times that in return.
I got quite an earful from one person in the group who seemed to appreciate this philosophy and appeared very upset that I “didn’t get it!” My friends and I let him talk… somewhat because he refused to let anyone else talk! The acquaintance and I later evaluated the conversation and agreed that “works” alone won’t cut it with God. In other words, we can’t earn God’s favor, and we can’t buy His blessings.
The man asked me, “Don’t you want God to bless you?” Of course! He continued, “Do you think you might be blocking His blessings?” Sometimes… but not for the reasons he expressed. As I told my friend, I believe that we were created by God to bless others in His name… not to get fancy cars, mega-mansions, expensive jewelry and more. Some may indeed become wealthy along the way… but wealth is not the goal. However, I am afraid that it has become just that for some people and certain ministries.
We must be careful to guard our motives. God is very clear on this. Everything you have can be stripped from you in a heartbeat. God wants your needs to be met in every arena. But He does not want you to focus on what you can get or accumulate. He wants you to focus on HIM… who and how you can serve in His name… and never to miss out on even a single thing He is trying to give you.
The biggest blessings you will ever get from God will not be cars, jewels, houses, and furs… but rather the satisfaction of knowing you served others well in His name. The biggest blessings will be when someone says, “You helped me today,” or “Your words were just what I needed,” or “I was on my way down - your help couldn’t have come at a better time.” When you learn to operate in blessings and service to others, God opens the floodgates of blessings upon you.”
So chill out… work hard, but don’t make getting “stuff” your priority. Enjoy knowing that God is meeting your needs every single day… and using you to help meet the needs of others in the bargain. Make room for Him to work in and through you… and feel the blessings flow!
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 5, 2011
Luke 6:26, 31-34
"There's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.”
Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
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.
Have you ever felt someone was being kind to you because they wanted your help… or your money, attention, or the benefit of your reputation? I hope you have not experienced this, because it’s not any fun to think that someone only calls or comes around when he/she needs or wants something from you. And certainly I hope you are not “one of those people” yourself!
We hear about this with all age groups, but sadly, this happens often to older adults. Someone enters an elderly person’s life on the pretense of caring, only to be the first in line with his/her hand out when that person passes away or becomes incapacitated. We sometimes refer to this type of person as a “gold-digger.” And as bad and wrong as this behavior is… as much as it amounts to out-and-out theft… the worst repercussion is that the person being scammed (or his/her loved ones) can be hurt deeply (and not just financially or materially). Nobody wants to think someone pretended to care about them just for their own potential gain.
And you know something else? God doesn’t want us to love Him just so we can get into heaven, either! He doesn’t want us to serve Him because we think He will bless us or protect us… or because He will see that our family is cared for and all of our needs are met. Yes, God will do these things and more… because He loves us unconditionally. But God doesn’t love us for what we can do for Him… and we should not love Him in this way, either.
Probably the purest love comes from our small children and our pets. None of them seem to have the filters of teenagers and adults. Little children and pets love you “just because.” One of the most tell-tale signs is when an older person says to a small child, “Give me a hug.” Quite often, a reluctant cuddle or the child’s rigid stance while a grown-up does the hugging is the end result. But when a kid really wants to hug you… well… those are the hugs you cherish! And that’s what God wants from us… the “hugs” and loving behavior that comes from the heart… the genuine truth and kindness that He can cherish - not mere flattery and lip service.
How are you sharing your faith with others? How do you love God? What do you give… flattery or the real deal? Are you who you should be in the name of Jesus? Isn’t it time to step up and be authentic? Wouldn’t today be a great day to begin?
©2011 Debbie Robus
"There's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.”
Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
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.
Have you ever felt someone was being kind to you because they wanted your help… or your money, attention, or the benefit of your reputation? I hope you have not experienced this, because it’s not any fun to think that someone only calls or comes around when he/she needs or wants something from you. And certainly I hope you are not “one of those people” yourself!
We hear about this with all age groups, but sadly, this happens often to older adults. Someone enters an elderly person’s life on the pretense of caring, only to be the first in line with his/her hand out when that person passes away or becomes incapacitated. We sometimes refer to this type of person as a “gold-digger.” And as bad and wrong as this behavior is… as much as it amounts to out-and-out theft… the worst repercussion is that the person being scammed (or his/her loved ones) can be hurt deeply (and not just financially or materially). Nobody wants to think someone pretended to care about them just for their own potential gain.
And you know something else? God doesn’t want us to love Him just so we can get into heaven, either! He doesn’t want us to serve Him because we think He will bless us or protect us… or because He will see that our family is cared for and all of our needs are met. Yes, God will do these things and more… because He loves us unconditionally. But God doesn’t love us for what we can do for Him… and we should not love Him in this way, either.
Probably the purest love comes from our small children and our pets. None of them seem to have the filters of teenagers and adults. Little children and pets love you “just because.” One of the most tell-tale signs is when an older person says to a small child, “Give me a hug.” Quite often, a reluctant cuddle or the child’s rigid stance while a grown-up does the hugging is the end result. But when a kid really wants to hug you… well… those are the hugs you cherish! And that’s what God wants from us… the “hugs” and loving behavior that comes from the heart… the genuine truth and kindness that He can cherish - not mere flattery and lip service.
How are you sharing your faith with others? How do you love God? What do you give… flattery or the real deal? Are you who you should be in the name of Jesus? Isn’t it time to step up and be authentic? Wouldn’t today be a great day to begin?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 13, 2011
Psalm 49:7-9
You cannot buy back your life or pay off God! It costs far too much to buy back your life. You can never pay God enough to stay alive forever and safe from death.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
More than one person has tried to make something – or someone – go away by writing a big check. More than one parent has told a child, “If you will do this… be good… make good grades (or whatever the parent wants done at the moment), I will buy you a new toy… give you money… make your favorite dinner… get you new sneakers (or whatever will impress the child). Human nature frequently operates in the realm of “name your price.”
When it comes to our Heavenly Father, money does not “talk.” We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation in Christ Jesus – and we never can. It was a gift… given to us freely out of love we can never possibly fathom.
So when we try to bargain with God… “Lord, do this for me, and I promise, I will do such-and-such” or “Lord, I will give all I can to an orphanage or a mission if You will bless me in a specific manner” or “Lord, just let me have this one night to do whatever I please, and then I will follow You forever”… God just shakes His head (and possibly rolls His eyes) at our inability to understand how He operates.
We cannot pay off God… we can’t bargain with Him for what we want – at least not with any real hope of getting it! We can’t tell God what to do – or how to do it. And we can never pay God back for all He has given to us and done for us. And the best part is… He doesn’t want our payment. He just wants our love… our faith… our trust… and our service in His name – all freely given to Him. God doesn’t want us to love Him or serve Him out of obligation – any feeling we might have to do this to get to Heaven. He wants us to want Him as much as He wants us. Sounds like a no-brainer to me! It’s definitely the deal of a lifetime… and one I want in on forever – don’t you?
What are you waiting for? Isn’t it time to drop the pretenses and get real with God? Isn’t it time to lay your cards on the table and say, “Here I am, Lord… warts and all. I’m ready to love You and serve You… no matter what… will You have me?” My guess is that His arms are already open.
©2011 Debbie Robus
You cannot buy back your life or pay off God! It costs far too much to buy back your life. You can never pay God enough to stay alive forever and safe from death.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
More than one person has tried to make something – or someone – go away by writing a big check. More than one parent has told a child, “If you will do this… be good… make good grades (or whatever the parent wants done at the moment), I will buy you a new toy… give you money… make your favorite dinner… get you new sneakers (or whatever will impress the child). Human nature frequently operates in the realm of “name your price.”
When it comes to our Heavenly Father, money does not “talk.” We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation in Christ Jesus – and we never can. It was a gift… given to us freely out of love we can never possibly fathom.
So when we try to bargain with God… “Lord, do this for me, and I promise, I will do such-and-such” or “Lord, I will give all I can to an orphanage or a mission if You will bless me in a specific manner” or “Lord, just let me have this one night to do whatever I please, and then I will follow You forever”… God just shakes His head (and possibly rolls His eyes) at our inability to understand how He operates.
We cannot pay off God… we can’t bargain with Him for what we want – at least not with any real hope of getting it! We can’t tell God what to do – or how to do it. And we can never pay God back for all He has given to us and done for us. And the best part is… He doesn’t want our payment. He just wants our love… our faith… our trust… and our service in His name – all freely given to Him. God doesn’t want us to love Him or serve Him out of obligation – any feeling we might have to do this to get to Heaven. He wants us to want Him as much as He wants us. Sounds like a no-brainer to me! It’s definitely the deal of a lifetime… and one I want in on forever – don’t you?
What are you waiting for? Isn’t it time to drop the pretenses and get real with God? Isn’t it time to lay your cards on the table and say, “Here I am, Lord… warts and all. I’m ready to love You and serve You… no matter what… will You have me?” My guess is that His arms are already open.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 14, 2011
Psalm 30
I will praise you, LORD! You saved me from the grave and kept my enemies from celebrating my death. I prayed to you, LORD God, and you healed me, saving me from death and the grave.
Your faithful people, LORD, will praise you with songs and honor your holy name. Your anger lasts a little while, but your kindness lasts for a lifetime. At night we may cry, but when morning comes we will celebrate.
I was carefree and thought, "I'll never be shaken!" You, LORD, were my friend, and you made me strong as a mighty mountain. But when you hid your face, I was crushed. I prayed to you, LORD, and in my prayer I said, "What good will it do you if I am in the grave? Once I have turned to dust, how can I praise you or tell how loyal you are? Have pity, LORD! Help!"
You have turned my sorrow into joyful dancing. No longer am I sad and wearing sackcloth. I thank you from my heart, and I will never stop singing your praises, my LORD and my God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I asked a friend if her three-year-old daughter was excited about Valentine’s Day, and she said her child really didn’t know that this holiday existed. I replied, “Just wait… she will.” When I was teaching kindergarten, Valentine’s Day was almost a bigger deal for the children than Christmas. There is something about getting all of those colorful little cards and candies that delights young children. And even more, perhaps, they enjoy sending their own Valentines… picking out just the right one, painstakingly writing their name on them… and for possibly the first time, expressing love to someone else in a public manner.
If we’re honest, children of all ages enjoy Valentine’s Day. And like any other holiday, Valentine’s Day can get out of hand. Gifts and plans become grander with each year. We hear, “What will you do to top this next year?” And somewhere along the line, the true intent of this holiday becomes lost in the hearts, flowers, candy and more. Jesus commanded us to love one another… and to love others as we love ourselves. Somehow, if He commanded us to do a really bang-up job of this on February 14th, I missed it! Every day is supposed to be like Valentine’s Day if we love with the heart of Christ.
More importantly, we race around sharing our love and appreciation for everyone on the planet… and the One who truly deserves our lavish attention often gets very little, if anything. This Psalm is a tremendous “Valentine” to our Heavenly Father. The verses express how deeply the psalmist loves and appreciates God and all that He has done for us. And this would make a wonderful Valentine for us to pray to God… to read and study as we spend time sitting and thanking Him for loving us so well.
You will probably find this corny, but I like to tell my husband that every day with him is Valentine’s Day for me. I am blessed to have a husband, family and friends who love me so well. I hope I am loving them well in return… but most importantly, I hope I am loving my Heavenly Father well. Truly every day in His presence is Valentine’s Day… and today is a good day for us to start showing – and telling Him - just how much we love Him. We can use Psalm 30 as a starting point… or we can create our own “Valentine” for Him.
How will you express your love to the One who has loved you like no other? He lavishes us with Valentines every single day… what sort of Valentine have you selected for Him?
©2011 Debbie Robus
I will praise you, LORD! You saved me from the grave and kept my enemies from celebrating my death. I prayed to you, LORD God, and you healed me, saving me from death and the grave.
Your faithful people, LORD, will praise you with songs and honor your holy name. Your anger lasts a little while, but your kindness lasts for a lifetime. At night we may cry, but when morning comes we will celebrate.
I was carefree and thought, "I'll never be shaken!" You, LORD, were my friend, and you made me strong as a mighty mountain. But when you hid your face, I was crushed. I prayed to you, LORD, and in my prayer I said, "What good will it do you if I am in the grave? Once I have turned to dust, how can I praise you or tell how loyal you are? Have pity, LORD! Help!"
You have turned my sorrow into joyful dancing. No longer am I sad and wearing sackcloth. I thank you from my heart, and I will never stop singing your praises, my LORD and my God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I asked a friend if her three-year-old daughter was excited about Valentine’s Day, and she said her child really didn’t know that this holiday existed. I replied, “Just wait… she will.” When I was teaching kindergarten, Valentine’s Day was almost a bigger deal for the children than Christmas. There is something about getting all of those colorful little cards and candies that delights young children. And even more, perhaps, they enjoy sending their own Valentines… picking out just the right one, painstakingly writing their name on them… and for possibly the first time, expressing love to someone else in a public manner.
If we’re honest, children of all ages enjoy Valentine’s Day. And like any other holiday, Valentine’s Day can get out of hand. Gifts and plans become grander with each year. We hear, “What will you do to top this next year?” And somewhere along the line, the true intent of this holiday becomes lost in the hearts, flowers, candy and more. Jesus commanded us to love one another… and to love others as we love ourselves. Somehow, if He commanded us to do a really bang-up job of this on February 14th, I missed it! Every day is supposed to be like Valentine’s Day if we love with the heart of Christ.
More importantly, we race around sharing our love and appreciation for everyone on the planet… and the One who truly deserves our lavish attention often gets very little, if anything. This Psalm is a tremendous “Valentine” to our Heavenly Father. The verses express how deeply the psalmist loves and appreciates God and all that He has done for us. And this would make a wonderful Valentine for us to pray to God… to read and study as we spend time sitting and thanking Him for loving us so well.
You will probably find this corny, but I like to tell my husband that every day with him is Valentine’s Day for me. I am blessed to have a husband, family and friends who love me so well. I hope I am loving them well in return… but most importantly, I hope I am loving my Heavenly Father well. Truly every day in His presence is Valentine’s Day… and today is a good day for us to start showing – and telling Him - just how much we love Him. We can use Psalm 30 as a starting point… or we can create our own “Valentine” for Him.
How will you express your love to the One who has loved you like no other? He lavishes us with Valentines every single day… what sort of Valentine have you selected for Him?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 4, 2011
Psalm 22:15, 24
My strength has dried up like a broken clay pot, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You, God, have left me to die in the dirt.
The LORD doesn't hate or despise the helpless in all of their troubles. When I cried out, he listened and did not turn away.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I moved all of my “treasures” from one antique store to another recently, I dropped a little decorative plate. It splintered into about 5 pieces. This was not an expensive plate – I probably paid at most a couple of dollars for it at a garage sale or auction. But it was beautiful… a robin’s-egg blue scalloped edge tipped in gold, delicate pink roses and raised white dots called a “moriage” technique. It would have been a perfect accent for a shelf or display cabinet… or a nice little dish to set out with a few candies for guests.
I carefully gathered up the shards and put them in a container and brought them home. I could have dumped this plate into the trash, but instead, I got out my bottle of glue and began to reassemble the piece. I still don’t know if it will hold together – or if so, for how long – but it’s worth a shot. Once glued, this plate still has potential. It can be tucked in behind something else so that the broken parts are not readily visible. It still has purpose… beauty… value.
To God, we are the broken plates. While HE did not drop us or cause us to break, in our sin and our “humanity” we did just that. But we still have value… worth… beauty… purpose. God knows this. He stands ready to glue the pieces back together. We may not be the same. Like the plate, there may be rough edges and little cracks where a splinter or two were not recovered. But God will fill in the rough spots. He will make us whole, useful, and able to serve once again.
The key to being restored and repurposed is to acknowledge God. It may seem like He deserts us from time to time… leaves us on the scrap heap in a zillion broken shards. But this is not the case. He is waiting for us to reach up to Him and believe that He can fix us… that He can heal the broken parts and restore us to serve another day. Have you called on God lately? Are you piled up on the scrap heap, wallowing in self-pity? Or are you standing ready to be reglued… repaired… repurposed… and given another chance? The choice is yours…what will you do?
©2011 Debbie Robus
My strength has dried up like a broken clay pot, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You, God, have left me to die in the dirt.
The LORD doesn't hate or despise the helpless in all of their troubles. When I cried out, he listened and did not turn away.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I moved all of my “treasures” from one antique store to another recently, I dropped a little decorative plate. It splintered into about 5 pieces. This was not an expensive plate – I probably paid at most a couple of dollars for it at a garage sale or auction. But it was beautiful… a robin’s-egg blue scalloped edge tipped in gold, delicate pink roses and raised white dots called a “moriage” technique. It would have been a perfect accent for a shelf or display cabinet… or a nice little dish to set out with a few candies for guests.
I carefully gathered up the shards and put them in a container and brought them home. I could have dumped this plate into the trash, but instead, I got out my bottle of glue and began to reassemble the piece. I still don’t know if it will hold together – or if so, for how long – but it’s worth a shot. Once glued, this plate still has potential. It can be tucked in behind something else so that the broken parts are not readily visible. It still has purpose… beauty… value.
To God, we are the broken plates. While HE did not drop us or cause us to break, in our sin and our “humanity” we did just that. But we still have value… worth… beauty… purpose. God knows this. He stands ready to glue the pieces back together. We may not be the same. Like the plate, there may be rough edges and little cracks where a splinter or two were not recovered. But God will fill in the rough spots. He will make us whole, useful, and able to serve once again.
The key to being restored and repurposed is to acknowledge God. It may seem like He deserts us from time to time… leaves us on the scrap heap in a zillion broken shards. But this is not the case. He is waiting for us to reach up to Him and believe that He can fix us… that He can heal the broken parts and restore us to serve another day. Have you called on God lately? Are you piled up on the scrap heap, wallowing in self-pity? Or are you standing ready to be reglued… repaired… repurposed… and given another chance? The choice is yours…what will you do?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)