Daily Devotional for November 13, 2015

Psalm 37:1-2
Don’t be annoyed by anyone
who does wrong,
    and don’t envy them.
They will soon disappear
    like grass without rain.

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

There are probably few among us who haven’t said at some point of another person… “Man, he/she gets buy with murder!  If I did that, I’d be in jail!”  For the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone would envy a person who lies, cheats, steals, uses bad language,  speaks unkindly of others, or treats anyone poorly.  But this is essentially what we are doing when we make such a statement.

I will tell you, I’ve struggled with writing this devo today.  Perhaps this is partly because this “lesson” hits me squarely between the eyes.  I get exasperated with people who say and do things that are clearly wrong.  Sometimes, I gripe about them…and  sometimes, I turn and look the other way.  I will say, “He’s a good guy – he just can’t seem to control his mouth.”  Or I will say, “I don’t like this and that about a candidate…but he/she is the lesser of the evils, so I’ll vote for him/her anyway.”

The Bible tells us that we are not to judge…and as the second verse in this passage points out, those who “misbehave” don’t actually “win” in the end.  The day will come when we will all have to answer for what we have said and done.  Meanwhile, the misdeeds of others are really “not our circus – not our monkeys.”  And worrying about them doesn’t do any of us one bit of good.

Instead, let’s focus on ourselves.  There are times when we must speak out and say, “That is wrong”…or “I cannot condone this.”  But when we dwell on the poor choices of others and worry about them instead of focusing on our own words and actions, we have failed to trust God to handle all things. It really is a matter of “walking the walk” vs. “talking the talk!”

Look…on any given day, we have our hands full with our own thoughts and deeds.  Worrying about the other guy truly is a waste of our time and energy – and a demonstration of dishonor and mistrust toward God.  And none of us wants that…do we?

©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for June 26, 2013

Haggai 2:6-9
Soon I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake the nations, and their treasures will be brought here. Then the brightness of my glory will fill this temple. All silver and gold belong to me, and I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one. I will also bless this city with peace.
 
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 
This was my daily quote…I am sorry I don’t have the source to cite…”A Sunday school teacher was reading a Bible story to her class.  ‘The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and turned to salt.’  A little boy softly asked, ‘What happened to the flea?’”
 
Today’s scripture passage was included in an outline I created for scriptures on peace… gleaned from several Internet searches for such verses.  I almost deleted these particular verses from the outline.  Frankly, I didn’t understand a lot about Haggai.  I knew that he was a prophet, but I didn’t know much about the meaning or history behind his 2-chapter book in the Old Testament.
 
The Internet is an amazing resource!  I found several commentaries on Haggai and read a few of them. Still, there was little to no clarity about what these chapters had to do with finding God’s peace.  Then I discovered a commentary at http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/haggai.pdf by Thomas L. Constable, Th.D., Senior Professor Emeritus of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas.
 
Dr. Thomas took 26 pages to outline and explain Haggai’s prophecy and why he believes God allowed it to be included in the Old Testament writings.  He narrowed it down to four “perils” that we face… 1) misplaced priorities; 2) incorrect perspectives, 3) unrealistic expectations; and 4) unnecessary fears.  Dr. Thomas noted the verses in these chapters in which Haggai demonstrates these perils. Solomon’s temple has been destroyed.  There is a movement to rebuild this temple, but the people of Israel appear to be too busy and preoccupied with building their own homes and other endeavors to fully concentrate on rebuilding God’s temple (misplaced priorities).
 
Once building does begin, those involved decide that the temple is not going to be as grand and glorious as the one built by King Solomon, and they become discouraged and disheartened (incorrect perspectives).  They expect lavish blessings and gifts from God for their efforts to rebuild… and they are disappointed (unrealistic expectations).  After the temple is completed, the people of Israel compare themselves to the Gentiles and decide that they are inferior as a people… that they will never be as respected and valued by God as others (unnecessary fears).  Haggai reminds us how wrong the Israelites were on all counts.
 
Don’t these “perils” ring a bell?  Haven’t we all had misplaced priorities… incorrect perspectives…unrealistic expectations… and unnecessary fears?  The people of Israel failed to put God’s work ahead of their own… don’t we sometimes do this?  They based their value and the value of their contributions on personal wealth.  In other words, those who didn’t have a lot of gold and silver to give to the “building fund” didn’t believe their contributions would be valued in the project.  How many times have you decided that you or your contributions were not “good enough” to be offered?
 
The people of Israel thought that any efforts they did make for God would be instantly and tremendously rewarded.  Do we expect “immediate gratification and reward” from God for our “good deeds?”  They looked around and compared themselves to others… and promptly felt like they did not measure up.  How often do you look in the mirror and wish you looked more like So-and-So?  Do you sometimes wish you had another person’s possessions, appearance… or their life in general?  Like the Israelites, do you diminish your own value in God’s eyes and long for the “favor” He appears to grant to another?  Truly, we are all exactly like the people of Israel that Haggai describes!
 
Can we possibly hope to experience God’s peace in the midst of these pressures?  I think you know the answer.  Haggai dispels every one of these “perils” with promises from God… “Don’t worry. My Spirit is right here with you…I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one... I will also bless this city with peace.”
 
We are all a lot like the little boy hearing the Sunday school lesson… we’re focused on the flea and completely missed the real message!  Don’t overlook the significance of Haggai’s words… make God’s plans for your life a top priority.  Recognize that God doesn’t care about your material wealth – He just wants you to do your best with what you have.  Celebrate God’s timing and learn to appreciate even His smallest blessings and gifts as much or more than the extravagant ones.  Recognize that we are all precious in His sight.  The talents, abilities and strengths He gave to you are uniquely yours… and would never be right for someone else.  By the same token, theirs would never be right for you!
 
Who knew there was such “meat” in a 2-chapter Old Testament prophecy?  If we change these four “life pressures” into positive actions that glorify God and His love for us, I believe that the peace in our lives will grow exponentially. God has pretty much guaranteed it.  Now it’s up to us to do our part.  What will you do?  Will you start to turn these pressures around… or are you still too busy worrying about what happened to the flea?
 
©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for March 18, 2010

March 18 ~ Psalm 37:3-8
Trust the LORD and live right! The land will be yours, and you will be safe. Do what the LORD wants, and he will give you your heart's desire. Let the LORD lead you and trust him to help. Then it will be as clear as the noonday sun that you were right. Be patient and trust the LORD. Don't let it bother you when all goes well for those who do sinful things. Don't be angry or furious. Anger can lead to sin.

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

Have you stopped to notice lately how many celebrities are hitting rock bottom? Addictions of all sorts plague them… long term relationships are almost non-existent… they end up in bankruptcy court and some even fall so far they take their own life – or lose it because of carelessness and the activities that consume them. So why do we sometimes aspire to be like these people? Why do we look at them and say, “Well THEY are doing it and getting rich, or THEY have all the luck.” Really?

We don’t often hear the “real-life stories” of those who are living right and trusting the Lord and how He delivered them, but I assure you, they are out there. And “Spiritual success stories” exist in your own community. Maybe you know someone who made a difficult choice and passed up what seemed like a great deal, lots of money, or the “chance of a lifetime.” But their prayerful consideration led them to believe God wanted them to do something else. I know a teacher who was once a successful sales manager for several states, but he felt God calling him to the classroom. I know others who sold their home, packed up their belongings, and moved into a small apartment in another city to start an urban ministry, because they felt God calling them to do so. I know people who gave up their vacation to do mission work in Costa Rica and other areas of need. They could have chosen to go to the beach and relax for a week, but instead, they chose to spend the time building needed facilities for a poor community and sharing God’s love with its people.

I could go on, but you get the picture. When we trust in God, and live right, even when it isn’t easy or fun, He blesses us. It may seem like the “sinners” have all the fun, but I assure you, they do not… and certainly not for the long haul. We’re heading into spring break for many. It is a time when there is always a lot of temptation to party all week and sorta go nuts. It’s all in good fun, right? It’s just one week, right? Let me tell you – a lot can happen in a week – both good and bad. Trust God to show you how to spend your spring break. If He tells you to go to the beach with your friends, ask Him how you should conduct yourself while you are there… and live right.

Whatever challenges and choices you face in life, be patient. This spring break – and beyond - don’t be angry with those who choose to do things you do not… and don’t be critical. Just stand firm, trust God, and stay safe, knowing that in the end, God will bless you and your efforts. The land will be yours, and God will show you that you made the right choices.

©2010 Debbie Robus