Acts 10:35
God is pleased with everyone who worships him and does right, no matter what nation they come from.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
It
seems like at least once a month lately, I have referenced an act of
terror that has been committed somewhere in the world. This week, it
happened in California, where fourteen people were shot and killed, and
another 21 were injured. When it happens on American soil, it’s
personal. We react with a mixture of anger, sadness, and fear.
I
opened today’s newspaper and read a headline that reported the death of
16 people and injuries to three more in a firebomb attack on a small
nightclub in Cairo, Egypt. Early reports are that this incident was the
result of a dispute between some patrons and the nightclub staff, and
Molotov cocktails were thrown at the entrance. I’m sure it was a
horrific, tragic scene for all who were involved. This event is equally
tragic and significant…but will we give it more than a passing glance?
The
point I am making is that both of these instances – happening “a world
apart” – are heartbreaking to God. We have become so accustomed to
hearing accounts of violence - particularly in the Middle East - that we
barely pay any attention to them. And we are well on our way to
growing as complacent about such horrific events in our own country.
Worse yet, we jump to conclusions and readily assume that a certain
religious faction is responsible in some way…and we lump everyone of
that faith into one big ball of guilty parties. If Christians were so
readily blamed for the sins of a handful of people, we would be
outraged.
We need to all take a collective breath. We need to
stop fearing every person who is different from us in some way. Too
many “Christians” are pretty well afraid of their own shadow. They fear
those whose politics are different…they fear those of other races and
ethnic backgrounds…they fear those who have a different sexual
orientation…and they certainly fear those who do not openly share their
particular “brand” of Christian faith. Read this scripture passage
again…”God is pleased with everyone who worships him and does right, no matter what nation they come from."
This
scripture is referring to something bigger than just nationality. God’s
word tells us that He loves everyone who worships Him. God’s desire is
that ALL people would seek salvation in the blood of Jesus Christ and
become His disciples. When we give others a poor impression of what it
means to follow Jesus, we have failed in our service to God - and in our
own discipleship.
We need to show outrage and concern for what
happened in San Bernardino. But we also need to be equally upset over
what happened in Cairo…and what happens in other parts of our nation and
throughout the world on a seemingly regular basis these days. Our hearts need to be
broken for ALL of what breaks God’s…not just what happens to “our
people.” We need to demonstrate love and trust in God to handle the
things we cannot…and kick fear to the curb. We need to pray for the
victims of these senseless tragedies…but also the perpetrators and their
families. And we need to start today.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label complacency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label complacency. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for October 12, 2013
Proverbs 6:6-11
You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!
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.
We awoke to a thunderstorm and a dreary, rainy Saturday morning… perfect for hanging out in your pajamas or “sweats” and lounging with an extra cup of coffee. And there is nothing wrong with taking an occasional “day off” and being lazy. The problem is that many of us have made this a habit – if not our daily routine. There is every possibility that we did not intend to become this way… but as this passage indicates, we let a nap here and a day off there turn into a regular routine. And soon, we were not even making the effort to appear active and engaged. Our room/apartment/house is a wreck… we haven’t done laundry or mowed the yard in a month or better… dishes are piled high in the sink and there is little food in the fridge – and what is there has ruined. We rummage through the drawers and closets to find something clean enough for school or work… and we hurry home to put on our pjs or “sweats” and crawl back onto the couch or into bed.
I know this sounds extreme, but I am afraid that a lot of people truly live this way! And if you don’t feel that you fit into this description, let me ask you about your life as a Christian disciple. How is your relationship with God? Are you talking to Him every day and seeking ways to honor Him? Are you actually doing anything to serve God… to exercise your “faith muscle” and grow in Christian wisdom and strength? Or are you counting on others to do the work… depending on them to pray for you and those around you…expecting them to do the volunteering, teach the classes, study the Bible, and reach out to others in Jesus’ name? Are you essentially snuggled under the covers in your pjs, taking it easy…and expecting God to continue to bless you?
Here’s the thing… #1) this is not how God operates. He didn’t call you to be a disciple of Christ so you could sit on your duff all day and take Him – and the gift of salvation and its promise of eternity in heaven – for granted; and #2) why would you want this kind of existence in the first place? Spending your life on the sidelines is not truly living! Not only are you missing out on the wonderful gifts that God wants to bestow upon you in this earthly lifetime while you are lazing around… you are forfeiting the amazing blessings that He wishes to share with you as you grow in His wisdom and learn more about His grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love.
I don’t know where you fit in this picture. I certainly don’t know how or when you got where you are. But if you find yourself in some state of laziness… physically, mentally or spiritually, I encourage you to make the conscious decision to change. Ask God to show you how to do this. Let Him guide you as you “get off the couch” and get going again. You will be amazed at how much better you feel… and you will be truly astounded at what awaits you as you develop new habits. You can still spend an occasional Saturday morning on the couch in your pjs… but I’m betting you’ll find far more exciting things to fill most of your time. With God’s help… I’m quite sure of it! Are you ready to get up and get going?
©2013 Debbie Robus
You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!
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.
We awoke to a thunderstorm and a dreary, rainy Saturday morning… perfect for hanging out in your pajamas or “sweats” and lounging with an extra cup of coffee. And there is nothing wrong with taking an occasional “day off” and being lazy. The problem is that many of us have made this a habit – if not our daily routine. There is every possibility that we did not intend to become this way… but as this passage indicates, we let a nap here and a day off there turn into a regular routine. And soon, we were not even making the effort to appear active and engaged. Our room/apartment/house is a wreck… we haven’t done laundry or mowed the yard in a month or better… dishes are piled high in the sink and there is little food in the fridge – and what is there has ruined. We rummage through the drawers and closets to find something clean enough for school or work… and we hurry home to put on our pjs or “sweats” and crawl back onto the couch or into bed.
I know this sounds extreme, but I am afraid that a lot of people truly live this way! And if you don’t feel that you fit into this description, let me ask you about your life as a Christian disciple. How is your relationship with God? Are you talking to Him every day and seeking ways to honor Him? Are you actually doing anything to serve God… to exercise your “faith muscle” and grow in Christian wisdom and strength? Or are you counting on others to do the work… depending on them to pray for you and those around you…expecting them to do the volunteering, teach the classes, study the Bible, and reach out to others in Jesus’ name? Are you essentially snuggled under the covers in your pjs, taking it easy…and expecting God to continue to bless you?
Here’s the thing… #1) this is not how God operates. He didn’t call you to be a disciple of Christ so you could sit on your duff all day and take Him – and the gift of salvation and its promise of eternity in heaven – for granted; and #2) why would you want this kind of existence in the first place? Spending your life on the sidelines is not truly living! Not only are you missing out on the wonderful gifts that God wants to bestow upon you in this earthly lifetime while you are lazing around… you are forfeiting the amazing blessings that He wishes to share with you as you grow in His wisdom and learn more about His grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love.
I don’t know where you fit in this picture. I certainly don’t know how or when you got where you are. But if you find yourself in some state of laziness… physically, mentally or spiritually, I encourage you to make the conscious decision to change. Ask God to show you how to do this. Let Him guide you as you “get off the couch” and get going again. You will be amazed at how much better you feel… and you will be truly astounded at what awaits you as you develop new habits. You can still spend an occasional Saturday morning on the couch in your pjs… but I’m betting you’ll find far more exciting things to fill most of your time. With God’s help… I’m quite sure of it! Are you ready to get up and get going?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 16, 2013
June 16 ~ John 5:5-9
Beside the pool was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw the man and realized that he had been crippled for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be healed?”
The man answered, “Lord, I don’t have anyone to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up. I try to get in, but someone else always gets there first.”
Jesus told him, “Pick up your mat and walk!” Right then the man was healed. He picked up his mat and started walking around. The day on which this happened was a Sabbath.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Can you imagine being sick or injured for 38 years and doing the exact same thing every day to try to change this… with no success? Many of you have not even been on this earth for 38 years, so this is probably beyond comprehension to you! And even for those of us who have lived beyond this time frame, the concept is daunting!
I’ve seen several commentaries on this passage. Some suggest that the man could surely have found some way to roll over into the pool in the course of almost four decades. They maintain that he managed to get there every day, so he could surely have fought and clawed his way to the front of the line!
I like the analogy given by Rev. Billy Graham’s daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, in her book… Just Give Me Jesus. Lotz suggests that the man made peace with being a cripple. She further maintains that much of the time, we are just like that man! We grow complacent… tired… frustrated… and we settle for our life as it is. We make peace with our sins. We realize that we don’t honor God with our whole heart… we don’t really trust Him to handle our worries and cares… we don’t fully serve God in everything and represent Him to the best of our abilities in our everyday living. And we become okay with this.
We have a ton of excuses… we’re too tired, too busy, too sick. There was that time when we felt God really let us down because things didn’t go as we had planned. He allowed a loved one to die… we lost our job/home/health/family. Somebody said something to us that really hurt our feelings. We just didn’t have the talent or the energy for whatever God called us to do… and we felt justified in doing nothing. An old habit was too hard to kick… we liked our old friends and unruly lifestyle. We were “good enough”… and we settled.
Lotz maintains that what we and the man at the pool of Bethesda lack is right in front of us… and His name is Jesus. All we have to do is call on Him… wholeheartedly trust Him… and He will give us whatever we lack. He’ll push us over into the pool – and we will be healed. Jesus will give us the courage to do what we thought was impossible… to face the insurmountable tasks and challenges… to change who and what we have become. Jesus will give us a peace like we only dreamed of experiencing…a satisfaction, security, and contentment we would never have believed was achievable. And He is ready to start today.
We have a choice. We can lie down with the man beside the pool and remain stuck there. We can make peace with our sins… or we can choose Jesus. We can live more fully than we ever imagined… with more joy, confidence and serenity than we ever envisioned… or we can wallow and wait for someone to move aside and make room – or to push us over into the “pool.” Neither of these is likely to happen. So what are you waiting for? Aren’t you ready to make peace with Jesus instead of your sins? Will this be the day that you “pick up your mat and walk?”
©2013 Debbie Robus
Beside the pool was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw the man and realized that he had been crippled for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be healed?”
The man answered, “Lord, I don’t have anyone to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up. I try to get in, but someone else always gets there first.”
Jesus told him, “Pick up your mat and walk!” Right then the man was healed. He picked up his mat and started walking around. The day on which this happened was a Sabbath.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Can you imagine being sick or injured for 38 years and doing the exact same thing every day to try to change this… with no success? Many of you have not even been on this earth for 38 years, so this is probably beyond comprehension to you! And even for those of us who have lived beyond this time frame, the concept is daunting!
I’ve seen several commentaries on this passage. Some suggest that the man could surely have found some way to roll over into the pool in the course of almost four decades. They maintain that he managed to get there every day, so he could surely have fought and clawed his way to the front of the line!
I like the analogy given by Rev. Billy Graham’s daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, in her book… Just Give Me Jesus. Lotz suggests that the man made peace with being a cripple. She further maintains that much of the time, we are just like that man! We grow complacent… tired… frustrated… and we settle for our life as it is. We make peace with our sins. We realize that we don’t honor God with our whole heart… we don’t really trust Him to handle our worries and cares… we don’t fully serve God in everything and represent Him to the best of our abilities in our everyday living. And we become okay with this.
We have a ton of excuses… we’re too tired, too busy, too sick. There was that time when we felt God really let us down because things didn’t go as we had planned. He allowed a loved one to die… we lost our job/home/health/family. Somebody said something to us that really hurt our feelings. We just didn’t have the talent or the energy for whatever God called us to do… and we felt justified in doing nothing. An old habit was too hard to kick… we liked our old friends and unruly lifestyle. We were “good enough”… and we settled.
Lotz maintains that what we and the man at the pool of Bethesda lack is right in front of us… and His name is Jesus. All we have to do is call on Him… wholeheartedly trust Him… and He will give us whatever we lack. He’ll push us over into the pool – and we will be healed. Jesus will give us the courage to do what we thought was impossible… to face the insurmountable tasks and challenges… to change who and what we have become. Jesus will give us a peace like we only dreamed of experiencing…a satisfaction, security, and contentment we would never have believed was achievable. And He is ready to start today.
We have a choice. We can lie down with the man beside the pool and remain stuck there. We can make peace with our sins… or we can choose Jesus. We can live more fully than we ever imagined… with more joy, confidence and serenity than we ever envisioned… or we can wallow and wait for someone to move aside and make room – or to push us over into the “pool.” Neither of these is likely to happen. So what are you waiting for? Aren’t you ready to make peace with Jesus instead of your sins? Will this be the day that you “pick up your mat and walk?”
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 27, 2012
Nehemiah 8:2
On the first day of the seventh month, the people came together in the open area in front of the Water Gate. Then they asked Ezra, who was a teacher of the Law of Moses, to read to them from this Law that the LORD had given his people. Ezra the priest came with the Law and stood before the crowd of men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand.
Philippians 1:1-7
From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all of God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all of your church officials and officers. I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
Every time I think of you, I thank my God. And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy. This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it. God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.
You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work that God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In my grandmother’s journal, she talks of getting together with other women who lived in her neck of the woods to make mattresses out of heavy fabric and cotton provided by the Red Cross. She writes… “We didn’t have mattresses, but we had straw beds and feather beds, until the Red Cross stepped in and started to furnish cotton to make mattresses and comforters. That was lots of fun. We made them in our front yard. Neighbors came in and we would make two or three a day till everyone had some good beds.” With today’s technology, we can order our “Sleep Number” bed online and have it delivered to our doorstep.
A few years ago, a local news reporter conducted an experiment. She rented an empty apartment, and with the aide of only a laptop and an Internet connection, she successfully purchased everything she needed – food, clothing, furnishings, and more – and had it all delivered directly to her. With a few keypad strokes, we can now order movies, concerts, sporting events, and more – and see them instantly on our TVs. We can ship and receive packages worldwide from our doorstep. Many of us can attend school online – or work from home via computer. We can socialize with our friends - and even worship - from the comforts of our easy chair. Think about this… it is entirely possible to go days, weeks – or even longer – without ever leaving home or physically “seeing” another person!
As a result, many of us have no clue how to really interact with others. We do not fully understand the meaning of true partnership and ministry… and how important this is to the body of Christ. Many of us get complacent and lazy as we retreat within ourselves and let our responsibilities as partakers in God’s anointing and favor fall by the wayside. We become self-absorbed and fail to look around at those directly in our path who need to hear from us... to know that we care – and more importantly - that God cares.
Now don’t misunderstand me… there are plenty of ways to serve God from your desk and the comfort of your own home. There are many who are unable to get out and make face-to-face contact with others for a number of reasons. These Disciples can be highly effective servants through prayer, sending notes and e-mail messages of encouragement, making phone calls, and more… doing their part as God directs them. But for many of us, serving God means getting up – and out – and working shoulder-to-shoulder with others.
We are all called to be partners in the ministry of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t know if God’s plan for you is to develop an e-mail prayer chain or to gather your friends to stuff mattresses for those who have no place to lay their head. I believe that God allowed us to create the technological advances that shape today’s world in great part to further His kingdom – and to enhance the ministries that involve actual physical interaction and labor. Our job is to figure out how to use all of the tools God has given us correctly to create partnerships with others… to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ… and to continue the good work He began in each of us. How successful is your partnership with God – and others - these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
On the first day of the seventh month, the people came together in the open area in front of the Water Gate. Then they asked Ezra, who was a teacher of the Law of Moses, to read to them from this Law that the LORD had given his people. Ezra the priest came with the Law and stood before the crowd of men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand.
Philippians 1:1-7
From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all of God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all of your church officials and officers. I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
Every time I think of you, I thank my God. And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy. This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it. God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.
You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work that God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In my grandmother’s journal, she talks of getting together with other women who lived in her neck of the woods to make mattresses out of heavy fabric and cotton provided by the Red Cross. She writes… “We didn’t have mattresses, but we had straw beds and feather beds, until the Red Cross stepped in and started to furnish cotton to make mattresses and comforters. That was lots of fun. We made them in our front yard. Neighbors came in and we would make two or three a day till everyone had some good beds.” With today’s technology, we can order our “Sleep Number” bed online and have it delivered to our doorstep.
A few years ago, a local news reporter conducted an experiment. She rented an empty apartment, and with the aide of only a laptop and an Internet connection, she successfully purchased everything she needed – food, clothing, furnishings, and more – and had it all delivered directly to her. With a few keypad strokes, we can now order movies, concerts, sporting events, and more – and see them instantly on our TVs. We can ship and receive packages worldwide from our doorstep. Many of us can attend school online – or work from home via computer. We can socialize with our friends - and even worship - from the comforts of our easy chair. Think about this… it is entirely possible to go days, weeks – or even longer – without ever leaving home or physically “seeing” another person!
As a result, many of us have no clue how to really interact with others. We do not fully understand the meaning of true partnership and ministry… and how important this is to the body of Christ. Many of us get complacent and lazy as we retreat within ourselves and let our responsibilities as partakers in God’s anointing and favor fall by the wayside. We become self-absorbed and fail to look around at those directly in our path who need to hear from us... to know that we care – and more importantly - that God cares.
Now don’t misunderstand me… there are plenty of ways to serve God from your desk and the comfort of your own home. There are many who are unable to get out and make face-to-face contact with others for a number of reasons. These Disciples can be highly effective servants through prayer, sending notes and e-mail messages of encouragement, making phone calls, and more… doing their part as God directs them. But for many of us, serving God means getting up – and out – and working shoulder-to-shoulder with others.
We are all called to be partners in the ministry of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t know if God’s plan for you is to develop an e-mail prayer chain or to gather your friends to stuff mattresses for those who have no place to lay their head. I believe that God allowed us to create the technological advances that shape today’s world in great part to further His kingdom – and to enhance the ministries that involve actual physical interaction and labor. Our job is to figure out how to use all of the tools God has given us correctly to create partnerships with others… to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ… and to continue the good work He began in each of us. How successful is your partnership with God – and others - these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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