Psalm 119:10-11
I have tried my best to find
you—don’t let me wander off from your instructions. I have thought much
about your words and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me
back from sin.
The Living
Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All
rights reserved.
Have you ever misplaced something and
“hunted high and low” for it? When you finally DID locate whatever it
was you were looking for, did you vow to put it in a safe place so that
you would remember that it was there? Have you ever said, “Someday,
when I least expect it, XYZ will show up”…and stopped looking for
whatever you lost?
This is exactly what a lot of us do with God.
I’m not talking about misplacing our Bible…although I’m sure that
happens! I’m talking about getting so caught up in our own desires and
agendas and pushing God to the “back burner” to the point that He
ultimately ends up under a pile of “stuff”, shoved to the corner. And
the first thing you know it, we wonder, “Where did God go?” Sadly, some
of us leave Him there and assume that we’ll “find Him when we really
need Him”!
The truth is that God didn’t go anywhere. We
wandered off! And a lot of us have found our way back to God and said,
“I’m ever going to let You go again!” But then things happen, “life”
gets in the way, and we slip back into old habits.
We are
reminded in this verse from Psalm 119 that we must make every effort to
see that this doesn’t happen! We must stay in constant fellowship with
God…seek His word and wisdom…rest in His peace and comfort…and
diligently pursue His will for our lives. We must keep God in a place
where we always know that He is there – and we must make sure that we
never “lose” Him again.
Unlike some of our things that get
“buried” or “lost”, God is not hard to find. He is only a whisper
away. Will this be the day that you call to Him and give Him a place of
permanent prominence in your life, once and for all?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label fellowship with God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fellowship with God. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for March 26, 2015
Proverbs 8:17
I love everyone who loves me,
and I will be found by all
who honestly search.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Greg and I watched an old episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” last night in which Opie was upset because he got a new teacher – “Old Lady Crump”! This teacher had doubled Opie’s homework and was emphasizing the importance of the study of history. Andy, Barney, Aunt Bee and Opie sat at the breakfast table and debated the importance of gaining wisdom about our history, and Opie got the mistaken idea that studying this subject might not be so valuable or worthwhile.
In the end, Andy made historical events “come to life” for Opie and his friends…and they decided that this knowledge was pretty important, after all. The boys formed a “Minutemen Club” of cool kids who knew historical facts…and those who weren’t “in” were dubbed the “Redcoats”. The bottom line was that these children discovered the value of gaining wisdom…and how it impacted every area of their lives.
The eighth chapter of Proverbs is about God’s wisdom. If you will go to BibleGateway.com and read this entire chapter, you will find that King Solomon outlines in detail the benefits of seeking God’s wisdom. Chief among them is the emphasis of this verse – that God is totally available to everyone who seeks Him…and that He LOVES us and our hunger for His knowledge. I particularly like verse 9, which says, “If you have understanding, you will see that my words are just what you need.”
Like 4th graders who cannot see the value in gaining wisdom through study and homework, we often cannot comprehend the value of gaining GOD’s wisdom through time spent in fellowship with Him. We do not grasp how “cool” it is to operate in God’s “Minutemen Club”…to be ready at a minute’s notice because we are backed by the wisdom and power of our Heavenly Father.
We can change this…and we can start right now. Verses 34-35 say, “Come to my home each day and listen to me. You will find happiness. By finding me, you find life, and the Lord will be pleased with you.” Won’t you visit the “home of Wisdom” today and spend some time in fellowship with God? Will this be the day that you begin to truly find life – and wisdom - in Him?
©2015 Debbie Robus
I love everyone who loves me,
and I will be found by all
who honestly search.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Greg and I watched an old episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” last night in which Opie was upset because he got a new teacher – “Old Lady Crump”! This teacher had doubled Opie’s homework and was emphasizing the importance of the study of history. Andy, Barney, Aunt Bee and Opie sat at the breakfast table and debated the importance of gaining wisdom about our history, and Opie got the mistaken idea that studying this subject might not be so valuable or worthwhile.
In the end, Andy made historical events “come to life” for Opie and his friends…and they decided that this knowledge was pretty important, after all. The boys formed a “Minutemen Club” of cool kids who knew historical facts…and those who weren’t “in” were dubbed the “Redcoats”. The bottom line was that these children discovered the value of gaining wisdom…and how it impacted every area of their lives.
The eighth chapter of Proverbs is about God’s wisdom. If you will go to BibleGateway.com and read this entire chapter, you will find that King Solomon outlines in detail the benefits of seeking God’s wisdom. Chief among them is the emphasis of this verse – that God is totally available to everyone who seeks Him…and that He LOVES us and our hunger for His knowledge. I particularly like verse 9, which says, “If you have understanding, you will see that my words are just what you need.”
Like 4th graders who cannot see the value in gaining wisdom through study and homework, we often cannot comprehend the value of gaining GOD’s wisdom through time spent in fellowship with Him. We do not grasp how “cool” it is to operate in God’s “Minutemen Club”…to be ready at a minute’s notice because we are backed by the wisdom and power of our Heavenly Father.
We can change this…and we can start right now. Verses 34-35 say, “Come to my home each day and listen to me. You will find happiness. By finding me, you find life, and the Lord will be pleased with you.” Won’t you visit the “home of Wisdom” today and spend some time in fellowship with God? Will this be the day that you begin to truly find life – and wisdom - in Him?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 20, 2015
Philippians 3:1
Whatever happens, dear friends, be glad in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you this, and it is good for you to hear it again and again.
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 I was teaching, my school district participated in something called PET…Program for Effective Teaching. PET training was intense, and consisted of actual classroom instruction in this method for all teachers…followed by exercises where we taught lessons using this method while we were observed and critiqued by those trained to determine if we were implementing the concepts correctly. So there was a lot of repetition…and some “trial and error” involved.
In PET, the concept is that each lesson has three components…the “set” – or quite literally, the set-up for the lesson…the lesson itself…and closure. In the “set”, the teacher provides an activity, a relatable analogy, plays a game, or does something to engage the students and provide relevance…and then he/she explains what the students will be learning. In the lesson, obviously the instruction and practice occur until the teacher is sure that the student understands the concept. Finally, the closure reviews what was learned. The objective is repeated during the closure to ensure that students remember it.
Studies have shown that people best remember the first and last things they are told, so in order to remember that middle “lesson”, repetition on the front and back end is necessary. Personally, I LOVED the PET method of teaching and have applied it to other areas of my life…from teaching a Sunday school lesson to writing these devotionals!
If you are still reading, you may be wondering what this has to do with the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians – and feeling God’s presence in your life. TV celebrity Dr. Phil and others like to say that “People don’t care what you know…until they know that you care!” And this is what I want you to remember today…that God loves you! He sent Jesus to die on the cross for you!
God cares about every single thing that is happening in your life…from that test you struggled to pass to your relationship breakup to how the waiter mixed up your order at the restaurant! He cares about your wayward child, your disagreeable spouse or aging parent(s), your health, your daily ups and downs – and even your struggle to lose a few pounds. God numbers the hairs on your head…whether they are blond, brunette, red, grey or purple…long, short – or fairy sparse!
Until we understand how much God loves us – how much He cares for us – we will never fully understand how much He is involved with each and every detail of our lives. We will miss out on blessings, comfort, wisdom, and peace, because we do not trust that God really IS with us…listening and loving us through every single experience of our lives. But we can change that! We can remind ourselves continually that “I am a child of God. He loves me as I am. God is always available to me…He is only a whisper away!” And we can begin today!
Are you ready to fully recognize God’s presence…to understand how much He cares for you? Will this be the day that you begin to operate differently…more completely in His wisdom and peace? Don’t you think it should be? Have you said “Hello” to God today? Isn’t it time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Whatever happens, dear friends, be glad in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you this, and it is good for you to hear it again and again.
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 I was teaching, my school district participated in something called PET…Program for Effective Teaching. PET training was intense, and consisted of actual classroom instruction in this method for all teachers…followed by exercises where we taught lessons using this method while we were observed and critiqued by those trained to determine if we were implementing the concepts correctly. So there was a lot of repetition…and some “trial and error” involved.
In PET, the concept is that each lesson has three components…the “set” – or quite literally, the set-up for the lesson…the lesson itself…and closure. In the “set”, the teacher provides an activity, a relatable analogy, plays a game, or does something to engage the students and provide relevance…and then he/she explains what the students will be learning. In the lesson, obviously the instruction and practice occur until the teacher is sure that the student understands the concept. Finally, the closure reviews what was learned. The objective is repeated during the closure to ensure that students remember it.
Studies have shown that people best remember the first and last things they are told, so in order to remember that middle “lesson”, repetition on the front and back end is necessary. Personally, I LOVED the PET method of teaching and have applied it to other areas of my life…from teaching a Sunday school lesson to writing these devotionals!
If you are still reading, you may be wondering what this has to do with the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians – and feeling God’s presence in your life. TV celebrity Dr. Phil and others like to say that “People don’t care what you know…until they know that you care!” And this is what I want you to remember today…that God loves you! He sent Jesus to die on the cross for you!
God cares about every single thing that is happening in your life…from that test you struggled to pass to your relationship breakup to how the waiter mixed up your order at the restaurant! He cares about your wayward child, your disagreeable spouse or aging parent(s), your health, your daily ups and downs – and even your struggle to lose a few pounds. God numbers the hairs on your head…whether they are blond, brunette, red, grey or purple…long, short – or fairy sparse!
Until we understand how much God loves us – how much He cares for us – we will never fully understand how much He is involved with each and every detail of our lives. We will miss out on blessings, comfort, wisdom, and peace, because we do not trust that God really IS with us…listening and loving us through every single experience of our lives. But we can change that! We can remind ourselves continually that “I am a child of God. He loves me as I am. God is always available to me…He is only a whisper away!” And we can begin today!
Are you ready to fully recognize God’s presence…to understand how much He cares for you? Will this be the day that you begin to operate differently…more completely in His wisdom and peace? Don’t you think it should be? Have you said “Hello” to God today? Isn’t it time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 12, 2015
John 3:19-21
Their sentence is based on this fact: that the Light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the Light, for their deeds were evil. They hated the heavenly Light because they wanted to sin in the darkness. They stayed away from that Light for fear their sins would be exposed and they would be punished. But those doing right come gladly to the Light to let everyone see that they are doing what God wants them to.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Our kitchen, living and dining areas are basically all one big room. The “house and garden experts” call this “open concept living”. One wall of this room is almost completely covered in windows that start about knee-high and go all the way to the ceiling. So early on sunny mornings, this room is flooded with bright light! And I will tell you, there have been mornings that I wished for darkness! Every single speck of dust…every crumb…every piece of lint, fuzz (and cat hair) shows in that bright light.
I am not nearly as diligent with my housekeeping as I once was - so there are times when it looks pretty bad. But I will also add that in the brightest of sunrises, I don’t think there is any amount of housekeeping that could prevent SOME dust from being exposed! And that’s just how it is with our Christian fellowship!
There is a delicate balance between wishing the morning was dark enough that God wouldn’t so blatantly illuminate our sins and shortcomings…and feeling like you have done your best and can proudly live with what His bright “Sonlight” reveals. Because you see, we will never be perfect…and by God’s grace and mercy, this is okay. But we cannot use this as an excuse or a license to operate in darkness and expect God to forgive and forget.
Those bright days when the house is not as clean as it needs to be are a physical reminder to me of how my life in Christ may be on any given day. And while I may not get any more zealous with my housekeeping any time soon, I am doing all I can to maintain a spotless home for God in my heart. I want to fellowship with Him in a way that never causes embarrassment to either of us. I want to be able to stand in God’s bright light and know that I am flawed, but forgiven…less than perfect, but loved anyway. I want to know that I have given Him my very best…and I have nothing to hide. What about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Their sentence is based on this fact: that the Light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the Light, for their deeds were evil. They hated the heavenly Light because they wanted to sin in the darkness. They stayed away from that Light for fear their sins would be exposed and they would be punished. But those doing right come gladly to the Light to let everyone see that they are doing what God wants them to.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Our kitchen, living and dining areas are basically all one big room. The “house and garden experts” call this “open concept living”. One wall of this room is almost completely covered in windows that start about knee-high and go all the way to the ceiling. So early on sunny mornings, this room is flooded with bright light! And I will tell you, there have been mornings that I wished for darkness! Every single speck of dust…every crumb…every piece of lint, fuzz (and cat hair) shows in that bright light.
I am not nearly as diligent with my housekeeping as I once was - so there are times when it looks pretty bad. But I will also add that in the brightest of sunrises, I don’t think there is any amount of housekeeping that could prevent SOME dust from being exposed! And that’s just how it is with our Christian fellowship!
There is a delicate balance between wishing the morning was dark enough that God wouldn’t so blatantly illuminate our sins and shortcomings…and feeling like you have done your best and can proudly live with what His bright “Sonlight” reveals. Because you see, we will never be perfect…and by God’s grace and mercy, this is okay. But we cannot use this as an excuse or a license to operate in darkness and expect God to forgive and forget.
Those bright days when the house is not as clean as it needs to be are a physical reminder to me of how my life in Christ may be on any given day. And while I may not get any more zealous with my housekeeping any time soon, I am doing all I can to maintain a spotless home for God in my heart. I want to fellowship with Him in a way that never causes embarrassment to either of us. I want to be able to stand in God’s bright light and know that I am flawed, but forgiven…less than perfect, but loved anyway. I want to know that I have given Him my very best…and I have nothing to hide. What about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 29, 2015
1 John 1:6-7
If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth. But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In the last few days, a series of events have occurred that – even more than usual – have demonstrated God’s perfect timing. As I talked to God about these events, I thanked Him for opening my eyes and ears, so that I see more clearly than ever how His hand is in even the smallest details of my life. To me, this represents tremendous growth in my faith - and fellowship - with God…and I am truly grateful.
I turned to Google to search for more clear interpretations and insights on these verses from 1 John 1…and I discovered an interesting commentary from pastor and expositor Ray Stedman.* Stedman details the difference between a “relationship” with God…and a “fellowship”. He maintains that there are a lot of Christians who have a “relationship” – and they ARE Christians. But they “live in the dark” because they have not cultivated a “fellowship” with God, in which “He warms, fills, and fulfills us and unveils reality to us by showing up the false” as we walk in His light.
In other words, many of us treat our Christian faith like electricity. Just because you have electrical power does not mean you necessarily have “light”…until you flip the switch! In the same way, many Christians have failed to “turn on the light” of God. They have salvation through the blood of Jesus. They belong to God and are promised Eternal Life in His presence. But they are still walking in the dark.
So a “Christian in the dark” may have a sour, cynical outlook on life. He/she may be negative, delight in gossip and the downfall of others, be easily depressed and discouraged, view Christian faith as a drudgery or chore, and generally “see the glass as half empty”. A Christian who “lives in the light” with God can function in exactly the same set of circumstances with a completely different outcome. The difference, Stedman suggests, is “fellowship.”
Fellowship with God can be cultivated through prayer, Bible study, and interaction with faith-filled Christians who already enjoy living in “the light” with Him. We must genuinely hunger after God’s wisdom and be open to His guidance and instruction – in all of the forms in which He will send it. We cannot become smug and assume that we “have it all together”. God is continually teaching us. If we wish to live in His light…we must be open to His messages…and remember to “flip on the switch”!
Too many Christians are fumbling in the dark…wondering where God has gone. It’s time to find Him again. It’s time to reconnect – or maybe to really connect for the first time – and to cultivate a true “fellowship” with Him. Will this be the day that you “turn on the light” and make the connection?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/1-john/the-man-who-ignores-light
If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth. But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In the last few days, a series of events have occurred that – even more than usual – have demonstrated God’s perfect timing. As I talked to God about these events, I thanked Him for opening my eyes and ears, so that I see more clearly than ever how His hand is in even the smallest details of my life. To me, this represents tremendous growth in my faith - and fellowship - with God…and I am truly grateful.
I turned to Google to search for more clear interpretations and insights on these verses from 1 John 1…and I discovered an interesting commentary from pastor and expositor Ray Stedman.* Stedman details the difference between a “relationship” with God…and a “fellowship”. He maintains that there are a lot of Christians who have a “relationship” – and they ARE Christians. But they “live in the dark” because they have not cultivated a “fellowship” with God, in which “He warms, fills, and fulfills us and unveils reality to us by showing up the false” as we walk in His light.
In other words, many of us treat our Christian faith like electricity. Just because you have electrical power does not mean you necessarily have “light”…until you flip the switch! In the same way, many Christians have failed to “turn on the light” of God. They have salvation through the blood of Jesus. They belong to God and are promised Eternal Life in His presence. But they are still walking in the dark.
So a “Christian in the dark” may have a sour, cynical outlook on life. He/she may be negative, delight in gossip and the downfall of others, be easily depressed and discouraged, view Christian faith as a drudgery or chore, and generally “see the glass as half empty”. A Christian who “lives in the light” with God can function in exactly the same set of circumstances with a completely different outcome. The difference, Stedman suggests, is “fellowship.”
Fellowship with God can be cultivated through prayer, Bible study, and interaction with faith-filled Christians who already enjoy living in “the light” with Him. We must genuinely hunger after God’s wisdom and be open to His guidance and instruction – in all of the forms in which He will send it. We cannot become smug and assume that we “have it all together”. God is continually teaching us. If we wish to live in His light…we must be open to His messages…and remember to “flip on the switch”!
Too many Christians are fumbling in the dark…wondering where God has gone. It’s time to find Him again. It’s time to reconnect – or maybe to really connect for the first time – and to cultivate a true “fellowship” with Him. Will this be the day that you “turn on the light” and make the connection?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/1-john/the-man-who-ignores-light
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