Daily Devotional for October 10, 2016

Matthew 4:1-4
Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted there by Satan. For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. Then Satan tempted him to get food by changing stones into loaves of bread.

“It will prove you are the Son of God,” he said.

But Jesus told him, “No! For the Scriptures tell us that bread won’t feed men’s souls: obedience to every word of God is what we need.”

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

Excuses! Excuses!  We’ve all made them…

• “If I don’t look the other way, I’ll lose my job.”
• “If I make my kids behave, they won’t like me.”
• “If I speak out against racist remarks, I’ll lose my friends.”
• “If I don’t serve on high profile committees in my church, people will think I don’t love God.”
• “I don’t approve of this person, but if I don’t support him/her, things will be really tough for me.

You and I are often very hungry…for attention, for reassurance, for friendship, for acceptance and approval.  It’s as if we have been in the desert for 40 days without food, and the devil comes along and says, “Have all you can eat.  It comes with some ‘strings’ and some compromises, but they won’t really matter.  What’s important is how YOU feel…what this means for YOU in the short run.  I know what you’re going through…and only I can make you feel better!  So EAT!”

Here’s the thing…when we compromise our values or fall victim to the devil’s schemes – or when we succumb to his temptations, we lose big time.  Not only that…when we “eat” from Satan’s plate of lies, we totally deprecate our faith that God can handle things. We are often so fearful of what will happen to us if we stand up for what we KNOW God is telling us is the right thing that we completely turn our backs on Him.  Essentially we say, “LORD, I know You SAID you could handle anything, but I really don’t believe You!”

So where will you stand today?  Are you really ready to tell the devil to get lost - and trust God…for EVERYTHING?  Dare to say, “I have no clue what this may cost me in the short run…but I am willing to risk it to stay in Your will, LORD.”  God will make a way where you see none at all.  I know, because I have done this…more than once!

More than a few of us are “wandering in the desert” today…and we are starving.  The devil is standing before us with the most attractive and delectable offerings to tempt us over to his side.  But God is standing there, also…and I promise, what He offers makes Satan’s enticements look like ridiculous.

Don’t be fooled…and don’t make the mistake of choosing poorly.  TRUST GOD!  Allow HIM to feed you and meet your needs.  He can…and He will!  Are you ready to take a leap of faith?    

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for April 9, 2015

Psalm 119:1-10
Happy are all who perfectly follow the laws of God. Happy are all who search for God and always do his will, rejecting compromise with evil and walking only in his paths. You have given us your laws to obey - oh, how I want to follow them consistently. Then I will not be disgraced, for I will have a clean record.

After you have corrected me, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey! Oh, don’t forsake me and let me slip back into sin again.

How can a young man stay pure? By reading your Word and following its rules. I have tried my best to find you—don’t let me wander off from your instructions.

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

Answer this question honestly…have you ever turned and looked the other way when something was happening that you knew would not please God?  Maybe you observed activity at a party that was wrong – or illegal.  Maybe you knew that a friend was cheating in some manner, and you did not confront him/her.  Perhaps you literally looked away when someone told a joke that was off-color, racist, or derogatory in some manner.  Maybe you shared gossip about someone, even though you knew in your heart that it was wrong to do so. Or perhaps you knew that your boss or co-workers were stealing from the company or mistreating other employees…and you kept your mouth shut, because you felt... a) it wasn’t any of your business; and/or 2) confrontation could cost you the job – or your relationship with this person.

In all of these instances…and countless more…we compromise with evil.  We may even justify this by saying, “It’s just this once.  I’ll do more for God later.” Or we say, “I’m sowing my wild oats.  I’ll settle down and live for God someday.”  But let me ask you this…how do you feel afterward? 

If you truly love God, I’m betting you feel pretty lousy on some level.  These types of negotiations with God do not make us happy – at least not in the long run.  While it’s not always easy to do the right thing…nothing else will truly make us happy.  To some degree, we will operate with a guilty conscience…and this is never really pleasant or fun!

Hear the good news…there is a “way out” of this mess.  We can ditch the devil, once and for all - and run as fast as we can back to God.  We may think we have tried our best to find Him...but in truth, He’s been here all along.  His guidelines are clear…His Word contains every answer we will ever need…if only we will study it.  Then we must do what God asks of us…even those things we find difficult – or unpopular.

If you find your life unsettled…if you are often uneasy, worried, or frustrated...open your Bible, sit quietly with God, and let Him speak to you.  James 4:8 tells us that “when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you.”  God is waiting for you to kick the devil to the curb and draw near to Him – and STAY there!  Are you ready to make the move?

©2015 Debbie Robus