May 27 ~ Psalm 24:1
The earth belongs to God! Everything in all the world is his!
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
A friend shared a video
this morning of a woman talking about how she reached a point in her
life where she felt quite sure she had become invisible. She would go
into a room and ask her children to turn down the television…and they
would ignore her. She walked up to her husband at a party (after they
had been there for several hours) and signaled that she was ready to
leave…and he kept talking to his friends. She said it hit her…”I am
invisible.”
Then a friend gave her a beautiful book filled with
photos of ancient cathedrals. Picture after picture carried a
note…”builder unknown.” The friend had written a note inside the book
that essentially said, “You are building important things that others
may never acknowledge…but God knows.” The mom realized that it didn’t
matter if her kids brought their friends home to visit and bragged about
all she did…as long as they came home and brought their friends. It
didn’t matter whether she was physically acknowledged…as long as God was
glorified.
A lot of us want to ask, “What’s in it for me?” The
real question we should be asking is, “Am I being a good steward of what
belongs to God?”…because truly, EVERYTHING belongs to Him. He created
ALL of us…He designed us to serve His purposes. Our job is to make sure
that GOD is seen…yet many of us turn this around and try to make it
about us. We scramble to make sure that WE are seen and heard…and that our efforts are recognized.
The
message for today is that God sees you…He hears you…He knows your
efforts to serve Him (and of the ones that fall short). And He loves
you…warts and all. Stop trying so hard to be noticed and focus more on
putting God – and the mission(s) He has given you - in the spotlight.
Take yourself a little less seriously and put the emphasis on seeking
God’s will…and making it your own. Let your ultimate recognition be
God’s whisper of a “well done” – and the blessings that He is waiting to
shower upon you.
Nobody ever said being a Christian disciple
would be easy…or filled with accolades, wealth, or fame. The earth –
and everything in all the world – belongs to God. Are you making a
point – or making a difference? What will you do as His earthly
steward?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label feeding on God's word and will. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feeding on God's word and will. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 8, 2015
Deuteronomy 8:3
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to both you and your ancestors. He did it to help you realize that food isn’t everything, and that real life comes by obeying every command of God.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
You can’t make this stuff up! I once witnessed a fairly heated discussion at a family dinner between two “camps” – one that swore that Showboat® pork ‘n beans could not be beat…and another that insisted that VanCamp’s® pork ‘n beans were most surely the best! We are a culture obsessed with food…not as sustenance to fuel our bodies and minds, but as art and entertainment. We don’t look at a banana and consider how its nutrients and fiber can make us strong and healthy…we think about how it will taste and whether it has gotten too ripe for consumption. OR…we envision it slathered with ice cream, coated in chocolate, or incorporated into muffins, cake or “quickbread!”
We do not plan our meals based on our true hunger and nutritional needs…but more often around social events, what we are “hungry for” at the moment, and which restaurant we have not patronized this week! We think that we would die without certain foods…or without eating SOMETHING every few hours. In truth, most of us would survive far longer without eating than we can imagine. And were we truly hungry, a lot of “foods” we would never otherwise consider eating might look pretty tasty!
While I have never fasted…at least in a spiritual context…I know people who have done this. They used the time and “energy” that we all pour into thinking about food to concentrate on prayer, Bible study, and seeking God’s presence in their lives. While I do not believe this is the right practice for me…I do not criticize anyone who wants to engage in an occasional Spiritual fast.
But what I do think we need to do is pay closer notice to what grabs our attention. We need to “feed” on God’s word…both His scriptures, and what He tells us and shows us every single day. Recently, my niece Jasmine said that Zola asked her, “Mom, what are you doing?” Jasmine told her, “I’m talking to God.” Four-year-old Zola replied, “Again?!!” Jasmine explained to Zola that we can talk to God any time, as often as we like/need - even all day if we want!
God’s nurture and sustenance is unlike any ordinary meal…we can feast on His provisions night and day! The time has come for us to change our diet…to focus less on edible nourishment, and more on God’s spiritual manna. He may not help us choose which pork ‘n beans are best, but He will supply our needs in every area of real importance. Will this be the day that you begin to truly feed on a steady regimen of God’s word and commands? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to both you and your ancestors. He did it to help you realize that food isn’t everything, and that real life comes by obeying every command of God.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
You can’t make this stuff up! I once witnessed a fairly heated discussion at a family dinner between two “camps” – one that swore that Showboat® pork ‘n beans could not be beat…and another that insisted that VanCamp’s® pork ‘n beans were most surely the best! We are a culture obsessed with food…not as sustenance to fuel our bodies and minds, but as art and entertainment. We don’t look at a banana and consider how its nutrients and fiber can make us strong and healthy…we think about how it will taste and whether it has gotten too ripe for consumption. OR…we envision it slathered with ice cream, coated in chocolate, or incorporated into muffins, cake or “quickbread!”
We do not plan our meals based on our true hunger and nutritional needs…but more often around social events, what we are “hungry for” at the moment, and which restaurant we have not patronized this week! We think that we would die without certain foods…or without eating SOMETHING every few hours. In truth, most of us would survive far longer without eating than we can imagine. And were we truly hungry, a lot of “foods” we would never otherwise consider eating might look pretty tasty!
While I have never fasted…at least in a spiritual context…I know people who have done this. They used the time and “energy” that we all pour into thinking about food to concentrate on prayer, Bible study, and seeking God’s presence in their lives. While I do not believe this is the right practice for me…I do not criticize anyone who wants to engage in an occasional Spiritual fast.
But what I do think we need to do is pay closer notice to what grabs our attention. We need to “feed” on God’s word…both His scriptures, and what He tells us and shows us every single day. Recently, my niece Jasmine said that Zola asked her, “Mom, what are you doing?” Jasmine told her, “I’m talking to God.” Four-year-old Zola replied, “Again?!!” Jasmine explained to Zola that we can talk to God any time, as often as we like/need - even all day if we want!
God’s nurture and sustenance is unlike any ordinary meal…we can feast on His provisions night and day! The time has come for us to change our diet…to focus less on edible nourishment, and more on God’s spiritual manna. He may not help us choose which pork ‘n beans are best, but He will supply our needs in every area of real importance. Will this be the day that you begin to truly feed on a steady regimen of God’s word and commands? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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