Daily Devotional for October 9, 2016

Psalm 46:10

Our God says, “Calm down,
    and learn that I am God!
    All nations on earth
    will honor me.”

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
    
There are so many things happening in our world today – especially in our own country – that have a lot of us feeling like the earth has spun off its axis.  And yet, this morning I shared with ten 5-and-6-year-olds the story of Moses and how he made excuses to God.  I encouraged them to learn to listen to God and follow His plans for their lives. I assured them that God DOES have a plan for each of them, and that over time, He will reveal His mission for them through such things as prayer and Bible study…and He will help them implement this plan. They will be tempted to make excuses, just as Moses was – and as we often are - but they should learn to trust God and carry forward with His commands.

It’s hard to convince children that this is true…especially in light of what is going on all around us these days.  But I am confident that God is still in charge…that His plans are still perfect…that all nations WILL honor Him.  So I am not going to make excuses – for others – or to God.   I am going to stay calm…to trust and believe…to “be still and know” that He is GOD.  What about you?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 3, 2016

October 3 ~ Matthew 11:10-11
For John is the man mentioned in the Scriptures—a messenger to precede me, to announce my coming, and prepare people to receive me.

“Truly, of all men ever born, none shines more brightly than John the Baptist. And yet, even the lesser lights in the Kingdom of Heaven will be greater than he is!

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

We seem to be wired to be “awestruck” by people who have public recognition…across all platforms.  And while I do not mean any disrespect, they are truly just regular folk like you and me. I appreciate the work that people like Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and Pope Francis have done to further God’s kingdom.  But I also know some ordinary, everyday people who are quietly doing incredible work every single day to disciple and minister to others in the name of Jesus.

My own grandmother was about as plain and simple as they come.  She didn’t live in a fancy house…she drove an Army-green 1965 Chevy Impala that resembled a tank.  She made most of her own clothing and did not have expensive jewelry – or anything else of much monetary value.  But she was ready and willing to share everything she had with others.  Her first question to a stranger was usually, “Where do y’all go to church?”  And quite often, she followed that with an invitation to join her for a meal.

My grandmother was not perfect.  She could spit out some real zingers from time to time…and her opinions had little to no filter.  You knew where you stood with her at all times.  She could give you life advice as quickly and easily as she told you how to give your heart to Jesus and get to heaven!  And I honestly believe that her “mansion” there is probably bigger than many…certainly as fine as that of many “women of the Bible” – and the likes of Mother Teresa and John Wesley!  She continually heralded Jesus to any and all she met, through word and deed.

What does this all mean for us?  You and I are just as precious and important to Jesus as John the Baptist…maybe even more!  I don’t mean that to sound arrogant or disrespectful…but God sent John to herald Jesus’ coming. John was physically WITH Jesus…he saw firsthand who Jesus was – and why God sent Him. You and I do not have that luxury…yet we have our own missions to accomplish based on sheer faith. And as we obediently do so, we are building “equity” in our heavenly mansion.

Every word we speak…every gesture of kindness…every time we speak the name of Jesus to another – or demonstrate His power, strength, love, grace, kindness, mercy, compassion and forgiveness to someone – we are ensuring that our light will shine brightly in Heaven.  God notes all that we do…nothing is wasted. As anointed and redeemed believers in Jesus, the “bad” is forgiven and scattered “as far as East is from West”…and the “good” things are noted for all Eternity.

It’s not about who we are…what matters is WHOSE we are – and how we share Jesus with others.  At my grandmother’s funeral, I stated that I learned a LOT from her in our 56 years together.  SHE is my role model for ministering to others in Jesus’ name…and I hope that someday, we are “next-door-neighbors” in heaven…right down the street from John the Baptist! My prayer is that your house would be in our “neighborhood,” too.  Will we see you there?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for August 13, 2016

Isaiah 1:16-20
Oh, wash yourselves! Be clean! Let me no longer see you doing all these wicked things; quit your evil ways. Learn to do good, to be fair, and to help the poor, the fatherless, and widows.

Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool! If you will only let me help you, if you will only obey, then I will make you rich! But if you keep on turning your backs and refusing to listen to me, you will be killed by your enemies; I, the Lord, have spoken.

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When we spill something on our clothing…the carpet…or the couch, our first instinct is to grab a cloth or sponge and start rubbing!  Often, the result is that we push the stain further into the fibers and make permanent removal more difficult – if not a near impossibility.  Today, there are all sorts of cleaners and sprays that can be applied to essentially “fizz” the stain out and dissolve it. You have to be careful…some of the “oxi” treatments can actually bleach the material(s). But much of the time, these “treatments” work beautifully and can save a lot of trouble and disappointment.

The kids are always saying, “Aww…I spilled XYZ on my shirt.” I find that I am often telling them, “That’s okay…I can get that out…” or “I’ll wash it, and everything will be fine.” (And sometimes, I find myself scrubbing and “fizzing” a stain that proved more difficult to remove than I imagined!)

Do you see where I am headed?  We are the “children” – God is the parent.  We stain our lives…He removes the blemishes.  Sometimes, the “stains” have been rubbed in…we’ve worked them over pretty well!  Other times, the sin is just so big that it takes more “elbow grease” to get it out, once and for all.  But God is able to do all of this…if only we will humbly admit our errors and ask Him to forgive us and wash us clean!

OUR JOB is to do all that we can to “get clean” - and stay that way…to be careful with our words and actions.  We must care for others and serve God according to His directions…and never, ever “rub the stain of sin” further into our lives.  Some of us are so stubborn.  We want to have things our way…to turn our backs on the word and wisdom of God and do as we please. This is our choice…but we must understand that we are also choosing to risk the consequences of God’s displeasure.

Just because we give our hearts to Jesus doesn’t mean that we can “stain our shirts” and assume that He will clean up the mess.  With redemption comes responsibility…and we should be so grateful to Jesus for His salvation that we would be willing to do anything and everything to honor Him.

So I ask you today…what’s on your shirt?  Have you rubbed in the stain or tried to cover it up?  Or have you made every effort to allow God to clean you, once and for all…and worked hard to keep things neat and tidy as you move forward? Will this be the day that He washes you “whiter than snow”…and you make every effort to stay that way?  Don’t you think it should be?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for December 6, 2014

Luke 2:8-12
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them.
 
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem! How will you recognize him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger!”
 
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
 
In our day and age, we have become pretty skeptical…and rightly so.  We receive telephone calls from someone at our “credit card company” or our “insurer” saying he/she needs to verify our account data.  Someone in my area recently had a knock at the door from a person who insisted he was with the utility company - and if she did not pay $500 right away, her power would be turned off!  Friends and grandparents get calls from someone pretending to be us…in serious trouble and needing money wired right away. You probably know of other scams that have occurred in your community – or even to you or someone you know.
 
So if I were minding my own business in my yard and someone appeared and told me that I needed to go into town and see the newborn Messiah, I might not believe them.  Granted, if they appeared in the aura of a bright light and brought “backup singers”, I might give them a second consideration!  But still…haven’t we all heard news reports of someone who supposedly saw a “bright light” and maybe some “life forms” within it?  And didn’t we laugh and shake our heads and wonder about their sanity!
 
Let me be clear…I do not expect our Heavenly Father to send angels to stand before me and herald any revelation in the near future.  But I do know that God will show up…today…in the next few minutes and hours…someway…somehow.  He will guide me…plant thoughts in my head about tasks I need to accomplish and people I need to address in some manner.  He will direct my path and reveal opportunities to bless - and to be blessed.  I hope I recognize all of them.  I don’t want to miss out on a single thing that God has in store for me!
 
Thankfully, the shepherds had not become cynical and dubious.  They had probably not been the victims of scam artists…and most assuredly, there had been no telemarketers to disrupt their dinner hour or the baby’s nap time!  But they must have certainly been astounded by the news they received…not to mention the method with which it was delivered.  And yet, they recognized the presence of God…and heeded His call.  Can you say the same in your own life?  Isn’t it time you could?
 
©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for December 5, 2014

Luke 2:1-5
About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

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.

I’m not making this up…Google the phrase “hissy fit” and you will find links to all sorts of websites – including retail outlets for products that say, “Never underestimate the power of a hissy fit!”  Apparently, a lot of people think this is a viable strategy!
According to info at JesusTrail.com*, Mary and Joseph probably traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem in a caravan with other travelers.  There was a shorter, but more treacherous route…and a longer, flatter trek along the Jordan River Valley.  We don’t know which one Mary and Joseph selected, but either way, the journey of almost 100 miles would have taken the couple 8-10 days on foot and donkey.  I cannot imagine that they weren’t both more than a little nervous and apprehensive.
 
Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem. The ruler had ordered all people to register for the census in their birth city.  And if we are learning anything at all about Joseph and Mary, we must certainly agree that they were obedient people.  They respected the law of the land – whether they agreed with it or not.  Both Joseph and Mary also respected God’s authority.  Surely it was not their choice to be in this predicament, but a series of events had placed them here…on this road…in these conditions.  And they accepted their assignment(s) and trusted God to handle the details.  Nowhere in scripture is there any indication that either Mary or Joseph threw a “hissy fit”!
 
Do you see the lesson here for each of us?  We are often called to do things that we don’t want to do.  We are presented with a challenge and/or an obstacle and have to figure out how to make everything work.  And more often than we even realize, we have to trust God to pull all of the details together and orchestrate an outcome.  Sometimes we kick and stomp and throw a little “hissy fit”…and hope against hope that it actually works!  But deep down, I think that we all know better!  And certainly, the Bible demonstrates to us via many examples that this is not a viable option!
 
There will be a lot of times when we are called to do something that we don’t want to do…something difficult, or unpleasant…something that certainly is not our choice.  But when we know in our heart that this is the right thing to do…we have to “hitch up our britches” and get on with it…and proceed with the confidence that God is right there with us every step of the way.  It’s a tall order that requires incredible faith and conviction.
 
A “hissy fit” may make you feel better for the moment.  But at best, it’s a short-term solution.  Learn from Joseph and Mary, and “get on your donkey and head for Bethlehem”!  God will handle the details – and reward your faithfulness.  The message of Christmas is about so much more than the birth of our Savior.  It’s also about obedience, trust and confidence in our discipleship.  How well are you demonstrating these traits in your Christian walk?
 
©2014 Debbie Robus
 
*http://jesustrail.com/blog/hiking-the-nativity-trail-from-nazareth-to-Bethlehem