Psalm 86:11
Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Sometimes, events
or circumstances seem to stop us in our tracks, and we do well to put
one foot in front of the other. The first few days after our loved ones
passed, Greg and I pretty well went where we were told. We knew we had
to be at this place at this hour…and that place the next. While my
mother was hospitalized and on Hospice care, I got right up each morning
and did what had to be done all day…with little thought or question.
Now, there are mornings when I lie in bed and give myself a pep talk to
get up and get going.
This is grief and mourning in action…and I
know that it will pass. And you may be going through some of these same
things. You may not be grieving the death of a loved one…but you may be
dealing with an illness…the loss of a job or a cut in pay…a class load
that is difficult – or doesn’t present a challenge (and both can be
stressful)…bills that are piling up…relationship problems…aging…and more
- the list is endless. The common denominator is a sense of
aimlessness…a deep-seated feeling that you need someone to point you in
the right direction – and give you a big shove.
This is what God
can do for us. He can show us where to go – and how to get there. We
don’t have to have all of the answers – at least not now. We just have
to trust Him to get us where we need to be…and to watch and listen for
His guidance.
I am so grateful to have God’s leadership. I begin each day by asking Him to show me what to do…TODAY. In the movie “Gone With the Wind,” Scarlett
O’Hara says, “…tomorrow is another day.” This may be true…but you and I
will not always be promised tomorrow. So we must trust God to get us
through this day…and He will! We must be willing to say, “LORD…tell me
where You want me to go, and I will go there.” We must revere His
authority, respect His plans…and trust His directions.
If you read the 17th verse of Psalm 86 in The Message,
it says, “Make a show of how much you love me so the bullies who hate
me will stand there slack-jawed…as you, God, gently and powerfully put
me back on my feet.” These “bullies” refer to the devil and his
attempts to pull you away from God with all of these challenges. But
God is ready and able to put us back on our feet – if only we will trust
Him to do so. Are you ready and willing to do follow His lead? Don’t
you think you should be?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 30, 2014
Psalm 42:5-8
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
sing songs all through the night!
My life is God’s prayer.
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.
According to a synopsis provided on http://IMDB.com for the 1987 Box Office hit, Moonstruck, “Loretta Castorini (played by Cher), a Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30s whose husband died several years earlier in a bus accident, decides it's time to get married again. So she accepts the proposal of a nice, middle-aged fellow named Johnny Cammareri (portrayed by Danny Aiello). Loretta is convinced her first marriage was cursed because she and her husband had gotten married at City Hall; this time, she's determined to do things right, even as she admits to her mother, Rose (Olivia Dukakis), that she's not really in love with Johnny.” Loretta finds herself attracted to Johnny Cammareri’s brother, Ronny (played by Nicholas Cage)."
Ronny Cammareri tells Loretta…”I love you.” Loretta slaps Ronny – twice – and yells, “Snap out of it!” The line has endured for almost 30 years and become a somewhat iconic catch phrase among many! And indeed, as I read this passage from Psalm 42, I couldn’t help but hear “Loretta’s” words…“Snap out of it!”
Do you ever feel blue…even for a few hours – or maybe a day or two? Do you find there are times when your soul is down in the dumps – with or without a good excuse or explanation? Does anyone ever say to you, “Snap out of it!” at such a time?
I have good news for you…regardless of what is happening in your life, God loves you…and He promises to love you all the time! When “chaos calls to chaos” and the “thundering breakers” of the devil’s schemes threaten to crash and crush you, focus on God. Call to Him, just as a drowning person might reach out for a life preserver…because a dramatic rescue is exactly what God offers!
Sometimes all we need is for someone to tell us to “Snap out of it!” But I can tell you from experience that there are times when that tactic does NOT work at all. We often need something deeper, more profound…we need the restful, healing touch of God. And He is always ready, willing, and able to meet us right where we are. God’s deepest desire for us is that we would reach out for Him in all things…in all situations…and in all moods.
Who will help you “Snap out of it!” today? Are you resting in the LORD and trusting Him to save you from the “whitewater rapids” of life? Will you trust His promises to love you all day and sing songs all through the night? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
sing songs all through the night!
My life is God’s prayer.
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.
According to a synopsis provided on http://IMDB.com for the 1987 Box Office hit, Moonstruck, “Loretta Castorini (played by Cher), a Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30s whose husband died several years earlier in a bus accident, decides it's time to get married again. So she accepts the proposal of a nice, middle-aged fellow named Johnny Cammareri (portrayed by Danny Aiello). Loretta is convinced her first marriage was cursed because she and her husband had gotten married at City Hall; this time, she's determined to do things right, even as she admits to her mother, Rose (Olivia Dukakis), that she's not really in love with Johnny.” Loretta finds herself attracted to Johnny Cammareri’s brother, Ronny (played by Nicholas Cage)."
Ronny Cammareri tells Loretta…”I love you.” Loretta slaps Ronny – twice – and yells, “Snap out of it!” The line has endured for almost 30 years and become a somewhat iconic catch phrase among many! And indeed, as I read this passage from Psalm 42, I couldn’t help but hear “Loretta’s” words…“Snap out of it!”
Do you ever feel blue…even for a few hours – or maybe a day or two? Do you find there are times when your soul is down in the dumps – with or without a good excuse or explanation? Does anyone ever say to you, “Snap out of it!” at such a time?
I have good news for you…regardless of what is happening in your life, God loves you…and He promises to love you all the time! When “chaos calls to chaos” and the “thundering breakers” of the devil’s schemes threaten to crash and crush you, focus on God. Call to Him, just as a drowning person might reach out for a life preserver…because a dramatic rescue is exactly what God offers!
Sometimes all we need is for someone to tell us to “Snap out of it!” But I can tell you from experience that there are times when that tactic does NOT work at all. We often need something deeper, more profound…we need the restful, healing touch of God. And He is always ready, willing, and able to meet us right where we are. God’s deepest desire for us is that we would reach out for Him in all things…in all situations…and in all moods.
Who will help you “Snap out of it!” today? Are you resting in the LORD and trusting Him to save you from the “whitewater rapids” of life? Will you trust His promises to love you all day and sing songs all through the night? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 29, 2010
2 Thessalonians 2:15-17
My friends, that's why you must remain faithful and follow closely what we taught you in person and by our letters. God our Father loves us. He is kind and has given us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope. We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father will encourage you and help you always to do and say the right thing.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In 1872, Christina Rosetti wrote the hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter” in response to a contest by Scribner’s Magazine for a Christmas poem. The first lines read:
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
We can’t know what the next couple of months will bring us… sunny warm days, or layers of fluffy white snow to cover our landscape. There will surely be days when we think spring has come early… and possibly days when we feel winter will never end. For many, the “bleak midwinter” is a time of sadness and depression. Some truly sink into a serious “funk” on days when we have no sunshine… and if this lasts for very long, these people can be seriously affected. It has even been suggested by some that spending time in front of a lamp that mimics natural sunlight can help. This disorder even has a name… “SADD” – Seasonal Affective Disorder Depression – and it is very real.
I know several people who appear to suffer from this. And maybe you are one of them. Feeling a little sad or melancholy in a dreary winter day is okay… but wallowing in it or allowing these feelings to overcome you is another. I would like to suggest that we take the bleak midwinter days of this year and use them to grow in our walk with Christ – to rest and restore our souls. Wouldn’t it be great if we could learn to anticipate cold dreary days with enthusiasm?
So how do we do this? There are the tried and true activities… curling up with a good book or watching movies… working a jigsaw puzzle or playing board games… sledding if there is a decent snowfall. But what about using the dreary days of winter to grow as a Christian? We could spend some time sitting at a window watching birds at a feeder – marveling at how God designed every single feather and made the color patterns integrate in such incredible ways.
We could take a walk or a drive and look at all that is laid bare in this season… the things we never see in the other three seasons because of the cover of foliage… the intricacy of tree branches… the beauty of blue cedar berries and other “colors” of winter… swans and other waterfowl swimming on a nearby lake. What if we made a steamy pot of hearty soup and invited friends or neighbors to share it… or we took a container to someone who was elderly or sick and in need of physical – and emotional – nourishment?
We could look around for an elderly neighbor who has trouble getting his/her garbage to the curb for trash day in the cold of winter. We could offer to fill bird feeders – or even shovel/sweep an icy sidewalk. We could at least make phone calls and send cards and notes to cheer our friends who are feeling blue… and we could include a scripture of encouragement.
The bottom line is that we must not allow the bleak midwinter to be our crutch for wallowing in sadness and self-pity. We must find the glory of the Lord even in the dreary days. It’s not a matter of looking ahead to spring… but rather, we must enjoy this season, which is also a gift from God. This is a time to sit back a little and focus on God’s creations and the needs of others instead of the “busyness” of our lives and the activities of spring/summer/fall. We don’t have to hibernate like bears, but we can slow down a bit and use this time to recharge our batteries.
When the first days of “bleak midwinter” arrive, remember the eternal comfort and wonderful hope of God our Father. Bask in these promises… and find ways to share them with others. Spring will come again… and we will be rested and ready!
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/n/intbleak.htm
©2010 Debbie Robus
My friends, that's why you must remain faithful and follow closely what we taught you in person and by our letters. God our Father loves us. He is kind and has given us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope. We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father will encourage you and help you always to do and say the right thing.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In 1872, Christina Rosetti wrote the hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter” in response to a contest by Scribner’s Magazine for a Christmas poem. The first lines read:
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
We can’t know what the next couple of months will bring us… sunny warm days, or layers of fluffy white snow to cover our landscape. There will surely be days when we think spring has come early… and possibly days when we feel winter will never end. For many, the “bleak midwinter” is a time of sadness and depression. Some truly sink into a serious “funk” on days when we have no sunshine… and if this lasts for very long, these people can be seriously affected. It has even been suggested by some that spending time in front of a lamp that mimics natural sunlight can help. This disorder even has a name… “SADD” – Seasonal Affective Disorder Depression – and it is very real.
I know several people who appear to suffer from this. And maybe you are one of them. Feeling a little sad or melancholy in a dreary winter day is okay… but wallowing in it or allowing these feelings to overcome you is another. I would like to suggest that we take the bleak midwinter days of this year and use them to grow in our walk with Christ – to rest and restore our souls. Wouldn’t it be great if we could learn to anticipate cold dreary days with enthusiasm?
So how do we do this? There are the tried and true activities… curling up with a good book or watching movies… working a jigsaw puzzle or playing board games… sledding if there is a decent snowfall. But what about using the dreary days of winter to grow as a Christian? We could spend some time sitting at a window watching birds at a feeder – marveling at how God designed every single feather and made the color patterns integrate in such incredible ways.
We could take a walk or a drive and look at all that is laid bare in this season… the things we never see in the other three seasons because of the cover of foliage… the intricacy of tree branches… the beauty of blue cedar berries and other “colors” of winter… swans and other waterfowl swimming on a nearby lake. What if we made a steamy pot of hearty soup and invited friends or neighbors to share it… or we took a container to someone who was elderly or sick and in need of physical – and emotional – nourishment?
We could look around for an elderly neighbor who has trouble getting his/her garbage to the curb for trash day in the cold of winter. We could offer to fill bird feeders – or even shovel/sweep an icy sidewalk. We could at least make phone calls and send cards and notes to cheer our friends who are feeling blue… and we could include a scripture of encouragement.
The bottom line is that we must not allow the bleak midwinter to be our crutch for wallowing in sadness and self-pity. We must find the glory of the Lord even in the dreary days. It’s not a matter of looking ahead to spring… but rather, we must enjoy this season, which is also a gift from God. This is a time to sit back a little and focus on God’s creations and the needs of others instead of the “busyness” of our lives and the activities of spring/summer/fall. We don’t have to hibernate like bears, but we can slow down a bit and use this time to recharge our batteries.
When the first days of “bleak midwinter” arrive, remember the eternal comfort and wonderful hope of God our Father. Bask in these promises… and find ways to share them with others. Spring will come again… and we will be rested and ready!
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/n/intbleak.htm
©2010 Debbie Robus
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