2 Peter 3:18
Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When Greg visited our little nephews and niece recently, Timothy placed his bare foot against his Uncle Greg’s foot and lamented that “my foot will never be that big.” Greg assured Timothy that his foot would indeed grow…and that he would possibly even have bigger feet than any of us someday. In his best five-year-old effort to elicit sympathy, Timothy bemoaned that he was not growing and would never be big.
While I am quite certain that this now-tall-and-skinny little boy will someday be even taller – and “filled out” – I couldn’t help but think that a lot of us have somewhat “frozen” in place as Christians. We are stuck a position akin to an undersized child who has not experienced a “growth spurt”. And just as a child’s growth is fueled by proper nutrition, adequate sleep and exercise, and positive nurture and encouragement…our Spiritual growth comes from a steady diet of God’s word, exercising our faith through prayer and service to others, and rest in the promises and blessings He bestows upon us.
Many of the ladies who have nurtured me in life are now in their 80s…and some are even approaching their 90s. Yet they still attend Bible studies. They continue to fellowship with other believers and serve God in whatever manner He directs them. They still strive to learn more about God and His will for their lives. My Mam-ma Polly studied the scriptures well into her 100th year. I read her favorite, underlined passages to her even in her last hours of life on this earth. She served others to the best of her ability until just a few months before her passing at age 100+!
We are never too old to stop learning and growing in the LORD. While there will come a day for all of us when we wish to stop developing, physically…the sky is the limit for our faith and understanding of God and His will for our lives. Have you stopped learning and increasing in your faith? Will this be the day that you give your fellowship with God a “kick-start” and “get growing” again? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label developing a relationship with God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label developing a relationship with God. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for January 29, 2015
1 John 1:6-7
If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth. But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In the last few days, a series of events have occurred that – even more than usual – have demonstrated God’s perfect timing. As I talked to God about these events, I thanked Him for opening my eyes and ears, so that I see more clearly than ever how His hand is in even the smallest details of my life. To me, this represents tremendous growth in my faith - and fellowship - with God…and I am truly grateful.
I turned to Google to search for more clear interpretations and insights on these verses from 1 John 1…and I discovered an interesting commentary from pastor and expositor Ray Stedman.* Stedman details the difference between a “relationship” with God…and a “fellowship”. He maintains that there are a lot of Christians who have a “relationship” – and they ARE Christians. But they “live in the dark” because they have not cultivated a “fellowship” with God, in which “He warms, fills, and fulfills us and unveils reality to us by showing up the false” as we walk in His light.
In other words, many of us treat our Christian faith like electricity. Just because you have electrical power does not mean you necessarily have “light”…until you flip the switch! In the same way, many Christians have failed to “turn on the light” of God. They have salvation through the blood of Jesus. They belong to God and are promised Eternal Life in His presence. But they are still walking in the dark.
So a “Christian in the dark” may have a sour, cynical outlook on life. He/she may be negative, delight in gossip and the downfall of others, be easily depressed and discouraged, view Christian faith as a drudgery or chore, and generally “see the glass as half empty”. A Christian who “lives in the light” with God can function in exactly the same set of circumstances with a completely different outcome. The difference, Stedman suggests, is “fellowship.”
Fellowship with God can be cultivated through prayer, Bible study, and interaction with faith-filled Christians who already enjoy living in “the light” with Him. We must genuinely hunger after God’s wisdom and be open to His guidance and instruction – in all of the forms in which He will send it. We cannot become smug and assume that we “have it all together”. God is continually teaching us. If we wish to live in His light…we must be open to His messages…and remember to “flip on the switch”!
Too many Christians are fumbling in the dark…wondering where God has gone. It’s time to find Him again. It’s time to reconnect – or maybe to really connect for the first time – and to cultivate a true “fellowship” with Him. Will this be the day that you “turn on the light” and make the connection?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/1-john/the-man-who-ignores-light
If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth. But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In the last few days, a series of events have occurred that – even more than usual – have demonstrated God’s perfect timing. As I talked to God about these events, I thanked Him for opening my eyes and ears, so that I see more clearly than ever how His hand is in even the smallest details of my life. To me, this represents tremendous growth in my faith - and fellowship - with God…and I am truly grateful.
I turned to Google to search for more clear interpretations and insights on these verses from 1 John 1…and I discovered an interesting commentary from pastor and expositor Ray Stedman.* Stedman details the difference between a “relationship” with God…and a “fellowship”. He maintains that there are a lot of Christians who have a “relationship” – and they ARE Christians. But they “live in the dark” because they have not cultivated a “fellowship” with God, in which “He warms, fills, and fulfills us and unveils reality to us by showing up the false” as we walk in His light.
In other words, many of us treat our Christian faith like electricity. Just because you have electrical power does not mean you necessarily have “light”…until you flip the switch! In the same way, many Christians have failed to “turn on the light” of God. They have salvation through the blood of Jesus. They belong to God and are promised Eternal Life in His presence. But they are still walking in the dark.
So a “Christian in the dark” may have a sour, cynical outlook on life. He/she may be negative, delight in gossip and the downfall of others, be easily depressed and discouraged, view Christian faith as a drudgery or chore, and generally “see the glass as half empty”. A Christian who “lives in the light” with God can function in exactly the same set of circumstances with a completely different outcome. The difference, Stedman suggests, is “fellowship.”
Fellowship with God can be cultivated through prayer, Bible study, and interaction with faith-filled Christians who already enjoy living in “the light” with Him. We must genuinely hunger after God’s wisdom and be open to His guidance and instruction – in all of the forms in which He will send it. We cannot become smug and assume that we “have it all together”. God is continually teaching us. If we wish to live in His light…we must be open to His messages…and remember to “flip on the switch”!
Too many Christians are fumbling in the dark…wondering where God has gone. It’s time to find Him again. It’s time to reconnect – or maybe to really connect for the first time – and to cultivate a true “fellowship” with Him. Will this be the day that you “turn on the light” and make the connection?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/1-john/the-man-who-ignores-light
Daily Devotional for January 26, 2015
Romans 14:6-9
What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
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.
When I was very young, there was a “shouting match” at our church service one evening. At least one man sitting in our congregation began to try to “shout down” the pastor as he spoke while standing at the pulpit.
I was too little to understand why they were arguing, but my mother said it centered partly on comments the pastor had made to choir members who did not attend the Wednesday night prayer meetings. This man told the choir members that when they came into the sanctuary on Sunday morning, and he saw the faces of those who had not attended prayer meeting, they were an “affront” to him.
Do you see a problem here? Christian people who honored God by devoting their time and energy to participate in a church choir on Sundays were berated because they weren’t attending a prayer service on Wednesdays! This offended the pastor – and obviously he judged their Christian faith and witness accordingly.
I’ll be the first to tell you that there is a LOT about the Bible that I do not know or understand. But I honestly don’t know of any scripture that says you have to attend every service that your church holds each week. Just because you have a lovely voice doesn’t mean you have to sing in the choir. We are supposed to read God’s word, but I’m not familiar with any scriptures that say, “You must go to Sunday school and attend organized Bible studies.” I don’t recall Jesus sharing His last supper with the disciples and saying, “You can only do this in remembrance of Me at certain churches or in specific settings.”
We humans have created a plethora of rules about our Christian faith…and nothing could be more of a paradox. A holy Christian relationship that encompasses grace, mercy, acceptance and love is often used as a justification for some of the worst judgments and persecutions of others. And I have to believe that God hangs His head in heartache and disappointment.
But we can change this…and it starts with you and me. We can dig deeply into God’s word and spend some serious time in conversation with Him. We can genuinely ask Him, “Where – and how – do you wish for me to serve and witness?”…and DO IT! We can leave judgment and intolerance of others - and how THEY worship - out of our lives…and let every person work out his/her discipleship as God directs them.
As Paul explained to the Romans…Jesus died to release us from such “petty tyrannies”. Isn’t it time we let them go once and for all?
©2015 Debbie Robus
What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
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.
When I was very young, there was a “shouting match” at our church service one evening. At least one man sitting in our congregation began to try to “shout down” the pastor as he spoke while standing at the pulpit.
I was too little to understand why they were arguing, but my mother said it centered partly on comments the pastor had made to choir members who did not attend the Wednesday night prayer meetings. This man told the choir members that when they came into the sanctuary on Sunday morning, and he saw the faces of those who had not attended prayer meeting, they were an “affront” to him.
Do you see a problem here? Christian people who honored God by devoting their time and energy to participate in a church choir on Sundays were berated because they weren’t attending a prayer service on Wednesdays! This offended the pastor – and obviously he judged their Christian faith and witness accordingly.
I’ll be the first to tell you that there is a LOT about the Bible that I do not know or understand. But I honestly don’t know of any scripture that says you have to attend every service that your church holds each week. Just because you have a lovely voice doesn’t mean you have to sing in the choir. We are supposed to read God’s word, but I’m not familiar with any scriptures that say, “You must go to Sunday school and attend organized Bible studies.” I don’t recall Jesus sharing His last supper with the disciples and saying, “You can only do this in remembrance of Me at certain churches or in specific settings.”
We humans have created a plethora of rules about our Christian faith…and nothing could be more of a paradox. A holy Christian relationship that encompasses grace, mercy, acceptance and love is often used as a justification for some of the worst judgments and persecutions of others. And I have to believe that God hangs His head in heartache and disappointment.
But we can change this…and it starts with you and me. We can dig deeply into God’s word and spend some serious time in conversation with Him. We can genuinely ask Him, “Where – and how – do you wish for me to serve and witness?”…and DO IT! We can leave judgment and intolerance of others - and how THEY worship - out of our lives…and let every person work out his/her discipleship as God directs them.
As Paul explained to the Romans…Jesus died to release us from such “petty tyrannies”. Isn’t it time we let them go once and for all?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 27, 2014
Hosea 14:1-4
Israel, return! Come back
to the Lord, your God.
Sin has made you fall.
Return to the Lord and say,
“Please forgive our sins.
Accept our good sacrifices
of praise instead of bulls.
Assyria can’t save us,
and chariots can’t help.
So we will no longer worship
the idols we have made.
Our Lord, you show mercy
to orphans.”
Israel, you have rejected me,
but my anger is gone;
I will heal you and love you
without limit.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Albert Einstein is credited with saying that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!” By this “definition,” we are all more than a little insane. We know that eating too much and sitting on our duffs will likely keep us from being fit and healthy...yet we continue to stuff our faces with all the wrong things and slack on the exercise regimens. We know that other habits will produce unhealthy results, also...yet we can’t seem to kick them, either!
We understand that a negative attitude breeds negativity in those around us...yet we continue to gossip, backbite, speak and think cynically, and treat others unkindly. We even say we understand that we need to study God’s word, communicate with Him continually in prayer and meditation (listening), and fellowship with other believers who can encourage us in order to be healthy spiritually. But many of us spend more time watching TV and surfing the Internet than we would ever hope to spend strengthening our relationship with God...and then we wonder why our lives seem to be coming apart at the seams – or are far less satisfying and “successful” than we would hope in so many areas.
Quite honestly, we are the modern-day “children of Israel”. God has given us every chance in the book to make changes and do better...and we continue to falter and/or fail. But here’s the Good News. God will not give up on us! He offers us a chance to make things right. If we are truly repentant, He will heal us and love us like we never imagined possible.
We really can break the cycle...we most certainly can do better and “get healthy” – not just spiritually, but in other ways, as well. And it begins with our admission that we have failed to be obedient...that we have worshipped “idols” rather than God – money, fame or “success”, possessions, friends, other people and relationship, and more...that we have not listened to God and sought a deep and abiding relationship and continual dialogue with Him. God will honor true repentance. He knows when we are genuine and sincere...and when we aren’t. IF we come to him with an apologetic heart...and an authentic desire to change, He will heal us and forgive us - and set us upright.
God is willing to forgive and restore us. It may seem like insanity to think that He would do this over and over again, but the only “insane” thing about it is how madly in love God is with each of us! He is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain a relationship with us...but we have to be willing to give Him our heart and soul – quite literally.
We have to be ready to truly lay down our “idols” and do whatever God asks of us...whenever and wherever we are needed. In return, He will say, “My anger is gone, and I am ready to heal you and love you without limit.” Are you ready to accept His gifts and be healed?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Israel, return! Come back
to the Lord, your God.
Sin has made you fall.
Return to the Lord and say,
“Please forgive our sins.
Accept our good sacrifices
of praise instead of bulls.
Assyria can’t save us,
and chariots can’t help.
So we will no longer worship
the idols we have made.
Our Lord, you show mercy
to orphans.”
Israel, you have rejected me,
but my anger is gone;
I will heal you and love you
without limit.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Albert Einstein is credited with saying that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!” By this “definition,” we are all more than a little insane. We know that eating too much and sitting on our duffs will likely keep us from being fit and healthy...yet we continue to stuff our faces with all the wrong things and slack on the exercise regimens. We know that other habits will produce unhealthy results, also...yet we can’t seem to kick them, either!
We understand that a negative attitude breeds negativity in those around us...yet we continue to gossip, backbite, speak and think cynically, and treat others unkindly. We even say we understand that we need to study God’s word, communicate with Him continually in prayer and meditation (listening), and fellowship with other believers who can encourage us in order to be healthy spiritually. But many of us spend more time watching TV and surfing the Internet than we would ever hope to spend strengthening our relationship with God...and then we wonder why our lives seem to be coming apart at the seams – or are far less satisfying and “successful” than we would hope in so many areas.
Quite honestly, we are the modern-day “children of Israel”. God has given us every chance in the book to make changes and do better...and we continue to falter and/or fail. But here’s the Good News. God will not give up on us! He offers us a chance to make things right. If we are truly repentant, He will heal us and love us like we never imagined possible.
We really can break the cycle...we most certainly can do better and “get healthy” – not just spiritually, but in other ways, as well. And it begins with our admission that we have failed to be obedient...that we have worshipped “idols” rather than God – money, fame or “success”, possessions, friends, other people and relationship, and more...that we have not listened to God and sought a deep and abiding relationship and continual dialogue with Him. God will honor true repentance. He knows when we are genuine and sincere...and when we aren’t. IF we come to him with an apologetic heart...and an authentic desire to change, He will heal us and forgive us - and set us upright.
God is willing to forgive and restore us. It may seem like insanity to think that He would do this over and over again, but the only “insane” thing about it is how madly in love God is with each of us! He is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain a relationship with us...but we have to be willing to give Him our heart and soul – quite literally.
We have to be ready to truly lay down our “idols” and do whatever God asks of us...whenever and wherever we are needed. In return, He will say, “My anger is gone, and I am ready to heal you and love you without limit.” Are you ready to accept His gifts and be healed?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 4, 2014
Psalm 94:12-15
How blessed the man you train, God,
the woman you instruct in your Word,
Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,
while a jail is being built for the wicked.
God will never walk away from his people,
never desert his precious people.
Rest assured that justice is on its way
and every good heart put right.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
For more than a decade, I served as my paternal grandmother’s primary caregiver/guardian. I handled her business affairs, paid her bills, balanced her checkbook, ran her errands, and more. As my late friend Mich (a gerontologist) often reminded me, there was a whole lot more that went into “caregiving” than paperwork and running errands. For some of her later years, Greg and I were also the frequent caregivers for my little great-nephew, Timothy. So we became members of the “Sandwich Generation”…those who balance the care of younger persons and older persons – and try to maintain some semblance of a “normal” life in between.
Today, I am 57 years old…and I feel like I have learned a lot in more than five decades…about life in general – but more importantly, about God’s love and care. There is no “manual” for a lot of what happens to us in life. We can seek the counsel of others who have “been there, done that”…but there are a lot of times when we have to seemingly “fly by the seat of our pants”.
I distinctly remember one day when I left my grandmother’s house feeling particularly frustrated, confused and overwhelmed. I pulled into a parking space at the grocery store and thought, “Who can I call or talk to about this? Who will understand and be able to help me figure out what to do next?” I drew a complete blank. So I sat in the car and asked God to show me what to do. And the next thought I had was, “What would *I* tell someone else who was going through this same thing?”
This was my answer. I asked God to show me how to sort things out…to calm my fears and frustrations and to clearly outline what I would indeed suggest to someone else. And He did all of this for me. This was not the last time I would have to have this sort of “conversation”…and I am sure there will be many to follow.
In the last few years, I have learned some incredibly valuable lessons. If you are a younger person reading this message, maybe I can spare you some time, confusion and frustration by sharing my “life lesson” here. The words of this scripture passage are incredibly profound. Think of the water circling a bath tub drain. It spirals downward – and sometimes even makes a loud sucking noise as the liquid is pulled from the tub and into the tiny pipe. That is just how we feel sometimes as the “clamor of evil” and the forces of troubles and challenges in our lives pull at us from every side. Our temptation is to panic…to throw up our hands and just let the noisy current haul us away. And if we aren’t careful, this is exactly what can happen!
But God stands ready to rescue us. He provides a “circle of quiet” that can keep us calm, even as our very lives seem to be “spiraling toward the drain”. He will never desert us…God will never allow us to face more than we can handle with His help. Notice I did not say that we would only be allowed what we can handle by ourselves. But with God to walk alongside us, our strength and capacity to manage things we thought were impossible increases exponentially. And God always has the right answers.
I honestly do not know how people get through life without a relationship with God and His Holy Spirit. I cannot imagine how lonely and frustrating life must be for those who are totally dependent on their own thoughts and abilities…and those of other mere mortals. Don’t misunderstand me. God has sent a lot of wonderful mentors and role models my way…friends to whom I frequently turn for advice and “vent”. God gave me an amazing, incredible husband who stands ever ready to help me with anything and everything. I rely on these people greatly. But they are God-ordained…Heaven sent…and this makes all the difference!
I passed the street on which my grandmother used to live today, and for a fleeting moment, I thought “I should go and visit Mam-ma Polly.” Then I remembered that Mam-ma lives with Jesus now. But God still uses her frequently to remind me of past lessons…and to show me which direction to take. I see His hand in my life every day – in situations large and small. And as I have grown in my faith and experiences, I have gotten better at recognizing Him!
My prayer for you today is that you would be in tune with God…that He would be your “go-to-Guy”…and that you would realize it! I pray that you rest in the LORD even when there is the noisy “clamor of evil” around you…that you trust Him to always be by your side – and to mete out justice according to His will…and that you would always recognize His voice. You are precious to God…He loves you and wants to give you rest in Him. Do you know Him well enough to let Him do exactly that?
©2014 Debbie Robus
How blessed the man you train, God,
the woman you instruct in your Word,
Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,
while a jail is being built for the wicked.
God will never walk away from his people,
never desert his precious people.
Rest assured that justice is on its way
and every good heart put right.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
For more than a decade, I served as my paternal grandmother’s primary caregiver/guardian. I handled her business affairs, paid her bills, balanced her checkbook, ran her errands, and more. As my late friend Mich (a gerontologist) often reminded me, there was a whole lot more that went into “caregiving” than paperwork and running errands. For some of her later years, Greg and I were also the frequent caregivers for my little great-nephew, Timothy. So we became members of the “Sandwich Generation”…those who balance the care of younger persons and older persons – and try to maintain some semblance of a “normal” life in between.
Today, I am 57 years old…and I feel like I have learned a lot in more than five decades…about life in general – but more importantly, about God’s love and care. There is no “manual” for a lot of what happens to us in life. We can seek the counsel of others who have “been there, done that”…but there are a lot of times when we have to seemingly “fly by the seat of our pants”.
I distinctly remember one day when I left my grandmother’s house feeling particularly frustrated, confused and overwhelmed. I pulled into a parking space at the grocery store and thought, “Who can I call or talk to about this? Who will understand and be able to help me figure out what to do next?” I drew a complete blank. So I sat in the car and asked God to show me what to do. And the next thought I had was, “What would *I* tell someone else who was going through this same thing?”
This was my answer. I asked God to show me how to sort things out…to calm my fears and frustrations and to clearly outline what I would indeed suggest to someone else. And He did all of this for me. This was not the last time I would have to have this sort of “conversation”…and I am sure there will be many to follow.
In the last few years, I have learned some incredibly valuable lessons. If you are a younger person reading this message, maybe I can spare you some time, confusion and frustration by sharing my “life lesson” here. The words of this scripture passage are incredibly profound. Think of the water circling a bath tub drain. It spirals downward – and sometimes even makes a loud sucking noise as the liquid is pulled from the tub and into the tiny pipe. That is just how we feel sometimes as the “clamor of evil” and the forces of troubles and challenges in our lives pull at us from every side. Our temptation is to panic…to throw up our hands and just let the noisy current haul us away. And if we aren’t careful, this is exactly what can happen!
But God stands ready to rescue us. He provides a “circle of quiet” that can keep us calm, even as our very lives seem to be “spiraling toward the drain”. He will never desert us…God will never allow us to face more than we can handle with His help. Notice I did not say that we would only be allowed what we can handle by ourselves. But with God to walk alongside us, our strength and capacity to manage things we thought were impossible increases exponentially. And God always has the right answers.
I honestly do not know how people get through life without a relationship with God and His Holy Spirit. I cannot imagine how lonely and frustrating life must be for those who are totally dependent on their own thoughts and abilities…and those of other mere mortals. Don’t misunderstand me. God has sent a lot of wonderful mentors and role models my way…friends to whom I frequently turn for advice and “vent”. God gave me an amazing, incredible husband who stands ever ready to help me with anything and everything. I rely on these people greatly. But they are God-ordained…Heaven sent…and this makes all the difference!
I passed the street on which my grandmother used to live today, and for a fleeting moment, I thought “I should go and visit Mam-ma Polly.” Then I remembered that Mam-ma lives with Jesus now. But God still uses her frequently to remind me of past lessons…and to show me which direction to take. I see His hand in my life every day – in situations large and small. And as I have grown in my faith and experiences, I have gotten better at recognizing Him!
My prayer for you today is that you would be in tune with God…that He would be your “go-to-Guy”…and that you would realize it! I pray that you rest in the LORD even when there is the noisy “clamor of evil” around you…that you trust Him to always be by your side – and to mete out justice according to His will…and that you would always recognize His voice. You are precious to God…He loves you and wants to give you rest in Him. Do you know Him well enough to let Him do exactly that?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 16, 2014
Matthew 6:9
You should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
help us to honor your name.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
The “LORD’s Prayer…we probably all know it by heart. Many of us recite it every Sunday during our weekly worship service. Yet most of us rarely stop to consider the words we are speaking…the meaning they impart…the intention of their phrasing. We might as well be reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb”! Many of the prayers, hymns – and even scripture verses – we learned as children have become nothing more than rote recitations. We have gotten so complacent in our speaking of them that we no longer realize what we are saying!
Stop and read this scripture verse again. Truly think about the words of this sentence...”Our Father in heaven, help us to honor Your name.” What does this really imply? How do we honor God’s name?
The first step is to find God and genuinely get to know Him…to understand who He is and what He desires for us – and from us. We cannot do this by osmosis…merely sitting in a park and soaking up the sun and scenery won’t cut it. We can’t assume that just because our parents, grandparents, friends and acquaintances know God…we know Him, too. God cannot be the friend of a friend of a friend. We have to become truly familiar with Him…we must get to know Him intimately.
How do we do this? How do you get to know anyone? You spend time with them…you converse…you study their interests and behavior patterns and learn their likes and dislikes. It’s no different with God…it’s just more important! A relationship with God is the most critical bond you will ever cultivate.
Once you become familiar with God, you will better understand what is required to honor His name. You will know what words, thoughts and actions please Him…and which ones break His heart. You will understand what living for Him entails…you will discover how to recognize – and seize – opportunities to serve and minister on His behalf. When you truly find God and develop a connection with Him, you will find that your desire to honor His name increases exponentially. Hopefully this will eventually become second nature to you!
The “LORD’s Prayer” is rich with the message of Jesus…each line and phrase is important. But we must start with getting to know God and learning to honor His name. Once we have a good handle on this, the petitions that follow become even more profound and compelling.
Have YOU found God? Do you know Him intimately? Do you have a strong, interactive relationship with Him? Do you honor His name with the thoughts, words and actions of your daily living? When you pray the “LORD’s Prayer,” do the words express your genuine intentions with regard to your faith…or are you merely reciting a lesson of your youth? Isn’t it time to get to know God…and give power and meaning to your pledge to honor His name? Will this be the day you get started?
©2014 Debbie Robus
You should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
help us to honor your name.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
The “LORD’s Prayer…we probably all know it by heart. Many of us recite it every Sunday during our weekly worship service. Yet most of us rarely stop to consider the words we are speaking…the meaning they impart…the intention of their phrasing. We might as well be reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb”! Many of the prayers, hymns – and even scripture verses – we learned as children have become nothing more than rote recitations. We have gotten so complacent in our speaking of them that we no longer realize what we are saying!
Stop and read this scripture verse again. Truly think about the words of this sentence...”Our Father in heaven, help us to honor Your name.” What does this really imply? How do we honor God’s name?
The first step is to find God and genuinely get to know Him…to understand who He is and what He desires for us – and from us. We cannot do this by osmosis…merely sitting in a park and soaking up the sun and scenery won’t cut it. We can’t assume that just because our parents, grandparents, friends and acquaintances know God…we know Him, too. God cannot be the friend of a friend of a friend. We have to become truly familiar with Him…we must get to know Him intimately.
How do we do this? How do you get to know anyone? You spend time with them…you converse…you study their interests and behavior patterns and learn their likes and dislikes. It’s no different with God…it’s just more important! A relationship with God is the most critical bond you will ever cultivate.
Once you become familiar with God, you will better understand what is required to honor His name. You will know what words, thoughts and actions please Him…and which ones break His heart. You will understand what living for Him entails…you will discover how to recognize – and seize – opportunities to serve and minister on His behalf. When you truly find God and develop a connection with Him, you will find that your desire to honor His name increases exponentially. Hopefully this will eventually become second nature to you!
The “LORD’s Prayer” is rich with the message of Jesus…each line and phrase is important. But we must start with getting to know God and learning to honor His name. Once we have a good handle on this, the petitions that follow become even more profound and compelling.
Have YOU found God? Do you know Him intimately? Do you have a strong, interactive relationship with Him? Do you honor His name with the thoughts, words and actions of your daily living? When you pray the “LORD’s Prayer,” do the words express your genuine intentions with regard to your faith…or are you merely reciting a lesson of your youth? Isn’t it time to get to know God…and give power and meaning to your pledge to honor His name? Will this be the day you get started?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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