Acts 1:14-22
The apostles often met together and
prayed with a single purpose in mind. The women and Mary the mother of
Jesus would meet with them, and so would his brothers. One day there
were about one hundred twenty of the Lord’s followers meeting together,
and Peter stood up to speak to them. He said:
My friends, long
ago by the power of the Holy Spirit, David said something about Judas,
and what he said has now happened. Judas was one of us and had worked
with us, but he brought the mob to arrest Jesus. Then Judas bought some
land with the money he was given for doing that evil thing. He fell
headfirst into the field. His body burst open, and all his insides came
out. When the people of Jerusalem found out about this, they called the
place Akeldama, which in the local language means “Field of Blood.”
In the book of Psalms it says, “Leave his house empty, and don’t let anyone live there.”
It also says, “Let someone else have his job.”
So
we need someone else to help us tell others that Jesus has been raised
from death. He must also be one of the men who was with us from the very
beginning. He must have been with us from the time the Lord Jesus was
baptized by John until the day he was taken to heaven.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
There
is much about the story of “Holy Week” that is sad and horrific. But
for me, one of the most hopeless parts is the story of Judas Iscariot.
Jesus knew that Judas would betray him…and yet, He washed his feet in
the Upper Room alongside the other disciples. Jesus shared the bread
and the cup with Judas. And Judas took a bribe of 30 silver pieces in
exchange for kissing Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to “make” Him for
Roman soldiers.
Many are shocked to read this account in the
Book of Acts about how Judas died. In Matthew 27:3-10, we are told that
Judas threw the money at the high priests and then went out and hanged
himself. The silver was used to buy a “Potter’s Field” for burying the
poor and homeless, and it was given the name of “Murderer’s Meadow.”
There
is much argument about which account is more accurate…but the bottom
line is that Judas Iscariot realized that he had done a terrible thing.
He committed a truly egregious sin…he denied His Lord and Savior. But
Judas was not the only person who did this. Peter denied his own
association with Jesus THREE TIMES before the night was out. Yet he did
not take his own life. And the difference in the choice these two men
made had eternal consequences.
What does this mean for us? I
truly believe that had Judas come to Jesus and humbled himself, Jesus
would have forgiven him, just as he did for Peter and the thief on the
cross. Jesus forgives each of us when we ask Him to do so. And that is
the primary message of this passage from Acts 1. There is NOTHING that
can separate us from Jesus when we humbly admit our sins and failures
and ask for His forgiveness. We are human…we will all sin and fall
short. But Jesus stands ready, willing, and more than able to redeem
us. This promise turns a devastatingly dismal passage of scripture into
one of hope and promise!
I also find the last verses to be
interesting. The Disciples are told to choose a replacement for
Judas…someone who knew and loved Jesus and could speak of His teachings
to others. It seems to me that there is a message for us there, as
well. We can sit and wring our hands over all that is wrong in our
world. We can gripe and complain about those who speak and act in a
manner that is detrimental to the work of Jesus and furthering God’s
Kingdom. But we are instructed to get up and get going…to move forward
with the work of our discipleship…to select and encourage those who are
involved in this mission with us – and to nurture their efforts
alongside our own.
Two messages of hope vs. a choice mired in
despair. We can opt to wallow in our sin and self-pity…and maybe even
completely turn our backs on Jesus. Or we can learn from Judas’
critical mistakes and renew our efforts to serve in Christ’s army…to
seek His forgiveness and follow Him for all of our earthly lives – and
into Eternity. The choice may not be an easy one…but the path of Hope
and Promise seems pretty clear to me. What about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label choosing the right path. Show all posts
Showing posts with label choosing the right path. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for May 28, 2015
John 14:6-7
Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”
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.
A large portion of the South is currently experiencing historic flooding. One hour, roadways and fields are dry and open…and the next hour, they are submerged in water. The surges have often come quickly and swiftly - and drastically changed the landscape significantly in a dangerous manner. I saw a photo this week of some cattle stranded on a small area of pasture land that is now surrounded by rising floodwaters, creating an island of sorts. This was an aerial photo that had been taken by a drone.
There is no way to reach the cattle by car or truck…but I suppose they COULD be rescued by pontoon boat…although it would probably be an arduous project that would have to be accomplished one cow at a time! Wouldn’t it be great if we could magically create a bridge to span the gap between that patch of dry land and another and walk the cows to safety?! But that’s a pipe dream. In truth, some sort of boat or large raft probably represents the only way to rescue the cattle. So the farmer has two choices…try to perform this rescue – or leave the cows there and hope that the waters don’t rise so much that they drown.
In many ways, we are like the cattle on the island. We are completely surrounded with only one way to safety…and that is salvation through Jesus Christ. He stands in the gap between the island of sin on which we are standing and the safety of His grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love. We have two choices – stay where we are and hope for the best…or allow Jesus to rescue us. And in choosing Jesus, we choose God, because as we are told in this passage, Jesus is God in flesh on this earth. If we believe in Him and “see” Him…we “see” God, also.
I know this can be confusing, and I don’t mean to muddy the water here (pardon the corny flood reference!). What you really need to understand is that you have two choices – to remain stuck on the island of sin, or to ask Jesus to rescue you and live in the safety and blessings of His love and protection. Don’t be stubborn or foolish! That island is NOT where you want to be! Let go and let God have control…and enjoy the freedom and safety of “dry land” once and for all. And pray for all whose lives have been turned upside down by these spring flood waters. God knows their needs…but it doesn’t ever hurt to remind Him of them!
©2015 Debbie Robus
NOTE: If you wish to help those who have been affected by the recent flooding, go to https://www.redcross.org/combined-donate.
Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”
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.
A large portion of the South is currently experiencing historic flooding. One hour, roadways and fields are dry and open…and the next hour, they are submerged in water. The surges have often come quickly and swiftly - and drastically changed the landscape significantly in a dangerous manner. I saw a photo this week of some cattle stranded on a small area of pasture land that is now surrounded by rising floodwaters, creating an island of sorts. This was an aerial photo that had been taken by a drone.
There is no way to reach the cattle by car or truck…but I suppose they COULD be rescued by pontoon boat…although it would probably be an arduous project that would have to be accomplished one cow at a time! Wouldn’t it be great if we could magically create a bridge to span the gap between that patch of dry land and another and walk the cows to safety?! But that’s a pipe dream. In truth, some sort of boat or large raft probably represents the only way to rescue the cattle. So the farmer has two choices…try to perform this rescue – or leave the cows there and hope that the waters don’t rise so much that they drown.
In many ways, we are like the cattle on the island. We are completely surrounded with only one way to safety…and that is salvation through Jesus Christ. He stands in the gap between the island of sin on which we are standing and the safety of His grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love. We have two choices – stay where we are and hope for the best…or allow Jesus to rescue us. And in choosing Jesus, we choose God, because as we are told in this passage, Jesus is God in flesh on this earth. If we believe in Him and “see” Him…we “see” God, also.
I know this can be confusing, and I don’t mean to muddy the water here (pardon the corny flood reference!). What you really need to understand is that you have two choices – to remain stuck on the island of sin, or to ask Jesus to rescue you and live in the safety and blessings of His love and protection. Don’t be stubborn or foolish! That island is NOT where you want to be! Let go and let God have control…and enjoy the freedom and safety of “dry land” once and for all. And pray for all whose lives have been turned upside down by these spring flood waters. God knows their needs…but it doesn’t ever hurt to remind Him of them!
©2015 Debbie Robus
NOTE: If you wish to help those who have been affected by the recent flooding, go to https://www.redcross.org/combined-donate.
Daily Devotional for March 23, 2015
Philippians 3:15-19
So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.
Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
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.
It started simply enough…I opened a drawer in the kitchen one morning, rummaged for what I was needing, and ended up taking everything out of the drawer and reorganizing it. Soon, I had moved on to the next drawer…and the next…and a couple of hours later, every drawer in the kitchen had been cleaned and organized. I felt like a new woman! That was early January. I was so inspired and motivated by my newly organized kitchen drawers that I moved on to other drawers and closets.
I am not finished, but I am just a closet and a couple of drawers away from having reorganized my entire house. It’s not perfect…by a long stretch. And I bet I could go back through and weed out even more unnecessary “stuff” and make things look a whole lot better. But I am very much a “work in progress” – even in the areas of closets and drawers!
I’ll admit…more than once, I got sidetracked – and discouraged. After all, what difference does it make if there is a mess behind the cabinet doors? Who cares what’s in the drawers... and is it really worth my time and energy to finish this project? I only had to think of the time I’ve wasted looking for a particular fastener or thread spool in my sewing cabinet to realize that the days I spent organizing, cleaning and alphabetizing these items will make my future sewing projects – and other activities - go so much smoother. And I will be able to accomplish a lot more with less stress!
The old adage that anything worth doing is worth doing right is true…and nowhere more than in our Spiritual life. If we are going to do this “Disciple of Christ thing”…if we are going to walk with Jesus, follow His teachings, share His Good News, and bask in His blessings…doesn’t it make sense to stay on course and do the hard work?
Jesus does not offer us short-cuts to full-blown discipleship…and with good reason – He doesn’t take them, either! Read the New Testament and study His 30+ years on this earth. Read Paul’s letters and see how Jesus left a legacy of ministry with His disciples…to be carried on through the generations – even to us and beyond. There is very little that is easy and simple, once you open your heart and invite Jesus to dwell there and guide your every breath. But oh, it’s so worth the effort. The joy and blessings you feel in opening your Spiritual “closet and drawers” and finding peace and organization… purpose and overflow…are so worth any struggle and challenge.
Will everything stay neat and orderly? Probably not? Will you have to reorganize a “drawer or closet” from time to time – both spiritually and physically? Most likely. Will it be worth the effort? Most definitely!
Won’t you make this the day that you start to get organized…in your Spiritual fellowship with Jesus AND maybe your physical life? Will this be the day that you open your heart and see Christ in charge instead of chaos? Are you ready to get busy “cleaning” and get back on the right path? Don’t you think you should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.
Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
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.
It started simply enough…I opened a drawer in the kitchen one morning, rummaged for what I was needing, and ended up taking everything out of the drawer and reorganizing it. Soon, I had moved on to the next drawer…and the next…and a couple of hours later, every drawer in the kitchen had been cleaned and organized. I felt like a new woman! That was early January. I was so inspired and motivated by my newly organized kitchen drawers that I moved on to other drawers and closets.
I am not finished, but I am just a closet and a couple of drawers away from having reorganized my entire house. It’s not perfect…by a long stretch. And I bet I could go back through and weed out even more unnecessary “stuff” and make things look a whole lot better. But I am very much a “work in progress” – even in the areas of closets and drawers!
I’ll admit…more than once, I got sidetracked – and discouraged. After all, what difference does it make if there is a mess behind the cabinet doors? Who cares what’s in the drawers... and is it really worth my time and energy to finish this project? I only had to think of the time I’ve wasted looking for a particular fastener or thread spool in my sewing cabinet to realize that the days I spent organizing, cleaning and alphabetizing these items will make my future sewing projects – and other activities - go so much smoother. And I will be able to accomplish a lot more with less stress!
The old adage that anything worth doing is worth doing right is true…and nowhere more than in our Spiritual life. If we are going to do this “Disciple of Christ thing”…if we are going to walk with Jesus, follow His teachings, share His Good News, and bask in His blessings…doesn’t it make sense to stay on course and do the hard work?
Jesus does not offer us short-cuts to full-blown discipleship…and with good reason – He doesn’t take them, either! Read the New Testament and study His 30+ years on this earth. Read Paul’s letters and see how Jesus left a legacy of ministry with His disciples…to be carried on through the generations – even to us and beyond. There is very little that is easy and simple, once you open your heart and invite Jesus to dwell there and guide your every breath. But oh, it’s so worth the effort. The joy and blessings you feel in opening your Spiritual “closet and drawers” and finding peace and organization… purpose and overflow…are so worth any struggle and challenge.
Will everything stay neat and orderly? Probably not? Will you have to reorganize a “drawer or closet” from time to time – both spiritually and physically? Most likely. Will it be worth the effort? Most definitely!
Won’t you make this the day that you start to get organized…in your Spiritual fellowship with Jesus AND maybe your physical life? Will this be the day that you open your heart and see Christ in charge instead of chaos? Are you ready to get busy “cleaning” and get back on the right path? Don’t you think you should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 8, 2014
Matthew 2:1-4
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”
When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
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.
Greg and I watched a sitcom recently in which a teenager found himself caught in a lie. His older sister convinced him that the best way to get out of it was to tell even BIGGER lies until people began to buy into the story and believe them to be truthful. Of course, this ultimately backfired, and the boy had to “come clean” about what had really happened.
Every single one of us has heard some news that had us scrambling to find out the details…to ask around and “get the skinny” on what was really going to happen. At the heart of the matter, we wanted to know what effect it would have on our own lives. Would this be good news for us…or bad news? When things are rocking along pretty well in our world, we don’t like to think about a change…especially one that might cause us some trouble!
Hopefully, such news has never left us terrified…at least not for the same reasons as Herod! Most assuredly, let’s hope that we never believe that the way to correct misinformation is with more untruths. At the heart of the matter, Herod was operating in fear and pride. His ego would not allow him to consider another king…not even one sent from God. So when he heard news that the Messiah had been born, all he could think about was figuring out a way to find Him and kill Him – or to convince his soldiers to do this! Now that’s some fear and pride at work!
I would hope that none of us plots evil things to cover our own sins – or to deal with our fears and the things that we believe will disrupt life as we know it! But just in case, let me leave you with this thought. Jesus is the light of the world. He tells us in John 10:10 that “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” There is nothing to fear about Jesus! With Him, ALL things are possible.
When a sense of fear or dread comes upon you, remember the Good News of Jesus Christ. Say a prayer and ask Him to help you squarely face whatever is in your path…and to give you wisdom and faith as you follow His lead. Like Herod and the “scholars”, we have two paths from which to choose. Make the right decision…follow Jesus, the King of Kings! Worship Him and walk in His ways, and you’ll never have to worry about the outcome.
©2014 Debbie Robus
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”
When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
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.
Greg and I watched a sitcom recently in which a teenager found himself caught in a lie. His older sister convinced him that the best way to get out of it was to tell even BIGGER lies until people began to buy into the story and believe them to be truthful. Of course, this ultimately backfired, and the boy had to “come clean” about what had really happened.
Every single one of us has heard some news that had us scrambling to find out the details…to ask around and “get the skinny” on what was really going to happen. At the heart of the matter, we wanted to know what effect it would have on our own lives. Would this be good news for us…or bad news? When things are rocking along pretty well in our world, we don’t like to think about a change…especially one that might cause us some trouble!
Hopefully, such news has never left us terrified…at least not for the same reasons as Herod! Most assuredly, let’s hope that we never believe that the way to correct misinformation is with more untruths. At the heart of the matter, Herod was operating in fear and pride. His ego would not allow him to consider another king…not even one sent from God. So when he heard news that the Messiah had been born, all he could think about was figuring out a way to find Him and kill Him – or to convince his soldiers to do this! Now that’s some fear and pride at work!
I would hope that none of us plots evil things to cover our own sins – or to deal with our fears and the things that we believe will disrupt life as we know it! But just in case, let me leave you with this thought. Jesus is the light of the world. He tells us in John 10:10 that “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” There is nothing to fear about Jesus! With Him, ALL things are possible.
When a sense of fear or dread comes upon you, remember the Good News of Jesus Christ. Say a prayer and ask Him to help you squarely face whatever is in your path…and to give you wisdom and faith as you follow His lead. Like Herod and the “scholars”, we have two paths from which to choose. Make the right decision…follow Jesus, the King of Kings! Worship Him and walk in His ways, and you’ll never have to worry about the outcome.
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 11, 2014
Jeremiah 6:16
Yet the Lord pleads with you still: Ask where the good road is, the godly paths you used to walk in, in the days of long ago. Travel there, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, “No, that is not the road we want!”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My mom and her husband, Lee, are Workamping this summer in West Yellowstone, Montana. Four days a week, they work in a high-end retail shop, for which they are provided wages and a full hookup campsite for their motorhome. On their days off, they explore Yellowstone National Park and the scenery that surrounds it in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. This week, they decided to travel across the Bear Tooth Highway, which the late Charles Kuralt deemed “America’s most beautiful drive”.
According to the website http://beartoothhighway.com,...“[The Beartooth All-American Road/Highway] is one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. In the surrounding mountains, glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet high. The Road itself is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies.
A 54-mile section of the Beartooth Highway begins 8 miles south and east of Red Lodge, Montana, and ends just east of Cooke City, Montana. Since Mom and Lee approached from the west, they traveled 70 miles just to get on the Highway near Cooke City. Mom had been to “Yellowstone” many summers ago with my dad, and they approached this scenic roadway from the east, via the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway that travels southeast to Cody, Wyoming. She and Lee considered taking this cut-off and visiting Cody. They had some choices to make – especially about their return trip to West Yellowstone. They could travel to Cody and then go another 50-80 miles just to get to the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park…then drive across the Park and back to West Yellowstone. Or they could stay on the Beartooth Highway and drive to Red Lodge, Montana… then make their way “home”. In the end, they chose this option, then retraced their steps to get back to their home base.
In this area of the country, there is no easy or quick route! Not only that, the highways are fraught with wildlife, i.e. buffalo, elk, bears and more…all of whom have the right-of-way. Mom says that when these animals cross the road, traffic comes to a standstill. So this “day-trip” ended somewhere south of 10:00 p.m., and she and Lee were both exhausted! Had they chosen to go to Cody or traverse the National Park itself, their “rest” might have been delayed even further!
Google Yellowstone National Park or visit the Beartooth Highway website - or any of several websites for attractions in the surrounding area - and study the maps. You will get a sense of how vast this area is…and how isolated, and even treacherous some of the stretches of road and forest expanses can be. There are no Interstate highways to speedily traverse from Point A to Point B...and distractions galore abound at every turn. If you are not carefully watching the road, you are probably busy ogling the incredibly scenery and photographing the remarkable flora and fauna! When visiting an area such as this, it pays to do your homework, read the maps, and listen to those who are experienced with the area and its terrain and roadways.
Our lives are like the glacial lakes, forests, mountain peaks and scenic vistas of a National Park…vast, sometimes remote and out-of-the-way, filled with peaks and valleys, and often carrying us along treacherous roadways. If we make reckless choices or do not pay attention – or simply choose the road we want rather than the one God ordains – we may find ourselves quite wearied. Worse yet, we might end up in something of a pickle! Imagine being lost in the expansive forests of Yellowstone National Park…and then think of being “Spiritually stranded” by comparison! It boggles the mind!
I pray that we are all “reading the maps” properly – on America’s Scenic By-ways, and in our spiritual lives. It is human nature to want to venture off on our own…to make our own decisions and travel the paths that seem most interesting and enjoyable – or those that our peers feel are right for us. But no one knows better than God which course is truly in our best interest. His paths may not be the ones we would choose…but they offer us the greatest opportunities for joy, peace…and rest. More importantly, these “roadways” lead us directly to Him and His favor…and ultimate respite with Him for all Eternity.
It’s so easy to get off-track…to take the wrong turn and travel far and away from the road that best leads to God’s blessings and perfect plan for our lives. Just as in the case of Mom and Lee’s trip, there may be several options…but one is always better than the others. Are you doing all you can to make sure you choose the best route in each area of your life? Will you select a path that leads to God’s rest and peace? Are you properly preparing for “safe travels” toward your ultimate destination? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Yet the Lord pleads with you still: Ask where the good road is, the godly paths you used to walk in, in the days of long ago. Travel there, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, “No, that is not the road we want!”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My mom and her husband, Lee, are Workamping this summer in West Yellowstone, Montana. Four days a week, they work in a high-end retail shop, for which they are provided wages and a full hookup campsite for their motorhome. On their days off, they explore Yellowstone National Park and the scenery that surrounds it in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. This week, they decided to travel across the Bear Tooth Highway, which the late Charles Kuralt deemed “America’s most beautiful drive”.
According to the website http://beartoothhighway.com,...“[The Beartooth All-American Road/Highway] is one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. In the surrounding mountains, glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet high. The Road itself is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies.
A 54-mile section of the Beartooth Highway begins 8 miles south and east of Red Lodge, Montana, and ends just east of Cooke City, Montana. Since Mom and Lee approached from the west, they traveled 70 miles just to get on the Highway near Cooke City. Mom had been to “Yellowstone” many summers ago with my dad, and they approached this scenic roadway from the east, via the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway that travels southeast to Cody, Wyoming. She and Lee considered taking this cut-off and visiting Cody. They had some choices to make – especially about their return trip to West Yellowstone. They could travel to Cody and then go another 50-80 miles just to get to the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park…then drive across the Park and back to West Yellowstone. Or they could stay on the Beartooth Highway and drive to Red Lodge, Montana… then make their way “home”. In the end, they chose this option, then retraced their steps to get back to their home base.
In this area of the country, there is no easy or quick route! Not only that, the highways are fraught with wildlife, i.e. buffalo, elk, bears and more…all of whom have the right-of-way. Mom says that when these animals cross the road, traffic comes to a standstill. So this “day-trip” ended somewhere south of 10:00 p.m., and she and Lee were both exhausted! Had they chosen to go to Cody or traverse the National Park itself, their “rest” might have been delayed even further!
Google Yellowstone National Park or visit the Beartooth Highway website - or any of several websites for attractions in the surrounding area - and study the maps. You will get a sense of how vast this area is…and how isolated, and even treacherous some of the stretches of road and forest expanses can be. There are no Interstate highways to speedily traverse from Point A to Point B...and distractions galore abound at every turn. If you are not carefully watching the road, you are probably busy ogling the incredibly scenery and photographing the remarkable flora and fauna! When visiting an area such as this, it pays to do your homework, read the maps, and listen to those who are experienced with the area and its terrain and roadways.
Our lives are like the glacial lakes, forests, mountain peaks and scenic vistas of a National Park…vast, sometimes remote and out-of-the-way, filled with peaks and valleys, and often carrying us along treacherous roadways. If we make reckless choices or do not pay attention – or simply choose the road we want rather than the one God ordains – we may find ourselves quite wearied. Worse yet, we might end up in something of a pickle! Imagine being lost in the expansive forests of Yellowstone National Park…and then think of being “Spiritually stranded” by comparison! It boggles the mind!
I pray that we are all “reading the maps” properly – on America’s Scenic By-ways, and in our spiritual lives. It is human nature to want to venture off on our own…to make our own decisions and travel the paths that seem most interesting and enjoyable – or those that our peers feel are right for us. But no one knows better than God which course is truly in our best interest. His paths may not be the ones we would choose…but they offer us the greatest opportunities for joy, peace…and rest. More importantly, these “roadways” lead us directly to Him and His favor…and ultimate respite with Him for all Eternity.
It’s so easy to get off-track…to take the wrong turn and travel far and away from the road that best leads to God’s blessings and perfect plan for our lives. Just as in the case of Mom and Lee’s trip, there may be several options…but one is always better than the others. Are you doing all you can to make sure you choose the best route in each area of your life? Will you select a path that leads to God’s rest and peace? Are you properly preparing for “safe travels” toward your ultimate destination? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 12, 2013
Daniel 1:8-16
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”
Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
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 few years ago, a young friend of our family determined that he wanted to apply for a prestigious private college. This brilliant then-high-school-student had virtually nothing going for him except his intelligence and determination. He worked throughout his high school years to earn spending money and to buy his books, necessities for school – and more. He received kindness and assistance from many who believed in him – including a place to live, food, clothing, moral support, and much more. He dreamed of attending a nearby private university, where the school’s website estimates the cost for the 2013-2014 year (including room and board) at $48,436. His school counselors tried to encourage him to apply to state-funded colleges, where they assured him that he could receive a full scholarship. Frankly, we all suggested this. But he would not listen. One counselor went so far as to tell him that he would never be admitted to this private university… that he was wasting his time and missing out on other opportunities in the meantime. In other words, it was just totally out of his league.
Finally, many of us realized that this kid was not going to give up on his dream. So we respected his wishes and supported him as he made the effort to raise the necessary funds to attend “his” college. And do you know what? He did it! Not only did he graduate from this college, where he studied psychology, philosophy and religious studies… he spent a semester abroad as a foreign exchange student to the University of Hyderabad in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India! Today, he works for Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, where he is making a difference in the lives of hungry people… and paying forward what was given to him.
I will admit that I was one of those who begged this young man to apply to state-funded colleges and take the guaranteed scholarship. Greg and I both graduated from a state-supported college, and Arkansas has many excellent schools of higher learning. But this young man believed in his dream to attend a university that US News and World Report has consecutively ranked among the top 12 liberal arts colleges in the nation. I can only conclude that God changed my heart at some point and gave me respect for this dream. And I am grateful that I listened!
Here’s the thing…we all know people who have “crazy notions”… ideas that we think will never fly – and often we are right! But we must be very careful to ask God for wisdom – and to listen to His answers. There will be times when we need to lovingly and respectfully encourage someone to “pick another path”… and times when we need to back off and say, “I respect your decision.” Only God can give us the wisdom to know which is which!
Will you be attentive to God’s word? Will you prayerfully seek His direction and operate with utmost respect at all times? When God tells you to believe in someone or something that seems ridiculous, impossible – or even dangerous - are you willing to be like the king’s attendant and take a leap of faith? When will we learn to trust God in all things? When will we understand the importance of respect… for others… and more importantly, for Him – for His word and His will? Isn’t it about time we “let go and let God”? Will this be the day that you begin?
©2013 Debbie Robus
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”
Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
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 few years ago, a young friend of our family determined that he wanted to apply for a prestigious private college. This brilliant then-high-school-student had virtually nothing going for him except his intelligence and determination. He worked throughout his high school years to earn spending money and to buy his books, necessities for school – and more. He received kindness and assistance from many who believed in him – including a place to live, food, clothing, moral support, and much more. He dreamed of attending a nearby private university, where the school’s website estimates the cost for the 2013-2014 year (including room and board) at $48,436. His school counselors tried to encourage him to apply to state-funded colleges, where they assured him that he could receive a full scholarship. Frankly, we all suggested this. But he would not listen. One counselor went so far as to tell him that he would never be admitted to this private university… that he was wasting his time and missing out on other opportunities in the meantime. In other words, it was just totally out of his league.
Finally, many of us realized that this kid was not going to give up on his dream. So we respected his wishes and supported him as he made the effort to raise the necessary funds to attend “his” college. And do you know what? He did it! Not only did he graduate from this college, where he studied psychology, philosophy and religious studies… he spent a semester abroad as a foreign exchange student to the University of Hyderabad in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India! Today, he works for Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, where he is making a difference in the lives of hungry people… and paying forward what was given to him.
I will admit that I was one of those who begged this young man to apply to state-funded colleges and take the guaranteed scholarship. Greg and I both graduated from a state-supported college, and Arkansas has many excellent schools of higher learning. But this young man believed in his dream to attend a university that US News and World Report has consecutively ranked among the top 12 liberal arts colleges in the nation. I can only conclude that God changed my heart at some point and gave me respect for this dream. And I am grateful that I listened!
Here’s the thing…we all know people who have “crazy notions”… ideas that we think will never fly – and often we are right! But we must be very careful to ask God for wisdom – and to listen to His answers. There will be times when we need to lovingly and respectfully encourage someone to “pick another path”… and times when we need to back off and say, “I respect your decision.” Only God can give us the wisdom to know which is which!
Will you be attentive to God’s word? Will you prayerfully seek His direction and operate with utmost respect at all times? When God tells you to believe in someone or something that seems ridiculous, impossible – or even dangerous - are you willing to be like the king’s attendant and take a leap of faith? When will we learn to trust God in all things? When will we understand the importance of respect… for others… and more importantly, for Him – for His word and His will? Isn’t it about time we “let go and let God”? Will this be the day that you begin?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 7, 2013
Proverbs 16:19
You are better off to be humble and poor than to get rich from what you take by force.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I have spent most of the day trying to figure out what to share with you in this devotional. This was not an especially busy day for me. When I awoke this morning, I knew that I had plenty of time to do a few household chores, write this devotional – and even squeeze in a workout before dinner time. This morning, two friends telephoned to visit with me – one delivered some sad news, and the other was checking on a mutual acquaintance. Both calls were important. Then another friend called to discuss a sewing project on which she was working and to seek some advice. That was important also. AND…I phoned my mother to share the sad news that one of the friends had delivered earlier…per her request.
In all, a lot of my morning was spent on the telephone. I decided to “park” this scripture and get in a workout. Greg was delivering Meals on Wheels, as he does each Monday. He returned before I finished exercising and said, “It’s such a beautiful day… I was hoping we could go for a bike ride.” My friend with the sewing project was due to visit later in the afternoon so that I could help her. I told Greg that it shouldn’t take long to do the sewing, and we could ride afterward… and we did. What a beautiful afternoon we shared… bright, sunny skies and cool, crisp fall air. We returned home just before time for dinner.
After we ate, Greg went to his office to watch a ballgame, and I was going to work on this devotional. My friend called… her sewing project was not going well. She had difficulties that I could not “talk her through” over the phone, so I insisted she drive back to our house, so that I could help her finish the project. As she drove away from our house, I thought… “Here’s my devotional!”
See, the “richest” part of my day was not what I was able to check off my list. It was the people with whom I spent time. Dishes can wait… that television show I might have wanted to watch can be recorded and viewed later (or skipped altogether)…the little “projects” I had hoped to work on today will still be there tomorrow – or next week – but my friends and family wanted and/or needed me today. Had I stomped my foot or made excuses and said, “I’m not answering the phone again!” or “I will not do another thing with someone else until I check XYZ off of my own list,” I might have missed out on some wonderful blessings.
The point is that we are missing out on the riches found in the little things of life, because we are focused on getting ahead or accomplishing as much as possible in as little time as possible. We truly would be “better off humble and poor” than to have trampled over the feelings of others to get what we want. To make another feel like your priorities and preferences are more important than his/hers… in even small matters… is the same as getting rich – or getting ahead – by force. When we choose to stop focusing on our own desires more than the needs of others, we have truly begun to understand what it is to be a disciple of Christ.
On any given day, our plans don’t go as we hoped. Sometimes that is our own doing… other times God is showing us opportunities to serve in His name… or even to receive a blessing that He wants to bestow. Whether we tap into what God is offering or not is totally up to us. It’s our choice. We start by being attuned to His will for our lives…and learning to ask Him, “What do YOU think I should do in this situation?” When we listen to His lead, we always make the right choice in the end. The question is… are you listening? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
You are better off to be humble and poor than to get rich from what you take by force.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I have spent most of the day trying to figure out what to share with you in this devotional. This was not an especially busy day for me. When I awoke this morning, I knew that I had plenty of time to do a few household chores, write this devotional – and even squeeze in a workout before dinner time. This morning, two friends telephoned to visit with me – one delivered some sad news, and the other was checking on a mutual acquaintance. Both calls were important. Then another friend called to discuss a sewing project on which she was working and to seek some advice. That was important also. AND…I phoned my mother to share the sad news that one of the friends had delivered earlier…per her request.
In all, a lot of my morning was spent on the telephone. I decided to “park” this scripture and get in a workout. Greg was delivering Meals on Wheels, as he does each Monday. He returned before I finished exercising and said, “It’s such a beautiful day… I was hoping we could go for a bike ride.” My friend with the sewing project was due to visit later in the afternoon so that I could help her. I told Greg that it shouldn’t take long to do the sewing, and we could ride afterward… and we did. What a beautiful afternoon we shared… bright, sunny skies and cool, crisp fall air. We returned home just before time for dinner.
After we ate, Greg went to his office to watch a ballgame, and I was going to work on this devotional. My friend called… her sewing project was not going well. She had difficulties that I could not “talk her through” over the phone, so I insisted she drive back to our house, so that I could help her finish the project. As she drove away from our house, I thought… “Here’s my devotional!”
See, the “richest” part of my day was not what I was able to check off my list. It was the people with whom I spent time. Dishes can wait… that television show I might have wanted to watch can be recorded and viewed later (or skipped altogether)…the little “projects” I had hoped to work on today will still be there tomorrow – or next week – but my friends and family wanted and/or needed me today. Had I stomped my foot or made excuses and said, “I’m not answering the phone again!” or “I will not do another thing with someone else until I check XYZ off of my own list,” I might have missed out on some wonderful blessings.
The point is that we are missing out on the riches found in the little things of life, because we are focused on getting ahead or accomplishing as much as possible in as little time as possible. We truly would be “better off humble and poor” than to have trampled over the feelings of others to get what we want. To make another feel like your priorities and preferences are more important than his/hers… in even small matters… is the same as getting rich – or getting ahead – by force. When we choose to stop focusing on our own desires more than the needs of others, we have truly begun to understand what it is to be a disciple of Christ.
On any given day, our plans don’t go as we hoped. Sometimes that is our own doing… other times God is showing us opportunities to serve in His name… or even to receive a blessing that He wants to bestow. Whether we tap into what God is offering or not is totally up to us. It’s our choice. We start by being attuned to His will for our lives…and learning to ask Him, “What do YOU think I should do in this situation?” When we listen to His lead, we always make the right choice in the end. The question is… are you listening? Isn’t it time you were?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 29, 2013
Matthew 27:22
Pilate asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”
They all yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am something of a packrat. And if you know my penchant for repurposing, you know that no scrap is too small to be reused for SOMETHING! So it’s very hard for me to clean closets and drawers and truly get rid of anything. But I’ve done better recently. And though it bothered me on several levels to do this, there have been a few items that I have not tried to salvage. I’ve simply tossed them into the trash and said, “Just get rid of it!”
This is pretty much what the Romans said to Pontius Pilate when he asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus?” Surely many of them felt uneasy about this on some level. Some must have thought, “There has to be some way He could be useful to us.” But in the end, they chose to ruthlessly toss Jesus out like yesterday’s trash. Even worse, they wanted Him brutalized in the process!
How often do we do this? How many times do our words and actions essentially say, “Jesus isn’t worth anything to me…He’s not even as ‘good’ as garbage”… and treat Him as such? Have you considered that a lot of your actions and words… the way you have treated others and conducted your life… your attitudes and general indifference… have all been the equivalent of lashes across Jesus’ back – or nails through His hands and feet? Pretty humbling thoughts, huh?!
“Oh, I would NEVER do this to Jesus!” you may be protesting. But you have… my friend… you have – and so have I. And we’ve made the choice to do so. Maybe we didn’t say, “Today I think I will nail Jesus to the cross”… but we chose thoughts, words and actions that did essentially the same thing. We are in control of these things far more than we often care to admit!
Here’s your wake-up call. What you say, think, and do matters! You make choices every minute of the day… whether to serve Jesus – or to nail Him to the cross. Remember Matthew 25:40 (NLT) …“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Where are you choosing to treat Jesus like garbage? Where have you battered and beaten Him… or nailed Him to the cross? When you think about your life in these terms, doesn’t it make you want to choose differently? Shouldn’t it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Pilate asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”
They all yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am something of a packrat. And if you know my penchant for repurposing, you know that no scrap is too small to be reused for SOMETHING! So it’s very hard for me to clean closets and drawers and truly get rid of anything. But I’ve done better recently. And though it bothered me on several levels to do this, there have been a few items that I have not tried to salvage. I’ve simply tossed them into the trash and said, “Just get rid of it!”
This is pretty much what the Romans said to Pontius Pilate when he asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus?” Surely many of them felt uneasy about this on some level. Some must have thought, “There has to be some way He could be useful to us.” But in the end, they chose to ruthlessly toss Jesus out like yesterday’s trash. Even worse, they wanted Him brutalized in the process!
How often do we do this? How many times do our words and actions essentially say, “Jesus isn’t worth anything to me…He’s not even as ‘good’ as garbage”… and treat Him as such? Have you considered that a lot of your actions and words… the way you have treated others and conducted your life… your attitudes and general indifference… have all been the equivalent of lashes across Jesus’ back – or nails through His hands and feet? Pretty humbling thoughts, huh?!
“Oh, I would NEVER do this to Jesus!” you may be protesting. But you have… my friend… you have – and so have I. And we’ve made the choice to do so. Maybe we didn’t say, “Today I think I will nail Jesus to the cross”… but we chose thoughts, words and actions that did essentially the same thing. We are in control of these things far more than we often care to admit!
Here’s your wake-up call. What you say, think, and do matters! You make choices every minute of the day… whether to serve Jesus – or to nail Him to the cross. Remember Matthew 25:40 (NLT) …“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Where are you choosing to treat Jesus like garbage? Where have you battered and beaten Him… or nailed Him to the cross? When you think about your life in these terms, doesn’t it make you want to choose differently? Shouldn’t it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 15, 2013
Galatians 6:7-8
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
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.
There’s a new Sonic® commercial where two guys are sitting in the car, and one of them says that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and the other guy says, “Tell me about it”… then proceeds to talk about something. Guy #1 says, “Wait a minute! You said ‘tell me about it,’ and then you didn’t give me a chance to tell you!” Guy #2 says, “Man, you really did wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!” It’s a silly commercial… not as funny in my opinion as most by these two actors… but it does make a good point.
We are often so caught up in our own life that we really don’t give the other person a chance to “tell us about it.” We ask people how they are doing as we pass them… but we certainly don’t intend for them to answer us - and we’re not about to stop what we are doing long enough to hear their answer! We don’t notice that others have needs, because we are so busy whining and complaining about our own. We can’t be bothered to help a friend, because we might have to give up or postpone something that we want to do for ourselves. We’ll spend hours shopping online or in a store for just the right shoes, purses, golf clubs, hunting rifle, fishing pole, or outfit to wear to an event… but we can’t spend thirty minutes talking to a friend in need… much less take an hour or two on Sunday to attend a worship service.
We don’t stop to think how others are affected by our decisions because we are too busy worrying about whether or not we will be “fulfilled”, satisfied or happy with the choice. I’m just as guilty as the rest of you… I have made my share of excuses when I didn’t want to do something. But I have also done things I didn’t want to do because they were the right choice… like spend time taking my grandmother to events that didn’t interest me because she had no other way to get there and needed assistance getting around once there. I don’t always want to bite my tongue when someone says something that I disagree with, even though I know to respond might start World War Three or destroy a friendship. I have to consciously choose to pay the guy at the farmer’s market more than he is asking for his home-grown vegetables, even when it means I’m giving him the last of my change… or to tell the girl who sells me her daughters’ hand-me-downs that she is undercharging and give her extra money, even though she didn’t ask for it, and I could rightfully pay her pennies on the dollar.
The point is that we have choices. We can choose to serve ourselves and always do what “feels good.” Or we can ask, “Does this please God and honor my commitment to serve Him as a Christian disciple?” and choose to do what is right. Sometimes, that choice actually feels good and serves us, whether we intended for it to do so or not. Often, we get the bigger blessing when we make a hard choice. Either way, we must deal with our decisions and face the results.
I don’t know what hard choices you are encountering. I don’t know whether you are serving yourself more than you serve God and others… or if you have made a habit of living selflessly. The balance can be delicate. But if you will practice serving God and others first, you will find that you end up served in the bargain more often than not. At the end of the day, God will be pleased with your decisions. And that’s really all that matters.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
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.
There’s a new Sonic® commercial where two guys are sitting in the car, and one of them says that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and the other guy says, “Tell me about it”… then proceeds to talk about something. Guy #1 says, “Wait a minute! You said ‘tell me about it,’ and then you didn’t give me a chance to tell you!” Guy #2 says, “Man, you really did wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!” It’s a silly commercial… not as funny in my opinion as most by these two actors… but it does make a good point.
We are often so caught up in our own life that we really don’t give the other person a chance to “tell us about it.” We ask people how they are doing as we pass them… but we certainly don’t intend for them to answer us - and we’re not about to stop what we are doing long enough to hear their answer! We don’t notice that others have needs, because we are so busy whining and complaining about our own. We can’t be bothered to help a friend, because we might have to give up or postpone something that we want to do for ourselves. We’ll spend hours shopping online or in a store for just the right shoes, purses, golf clubs, hunting rifle, fishing pole, or outfit to wear to an event… but we can’t spend thirty minutes talking to a friend in need… much less take an hour or two on Sunday to attend a worship service.
We don’t stop to think how others are affected by our decisions because we are too busy worrying about whether or not we will be “fulfilled”, satisfied or happy with the choice. I’m just as guilty as the rest of you… I have made my share of excuses when I didn’t want to do something. But I have also done things I didn’t want to do because they were the right choice… like spend time taking my grandmother to events that didn’t interest me because she had no other way to get there and needed assistance getting around once there. I don’t always want to bite my tongue when someone says something that I disagree with, even though I know to respond might start World War Three or destroy a friendship. I have to consciously choose to pay the guy at the farmer’s market more than he is asking for his home-grown vegetables, even when it means I’m giving him the last of my change… or to tell the girl who sells me her daughters’ hand-me-downs that she is undercharging and give her extra money, even though she didn’t ask for it, and I could rightfully pay her pennies on the dollar.
The point is that we have choices. We can choose to serve ourselves and always do what “feels good.” Or we can ask, “Does this please God and honor my commitment to serve Him as a Christian disciple?” and choose to do what is right. Sometimes, that choice actually feels good and serves us, whether we intended for it to do so or not. Often, we get the bigger blessing when we make a hard choice. Either way, we must deal with our decisions and face the results.
I don’t know what hard choices you are encountering. I don’t know whether you are serving yourself more than you serve God and others… or if you have made a habit of living selflessly. The balance can be delicate. But if you will practice serving God and others first, you will find that you end up served in the bargain more often than not. At the end of the day, God will be pleased with your decisions. And that’s really all that matters.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 14, 2013
Ezekiel 18:20
Only those who sin will be put to death. Children won’t suffer for the sins of their parents, and parents won’t suffer for the sins of their children. Good people will be rewarded for what they do, and evil people will be punished for what they do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In her book The Glass Castle, author Jeannette Walls describes what life was like for her and her brother and sister as they grew up with parents who were “different” at best… and downright neglectful and shady in some regards. They didn’t pay bills… they “skedaddled” in the middle of the night a few steps ahead of landlords, collection agents and law enforcement. Walls’ mother, a well-educated teacher, chose to spend her days and nights painting while the children slept, quite literally, under an old boat that protected them from water dripping through a leaky roof… and rats hung out in the large bowl of sugar that sat atop the dining table. Food was scarce, and the children were forced to forage in the garbage cans at school and elsewhere in order to fill their stomachs. The children suffered abuse at the hands of a grandmother, and the parents looked the other way. The book is fascinating and heartbreaking on every page, and I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already.
What is truly amazing is that the children survived. Walls and her brother fared better than their sister, but all of the children made their own way and were able to carve something of a life separate from their parents. Their story gives hope to countless families in which either the children feel destined to repeat the “sins of the father and mother,” or the parents feel responsible for how their kids “turned out”. While there is a distinct and often traceable connection…you can’t account for the power of choice. And that is what this scripture passage clearly indicates.
Just because your parents were not the greatest doesn’t mean you have to turn out to be like them. You don’t have to be a poor manager just because your parents were. You can break the “curse” of alcoholism, drug addiction, physical abuse, and more. You can be the first person in your household to finish school and go to college. You can have a marriage that is strong and steady and doesn’t fall apart within the first few years. You can choose to serve God and act as His disciple…even if your parents never darkened the door of a church or picked up a Bible.
By the same token, parents are not ultimately responsible for their children’s choices. You can serve as the model example of Godly, loving, responsible parents… do everything “right”… and still produce children who choose to behave in a completely different manner. You can live in the same house with brothers and sisters who are downright scoundrels… but that doesn’t make you one. You can have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who have poor reputations… who are disobedient and disrespectful to God and to others…but you can choose NOT to be like them.
At the end of the day, there comes a time when we all make choices. We choose whether to throw our hands up and say, “Look at me and my family – this is just who we are”… or we can say, “I am only responsible for MYSELF… God will judge ME on my own merits. I am choosing to follow Him and behave in a way that honors this commitment.” I truly dislike it when someone makes a comment about another person that references his/her family… as if it is accepted as fact that we cannot be our own person and must operate in a manner similar to those in our bloodline. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You do have a choice. And yours is the only one that will matter to God.
How will you decide? Who will you follow? When God looks at the sum of your life, what will you have to show Him?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Only those who sin will be put to death. Children won’t suffer for the sins of their parents, and parents won’t suffer for the sins of their children. Good people will be rewarded for what they do, and evil people will be punished for what they do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In her book The Glass Castle, author Jeannette Walls describes what life was like for her and her brother and sister as they grew up with parents who were “different” at best… and downright neglectful and shady in some regards. They didn’t pay bills… they “skedaddled” in the middle of the night a few steps ahead of landlords, collection agents and law enforcement. Walls’ mother, a well-educated teacher, chose to spend her days and nights painting while the children slept, quite literally, under an old boat that protected them from water dripping through a leaky roof… and rats hung out in the large bowl of sugar that sat atop the dining table. Food was scarce, and the children were forced to forage in the garbage cans at school and elsewhere in order to fill their stomachs. The children suffered abuse at the hands of a grandmother, and the parents looked the other way. The book is fascinating and heartbreaking on every page, and I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already.
What is truly amazing is that the children survived. Walls and her brother fared better than their sister, but all of the children made their own way and were able to carve something of a life separate from their parents. Their story gives hope to countless families in which either the children feel destined to repeat the “sins of the father and mother,” or the parents feel responsible for how their kids “turned out”. While there is a distinct and often traceable connection…you can’t account for the power of choice. And that is what this scripture passage clearly indicates.
Just because your parents were not the greatest doesn’t mean you have to turn out to be like them. You don’t have to be a poor manager just because your parents were. You can break the “curse” of alcoholism, drug addiction, physical abuse, and more. You can be the first person in your household to finish school and go to college. You can have a marriage that is strong and steady and doesn’t fall apart within the first few years. You can choose to serve God and act as His disciple…even if your parents never darkened the door of a church or picked up a Bible.
By the same token, parents are not ultimately responsible for their children’s choices. You can serve as the model example of Godly, loving, responsible parents… do everything “right”… and still produce children who choose to behave in a completely different manner. You can live in the same house with brothers and sisters who are downright scoundrels… but that doesn’t make you one. You can have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who have poor reputations… who are disobedient and disrespectful to God and to others…but you can choose NOT to be like them.
At the end of the day, there comes a time when we all make choices. We choose whether to throw our hands up and say, “Look at me and my family – this is just who we are”… or we can say, “I am only responsible for MYSELF… God will judge ME on my own merits. I am choosing to follow Him and behave in a way that honors this commitment.” I truly dislike it when someone makes a comment about another person that references his/her family… as if it is accepted as fact that we cannot be our own person and must operate in a manner similar to those in our bloodline. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You do have a choice. And yours is the only one that will matter to God.
How will you decide? Who will you follow? When God looks at the sum of your life, what will you have to show Him?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 13, 2013
September 13 ~ Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:
Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My late cousin Carla Lou came from Ohio for a visit one year near the end of November. As I decorated our house for Christmas, she sat on the couch and read recipes aloud to me from some of my cookbooks. We would discuss whether the dish sounded tasty or not and exactly how we would prepare it. She came to a recipe for peanut butter cookies… and it only had 3 ingredients – 1 egg, 1 cup of peanut butter, and 1 cup of sugar. “That can’t be right!” we agreed… but we both said we were going to try it and see what happened!
That peanut butter cookie recipe has become one of my staples…a family favorite that is quick and easy – and oh, so delicious! No one can believe that there isn’t more to the recipe. How can something so simple be so perfect? Doesn’t it need flour, salt, baking powder… SOMETHING else? The answer is a solid, “NO!”
Do you realize that this is how we often are in our relationship with God? We want to add unnecessary things to the mix… rituals, rules that He never established, ideas and expectations that don’t belong. In short, we want to take something that is sheer perfection and ruin it with added ingredients. What we need to do is to study this scripture passage and take it to heart… “Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about.”
In everything we do, we need ask only one question… “Does this respect and obey God?” Getting ready to judge someone else or say something hateful or unkind? Does this respect and obey God? Want to cheat… anyone or on anything? Will God be respected and obeyed? Feel like doing as you please, regardless of who gets hurt or what responsibilities are shirked? Do your actions represent respect and obedience to God’s will? Choose to take a little time off from serving God to serve yourself? How do you think God will judge this?
In every word and action of our lives… every choice… every breath… if we would only ask this question, the end result might be far more beautiful…more perfect… more pleasing, and even more peaceful. If only we would consider how God will judge what we are about to say or do, we might choose otherwise. Instead, we often choose to add our own interpretation to the mix… to “play with the recipe” – often with horrible results.
Today, let’s stop and ask this simple question… “Will this choice reflect respect and obedience to God?” Let’s let this question guide how we decide… what we choose. We know His “recipe” is perfect… so why do we insist on tinkering with it? If you are swayed to decide in favor of God’s judgment, I’m betting the outcome will be far better. It’s worth a shot… isn’t it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:
Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My late cousin Carla Lou came from Ohio for a visit one year near the end of November. As I decorated our house for Christmas, she sat on the couch and read recipes aloud to me from some of my cookbooks. We would discuss whether the dish sounded tasty or not and exactly how we would prepare it. She came to a recipe for peanut butter cookies… and it only had 3 ingredients – 1 egg, 1 cup of peanut butter, and 1 cup of sugar. “That can’t be right!” we agreed… but we both said we were going to try it and see what happened!
That peanut butter cookie recipe has become one of my staples…a family favorite that is quick and easy – and oh, so delicious! No one can believe that there isn’t more to the recipe. How can something so simple be so perfect? Doesn’t it need flour, salt, baking powder… SOMETHING else? The answer is a solid, “NO!”
Do you realize that this is how we often are in our relationship with God? We want to add unnecessary things to the mix… rituals, rules that He never established, ideas and expectations that don’t belong. In short, we want to take something that is sheer perfection and ruin it with added ingredients. What we need to do is to study this scripture passage and take it to heart… “Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about.”
In everything we do, we need ask only one question… “Does this respect and obey God?” Getting ready to judge someone else or say something hateful or unkind? Does this respect and obey God? Want to cheat… anyone or on anything? Will God be respected and obeyed? Feel like doing as you please, regardless of who gets hurt or what responsibilities are shirked? Do your actions represent respect and obedience to God’s will? Choose to take a little time off from serving God to serve yourself? How do you think God will judge this?
In every word and action of our lives… every choice… every breath… if we would only ask this question, the end result might be far more beautiful…more perfect… more pleasing, and even more peaceful. If only we would consider how God will judge what we are about to say or do, we might choose otherwise. Instead, we often choose to add our own interpretation to the mix… to “play with the recipe” – often with horrible results.
Today, let’s stop and ask this simple question… “Will this choice reflect respect and obedience to God?” Let’s let this question guide how we decide… what we choose. We know His “recipe” is perfect… so why do we insist on tinkering with it? If you are swayed to decide in favor of God’s judgment, I’m betting the outcome will be far better. It’s worth a shot… isn’t it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 8, 2013
Daniel 1:8-10
But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. The head of the palace staff, by God’s grace, liked Daniel, but he warned him, “I’m afraid of what my master the king will do. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, he’ll have my head!”
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.
When Timothy began to “wind up” and whirl around yesterday afternoon, squealing and yelling at a shrill high pitch, I knew that he was approaching “the wall” and needed a nap. As his “meltdown” ensued and we lay down on his bed, he kept pointing to the door and saying, “But I want to get up.” Timothy must have told me 2 dozen times that he wanted to get up… that he didn’t need to rest. But his body language and demeanor indicated otherwise. This was one time when I had to be the grownup and choose what was best for him. It’s not that his choice was necessarily wrong… it just was not in his best interest – or the best interest of anyone else in the household! In this passage from Daniel, things were the other way around…the king’s choice was not necessarily wrong… but it was not best for Daniel.
The king wanted even the prisoners to be fed exactly what he ate. Quite literally, they were to “eat like royalty” – the king’s idea of keeping everyone healthy and fit. But Daniel’s diet was not the same as the king’s… most likely for religious reasons. He told the steward that he wanted only vegetables and water. He probably did not eat meat – in particular, pork. Nonetheless, his choice was not wrong… just different. If you continue reading beyond verse 10, you will see that Daniel and the other captives were indeed served only vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of that time, they were still perfectly healthy. In fact, they were in better physical shape than others in the king’s court! The steward continued to feed only vegetables to Daniel and his fellow prisoners afterward. The scripture says that… “God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life.”
There were two decisions here: 1) Daniel’s choice not to eat what was served; and 2) the steward’s choice to allow Daniel a period of ten days to prove himself. Both were risky…both decisions involved a lot of faith and wisdom. And I believe both were orchestrated by God. There are times in our lives when we have options… many of which may have their merits. It would have been so easy for Daniel to say, “I’m in a bind here (quite literally), and I think I will just eat what is served and not complain.” It would have been understandable for the steward to say, “Look, I have to serve what the king tells me… and you have to eat it.” Both would have been plausible options.
There may be times when we feel as though it would be easier just to go along with the crowd… to make excuses or cover for a friend who isn’t exactly doing the right thing (but it isn’t necessarily so bad, either – think “Don’t tell So-and-so I’m here!”). We may opt to put up with the foul language from a co-worker, coach, teacher, parent, relative, friend or boss… to stand in silence when someone is saying or doing something we disagree with rather than make a scene… or to allow a 4-year-old to get back up and skip his much-needed nap. These choices don’t necessarily make us bad people.
But there are times when we have to listen to the voice of God nudging us to take a stand… to do the right thing… to speak up and out and say, “I must choose differently.” We have to trust that God will orchestrate the outcome… that He will make a way where none seems possible. We have to “stick to our [Spiritual] guns” and make the choices that God indicates to us are the right ones – those that honor and please Him. In my case, I had to wait out an overly-tired 4-year-old who said he didn’t need a nap and trust God to bring sweet sleep and much-needed rest… and He did!
If you read the book of Daniel, you see that he had an extraordinary relationship with God. But the neat thing is that we can have this relationship, too. We can cultivate a deep and abiding faith in hearing from our Heavenly Father… and trusting that He will work in ways we cannot even fathom. We can ask Him to guide every single one of our choices… and trust Him to know best how things should go in the end. There is a tremendous peace and confidence in this…as well as an opportunity to grow and cultivate our courage and “faith muscle.”
Are you ready to trust God in the choices you are making? Are you ready to stand up for what you decide… and believe that He will handle the outcome? Will you take the easy way out and go along with the crowd… or are you ready to let God speak through you – to make what can sometimes seem like very difficult – and unpopular - decisions? The choice is yours… how will you decide?
©2013 Debbie Robus
But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. The head of the palace staff, by God’s grace, liked Daniel, but he warned him, “I’m afraid of what my master the king will do. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, he’ll have my head!”
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.
When Timothy began to “wind up” and whirl around yesterday afternoon, squealing and yelling at a shrill high pitch, I knew that he was approaching “the wall” and needed a nap. As his “meltdown” ensued and we lay down on his bed, he kept pointing to the door and saying, “But I want to get up.” Timothy must have told me 2 dozen times that he wanted to get up… that he didn’t need to rest. But his body language and demeanor indicated otherwise. This was one time when I had to be the grownup and choose what was best for him. It’s not that his choice was necessarily wrong… it just was not in his best interest – or the best interest of anyone else in the household! In this passage from Daniel, things were the other way around…the king’s choice was not necessarily wrong… but it was not best for Daniel.
The king wanted even the prisoners to be fed exactly what he ate. Quite literally, they were to “eat like royalty” – the king’s idea of keeping everyone healthy and fit. But Daniel’s diet was not the same as the king’s… most likely for religious reasons. He told the steward that he wanted only vegetables and water. He probably did not eat meat – in particular, pork. Nonetheless, his choice was not wrong… just different. If you continue reading beyond verse 10, you will see that Daniel and the other captives were indeed served only vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of that time, they were still perfectly healthy. In fact, they were in better physical shape than others in the king’s court! The steward continued to feed only vegetables to Daniel and his fellow prisoners afterward. The scripture says that… “God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life.”
There were two decisions here: 1) Daniel’s choice not to eat what was served; and 2) the steward’s choice to allow Daniel a period of ten days to prove himself. Both were risky…both decisions involved a lot of faith and wisdom. And I believe both were orchestrated by God. There are times in our lives when we have options… many of which may have their merits. It would have been so easy for Daniel to say, “I’m in a bind here (quite literally), and I think I will just eat what is served and not complain.” It would have been understandable for the steward to say, “Look, I have to serve what the king tells me… and you have to eat it.” Both would have been plausible options.
There may be times when we feel as though it would be easier just to go along with the crowd… to make excuses or cover for a friend who isn’t exactly doing the right thing (but it isn’t necessarily so bad, either – think “Don’t tell So-and-so I’m here!”). We may opt to put up with the foul language from a co-worker, coach, teacher, parent, relative, friend or boss… to stand in silence when someone is saying or doing something we disagree with rather than make a scene… or to allow a 4-year-old to get back up and skip his much-needed nap. These choices don’t necessarily make us bad people.
But there are times when we have to listen to the voice of God nudging us to take a stand… to do the right thing… to speak up and out and say, “I must choose differently.” We have to trust that God will orchestrate the outcome… that He will make a way where none seems possible. We have to “stick to our [Spiritual] guns” and make the choices that God indicates to us are the right ones – those that honor and please Him. In my case, I had to wait out an overly-tired 4-year-old who said he didn’t need a nap and trust God to bring sweet sleep and much-needed rest… and He did!
If you read the book of Daniel, you see that he had an extraordinary relationship with God. But the neat thing is that we can have this relationship, too. We can cultivate a deep and abiding faith in hearing from our Heavenly Father… and trusting that He will work in ways we cannot even fathom. We can ask Him to guide every single one of our choices… and trust Him to know best how things should go in the end. There is a tremendous peace and confidence in this…as well as an opportunity to grow and cultivate our courage and “faith muscle.”
Are you ready to trust God in the choices you are making? Are you ready to stand up for what you decide… and believe that He will handle the outcome? Will you take the easy way out and go along with the crowd… or are you ready to let God speak through you – to make what can sometimes seem like very difficult – and unpopular - decisions? The choice is yours… how will you decide?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 10, 2013
Proverbs 17:1
Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.
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.
The older I get, the less I like crowds. And I’ll be honest, there a lots of times when I return home from an event or a gathering and collapse into a chair with a heavy sigh of relief that I am back in the quiet and stillness of our home… just me, my husband, and our two cats! A friend posted a quote on Pinterest that essentially said, “I asked God to protect me from my enemies… and I started losing friends.” As I read this scripture verse, I thought about this quote and some of the situations in which I have placed myself over the years… groups where gossip and backbiting was the rule of the day… events where there was a lot of controversial and disingenuous conversation… and “friendships” where really all we did was enable each other in some way – wallowing in grief, misery, self-pity, or negativity.
I knew these relationships robbed me of a feeling of peace. In fact, some of them left me feeling downright lousy afterward. It’s no fun to spend what is supposed to be a festive evening with friends… only to come home feeling depressed and unsettled! It took me longer than it should have to figure out that I needed to bite the bullet and distance myself from some of these people and circumstances… or maybe I finally “let go and let God” – and as He protected me from my “enemies” I lost a few “friends” in the bargain!
Don’t misunderstand me. I am not telling you to start ending relationships with friends or family members who don’t always agree with you or occasionally make you feel uncomfortable in some way. God places difficult people and challenging circumstances in our midst for a reason. But if you feel that your associations and participations in certain circles and/or activities is causing you to continually feel unsettled, maybe you need to ask God to show you if this is something you should rethink. If you are feeling uncomfortable, discouraged, or disgusted more often than you feel a sense of peace, perhaps you need to ask God to show you whether your involvement in a particular activity or relationship is right for you.
Sometimes, in order to find God’s peace, we have to lose whatever is blocking it. This doesn’t mean we can be unkind or unloving toward those who drag us down. This is not a license to criticize other people or activities. But we have to know when to say, “This is not right for me. This is not bringing me a sense of peace.” If we listen to God and truly seek His peace in our lives, He will show us when to step aside. We may have to redefine our relationship with others… or we may have to take an extended breather. And there may be a few activities and acquaintances that have to go… permanently!
If we really want God’s peace, we have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to get it. Sometimes that means “dining at home alone” rather than “going out with the crew.” What about you… do you have God’s peace and quiet in your everyday life? Are you ready to do what it takes to get it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.
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.
The older I get, the less I like crowds. And I’ll be honest, there a lots of times when I return home from an event or a gathering and collapse into a chair with a heavy sigh of relief that I am back in the quiet and stillness of our home… just me, my husband, and our two cats! A friend posted a quote on Pinterest that essentially said, “I asked God to protect me from my enemies… and I started losing friends.” As I read this scripture verse, I thought about this quote and some of the situations in which I have placed myself over the years… groups where gossip and backbiting was the rule of the day… events where there was a lot of controversial and disingenuous conversation… and “friendships” where really all we did was enable each other in some way – wallowing in grief, misery, self-pity, or negativity.
I knew these relationships robbed me of a feeling of peace. In fact, some of them left me feeling downright lousy afterward. It’s no fun to spend what is supposed to be a festive evening with friends… only to come home feeling depressed and unsettled! It took me longer than it should have to figure out that I needed to bite the bullet and distance myself from some of these people and circumstances… or maybe I finally “let go and let God” – and as He protected me from my “enemies” I lost a few “friends” in the bargain!
Don’t misunderstand me. I am not telling you to start ending relationships with friends or family members who don’t always agree with you or occasionally make you feel uncomfortable in some way. God places difficult people and challenging circumstances in our midst for a reason. But if you feel that your associations and participations in certain circles and/or activities is causing you to continually feel unsettled, maybe you need to ask God to show you if this is something you should rethink. If you are feeling uncomfortable, discouraged, or disgusted more often than you feel a sense of peace, perhaps you need to ask God to show you whether your involvement in a particular activity or relationship is right for you.
Sometimes, in order to find God’s peace, we have to lose whatever is blocking it. This doesn’t mean we can be unkind or unloving toward those who drag us down. This is not a license to criticize other people or activities. But we have to know when to say, “This is not right for me. This is not bringing me a sense of peace.” If we listen to God and truly seek His peace in our lives, He will show us when to step aside. We may have to redefine our relationship with others… or we may have to take an extended breather. And there may be a few activities and acquaintances that have to go… permanently!
If we really want God’s peace, we have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to get it. Sometimes that means “dining at home alone” rather than “going out with the crew.” What about you… do you have God’s peace and quiet in your everyday life? Are you ready to do what it takes to get it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 3, 2013
Romans 1:28-32
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
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.
Have you ever told a child, “Don’t touch that… it’s hot!”? Or maybe you have said, “You’re going to turn over in that chair,” or “You’ll fall and hurt yourself!” In the end, chances are good that the child had to learn the hard way! It can be terribly frustrating and upsetting to watch a child do something that could very well lead to physical harm… and not be able to prevent it. You turn your back for one minute, and the unthinkable has happened. We truly cannot prevent all accidents or shield our children from every single injury. Kids will fall and skin knees… they will try the very thing we told them would hurt them… and all we can do is be there to pick them up and soothe them - or cart them off to the Emergency Room!
No matter how much we tell teenagers and young adults that we were young once… that we know – often firsthand – the perils of certain situations... they often either don’t believe us or simply have to try these for themselves. So kids start smoking…drinking…experimenting with drugs…cursing…texting while driving…driving too fast…and testing the waters in countless other ways. And often, they “encourage” their friends to do the same. Again, all we can do is stand by and offer support when things go awry.
God is really no different from any other parent in this regard… when His children show out and try things He has warned them against… when they choose to “do it anyway,” He has no choice but to “abandon them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.” Just as there are times when there is absolutely nothing a parent can do to rescue a child… there comes a time when God cannot rescue us either, because He allows us to operate with free will. And like any parent, God is grieved when things fall apart.
For his/her part, the “child” has a myriad of excuses… ranging from stubbornness to peer pressure to curiosity – and even sheer stupidity! And unless we “children” come clean and change course… admit our mistakes, beg for mercy and acknowledge God…He will have no choice but to leave us “wandering in the desert” of sin, hopelessness, and despair – and ultimately, the depths of hell. Think of the parent who leaves his/her child in jail and refuses to post bond - times a gazillion!
How would you feel to know that God wasn’t coming after you? What would you think if you realized that your choices and actions had essentially sealed the gates of heaven closed? After all He has done for you, can you really bear to grieve God by making selfish choices… could you really turn away and deny Him completely?
I know that temptations surround us. None of us likes to be told what to do… or that someone else knows what is best for us. But God truly DOES know best… His ways are perfect… His love for us is so great that He would never steer us in the wrong direction or tell us to do something that wasn’t in our very best interest. When we choose to directly contradict God, we have shown ourselves to be heartless and without mercy… two things we would NEVER wish to experience from Him! If we are so foolish as to turn our backs on God and decide that we have no need for Him in our lives, we have essentially abandoned Him. Yet we would NEVER want God to abandon us!
So why are we treating God this way? What excuse could possibly be good enough to ignore God… even for one day? Isn’t it time we fully acknowledged Him, submitted OUR desires to His will for our lives, and operated in humble obedience and gratitude? What is holding you back today? What is your excuse?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
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.
Have you ever told a child, “Don’t touch that… it’s hot!”? Or maybe you have said, “You’re going to turn over in that chair,” or “You’ll fall and hurt yourself!” In the end, chances are good that the child had to learn the hard way! It can be terribly frustrating and upsetting to watch a child do something that could very well lead to physical harm… and not be able to prevent it. You turn your back for one minute, and the unthinkable has happened. We truly cannot prevent all accidents or shield our children from every single injury. Kids will fall and skin knees… they will try the very thing we told them would hurt them… and all we can do is be there to pick them up and soothe them - or cart them off to the Emergency Room!
No matter how much we tell teenagers and young adults that we were young once… that we know – often firsthand – the perils of certain situations... they often either don’t believe us or simply have to try these for themselves. So kids start smoking…drinking…experimenting with drugs…cursing…texting while driving…driving too fast…and testing the waters in countless other ways. And often, they “encourage” their friends to do the same. Again, all we can do is stand by and offer support when things go awry.
God is really no different from any other parent in this regard… when His children show out and try things He has warned them against… when they choose to “do it anyway,” He has no choice but to “abandon them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.” Just as there are times when there is absolutely nothing a parent can do to rescue a child… there comes a time when God cannot rescue us either, because He allows us to operate with free will. And like any parent, God is grieved when things fall apart.
For his/her part, the “child” has a myriad of excuses… ranging from stubbornness to peer pressure to curiosity – and even sheer stupidity! And unless we “children” come clean and change course… admit our mistakes, beg for mercy and acknowledge God…He will have no choice but to leave us “wandering in the desert” of sin, hopelessness, and despair – and ultimately, the depths of hell. Think of the parent who leaves his/her child in jail and refuses to post bond - times a gazillion!
How would you feel to know that God wasn’t coming after you? What would you think if you realized that your choices and actions had essentially sealed the gates of heaven closed? After all He has done for you, can you really bear to grieve God by making selfish choices… could you really turn away and deny Him completely?
I know that temptations surround us. None of us likes to be told what to do… or that someone else knows what is best for us. But God truly DOES know best… His ways are perfect… His love for us is so great that He would never steer us in the wrong direction or tell us to do something that wasn’t in our very best interest. When we choose to directly contradict God, we have shown ourselves to be heartless and without mercy… two things we would NEVER wish to experience from Him! If we are so foolish as to turn our backs on God and decide that we have no need for Him in our lives, we have essentially abandoned Him. Yet we would NEVER want God to abandon us!
So why are we treating God this way? What excuse could possibly be good enough to ignore God… even for one day? Isn’t it time we fully acknowledged Him, submitted OUR desires to His will for our lives, and operated in humble obedience and gratitude? What is holding you back today? What is your excuse?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 23, 2013
March 23 – Proverbs 2:20-22
So—join the company of good men and women, keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths. It’s the men who walk straight who will settle this land, the women with integrity who will last here. The corrupt will lose their lives; the dishonest will be gone for good.
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 morning, I read “The Three Little Bears” to my almost-two-year-old niece, Zola. You know the story… Momma Bear makes porridge for herself, Poppa Bear and Baby Bear, and while it cools, they take a walk. A little girl named Goldilocks comes along while out for a walk in the woods. She knocks on the door, and when no one answers… she goes right in and helps herself to food, seating, and a bed for a nap! She even breaks Baby Bear’s chair when she sits in it.
When the bears return, they discover the intruder. Goldilocks wakes up, sees the bears, lets out a yell and runs out of the house… and the story says she was gone for good, because she never went for a walk in the woods again.
Clearly, nobody explained integrity to Goldilocks! She thought nothing of entering someone else’s home, eating their food, sitting in their chairs, or sleeping in their beds. And a lot of us are very much like her! We do what we please… when we please… and take whatever we want as if we are entitled. We say things we shouldn’t. We step off the “straight-and-narrow path” and dance to the beat of our own drummer… or that of the devil himself. And ultimately, our dishonesty and brazenness catch up with us, and we are “gone for good.” Nobody wants anything to do with us… and who could blame them?!
Too many of us have our sights fixed on instant gratification… a “what’s-in-it-for-me-now” mentality. We need to focus on the things of God… His will for our lives and what He wants us to accomplish in His name for the long haul. We need to think more about eternity and how we get there than on a temporary gratification… a warm bowl of porridge, a chair and a comfortable bed, so to speak!
What about you? Are you sticking to a path that leads to lasting rewards and eternity with Jesus… or are you living as if you are on a walk through the woods – hoping to find momentary pleasure in the things of this world? Are you treating others with respect and dignity… do you value their property and their feelings? Have you asked God to show you the path you should take in order to fulfill His purpose for your life? Have you prayed for moral character and integrity… have you asked God to reveal His plan for your life? Isn’t today a great day to do all of this?
Even if you started down another path, there is still time to turn back and regroup. You don’t have to be like Goldilocks and never take a walk in the woods again. You just have to stay on the right trail and let God lead the way. Who is guiding your steps these days? Whose path are you following… and where are you ultimately headed?
©2013 Debbie Robus
So—join the company of good men and women, keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths. It’s the men who walk straight who will settle this land, the women with integrity who will last here. The corrupt will lose their lives; the dishonest will be gone for good.
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 morning, I read “The Three Little Bears” to my almost-two-year-old niece, Zola. You know the story… Momma Bear makes porridge for herself, Poppa Bear and Baby Bear, and while it cools, they take a walk. A little girl named Goldilocks comes along while out for a walk in the woods. She knocks on the door, and when no one answers… she goes right in and helps herself to food, seating, and a bed for a nap! She even breaks Baby Bear’s chair when she sits in it.
When the bears return, they discover the intruder. Goldilocks wakes up, sees the bears, lets out a yell and runs out of the house… and the story says she was gone for good, because she never went for a walk in the woods again.
Clearly, nobody explained integrity to Goldilocks! She thought nothing of entering someone else’s home, eating their food, sitting in their chairs, or sleeping in their beds. And a lot of us are very much like her! We do what we please… when we please… and take whatever we want as if we are entitled. We say things we shouldn’t. We step off the “straight-and-narrow path” and dance to the beat of our own drummer… or that of the devil himself. And ultimately, our dishonesty and brazenness catch up with us, and we are “gone for good.” Nobody wants anything to do with us… and who could blame them?!
Too many of us have our sights fixed on instant gratification… a “what’s-in-it-for-me-now” mentality. We need to focus on the things of God… His will for our lives and what He wants us to accomplish in His name for the long haul. We need to think more about eternity and how we get there than on a temporary gratification… a warm bowl of porridge, a chair and a comfortable bed, so to speak!
What about you? Are you sticking to a path that leads to lasting rewards and eternity with Jesus… or are you living as if you are on a walk through the woods – hoping to find momentary pleasure in the things of this world? Are you treating others with respect and dignity… do you value their property and their feelings? Have you asked God to show you the path you should take in order to fulfill His purpose for your life? Have you prayed for moral character and integrity… have you asked God to reveal His plan for your life? Isn’t today a great day to do all of this?
Even if you started down another path, there is still time to turn back and regroup. You don’t have to be like Goldilocks and never take a walk in the woods again. You just have to stay on the right trail and let God lead the way. Who is guiding your steps these days? Whose path are you following… and where are you ultimately headed?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 20, 2013
Proverbs 10:9
People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.
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.
In the beautiful Arkansas Ozarks where we live, there are dozens of hiking trails, scenic vistas, and breathtaking landscapes. And the only way to enjoy many of them involves a hike! In the immediate area surrounding my community, there are at least three designated hiking areas that lead to some incredible scenery… much of it along bluffs and steep trails. As long as you stay on the designated - and well-worn - pathways, you should have no problem. But more than one person has decided to make his/her own way… and more than a few accidents have resulted.
At one particular landmark, there is a crevice in a steep rock formation commonly known as “Fat Man’s Squeeze.” The rocks have been worn slick by the thousands of climbers who have traversed them over time. Still, this is the recognized path to the top of “Sugarloaf Mountain.” But there will be those who decide to find another route to the top. This may be the result of arrogance, a sense of daring and adventure, or ignorance. But more than one person has fallen… there have been broken bones, and no doubt more than few bumps, scrapes and/or harrowing experiences.
I grew up visiting many of these local landmarks. People who were older and wiser than I showed me the safest paths to take… and how to navigate them successfully. As I visit these places now, I often wonder how those unfamiliar with this area manage to visit safely. Who shows them the ropes? Who tells them which crevice is “Fat Man’s Squeeze” (because there is more than one crevice!) and who reminds them to stay on the worn footpaths to avoid slipping and sliding? How do they know that there are potential dangers and pitfalls along the less-worn trails that lead to nowhere?
In our daily living, we need the same sort of guidance. There are designated pathways… but there are also potential dangers and pitfalls. Who shows us the ropes? And who will show others? Are we people of integrity who walk safely… or are we on crooked paths that leave us subject to a fall? Are we paying attention to the signs and operating in honesty, morality and faithfulness? Are we treating others as we would like to be treated? Are we setting the best example possible in our daily living? Or are we on a collision course with disaster… wandering willy-nilly through life doing as we please and hoping for the best?
God put these beautiful vistas and scenic landmarks in our midst for us to enjoy…just as He wants us to enjoy our life in general. But He also gave us clear pathways to follow… a moral compass… Biblical guidelines and Jesus’ example of how to conduct our lives and walk safely. It is up to us to pay attention and stay on course. How are you doing? Are you safely walking on the path to integrity… or are you headed up a crooked trail toward destruction? Now is the time to turn around… to alter your course and get back on track. Don’t risk your neck – physically, emotionally, or spiritually – for a thrill, a whim, or an attempt to exercise your independence! Stay on the pathway…walk safely in all matters… and see what amazing vistas God shows you!
©2013 Debbie Robus
People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.
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.
In the beautiful Arkansas Ozarks where we live, there are dozens of hiking trails, scenic vistas, and breathtaking landscapes. And the only way to enjoy many of them involves a hike! In the immediate area surrounding my community, there are at least three designated hiking areas that lead to some incredible scenery… much of it along bluffs and steep trails. As long as you stay on the designated - and well-worn - pathways, you should have no problem. But more than one person has decided to make his/her own way… and more than a few accidents have resulted.
At one particular landmark, there is a crevice in a steep rock formation commonly known as “Fat Man’s Squeeze.” The rocks have been worn slick by the thousands of climbers who have traversed them over time. Still, this is the recognized path to the top of “Sugarloaf Mountain.” But there will be those who decide to find another route to the top. This may be the result of arrogance, a sense of daring and adventure, or ignorance. But more than one person has fallen… there have been broken bones, and no doubt more than few bumps, scrapes and/or harrowing experiences.
I grew up visiting many of these local landmarks. People who were older and wiser than I showed me the safest paths to take… and how to navigate them successfully. As I visit these places now, I often wonder how those unfamiliar with this area manage to visit safely. Who shows them the ropes? Who tells them which crevice is “Fat Man’s Squeeze” (because there is more than one crevice!) and who reminds them to stay on the worn footpaths to avoid slipping and sliding? How do they know that there are potential dangers and pitfalls along the less-worn trails that lead to nowhere?
In our daily living, we need the same sort of guidance. There are designated pathways… but there are also potential dangers and pitfalls. Who shows us the ropes? And who will show others? Are we people of integrity who walk safely… or are we on crooked paths that leave us subject to a fall? Are we paying attention to the signs and operating in honesty, morality and faithfulness? Are we treating others as we would like to be treated? Are we setting the best example possible in our daily living? Or are we on a collision course with disaster… wandering willy-nilly through life doing as we please and hoping for the best?
God put these beautiful vistas and scenic landmarks in our midst for us to enjoy…just as He wants us to enjoy our life in general. But He also gave us clear pathways to follow… a moral compass… Biblical guidelines and Jesus’ example of how to conduct our lives and walk safely. It is up to us to pay attention and stay on course. How are you doing? Are you safely walking on the path to integrity… or are you headed up a crooked trail toward destruction? Now is the time to turn around… to alter your course and get back on track. Don’t risk your neck – physically, emotionally, or spiritually – for a thrill, a whim, or an attempt to exercise your independence! Stay on the pathway…walk safely in all matters… and see what amazing vistas God shows you!
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 15, 2013
March 15 ~ Job 2:1-5
One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan also showed up. God singled out Satan, saying, “And what have you been up to?” Satan answered God, “Oh, going here and there, checking things out.” Then God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him, is there—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it didn’t work.”
Satan answered, “A human would do anything to save his life. But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? He’d curse you to your face, that’s what.”
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.
When I was teaching kindergarten, one of my five-year-olds fell out in the hallway as our “lunch line” of students snaked its way to the cafeteria one morning. A severe diabetic, this child’s sugar level plummeted, and she collapsed. I heard the loud clank of her metal lunchbox, looked back, and saw her limp body… and I knew she was in trouble. I rushed her to the nearby nurse’s station, and we called an ambulance. Several suggested we give her something to eat or drink, but I was afraid she would choke. Her mother had said, “If anything happens, call an ambulance.” So that’s what we did. I rode with the child to medical clinic where her pediatrician practiced… located across town. There, she was given saltine crackers and a Coke. The sugar level rose, and thankfully, all was well. After that, we began checking her urine each day before lunch to make sure her sugar levels were within acceptable range.
After this episode, my then-assistant principal drove to the clinic to retrieve me. We were both shaken by the incident, and as she drove away from the clinic, she said, “What do you need, besides a good stiff drink?” We both laughed. But for many, this… or a cigarette…a pint of rich delicious ice cream… an extravagant shopping spree…a wild, reckless drive in a motorized vehicle of some sort…or some other “balm” would be the answer. See, when the going gets tough, a lot of us fold up or surrender to temptation. We find solace in things like food, nicotine, alcohol, drugs, overspending, and irresponsible behaviors. After all, we deserve to be a little crazy for all of our trouble… right?
When trouble comes… when tragedy strikes… when “bad things happen to good people,” the devil takes great delight in the fact that a lot of us turn from God – or at least turn toward the things that displease Him. Unlike Job, we turn away from the God who has supplied all of our needs and claim that “we’re entitled to go a little crazy.” Integrity, schmegrity! It’s time for us to have a pity party and/or get a little wild! We’ve had a lot of hardship in our life… we deserve to shirk our responsibilities for a change. Things have not gone well for us in any way/shape/form… it’s time we spat on the world! And this is exactly what many of us do.
We blame our illness, our employer, our teachers and coaches – or our parents – our church our past disappointments, or our childhood for all of the things that have happened to us. And we essentially say to God…”You let these things happen to us, and we’re not going to tolerate it!” In truth, all we are doing is saying, “I’d rather dance with the devil than trust God to help me through whatever struggles and challenges I’m facing.” It’s not easy to “keep your cool.” And often, doing the right thing is the hardest choice in the world. But I believe many of us know what we choices we should make… we just choose poorly.
So my challenge to each of us today is to take courage… to stay faithful… and to kick the devil to the curb. No matter what comes your way, say, “I’m not budging. God will see me through. It may be messy – even ugly at times – but He will never desert me.” I promise, you cannot say the same for the devil… a stiff drink, that shopping spree, or even a pint of ice cream (although it may stick around a little longer than you’d like!). The one constant… the only sure thing… is God Almighty. Stick with Him…choose to keep your integrity and behave in a way that pleases God. Live with the confidence that He is in charge and will never give you more than you can handle. Tell the devil to “Bring it! I’m serving a God who is big enough to help me handle all that you’ve got!” Then claim this for yourself… take it to heart…and make it so.
Never give up – or in – to the devil. Stick with God, preserve your integrity, and steer clear of any potential for destruction.
©2013 Debbie Robus
One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan also showed up. God singled out Satan, saying, “And what have you been up to?” Satan answered God, “Oh, going here and there, checking things out.” Then God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him, is there—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it didn’t work.”
Satan answered, “A human would do anything to save his life. But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? He’d curse you to your face, that’s what.”
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.
When I was teaching kindergarten, one of my five-year-olds fell out in the hallway as our “lunch line” of students snaked its way to the cafeteria one morning. A severe diabetic, this child’s sugar level plummeted, and she collapsed. I heard the loud clank of her metal lunchbox, looked back, and saw her limp body… and I knew she was in trouble. I rushed her to the nearby nurse’s station, and we called an ambulance. Several suggested we give her something to eat or drink, but I was afraid she would choke. Her mother had said, “If anything happens, call an ambulance.” So that’s what we did. I rode with the child to medical clinic where her pediatrician practiced… located across town. There, she was given saltine crackers and a Coke. The sugar level rose, and thankfully, all was well. After that, we began checking her urine each day before lunch to make sure her sugar levels were within acceptable range.
After this episode, my then-assistant principal drove to the clinic to retrieve me. We were both shaken by the incident, and as she drove away from the clinic, she said, “What do you need, besides a good stiff drink?” We both laughed. But for many, this… or a cigarette…a pint of rich delicious ice cream… an extravagant shopping spree…a wild, reckless drive in a motorized vehicle of some sort…or some other “balm” would be the answer. See, when the going gets tough, a lot of us fold up or surrender to temptation. We find solace in things like food, nicotine, alcohol, drugs, overspending, and irresponsible behaviors. After all, we deserve to be a little crazy for all of our trouble… right?
When trouble comes… when tragedy strikes… when “bad things happen to good people,” the devil takes great delight in the fact that a lot of us turn from God – or at least turn toward the things that displease Him. Unlike Job, we turn away from the God who has supplied all of our needs and claim that “we’re entitled to go a little crazy.” Integrity, schmegrity! It’s time for us to have a pity party and/or get a little wild! We’ve had a lot of hardship in our life… we deserve to shirk our responsibilities for a change. Things have not gone well for us in any way/shape/form… it’s time we spat on the world! And this is exactly what many of us do.
We blame our illness, our employer, our teachers and coaches – or our parents – our church our past disappointments, or our childhood for all of the things that have happened to us. And we essentially say to God…”You let these things happen to us, and we’re not going to tolerate it!” In truth, all we are doing is saying, “I’d rather dance with the devil than trust God to help me through whatever struggles and challenges I’m facing.” It’s not easy to “keep your cool.” And often, doing the right thing is the hardest choice in the world. But I believe many of us know what we choices we should make… we just choose poorly.
So my challenge to each of us today is to take courage… to stay faithful… and to kick the devil to the curb. No matter what comes your way, say, “I’m not budging. God will see me through. It may be messy – even ugly at times – but He will never desert me.” I promise, you cannot say the same for the devil… a stiff drink, that shopping spree, or even a pint of ice cream (although it may stick around a little longer than you’d like!). The one constant… the only sure thing… is God Almighty. Stick with Him…choose to keep your integrity and behave in a way that pleases God. Live with the confidence that He is in charge and will never give you more than you can handle. Tell the devil to “Bring it! I’m serving a God who is big enough to help me handle all that you’ve got!” Then claim this for yourself… take it to heart…and make it so.
Never give up – or in – to the devil. Stick with God, preserve your integrity, and steer clear of any potential for destruction.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 24, 2013
Ephesians 4:1-3
In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
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 The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren talks about how knowing your purpose simplifies your life. He says there is no way we can do all everyone wants us to do. We have a big enough challenge finding time to do God’s will! Pastor Warren says that if you can’t seem to get it all done, you’re probably trying to do too much! This sounds like a direct contradiction to the scripture passage you just read… right? Maybe not!
See, a lot of us aren’t necessarily sitting on our hands… but quite a few of us are strolling off down paths that go nowhere. We fill our lives with people who don’t encourage us or help us to grow in our faith. We spend too much time on meaningless activities. We start way too many projects that we never finish.
God wants us to figure out where to best spend our time… then get busy doing what He has called us to do. So rather than sign up for every activity at school, pick and choose those you feel God wants you to pursue… and really work hard to do your best. Instead of volunteering for every ministry at your church and not being able to serve well in any of them, ask God to show you where you can make the biggest impact for Him. Then pour your heart and soul into that ministry. Give 110% and be someone who is reliable, dependable, and accountable.
Too many people bite off more than they can chew. I know… I’ve spread myself too thinly and tried to do too much. It’s not that I chose to participate in more than was physically possible… but I wasn’t very effective in many of the activities. When you are trying to do too much – even if it is God’s work – you can’t possibly be fully helpful in every ministry. Think of the phrase “jack-of-all-trades… master of none.” God wants us to pour ourselves out for each other in acts of love as He directs… but He wants us to be able to physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually have the stamina to give our very best.
Won’t God equip us for such things? Yes. But God also gave us a brain… and He expects us to use it. He wants us to operate faithfully… to do His will. He also wants us to use the common sense that He gave us to know when to say “when.” We all know people who seem to have their finger in every pie… who seem to sign up for every committee, church and community project, hold down a fulltime class schedule or job (or both)… and maybe run a household, as well. But just how effective are they? Are they cutting corners and letting certain obligations or aspects of their ministries slide?
I encourage you to spend some time talking to God. Ask Him, “LORD, what is my purpose? Where do you want me to serve? What activities and ministries do I need to let go in order to be more successful at serving in your name? Where should I be focusing my efforts… and where have I strolled off down a path that goes nowhere?” Allow God to work in and through you. There is no shame in limiting your ministries, if you are giving your very best to those you keep and operating within the will of God. Where do you need to “trim the fat” or alter your course? Are you ready to run on the road God called you to travel?
©2013 Debbie Robus
In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
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 The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren talks about how knowing your purpose simplifies your life. He says there is no way we can do all everyone wants us to do. We have a big enough challenge finding time to do God’s will! Pastor Warren says that if you can’t seem to get it all done, you’re probably trying to do too much! This sounds like a direct contradiction to the scripture passage you just read… right? Maybe not!
See, a lot of us aren’t necessarily sitting on our hands… but quite a few of us are strolling off down paths that go nowhere. We fill our lives with people who don’t encourage us or help us to grow in our faith. We spend too much time on meaningless activities. We start way too many projects that we never finish.
God wants us to figure out where to best spend our time… then get busy doing what He has called us to do. So rather than sign up for every activity at school, pick and choose those you feel God wants you to pursue… and really work hard to do your best. Instead of volunteering for every ministry at your church and not being able to serve well in any of them, ask God to show you where you can make the biggest impact for Him. Then pour your heart and soul into that ministry. Give 110% and be someone who is reliable, dependable, and accountable.
Too many people bite off more than they can chew. I know… I’ve spread myself too thinly and tried to do too much. It’s not that I chose to participate in more than was physically possible… but I wasn’t very effective in many of the activities. When you are trying to do too much – even if it is God’s work – you can’t possibly be fully helpful in every ministry. Think of the phrase “jack-of-all-trades… master of none.” God wants us to pour ourselves out for each other in acts of love as He directs… but He wants us to be able to physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually have the stamina to give our very best.
Won’t God equip us for such things? Yes. But God also gave us a brain… and He expects us to use it. He wants us to operate faithfully… to do His will. He also wants us to use the common sense that He gave us to know when to say “when.” We all know people who seem to have their finger in every pie… who seem to sign up for every committee, church and community project, hold down a fulltime class schedule or job (or both)… and maybe run a household, as well. But just how effective are they? Are they cutting corners and letting certain obligations or aspects of their ministries slide?
I encourage you to spend some time talking to God. Ask Him, “LORD, what is my purpose? Where do you want me to serve? What activities and ministries do I need to let go in order to be more successful at serving in your name? Where should I be focusing my efforts… and where have I strolled off down a path that goes nowhere?” Allow God to work in and through you. There is no shame in limiting your ministries, if you are giving your very best to those you keep and operating within the will of God. Where do you need to “trim the fat” or alter your course? Are you ready to run on the road God called you to travel?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 4, 2012
October 4 ~ Ephesians 2:1-6
It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
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.
One day as I walked my students across the school campus, one of them spotted a Coke bottle on the sidewalk. He picked it up and smashed it to the ground, watching it splinter into a bazillion pieces. I asked him why he did this, and he said, “They (meaning his classmates) told me to.” In the mind of a child somewhere around the age of six, this was a good enough reason. The other children could not comprehend the magnitude of this action. They had no clue that the glass could ricochet and cut them… that someone could step on the debris on the sidewalk and get hurt… that this was an irresponsible thing to do. It was a teachable moment… and even though the student was only a young child, there were consequences for his actions. I am quite certain that I spoke sternly to him about how he was never to do this again!
Don’t you know that God wants to yank us out of line and give us a stern talking to… or worse… when we disobey Him? Can’t you imagine that He would like to “knock a knot on our head” as you may have heard a grown-up say at some point? None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. And on any given day, we’ve all “smashed the Coke bottle” because someone told us, “It won’t hurt anything!”
The most amazing part of this scripture passage to me is where it says, “It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us.” God didn’t pick us up by the collar and ask, “What do you think you’re doing?” He wrapped His arms around us and said, “Here you go… meet my Son who died for your poor choices and indiscretions. Because of Him, you are forgiven.” I have to tell you, this is deeply humbling for me. I know that I do not deserve such a gift… and quite frankly, neither do you. But that has not stopped God from swinging the doors wide open and inviting us to come directly to Him.
What happens next is totally up to us. We can continue to breathe in garbage and the lies of the devil and his posse, or we can cough up the sin, so to speak and clear our lungs once and for all. We can stop spinning our wheels and spiraling deeper into the mud of depravity… and we can reach for the extended hand of God Almighty, who waits to rescue us and give us a second chance.
Where do you see yourself? Are you drowning under the burdens of living to please others instead of the One who offers you hope and true redemption? Are you ready to accept His offer and make a fresh start, once and for all? Isn’t today the perfect time to give your burdens, misdeeds, lapses and disobedience to Jesus and allow Him to wipe them completely away… to fully restore you? Aren’t you ready to rest in the LORD… and to give Him thanks for such an amazing gift?
What are you waiting for? Let go… let God… and praise His grace and mercy forever.
©2012 Debbie Robus
It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
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.
One day as I walked my students across the school campus, one of them spotted a Coke bottle on the sidewalk. He picked it up and smashed it to the ground, watching it splinter into a bazillion pieces. I asked him why he did this, and he said, “They (meaning his classmates) told me to.” In the mind of a child somewhere around the age of six, this was a good enough reason. The other children could not comprehend the magnitude of this action. They had no clue that the glass could ricochet and cut them… that someone could step on the debris on the sidewalk and get hurt… that this was an irresponsible thing to do. It was a teachable moment… and even though the student was only a young child, there were consequences for his actions. I am quite certain that I spoke sternly to him about how he was never to do this again!
Don’t you know that God wants to yank us out of line and give us a stern talking to… or worse… when we disobey Him? Can’t you imagine that He would like to “knock a knot on our head” as you may have heard a grown-up say at some point? None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. And on any given day, we’ve all “smashed the Coke bottle” because someone told us, “It won’t hurt anything!”
The most amazing part of this scripture passage to me is where it says, “It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us.” God didn’t pick us up by the collar and ask, “What do you think you’re doing?” He wrapped His arms around us and said, “Here you go… meet my Son who died for your poor choices and indiscretions. Because of Him, you are forgiven.” I have to tell you, this is deeply humbling for me. I know that I do not deserve such a gift… and quite frankly, neither do you. But that has not stopped God from swinging the doors wide open and inviting us to come directly to Him.
What happens next is totally up to us. We can continue to breathe in garbage and the lies of the devil and his posse, or we can cough up the sin, so to speak and clear our lungs once and for all. We can stop spinning our wheels and spiraling deeper into the mud of depravity… and we can reach for the extended hand of God Almighty, who waits to rescue us and give us a second chance.
Where do you see yourself? Are you drowning under the burdens of living to please others instead of the One who offers you hope and true redemption? Are you ready to accept His offer and make a fresh start, once and for all? Isn’t today the perfect time to give your burdens, misdeeds, lapses and disobedience to Jesus and allow Him to wipe them completely away… to fully restore you? Aren’t you ready to rest in the LORD… and to give Him thanks for such an amazing gift?
What are you waiting for? Let go… let God… and praise His grace and mercy forever.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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