1 Chronicles 16:23-25
Everyone on this earth, sing praises to the LORD. Day after day announce, "The LORD has saved us!" Tell every nation on earth, "The LORD is wonderful and does marvelous things!
The LORD is great and deserves our greatest praise! He is the only God worthy of our worship.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Christmas Day has come and gone, and lots of people are very busy. There are gifts to exchange, holiday decorations to put away, and after-Christmas sales to attend. The focus has shifted to bowl games, New Year’s Eve celebrations, and what to do with the last week of Christmas break. In the blink of an eye, many of us have totally forgotten why we were celebrating the Christmas season in the first place.
But Christmas is about more than one day on the calendar. The true spirit of Christmas lies in the words of David… “Day after day, announce, ‘The LORD has saved us!’” We should live every single day of the year as if it were Christmas Day. We should be kind and loving toward others… ready to sing praises to the LORD and shout to all who will listen about the wonderful, marvelous things He does. Every day should be an opportunity to demonstrate to others how worthy God is of our praise, honor, glory… and absolute devotion.
I don’t have any gifts to exchange, but I do plan to hit a few post-holiday sales. I’m looking forward to watching “the ball” drop on New Year’s Eve and eating black-eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day. But I’m also going to make sure I reflect each and every day this week - and in the year ahead - on God’s amazing grace. I’m going to do all I can to demonstrate to others in my path just how He has blessed me… and how worthy He is of my complete worship.
Enjoy the rest of your Christmas break and the days leading to New Year’s Eve. But remember Christmas and all of the hope and promises that surround the season. Keep the Spirit of Christmas alive by celebrating and praising God each and every day. Tell everyone you meet how incredible deserving He is of our continual honor and glory. Everyone on this earth, sing praises to the LORD!
©2011 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label devotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotion. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for March 26, 2011
Psalm 62: 11-12
God said this once and for all; how many times have I heard it repeated? "Strength comes straight from God." Love to you, Lord God! You pay a fair wage for a good day's work!
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.
Have you ever been disappointed by someone? Maybe they promised to do something with you and then didn’t show up… or maybe someone said, “I’ll buy that from you,” and then never paid you the money. And maybe you have said, “Never again will I trust So-and-So,” and the next thing you knew, you were hoodwinked again. Maybe he/she played on your sympathies… or maybe they tricked you into doing something… or maybe you just wanted to believe this person might have actually changed, only to find that everything really was the same.
If you have escaped being duped by someone else… good for you! Maybe everyone in your life has always shown up on time, made good on promises, and kept commitments. Maybe all of your loans have always been repaid, and you’ve led a charmed life.
One thing is for certain… God will always make good on His promises. He always “pays a fair wage for a good day’s work,” even though I’m afraid we don’t do the same for Him. In ways great and small, we are unreliable, undependable, and untrustworthy with our Heavenly Father. Yet He strengthens us and gives us hope and courage for whatever we face. He loves us, even though we are incredibly unlovely! God’s love, grace and mercy last, yet we tend to be as fickle as the spores on a dandelion… here one second and blowing in the wind the next!
If you go back and read the first two verses of this Psalm again, you will see that it says, “God, the one and only – I’ll wait as long as He says.” We grow so impatient… our faith and trust is so momentary. If God doesn’t answer us like we want… right away… we dismiss Him. We offer more patience to untrustworthy friends and acquaintances than we do our Heavenly Father! It’s time we realized Who really loves us. It’s time we gave our attention and devotion to The One who gives us our real strength! Who do you love? Where are you seeking strength… are you looking in the right direction?
©2011 Debbie Robus
God said this once and for all; how many times have I heard it repeated? "Strength comes straight from God." Love to you, Lord God! You pay a fair wage for a good day's work!
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.
Have you ever been disappointed by someone? Maybe they promised to do something with you and then didn’t show up… or maybe someone said, “I’ll buy that from you,” and then never paid you the money. And maybe you have said, “Never again will I trust So-and-So,” and the next thing you knew, you were hoodwinked again. Maybe he/she played on your sympathies… or maybe they tricked you into doing something… or maybe you just wanted to believe this person might have actually changed, only to find that everything really was the same.
If you have escaped being duped by someone else… good for you! Maybe everyone in your life has always shown up on time, made good on promises, and kept commitments. Maybe all of your loans have always been repaid, and you’ve led a charmed life.
One thing is for certain… God will always make good on His promises. He always “pays a fair wage for a good day’s work,” even though I’m afraid we don’t do the same for Him. In ways great and small, we are unreliable, undependable, and untrustworthy with our Heavenly Father. Yet He strengthens us and gives us hope and courage for whatever we face. He loves us, even though we are incredibly unlovely! God’s love, grace and mercy last, yet we tend to be as fickle as the spores on a dandelion… here one second and blowing in the wind the next!
If you go back and read the first two verses of this Psalm again, you will see that it says, “God, the one and only – I’ll wait as long as He says.” We grow so impatient… our faith and trust is so momentary. If God doesn’t answer us like we want… right away… we dismiss Him. We offer more patience to untrustworthy friends and acquaintances than we do our Heavenly Father! It’s time we realized Who really loves us. It’s time we gave our attention and devotion to The One who gives us our real strength! Who do you love? Where are you seeking strength… are you looking in the right direction?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 10, 2011
Mark 14:37-38
He came back and found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, you went to sleep on me? Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don't enter the danger zone without even knowing it. Don't be naive. Part of you is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
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.
Have you ever been in a situation where you asked someone to do something with you, and they said they didn’t have time, or they acted disinterested? Maybe you said to this person, “It will only take a few minutes.” And maybe that still seemed like too much of a commitment for them. Do you remember how you felt? Did this make you feel like you were insignificant… not important enough to that person for him/her to give you even a few minutes of time? Did you know we do this to Jesus all the time?
We are like Peter… ready for anything in God on one hand… and as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire on the other. We want God to be there for us the minute we “dial Him up” with a prayer. But let Him ask us for something… or present us with an opportunity to visit with Him for a few minutes or serve in His name… and we just don’t have the time. Quite often can’t stick it out with Him for a single hour… or even a few minutes.
So we check our watches and wonder how much longer the church service will last. We skim over our Bible study verses so we can say we read them… but we don’t really comprehend a word of it. We don’t stop to speak to someone at school or in a store – or even in the aisle at church – because we are in a hurry to get to whatever is on our own agenda.
Let’s be real… we can’t have it both ways. We either want a relationship with God or we don’t. There is no “middle ground.” When I stop and think how often I say, in essence, “I don’t have an hour for you today, Lord,” I feel sick. I fail to recognize that whatever time I spend with my Heavenly Father… he will multiply for me exponentially. I will have more than enough time for the things that I want to do for myself if I give God His time first. And honestly, a lot of what I thought was important may not seem so after spending time in His presence.
Where do you fit into this picture? Are you ready for anything in God… or are you the lazy dog sleeping by the fire? How are you spending your time? Can you spare an hour for your Master?
©2011 Debbie Robus
He came back and found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, you went to sleep on me? Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don't enter the danger zone without even knowing it. Don't be naive. Part of you is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
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.
Have you ever been in a situation where you asked someone to do something with you, and they said they didn’t have time, or they acted disinterested? Maybe you said to this person, “It will only take a few minutes.” And maybe that still seemed like too much of a commitment for them. Do you remember how you felt? Did this make you feel like you were insignificant… not important enough to that person for him/her to give you even a few minutes of time? Did you know we do this to Jesus all the time?
We are like Peter… ready for anything in God on one hand… and as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire on the other. We want God to be there for us the minute we “dial Him up” with a prayer. But let Him ask us for something… or present us with an opportunity to visit with Him for a few minutes or serve in His name… and we just don’t have the time. Quite often can’t stick it out with Him for a single hour… or even a few minutes.
So we check our watches and wonder how much longer the church service will last. We skim over our Bible study verses so we can say we read them… but we don’t really comprehend a word of it. We don’t stop to speak to someone at school or in a store – or even in the aisle at church – because we are in a hurry to get to whatever is on our own agenda.
Let’s be real… we can’t have it both ways. We either want a relationship with God or we don’t. There is no “middle ground.” When I stop and think how often I say, in essence, “I don’t have an hour for you today, Lord,” I feel sick. I fail to recognize that whatever time I spend with my Heavenly Father… he will multiply for me exponentially. I will have more than enough time for the things that I want to do for myself if I give God His time first. And honestly, a lot of what I thought was important may not seem so after spending time in His presence.
Where do you fit into this picture? Are you ready for anything in God… or are you the lazy dog sleeping by the fire? How are you spending your time? Can you spare an hour for your Master?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 16, 2011
Exodus 34:5-9
The LORD God came down in a cloud and stood beside Moses there on the mountain. God spoke his holy name, "the LORD." Then he passed in front of Moses and called out, "I am the LORD God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. I keep my promises to my people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. When people sin, I punish them and their children, and also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren." Moses quickly bowed down to the ground and worshiped the LORD. He prayed, "LORD, if you really are pleased with me, I pray that you will go with us. It is true that these people are sinful and rebellious, but forgive our sin and let us be your people."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Life is filled with promises. And being human, we often make promises we cannot keep. Oh, sure… our intentions are often good ones… promises to love someone forever, to stop smoking or drinking… promises to pay back loans or keep in touch with someone. But somehow, “life” gets in the way, as we like to say, and the first thing you know, we’ve broken more promises than we’ve kept.
Aren’t you glad you don’t serve a God who is human and frail? Aren’t you glad that our God keeps His promises… and has since the time of Moses? Doesn’t He deserve our utmost loyalty and devotion… immeasurable trust and confidence… our unfailing obedience? And don’t we often promise all of this… then fall short?
Moses’ prayer should be ours… “forgive our sin and let us be your people” – and because of the blood of Jesus, it can be. God does just this, and more. He understands our humanness and does for us what we cannot seem to do for Him… He loves us even when we break promises to Him and others… and He promises to always do this. God shows us great love, and He can be trusted to keep His promises to us forever. How will you treat Him in return?
©2011 Debbie Robus
The LORD God came down in a cloud and stood beside Moses there on the mountain. God spoke his holy name, "the LORD." Then he passed in front of Moses and called out, "I am the LORD God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. I keep my promises to my people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. When people sin, I punish them and their children, and also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren." Moses quickly bowed down to the ground and worshiped the LORD. He prayed, "LORD, if you really are pleased with me, I pray that you will go with us. It is true that these people are sinful and rebellious, but forgive our sin and let us be your people."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Life is filled with promises. And being human, we often make promises we cannot keep. Oh, sure… our intentions are often good ones… promises to love someone forever, to stop smoking or drinking… promises to pay back loans or keep in touch with someone. But somehow, “life” gets in the way, as we like to say, and the first thing you know, we’ve broken more promises than we’ve kept.
Aren’t you glad you don’t serve a God who is human and frail? Aren’t you glad that our God keeps His promises… and has since the time of Moses? Doesn’t He deserve our utmost loyalty and devotion… immeasurable trust and confidence… our unfailing obedience? And don’t we often promise all of this… then fall short?
Moses’ prayer should be ours… “forgive our sin and let us be your people” – and because of the blood of Jesus, it can be. God does just this, and more. He understands our humanness and does for us what we cannot seem to do for Him… He loves us even when we break promises to Him and others… and He promises to always do this. God shows us great love, and He can be trusted to keep His promises to us forever. How will you treat Him in return?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)