Hebrews 1:1-3
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
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.
Thirty-three-year-old actor Diogo Morgado, who was born in Portugal, portrayed Jesus in the television mini-series “The Bible”…and will also represent him in the upcoming full-length movie “Son of God”. I found Morgado’s performance incredibly moving and compelling.
During an interview with YAHOO!TV*, Morgado said, “[Overall] I tried to bring out the humanity in Jesus … he knew who he was. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't know how or when it was going to happen. I would try to go to the source…I tried to go to what would be the energy and the feeling that would come up with [the] words, you know? Sometimes I [thought it would] play more strongly in what I didn't say than what I did say, because for me, what Jesus said was a consequence of who he was. So the words don't define Jesus. It's Jesus that defines the words.”
In my opinion, Morgado was successful in his efforts. One of the things that struck me was the tenderness with which Morgado’s “Jesus” character approached others. He cupped their faces…kissed their foreheads…gently cradled lepers and cripples in his arms…embraced children with obvious affection…and more. And in many scenes, it truly was not about what Jesus said…but all about what He did and how He reacted. I remember thinking…”This really is how Jesus loves us.” The endearment and compassion were profound...and unforgettable.
In the same interview, co-producer Mark Burnett noted…"We made a conscious choice that on television, people don't want to be told how to feel. You have to present the story and allow them to feel. And so we did that. Our hope was that people would start conversations and seek more. Had we been proselytizing on the series, I think it would have had the opposite effect. I think the fact that we have just shown the stories, and people get to make up their own opinions…it's a great discussion point."
As we read these scripture verses from Hebrews, we are reminded that God sent Jesus to earth for one purpose… to radiate His glory and cleanse us of our sins so that we could share Him with others. And we have indeed received salvation through Jesus Christ…as well as His perfect example of how to love one another and present God’s glory and hope to others. Yes…Jesus angrily overturned the money-changer’s tables in the temple. Yes, He sometimes spoke frankly to those who challenged His authority or His teachings. But Jesus was never unkind or unloving…He never gossiped to His disciples about others…He never cheated anyone or succumbed to temptation…He never took the easy way out to spare His own feelings – or those of anyone else. Jesus never deliberately harmed another human being.
Just as importantly, Jesus knew when to let His actions speak louder than words. If you go back and read the Gospels again, you will see how calmly and rationally Jesus went about His day…whether fishing with the Disciples, healing the sick and lame - or making two fish and five loaves feed a crowd of thousands. And this is the message for us…this is our model for serving God as Christ’s disciples. We are to love others…to share the glory and promise of living as God’s children…to demonstrate the power – and unconditional care – of Jesus Christ…and to offer others an opportunity to receive His salvation. We are also called to know when our actions speak louder than words. If we truly model Jesus to others, we will set the stage for them to seek more. We will offer them “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”…and allow God to do the rest.
How are you sharing Jesus with others? Does your daily living demonstrate the love of Christ and God’s glory? Is your discipleship quiet, tender, and compelling…or boisterous, sometimes harsh, and off-putting? Are you expressing the very character of God to others? Isn’t it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*http://tv.yahoo.com/news/-the-bible--crucifixion-scenes-brought-48-snakes-and-a-life-changing-experience-for-diogo-morgado-211712546.html
Showing posts with label compassion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label compassion. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for December 12, 2012
Luke 9:23
Then Jesus said to all the people: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Whew! Was I ever “brought up short” about this today! I was helping my grandmother with her lunch at the assisted living facility when an aide came to sit at the table and help feed another resident. I would guess she was in her late 30s or early 40s. She asked if I was ready for Christmas, and we began to visit. She told me about her four-year-old grand-daughter who is coming… and what she had asked for (and this woman had purchased) as gifts. As she rose to help another resident, she said, “Since I lost my husband, Christmas just isn’t the same.” I asked how long he had been gone, and she said, “a few years… he suffered a heart attack while we were en route to the hospital to see about a family member, and he died in my arms.” I swallowed hard to fight back tears. I told her how sorry I was, and she smiled and wished me a good day as she left.
The aide who came to replace her at the table sat down, and I said, “She just told me about her husband.” This woman looked like maybe she was in her 50s, and she said, “Yes, we commiserate a lot, because I lost my husband, too.” This woman went on to tell me that her husband died a year ago of cancer. She was equally friendly and positive as she talked about her grandchildren and caring for others. Both women were incredibly sweet and attentive to my grandmother and to her table-mate.
When I looked at my scripture outline for these devos and read the verse for today, I knew why God placed me at the facility during lunch. Even in the midst of my frenzy to get things done for Christmas… my worries and concerns about my grandmother, who appears to be in her last weeks, if not days… the general busyness of our day and all of the myriad of other “stressors” we each encounter… nothing is about ME… or YOU! It’s about serving Jesus… being His hands and feet for others… and sharing His Good News at every turn.
The question today is… “How are you doing?” Are you joyful and patient, positive and helpful? Or are you a miserable example of what it means to be a Disciple of Christ? Do you go around with the weight of the world on your shoulders… are you a drag to be around – or a delight? Is everything about you and your troubles… or are you genuinely interested in the well-being of others? Do you bother to find out about their day or what is going on in their life? Or are you too busy letting others know – either by body language, your comments, or both - just how bad you’ve got it?
Jesus is calling us to take up His cross and follow Him… to lay aside the worries of our day and let Him handle them… to focus on loving others and showing care and concern for what is challenging or frustrating them – and to share their joys and triumphs. Again I ask… “How are you doing?” It would seem that most of us have plenty of room for improvement in this area. Are you ready to follow Jesus completely? Are YOU ready to really focus on serving Him in everything? Who needs to know this day that you truly care? Isn’t it time you showed them?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Then Jesus said to all the people: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Whew! Was I ever “brought up short” about this today! I was helping my grandmother with her lunch at the assisted living facility when an aide came to sit at the table and help feed another resident. I would guess she was in her late 30s or early 40s. She asked if I was ready for Christmas, and we began to visit. She told me about her four-year-old grand-daughter who is coming… and what she had asked for (and this woman had purchased) as gifts. As she rose to help another resident, she said, “Since I lost my husband, Christmas just isn’t the same.” I asked how long he had been gone, and she said, “a few years… he suffered a heart attack while we were en route to the hospital to see about a family member, and he died in my arms.” I swallowed hard to fight back tears. I told her how sorry I was, and she smiled and wished me a good day as she left.
The aide who came to replace her at the table sat down, and I said, “She just told me about her husband.” This woman looked like maybe she was in her 50s, and she said, “Yes, we commiserate a lot, because I lost my husband, too.” This woman went on to tell me that her husband died a year ago of cancer. She was equally friendly and positive as she talked about her grandchildren and caring for others. Both women were incredibly sweet and attentive to my grandmother and to her table-mate.
When I looked at my scripture outline for these devos and read the verse for today, I knew why God placed me at the facility during lunch. Even in the midst of my frenzy to get things done for Christmas… my worries and concerns about my grandmother, who appears to be in her last weeks, if not days… the general busyness of our day and all of the myriad of other “stressors” we each encounter… nothing is about ME… or YOU! It’s about serving Jesus… being His hands and feet for others… and sharing His Good News at every turn.
The question today is… “How are you doing?” Are you joyful and patient, positive and helpful? Or are you a miserable example of what it means to be a Disciple of Christ? Do you go around with the weight of the world on your shoulders… are you a drag to be around – or a delight? Is everything about you and your troubles… or are you genuinely interested in the well-being of others? Do you bother to find out about their day or what is going on in their life? Or are you too busy letting others know – either by body language, your comments, or both - just how bad you’ve got it?
Jesus is calling us to take up His cross and follow Him… to lay aside the worries of our day and let Him handle them… to focus on loving others and showing care and concern for what is challenging or frustrating them – and to share their joys and triumphs. Again I ask… “How are you doing?” It would seem that most of us have plenty of room for improvement in this area. Are you ready to follow Jesus completely? Are YOU ready to really focus on serving Him in everything? Who needs to know this day that you truly care? Isn’t it time you showed them?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 29, 2012
Matthew 6:12
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
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.
Our 13-year-old cats are fairly asocial. They particularly do not like sudden movements, loud noises… and children. Ironically, our little ones like Timothy and my cousin Owen want nothing more than to get close to the cats. They so want to see them, touch them, talk to them… and become friends! So one day when Owen bent down in front of a chair that housed our cat, Lucy, she reached out and gave him a declawed swat on the head. Owen was devastated. He cried, “That kitty hit me! Why that kitty not like me?” We all justified Lucy’s little swat as a reaction to someone she didn’t know – an innate fear and dislike of something unfamiliar. And even Owen still asks every time, “Where are the kitties?” Although he has not forgotten the swat, he has forgiven the cat!
Isn’t it funny that we can forgive the outburst of a small animal… but not of a human being? We can readily understand – and excuse – the behavior of a pet that reacts to particular situations and circumstances, but we have no compassion for people who are responding out of their own fears and stresses.
I’m not saying that people have a license to be rude and disgruntled – or to gripe, complain and snap at others and expect to be given a free pass. But we often react to others quickly – and rashly – (if only in our thoughts) and fail to consider what may be their “back-story”… what may be really happening within their heart and mind. More importantly, we don’t see how often we do the very same thing… toward others, and toward God. We snap, we are rude, brash, unkind, judgmental and uncaring… and we expect God and others to forgive and forget our own lapses.
I’m pretty sure that most of us have a deep desire for forgiveness. We want God to bury the hatchet and offer us a chance to make a fresh start – and we want this from our human counterparts, as well. What we don’t realize is that we have to make the first move. We have to let bygones be bygones with others and reconcile our differences in order to unblock our own forgiveness.
The more you put this into practice, the easier it becomes… and the more you see areas where you need to offer mercy and compassion to others. When you stop and consider how you feel when you are judged and unforgiven… how much you desire God’s grace and understanding in your own life… you will see more clearly how important it is that you forgive others in the same way.
The most important thing you say today could possibly be, “I am willing to forgive one person.” If you can say that you are willing to stop judging and criticizing others, or harboring ill feelings toward even one person, you will have taken a step closer to operating in God’s love and redemption. As we strive to walk more closely with Jesus every day – to emulate His tenderness and affection for us in our daily living – amazing things will happen. We will be released from the burdens of our own recklessness. We will have the peace of God’s forgiveness – and knowing His pleasure as we forgive others.
Who are you willing to forgive today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
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.
Our 13-year-old cats are fairly asocial. They particularly do not like sudden movements, loud noises… and children. Ironically, our little ones like Timothy and my cousin Owen want nothing more than to get close to the cats. They so want to see them, touch them, talk to them… and become friends! So one day when Owen bent down in front of a chair that housed our cat, Lucy, she reached out and gave him a declawed swat on the head. Owen was devastated. He cried, “That kitty hit me! Why that kitty not like me?” We all justified Lucy’s little swat as a reaction to someone she didn’t know – an innate fear and dislike of something unfamiliar. And even Owen still asks every time, “Where are the kitties?” Although he has not forgotten the swat, he has forgiven the cat!
Isn’t it funny that we can forgive the outburst of a small animal… but not of a human being? We can readily understand – and excuse – the behavior of a pet that reacts to particular situations and circumstances, but we have no compassion for people who are responding out of their own fears and stresses.
I’m not saying that people have a license to be rude and disgruntled – or to gripe, complain and snap at others and expect to be given a free pass. But we often react to others quickly – and rashly – (if only in our thoughts) and fail to consider what may be their “back-story”… what may be really happening within their heart and mind. More importantly, we don’t see how often we do the very same thing… toward others, and toward God. We snap, we are rude, brash, unkind, judgmental and uncaring… and we expect God and others to forgive and forget our own lapses.
I’m pretty sure that most of us have a deep desire for forgiveness. We want God to bury the hatchet and offer us a chance to make a fresh start – and we want this from our human counterparts, as well. What we don’t realize is that we have to make the first move. We have to let bygones be bygones with others and reconcile our differences in order to unblock our own forgiveness.
The more you put this into practice, the easier it becomes… and the more you see areas where you need to offer mercy and compassion to others. When you stop and consider how you feel when you are judged and unforgiven… how much you desire God’s grace and understanding in your own life… you will see more clearly how important it is that you forgive others in the same way.
The most important thing you say today could possibly be, “I am willing to forgive one person.” If you can say that you are willing to stop judging and criticizing others, or harboring ill feelings toward even one person, you will have taken a step closer to operating in God’s love and redemption. As we strive to walk more closely with Jesus every day – to emulate His tenderness and affection for us in our daily living – amazing things will happen. We will be released from the burdens of our own recklessness. We will have the peace of God’s forgiveness – and knowing His pleasure as we forgive others.
Who are you willing to forgive today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 10, 2012
Galatians 6:1-3
Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
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.
All I could think about as I read this passage was church and government leaders who have criticized this behavior or that lifestyle… only to be found guilty of the same thing at a later date. From mismanagement of funds to sexual infidelity, drug and alcohol abuse, physical or sexual abuse and more…these leaders often find themselves needing forgiveness for the very things they have condemned others for doing. And frankly, you and I are no better much of the time!
Do not misunderstand me… I am not making excuses for anyone. I’m merely saying that we are all human beings… all capable of sin… and equally in need of grace and mercy on any given day. To look down upon another person – or be critical of him/her with no offer of genuine compassion – runs counter to Christ’s law to love your neighbor as yourself.
If we are truly Christ’s disciples… if we really want His love, grace, mercy and forgiveness for OUR sins… we must offer this same kindness and consideration to others. How do we love someone who molests children or abuses animals? How can we forgive the drunk driver who killed our loved one or the significant other or spouse who cheats? How can we not be disgusted by the person who gambles away everything and endangers the welfare of his/her family – or the person who cannot shake a drug habit and ruins not only his/her life but the lives of countless others?
The answer is that we must look at each of these people as Jesus does… through His eyes. We don’t condone their behaviors. We do not excuse their sins. But we love the person God created and say inwardly – if not aloud – “I will pray for this person. I will offer kindness and fair treatment. I will remember that on any given day, others might be repulsed by me if they knew my sins and shortcomings. I will leave punishment to those in authority, where necessary… and the ultimate judgment to God.”
Too many of us act as if we are incapable of offering compassion to those we deem to have failed in some way. In truth, we have decided we are too good for other sinners… failing to recognize that we are right there in the boat with them! The time has come for us to remove our blinders and see clearly… to recognize that we are called to love others as God loves us. And that means we don’t get to pick and choose for whom – or when – we do this!
We all need to examine our hearts. I’m pretty sure each one of us has operated in criticism and judgment of others – at least to some degree. It’s time to ask ourselves how we would feel knowing others do this toward us… and then adjust our attitudes accordingly. We can’t have it both ways. We’re either walking in the protective shadow of the cross… or wandering in the desert with the devil.
Who do you need to restore today with your prayers and compassion? Who is God calling you to forgive? Are you living creatively in the love of Christ?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
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.
All I could think about as I read this passage was church and government leaders who have criticized this behavior or that lifestyle… only to be found guilty of the same thing at a later date. From mismanagement of funds to sexual infidelity, drug and alcohol abuse, physical or sexual abuse and more…these leaders often find themselves needing forgiveness for the very things they have condemned others for doing. And frankly, you and I are no better much of the time!
Do not misunderstand me… I am not making excuses for anyone. I’m merely saying that we are all human beings… all capable of sin… and equally in need of grace and mercy on any given day. To look down upon another person – or be critical of him/her with no offer of genuine compassion – runs counter to Christ’s law to love your neighbor as yourself.
If we are truly Christ’s disciples… if we really want His love, grace, mercy and forgiveness for OUR sins… we must offer this same kindness and consideration to others. How do we love someone who molests children or abuses animals? How can we forgive the drunk driver who killed our loved one or the significant other or spouse who cheats? How can we not be disgusted by the person who gambles away everything and endangers the welfare of his/her family – or the person who cannot shake a drug habit and ruins not only his/her life but the lives of countless others?
The answer is that we must look at each of these people as Jesus does… through His eyes. We don’t condone their behaviors. We do not excuse their sins. But we love the person God created and say inwardly – if not aloud – “I will pray for this person. I will offer kindness and fair treatment. I will remember that on any given day, others might be repulsed by me if they knew my sins and shortcomings. I will leave punishment to those in authority, where necessary… and the ultimate judgment to God.”
Too many of us act as if we are incapable of offering compassion to those we deem to have failed in some way. In truth, we have decided we are too good for other sinners… failing to recognize that we are right there in the boat with them! The time has come for us to remove our blinders and see clearly… to recognize that we are called to love others as God loves us. And that means we don’t get to pick and choose for whom – or when – we do this!
We all need to examine our hearts. I’m pretty sure each one of us has operated in criticism and judgment of others – at least to some degree. It’s time to ask ourselves how we would feel knowing others do this toward us… and then adjust our attitudes accordingly. We can’t have it both ways. We’re either walking in the protective shadow of the cross… or wandering in the desert with the devil.
Who do you need to restore today with your prayers and compassion? Who is God calling you to forgive? Are you living creatively in the love of Christ?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 7, 2012
Romans 15:1-6
Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?”
That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I grew up in an atmosphere of “seeing after” others. It was common to “take a dish” when someone died or got sick. I’ve seen my grandmother make everything from vegetable soup to a pan of hot rolls to a full meal for others who were going through a rough patch. I’ve heard her talk about going to someone’s home and taking care of them and their family when they were sick and in need. My late cousin Eddie was known for the smoked or baked hams he delivered to families who had suffered a loss. I remember how a dear neighbor brought a delicious meal to the home of my husband’s parents the night my father-in-law died.
As important as food and nurture are when we are in need, human contact and support are equally vital. I will never forget the half dozen or more ladies who came from my parents’ church and organized shifts to prepare meals and run my mom’s kitchen and household when my dad and brother died. It seemed as if there was someone there to organize everything from the morning breakfast to mopping the floors before bedtime – for almost a week! I can still picture a dear friend who lay across a bed with my grandmother and consoled her after my dad – her only son – had died. I still recall the weekly visits of a certain pastor in our town when my dad and brother were ill. Neither of them were members of his congregation… yet, he found time to visit and offer support to all of us.
I know as surely as I am writing this devotional that there are people in my community – and in my own circle of family and friends – who are in need of help, strength and encouragement today… the kind that I can offer. And I am sure that it is the same for you. Who is sick? Who has been injured? Who has suffered the loss of a loved one, a job, a relationship, their health, a home, and more? Who is moving or working on a project that could use a couple of extra hands and feet? Where are you able to offer God’s love and a little hope to someone who might need it? Can you “take a dish” and offer physical sustenance? Can you offer a hug, write a note of encouragement, or share a conversation to let someone know that you care? Can you give someone a ride, care for a pet, or babysit for a few hours?
I guarantee you, as much as people notice when you help them, they also notice when you don’t. And we can all come up with dozens of excuses for not coming to the aid of those around us who are in need – even down to our own family members. The tasks are not always pleasant. It’s often downright difficult. Knowing what to say and do takes prayer… and practice!
Meeting the needs of others may not come as easily for you as it seems to for some… but that doesn’t give you a “free pass.” God will equip you with exactly what you need to say and do… but you have to get up and get going. You have to be willing to take a risk and “take on the troubles of the troubled” in Jesus’ name.
Who will you reach out to this day? Where will you lend a hand… offer God’s hope… surrender yourself and do what is less than convenient? I can assure you already that you will never regret it. You will find that in blessing others in God’s name, you always get the bigger blessing. Are you ready to truly count for God? Are you ready to serve Him and exercise your “faith muscle?” Where will you “wade in” and make a difference today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?”
That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I grew up in an atmosphere of “seeing after” others. It was common to “take a dish” when someone died or got sick. I’ve seen my grandmother make everything from vegetable soup to a pan of hot rolls to a full meal for others who were going through a rough patch. I’ve heard her talk about going to someone’s home and taking care of them and their family when they were sick and in need. My late cousin Eddie was known for the smoked or baked hams he delivered to families who had suffered a loss. I remember how a dear neighbor brought a delicious meal to the home of my husband’s parents the night my father-in-law died.
As important as food and nurture are when we are in need, human contact and support are equally vital. I will never forget the half dozen or more ladies who came from my parents’ church and organized shifts to prepare meals and run my mom’s kitchen and household when my dad and brother died. It seemed as if there was someone there to organize everything from the morning breakfast to mopping the floors before bedtime – for almost a week! I can still picture a dear friend who lay across a bed with my grandmother and consoled her after my dad – her only son – had died. I still recall the weekly visits of a certain pastor in our town when my dad and brother were ill. Neither of them were members of his congregation… yet, he found time to visit and offer support to all of us.
I know as surely as I am writing this devotional that there are people in my community – and in my own circle of family and friends – who are in need of help, strength and encouragement today… the kind that I can offer. And I am sure that it is the same for you. Who is sick? Who has been injured? Who has suffered the loss of a loved one, a job, a relationship, their health, a home, and more? Who is moving or working on a project that could use a couple of extra hands and feet? Where are you able to offer God’s love and a little hope to someone who might need it? Can you “take a dish” and offer physical sustenance? Can you offer a hug, write a note of encouragement, or share a conversation to let someone know that you care? Can you give someone a ride, care for a pet, or babysit for a few hours?
I guarantee you, as much as people notice when you help them, they also notice when you don’t. And we can all come up with dozens of excuses for not coming to the aid of those around us who are in need – even down to our own family members. The tasks are not always pleasant. It’s often downright difficult. Knowing what to say and do takes prayer… and practice!
Meeting the needs of others may not come as easily for you as it seems to for some… but that doesn’t give you a “free pass.” God will equip you with exactly what you need to say and do… but you have to get up and get going. You have to be willing to take a risk and “take on the troubles of the troubled” in Jesus’ name.
Who will you reach out to this day? Where will you lend a hand… offer God’s hope… surrender yourself and do what is less than convenient? I can assure you already that you will never regret it. You will find that in blessing others in God’s name, you always get the bigger blessing. Are you ready to truly count for God? Are you ready to serve Him and exercise your “faith muscle?” Where will you “wade in” and make a difference today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 28, 2012
Romans 12:4-6
In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
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.
Today, for the second time in less than a year, I will attend the burial service of a dear relative or friend who was “like family.” Both died too young – neither living to their mid-fifties. Both were Christians… and I’m sure they rest safely in Jesus’ arms today. But both left unfinished business on this earth. And while we all do this, to some degree… some leave more than others.
Like my loved ones, you may be separated from others you love – who love you – for a variety of reasons. These reasons may make perfect sense to you… and to some of those around you… but some of the motivations seem so long ago and convoluted that you honestly can’t even explain how or why the separation happened. Some have distanced themselves from others over petty and selfish events… hurtful words…or pure laziness that kept both parties from making the effort to maintain the relationship.
Think about your own life. Who was a big part of your world at one time who is now completely off your radar screen… and why? Facebook has helped me to reconnect with a lot of people from my high school and college years… to rekindle friendships with people I had simply not remained in contact in decades… and understandably. Our lives went in different directions. There was a friendship there… but probably not a deep connection or bond.
On the other hand, I have cousins and other relatives - people who were truly important in my life - with whom I have not spoken in months… or years. I am ashamed to say, “So-and-So was a huge part of my childhood… and I’ve not spoken to him/her in a decade.” It’s embarrassing to tell someone, “She is ‘like family’ to me… but I’ve not seen her in years.” What does this say about me as a part of Christ’s body? It’s as if I said, “Oh, I’ll be the earlobe… that way, how I behave or serve is not all that important in the scheme of things.” Let me ask you… if you saw someone and one of their earlobes was missing, don’t you think you would notice?
Every one of us is vital to the body of Christ. That means that the person we have not seen or spoken to - for whatever reason – is equally important… and we all need to function together as one body. I encourage you to search your heart today and think about the people who have been such an integral part of making you who you are today. Who in that group have you neglected? Who in that group have you distanced yourself from… even with “good” reason? As a part of the body of Christ, isn’t it time you reached out and at least attempted to reconnect?
In my own case with my two loved ones now gone, I made the effort with one of them – although it was not reciprocated. But I knew that this person knew how much I cared. In the other case, I could have done more… and this is a good lesson for me. There doesn’t have to be reconciliation… and there very well may not be… but a note to let this person know you still love them and care could begin the healing process. I’ll be sending some notes and e-mails… maybe making a phone call or two… and starting the process of reconnecting with the body of Christ and becoming a fully functioning part of His ministry. Will you do the same?
©2012 Debbie Robus
In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
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.
Today, for the second time in less than a year, I will attend the burial service of a dear relative or friend who was “like family.” Both died too young – neither living to their mid-fifties. Both were Christians… and I’m sure they rest safely in Jesus’ arms today. But both left unfinished business on this earth. And while we all do this, to some degree… some leave more than others.
Like my loved ones, you may be separated from others you love – who love you – for a variety of reasons. These reasons may make perfect sense to you… and to some of those around you… but some of the motivations seem so long ago and convoluted that you honestly can’t even explain how or why the separation happened. Some have distanced themselves from others over petty and selfish events… hurtful words…or pure laziness that kept both parties from making the effort to maintain the relationship.
Think about your own life. Who was a big part of your world at one time who is now completely off your radar screen… and why? Facebook has helped me to reconnect with a lot of people from my high school and college years… to rekindle friendships with people I had simply not remained in contact in decades… and understandably. Our lives went in different directions. There was a friendship there… but probably not a deep connection or bond.
On the other hand, I have cousins and other relatives - people who were truly important in my life - with whom I have not spoken in months… or years. I am ashamed to say, “So-and-So was a huge part of my childhood… and I’ve not spoken to him/her in a decade.” It’s embarrassing to tell someone, “She is ‘like family’ to me… but I’ve not seen her in years.” What does this say about me as a part of Christ’s body? It’s as if I said, “Oh, I’ll be the earlobe… that way, how I behave or serve is not all that important in the scheme of things.” Let me ask you… if you saw someone and one of their earlobes was missing, don’t you think you would notice?
Every one of us is vital to the body of Christ. That means that the person we have not seen or spoken to - for whatever reason – is equally important… and we all need to function together as one body. I encourage you to search your heart today and think about the people who have been such an integral part of making you who you are today. Who in that group have you neglected? Who in that group have you distanced yourself from… even with “good” reason? As a part of the body of Christ, isn’t it time you reached out and at least attempted to reconnect?
In my own case with my two loved ones now gone, I made the effort with one of them – although it was not reciprocated. But I knew that this person knew how much I cared. In the other case, I could have done more… and this is a good lesson for me. There doesn’t have to be reconciliation… and there very well may not be… but a note to let this person know you still love them and care could begin the healing process. I’ll be sending some notes and e-mails… maybe making a phone call or two… and starting the process of reconnecting with the body of Christ and becoming a fully functioning part of His ministry. Will you do the same?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 16, 2011
Luke 17:3-4
So be careful what you do. Correct any followers of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry. Even if one of them mistreats you seven times in one day and says, "I am sorry," you should still forgive that person.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Years ago, I confided to my pastor about a deep hurt I had experienced. He looked at me with amazement and said, “But I’ve seen you interact with this person, and you have such a loving relationship!” I replied, “Yes, because I forgave… I had to. Otherwise, this would have eaten me alive.” He just shook his head, touched my hand and said, “God bless you… you did the right thing.” Forgiveness is a daunting challenge for most of us… especially when we have been mistreated, insulted, deceived and/or wounded repeatedly. And I will tell you, I don’t always forgive easily or readily… even when I know I should.
The sad fact is that we expect Jesus to forgive us for infractions toward Him, when we cannot forgive those who offend us. We make promises to Jesus and fail to deliver… we turn our back on Him when it suits our need to impress someone or look important – or when doing what is right would not be quite as much fun… we wound Him deeply with our inability to stay faithful and serve as He desires. And yet, He forgives us… over and over again.
So we must forgive those who mistreat us or behave badly. I didn’t say we have to accept what they do… or ignore it. Jesus tells us that we must gently correct those who do this, which means you have every right to tell another person that you do not like how they are behaving… if you feel it is harmful to you, others, or themselves. We must be very careful to judge another person’s “sin,” but we are all pretty good gauges of behavior that is unacceptable toward us or others. If you have a friend or loved one who is abusing alcohol or drugs, you should say something.
If you know someone who is acting irresponsibly, failing to show up for school or work, not taking proper care of their children or their own health and hygiene, or even mistreating their pets, you have an obligation to confront them in a loving manner. Whether you affect a change is not the issue… only God can truly help them to change. But when these people come to you and ask you to forgive them – whether they have changed temporarily or forever – you must do so. And honestly, you must forgive them even when they don’t ask. We cannot ask God to forgive us if we are not willing to forgive others.
I know this is hard. I know that there are times we all want to just give up and walk away… and there is nothing wrong with taking a break for awhile and letting the dust settle. But ultimately, we are bound by our covenant with Jesus Christ to forgive others… over and over again, if necessary.Who is seeking your forgiveness today? Who do you need to ask to forgive you? Are you ready to be a true Disciple of Christ and accept the hard challenges? Do you need to begin by asking Jesus to forgive you yet again – or to help you forgive someone else? He will… and you must. What are you waiting for? Forgiveness is only a prayer away.
©2011 Debbie Robus
So be careful what you do. Correct any followers of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry. Even if one of them mistreats you seven times in one day and says, "I am sorry," you should still forgive that person.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Years ago, I confided to my pastor about a deep hurt I had experienced. He looked at me with amazement and said, “But I’ve seen you interact with this person, and you have such a loving relationship!” I replied, “Yes, because I forgave… I had to. Otherwise, this would have eaten me alive.” He just shook his head, touched my hand and said, “God bless you… you did the right thing.” Forgiveness is a daunting challenge for most of us… especially when we have been mistreated, insulted, deceived and/or wounded repeatedly. And I will tell you, I don’t always forgive easily or readily… even when I know I should.
The sad fact is that we expect Jesus to forgive us for infractions toward Him, when we cannot forgive those who offend us. We make promises to Jesus and fail to deliver… we turn our back on Him when it suits our need to impress someone or look important – or when doing what is right would not be quite as much fun… we wound Him deeply with our inability to stay faithful and serve as He desires. And yet, He forgives us… over and over again.
So we must forgive those who mistreat us or behave badly. I didn’t say we have to accept what they do… or ignore it. Jesus tells us that we must gently correct those who do this, which means you have every right to tell another person that you do not like how they are behaving… if you feel it is harmful to you, others, or themselves. We must be very careful to judge another person’s “sin,” but we are all pretty good gauges of behavior that is unacceptable toward us or others. If you have a friend or loved one who is abusing alcohol or drugs, you should say something.
If you know someone who is acting irresponsibly, failing to show up for school or work, not taking proper care of their children or their own health and hygiene, or even mistreating their pets, you have an obligation to confront them in a loving manner. Whether you affect a change is not the issue… only God can truly help them to change. But when these people come to you and ask you to forgive them – whether they have changed temporarily or forever – you must do so. And honestly, you must forgive them even when they don’t ask. We cannot ask God to forgive us if we are not willing to forgive others.
I know this is hard. I know that there are times we all want to just give up and walk away… and there is nothing wrong with taking a break for awhile and letting the dust settle. But ultimately, we are bound by our covenant with Jesus Christ to forgive others… over and over again, if necessary.Who is seeking your forgiveness today? Who do you need to ask to forgive you? Are you ready to be a true Disciple of Christ and accept the hard challenges? Do you need to begin by asking Jesus to forgive you yet again – or to help you forgive someone else? He will… and you must. What are you waiting for? Forgiveness is only a prayer away.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 10, 2011
Galatians 6:1-3
Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
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.
Problems and burdens are like holes in your underwear… at some point, everybody’s got ‘em! You can put on your clothes and assume that nobody will be any the wiser about the tiny hole – or the giant rip – underneath. And it’s the same with our problems… we can smooth them over and act as if we have none. But the fact remains… every single person has some sort of challenge or burden at one time or another.
Quite often, we make the colossal mistake of assuming that the other guy has no troubles… because after all, he makes good money, drives a nice car, lives in a big fancy house, and everything seems to go his way. We may not realize that his relationships are falling apart, he’s in debt up to his eyeballs, and the doctor just told him his “numbers” are through the roof. Because his exterior is neat, clean and starched, we may not see what lies underneath.
As Christians, we often make the mistake of looking past those in our immediate circle. We seek the lost… those who have no relationship with Jesus Christ… those who need a church home or clearly wear their problems like a shabby, threadbare coat. We see the obvious while completely missing “the elephant in the room.” One example of this is pastors and those in ministry. People tend to overlook these folks and their needs, assuming that they must have it all together – given their position and all. Often, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Pastors have health issues, family woes, money troubles, losses and grief and more… just like the rest of us. We once attended a church where the pastor stood up one Sunday and announced he was taking a break from the pulpit to deal with his own severe depression. Few, if any, in the congregation had a clue that he was suffering in this manner… and it was humbling to think we had not realized his serious burden. But often we don’t remember to ask people how they are doing – or even to pray for them!
As Christians, we are called to share each others’ burdens. We are not to be so self-absorbed or busy trying to “add to the flock” that we overlook the immediate needs of our own brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s time we took a look around us. Who in your immediate circle is flying under the radar? Who needs someone to ask, “Are you alright? Is there anything I can do for you?” What friends and family members need a word of encouragement… assurance that you care about them and have not forgotten how precious they are – to you and to God?
Never assume that the other guy has it all together based on outward appearance. Just as you should never criticize those whose burdens seem huge, distasteful – or even senseless – you should not criticize those who appear to have no problems. I assure you, their troubles may not be as big as some in the grand scheme of things… but on any given day, they can seem quite huge and frustrating. Just as we are not to judge those who appear to have big troubles or sins, we must not judge those who appear to be trouble free.
Have you looked around your backyard today? Have you asked yourself, “What is really happening with So-and-So… and have I been paying attention to his/her needs?” We’re all in this together… Jesus called us to love one another. Are you doing your part?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
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.
Problems and burdens are like holes in your underwear… at some point, everybody’s got ‘em! You can put on your clothes and assume that nobody will be any the wiser about the tiny hole – or the giant rip – underneath. And it’s the same with our problems… we can smooth them over and act as if we have none. But the fact remains… every single person has some sort of challenge or burden at one time or another.
Quite often, we make the colossal mistake of assuming that the other guy has no troubles… because after all, he makes good money, drives a nice car, lives in a big fancy house, and everything seems to go his way. We may not realize that his relationships are falling apart, he’s in debt up to his eyeballs, and the doctor just told him his “numbers” are through the roof. Because his exterior is neat, clean and starched, we may not see what lies underneath.
As Christians, we often make the mistake of looking past those in our immediate circle. We seek the lost… those who have no relationship with Jesus Christ… those who need a church home or clearly wear their problems like a shabby, threadbare coat. We see the obvious while completely missing “the elephant in the room.” One example of this is pastors and those in ministry. People tend to overlook these folks and their needs, assuming that they must have it all together – given their position and all. Often, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Pastors have health issues, family woes, money troubles, losses and grief and more… just like the rest of us. We once attended a church where the pastor stood up one Sunday and announced he was taking a break from the pulpit to deal with his own severe depression. Few, if any, in the congregation had a clue that he was suffering in this manner… and it was humbling to think we had not realized his serious burden. But often we don’t remember to ask people how they are doing – or even to pray for them!
As Christians, we are called to share each others’ burdens. We are not to be so self-absorbed or busy trying to “add to the flock” that we overlook the immediate needs of our own brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s time we took a look around us. Who in your immediate circle is flying under the radar? Who needs someone to ask, “Are you alright? Is there anything I can do for you?” What friends and family members need a word of encouragement… assurance that you care about them and have not forgotten how precious they are – to you and to God?
Never assume that the other guy has it all together based on outward appearance. Just as you should never criticize those whose burdens seem huge, distasteful – or even senseless – you should not criticize those who appear to have no problems. I assure you, their troubles may not be as big as some in the grand scheme of things… but on any given day, they can seem quite huge and frustrating. Just as we are not to judge those who appear to have big troubles or sins, we must not judge those who appear to be trouble free.
Have you looked around your backyard today? Have you asked yourself, “What is really happening with So-and-So… and have I been paying attention to his/her needs?” We’re all in this together… Jesus called us to love one another. Are you doing your part?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 13, 2011
Psalm 49:7-9
You cannot buy back your life or pay off God! It costs far too much to buy back your life. You can never pay God enough to stay alive forever and safe from death.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
More than one person has tried to make something – or someone – go away by writing a big check. More than one parent has told a child, “If you will do this… be good… make good grades (or whatever the parent wants done at the moment), I will buy you a new toy… give you money… make your favorite dinner… get you new sneakers (or whatever will impress the child). Human nature frequently operates in the realm of “name your price.”
When it comes to our Heavenly Father, money does not “talk.” We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation in Christ Jesus – and we never can. It was a gift… given to us freely out of love we can never possibly fathom.
So when we try to bargain with God… “Lord, do this for me, and I promise, I will do such-and-such” or “Lord, I will give all I can to an orphanage or a mission if You will bless me in a specific manner” or “Lord, just let me have this one night to do whatever I please, and then I will follow You forever”… God just shakes His head (and possibly rolls His eyes) at our inability to understand how He operates.
We cannot pay off God… we can’t bargain with Him for what we want – at least not with any real hope of getting it! We can’t tell God what to do – or how to do it. And we can never pay God back for all He has given to us and done for us. And the best part is… He doesn’t want our payment. He just wants our love… our faith… our trust… and our service in His name – all freely given to Him. God doesn’t want us to love Him or serve Him out of obligation – any feeling we might have to do this to get to Heaven. He wants us to want Him as much as He wants us. Sounds like a no-brainer to me! It’s definitely the deal of a lifetime… and one I want in on forever – don’t you?
What are you waiting for? Isn’t it time to drop the pretenses and get real with God? Isn’t it time to lay your cards on the table and say, “Here I am, Lord… warts and all. I’m ready to love You and serve You… no matter what… will You have me?” My guess is that His arms are already open.
©2011 Debbie Robus
You cannot buy back your life or pay off God! It costs far too much to buy back your life. You can never pay God enough to stay alive forever and safe from death.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
More than one person has tried to make something – or someone – go away by writing a big check. More than one parent has told a child, “If you will do this… be good… make good grades (or whatever the parent wants done at the moment), I will buy you a new toy… give you money… make your favorite dinner… get you new sneakers (or whatever will impress the child). Human nature frequently operates in the realm of “name your price.”
When it comes to our Heavenly Father, money does not “talk.” We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation in Christ Jesus – and we never can. It was a gift… given to us freely out of love we can never possibly fathom.
So when we try to bargain with God… “Lord, do this for me, and I promise, I will do such-and-such” or “Lord, I will give all I can to an orphanage or a mission if You will bless me in a specific manner” or “Lord, just let me have this one night to do whatever I please, and then I will follow You forever”… God just shakes His head (and possibly rolls His eyes) at our inability to understand how He operates.
We cannot pay off God… we can’t bargain with Him for what we want – at least not with any real hope of getting it! We can’t tell God what to do – or how to do it. And we can never pay God back for all He has given to us and done for us. And the best part is… He doesn’t want our payment. He just wants our love… our faith… our trust… and our service in His name – all freely given to Him. God doesn’t want us to love Him or serve Him out of obligation – any feeling we might have to do this to get to Heaven. He wants us to want Him as much as He wants us. Sounds like a no-brainer to me! It’s definitely the deal of a lifetime… and one I want in on forever – don’t you?
What are you waiting for? Isn’t it time to drop the pretenses and get real with God? Isn’t it time to lay your cards on the table and say, “Here I am, Lord… warts and all. I’m ready to love You and serve You… no matter what… will You have me?” My guess is that His arms are already open.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 3, 2011
Psalm 19:11-14
By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it. Don't let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault. Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, LORD, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We don’t always have the whole story. Two recent events triggered an old memory for me recently. We have been seeing our high school principal at basketball games – he’s come to watch his grand-daughters cheer. Then a former classmate mentioned Home Economics class on Facebook. When I was in high school, I couldn’t take Home Economics class, because there was a schedule conflict with my band class. So I took General Science instead. This meant that I had a different class schedule - and lunch hour - than my fellow ninth graders.
One day, our principal called an assembly to announce that the campus was going to be closed during the lunch hour, meaning we could no longer leave to go out to eat or home for lunch. He gathered us all together and then said, “If you are in grades 7-9, this doesn’t involve you, so go back to class.” The upper classmen who were in my science class said, “You need to stay, since you have lunch with us.” So I did. When I returned to class, my teacher didn’t think I should have stayed for the information. Neither did the teacher in the next class, for which I arrived late, and she sent me to the principal’s office.
I explained to the principal that I did not know I had done anything wrong – and told him why I stayed for his assembly. He “forgave” me and sent me back to class. I can see why the teachers thought I shouldn’t have stayed. I truly did not believe I was doing anything wrong by staying. I realized later that I could have gotten the information from someone in my science class, but at the time, I felt that what was being said pertained to me, and I needed to hear it firsthand.
In a totally unrelated event, my dad once told me of a conversation he had with an aunt who had no children. She made some comment about child-rearing, and my dad (who was just a young boy), replied, “How would you know? You’ve never had children.” What Daddy did not know was that his aunt had lost a baby as a teenager… and she felt that loss deeply, particularly since she never gave birth to any other children. My grandmother took my dad aside and explained this to him, and he felt badly. He really loved his aunt, and he was so sad that he had hurt her feelings… albeit unknowingly.
See… we don’t always have all the information. And sometimes, we say and do things we shouldn’t because we truly do not know we have made a mistake. There are two lessons here. The first is to be more aware of what we say and how we say it… and to be more careful with our words and behaviors. The second is to understand that we all make mistakes – many of them innocent, if no less wrong or hurtful. Thankfully, we serve a God who forgives us and sets us back on our feet.
None of us is perfect… we all have faults. God understands this. It is not an excuse – or a license to sin or to behave badly. But we must look at our own lives – and the lives of others – and consider how God loves us and extends grace and mercy when we falter. I am so grateful that God cares for us this way – and with this level of understanding. But do we do this for others? Are we willing to forgive and extend compassion and encouragement to those we encounter? Are we willing to do for others what God does for us on a daily basis? Shouldn’t we?
©2011 Debbie Robus
By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it. Don't let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault. Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, LORD, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We don’t always have the whole story. Two recent events triggered an old memory for me recently. We have been seeing our high school principal at basketball games – he’s come to watch his grand-daughters cheer. Then a former classmate mentioned Home Economics class on Facebook. When I was in high school, I couldn’t take Home Economics class, because there was a schedule conflict with my band class. So I took General Science instead. This meant that I had a different class schedule - and lunch hour - than my fellow ninth graders.
One day, our principal called an assembly to announce that the campus was going to be closed during the lunch hour, meaning we could no longer leave to go out to eat or home for lunch. He gathered us all together and then said, “If you are in grades 7-9, this doesn’t involve you, so go back to class.” The upper classmen who were in my science class said, “You need to stay, since you have lunch with us.” So I did. When I returned to class, my teacher didn’t think I should have stayed for the information. Neither did the teacher in the next class, for which I arrived late, and she sent me to the principal’s office.
I explained to the principal that I did not know I had done anything wrong – and told him why I stayed for his assembly. He “forgave” me and sent me back to class. I can see why the teachers thought I shouldn’t have stayed. I truly did not believe I was doing anything wrong by staying. I realized later that I could have gotten the information from someone in my science class, but at the time, I felt that what was being said pertained to me, and I needed to hear it firsthand.
In a totally unrelated event, my dad once told me of a conversation he had with an aunt who had no children. She made some comment about child-rearing, and my dad (who was just a young boy), replied, “How would you know? You’ve never had children.” What Daddy did not know was that his aunt had lost a baby as a teenager… and she felt that loss deeply, particularly since she never gave birth to any other children. My grandmother took my dad aside and explained this to him, and he felt badly. He really loved his aunt, and he was so sad that he had hurt her feelings… albeit unknowingly.
See… we don’t always have all the information. And sometimes, we say and do things we shouldn’t because we truly do not know we have made a mistake. There are two lessons here. The first is to be more aware of what we say and how we say it… and to be more careful with our words and behaviors. The second is to understand that we all make mistakes – many of them innocent, if no less wrong or hurtful. Thankfully, we serve a God who forgives us and sets us back on our feet.
None of us is perfect… we all have faults. God understands this. It is not an excuse – or a license to sin or to behave badly. But we must look at our own lives – and the lives of others – and consider how God loves us and extends grace and mercy when we falter. I am so grateful that God cares for us this way – and with this level of understanding. But do we do this for others? Are we willing to forgive and extend compassion and encouragement to those we encounter? Are we willing to do for others what God does for us on a daily basis? Shouldn’t we?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 2, 2011
Deuteronomy 10:17
The LORD your God is more powerful than all other gods and lords, and his tremendous power is to be feared. His decisions are always fair, and you cannot bribe him to change his mind.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“I’ll make you a deal…” If we had a nickel for every time we have said or heard this phrase, we would all have hefty bank accounts! We humans often operate in bargains, manipulations, and bribes… for everything from paying kids to make good grades to getting your spouse to help with the dishes or put gas in the car to promising the police officer we will never speed again if he/she will agree not to write us a ticket. We operate in “if you will do this, I will do that” on a daily basis… if not more frequently.
Our Spiritual life is no exception. We tell God, “If you will just grant me this one thing, I will do XYZ for you.” We promise to serve Him in unbelievable ways in exchange for good health, prosperity, a certain relationship, and even tangible things like a new job or a new car. “Lord, just make me skinny, and I will serve you night and day. Give me a new SUV, and I will hall the children’s choir around for You! Let our team win the championship, and I’ll organize a new chapter of FCA in your honor! Lord, please don’t let me lose this job, and I promise I will give you all the glory.” The sad part is that we really think this sort of tactic can work!
Apparently many of us have not paid attention to Deuteronomy 10:17. We cannot bribe God. We cannot make Him change His mind by making outrageous promises. We can’t earn God’s grace and mercy… or salvation through Jesus Christ… and we can’t bargain with God.
“So why bother?” you may ask. If God has made up His mind already, what difference does it make what we say or do? The key is to understand that God may very well change His mind… but not because of our ridiculous displays of desperation and conniving. If God sees us earnestly working to serve Him and honor His blessings upon our lives, He may extend additional grace and mercy to us out of unconditional love for one of His children.
We’ve all experienced a time when we changed our mind out because we felt a deep love and compassion for someone else… a time when we did something nice for them “just because” we wanted to make their day. God wants to do things for His children… to bless us “just because.” But trying to bribe Him can actually serve to question His judgment… and God’s judgment is always fair.
We would do well to learn how to operate without bribes, manipulations, and con games - certainly when it comes to God, but also in our everyday lives. We should live in way that God – and others - want to work with us and do things for us because of who we are and how we conduct our lives.
God may change His mind from time to time… but it won’t be because of any bribe we may offer. Cons and bribes are for the devil and his gang. Instead of trying to change God’s mind, let’s concentrate on changing our attitudes and behavior to line up with His will. Let’s offer God our very best every day… and trust His decisions to always be perfect and fair.
©2010 Debbie Robus
The LORD your God is more powerful than all other gods and lords, and his tremendous power is to be feared. His decisions are always fair, and you cannot bribe him to change his mind.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“I’ll make you a deal…” If we had a nickel for every time we have said or heard this phrase, we would all have hefty bank accounts! We humans often operate in bargains, manipulations, and bribes… for everything from paying kids to make good grades to getting your spouse to help with the dishes or put gas in the car to promising the police officer we will never speed again if he/she will agree not to write us a ticket. We operate in “if you will do this, I will do that” on a daily basis… if not more frequently.
Our Spiritual life is no exception. We tell God, “If you will just grant me this one thing, I will do XYZ for you.” We promise to serve Him in unbelievable ways in exchange for good health, prosperity, a certain relationship, and even tangible things like a new job or a new car. “Lord, just make me skinny, and I will serve you night and day. Give me a new SUV, and I will hall the children’s choir around for You! Let our team win the championship, and I’ll organize a new chapter of FCA in your honor! Lord, please don’t let me lose this job, and I promise I will give you all the glory.” The sad part is that we really think this sort of tactic can work!
Apparently many of us have not paid attention to Deuteronomy 10:17. We cannot bribe God. We cannot make Him change His mind by making outrageous promises. We can’t earn God’s grace and mercy… or salvation through Jesus Christ… and we can’t bargain with God.
“So why bother?” you may ask. If God has made up His mind already, what difference does it make what we say or do? The key is to understand that God may very well change His mind… but not because of our ridiculous displays of desperation and conniving. If God sees us earnestly working to serve Him and honor His blessings upon our lives, He may extend additional grace and mercy to us out of unconditional love for one of His children.
We’ve all experienced a time when we changed our mind out because we felt a deep love and compassion for someone else… a time when we did something nice for them “just because” we wanted to make their day. God wants to do things for His children… to bless us “just because.” But trying to bribe Him can actually serve to question His judgment… and God’s judgment is always fair.
We would do well to learn how to operate without bribes, manipulations, and con games - certainly when it comes to God, but also in our everyday lives. We should live in way that God – and others - want to work with us and do things for us because of who we are and how we conduct our lives.
God may change His mind from time to time… but it won’t be because of any bribe we may offer. Cons and bribes are for the devil and his gang. Instead of trying to change God’s mind, let’s concentrate on changing our attitudes and behavior to line up with His will. Let’s offer God our very best every day… and trust His decisions to always be perfect and fair.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 27, 2010
1 Corinthians 12:25-26
He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Last year, my niece and our great-nephew Timothy got sick a couple of weeks before Christmas with stomach flu. This “bug” was running rampant through our community, and by the week of Christmas, my sister and her husband had succumbed. On December 22nd, my sister called me and weakly asked, “Can you come and get Timothy? His mother is working, and we [meaning she and her husband] are too sick to care for him.” I went right away and collected Timothy, who was still fairly sick himself.
Over the course of the next few days, Timothy got better and began to drink his bottles again and keep down liquid Jello and a drink designed to restore the electrolytes in infants. By Christmas Eve, my sister and my niece seemed to be feeling better, too. Everyone gather at our home for a Christmas Eve lunch and an afternoon of opening gifts and visiting.
I noticed that my husband distanced himself from the group, but since not everyone could fit at the dining table anyway, I didn’t think much about it. But when he told me he had a headache and disappeared to an upstairs bedroom, I knew all was not well. By the end of the evening, he was too sick to move… and sometime after midnight, I woke up feeling just as badly. When the weekend was over, everyone in the family had gotten some version of this “bug” except my mother. My husband and I felt so badly that we postponed opening our Christmas gifts to each other.
While this was not funny at the time, we later laughed about “Timothy’s first Christmas” and how we all were so sick. We took the admonition of Paul to share one another’s hurts to a whole new level – and not by choice! I knew when I picked up the baby and brought him to our house that we would most likely catch his virus. But on that day, a tiny sick baby needed someone to care for him… and we were the only ones available to do so. There was no way we would have refused.
But here’s the deal… so often, we focus so much on ourselves that we don’t consider the other person’s feelings. We say, “I cannot get involved in that… I have my own problems.” Or we decide that “This is really none of my concern.” We look at the person who is hurting in some way… someone with great need… and we either pass judgment and determine that they got into this mess on their own and should get out of it the same way – or we declare that “this is simply not my problem.”
But Paul says otherwise. He tells us in this passage that when one of our sisters or brothers in Christ is hurting or in need, we should feel this deeply ourselves. “I feel your pain,” should not be a cliché… it should be the way Christians behave toward others. I’m not saying that there are never situations and circumstances that are none of our business. But the Christian servant prayerfully knows how to tell the difference.
Where has God given you opportunities to share in others’ needs, yet you turned and went in another direction? Where have you stepped up and answered the call? Can you do more? Shouldn’t you? Ask God to show you how and where to empathize with others in your daily life… to make a difference when possible… and to operate with wisdom and discernment in choosing when and where to get involved. Start looking for new ways to make the entire body of Christ happy, and see how greatly everyone is blessed by your efforts.
©2010 Debbie Robus
He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Last year, my niece and our great-nephew Timothy got sick a couple of weeks before Christmas with stomach flu. This “bug” was running rampant through our community, and by the week of Christmas, my sister and her husband had succumbed. On December 22nd, my sister called me and weakly asked, “Can you come and get Timothy? His mother is working, and we [meaning she and her husband] are too sick to care for him.” I went right away and collected Timothy, who was still fairly sick himself.
Over the course of the next few days, Timothy got better and began to drink his bottles again and keep down liquid Jello and a drink designed to restore the electrolytes in infants. By Christmas Eve, my sister and my niece seemed to be feeling better, too. Everyone gather at our home for a Christmas Eve lunch and an afternoon of opening gifts and visiting.
I noticed that my husband distanced himself from the group, but since not everyone could fit at the dining table anyway, I didn’t think much about it. But when he told me he had a headache and disappeared to an upstairs bedroom, I knew all was not well. By the end of the evening, he was too sick to move… and sometime after midnight, I woke up feeling just as badly. When the weekend was over, everyone in the family had gotten some version of this “bug” except my mother. My husband and I felt so badly that we postponed opening our Christmas gifts to each other.
While this was not funny at the time, we later laughed about “Timothy’s first Christmas” and how we all were so sick. We took the admonition of Paul to share one another’s hurts to a whole new level – and not by choice! I knew when I picked up the baby and brought him to our house that we would most likely catch his virus. But on that day, a tiny sick baby needed someone to care for him… and we were the only ones available to do so. There was no way we would have refused.
But here’s the deal… so often, we focus so much on ourselves that we don’t consider the other person’s feelings. We say, “I cannot get involved in that… I have my own problems.” Or we decide that “This is really none of my concern.” We look at the person who is hurting in some way… someone with great need… and we either pass judgment and determine that they got into this mess on their own and should get out of it the same way – or we declare that “this is simply not my problem.”
But Paul says otherwise. He tells us in this passage that when one of our sisters or brothers in Christ is hurting or in need, we should feel this deeply ourselves. “I feel your pain,” should not be a cliché… it should be the way Christians behave toward others. I’m not saying that there are never situations and circumstances that are none of our business. But the Christian servant prayerfully knows how to tell the difference.
Where has God given you opportunities to share in others’ needs, yet you turned and went in another direction? Where have you stepped up and answered the call? Can you do more? Shouldn’t you? Ask God to show you how and where to empathize with others in your daily life… to make a difference when possible… and to operate with wisdom and discernment in choosing when and where to get involved. Start looking for new ways to make the entire body of Christ happy, and see how greatly everyone is blessed by your efforts.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 7, 2010
Matthew 5:43-44
You have heard people say, "Love your neighbors and hate your enemies." But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Several years ago, I learned a valuable lesson about “loving your enemies.” If you have heard this story before, please forgive me… but I think it bears repeating. I had driven my brother to Little Rock to be admitted to the hospital for experimental medication to help and control the rapid advances of his acute liver failure. The doctors felt that a “medical cocktail” used for the treatment of AIDS might be beneficial, although my brother did not have the “numbers” to support the need for this treatment. And ultimately, after a few days of having the drugs administered, Tim returned home, where the treatment did little more than make him violently ill, and he decided to suspend the medications.
But on the day he was admitted, my brother sat in the admissions area of the Oncology Unit with two Registered Nurses and answered the questions on the admissions form. Tim was an R.N., and as the nurses asked questions, he rattled off medically complicated answers that meant something to the three of them, but totally went over my head. And then one of the nurses asked, “So exactly why are you being admitted?” Without a second thought, he answered, “I’m HIV positive.”
There was no audible gasp, but I felt it anyway. And the room turned icy. The once-friendly nurses began to ask curt, to-the-point questions and offered little to no reaction as my brother responded. To his credit, he appeared not to notice, while I sat on the couch nearby and fumed. I was furious. These women were supposed to be professionals. They dealt with HIV patients every single day… they knew there was nothing to fear. Yet they acted as if my brother had just told them he was radioactive.
And then, Tim did something I will never forget. He reached into his duffle bag and produced a package of Smarties® Candies. Tim was a fanatic about candy – he loved the stuff, and he never traveled without it. He pulled out that package, held it in the air and asked, “Smarties®, anyone?” Taken aback, the nurses looked up, and then one of them began to laugh. I knew in that moment that by the end of the week, my brother would have won the hearts of every person on that floor of the hospital, and then some. His ability to “love his enemy” had made the difference. And sure enough, when he left five days later, I think more than one nurse cried.
See, we have a choice… we can let the devil have his way with us and take things personally and make mountains out of molehills. We can develop vendettas against those we think have “done us wrong,” and go around sad and miserable over every single transgression dealt us… and there will be plenty! Or, we can choose to pray for those who would dare to wrong us. We can rise above the pettiness and the judgment… the disrespect and the dismissal of others… and we can be the children of the Most High God we’re called to be. We can be the ones who don’t get upset… who don’t have ruffled feathers… who love even the unlovely, just as Jesus did.
What mode of operation will you chose? Will you only love those you perceive to love you in return, or will you offer the love of Christ to even your “enemies?” Do you have what it takes to say, “Smarties®, anyone?”
©2010 Debbie Robus
You have heard people say, "Love your neighbors and hate your enemies." But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Several years ago, I learned a valuable lesson about “loving your enemies.” If you have heard this story before, please forgive me… but I think it bears repeating. I had driven my brother to Little Rock to be admitted to the hospital for experimental medication to help and control the rapid advances of his acute liver failure. The doctors felt that a “medical cocktail” used for the treatment of AIDS might be beneficial, although my brother did not have the “numbers” to support the need for this treatment. And ultimately, after a few days of having the drugs administered, Tim returned home, where the treatment did little more than make him violently ill, and he decided to suspend the medications.
But on the day he was admitted, my brother sat in the admissions area of the Oncology Unit with two Registered Nurses and answered the questions on the admissions form. Tim was an R.N., and as the nurses asked questions, he rattled off medically complicated answers that meant something to the three of them, but totally went over my head. And then one of the nurses asked, “So exactly why are you being admitted?” Without a second thought, he answered, “I’m HIV positive.”
There was no audible gasp, but I felt it anyway. And the room turned icy. The once-friendly nurses began to ask curt, to-the-point questions and offered little to no reaction as my brother responded. To his credit, he appeared not to notice, while I sat on the couch nearby and fumed. I was furious. These women were supposed to be professionals. They dealt with HIV patients every single day… they knew there was nothing to fear. Yet they acted as if my brother had just told them he was radioactive.
And then, Tim did something I will never forget. He reached into his duffle bag and produced a package of Smarties® Candies. Tim was a fanatic about candy – he loved the stuff, and he never traveled without it. He pulled out that package, held it in the air and asked, “Smarties®, anyone?” Taken aback, the nurses looked up, and then one of them began to laugh. I knew in that moment that by the end of the week, my brother would have won the hearts of every person on that floor of the hospital, and then some. His ability to “love his enemy” had made the difference. And sure enough, when he left five days later, I think more than one nurse cried.
See, we have a choice… we can let the devil have his way with us and take things personally and make mountains out of molehills. We can develop vendettas against those we think have “done us wrong,” and go around sad and miserable over every single transgression dealt us… and there will be plenty! Or, we can choose to pray for those who would dare to wrong us. We can rise above the pettiness and the judgment… the disrespect and the dismissal of others… and we can be the children of the Most High God we’re called to be. We can be the ones who don’t get upset… who don’t have ruffled feathers… who love even the unlovely, just as Jesus did.
What mode of operation will you chose? Will you only love those you perceive to love you in return, or will you offer the love of Christ to even your “enemies?” Do you have what it takes to say, “Smarties®, anyone?”
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 12, 2010
Proverbs 12:18
Sharp words cut like a sword, but words of wisdom heal.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
About a year ago, my husband and I went to the Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock. One of the permanent exhibits there is a collection of knives and swords from around the world. Some are centuries old. I am not a big fan of swords, but the intricacy and detail presented in some of these specimens was truly amazing … particularly in light of their age and the methods that must have been employed to create them. Someone put a lot of time and energy into creating something meant to be used as a lethal weapon!
Conversely, many of us don’t spend much time and effort at all thinking about what we say to others, so our words are often painful, cutting, or even lethal, i.e. they destroy the heart and soul of the person who hears them. And we toss them out without any care for how they will affect the other person. Or maybe we do care … but not as we should. Sometimes, we mean for our words to be hurtful and “cut like a sword.”
Just recently, I received a message from a young woman to whom I had sent a note of sympathy and encouragement a few years ago when she miscarried. She told me…”The words were perfect and I still have it. I read it from time to time and cry every time. It brought me a lot of comfort.” Today, she and her husband are the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I think I acknowledged the pain of their loss and assured her that God understood … and that their unborn baby would be waiting for them in heaven. The point is that whatever God laid on my heart to say to this young woman helped her to heal from her grief.
God gives us wisdom in many forms – through our own life experiences, through His word, through prayer, through study and fellowship with others. And we can prayerfully use this wisdom to help others in their struggles and even their daily living. God can use our words of wisdom to heal others. But words of wisdom do not come easily – they require as much time and energy as is needed for the craftsmanship of ancient swords.
We have a choice… lethal words that cut like a knife, or healing words filled with the wisdom of our Heavenly Father. From time to time, we all choose both. My prayer is that we devote the time and energy necessary to gain wisdom and cultivate a life filled with healing words … not those that hurt. Ask God to help you in this area. Let’s start to build up a community of believers who speak positive, healing, wise, faith-filled messages of hope and promise. Let’s leave the sharp words in the past and move ahead with care and kindness.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Sharp words cut like a sword, but words of wisdom heal.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
About a year ago, my husband and I went to the Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock. One of the permanent exhibits there is a collection of knives and swords from around the world. Some are centuries old. I am not a big fan of swords, but the intricacy and detail presented in some of these specimens was truly amazing … particularly in light of their age and the methods that must have been employed to create them. Someone put a lot of time and energy into creating something meant to be used as a lethal weapon!
Conversely, many of us don’t spend much time and effort at all thinking about what we say to others, so our words are often painful, cutting, or even lethal, i.e. they destroy the heart and soul of the person who hears them. And we toss them out without any care for how they will affect the other person. Or maybe we do care … but not as we should. Sometimes, we mean for our words to be hurtful and “cut like a sword.”
Just recently, I received a message from a young woman to whom I had sent a note of sympathy and encouragement a few years ago when she miscarried. She told me…”The words were perfect and I still have it. I read it from time to time and cry every time. It brought me a lot of comfort.” Today, she and her husband are the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I think I acknowledged the pain of their loss and assured her that God understood … and that their unborn baby would be waiting for them in heaven. The point is that whatever God laid on my heart to say to this young woman helped her to heal from her grief.
God gives us wisdom in many forms – through our own life experiences, through His word, through prayer, through study and fellowship with others. And we can prayerfully use this wisdom to help others in their struggles and even their daily living. God can use our words of wisdom to heal others. But words of wisdom do not come easily – they require as much time and energy as is needed for the craftsmanship of ancient swords.
We have a choice… lethal words that cut like a knife, or healing words filled with the wisdom of our Heavenly Father. From time to time, we all choose both. My prayer is that we devote the time and energy necessary to gain wisdom and cultivate a life filled with healing words … not those that hurt. Ask God to help you in this area. Let’s start to build up a community of believers who speak positive, healing, wise, faith-filled messages of hope and promise. Let’s leave the sharp words in the past and move ahead with care and kindness.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 3, 2010
Proverbs 18:20
Make your words good -- you will be glad you did.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Several translations of this verse refer to making your words satisfying like a good meal. We all know that sensation – eating our favorite meal … savoring each bite … feeling totally satisfied and full afterward. Now think about eating an unpleasant meal… maybe a food you particularly dislike. I watched chefs on a television cooking competition eat all sorts of strange looking sea creatures … and I winced right along with them at just the thought of having to put those slimy, chewy things in my mouth.
Now that I have grossed you out sufficiently, compare the words you speak to these two very contrasting meals. Kind, loving, positive words fill you and others up like the best, most satisfying meal. Unkind, cruel, improper and indecent words are like the slimy, chewy, disgusting meal that makes you gag. They sit in the heart like a distasteful meal sits on the stomach – heavy, burning, and miserable.
In this context, surely none of us would want to be speaking words that resemble a bad meal, would we?! We want to speak the good things … the love and blessings of Jesus upon our life and others’. We want to say and do things that give people the warm, satisfyingly full sensation of their best meal ever.
How do we do this? A good place to start is by asking God to bless your day and guard your thoughts and words each morning when you rise … to help you to speak only good, positive, kind messages. As we go about our day, we need to pause and think about what we are saying. I will tell you … as I have practiced this lately, I have stopped short of saying several things that I really didn’t need to say. See, the temptation was there … so I still have work to do … but God helped me to realize that I didn’t have to speak what I thought, or He showed me a better way to phrase things. And I know as I listen to Him more and rely on His guidance, I will get better at this and have fewer moments where I “open mouth, insert foot!”
Don’t you want to be known as a person who speaks positively and kindly? Don’t you want to be known as someone who “cooks a good meal” rather than a poor one? I can’t really say it better than Proverbs 18:20, so I will repeat… “Make your words good – you will be glad you did!”
©2010 Debbie Robus
Make your words good -- you will be glad you did.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Several translations of this verse refer to making your words satisfying like a good meal. We all know that sensation – eating our favorite meal … savoring each bite … feeling totally satisfied and full afterward. Now think about eating an unpleasant meal… maybe a food you particularly dislike. I watched chefs on a television cooking competition eat all sorts of strange looking sea creatures … and I winced right along with them at just the thought of having to put those slimy, chewy things in my mouth.
Now that I have grossed you out sufficiently, compare the words you speak to these two very contrasting meals. Kind, loving, positive words fill you and others up like the best, most satisfying meal. Unkind, cruel, improper and indecent words are like the slimy, chewy, disgusting meal that makes you gag. They sit in the heart like a distasteful meal sits on the stomach – heavy, burning, and miserable.
In this context, surely none of us would want to be speaking words that resemble a bad meal, would we?! We want to speak the good things … the love and blessings of Jesus upon our life and others’. We want to say and do things that give people the warm, satisfyingly full sensation of their best meal ever.
How do we do this? A good place to start is by asking God to bless your day and guard your thoughts and words each morning when you rise … to help you to speak only good, positive, kind messages. As we go about our day, we need to pause and think about what we are saying. I will tell you … as I have practiced this lately, I have stopped short of saying several things that I really didn’t need to say. See, the temptation was there … so I still have work to do … but God helped me to realize that I didn’t have to speak what I thought, or He showed me a better way to phrase things. And I know as I listen to Him more and rely on His guidance, I will get better at this and have fewer moments where I “open mouth, insert foot!”
Don’t you want to be known as a person who speaks positively and kindly? Don’t you want to be known as someone who “cooks a good meal” rather than a poor one? I can’t really say it better than Proverbs 18:20, so I will repeat… “Make your words good – you will be glad you did!”
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 28, 2010
Proverbs 25:15
Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.
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.
Our Timothy is like most babies … as he discovers his voice, he enjoys using it … often at warp volume! With my recent voice troubles, I’ve found myself speaking more softly. And at times, I almost whisper to Timothy … and he has started to whisper in return! It’s so cute, and he doesn’t really understand the concept – he is just mimicking what he hears. But it does somewhat prove the point of this scripture.
Often, we want to solve conflicts and disagreements – or even differences of opinions – by shouting. Just last week, the women of The View got into a very heated argument over political issues. Finally, Barbara Walters said something to the effect of, “this is ridiculous … we are arguing over issues that people are shouting about – and we are doing so by shouting.” She added, “…and we actually like each other!”
Believe it or not, the patient, quiet act of praying for someone can bring results. These results may not be quick – and you might not ever see much evidence of change. But quietly praying for someone or loving them from afar can break down “rigid defenses.” Whether the person admits it or not, they will know that you love them. They will see that you care. They will appreciate that you cared enough NOT to shout at them and badger them with constant nagging or criticism … but you never stopped caring.
There is an old adage that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” That may work in certain situations, but when it comes to human relationships, the best way to “win people over” is through gentleness and patient persistence. Don’t give up on your friends and relatives. Don’t stop loving them, caring for them, offering help where you can. But don’t speak harshly, critically, or become a pest. Share your love in quiet and faithful ways, and then give God room to work out the details.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.
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.
Our Timothy is like most babies … as he discovers his voice, he enjoys using it … often at warp volume! With my recent voice troubles, I’ve found myself speaking more softly. And at times, I almost whisper to Timothy … and he has started to whisper in return! It’s so cute, and he doesn’t really understand the concept – he is just mimicking what he hears. But it does somewhat prove the point of this scripture.
Often, we want to solve conflicts and disagreements – or even differences of opinions – by shouting. Just last week, the women of The View got into a very heated argument over political issues. Finally, Barbara Walters said something to the effect of, “this is ridiculous … we are arguing over issues that people are shouting about – and we are doing so by shouting.” She added, “…and we actually like each other!”
Believe it or not, the patient, quiet act of praying for someone can bring results. These results may not be quick – and you might not ever see much evidence of change. But quietly praying for someone or loving them from afar can break down “rigid defenses.” Whether the person admits it or not, they will know that you love them. They will see that you care. They will appreciate that you cared enough NOT to shout at them and badger them with constant nagging or criticism … but you never stopped caring.
There is an old adage that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” That may work in certain situations, but when it comes to human relationships, the best way to “win people over” is through gentleness and patient persistence. Don’t give up on your friends and relatives. Don’t stop loving them, caring for them, offering help where you can. But don’t speak harshly, critically, or become a pest. Share your love in quiet and faithful ways, and then give God room to work out the details.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 27, 2010
1 Peter 3:10
Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless - that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good,
Here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth.
God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things.
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.
Do you know someone who seems to enjoy constantly stirring up trouble? This person never seems to have anything kind or positive to say – about anything or anyone. And their “frankness” is often hurtful to those on the receiving end.
We’ve really gotten to a point as a culture where we run fast and loose with our criticism and sarcasm. From late night talk show hosts to the “fashion show” critics to, most certainly, the political analysts and commentators, everything seems to be “fair game.” Even the “judges” on the reality shows like “America’s Got Talent” and the sports commentators have come to feel they have a license to say whatever they think – or to try to be cute and witty – all at someone else’s expense.
We get so caught up in this that we don’t even realize when we start to blur the lines between truth and fiction. It’s much like the elderly people who tell others, “my kids never visit me,” when in fact, the person to whom they are speaking met the senior’s children in the doorway. At least these folks have old age and the onset of dementia for excuses! But we don’t have any excuse. Saying things that are unkind, cutting, sarcastic, and downright untrue at times – or constantly griping, grumbling and being disagreeable – does not please God.
I love the first lines of this passage and feel they bear repeating… “Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless - that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
Don’t you want to be a blessing? Don’t you want to get a blessing? Then start today to bless – let all of the junk go by the wayside and focus on running after peace, cultivating good, and snubbing evil. You’ll be amazed as you watch your days “fill up with good” … and you will bask in the approving response of our loving God.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless - that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good,
Here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth.
God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things.
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.
Do you know someone who seems to enjoy constantly stirring up trouble? This person never seems to have anything kind or positive to say – about anything or anyone. And their “frankness” is often hurtful to those on the receiving end.
We’ve really gotten to a point as a culture where we run fast and loose with our criticism and sarcasm. From late night talk show hosts to the “fashion show” critics to, most certainly, the political analysts and commentators, everything seems to be “fair game.” Even the “judges” on the reality shows like “America’s Got Talent” and the sports commentators have come to feel they have a license to say whatever they think – or to try to be cute and witty – all at someone else’s expense.
We get so caught up in this that we don’t even realize when we start to blur the lines between truth and fiction. It’s much like the elderly people who tell others, “my kids never visit me,” when in fact, the person to whom they are speaking met the senior’s children in the doorway. At least these folks have old age and the onset of dementia for excuses! But we don’t have any excuse. Saying things that are unkind, cutting, sarcastic, and downright untrue at times – or constantly griping, grumbling and being disagreeable – does not please God.
I love the first lines of this passage and feel they bear repeating… “Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless - that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
Don’t you want to be a blessing? Don’t you want to get a blessing? Then start today to bless – let all of the junk go by the wayside and focus on running after peace, cultivating good, and snubbing evil. You’ll be amazed as you watch your days “fill up with good” … and you will bask in the approving response of our loving God.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 21, 2010
James 3:9-10
My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn't right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Repurpose. That’s a word we hear a lot these days. In “green speak,” it means taking something that was once used for one thing, and “repurposing” it to use another way. I repurpose a lot! I cut up old clothing and use the fabric to make pillows or cushion covers. I made a laundry bag out of a denim jumper, and mittens for Timmy out of an old wool sweater. A beautiful vintage brown “bean pot” is now filled with fall silk flowers and gracing our mantel. I take old greeting cards and make new ones. I think you get the picture. I’m all about multi-purpose items and using old things in new ways.
But when it comes to our relationship with God, the only “repurposing” we need to be doing with our tongue is aligning how we use it with His purposes. As this scripture so clearly illustrates, we can’t have it both ways. We can’t praise God one minute, and curse others the next. The same tongue we use to speak of God’s love, grace and mercy cannot be used to spew hate, racism, discrimination, gossip, lies, and more. If we find ourselves doing this, we need to stop at once and ask God to forgive us and set us back on the right track.
This scripture speaks to a much bigger issue in our present-day culture. We have found it convenient to invoke our faith in all sorts of arenas. You see political candidates promote themselves as “Christian Conservatives,” and then act in ways that belie their Christian faith. You hear ministers talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then loudly protest across the street from a funeral for someone who was openly gay – or at an abortion clinic – or threaten to burn a Koran. You hear Christians claim that natural disasters and human tragedies are “God’s punishment” for the choices made by those who endured them.
You hear people who talk about serving God in ministries large and small speak critically of those they serve – “Why can’t they get off welfare?” … “If they didn’t spend money on drugs, they wouldn’t need a handout.” … “Did you see what she was wearing? She shouldn’t qualify for this ministry!” and more. You see people of all ages attending church activities on Sunday and throughout the week and then treating others with condescension, criticism, and sometimes downright rudeness away from the church campus.
I know I am stepping on toes … and I sound like a broken record. But every day when I turn on the television or open the newspaper – or even login to Facebook – I see this time and again. And it saddens me greatly. But what I think or feel doesn’t matter … imagine how it saddens God! The people He sacrificed His only Son to save have “repurposed” His gift. Too many of us have taken their new life in Christ and fashioned it into something it was never meant to be. We’ve given it a purpose, alright … but not the one that God intended!
I pray that we will all take time today to search our hearts and ask some really serious questions. Find out where you have repurposed your salvation to fit your own agenda. Ask God to show you where you need to do a “restoration” job and return to the discipleship He designed for you. I know the changes won’t happen overnight, but it’s a start. With God, all things are possible, and God can remove our mistaken attitudes … our curses and wrong thinking. He can restore us to a faith walk that honors Him and blesses others. Will you ask Him to do this for you today?
©2010 Debbie Robus
My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn't right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Repurpose. That’s a word we hear a lot these days. In “green speak,” it means taking something that was once used for one thing, and “repurposing” it to use another way. I repurpose a lot! I cut up old clothing and use the fabric to make pillows or cushion covers. I made a laundry bag out of a denim jumper, and mittens for Timmy out of an old wool sweater. A beautiful vintage brown “bean pot” is now filled with fall silk flowers and gracing our mantel. I take old greeting cards and make new ones. I think you get the picture. I’m all about multi-purpose items and using old things in new ways.
But when it comes to our relationship with God, the only “repurposing” we need to be doing with our tongue is aligning how we use it with His purposes. As this scripture so clearly illustrates, we can’t have it both ways. We can’t praise God one minute, and curse others the next. The same tongue we use to speak of God’s love, grace and mercy cannot be used to spew hate, racism, discrimination, gossip, lies, and more. If we find ourselves doing this, we need to stop at once and ask God to forgive us and set us back on the right track.
This scripture speaks to a much bigger issue in our present-day culture. We have found it convenient to invoke our faith in all sorts of arenas. You see political candidates promote themselves as “Christian Conservatives,” and then act in ways that belie their Christian faith. You hear ministers talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then loudly protest across the street from a funeral for someone who was openly gay – or at an abortion clinic – or threaten to burn a Koran. You hear Christians claim that natural disasters and human tragedies are “God’s punishment” for the choices made by those who endured them.
You hear people who talk about serving God in ministries large and small speak critically of those they serve – “Why can’t they get off welfare?” … “If they didn’t spend money on drugs, they wouldn’t need a handout.” … “Did you see what she was wearing? She shouldn’t qualify for this ministry!” and more. You see people of all ages attending church activities on Sunday and throughout the week and then treating others with condescension, criticism, and sometimes downright rudeness away from the church campus.
I know I am stepping on toes … and I sound like a broken record. But every day when I turn on the television or open the newspaper – or even login to Facebook – I see this time and again. And it saddens me greatly. But what I think or feel doesn’t matter … imagine how it saddens God! The people He sacrificed His only Son to save have “repurposed” His gift. Too many of us have taken their new life in Christ and fashioned it into something it was never meant to be. We’ve given it a purpose, alright … but not the one that God intended!
I pray that we will all take time today to search our hearts and ask some really serious questions. Find out where you have repurposed your salvation to fit your own agenda. Ask God to show you where you need to do a “restoration” job and return to the discipleship He designed for you. I know the changes won’t happen overnight, but it’s a start. With God, all things are possible, and God can remove our mistaken attitudes … our curses and wrong thinking. He can restore us to a faith walk that honors Him and blesses others. Will you ask Him to do this for you today?
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 19, 2010
Matthew 12:36-37
I promise you that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken. On that day they will be told that they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Each month, as I go to sales and auctions, I make notes of what I purchase and how much the items cost. As I sell things online and in my booth at a store downtown, I make a note on my “inventory list” of the date the item sold and the sale price. I do this for tax purposes, and also because it’s fun to see how much I made or lost on each item. Thankfully, there have been very few losses.
Somehow, I have a feeling that there are more “losses” to report when I stand before God some day. Even though I know that my name is written in The Lamb’s Book of Life … and I have every confidence that Jesus is preparing my “mansion” as we speak … I will still have to answer for what I did on this earth. God is going to want me to account for the careless words I said … the judgments I made about others … the times I was supposed to serve and didn’t.
I hope that there will be at least a few things in the “plus” column for God to recognize. And I am doing all I can to add to that column. But it is very easy for us to slip into old habits … and to say and do things that displease God. I believe when we realize that God really is making note of these – and some day, He will say “What do you have to say for yourself?” - we will try to do better. I believe that at the end of my “heavenly review,” God will take His giant eraser – or more aptly, a cup of Jesus’ precious blood” - and wash away any evidence of my wrongdoing. But I don’t want there to be much for Him to erase, do you?
Today, I pray you will remind yourself that God is making notes. He is holding us accountable for everything we say and do … and someday we will have to answer for our careless words and our ruthless judgments of others. I pray you will ask Him to give you strength and wisdom to conquer these demons in your life and to focus more on serving and making marks in God’s “plus” column.
©2010 Debbie Robus
If you have a minute, please view this video by Beth Moore, a well-known teacher of God’s word. She speaks to the issue of judging others – and listening to God. You’ll laugh, think – and maybe even cry … but she will give you a great illustration of how God works – and the many ways we can serve Him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtk5WgzZcYA
I promise you that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken. On that day they will be told that they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Each month, as I go to sales and auctions, I make notes of what I purchase and how much the items cost. As I sell things online and in my booth at a store downtown, I make a note on my “inventory list” of the date the item sold and the sale price. I do this for tax purposes, and also because it’s fun to see how much I made or lost on each item. Thankfully, there have been very few losses.
Somehow, I have a feeling that there are more “losses” to report when I stand before God some day. Even though I know that my name is written in The Lamb’s Book of Life … and I have every confidence that Jesus is preparing my “mansion” as we speak … I will still have to answer for what I did on this earth. God is going to want me to account for the careless words I said … the judgments I made about others … the times I was supposed to serve and didn’t.
I hope that there will be at least a few things in the “plus” column for God to recognize. And I am doing all I can to add to that column. But it is very easy for us to slip into old habits … and to say and do things that displease God. I believe when we realize that God really is making note of these – and some day, He will say “What do you have to say for yourself?” - we will try to do better. I believe that at the end of my “heavenly review,” God will take His giant eraser – or more aptly, a cup of Jesus’ precious blood” - and wash away any evidence of my wrongdoing. But I don’t want there to be much for Him to erase, do you?
Today, I pray you will remind yourself that God is making notes. He is holding us accountable for everything we say and do … and someday we will have to answer for our careless words and our ruthless judgments of others. I pray you will ask Him to give you strength and wisdom to conquer these demons in your life and to focus more on serving and making marks in God’s “plus” column.
©2010 Debbie Robus
If you have a minute, please view this video by Beth Moore, a well-known teacher of God’s word. She speaks to the issue of judging others – and listening to God. You’ll laugh, think – and maybe even cry … but she will give you a great illustration of how God works – and the many ways we can serve Him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtk5WgzZcYA
Daily Devotional for September 18, 2010
Proverbs 18:21
Words can bring death or life! Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Do you remember the time you should have stopped talking, but you just kept going … digging yourself in deeper and deeper? Of course you do … we’ve all been there! Our reasons are endless … we thought we were helping … we were making a point … we were right, and we knew it! And sometimes, we simply thought we sounded pretty darn good and wanted to keep going!
We often speak before we think … or say too much or the wrong thing to someone. The devil loves to control us, and our speech is a really easy way for him to do this, because words are like toothpaste – once it’s out of the tube, there is no way to put it back. And if you have ever had to “eat” something you said … to apologize or retract a comment … you know how humbling and embarrassing this can be. Worse yet, it dishonors our faith!
Hear me carefully … there is a fine line between being witty and wicked. This is not about how much you talk, as much as it is about what you say and how you say it. I know people who don’t say all that much – but when they do, their words have a bite and an attitude to them that speaks volumes! I know others who talk all the time and never really say anything or give any real picture of who they are in Christ. God wants us to speak words of love, grace, mercy, and peace over others. He wants our words to be kind, thoughtful, constructive … and always truthful. The old adage, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything” applies.
In a court of law, words can literally bring death or life. In the life of a Christian, we are often known by our words. Will yours bring life and the good news of Jesus to others? Or will yours bring delight to the devil? Guard your thoughts and words carefully. Be sure those that escape your tongue are pleasing to God and honor His presence in your life.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Words can bring death or life! Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Do you remember the time you should have stopped talking, but you just kept going … digging yourself in deeper and deeper? Of course you do … we’ve all been there! Our reasons are endless … we thought we were helping … we were making a point … we were right, and we knew it! And sometimes, we simply thought we sounded pretty darn good and wanted to keep going!
We often speak before we think … or say too much or the wrong thing to someone. The devil loves to control us, and our speech is a really easy way for him to do this, because words are like toothpaste – once it’s out of the tube, there is no way to put it back. And if you have ever had to “eat” something you said … to apologize or retract a comment … you know how humbling and embarrassing this can be. Worse yet, it dishonors our faith!
Hear me carefully … there is a fine line between being witty and wicked. This is not about how much you talk, as much as it is about what you say and how you say it. I know people who don’t say all that much – but when they do, their words have a bite and an attitude to them that speaks volumes! I know others who talk all the time and never really say anything or give any real picture of who they are in Christ. God wants us to speak words of love, grace, mercy, and peace over others. He wants our words to be kind, thoughtful, constructive … and always truthful. The old adage, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything” applies.
In a court of law, words can literally bring death or life. In the life of a Christian, we are often known by our words. Will yours bring life and the good news of Jesus to others? Or will yours bring delight to the devil? Guard your thoughts and words carefully. Be sure those that escape your tongue are pleasing to God and honor His presence in your life.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)