Daily Devotional for October 13, 2016

Matthew 4:17
Then Jesus started preaching, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here.”

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

Today I accompanied Timothy’s second grade class (and the other second grade classes) to Little Rock to visit the Museum of Discovery.  The children had a wonderful time exploring such things as weather, earth science, the human body, mechanics and physical science, chemistry, and more.  Virtually every exhibit is interactive.  The children can punch buttons, pull knobs, crank handles and more to make things happen and learn in the process.

Timothy’s teacher asked me to keep up with him and three of his classmates.  One of the activities the boys tried was a demonstration of water flow.  They tilted a board to try to get a metal ball to roll down a “waterway” without falling into a hole.  The boys had to jostle the board and maneuver this metal ball along a maze that included several holes and pitfalls. We saw another group manage to navigate this “waterway” successfully. Our metal ball somehow always fell in the hole!

The boys had fun, but they never could get a handle on which way to turn in order to get the ball to go down a path with no holes or pitfalls.  And this is a good example of how you and I operate a lot of the time. We have the best intentions.  We try really hard…and still, we move in the wrong direction and encounter a few “holes.”  OR…like the 4 seven-year-old boys in my group, we get in a hurry or decide to do things our way…and the outcome is less than stellar.

But you and I know Someone who can steer us in the right direction each and every time.  Jesus can show us the way and help us avoid every hazard and obstacle.  If only we will turn back to God and trust HIM to guide our steps, He will show us how to navigate the “waters” of life and get on a course that ultimately leads us to Heaven.  This is the ultimate prize…one that we can all receive.

Will you turn to God and get on His path?  Or are you “hell-bent” on having things your way?  It really is that simple…which course are you on today?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for June 24, 2016

June 24 ~ Matthew 18:15-17
“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.

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.

Have you ever gotten something new that required some assembly, and rather than follow the directions, you just plowed right in and tried to do it yourself? How many times did you have to “back-pedal” and read the directions?  There are times when following the proper order of things makes all the difference!

In our Spiritual life, there is an “order” also…and Jesus spells it out in this scripture passage.  When we have a “beef” with someone – or this person or another has hurt us or insulted us in some way - we tend to run all over the countryside telling everyone who will listen and cluck their tongue in commiseration.  Or, we hope that by telling someone else, he/she will do the work for us and confront this person.

In truth, the best – and often easiest – solution is to talk to the offender directly.  If that does not resolve the conflict, then we can enlist “backup.”  And ultimately, if a resolution cannot be reached, you may have to “part company.”  I can recall times in my own life where I followed this “plan” – and times when I did not. And I can attest that doing things as Jesus directed is the best way.
 
There will be times that this method does not result in the outcome for which you hoped. Sometimes, people do not want to change or admit that their way is not the only way…and sometimes, they are unwilling to apologize for hurtful words and actions.  But if you offer someone an opportunity to resolve things between the two of you, at least you will be able to say, “I tried.  I did things in the manner – and order – that Jesus commanded.”  And this brings satisfaction – to yourself…and to Jesus.

Let’s be honest…the one place where we should be especially careful to follow the directions is where Jesus is the one giving them!  He has given us a specific outline for how to handle conflict in these verses.  Don’t you think we owe it to Him to pay attention?

©2016 Debbie Robus