2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:
“I’ll live in them, move into them; I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,” says God. “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I’ll be a Father to you; you’ll be sons and daughters to me.” The Word of the Master, God.
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.
Someone once gave my mother-in-law a box of fine chocolates from Scotland. “You must try them!” she insisted to Greg and me. The trouble is…I’m allergic to chocolate. “One little taste can’t hurt!” she suggested. Greg responded…”It might only put her in the ER and not the actual hospital!”
Thankfully, I am not one of those people who can merely inhale the aroma of chocolate or corn (my other allergen) and start to have an anaphylactic reaction. But an accidental sampling of either can sometimes cause a case of hives or give me stomach cramps - or even make areas of my body redden and swell. So I do all I can to avoid these triggers, and I make sure that I take an antihistamine every day.
Paul is explaining to the Corinthians that we can’t have “just a smidge” of our old life. We can’t sample “just a taste” of the life we had without Christ and maintain a healthy, pure and complete relationship with God. You cannot share your heart with God…AND the devil!
If you have found yourself wondering where God is…if you have questioned your relationship with Him in recent days/weeks/months and wondered what happened…search your heart and see where you may be sampling “just a taste” of your life “BC” – before Christ became the Lord of your life. Let your commitment and devotion to your fellowship with God serve as a “daily dose” of protection and care against the devil’s attempts to lure you away.
God is not in the business of sharing with the devil…He wants us all for Himself. When we reciprocate, we will find that He has been with us all along…waiting for us to “come clean” and fully commit to Him. Will this be the day that you renew your efforts? As the adage says, “If you don’t feel close to God…guess who moved!”
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label experiencing God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label experiencing God. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 24, 2014
Acts 17:24-29
“The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! One of your poets said it well: ‘We’re the God-created.’ Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?
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.
While eating lunch today, I was watching a local television station’s “noon show”, and a woman was talking about the Eastern Phoebe...a little songbird native to our area. The Eastern Phoebe is important to us because it eats wasps and other pesky insects. Learn more about this bird at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_phoebe/id - and even listen to its call, which I bet you will find familiar if you live in the South!
Like many animals, we sometimes wonder why God made birds like the Eastern Phoebe. As the person on this show explained, this bird eats pesky wasps. But some might ask, “Why did God make the wasp?” Trust me…every creature on this earth serves some purpose. A friend posted a photo of a now-dead snake that made the mistake of crossing her driveway. She wanted to know what kind it was. Aside from the half-dozen comments that it was a “dead snake”, some told her it was a blue racer or rat snake…harmless to humans, but helpful in controlling the poisonous snake/rodent populations. Yes, God even gave snakes a purpose!
All around us, leaves are appearing on trees and shrubs…flowers are blooming…and the yellow pollen is so thick that many of us can barely get a good breath! And in it all, we can find the hand of God. I’ve always laughed a little when people say, “I don’t go to church…I prefer to find God in nature. So I go hunting or fishing…to the lake… take a walk or run…or even sit on my back porch and enjoy the beauty around me.” That’s wonderful! But “nature” is not the only place we find God – or experience him. Yes, we can see the hand of God in the rosebuds that have peppered our bushes in the front yard…and the brilliant red azalea blossoms that are opening. Yes, we can “hear” God in the rumble of thunder as a line of spring storms blows through our neighborhood.
We can find God’s handiwork in the intricate patterns of my calico cat’s fur or the way our Lucy’s black and white “tuxedo” coat covers her little frame. We experience God in the daily growth and accomplishments of our little Timothy, Zola and Nathan. But I also found Him in the frail, wrinkled hands of my grandmother that toiled and loved…and served Him for over 100 years. And we can find God in the details of her life…the way He saw her through triumphs and tragedies and arranged every detail to her last breath.
The point I am trying to make is that God IS evident in nature and the living things He has created. But if we don’t find Him in everyday, ordinary people, places and things, we’ve not truly experienced Him. There is none other like Him, and there never will be. God is not hiding from us…He is in plain view at all times - if we will open our eyes and ears. Too many of us are busy trying to create other “gods”…or “worshipping” in the wrong places. We have been so busy pursuing what we think is “spiritual” and holy that we have walked right past God! While we’re seeking choirs of angels and the roar of a pipe organ in our ear – or celestial trumpets that announce God’s presence – He is quietly sitting in the corner, meticulously orchestrating our lives and those of the world at large.
Don’t miss Him! Don’t get so caught up in your own agenda or seeking grandiose demonstrations that you miss God’s omnipresence. Find God in the beauty of nature, the song of an Eastern Phoebe, or the intricacies of a small child or a precious pet. But recognize His existence in the ordinary, even mundane events of your life as well. Feel His hand holding yours as you take a test, meet with your boss, interview for a job, apply for a loan, or undergo a medical exam. Experience His wisdom and design for your life as you seek Him through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. Recognize His role in numbering every step of your life…orchestrating each event with purpose and intention.
When you fully experience God…when you recognize Him in all ways – in all places – everything about your life begins to change. But don’t take my word for it… find out for yourself! Discover fully just how present God is in your own life! Learn to live and move in God…and discover just how amazing He truly is!
©2014 Debbie Robus
“The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! One of your poets said it well: ‘We’re the God-created.’ Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?
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.
While eating lunch today, I was watching a local television station’s “noon show”, and a woman was talking about the Eastern Phoebe...a little songbird native to our area. The Eastern Phoebe is important to us because it eats wasps and other pesky insects. Learn more about this bird at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_phoebe/id - and even listen to its call, which I bet you will find familiar if you live in the South!
Like many animals, we sometimes wonder why God made birds like the Eastern Phoebe. As the person on this show explained, this bird eats pesky wasps. But some might ask, “Why did God make the wasp?” Trust me…every creature on this earth serves some purpose. A friend posted a photo of a now-dead snake that made the mistake of crossing her driveway. She wanted to know what kind it was. Aside from the half-dozen comments that it was a “dead snake”, some told her it was a blue racer or rat snake…harmless to humans, but helpful in controlling the poisonous snake/rodent populations. Yes, God even gave snakes a purpose!
All around us, leaves are appearing on trees and shrubs…flowers are blooming…and the yellow pollen is so thick that many of us can barely get a good breath! And in it all, we can find the hand of God. I’ve always laughed a little when people say, “I don’t go to church…I prefer to find God in nature. So I go hunting or fishing…to the lake… take a walk or run…or even sit on my back porch and enjoy the beauty around me.” That’s wonderful! But “nature” is not the only place we find God – or experience him. Yes, we can see the hand of God in the rosebuds that have peppered our bushes in the front yard…and the brilliant red azalea blossoms that are opening. Yes, we can “hear” God in the rumble of thunder as a line of spring storms blows through our neighborhood.
We can find God’s handiwork in the intricate patterns of my calico cat’s fur or the way our Lucy’s black and white “tuxedo” coat covers her little frame. We experience God in the daily growth and accomplishments of our little Timothy, Zola and Nathan. But I also found Him in the frail, wrinkled hands of my grandmother that toiled and loved…and served Him for over 100 years. And we can find God in the details of her life…the way He saw her through triumphs and tragedies and arranged every detail to her last breath.
The point I am trying to make is that God IS evident in nature and the living things He has created. But if we don’t find Him in everyday, ordinary people, places and things, we’ve not truly experienced Him. There is none other like Him, and there never will be. God is not hiding from us…He is in plain view at all times - if we will open our eyes and ears. Too many of us are busy trying to create other “gods”…or “worshipping” in the wrong places. We have been so busy pursuing what we think is “spiritual” and holy that we have walked right past God! While we’re seeking choirs of angels and the roar of a pipe organ in our ear – or celestial trumpets that announce God’s presence – He is quietly sitting in the corner, meticulously orchestrating our lives and those of the world at large.
Don’t miss Him! Don’t get so caught up in your own agenda or seeking grandiose demonstrations that you miss God’s omnipresence. Find God in the beauty of nature, the song of an Eastern Phoebe, or the intricacies of a small child or a precious pet. But recognize His existence in the ordinary, even mundane events of your life as well. Feel His hand holding yours as you take a test, meet with your boss, interview for a job, apply for a loan, or undergo a medical exam. Experience His wisdom and design for your life as you seek Him through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. Recognize His role in numbering every step of your life…orchestrating each event with purpose and intention.
When you fully experience God…when you recognize Him in all ways – in all places – everything about your life begins to change. But don’t take my word for it… find out for yourself! Discover fully just how present God is in your own life! Learn to live and move in God…and discover just how amazing He truly is!
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 11, 2013
Isaiah 55:8-12
The Lord says:
“My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.
Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.
“Rain and snow fall from the sky.
But they don’t return without watering the earth
that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat.
That’s how it is with my words.
They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.”
When you are set free, you will celebrate and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing as you pass by, and trees will clap.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We’ve all been to a concert or the ballgame where entertainers, celebrities, and/or athletes appear, and the crowd goes wild with excitement. The enthusiasm is palpable… contagious… and for a time, at least, we leave the event feeling uplifted and joyful. We travel home in peace. God wants us to experience Him in this manner. He wants us to be so filled with His presence that we are exhilarated, yet serene… all at once confident and calm.
There are about a dozen people that I often encounter who truly make me a better person every time I am with them. They seem to exude joy and faith in God. No matter what is happening in their lives, they have a smile and a positive attitude… and I know it is because of their close relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Truly, after I am with these people, I feel like the mountains and hills sing and the trees clap as I pass by.
Do you know people like this? Are you one of them? Do you know that God wants us to be so filled with His thoughts, words and ways that we cannot help but experience incredible peace and joy in Him? Can you see that God wants us to be so full of faith and enthusiasm for His truths that we move the mountains and hills to sing and the trees to clap in celebration?
Most of us will never attain celebrity status or be professional athletes or entertainers. We will never enter arenas or stages to the rousing applause and celebration of an adoring throng. But this really isn’t important anyway. What matters is that we live in the applause and celebration of God… of belonging completely to Him, surrendering to His ways, and sharing His love with others. When we settle into the complete peace and freedom of a life in Christ… with the Holy Spirit as our constant companion… mountains and hills will indeed sing, trees will clap, and these will be all of the accolades we could ever need.
Whose applause are you seeking these days? Where are you searching for peace? Give God room to work in your life… make a place for the Holy Spirit in your heart. Look for joy and contentment in the right places. Attune your heart to the higher ways and words of God… and get ready to “travel home in peace”.
©2013 Debbie Robus
The Lord says:
“My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.
Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.
“Rain and snow fall from the sky.
But they don’t return without watering the earth
that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat.
That’s how it is with my words.
They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.”
When you are set free, you will celebrate and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing as you pass by, and trees will clap.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We’ve all been to a concert or the ballgame where entertainers, celebrities, and/or athletes appear, and the crowd goes wild with excitement. The enthusiasm is palpable… contagious… and for a time, at least, we leave the event feeling uplifted and joyful. We travel home in peace. God wants us to experience Him in this manner. He wants us to be so filled with His presence that we are exhilarated, yet serene… all at once confident and calm.
There are about a dozen people that I often encounter who truly make me a better person every time I am with them. They seem to exude joy and faith in God. No matter what is happening in their lives, they have a smile and a positive attitude… and I know it is because of their close relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Truly, after I am with these people, I feel like the mountains and hills sing and the trees clap as I pass by.
Do you know people like this? Are you one of them? Do you know that God wants us to be so filled with His thoughts, words and ways that we cannot help but experience incredible peace and joy in Him? Can you see that God wants us to be so full of faith and enthusiasm for His truths that we move the mountains and hills to sing and the trees to clap in celebration?
Most of us will never attain celebrity status or be professional athletes or entertainers. We will never enter arenas or stages to the rousing applause and celebration of an adoring throng. But this really isn’t important anyway. What matters is that we live in the applause and celebration of God… of belonging completely to Him, surrendering to His ways, and sharing His love with others. When we settle into the complete peace and freedom of a life in Christ… with the Holy Spirit as our constant companion… mountains and hills will indeed sing, trees will clap, and these will be all of the accolades we could ever need.
Whose applause are you seeking these days? Where are you searching for peace? Give God room to work in your life… make a place for the Holy Spirit in your heart. Look for joy and contentment in the right places. Attune your heart to the higher ways and words of God… and get ready to “travel home in peace”.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 4, 2012
Ephesians 3:14-19
My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
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 in my twenties, I was a runner. I competed in 5k races and ran three to six miles nearly every day. I still remember the first time I finished five miles. My brother-in-law, who was running marathons at the time, told me that “If you can run three miles, you can run five.” In other words, I could push myself and do more… and I did. I was my own worst enemy... limiting my potential with fear, complacency, and a lack of focus. I ultimately gave up running for several reasons – including the number it did on my knees! Over the years, I satisfied myself with other exercises… primarily walking. There is nothing wrong with walking for exercise, but it doesn’t do much to build muscle strength – especially in the upper body. By limiting myself, I failed to maintain adequate physical strength, and made myself vulnerable to illness, fatigue, and more.
Not quite 18 months ago, I started a weight-lifting program, combined with workouts to strengthen my “inner core” and cardio training. Today, I feel physically stronger than I have ever felt in my adult life. In the last few years, I have also worked on my “inner strength.” I won’t say I came to this willingly, but God has allowed my faith to be tested in ways I could never have envisioned… and He has strengthened me by His Spirit. I have to tell you… if I had to choose between physical strength and “inner strength,” I would choose the latter every time.
As I grow physically stronger, I’ve learned a lot about my body and what it is capable of sustaining. I’ve discovered that I can do a lot of things I never dreamed possible… that I am often limited only by my own fears and lack of focus. And it’s exactly like that with my “heart,” as well. There are times when I begin to falter… to wonder if I can really do this… to question how I will handle challenges or endure struggles. This is when I need to plant both feet firmly, to reach out and experience the breadth of Christ’s love! I need to fully test the lengths… to plumb the depths and rise to the heights! I need to a full life - full in the fullness of God!
Truly, the dimensions of Christ’s love for me exceed anything I can ever imagine. The limits are all my doing. I need to maintain focus, to keep “working out” with Him each and every day. We all need to realize that exercising our heart muscle includes much more than a 20-minute workout routine with some cardio and a couple of hand weights. We have to strengthen the Spiritual heart muscle as well… through prayer, Bible study, exercising our faith when tests come along, and more.
My question for you today is this… how fit are you - physically AND Spiritually? Have you allowed your faith and strength to be limited by outside influences and your own fears and lack of focus? The devil is so pleased when we become complacent. He will fill us with a million reasons to skip our “workouts.” Do not listen! Never give up! Open the door… invite Jesus into your heart and do all you can to keep Him there! Exercise and build your glorious inner strength first. See how strong God makes you in all areas of life as a result.
©2012 Debbie Robus
My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
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 in my twenties, I was a runner. I competed in 5k races and ran three to six miles nearly every day. I still remember the first time I finished five miles. My brother-in-law, who was running marathons at the time, told me that “If you can run three miles, you can run five.” In other words, I could push myself and do more… and I did. I was my own worst enemy... limiting my potential with fear, complacency, and a lack of focus. I ultimately gave up running for several reasons – including the number it did on my knees! Over the years, I satisfied myself with other exercises… primarily walking. There is nothing wrong with walking for exercise, but it doesn’t do much to build muscle strength – especially in the upper body. By limiting myself, I failed to maintain adequate physical strength, and made myself vulnerable to illness, fatigue, and more.
Not quite 18 months ago, I started a weight-lifting program, combined with workouts to strengthen my “inner core” and cardio training. Today, I feel physically stronger than I have ever felt in my adult life. In the last few years, I have also worked on my “inner strength.” I won’t say I came to this willingly, but God has allowed my faith to be tested in ways I could never have envisioned… and He has strengthened me by His Spirit. I have to tell you… if I had to choose between physical strength and “inner strength,” I would choose the latter every time.
As I grow physically stronger, I’ve learned a lot about my body and what it is capable of sustaining. I’ve discovered that I can do a lot of things I never dreamed possible… that I am often limited only by my own fears and lack of focus. And it’s exactly like that with my “heart,” as well. There are times when I begin to falter… to wonder if I can really do this… to question how I will handle challenges or endure struggles. This is when I need to plant both feet firmly, to reach out and experience the breadth of Christ’s love! I need to fully test the lengths… to plumb the depths and rise to the heights! I need to a full life - full in the fullness of God!
Truly, the dimensions of Christ’s love for me exceed anything I can ever imagine. The limits are all my doing. I need to maintain focus, to keep “working out” with Him each and every day. We all need to realize that exercising our heart muscle includes much more than a 20-minute workout routine with some cardio and a couple of hand weights. We have to strengthen the Spiritual heart muscle as well… through prayer, Bible study, exercising our faith when tests come along, and more.
My question for you today is this… how fit are you - physically AND Spiritually? Have you allowed your faith and strength to be limited by outside influences and your own fears and lack of focus? The devil is so pleased when we become complacent. He will fill us with a million reasons to skip our “workouts.” Do not listen! Never give up! Open the door… invite Jesus into your heart and do all you can to keep Him there! Exercise and build your glorious inner strength first. See how strong God makes you in all areas of life as a result.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 30, 2011
John 1:14-18
The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us. John spoke about him and shouted, "This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born."
Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another. The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I was visiting with a dear friend recently, and the conversation turned to my uncle… my grandfather’s brother. Late in life, this confirmed bachelor married my friend’s great-aunt. Pretty much all I ever knew of my uncle was a gruff, bitter, unpleasant “old cuss” who muttered and grumbled and wasn’t much fun to be around. My grandmother always said, “The War (meaning WWII) changed him. He wasn’t always like that, and I don’t know what happened ‘over there,’ but when he came back, he was different.”
The funny thing was… my friend said, “I just loved Uncle Noel… he was so kind and sweet… he was great!” My jaw literally dropped. I knew that he doted on his wife (my friend’s aunt) and that we snickered and giggled about this gruff old man who “made goo-goo eyes” over this woman. But still, we never saw the gentle, pleasant, loving man my friend saw… we certainly never saw “sweetness!” And don’t misunderstand… I was glad to hear that he exhibited these qualities toward her and her sister. I’m glad to know he had it in him… even if we didn’t see it!
A lot of what we know about someone is what we are told. Unless we really get to know them for ourselves, all of our impressions and opinions regarding this person are merely hearsay or judgments based on distant observances. And it’s no different with Jesus. The Bible tells us of His greatness… His love and compassion… His mercy. Prophets spoke of Him before His coming… and those who served with Him wrote about their experiences. But until we experience Jesus for ourselves, people can tell us all day long about Him, and we may still have the wrong opinion at best… or totally miss experiencing a genuine, intimate relationship with Him completely. There is a difference between knowing Jesus and truly experiencing Him.
Had my friend not experienced such a loving relationship with my uncle for herself, she might have only known him through my eyes… and my experiences with him. Through Jesus, we get a huge glimpse into what God is truly like. When we experience Jesus, we experience our Heavenly Father. The best is yet to be, when we meet face-to-face in Heaven. But for now, I encourage you to study, pray, fellowship, and communicate with Jesus. Get to know him and experience for yourself His love, grace, mercy and power as He works in your life – here and now.
The “endorsement” of others isn’t a bad thing… our witness to others, based on our own experience with Jesus, is important – and part of being a Disciple of Christ. But nothing beats the real thing – the true personal experience that comes from an intimate relationship with Jesus on a continual basis. Unless we develop this for ourselves – and encourage others to do the same – we’ve not gotten to really know Jesus… and our experience in Him is less than complete. Don’t know Jesus only through the eyes of others… get to know Him for yourself and see how incredible a relationship with Him can truly be.
©2011 Debbie Robus
The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us. John spoke about him and shouted, "This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born."
Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another. The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I was visiting with a dear friend recently, and the conversation turned to my uncle… my grandfather’s brother. Late in life, this confirmed bachelor married my friend’s great-aunt. Pretty much all I ever knew of my uncle was a gruff, bitter, unpleasant “old cuss” who muttered and grumbled and wasn’t much fun to be around. My grandmother always said, “The War (meaning WWII) changed him. He wasn’t always like that, and I don’t know what happened ‘over there,’ but when he came back, he was different.”
The funny thing was… my friend said, “I just loved Uncle Noel… he was so kind and sweet… he was great!” My jaw literally dropped. I knew that he doted on his wife (my friend’s aunt) and that we snickered and giggled about this gruff old man who “made goo-goo eyes” over this woman. But still, we never saw the gentle, pleasant, loving man my friend saw… we certainly never saw “sweetness!” And don’t misunderstand… I was glad to hear that he exhibited these qualities toward her and her sister. I’m glad to know he had it in him… even if we didn’t see it!
A lot of what we know about someone is what we are told. Unless we really get to know them for ourselves, all of our impressions and opinions regarding this person are merely hearsay or judgments based on distant observances. And it’s no different with Jesus. The Bible tells us of His greatness… His love and compassion… His mercy. Prophets spoke of Him before His coming… and those who served with Him wrote about their experiences. But until we experience Jesus for ourselves, people can tell us all day long about Him, and we may still have the wrong opinion at best… or totally miss experiencing a genuine, intimate relationship with Him completely. There is a difference between knowing Jesus and truly experiencing Him.
Had my friend not experienced such a loving relationship with my uncle for herself, she might have only known him through my eyes… and my experiences with him. Through Jesus, we get a huge glimpse into what God is truly like. When we experience Jesus, we experience our Heavenly Father. The best is yet to be, when we meet face-to-face in Heaven. But for now, I encourage you to study, pray, fellowship, and communicate with Jesus. Get to know him and experience for yourself His love, grace, mercy and power as He works in your life – here and now.
The “endorsement” of others isn’t a bad thing… our witness to others, based on our own experience with Jesus, is important – and part of being a Disciple of Christ. But nothing beats the real thing – the true personal experience that comes from an intimate relationship with Jesus on a continual basis. Unless we develop this for ourselves – and encourage others to do the same – we’ve not gotten to really know Jesus… and our experience in Him is less than complete. Don’t know Jesus only through the eyes of others… get to know Him for yourself and see how incredible a relationship with Him can truly be.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 16, 2011
John 16:22
You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A dear sweet lady who attended my church passed away this week. Ms. Gene was 93 years young. I mentioned her passing to my cousin, who knew her even better than I, and she said, “It’s sad, but she’s missed her husband, Leo, long enough. Every time she spoke it seemed she had something to say about Leo… 'Leo Gray always said…' or some other reference to him." My cousin said, “It's time she was with him again.” And truly, I was not sad that Ms. Gene has gone to heaven as much as I was sad that we will miss this spunky little lady here on earth. I know that Ms. Gene and others who have gone to heaven would not change things and return to this earth for anything. As much as I miss my loved ones who have passed, I wouldn’t begin to ask them to return… and they would not oblige anyway! And nothing I could say or do would change their minds.
Here’s the lesson in today’s passage… and it’s not about heaven, really. Or maybe it is, to some degree. See, I think we should be living in such a way now that we don’t have to get to heaven to know the glory that awaits us there. I know that my thoughts about this earth will change when I am finally at the feet of Jesus. But I think the real change ought to take place NOW! I ought to live on this earth like I’m already at Jesus’ feet.
Oh, sure… heaven will be much more wonderful. Things will be different there. But so much of what God offers us, we put on a shelf and “save” for when we get to heaven. There is so much that we could be enjoying and experiencing now, if we would only open our hearts and minds to the possibilities.
There will be moments of sadness in all of our lives… but they don’t have to last. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to see Jesus… at least not totally. He is evident everywhere we look. His Holy Spirit can dwell in our hearts and everything we say and do can be permeated by His influence. We can change the way we feel today and experience all the joy He desires for us on this earth. It may not be as good as heaven (and most assuredly, it’s not!), but it can be pretty great if we’ll let Him have control.
This is sort of like the person who saves their good pajamas “in case I have to go to the hospital,” or someone who puts away nicer clothes for a special occasion… and that occasion rarely, if ever, happens. Nice clothes don’t do you any good in the closet or drawers… and saving your joy in Christ for heaven won’t help you in this lifetime. Start living fully – change your heart and mind and let the Holy Spirit fill you from the inside out… and be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel today. Heaven will be better… but with God in control, life on this earth can be pretty good, too!
©2011 Debbie Robus
You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A dear sweet lady who attended my church passed away this week. Ms. Gene was 93 years young. I mentioned her passing to my cousin, who knew her even better than I, and she said, “It’s sad, but she’s missed her husband, Leo, long enough. Every time she spoke it seemed she had something to say about Leo… 'Leo Gray always said…' or some other reference to him." My cousin said, “It's time she was with him again.” And truly, I was not sad that Ms. Gene has gone to heaven as much as I was sad that we will miss this spunky little lady here on earth. I know that Ms. Gene and others who have gone to heaven would not change things and return to this earth for anything. As much as I miss my loved ones who have passed, I wouldn’t begin to ask them to return… and they would not oblige anyway! And nothing I could say or do would change their minds.
Here’s the lesson in today’s passage… and it’s not about heaven, really. Or maybe it is, to some degree. See, I think we should be living in such a way now that we don’t have to get to heaven to know the glory that awaits us there. I know that my thoughts about this earth will change when I am finally at the feet of Jesus. But I think the real change ought to take place NOW! I ought to live on this earth like I’m already at Jesus’ feet.
Oh, sure… heaven will be much more wonderful. Things will be different there. But so much of what God offers us, we put on a shelf and “save” for when we get to heaven. There is so much that we could be enjoying and experiencing now, if we would only open our hearts and minds to the possibilities.
There will be moments of sadness in all of our lives… but they don’t have to last. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to see Jesus… at least not totally. He is evident everywhere we look. His Holy Spirit can dwell in our hearts and everything we say and do can be permeated by His influence. We can change the way we feel today and experience all the joy He desires for us on this earth. It may not be as good as heaven (and most assuredly, it’s not!), but it can be pretty great if we’ll let Him have control.
This is sort of like the person who saves their good pajamas “in case I have to go to the hospital,” or someone who puts away nicer clothes for a special occasion… and that occasion rarely, if ever, happens. Nice clothes don’t do you any good in the closet or drawers… and saving your joy in Christ for heaven won’t help you in this lifetime. Start living fully – change your heart and mind and let the Holy Spirit fill you from the inside out… and be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel today. Heaven will be better… but with God in control, life on this earth can be pretty good, too!
©2011 Debbie Robus
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