1 John 2:12-14
I remind you, my dear children: Your sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name. You veterans were in on the ground floor, and know the One who started all this; you newcomers have won a big victory over the Evil One.

And a second reminder, dear children: You know the Father from personal experience. You veterans know the One who started it all; and you newcomers—such vitality and strength! God’s word is so steady in you. Your fellowship with God enables you to gain a victory over the Evil One.

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’ve been talking with a few of friends who are in the throes of some difficult situations, including struggles with the issues of aging, terminal illness, and challenges at work.  I have tried to offer hope and encouragement to them as someone who - as one friend put it – “has been through the fire” on a few of these fronts. Indeed, like anyone who has lived nearly 60 years, I’ve experienced a few “life events.”  And I feel very much like a “veteran who knows the One who started it all.”

This morning, I woke and looked around our house (which is still fully “dressed” in Christmas decorations) and thought about all that has happened to me and my family in just one year.  Last winter, I didn’t get the Christmas decorations put away until nearly the end of January, so I am counting my blessings that I am somewhat ahead of the game today!  But for the moment, I look around the house and see decorations everywhere…and a part of me is asking, “How on earth will I ever get this all put away?”  The simple answer is, “one piece at a time.”  I can’t fully explain how this will happen, but I know that I will roll up my sleeves, get in there and get started…and soon it will all be done.

You probably know that 2016 was a year that tested – and strengthened - our faith.  I hope that we have demonstrated to others – especially our children – that even when we don’t know how we will “get it done,” God is making a way.  If I have learned anything, I’ve learned that even when we don’t know how we will manage a situation…how we will ever survive the  situations and circumstances that cause us to feel like the world is crumbling around us…God is busy working everything out and meeting our needs.

Yesterday, Nathan slipped out of a kitchen counter chair – and bumped his head.  I’m sure it really hurt, and he cried big ole “crocodile tears.”  I cuddled him in my lap with a cold “owie bag” and assured him that it would be okay soon.  He tearfully said, “No, it won’t!”  But it was…and soon, he was playing – and climbing back into that chair for another snack!

Yes, there are days when I want to curl up in a ball and say, “This is too much!”  That happens to all of us.  And I believe those are the days when God cradles us in His lap, much as I did Nathan, and says, “It’s going to be okay. I know you don’t see it…but I promise, I’m right here with you.” God is always fighting the Evil One behind the scenes.  When we sit in His lap and pour out our heart and soul, He is holding us with one arm…and swinging His sword at the devil with his other.

When I tell others that “this will be okay,” I do not say this smugly…but rather, as one who has faith and confidence that it truly will. I am quick to tell you – I have not lost a child or a spouse – or suffered a lengthy and debilitating illness…and I cannot fathom the anguish of these situations.  But I have observed many who have experienced these heartbreaks and difficulties, and I have seen how God carried them through – and healed their hearts to a point where they could continue to function and bless others.  I truly believe that God can bring us through anything…the really “big stuff” like death, illness and personal struggle…and the relatively small stuff of taking down our holiday decorations!

When you stop and think about it, there is no other who has the all-encompassing power – and compassion, grace and mercy – to accomplish all of this.  God is the be-all, end-all…the winner over the Evil One…and our incomparable LORD and Master.  Do you feel His power and presence in your life today?  Whether you are doing pretty well right now – or you need some “lap time,” God is ready, willing and able to meet your needs.  Will you claim Him and cling to His promises?  Don’t you think you should?

©2017 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for November 5, 2016

Matthew 6:22-23
“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.

This morning, I awoke in darkness, even though the sun had been up for more than an hour.  We have room darkening drapery and blinds on one side of our bedroom…and a dark, windowless hallway just outside the other.  So even on the sunniest day, there is darkness until the door is opened to the rest of our house…which is virtually walled in windows.  Then the light comes flooding in and fills ups every nook and cranny!

When I was a young teenager, I loved to keep the curtains drawn tightly for much of the morning in summer.  It was as if as long as the light and the “outside world” were not visible, we didn’t have to start our day.  We could laze in pajamas, drain the last cups of coffee from my dad’s percolator, and pretend that we didn’t have anything we had to do all day.  My mother was attending college classes at a university some 40 miles away and didn’t return home until after noon, so we would piddle around until about an hour before she arrived, then scramble like “Samantha” on the TV sitcom “Bewitched” to get the kitchen cleaned, beds made, and all of our other chores done…and yes, open the curtains!

We like the darkness when we are trying to sleep or be lazy for a day. But too many of us choose to stay in the dark much of the time. We either try to shut out the outside world…or we squint to see things as we wish them to be, rather than review them in the bright light of truth.  It seems to me that lately there has been a lot of “squinting” and “curtain pulling” in our country, as people try to put their own “spin” on how things are…or how they want them to be.

The time has come to open the blinds…and open our eyes.  We need to trust God to handle everything that is happening to us…to seek His will and believe that He truly knows best…and we need to demonstrate this to others.  No more hand wringing…no more “trash talk” and berating of one another…no more picking and choosing what to believe or support based on our own agendas and desires – or because it just “feels good.”  The time has come to fill our bodies with the Light of Christ…and act like it!

I will be the first to admit that I have had my moments where the issue wasn’t that I didn’t trust God…but I got caught up in the negativity and “gloom and doom” despair that seems to be a pervading attitude among many.  My sweet husband reminded me this morning that we are “glass half full” people.  God gave him words of encouragement and logic to speak to me that were a reminder of WHO is in charge…and how blessed we are because of Jesus.

So I am challenging each of us to get out from under the covers, pull back the curtains, and open our eyes to the bright light of Jesus Christ.  Let’s trust Him to do what only He can and embrace the wonderful, amazing, abundant life that He offers each of us.  And let’s begin today!

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 8, 2016

Matthew 21:18-22
When Jesus got up the next morning, he was hungry. He started out for the city, and along the way he saw a fig tree. But when he came to it, he found only leaves and no figs. So he told the tree, “You will never again grow any fruit!” Right then the fig tree dried up.

The disciples were shocked when they saw how quickly the tree had dried up. But Jesus said to them, “If you have faith and don’t doubt, I promise that you can do what I did to this tree. And you will be able to do even more. You can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. If you have faith when you pray, you will be given whatever you ask for.”

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

I volunteer at the elementary school in Timothy and Zola’s classes…usually on Fridays.  Timmy told me yesterday that he was spending Saturday night with his PawPaw…and they were going to the store to buy him a small Lego® set. Timmy absolutely LOVES Legos®!  So when I left school near the end of the day, I hugged and kissed Timmy and said, “Have a good Saturday!”  He hung his head and said, “It won’t be good.”  I laughed, because this was all for my benefit…and I reminded him of the fun time he was going to have with his grandfather.  Timmy demonstrated no faith that he could have plenty of fun somewhere besides our house!

So often, we shoot ourselves in the foot, just like a 7-year-old boy.  We make up our minds long before we ever think of talking to God that what we are asking for is simply impossible.  We not only doubt the power of our prayer…we demonstrate a lack of faith in God’s ability to answer. Does this mean that we can ask for absolutely anything, and because we believe for it, God will grant us our every wish? Certainly not!  I knew someone who once stated openly that he knew that God was going to give him a Mercedes Benz…because he had prayed for it!  God doesn’t operate in this manner…and this is not how He answers prayers from even the most faith-filled Christian!

We have to function within the framework that God has presented in scripture.  We have to understand the teachings of Jesus - and the inherent expectations of us as Christ’s disciples.  We must submit to the will of God and trust that when we ask for something, we will receive what God believes is best for us.  He will answer…but it may not be exactly as we expected.

We so often pray with doubt – and without expectation.  We must learn to trust that God has our back…that He truly does want what is best for us.  When we begin to believe this…and ask in a humble and obedient manner for His help, care and blessings, God truly will deliver.  You may never drive anything but a “clunker,” but it won’t matter – to you or anyone else.

Let’s be the kind of faithful disciple that demonstrates to the world…”I’m right where God wants me to be…and I am good with that! He hears my prayers and answers…and with Him, all things are possible!”  And let’s pray expectantly and faithfully - and harness the power of God – and see how many “mountains” we can move!

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for September 13, 2016

John 4:34-38
Jesus said, “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time!
 
“The Harvester isn’t waiting. He’s taking his pay, gathering in this grain that’s ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant. That’s the truth of the saying, ‘This one sows, that one harvests.’ I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by 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.
 
My cousin Natalie introduced me to the  Silhouette® Cameo - a computerized machine that cuts all sorts of things out of adhesive vinyl, heat transfer vinyl , fabric, paper, and more.  The Silhouette® has revolutionized how I sew and create outfits and gifts for my family and friends, as well as card making projects and so much more!  And…it’s FUN! I get a great sense of satisfaction from creating something that looks so polished and crisp!
 
Like so many “gadgets” in our lives today, this machine and my computer do the hard work for me.  I have to make the effort to pick a design and use the tools in the computer program to create a template…but the machine does a lot of the “thinking” for me, then actually cuts out the designs.  Here’s the thing…I have to be awake and alert.  I have to position the material just right for cutting and set the blade to the correct sharpness for my material.  I must pay attention to select colors and materials that are right for whatever I am making.  I learned the hard way that you cannot iron a heat transfer on an insulated metal tumbler! I have to attach the cutouts to whatever surface they were destined to adorn.
 
I am grateful for this machine and the “work” it does for me.  I appreciate my dishwasher and washing machine…the serger that finishes my stitched edges so nicely…the hot water that appears in the sink when I turn on the appropriate faucet…and my smart phone that does more than I even realize!  But I have to do my part, too!  I have to put dishes in the dishwasher, and turn on the phone and punch some buttons.  I have to place clothes in the washer and select the design for my machine to cut.  And when it comes to harvesting souls for Jesus, we have work to do, as well.
 
Many faithful servants paved the way and established a foundation for God’s Kingdom even before Jesus came to earth.  Then Jesus did the truly hard work by dying on the cross for our sins and giving us not only an outline for how to live and minister to others – but His Holy Spirit to accompany us and serve as our personal Guide and Companion. But we have to do our part.  We have to put these directives into action. We must demonstrate Jesus’ teachings and emulate His words and actions in our everyday living.  We are called to seek out those who need Jesus for themselves…and to share His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, joy, hope and healing with them.
 
We’ve grown complacent in this world, thanks in large part to the many “conveniences” that do much of our work.  If anything, this should give us more time and tools for winning others to Christ and sharing His blessings with them.  We’ve been given all of the right equipment…the “hard work” has been done. Now it’s time for us to handle the “harvest!”  Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and get busy?
 
©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for September 6, 2016

John 3:10-15  
Jesus replied: How can you be a teacher of Israel and not know these things? I tell you for certain that we know what we are talking about because we have seen it ourselves. But none of you will accept what we say. If you don’t believe when I talk to you about things on earth, how can you possibly believe if I talk to you about things in heaven?

No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there. And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as that metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert. Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Several years ago, my mother gave me a little desktop flip calendar called “365 Days of Humor for Women.”  Today’s entry says…”Tell people that there are 400 billion stars, and they’ll believe you.  Tell them a bench has wet paint, and they’ll have to touch it.”  Talk about a perfect fit for today’s scripture passage!

Too many of us are running around wringing our hands and bemoaning this or that, when what we ought to be doing is “picking up the snake” and trusting God to make good on His promises!  We SAY we believe in Jesus…that He is the LORD of our lives…but we surely do not act like it or demonstrate this to others.  It’s like we went through the turnstile at a concert, but didn’t go on in for the show!  We are stuck!  We accepted Jesus…we received His forgiveness and redemption…but we’ve done nothing since then to share our newfound faith with others – or even demonstrate that we trust in an unseen God.

The crazy thing is that we readily accept everything from the posts we read on social media to the gossip we hear on the streets to those outlandish promises that if we just sign up for XYZ, we could win everything from a cruise or free airline tickets to millions of dollars!  But when it comes to Jesus, we need to “touch the bench” to make sure the paint is really wet!

I do not dare to judge others, but I do notice a lot of people who are ready to like a meme about Jesus, or one of those “If-you-really-love-Jesus-like-this-and-share-it” posts.  And right before or after this, they claim to the world that “My ‘ex’ is a jerk,” call a politician or someone who differs with them in some manner an ugly name, or declare that “I’m a Christian, so I am so much better than someone who believes such-and-such.”  This is what Jesus explained to Nicodemus…either you are “all in” with Him, or you are stuck at the “turnstile.”  Either you trust wholeheartedly that Jesus is ready, willing, and able to meet all of your needs, or you are touching the bench to see if the paint is really wet.

We need to pull it together and get real about our faith.  We need to understand that Jesus did not redeem us so that we could go on about our old ways of living and continue to doubt, gossip, or mistreat others. In short, we cannot continue to sin as much as more than we did before we supposedly gave our hearts to Him. Yes, Jesus’ love is unconditional…but His salvation comes with a mission! And it is time we got busy fulfilling our assignments!

Are you ready to believe Jesus for everything…and act like it?  Will you make this the day that you move forward and begin to truly live as Christ’s disciple?  Let others see your faith in action.  Stand up…step out – and boldly declare that you know who Jesus is - and what He can do for each of us. Are you ready to prove your confidence in Christ’s power? Are you ready to demonstrate unequivocally that when He says “the bench has wet paint,” you never have to touch it to be certain?  Isn’t it time you were?

©2016 Debbie Robus 

Daily Devotional for May 14, 2016

Matthew 25:30-46
“But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left.

“Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, into the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Sir, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? Or a stranger, and help you? Or naked, and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’

“And I, the King, will tell them, ‘When you did it to these my brothers, you were doing it to me!’ Then I will turn to those on my left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry and you wouldn’t feed me; thirsty, and you wouldn’t give me anything to drink; a stranger, and you refused me hospitality; naked, and you wouldn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

“And I will answer, ‘When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me.’

“And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life.”

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

In 2003, I published a book that I had been writing in my head for several years - What to Say and Do…When You Don’t Know What to Say and Do.  This book was borne out of my own experiences with loved ones who were ill and dying – and the grieving process itself.  Many people told me some version of the phrase, “I just didn’t know WHAT to do…so I did nothing.”  Or they would tell me, “I didn’t know what to say.”

As a then-junior high Sunday school teacher and former public school teacher, I also knew that many “good deeds” go unnoticed…and the encouragement and nurture of others – especially young people - can go a long way toward demonstrating Christian love and care.  So I wrote a little booklet to share my thoughts and ideas about how to “be the hands and feet of Jesus” and included some suggestions of things to say and do – in all sorts of situations.

This is one of my favorite scripture passages, because Jesus clearly outlines one of our biggest missions as His disciples.  He notes that what we DON’T do in His name is just as important as what is done.  And the point is that there are countless ways every single day that we can be a “sheep” or a “goat.”  My question to you this day is “Which one are you?”

Ask God to show you how to help others, through your words AND your actions.  It really takes far less time than you would imagine to send a message of encouragement or sympathy…or to congratulate someone on his/her accomplishments.  It doesn’t take much effort at all to stop for a minute or two and ask someone how he/she is doing…or to express concern about someone’s struggles – or delight over their successes. 

Yes, there are things that God calls us to that require more effort and sacrifice, such as becoming a foster parent or caring for our aging relatives.  But whenever God places opportunities and tasks in our path, He will equip us for the mission. 

God is waiting and watching to see how we respond to His call.  What will He discover in you?
   
©2016 Debbie Robus