Daily Devotional for November 24, 2016

Psalm 118:1-7; 27-28
Oh, thank the Lord, for he’s so good! His loving-kindness is forever.

Let the congregation of Israel praise him with these same words: “His loving-kindness is forever.” And let the priests of Aaron chant, “His loving-kindness is forever.” Let the Gentile converts chant, “His loving-kindness is forever.”

In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me. He is for me! How can I be afraid? What can mere man do to me? The Lord is on my side; he will help me. Let those who hate me beware.

Jehovah God is our light. I present to him my sacrifice upon the altar, for you are my God, and I shall give you this thanks and this praise. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is so good! For his loving-kindness is forever.

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

Last Thanksgiving Day, things were so different for my family.  Greg’s brother was alive and well and celebrating with his family.  My mother was battling ovarian cancer…but she was able to dine with us at our table and visit for a few hours afterward.  Now, both of these loved ones are feasting at God’s Heavenly Table…and that doesn’t seem possible – or right!

Last year, Mother wrote a Thanksgiving week blog post in which she noted: “This year, my 76th Thanksgiving, is totally different. I have cancer—an unwelcome and unexpected guest. I cannot host my family around my dining table. My Thanksgiving apron hung limp, not worn this year. However, my older daughter and her husband picked up the tradition. On Thanksgiving Day, we gathered around their dining table in their beautiful home perched on a bluff overlooking [the] Little Red River and Greers Ferry Dam that holds the water back in an expanse of clear blue water.”

“For the first time in my adult life, I was only expected to be present. I did not prepare the dressing, the pecan pie, or the turkey breast. But I am so thankful to have one more Thanksgiving with my loved ones; three little great-grandchildren who keep the holiday lively. A nephew and his wife traveled from Northwest Arkansas to be with us. Thanksgiving was a special day—one in which to give thanks to our Lord. Hopefully, next year, I can once again take my Thanksgiving apron from its hook and help to prepare our feast.”

Mother did not get to pick up that apron for this Thanksgiving…but the cousins drove down to be with us again.  And my immediate family is gathered together for a Thanksgiving feast and visit.  We are still standing…and we are incredibly grateful and thankful.

I lost count of the number of dear friends of ours who have lost a parent, spouse or sibling since this time last year.  Maybe I am more aware, but it seems like a lot of people are in the same boat as we are.  A few days ago, God gave me a beautiful vision.  I have been cooking for our meal for three days or more…and God showed me a lavish Thanksgiving table in heaven.  My parents were seated there, along with my brother, grandparents, my cousins, aunts, uncles, Greg’s dad and brother and HIS grandparents and extended family.

Neighbors, friends, and people from around our community and beyond who were an integral part of our lives were there, also.  There was such an abundance of food…and people lingered and laughed and visited.  Jesus moved in and among the group, sitting first one place and then another.  There was no sadness…and nobody was worried about calories – or anything else!  Did I mention that there was a lot of laughter?

I very plainly heard God tell me, “Someday, you will be here, too…and it will be glorious. Meanwhile, you have people to ‘feed’ where you are…things to do…and an important purpose.”  I was flooded with peace and comfort by this thought…and I have shared it with several loved ones who are missing their own “people” this holiday.

We have so much for which to be thankful…especially Jesus and the promise of heaven because of His sacrifice on the cross.  Someday, we WILL be there, too…and it WILL be glorious.  Meanwhile, God’s lovingkindness makes life on earth bearable – and pretty great most days – like this one!  For this, I give thanks – today, and always. What about you?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for November 4, 2014

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
 
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.
 
This is mid-term Election Day in America.  If early voter turnout is any indication, a lot of people have strong convictions one way or the other and recognize the importance of these results for our country.  Tomorrow, a lot of people will be pleased with the outcome…and more than a few will not be.  For many, the results will bring a mixture of pleasure and disappointment.
 
But here’s the thing…God is still in control – and with Him, all things are possible.  Jesus Christ is still the King of Kings and LORD of Lords!  Whether your candidates win the election or not…regardless of the amendments that pass or don’t…we will survive.  Some of you may not have lived long enough – or voted in enough elections to believe this, but I can tell you with confidence, that you will live through whatever happens.  Will things be “hunky-dory”? Possibly…but probably not.  Will there be struggles and times of difficulty?  Perhaps.  But God can “make a way” as it says in Isaiah 43:19 (“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” NIV)
 
I encourage you to pick up your Bible and read Isaiah 43 in its entirety.  Spend some time with God and talk to Him about your thoughts, your worries and concerns - about the election and everything else - and then THANK HIM...over and over and over for His amazing and perfect love and care.  Thank God for “making a way in the wilderness”…for “doing new things” and working all things together for His purposes – and for our good.
 
Above all else, remember the words of the Apostle Paul to the people of Thessalonica…and “be cheerful no matter what.  Pray all the time and thank God – no matter what happens” – because Jesus is ALIVE…and we can count on Him to always take care of our every need.  The very thought of Jesus’s love for us should cause us to smile…to be filled with joy, peace and a sense of calm.  Our little Timothy recently reminded us that…”I just turn that frown upside down and smile!”  Which direction is your “frown” pointing today?  Are you demonstrating confidence and hope in Jesus Christ through your attitude and body language?  Isn’t it time you did?
 
©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for November 2, 2014

1 Chronicles 23:30
Each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing thanks and praise to him.
 
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I am really trying to be more intentionally grateful.  Ann Voskamp writes in her book, One Thousand Gifts* that the more we operate in gratitude, the less room we will have in our hearts and minds for other things…like a bad attitude, hatefulness, self-pity or self-loathing, and sinful thoughts of all kinds.  She maintains that a heart of gratitude cannot co-exist with these things…at least not for very long.
 
With this thought in mind, the suggestion offered in this scripture verse to “sing thanks and praise” to the LORD each morning and evening makes perfect sense.  Were we to stop for a few minutes at the beginning and end of our day and note a few reasons to be grateful, this might set the tone for the rest of our waking moments.  As we learn to operate more in gratitude to God for all that He has done for us, this attitude spills over into other areas of our life…how we interact with other people…what triggers moments of stress…how we react to every situation and circumstance in our day.
 
We truly owe God more than two times of “intentional gratitude” each day…but it’s a good start.  Let’s try this…let’s take just a minute or two each morning and evening to note a handful of things for which we are grateful.  This is not the time to talk to God about your worries and concerns...but rather, let’s give God just a couple of minutes twice a day in which we really, truly notice some of the things that He has done for us.  Let’s thank Him for some of the ways that He has blessed us…little nuances and gifts that make a difference – but we often take them for granted.  Let’s enumerate the oft-unnoticed blessings God presents to us – and thank Him for them.
 
If we make twice-daily exercises in gratitude a part of our routine, we might just find that they become more prevalent at other times of our day.  As we give God glory and praise for all that He has done in our lives, we may start to see Him more clearly in everyday, ordinary experiences.  As we practice “intentional gratitude”, we may draw closer to God in ways we never expected. And this is a very good thing.  Are you ready and willing to get started?  What will you thank Him for first?
 
©2014 Debbie Robus
 
* One Thousand Gifts ~ ©2010 Ann Morton Voskamp ~ One Zondervan Press ~ www.zondervan.com

Daily Devotional for October 25, 2014

Psalm 103:1-5
I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me.
 
He forgives all my sins. He heals me. He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
 
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
 
In the book One Thousand Gifts*, author Ann Voskamp reminds us repeatedly of the importance of gratitude...something she calls "eucharisteo".  She makes the point that it's hard to be unhappy when you are busy being grateful...that you can truly draw closer to God by taking note of the blessings all around you than by enumerating your troubles...that the real path to a deeper relationship with God comes from learning to praise Him and express appreciation - even when with every fiber of your being, you don't feel like doing so.
 
I started making a list of 1,000 gifts or blessings...although I will admit that I have not been as diligent as I should in noting things each day. A few years ago, I read a book called 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life**, written by John Kralik. Over the course of a year, I actually wrote and sent more than 365 "thank-you" notes.  I did this as an experiment at first...inspired by this book to be more grateful - and to tell others how they had blessed me.  But as I wrote the notes, I began to seek more opportunities to send them.  It wasn't a burden, as in "Oh, no...it's day #125, and I don't have anyone to thank!"  It was often a case of having several people who deserved a note of appreciation...and I found myself increasingly recognizing opportunities to let someone know how humbled I was by their kindness, concern, assistance, and love.
 
It's funny how we find it so easy to go to God with our troubles...concerns...needs and desires.  But we really spend very little time telling Him how grateful we are for all He does for us.  You really should go back and read all of Psalm 103.  David has done a beautiful job of listing many ways in which God has blessed and cared for him.  He has enumerated many of the LORD's qualities...wisdom, a sympathetic and merciful heart, tenderness, the ability to "forgive and forget", His love and steadfast faithfulness toward us and the promises that He has made.
 
Like the "365 days of Thank Yous"...I believe that making note (mentally and/or physically) of daily blessings could change our thinking - AND our relationship with God.  As we begin to focus more on the thousands of ways that He shows up in our lives each and every minute, we will find that we have less time for sin and the things of this world.  When we are busy noting the beauty of fall leaves or the laugh of a child, we don't really have time to bother with what someone said or did (or didn't do), how lonely and neglected we are, or how many burdens and problems we may be facing.
 
In noting the "gifts" and blessings of our day, we are reminded just how incredible and amazing God's love is for us...and how blessed we are by this. And as our relationship with Him begins to change and deepen in "eucharisteo," we can change our earthly relationships and attitudes as well. Clearly God deserves this kind of attention.  And if joy and a strengthened bond with Him are the by-products, then I am all in!  What about you?

©2014 Debbie Robus
 
* One Thousand Gifts ~ ©2010 Ann Morton Voskamp ~ One Zondervan Press ~ www.zondervan.com
 
** 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life ~ © 2010 John Kralik  ~ Hyperion ~ All right reserved.

Daily Devotional for May 17, 2014

Psalm 148:1-6
Praise the Lord, O heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all his angels, all the armies of heaven. Praise him, sun and moon and all you twinkling stars. Praise him, skies above. Praise him, vapors high above the clouds.

Let everything he has made give praise to him. For he issued his command, and they came into being; he established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked.

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

I saw a Facebook link to a video* about Larissa and Ian Murphy, one of the most amazing married couples you will probably meet anytime soon.  Ian and Larissa began dating in 2005 while attending college.  Larissa says that she knew they were headed toward marriage – Ian had even been shopping for a ring.  Then Ian suffered a brain injury in a serious car accident. Larissa moved in with Ian’s family and helped them with his therapies.  Over time, Ian recovered to the point that the couple made plans to marry.  Today, the Murphys have been husband and wife for three years.  They have written a book about their journey… Eight Twenty Eight: When Love Didn't Give Up**, which will be available for purchase in August 2014. 

The couple keeps a “board of gratefulness” on their living room wall, where they post daily notes that list what they are thankful for…and they encourage visitors to post a note, also.  Larissa jots down simple things like “Saturday mornings”.  She says more than half of Ian’s say, “my wifey”.  Larissa says this is a way that they have found to practice gratefulness.

The Murphys agreed that they would consider marriage when Ian could once again talk to Larissa.  His communication skills – and his physical abilities – have progressed tremendously, especially in the three years since their wedding.  In the video, Larissa says that she knew if the roles were reversed, Ian would not have left her…and that they know that God will be faithful to their marriage.  She asked Ian, “What about God enables you to have a happy marriage?”  Ian responded…”He’s awesome.”  This may sound like an oversimplification.  But when you boil it all down…isn’t this the crux of our relationship with God?

Doesn’t an abiding, forever-and-ever relationship with God begin with acknowledging that He is awesome…magnificent…powerful…almighty…loving…caring…persistent and consistent? Would you ask someone who was NOT all of these things to mold and shape you…to meet your every need?  Even if you did…could you depend on the outcome?

I’m not sure I could be as strong as Larissa Murphy.  I cannot say with certainty that I would be as courageous…that I could take on the difficulties she added to the normal day-to-day demands and challenges that come with marriage.  I am not sure that I would have the determination of Ian Murphy…that I would work as hard to come back from such a debilitating injury.  But I know that without God in my life, none of it would be possible in the least…it simply would not happen!

Situations like this one humble me.  They help me to see how blessed I am…that on my worst day, things are not nearly as bad as I think!  And yet, I see that God is with me in my circumstances…and also in those of people who have so much more to address.  If these folks can start their days with notes of gratitude and praise…surely so can I! 

Finding God begins in large part with acknowledging His power and blessings.  The first step in truly getting to know God is to recognize His hand in your life and the lives of those around you…to see His handiwork in places and things…and to give Him glory and praise for all of it!  If you were able to post a note on the Murphy’s wall today expressing your gratefulness…what would you list?  Are you fully cognizant and appreciative of God’s artistry?  Isn’t it time you were?

©2014 Debbie Robus

*http://vimeo.com/88485530
**http://www.amazon.com/Eight-Twenty-When-Love-Didnt/dp/143368182X

Daily Devotional for June 22, 2013

Colossians 3:15-17
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
 
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.
 

In his book, A Simple Act of Gratitude: How Learning to Say Thank You Changed My Life, author John Kralik describes how his life was tumbling in a free-fall of despair and destitution.  He was losing clients in his law practice – and those he had were not paying their bills.  His relationships were falling apart.  He had unhealthy habits – and poor physical health as a result.  While walking one evening, Kralik was struck by the thought, “What if I focused on the things in my life for which I am thankful… and grateful?  What if I concentrated on the things I have instead of what I lack?”
 
To say this was a “game changer” for Kralik would be putting it mildly.  He began to find at least one person per day to thank.  Some days, it was easy…a friend did something nice for him, and he wrote a little note of thanks.  Other days, finding something – or someone – to whom he could express gratitude was a little harder.  He began to really stretch… to thank clients for their business- even when they had not paid their bill.  He began to leave notes with the barrista at the coffee house and the cashiers at stores where he shopped.  He thanked old college professors for that extra little bit of encouragement offered to him… and his doctor for suggesting he stop smoking and drop a few pounds!  After several weeks of writing thank-you notes, Kralik vowed to continue this for an entire year.  He actually wrote notes of gratitude every day for the next two years or better!
 
John Kralik discovered something amazing.  His life turned around in countless ways.  His health and physical well-being improved… his relationships with family, friends, and business associates got better… he got back on his feet financially.  But more importantly, Kralik found a peace like he had never experienced.
 
I am not saying that we should start writing a thank-you note to someone every day…although I believe such a project could be life-changing.  I am suggesting that we look at Colossians 3:15-17 and integrate some of Paul’s admonitions into our daily living.  We could all cultivate a little more thankfulness.  We could give the message of Jesus Christ more room in our lives… we could do a better job of loving Christ with our whole heart and loving others as He loves us.  We could concentrate more on being grateful for God’s gifts and less on complaining about what we lack or what troubles or irritates us.
 
I know more than one person who keeps a “gratitude journal.”  Each day, they write down at least one thing for which they are grateful.  I have noticed that these people seem to be a little more positive and cheerful than most folks.  For many of us, practicing gratitude and a positive outlook are habits that we have let lapse.  The exercise of writing down things for which we are thankful could help us get back on track.  If you want to take it a step further and send someone a note every day to express thanks or gratitude… go for it!
 
I happen to like hand-written notes.  They show an added effort to take pen to paper, find a stamp, and deliver (or mail) the message.  But you don’t have to hand-write a note for this to work. I know one person who messages one “friend” per day on Facebook to tell him/her why she is glad this person is in her life.  Wouldn’t you like to get an e-mail message or a text from someone who says, “I’m grateful for you.  Thank you for XYZ”?
 
The point is that by making a concerted effort to be more thankful or grateful… to share the message of Christ in our daily living and “sing your heart out for God” - your own heart changes.  You lose the garbage and the baggage…and gain peace and joy.  You live more fully in Jesus.  Isn’t that what we’re after?
 
What are you waiting for?  Think about who should receive your first message of gratitude and/or thanks.  Start with Jesus!  Keep a list of the people you thank… and look at it from time to time to see just how blessed you truly are.  And thank YOU for reading these daily devotionals and sharing your love of Christ with me in this manner.  I pray that you are truly blessed by His word and the insights I offer… and I am grateful for you and your friendship.  Now go thank somebody in Jesus’ name… and bless their socks off (and yours) in the bargain!
 
©2013 Debbie Robus