1 John 4:1-3
My dear friends, don’t believe
everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you.
Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of
lying preachers loose in the world.
Here’s how you test for the
genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus
Christ—the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood
person—comes from God and belongs to God. And everyone who refuses to
confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. This is the
spirit of antichrist that you heard was coming. Well, here it is, sooner
than we thought!
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.
Today
on one of the “morning shows,” one of the reporters interviewed a man
who was holding a “real human skull”…except the skull was not real – it
was created using a 3D printer. A CT-scan of a woman’s skull was used
to create this 3D printing. The man said, “This woman is alive.”
Well…yes…there is a woman alive somewhere whose image was used to create
this plastic skull. But the skull is not technically a “real skull.”
The
man went on to explain that scientists are now recreating rare, ancient
fossils via 3D printing, so that students in schools around the world
can actually handle these incredible specimens. I speculated to my
husband that this could cause confusion…that children might be led to
believe these were the ACTUAL fossils and not reproductions. Greg noted
that these printed specimens would most likely be plastic…and that
would help people make the distinction. I hope he is right. The
skeptic in me sees the potential for people to perfect the materials in
3D printing – and the process – to the point where we cannot tell the
man-made “relic” from the authentic one.
I see this often in the
world of antiques. I’ve been fooled more than once by a “real” vintage
piece of glassware or pottery that turned out to be a modern-day
reproduction. There are some pretty talented folks out there who are
ready, willing, and able to convince the rest of us that they have a
genuine vintage piece to sell us. And by the same token…there are plenty
of people who are more than happy to try to convince us that they are
something – or someone – we want them to be.
A few years ago, a
friend noted that she knew a lot of people who claim to be
Christians…but she felt very few of them truly were - based on how they
lived. This speaks to the point I make here often…people are watching.
They listen to what we say…but they also watch how we follow up with
our actual behavior. They study us to see if we are the “real deal”…or
just a plastic 3D reproduction.
Just as there are ways to tell
the difference between a reproduction and an authentic piece, we can
learn to spot those who claim the name of Jesus but lack a true spirit
of the Living God. Look at more than just what people say…examine their
treatment of others. Do they share the love of Christ with ALL
people? Do they disparage and discriminate…or play favorites? Do they
resort to name calling, gossip, and a “what’s-in-it-for-me” mentality?
Will they say whatever it takes to make their point or get ahead…then
turn around and step all over others when it suits their purposes?
I
am not calling on you to make judgments…but I am suggesting that we be
very careful in our own daily living. We must also be awake and alert
to those in our midst who use the smokescreen of a relationship with
Jesus to further their own personal agendas. God wants us to be able to
discern His true disciples…and to be one of them, as well. And the way
to do this is to study His word and stay in continual communication
with Him. There should be no doubt in our mind when we are hearing from
God…either directly, or via another person.
We cannot afford
to be duped by reproductions or imposters. God has given us a clear
outline for discerning His truth. How well are you reading His
“blueprints?”
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label genuine faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genuine faith. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for October 15, 2015
Hebrews 11:1
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Leap of faith…faith-based initiatives and organizations…faith ministries…childlike faith…”have faith”…”keep the faith”...walk by faith…we throw this word “faith” around pretty freely and broadly. But what do we truly believe? What does faith mean in our everyday lives?
We’ve all heard this scripture from Hebrews that pretty well defines the word “faith.” But how do we demonstrate and explain Christian faith to others…particularly those who are skeptical? In my own life, I believe God has allowed me to experience some “stuff” so that I have a base for sharing my faith with others. This is part of what I try to do with these daily devotionals.
I am genetically wired to worry. It’s just what we do in my family. When I was little, I worried about tornadoes, because my grandmother instilled a healthy (and experience-based) fear of them in my siblings and me. And now, Timothy has begun to worry about tornadoes after participating in a few drills at school and learning about weather and storms. Despite my best efforts to assure him that we have safe places to ride out any potential storms, he may just have to experience one firsthand to totally believe this.
But wait…isn’t that the opposite of faith? Isn’t faith about believing we are safe and protected without physical proof? Yes. But sometimes, we have to go through something difficult and see firsthand how God provides before we can trust Him for the unseen things yet to come. As I share my faith with others, I am able to say, “God saw me through ABC”…”He delivered me from XYZ”…”God protected me in this situation and solved that problem…and I know that He will do the same again and again – for me AND for you!”
I won’t say that I never worry any more…that I “keep the faith” every minute of the day. I have my moments just like we all do. But I try to quickly capture anxious thoughts and doubts and claim the promises of God to handle all things in my life and in the lives of others. I know that sometimes I need a “gentle reminder” of how well He cares for me in order to further strengthen my faith for things to come.
Whatever you are facing today, “keep the faith!” Believe that God is in complete control and that He will never give you more than you can handle – with His help and presence! When troubles come, ask God to show you how He is using them to strengthen you – and your trust in Him. Learn to use these situations to share with others how God has sheltered and guided you through even the roughest patches of life – and help them build up their own faith. And keep believing. What God has already done…He will do again – and then some!
Build on your past to shore up your future as you learn to increasingly “walk in faith” every single day. God’s got this! My prayer is that we would all grow in confidence and strengthen our “faith muscle” – and that we would begin today. Are you in?
©2015 Debbie Robus
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Leap of faith…faith-based initiatives and organizations…faith ministries…childlike faith…”have faith”…”keep the faith”...walk by faith…we throw this word “faith” around pretty freely and broadly. But what do we truly believe? What does faith mean in our everyday lives?
We’ve all heard this scripture from Hebrews that pretty well defines the word “faith.” But how do we demonstrate and explain Christian faith to others…particularly those who are skeptical? In my own life, I believe God has allowed me to experience some “stuff” so that I have a base for sharing my faith with others. This is part of what I try to do with these daily devotionals.
I am genetically wired to worry. It’s just what we do in my family. When I was little, I worried about tornadoes, because my grandmother instilled a healthy (and experience-based) fear of them in my siblings and me. And now, Timothy has begun to worry about tornadoes after participating in a few drills at school and learning about weather and storms. Despite my best efforts to assure him that we have safe places to ride out any potential storms, he may just have to experience one firsthand to totally believe this.
But wait…isn’t that the opposite of faith? Isn’t faith about believing we are safe and protected without physical proof? Yes. But sometimes, we have to go through something difficult and see firsthand how God provides before we can trust Him for the unseen things yet to come. As I share my faith with others, I am able to say, “God saw me through ABC”…”He delivered me from XYZ”…”God protected me in this situation and solved that problem…and I know that He will do the same again and again – for me AND for you!”
I won’t say that I never worry any more…that I “keep the faith” every minute of the day. I have my moments just like we all do. But I try to quickly capture anxious thoughts and doubts and claim the promises of God to handle all things in my life and in the lives of others. I know that sometimes I need a “gentle reminder” of how well He cares for me in order to further strengthen my faith for things to come.
Whatever you are facing today, “keep the faith!” Believe that God is in complete control and that He will never give you more than you can handle – with His help and presence! When troubles come, ask God to show you how He is using them to strengthen you – and your trust in Him. Learn to use these situations to share with others how God has sheltered and guided you through even the roughest patches of life – and help them build up their own faith. And keep believing. What God has already done…He will do again – and then some!
Build on your past to shore up your future as you learn to increasingly “walk in faith” every single day. God’s got this! My prayer is that we would all grow in confidence and strengthen our “faith muscle” – and that we would begin today. Are you in?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 19, 2015
John 4:21-24
“Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.
“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
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.
A pastor friend shared a blog post on Facebook titled “9 Sins the Church is Okay With.”* This is a thought-provoking read that I urge you to make time for. The blogger, Frank Powell, is a college/young adult minister at the Campbell Street Church of Christ in Jackson, TN. Powell outlines nine areas that church members have internalized and readily accepted, even though scripture teaches something contrary. These 9 “sins” are: fear, apathy, gluttony (excess), worry, flattery, comfort, consumerism, patriotism, and lying.
Just as we read in the words of Jesus from this passage of John 4, a lot of us have made “church” something it is not. We have molded our Christian faith into something that fits us, rather than bare our hearts and souls to God and let His Holy Spirit lead where He deems to be the right course. We’ve inserted fear into our witness…we’ve grown too comfortable and complacent with “how we have always done things.” Conversely, we’ve chased the latest and greatest fad with voracious consumerism…we’ve lusted after everything bigger, better, and MORE!
We have waffled from the extreme of complete apathy to one of a constant chase for flattery and affirmation that we are “all that and a bag of chips!” We’ve worried…a lot…about anything and everything! We’ve waved the flag and preached “God and Country!” – and blurred the lines between “church and state.” And we have lied – to ourselves and everyone else!
And then, to make ourselves feel better, we have shined a spotlight on other people and their “sins” (because most of these are purely judgment calls on our part!)…and we’ve set ourselves apart and created an “us vs. them” division. We have declared ourselves and our version of Christian faith to be superior…and woe to those who believe differently!
I’ve done a lot of soul searching lately about divisiveness among Christians. I’ve spent a good deal of time in study and prayer about how to worship with those who feel differently than I do on many issues - great and small. How can I share in corporate worship with people who make no bones about expressing their disdain for others who are different in some way? How can I associate with those who openly question the Christian faith of others…and attempt to set themselves apart in the process? How can I hear the voice of God in the din of those who want to point fingers while they wave flags in one hand and Bibles in the other?
I feel that God is telling me to “be still.” God is assuring me that He is still in control…that His word and will are still clear and pure…and all-encompassing. He loves those who are being attacked…and their attackers. I believe that God is brokenhearted by the discord…but He has not changed – and He is still with us. So I am waiting…and listening…and finding God’s Holy Spirit where I can. He comes to me through the hymns and the beautiful offertories that Mrs. Barbara plays on Sunday mornings…the anthems presented by our choir…the scriptures that are read...and the faithful service and examples of men and women who have been a part of my life - and the life of the church - for decades.
God’s Holy Spirit reveals His message of hope and promise in the faces and words of our little ones who exit their classrooms singing, “The Fruits of the Spirit” and telling us what they discovered about Jesus. When they talk about how God wants them to act and listen and learn…and how much He loves them…I am reminded that He is with me. THIS is God’s Spirit in its purest form…and I am learning to drown out all of the “noise” and immerse myself in Him.
I don’t know what is in your heart…or how God is speaking to you these days. I have no clue whether these 9 “sins” have crept into your heart…or what burdens and struggles you may have. But I do know that the words of this passage are true and right for all of us…that the Father is looking for those who are simply and honestly offering themselves before Him in their worship…those who serve out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves – in constant adoration. I know that it is who we are and how we live that testifies to the purity of our faith.
I hope these words describe you and me and our relationship with God. If we live according to this model, God will handle the rest - to His glory. Are you ready to pare away the baggage and be your true self in worship of our Heavenly Father? Will this be the day that you begin?
©2015 Debbie Robus
* http://www.faithit.com/9-sins-the-church-is-okay-with/
“Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.
“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
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.
A pastor friend shared a blog post on Facebook titled “9 Sins the Church is Okay With.”* This is a thought-provoking read that I urge you to make time for. The blogger, Frank Powell, is a college/young adult minister at the Campbell Street Church of Christ in Jackson, TN. Powell outlines nine areas that church members have internalized and readily accepted, even though scripture teaches something contrary. These 9 “sins” are: fear, apathy, gluttony (excess), worry, flattery, comfort, consumerism, patriotism, and lying.
Just as we read in the words of Jesus from this passage of John 4, a lot of us have made “church” something it is not. We have molded our Christian faith into something that fits us, rather than bare our hearts and souls to God and let His Holy Spirit lead where He deems to be the right course. We’ve inserted fear into our witness…we’ve grown too comfortable and complacent with “how we have always done things.” Conversely, we’ve chased the latest and greatest fad with voracious consumerism…we’ve lusted after everything bigger, better, and MORE!
We have waffled from the extreme of complete apathy to one of a constant chase for flattery and affirmation that we are “all that and a bag of chips!” We’ve worried…a lot…about anything and everything! We’ve waved the flag and preached “God and Country!” – and blurred the lines between “church and state.” And we have lied – to ourselves and everyone else!
And then, to make ourselves feel better, we have shined a spotlight on other people and their “sins” (because most of these are purely judgment calls on our part!)…and we’ve set ourselves apart and created an “us vs. them” division. We have declared ourselves and our version of Christian faith to be superior…and woe to those who believe differently!
I’ve done a lot of soul searching lately about divisiveness among Christians. I’ve spent a good deal of time in study and prayer about how to worship with those who feel differently than I do on many issues - great and small. How can I share in corporate worship with people who make no bones about expressing their disdain for others who are different in some way? How can I associate with those who openly question the Christian faith of others…and attempt to set themselves apart in the process? How can I hear the voice of God in the din of those who want to point fingers while they wave flags in one hand and Bibles in the other?
I feel that God is telling me to “be still.” God is assuring me that He is still in control…that His word and will are still clear and pure…and all-encompassing. He loves those who are being attacked…and their attackers. I believe that God is brokenhearted by the discord…but He has not changed – and He is still with us. So I am waiting…and listening…and finding God’s Holy Spirit where I can. He comes to me through the hymns and the beautiful offertories that Mrs. Barbara plays on Sunday mornings…the anthems presented by our choir…the scriptures that are read...and the faithful service and examples of men and women who have been a part of my life - and the life of the church - for decades.
God’s Holy Spirit reveals His message of hope and promise in the faces and words of our little ones who exit their classrooms singing, “The Fruits of the Spirit” and telling us what they discovered about Jesus. When they talk about how God wants them to act and listen and learn…and how much He loves them…I am reminded that He is with me. THIS is God’s Spirit in its purest form…and I am learning to drown out all of the “noise” and immerse myself in Him.
I don’t know what is in your heart…or how God is speaking to you these days. I have no clue whether these 9 “sins” have crept into your heart…or what burdens and struggles you may have. But I do know that the words of this passage are true and right for all of us…that the Father is looking for those who are simply and honestly offering themselves before Him in their worship…those who serve out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves – in constant adoration. I know that it is who we are and how we live that testifies to the purity of our faith.
I hope these words describe you and me and our relationship with God. If we live according to this model, God will handle the rest - to His glory. Are you ready to pare away the baggage and be your true self in worship of our Heavenly Father? Will this be the day that you begin?
©2015 Debbie Robus
* http://www.faithit.com/9-sins-the-church-is-okay-with/
Daily Devotional for May 7, 2013
May 7 ~ Romans 2:17-24
If you’re brought up Jewish, don’t assume that you can lean back in the arms of your religion and take it easy, feeling smug because you’re an insider to God’s revelation, a connoisseur of the best things of God, informed on the latest doctrines! I have a special word of caution for you who are sure that you have it all together yourselves and, because you know God’s revealed Word inside and out, feel qualified to guide others through their blind alleys and dark nights and confused emotions to God. While you are guiding others, who is going to guide you? I’m quite serious. While preaching “Don’t steal!” are you going to rob people blind? Who would suspect you? The same with adultery. The same with idolatry. You can get by with almost anything if you front it with eloquent talk about God and his law. The line from Scripture, “It’s because of you Jews that the outsiders are down on God,” shows it’s an old problem that isn’t going to go away.
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.
This morning, my husband and I purchased mulch and flowering plants to spruce up our house and yard. Each spring, we fill four hanging baskets with colorful flowers and trailing vines to place on our back porch. My “gardening” skills extend about as far as filling a pot or bucket with potting soil and poking in some plants - with a quick prayer that I didn’t kill them in the process! As I put Sunsatia Lemon, ornamental sweet potato vines, and red petunias into the four hanging baskets, I laughed to myself as I hurried to get done. I enjoy looking at beautiful plants and flowers… but “gardening” is just not my cup of tea. I could almost hear my grandmother clucking over my shoulder. She loved “digging in the dirt,” and she would have been as frustrated with my impatience as I was the task at hand.
If any of my little ones want to learn to “garden,” I am not the person to teach them. Just because my grandmother was an extraordinary gardener doesn’t ensure that I am one also… or that I could guide someone else to become proficient in this area. On the other hand, my grandmother was also an excellent seamstress, and she did teach me how to sew. Over the last 40 years, I have spent countless hours reading about sewing, studying others’ sewing techniques, talking with fellow seamstresses and sharing their secrets… and putting what I learned into practice. Even though I feel my skills are fairly accomplished, I know I still have a lot to learn… and with each garment, I seem to discover something new - and hone my craft in the process.
In this passage from Romans, the Apostle Paul is telling us that we cannot ride the coat-tails of our ancestors when it comes to our faith… and just because we have invited Jesus to be LORD of our life and forgive our sins – just because we are Christians – does not mean that we are “livin’ on Easy Street”! We can’t sit back and tell everyone else how to live and do as we please because we are children of God. That would be like me trying to tell someone else how to grow flowers and vegetables because my grandmother was such a good gardener!
Just as the last line of this passage indicates, a lot of people are “down on Christianity” because of the way so many Christians act! Too many Christians nitpick and hone in on one particular action or group - and persecute and pester them half to death in the name of Jesus… all the while making Christians as a whole appear to be unkind, unmerciful, and downright ridiculous in many instances. Who wants to be a Christian if this is what it entails?! This is why so many people say, “I’d come to church, but the place is full of hypocrites!” If the hypocrites stopped coming, the sanctuaries would be virtually empty on Sunday mornings! And this is really a sad commentary on our faith!
So what are we to do? I go back to the sewing reference I made earlier. We study, we pray, we fellowship with other believers… we “hone our skills” as Christians… and we put them into daily practice! We speak from the heart – and from experience… not from the lore and lineage of our forefathers. We become “the real deal” for Jesus… we model His teachings for others… we show love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and compassion… and we tell everyone the Good News about how they can be saved by the blood of the cross and live for Him every day for themselves.
I heard an evangelist say recently that he no longer shares with others about his background and the horrible things that God rescued him from… “because I’m too busy telling people how GOOD God is to me now!” Too many of us are living in the past… and claiming faith in Jesus Christ based on others’ relationship with Him instead of our own. It’s time to develop a relationship with Jesus that is yours… personal and pertinent…one that you can genuinely share with others because you know that you know that you KNOW what you are talking about! Do you have that level of intimacy with Jesus? Do you know Him that well? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
If you’re brought up Jewish, don’t assume that you can lean back in the arms of your religion and take it easy, feeling smug because you’re an insider to God’s revelation, a connoisseur of the best things of God, informed on the latest doctrines! I have a special word of caution for you who are sure that you have it all together yourselves and, because you know God’s revealed Word inside and out, feel qualified to guide others through their blind alleys and dark nights and confused emotions to God. While you are guiding others, who is going to guide you? I’m quite serious. While preaching “Don’t steal!” are you going to rob people blind? Who would suspect you? The same with adultery. The same with idolatry. You can get by with almost anything if you front it with eloquent talk about God and his law. The line from Scripture, “It’s because of you Jews that the outsiders are down on God,” shows it’s an old problem that isn’t going to go away.
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.
This morning, my husband and I purchased mulch and flowering plants to spruce up our house and yard. Each spring, we fill four hanging baskets with colorful flowers and trailing vines to place on our back porch. My “gardening” skills extend about as far as filling a pot or bucket with potting soil and poking in some plants - with a quick prayer that I didn’t kill them in the process! As I put Sunsatia Lemon, ornamental sweet potato vines, and red petunias into the four hanging baskets, I laughed to myself as I hurried to get done. I enjoy looking at beautiful plants and flowers… but “gardening” is just not my cup of tea. I could almost hear my grandmother clucking over my shoulder. She loved “digging in the dirt,” and she would have been as frustrated with my impatience as I was the task at hand.
If any of my little ones want to learn to “garden,” I am not the person to teach them. Just because my grandmother was an extraordinary gardener doesn’t ensure that I am one also… or that I could guide someone else to become proficient in this area. On the other hand, my grandmother was also an excellent seamstress, and she did teach me how to sew. Over the last 40 years, I have spent countless hours reading about sewing, studying others’ sewing techniques, talking with fellow seamstresses and sharing their secrets… and putting what I learned into practice. Even though I feel my skills are fairly accomplished, I know I still have a lot to learn… and with each garment, I seem to discover something new - and hone my craft in the process.
In this passage from Romans, the Apostle Paul is telling us that we cannot ride the coat-tails of our ancestors when it comes to our faith… and just because we have invited Jesus to be LORD of our life and forgive our sins – just because we are Christians – does not mean that we are “livin’ on Easy Street”! We can’t sit back and tell everyone else how to live and do as we please because we are children of God. That would be like me trying to tell someone else how to grow flowers and vegetables because my grandmother was such a good gardener!
Just as the last line of this passage indicates, a lot of people are “down on Christianity” because of the way so many Christians act! Too many Christians nitpick and hone in on one particular action or group - and persecute and pester them half to death in the name of Jesus… all the while making Christians as a whole appear to be unkind, unmerciful, and downright ridiculous in many instances. Who wants to be a Christian if this is what it entails?! This is why so many people say, “I’d come to church, but the place is full of hypocrites!” If the hypocrites stopped coming, the sanctuaries would be virtually empty on Sunday mornings! And this is really a sad commentary on our faith!
So what are we to do? I go back to the sewing reference I made earlier. We study, we pray, we fellowship with other believers… we “hone our skills” as Christians… and we put them into daily practice! We speak from the heart – and from experience… not from the lore and lineage of our forefathers. We become “the real deal” for Jesus… we model His teachings for others… we show love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and compassion… and we tell everyone the Good News about how they can be saved by the blood of the cross and live for Him every day for themselves.
I heard an evangelist say recently that he no longer shares with others about his background and the horrible things that God rescued him from… “because I’m too busy telling people how GOOD God is to me now!” Too many of us are living in the past… and claiming faith in Jesus Christ based on others’ relationship with Him instead of our own. It’s time to develop a relationship with Jesus that is yours… personal and pertinent…one that you can genuinely share with others because you know that you know that you KNOW what you are talking about! Do you have that level of intimacy with Jesus? Do you know Him that well? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 5, 2012
Genesis 22:15-18
The Lord’s angel called out from heaven a second time:
You were willing to offer the Lord your only son, and so he makes you this solemn promise, “I will bless you and give you such a large family, that someday your descendants will be more numerous than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand along the beach. They will defeat their enemies and take over the cities where their enemies live. You have obeyed me, and so you and your descendants will be a blessing to all nations on earth.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently, I spoke with a friend who is really hurting over circumstances in her life. She shared her feelings of hopelessness… how she cannot seem to visualize any positive outcomes. I encouraged her not to give up… to keep believing. She said, “I know you pray for me… and believe me, I am praying. But I don’t feel like anything is changing.” My question to her was this… “When you pray, do you truly give this to God – or are you still trying to control the outcome?”
Unless we are fully obedient to God - like Abraham was… unless we surrender when we pray and say, “LORD… I can’t fix this… You will have to” – and mean it – we have not fully released the power and blessings of God. We have failed to give Him the room – and the license – to operate absolutely in our lives. God wants to bless us. He wants to shower us with His love, grace, and mercy. But God will not force Himself upon us. And if we are not totally in… we can’t expect Him to be, either.
Don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that God will not work in your life and help you with your challenges, worries and concerns. I am in no way suggesting that God delights in watching us suffer or grieve over certain situations. But God doesn’t want lip service. In order to altogether realize His blessings and power, we must be willing to completely surrender our supposed abilities to fix things and let Him have total control. We must be willing to do whatever He says… even when our gut tells us that this is wrong, wrong, wrong!
I seriously doubt that God will ever tell any of us to place our first-born child on an altar and kill him/her. But He very well might tell us to walk away from a toxic relationship, to allow someone to wallow in their self-pity and pain for a while, or to give up a dream we have had for a long time that doesn’t fit into His plans for our lives. God might have another career in mind for you… want you living in another location… or hanging out with a totally different group of friends. He may allow you to hurt and grieve for a season in order to grow and better appreciate the amazing gifts He has in store for you.
When we are mired in deep despair or frustration, I sometimes imagine God sitting back with folded arms, smiling sweetly and saying, “Oh, if only you could see what I’m about to give you!” The key to truly experiencing God is to let go and give Him full control. Stop trying to fix things on your own. If you are going to ask God to help you with your issues, you have to honestly believe that He can – and that He will! Trust me…He knows whether you are filled with faith or skepticism.
I know it’s a corny cliché, but “let go and let GOD!” He’s waiting to pour out amazing favor on your life. Won’t you give Him room to work?
©2012 Debbie Robus
The Lord’s angel called out from heaven a second time:
You were willing to offer the Lord your only son, and so he makes you this solemn promise, “I will bless you and give you such a large family, that someday your descendants will be more numerous than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand along the beach. They will defeat their enemies and take over the cities where their enemies live. You have obeyed me, and so you and your descendants will be a blessing to all nations on earth.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently, I spoke with a friend who is really hurting over circumstances in her life. She shared her feelings of hopelessness… how she cannot seem to visualize any positive outcomes. I encouraged her not to give up… to keep believing. She said, “I know you pray for me… and believe me, I am praying. But I don’t feel like anything is changing.” My question to her was this… “When you pray, do you truly give this to God – or are you still trying to control the outcome?”
Unless we are fully obedient to God - like Abraham was… unless we surrender when we pray and say, “LORD… I can’t fix this… You will have to” – and mean it – we have not fully released the power and blessings of God. We have failed to give Him the room – and the license – to operate absolutely in our lives. God wants to bless us. He wants to shower us with His love, grace, and mercy. But God will not force Himself upon us. And if we are not totally in… we can’t expect Him to be, either.
Don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that God will not work in your life and help you with your challenges, worries and concerns. I am in no way suggesting that God delights in watching us suffer or grieve over certain situations. But God doesn’t want lip service. In order to altogether realize His blessings and power, we must be willing to completely surrender our supposed abilities to fix things and let Him have total control. We must be willing to do whatever He says… even when our gut tells us that this is wrong, wrong, wrong!
I seriously doubt that God will ever tell any of us to place our first-born child on an altar and kill him/her. But He very well might tell us to walk away from a toxic relationship, to allow someone to wallow in their self-pity and pain for a while, or to give up a dream we have had for a long time that doesn’t fit into His plans for our lives. God might have another career in mind for you… want you living in another location… or hanging out with a totally different group of friends. He may allow you to hurt and grieve for a season in order to grow and better appreciate the amazing gifts He has in store for you.
When we are mired in deep despair or frustration, I sometimes imagine God sitting back with folded arms, smiling sweetly and saying, “Oh, if only you could see what I’m about to give you!” The key to truly experiencing God is to let go and give Him full control. Stop trying to fix things on your own. If you are going to ask God to help you with your issues, you have to honestly believe that He can – and that He will! Trust me…He knows whether you are filled with faith or skepticism.
I know it’s a corny cliché, but “let go and let GOD!” He’s waiting to pour out amazing favor on your life. Won’t you give Him room to work?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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