1 John 4:18
We need have no fear of someone who
loves us perfectly; his perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what
he might do to us. If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do
to us and shows that we are not fully convinced that he really loves
us.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
I am blessed to say that I
am fully convinced of Greg’s love for me. I know that not everyone can
say this about their relationship…nor can every child say this about
his/her parents. Sadly, we live in a world where unconditional, perfect
love is not the norm. And I do not wear rose-colored glasses. I know
that sometimes I say/do things that aggravate Greg to no end. But
still, he loves me and always has my best interests at heart. I do not
take this for granted…but man, am I ever glad to be so loved. And I hope
that he knows that I love him unconditionally, as well!
I also
love Timothy, Zola and Nathan beyond description. I would do almost anything
for these children…yet there are times that they get on my last nerve!
They are, after all, normal children…so irritating adults is somewhat
their job! But they know that I love them…and as far as I can tell,
they are not the least bit afraid of me!
None of this “human
love” can compare to God’s affection for us. Sure…we all aggravate Him
immeasurably at times…but this does not diminish His love for us. Yet
some of us are scared to death of Him. I will admit…for many years, I
was afraid of God. I operated in fear…I worried that every time I
failed Him, I was destined to be rejected and tossed into the depths of
hell. Let me assure you…that was a miserable way to live – and it is
NOT God’s desire for us in the least!
It is time for us to
embrace God’s love for us – and accept Him completely. This is not the
same thing as taking Him for granted, which would be totally wrong.
Instead, we are to respect God and His power, care, grace, and mercy.
But we are also to graciously and honorably say, “Thank you! I will
gladly operate in Your love and care and do all I can to glorify such an
amazing gift!”
This is the perfect week to shift from a
relationship of fearful servanthood to discipleship based in love and
gratitude. Are you fully convinced that God really loves you…and do you
demonstrate this in your daily living? Isn’t this a good time to begin?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for November 18, 2014
Matthew 11:28-30
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
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 been so tired that you could barely put one foot in front of the other? Maybe you stayed up all night studying…or sitting with a child who was sick, fussy, or simply would not sleep. Maybe you were so worried about something that you could not sleep – or eat – and then you were not only worried, but exhausted as well. Perhaps you were traveling for an extended time…trying to get somewhere to someone or to an important event. Maybe you had a project due at school or work, so you pulled an “all-nighter” to get it done.
MAYBE you are mentally tired. You have wrestled with personal issues and the worries and concerns of others – in your immediate circle, your community and the world at large – and everywhere you turn, there seem to be problems, hurts, burdens and heartaches. Just thinking and praying about all of this has left you bone weary and totally drained.
Or maybe you are exhausted by all of the talk about how you should live out your Christian faith. Do this…don’t do that…believe this…don’t believe that…give more…serve more…love more…join a Bible study and sing in the choir…serve on this committee or in this ministry…come to church every time the doors are open…if you say “No!”, you’re turning your back on Jesus…be kind and generous to everyone…never have a “bad day”! It is enough to make our heads spin and cause us to “burn out on religion”!
These thoughts did not come from our gracious, loving God! They are man-made concepts and pressures that have nothing to do with true Christian faith. God sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins…to take our burdens and teach us His gentle, graceful rhythms of unconditional love and care for others. The last thing He wants is for us to run around like chickens with our heads cut off…to wear ourselves out with worry and “busyness”, pressures and guilt over how much we have or have not done.
It’s really very simple…all we have to focus on is Jesus. We may still have to sit up all night with a sick child or loved one…there may be times when we are physically taxed for a while and must operate without adequate sleep. But when we focus on Jesus, He gives us supernatural strength in these moments. And when we “walk with Him and watch how He does it,” all of those “woulda, coulda, shouldas” that play over and over in our head disappear.
Hallelujah! Praise Jesus! He is ready, willing, and able to lighten our load…to show us how to live more freely! He will give us rest of the most important kind and teach us how to live every day for Him - with grace and joy! It doesn’t matter how old you are, where you are in life, how long you have been a Christian – or even if you ARE a Christian yet! This can be the day that things begin to change. This can be the start of the best “rest” you will ever enjoy!
Won’t you shift your focus to Jesus today? Will you spend some time in prayer and conversation with Him and lay whatever exhausts you at His feet? Will you exchange your “yokes and burdens” for His and start to walk in the freedoms and lightness of His unforced rhythms and grace? Aren’t you grateful for God's gift of Jesus? Will this be the day you truly start to show it? Will this be the start of the “best rest” you ever had? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
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 been so tired that you could barely put one foot in front of the other? Maybe you stayed up all night studying…or sitting with a child who was sick, fussy, or simply would not sleep. Maybe you were so worried about something that you could not sleep – or eat – and then you were not only worried, but exhausted as well. Perhaps you were traveling for an extended time…trying to get somewhere to someone or to an important event. Maybe you had a project due at school or work, so you pulled an “all-nighter” to get it done.
MAYBE you are mentally tired. You have wrestled with personal issues and the worries and concerns of others – in your immediate circle, your community and the world at large – and everywhere you turn, there seem to be problems, hurts, burdens and heartaches. Just thinking and praying about all of this has left you bone weary and totally drained.
Or maybe you are exhausted by all of the talk about how you should live out your Christian faith. Do this…don’t do that…believe this…don’t believe that…give more…serve more…love more…join a Bible study and sing in the choir…serve on this committee or in this ministry…come to church every time the doors are open…if you say “No!”, you’re turning your back on Jesus…be kind and generous to everyone…never have a “bad day”! It is enough to make our heads spin and cause us to “burn out on religion”!
These thoughts did not come from our gracious, loving God! They are man-made concepts and pressures that have nothing to do with true Christian faith. God sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins…to take our burdens and teach us His gentle, graceful rhythms of unconditional love and care for others. The last thing He wants is for us to run around like chickens with our heads cut off…to wear ourselves out with worry and “busyness”, pressures and guilt over how much we have or have not done.
It’s really very simple…all we have to focus on is Jesus. We may still have to sit up all night with a sick child or loved one…there may be times when we are physically taxed for a while and must operate without adequate sleep. But when we focus on Jesus, He gives us supernatural strength in these moments. And when we “walk with Him and watch how He does it,” all of those “woulda, coulda, shouldas” that play over and over in our head disappear.
Hallelujah! Praise Jesus! He is ready, willing, and able to lighten our load…to show us how to live more freely! He will give us rest of the most important kind and teach us how to live every day for Him - with grace and joy! It doesn’t matter how old you are, where you are in life, how long you have been a Christian – or even if you ARE a Christian yet! This can be the day that things begin to change. This can be the start of the best “rest” you will ever enjoy!
Won’t you shift your focus to Jesus today? Will you spend some time in prayer and conversation with Him and lay whatever exhausts you at His feet? Will you exchange your “yokes and burdens” for His and start to walk in the freedoms and lightness of His unforced rhythms and grace? Aren’t you grateful for God's gift of Jesus? Will this be the day you truly start to show it? Will this be the start of the “best rest” you ever had? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 1, 2014
Romans 8:9-11
But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms.
It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!
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 am still in the process of reading/studying Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts**. Voskamp maintains that the core of our relationship with God begins with a heart of gratitude. In fact, she cites another author, Brennan Manning, who wrote Ruthless Truth: The Ragamuffin's Path to God**. Manning says that “The foremost quality of a trusting disciple is gratefulness.”
So when we think of God living and breathing in us and delivering us from a dead life of sin and all of its burdens and destructiveness, how can we be anything BUT grateful? The greatest gift we will ever receive is Salvation through the blood of Jesus. The best friend and companion we will ever have is the Holy Spirit. The most wonderful, generous, gracious, merciful, loving and forgiving Father we could ever ask for is God Almighty. We are blessed beyond measure! We are loved beyond description! We are rich beyond our wildest dreams! But are we grateful?
Do we fully embrace this tremendous blessing and gift? Are we filled with gratitude for all that God has done for us? Do we really live in a way that demonstrates that God lives and breathes in us and delivered us from a dead life? Are we truly thankful…and does it show? God’s abundant gift of New Life in Christ…His deliverance from the death of sin…His residence in our lives…is available to any and all who welcome Him. But here’s the thing…are we living in a way that makes others want this for themselves?
Do we demonstrate the life of a trusting disciple? Are we filled with gratitude and “life” so abundantly that others say, “I’ll have what he/she has!” in their own lives? Isn’t it time we did? What are you waiting for? What must happen in order for you to fully experience a heart of gratefulness and fully embrace all that God has for you? Will this be the day you begin to find out? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
* One Thousand Gifts ~ ©2010 Ann Morton Voskamp ~ One Zondervan Press ~ www.zondervan.com
**Ruthless Truth: The Ragamuffin's Path to God ~ ©2000 Brennan Manning ~ HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., New York, NY.
But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms.
It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!
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 am still in the process of reading/studying Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts**. Voskamp maintains that the core of our relationship with God begins with a heart of gratitude. In fact, she cites another author, Brennan Manning, who wrote Ruthless Truth: The Ragamuffin's Path to God**. Manning says that “The foremost quality of a trusting disciple is gratefulness.”
So when we think of God living and breathing in us and delivering us from a dead life of sin and all of its burdens and destructiveness, how can we be anything BUT grateful? The greatest gift we will ever receive is Salvation through the blood of Jesus. The best friend and companion we will ever have is the Holy Spirit. The most wonderful, generous, gracious, merciful, loving and forgiving Father we could ever ask for is God Almighty. We are blessed beyond measure! We are loved beyond description! We are rich beyond our wildest dreams! But are we grateful?
Do we fully embrace this tremendous blessing and gift? Are we filled with gratitude for all that God has done for us? Do we really live in a way that demonstrates that God lives and breathes in us and delivered us from a dead life? Are we truly thankful…and does it show? God’s abundant gift of New Life in Christ…His deliverance from the death of sin…His residence in our lives…is available to any and all who welcome Him. But here’s the thing…are we living in a way that makes others want this for themselves?
Do we demonstrate the life of a trusting disciple? Are we filled with gratitude and “life” so abundantly that others say, “I’ll have what he/she has!” in their own lives? Isn’t it time we did? What are you waiting for? What must happen in order for you to fully experience a heart of gratefulness and fully embrace all that God has for you? Will this be the day you begin to find out? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
* One Thousand Gifts ~ ©2010 Ann Morton Voskamp ~ One Zondervan Press ~ www.zondervan.com
**Ruthless Truth: The Ragamuffin's Path to God ~ ©2000 Brennan Manning ~ HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., New York, NY.
Daily Devotional for January 3, 2014
Proverbs 19:17
Mercy to the needy is a loan to God,
and God pays back those loans in full.
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.
Johanna is a member of my church whose friend Peri is at the terminal stage of her fight with ovarian cancer. Peri has five children between the ages of 6 and 21. Her end-of-life goal is to leave a pictorial legacy for her children in the form of scrapbooks with narratives. So Johanna organized scrapbook parties at our church’s Fellowship Hall and asked those who could spare a little time to come and crop/glue photos into scrapbooks. Peri will then journal the stories behind these pictures for her children. There has already been one day of scrapbooking… and tomorrow, a group will gather for the second.
Most of the women who are helping with this have never met Peri. I would venture to say that they all know Johanna… but there may be a few who don’t really know her very well. And I am quite certain that many of the women who will gather have plenty of other things they could do with their Saturday. Most have children and families of their own. But they see a need…to lend some of their time to a sister in Christ and her dear friend. I have no doubt that their efforts and sacrifices will be repaid - with dividends.
Has someone ever given up something for you? I don’t necessarily mean a material possession… or money itself. Perhaps someone has dropped everything to help you with a project…or maybe they cancelled plans because you had a crisis and needed them. Has it ever occurred to you that any time a person gives of their time, energy, possessions or money… they could easily have spent this on someone or something else?
Think about it. The friend or relative who loaned you money to buy a new car could have spent those dollars on something for themselves… the person who knocks on your door when you are sick and says, “I brought you chicken soup” could easily use that time doing something for himself or another person. The friend who shows up at your loved one’s funeral or comes to visit you and support you while you grieve could be doing a myriad of other things with his/her time. Those who offer to keep your kids while you have a break… for an hour or two – or even a few days… could surely have used this time doing something else, if even sitting and watching a movie or reading a book! But YOU were chosen...your needs were important enough for someone to drop what they were doing… or reach into their pantry or pocket...and say, “Let me help you.”
This sounds like a simple thing, which is why we take so many kindnesses for granted. We fail to recognize the sacrifices others make on our behalf. We also may be unwilling to recognize the needs of others and meet them ourselves. In other words, we are often pretty selfish and ungrateful.
My challenge to you today is to ask God to show you what needs He wants you to meet…then do it! I’m not saying you have to loan someone money or make chicken soup, attend a funeral - or even help create scrapbooks for a dying mother to leave for her children. But I am quite certain that today – and every day – there is at least one way you can “help the needy”.
By the same token, I am asking you to take a long hard look at your daily living and note where – and how – others are meeting YOUR needs in Jesus’ name. Who is extending kindnesses, grace and mercy to you? Who is coming to your rescue when you experience difficulties? Who listens when you need a friendly ear? Who is taking time to let you know that you are important? Are you grateful? Are you “paying it forward” by sharing empathy and kindness with someone else? Do you at least say “Thank you!”?
Not every act of compassion will involve something as tangible as creating scrapbooks or making a sacrifice of some sort. But all are important and represent a “loan” to God… which He always repays. And honestly, it’s not about the restitution…it’s about the gratitude. Are you grateful enough for everything that God has given you to be a good steward of His gifts…both as a “lender” and a recipient? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Mercy to the needy is a loan to God,
and God pays back those loans in full.
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.
Johanna is a member of my church whose friend Peri is at the terminal stage of her fight with ovarian cancer. Peri has five children between the ages of 6 and 21. Her end-of-life goal is to leave a pictorial legacy for her children in the form of scrapbooks with narratives. So Johanna organized scrapbook parties at our church’s Fellowship Hall and asked those who could spare a little time to come and crop/glue photos into scrapbooks. Peri will then journal the stories behind these pictures for her children. There has already been one day of scrapbooking… and tomorrow, a group will gather for the second.
Most of the women who are helping with this have never met Peri. I would venture to say that they all know Johanna… but there may be a few who don’t really know her very well. And I am quite certain that many of the women who will gather have plenty of other things they could do with their Saturday. Most have children and families of their own. But they see a need…to lend some of their time to a sister in Christ and her dear friend. I have no doubt that their efforts and sacrifices will be repaid - with dividends.
Has someone ever given up something for you? I don’t necessarily mean a material possession… or money itself. Perhaps someone has dropped everything to help you with a project…or maybe they cancelled plans because you had a crisis and needed them. Has it ever occurred to you that any time a person gives of their time, energy, possessions or money… they could easily have spent this on someone or something else?
Think about it. The friend or relative who loaned you money to buy a new car could have spent those dollars on something for themselves… the person who knocks on your door when you are sick and says, “I brought you chicken soup” could easily use that time doing something for himself or another person. The friend who shows up at your loved one’s funeral or comes to visit you and support you while you grieve could be doing a myriad of other things with his/her time. Those who offer to keep your kids while you have a break… for an hour or two – or even a few days… could surely have used this time doing something else, if even sitting and watching a movie or reading a book! But YOU were chosen...your needs were important enough for someone to drop what they were doing… or reach into their pantry or pocket...and say, “Let me help you.”
This sounds like a simple thing, which is why we take so many kindnesses for granted. We fail to recognize the sacrifices others make on our behalf. We also may be unwilling to recognize the needs of others and meet them ourselves. In other words, we are often pretty selfish and ungrateful.
My challenge to you today is to ask God to show you what needs He wants you to meet…then do it! I’m not saying you have to loan someone money or make chicken soup, attend a funeral - or even help create scrapbooks for a dying mother to leave for her children. But I am quite certain that today – and every day – there is at least one way you can “help the needy”.
By the same token, I am asking you to take a long hard look at your daily living and note where – and how – others are meeting YOUR needs in Jesus’ name. Who is extending kindnesses, grace and mercy to you? Who is coming to your rescue when you experience difficulties? Who listens when you need a friendly ear? Who is taking time to let you know that you are important? Are you grateful? Are you “paying it forward” by sharing empathy and kindness with someone else? Do you at least say “Thank you!”?
Not every act of compassion will involve something as tangible as creating scrapbooks or making a sacrifice of some sort. But all are important and represent a “loan” to God… which He always repays. And honestly, it’s not about the restitution…it’s about the gratitude. Are you grateful enough for everything that God has given you to be a good steward of His gifts…both as a “lender” and a recipient? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 7, 2013
Colossians 3:15-17
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
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.
Timothy and Zola have been staying with us for the better part of 4 days and three nights, while their mother has been under the weather. One night as we settled into bed, I said to Timothy, “Let’s say our prayers. What should we say to God?” Timothy instantly replied, “Let’s thank God for EVERYTHING!” And so we did. We sang our hearts out to God as we thanked Him for Timothy and Zola… their parents, their brother Nathan, their grandparents and great-grandparents and others – including Timothy’s teachers and friends at his new pre-K. Then Timothy thanked God for his Uncle Greg, Aunt Debbie, Lucy and Mabel (the cats), and he said, “God, thank you for letting me stay with Uncle Greg and Aunt Debbie. Thank you for letting me get to come here and play with my toys and see all my friends (his dinosaurs).” It doesn’t get much sweeter than that!
Here’s the thing…Greg and I never had children of our own. Somehow God saw fit to involve us quite actively in the lives of these three little ones… our great-nephews and niece. We do not take this lightly. Our roles in their lives are in direct response to the Master, Jesus… and He guides us every step of the way. I don’t know why God thought we would be suitable for this… but I’ve learned not to question His plans too much. I reminded myself today as Timothy and I headed to Wal-Mart for groceries (while Zola napped at home under Uncle Greg’s careful watch) that there are things “in the works” here that we cannot see and may never understand. Best-selling author Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) wrote in My Utmost for His Highest for September 6th… “A river reaches places which its source never knows.” Chambers explained that Jesus’ “rivers of living water” will flow from us and bless others even beyond any visible effects we may ever realize. He concluded… “God rarely allows a person to see how great a blessing he is to others.”
There are two profound thoughts here… 1) that we, like rivers, reach places beyond what we will ever know; and 2) that God rarely allows us to see the full impact of what we do in His name. Sit and think about these thoughts for a while. Let them really resonate with your heart. Consider the responsibility of each choice we make… in light of the ripple/river effect that it has – on us and on others. Do you see how important it becomes that we cultivate the peace of Christ in our heart, an attitude of thankfulness, and a heart for the message of Jesus? Can you even begin to appreciate the potential impact that every detail of our lives – words, actions, reactions, and gestures great and small – can have on others… and on the Kingdom of Heaven? When you choose to go one direction… and God chooses to send you another… what do you do? How you answer this makes all the difference.
Are you making wise choices? Are you serving God obediently and with your whole heart? Have you cultivated an attitude of thankfulness to God in all things and for all outcomes – both those you see and those you don’t? Are God’s “rivers of living water” flowing from you? Are you offering God the opportunity bless others through you? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
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.
Timothy and Zola have been staying with us for the better part of 4 days and three nights, while their mother has been under the weather. One night as we settled into bed, I said to Timothy, “Let’s say our prayers. What should we say to God?” Timothy instantly replied, “Let’s thank God for EVERYTHING!” And so we did. We sang our hearts out to God as we thanked Him for Timothy and Zola… their parents, their brother Nathan, their grandparents and great-grandparents and others – including Timothy’s teachers and friends at his new pre-K. Then Timothy thanked God for his Uncle Greg, Aunt Debbie, Lucy and Mabel (the cats), and he said, “God, thank you for letting me stay with Uncle Greg and Aunt Debbie. Thank you for letting me get to come here and play with my toys and see all my friends (his dinosaurs).” It doesn’t get much sweeter than that!
Here’s the thing…Greg and I never had children of our own. Somehow God saw fit to involve us quite actively in the lives of these three little ones… our great-nephews and niece. We do not take this lightly. Our roles in their lives are in direct response to the Master, Jesus… and He guides us every step of the way. I don’t know why God thought we would be suitable for this… but I’ve learned not to question His plans too much. I reminded myself today as Timothy and I headed to Wal-Mart for groceries (while Zola napped at home under Uncle Greg’s careful watch) that there are things “in the works” here that we cannot see and may never understand. Best-selling author Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) wrote in My Utmost for His Highest for September 6th… “A river reaches places which its source never knows.” Chambers explained that Jesus’ “rivers of living water” will flow from us and bless others even beyond any visible effects we may ever realize. He concluded… “God rarely allows a person to see how great a blessing he is to others.”
There are two profound thoughts here… 1) that we, like rivers, reach places beyond what we will ever know; and 2) that God rarely allows us to see the full impact of what we do in His name. Sit and think about these thoughts for a while. Let them really resonate with your heart. Consider the responsibility of each choice we make… in light of the ripple/river effect that it has – on us and on others. Do you see how important it becomes that we cultivate the peace of Christ in our heart, an attitude of thankfulness, and a heart for the message of Jesus? Can you even begin to appreciate the potential impact that every detail of our lives – words, actions, reactions, and gestures great and small – can have on others… and on the Kingdom of Heaven? When you choose to go one direction… and God chooses to send you another… what do you do? How you answer this makes all the difference.
Are you making wise choices? Are you serving God obediently and with your whole heart? Have you cultivated an attitude of thankfulness to God in all things and for all outcomes – both those you see and those you don’t? Are God’s “rivers of living water” flowing from you? Are you offering God the opportunity bless others through you? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 22, 2013
Colossians 3:15-17
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
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.
In his book, A Simple Act of Gratitude: How Learning to Say Thank You Changed My Life, author John Kralik describes how his life was tumbling in a free-fall of despair and destitution. He was losing clients in his law practice – and those he had were not paying their bills. His relationships were falling apart. He had unhealthy habits – and poor physical health as a result. While walking one evening, Kralik was struck by the thought, “What if I focused on the things in my life for which I am thankful… and grateful? What if I concentrated on the things I have instead of what I lack?”
To say this was a “game changer” for Kralik would be putting it mildly. He began to find at least one person per day to thank. Some days, it was easy…a friend did something nice for him, and he wrote a little note of thanks. Other days, finding something – or someone – to whom he could express gratitude was a little harder. He began to really stretch… to thank clients for their business- even when they had not paid their bill. He began to leave notes with the barrista at the coffee house and the cashiers at stores where he shopped. He thanked old college professors for that extra little bit of encouragement offered to him… and his doctor for suggesting he stop smoking and drop a few pounds! After several weeks of writing thank-you notes, Kralik vowed to continue this for an entire year. He actually wrote notes of gratitude every day for the next two years or better!
John Kralik discovered something amazing. His life turned around in countless ways. His health and physical well-being improved… his relationships with family, friends, and business associates got better… he got back on his feet financially. But more importantly, Kralik found a peace like he had never experienced.
I am not saying that we should start writing a thank-you note to someone every day…although I believe such a project could be life-changing. I am suggesting that we look at Colossians 3:15-17 and integrate some of Paul’s admonitions into our daily living. We could all cultivate a little more thankfulness. We could give the message of Jesus Christ more room in our lives… we could do a better job of loving Christ with our whole heart and loving others as He loves us. We could concentrate more on being grateful for God’s gifts and less on complaining about what we lack or what troubles or irritates us.
I know more than one person who keeps a “gratitude journal.” Each day, they write down at least one thing for which they are grateful. I have noticed that these people seem to be a little more positive and cheerful than most folks. For many of us, practicing gratitude and a positive outlook are habits that we have let lapse. The exercise of writing down things for which we are thankful could help us get back on track. If you want to take it a step further and send someone a note every day to express thanks or gratitude… go for it!
I happen to like hand-written notes. They show an added effort to take pen to paper, find a stamp, and deliver (or mail) the message. But you don’t have to hand-write a note for this to work. I know one person who messages one “friend” per day on Facebook to tell him/her why she is glad this person is in her life. Wouldn’t you like to get an e-mail message or a text from someone who says, “I’m grateful for you. Thank you for XYZ”?
The point is that by making a concerted effort to be more thankful or grateful… to share the message of Christ in our daily living and “sing your heart out for God” - your own heart changes. You lose the garbage and the baggage…and gain peace and joy. You live more fully in Jesus. Isn’t that what we’re after?
What are you waiting for? Think about who should receive your first message of gratitude and/or thanks. Start with Jesus! Keep a list of the people you thank… and look at it from time to time to see just how blessed you truly are. And thank YOU for reading these daily devotionals and sharing your love of Christ with me in this manner. I pray that you are truly blessed by His word and the insights I offer… and I am grateful for you and your friendship. Now go thank somebody in Jesus’ name… and bless their socks off (and yours) in the bargain!
©2013 Debbie Robus
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
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.
To say this was a “game changer” for Kralik would be putting it mildly. He began to find at least one person per day to thank. Some days, it was easy…a friend did something nice for him, and he wrote a little note of thanks. Other days, finding something – or someone – to whom he could express gratitude was a little harder. He began to really stretch… to thank clients for their business- even when they had not paid their bill. He began to leave notes with the barrista at the coffee house and the cashiers at stores where he shopped. He thanked old college professors for that extra little bit of encouragement offered to him… and his doctor for suggesting he stop smoking and drop a few pounds! After several weeks of writing thank-you notes, Kralik vowed to continue this for an entire year. He actually wrote notes of gratitude every day for the next two years or better!
John Kralik discovered something amazing. His life turned around in countless ways. His health and physical well-being improved… his relationships with family, friends, and business associates got better… he got back on his feet financially. But more importantly, Kralik found a peace like he had never experienced.
I am not saying that we should start writing a thank-you note to someone every day…although I believe such a project could be life-changing. I am suggesting that we look at Colossians 3:15-17 and integrate some of Paul’s admonitions into our daily living. We could all cultivate a little more thankfulness. We could give the message of Jesus Christ more room in our lives… we could do a better job of loving Christ with our whole heart and loving others as He loves us. We could concentrate more on being grateful for God’s gifts and less on complaining about what we lack or what troubles or irritates us.
I know more than one person who keeps a “gratitude journal.” Each day, they write down at least one thing for which they are grateful. I have noticed that these people seem to be a little more positive and cheerful than most folks. For many of us, practicing gratitude and a positive outlook are habits that we have let lapse. The exercise of writing down things for which we are thankful could help us get back on track. If you want to take it a step further and send someone a note every day to express thanks or gratitude… go for it!
I happen to like hand-written notes. They show an added effort to take pen to paper, find a stamp, and deliver (or mail) the message. But you don’t have to hand-write a note for this to work. I know one person who messages one “friend” per day on Facebook to tell him/her why she is glad this person is in her life. Wouldn’t you like to get an e-mail message or a text from someone who says, “I’m grateful for you. Thank you for XYZ”?
The point is that by making a concerted effort to be more thankful or grateful… to share the message of Christ in our daily living and “sing your heart out for God” - your own heart changes. You lose the garbage and the baggage…and gain peace and joy. You live more fully in Jesus. Isn’t that what we’re after?
What are you waiting for? Think about who should receive your first message of gratitude and/or thanks. Start with Jesus! Keep a list of the people you thank… and look at it from time to time to see just how blessed you truly are. And thank YOU for reading these daily devotionals and sharing your love of Christ with me in this manner. I pray that you are truly blessed by His word and the insights I offer… and I am grateful for you and your friendship. Now go thank somebody in Jesus’ name… and bless their socks off (and yours) in the bargain!
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 21, 2012
Proverbs 23:1-3
When you are invited to eat with a king, use your best manners. Don't go and stuff yourself! That would be just the same as cutting your throat. Don't be greedy for all of that fancy food! It may not be so tasty.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was in high school, my parents scraped together enough money to buy me a used car. My parents both worked, and my mom also commuted nearly every day to UCA to attend classes toward her degree in education, so their vehicles were always in use. We needed a way for me to get myself and my sister and brother to school and back – and anywhere else we needed to go. So my dad found a little pale green Dodge Lancer that he thought would fill the bill.
I can’t recall the exact year of my Lancer, but it was probably between 1962 and 1965… and it was in sad shape. We talked about how to fix it up… a new coat of paint would surely help wonders. So I began dreaming of the paint color… a nice blue, or maybe even white. I went to band camp for two weeks, and when I returned, my dad had painted the car… the same ugly pale green as the original color. I was crushed. His reasoning was that it was cheaper to repaint the same color than to choose a new one. So for the next year or so until I married and went off to college, I was stuck with what we dubbed, “The Green Weenie.”
That awful car got us back and forth to school. It carried me over the roads and back to UCA the summer I married, so that I could get a jump start on college. It had a “three on the tree” (for you youngsters, that means it had a manual transmission, and I shifted three forward gears with a gear stick on the steering column), and some days it didn’t want to start. But it got good gas mileage and served as fairly reliable transportation.
Today, I could probably buy virtually any car I want (within reason)… yet my vehicle of choice is now ten years old and has very few miles. Every time I think about buying a nice, new, shiny vehicle, I think of those who would give anything just to have a “Green Weenie,” and I can’t bring myself to do it. I have good, safe, reliable transportation. I’ve owned a sports car – and rarely drove it. Just as it is with lots of thing, the “new” wore off. Getting the car I’d dreamed of owning was almost as exciting as actually owning it.
What does this mean for us as Christians? So often, we are struck by the flash and sizzle of “things.” It’s like going to an all-you-can-eat-buffet and being so enamored of the beautiful array of food that we pile our plate completely full before we get past the salad options. We went into the restaurant needing to feed our body and satisfy our hunger, but we ended up stuffing ourselves miserable. A “Green Weenie” soup and sandwich would have fully nourished us, but we thought we had to have more.
And so it is with God. Often we overlook the wonderful – and more than ample – gift He has given us in salvation through Jesus and our daily blessings and abundance. We want more. We want “stuff” – and lots of it! We want big houses, high-paying jobs, fame and fortune and a chance to “run with the big dogs.” We even want to grow our churches to a membership of thousands… and we don’t have a clue how to handle such wealth. We come away full and miserable… confused and frustrated.
Today, I challenge you to settle in and sit for a while. Consider what you have… the richness in which you already live. Ask yourself, “Are my basic needs met? Do I have more than enough? What am I doing with the excess? How am I serving God out of my abundance? Will more of anything really satisfy me or make life better – for me and others?” Humbly ask God to show you where you already have enough… and how to use what is left over for His glory. If He blesses you with a “buffet” in any area of your life… ask Him to help you handle the riches according to His will. Know when to say “When!”… and how to manage whatever God gives you.
©2012 Debbie Robus
When you are invited to eat with a king, use your best manners. Don't go and stuff yourself! That would be just the same as cutting your throat. Don't be greedy for all of that fancy food! It may not be so tasty.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was in high school, my parents scraped together enough money to buy me a used car. My parents both worked, and my mom also commuted nearly every day to UCA to attend classes toward her degree in education, so their vehicles were always in use. We needed a way for me to get myself and my sister and brother to school and back – and anywhere else we needed to go. So my dad found a little pale green Dodge Lancer that he thought would fill the bill.
I can’t recall the exact year of my Lancer, but it was probably between 1962 and 1965… and it was in sad shape. We talked about how to fix it up… a new coat of paint would surely help wonders. So I began dreaming of the paint color… a nice blue, or maybe even white. I went to band camp for two weeks, and when I returned, my dad had painted the car… the same ugly pale green as the original color. I was crushed. His reasoning was that it was cheaper to repaint the same color than to choose a new one. So for the next year or so until I married and went off to college, I was stuck with what we dubbed, “The Green Weenie.”
That awful car got us back and forth to school. It carried me over the roads and back to UCA the summer I married, so that I could get a jump start on college. It had a “three on the tree” (for you youngsters, that means it had a manual transmission, and I shifted three forward gears with a gear stick on the steering column), and some days it didn’t want to start. But it got good gas mileage and served as fairly reliable transportation.
Today, I could probably buy virtually any car I want (within reason)… yet my vehicle of choice is now ten years old and has very few miles. Every time I think about buying a nice, new, shiny vehicle, I think of those who would give anything just to have a “Green Weenie,” and I can’t bring myself to do it. I have good, safe, reliable transportation. I’ve owned a sports car – and rarely drove it. Just as it is with lots of thing, the “new” wore off. Getting the car I’d dreamed of owning was almost as exciting as actually owning it.
What does this mean for us as Christians? So often, we are struck by the flash and sizzle of “things.” It’s like going to an all-you-can-eat-buffet and being so enamored of the beautiful array of food that we pile our plate completely full before we get past the salad options. We went into the restaurant needing to feed our body and satisfy our hunger, but we ended up stuffing ourselves miserable. A “Green Weenie” soup and sandwich would have fully nourished us, but we thought we had to have more.
And so it is with God. Often we overlook the wonderful – and more than ample – gift He has given us in salvation through Jesus and our daily blessings and abundance. We want more. We want “stuff” – and lots of it! We want big houses, high-paying jobs, fame and fortune and a chance to “run with the big dogs.” We even want to grow our churches to a membership of thousands… and we don’t have a clue how to handle such wealth. We come away full and miserable… confused and frustrated.
Today, I challenge you to settle in and sit for a while. Consider what you have… the richness in which you already live. Ask yourself, “Are my basic needs met? Do I have more than enough? What am I doing with the excess? How am I serving God out of my abundance? Will more of anything really satisfy me or make life better – for me and others?” Humbly ask God to show you where you already have enough… and how to use what is left over for His glory. If He blesses you with a “buffet” in any area of your life… ask Him to help you handle the riches according to His will. Know when to say “When!”… and how to manage whatever God gives you.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 24, 2011
Psalm 138
With all my heart I praise you, LORD. In the presence of angels I sing your praises. I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before. When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage.
All kings on this earth have heard your promises, LORD, and they will praise you. You are so famous that they will sing about the things you have done. Though you are above us all, you care for humble people, and you keep a close watch on everyone who is proud.
I am surrounded by trouble, but you protect me against my angry enemies. With your own powerful arm you keep me safe. You, LORD, will always treat me with kindness. Your love never fails. You have made us what we are. Don't give up on us now!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Since the first of this month, many have been posting a daily list on Facebook of things for which they are thankful. Truly we all have a lot to be thankful for every day of the year… and so much for which to sing praises to the LORD.
Today, many of us will pause to gather with family and friends, stuff ourselves silly with rich food and far too many calories, and spend the day watching football or movies, playing games, visiting, and participating in whatever activities are part of our Thanksgiving Day tradition. But let’s also take time to consider the words of this passage and give praise to God for all He does for us. Let’s thank Him for being true to His word, and giving us courage, love and faithfulness.
Let’s honor God for protecting us from our enemies and keeping us safe… and for never giving up on us. And let’s be sure to thank Him for sending Jesus to die for our sins, so that we will feast at His table in Heaven someday.
We don’t deserve the great love and care of our Almighty God… and this is what makes it so special. The beauty of our relationship with God is that He loves us unconditionally… freely… and in spite of ourselves. I pray that you will enjoy your Thanksgiving Day… and that you will find time to praise God for His unending blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!
©2011 Debbie Robus
With all my heart I praise you, LORD. In the presence of angels I sing your praises. I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before. When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage.
All kings on this earth have heard your promises, LORD, and they will praise you. You are so famous that they will sing about the things you have done. Though you are above us all, you care for humble people, and you keep a close watch on everyone who is proud.
I am surrounded by trouble, but you protect me against my angry enemies. With your own powerful arm you keep me safe. You, LORD, will always treat me with kindness. Your love never fails. You have made us what we are. Don't give up on us now!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Since the first of this month, many have been posting a daily list on Facebook of things for which they are thankful. Truly we all have a lot to be thankful for every day of the year… and so much for which to sing praises to the LORD.
Today, many of us will pause to gather with family and friends, stuff ourselves silly with rich food and far too many calories, and spend the day watching football or movies, playing games, visiting, and participating in whatever activities are part of our Thanksgiving Day tradition. But let’s also take time to consider the words of this passage and give praise to God for all He does for us. Let’s thank Him for being true to His word, and giving us courage, love and faithfulness.
Let’s honor God for protecting us from our enemies and keeping us safe… and for never giving up on us. And let’s be sure to thank Him for sending Jesus to die for our sins, so that we will feast at His table in Heaven someday.
We don’t deserve the great love and care of our Almighty God… and this is what makes it so special. The beauty of our relationship with God is that He loves us unconditionally… freely… and in spite of ourselves. I pray that you will enjoy your Thanksgiving Day… and that you will find time to praise God for His unending blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!
©2011 Debbie Robus
Psalm 134
Everyone who serves the LORD, come and offer praises. Everyone who has gathered in his temple tonight, lift your hands in prayer toward his holy place and praise the LORD. The LORD is the Creator of heaven and earth, and I pray that the LORD will bless you from Zion.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever had someone call you out of the blue and be all nice and chatty and friendly… then say, “Listen, I really need a big favor.” You almost know as soon as you hear their voice that they must want something… why else would they be contacting you? We do this with God all the time, and I am as guilty as the next person of coming before Him with a list of my wants, needs, troubles and concerns, prefaced by a few seconds of requisite praise. It is easy to get into a rut of starting prayer time with a few off-the-cuff praises before getting to the heart of our request… “God, You are awesome! You have blessed me so much. Thank you for this and that and the other…now, here’s what I really needed to talk to you about today!”
Several of my Facebook friends have been posting each day this month about people and things for which they are thankful. This is the time of year when we naturally begin to think about giving thanks, culminating in our national day of Thanksgiving later this month. And while this holiday makes it somewhat easy for Americans to stop and consider their blessings, we must remember to be thankful the other eleven months of the year, too!
Today, I am challenging all of us to try praying at least once a day without asking God for a single thing! Don’t ask Him to heal your sick friend or family member… don’t ask Him to give you wisdom and courage… don’t ask Him to soften the hearts of unbelievers. Simply pray a prayer of praise. Pour out your heart in genuine gratitude for all God does for you every second of the day. There is no rule that says you can only pray once a day… in fact, the Apostle Paul told us to pray without ceasing! So make at least ONE prayer a day a genuine offering of praise. Get in a habit of praising God as much as – or more than – you ask Him for anything. We all like to be thanked and acknowledged… and God is no different. How will you praise Him today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Everyone who serves the LORD, come and offer praises. Everyone who has gathered in his temple tonight, lift your hands in prayer toward his holy place and praise the LORD. The LORD is the Creator of heaven and earth, and I pray that the LORD will bless you from Zion.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever had someone call you out of the blue and be all nice and chatty and friendly… then say, “Listen, I really need a big favor.” You almost know as soon as you hear their voice that they must want something… why else would they be contacting you? We do this with God all the time, and I am as guilty as the next person of coming before Him with a list of my wants, needs, troubles and concerns, prefaced by a few seconds of requisite praise. It is easy to get into a rut of starting prayer time with a few off-the-cuff praises before getting to the heart of our request… “God, You are awesome! You have blessed me so much. Thank you for this and that and the other…now, here’s what I really needed to talk to you about today!”
Several of my Facebook friends have been posting each day this month about people and things for which they are thankful. This is the time of year when we naturally begin to think about giving thanks, culminating in our national day of Thanksgiving later this month. And while this holiday makes it somewhat easy for Americans to stop and consider their blessings, we must remember to be thankful the other eleven months of the year, too!
Today, I am challenging all of us to try praying at least once a day without asking God for a single thing! Don’t ask Him to heal your sick friend or family member… don’t ask Him to give you wisdom and courage… don’t ask Him to soften the hearts of unbelievers. Simply pray a prayer of praise. Pour out your heart in genuine gratitude for all God does for you every second of the day. There is no rule that says you can only pray once a day… in fact, the Apostle Paul told us to pray without ceasing! So make at least ONE prayer a day a genuine offering of praise. Get in a habit of praising God as much as – or more than – you ask Him for anything. We all like to be thanked and acknowledged… and God is no different. How will you praise Him today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 26, 2011
Psalm 121:1-4
I look to the hills! Where will I find help? It will come from the LORD, who created the heavens and the earth. The LORD is your protector, and he won't go to sleep or let you stumble. The protector of Israel doesn't doze or ever get drowsy.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was a little girl, one of my favorite stories was The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm. In this story, elves visited the shop of a very poor shoemaker and his wife each night and created beautiful shoes for them to sell. In return, the shoemaker and his wife made beautiful clothes for the little elves.
Haven’t we all wished we had elves to come in at night and do our work for us and make everything beautiful by morning? When I awoke today and looked across the fiery hillside below our house, I thought, “God was surely up all night!” It was as if He spent the entire evening with a brush and a palette of oranges, reds, yellows and more… painting away on the trees outside our back door!
But God is no magical elf! While He often works in the background…making things better for us as the elves did for the shoemaker and his wife… the wonderful gifts and blessings that God bestows on us create riches far beyond money and material things. And the power and might of our Heavenly Father are far above and beyond mere magic!
As I looked at the hillside and valley this morning, I thought of the first verse of this passage… I considered the strength and protection God bestows on me every day… and how He never sleeps (which reminded me of the little Grimm fairy tale!). I was humbled, and blessed, to see that God not only blesses us and cares for our every need… He does it with astounding beauty and finesse!
Today, I hope your “take away” from this passage is that God cares for us beyond what we could ever imagine. I hope you remember that He never sleeps. And one more thing… as the shoemakers gave the elves new clothing, we should give back to God as much as we can - to the best of our abilities. We should be so grateful for His abundance that we are eager to do all we can for Him in return. We can never repay God – and that’s not the point! But we can do our best to show Him how much we appreciate His amazing generosity.
Look around today – look “to the hills” and up at the beautiful trees and the colors of fall – and remember Who is up all night and day caring for each of us. Take time to thank God for His love and care… go about your day with confidence that He is in complete control… and know that all will be well.
©2011 Debbie Robus
I look to the hills! Where will I find help? It will come from the LORD, who created the heavens and the earth. The LORD is your protector, and he won't go to sleep or let you stumble. The protector of Israel doesn't doze or ever get drowsy.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was a little girl, one of my favorite stories was The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm. In this story, elves visited the shop of a very poor shoemaker and his wife each night and created beautiful shoes for them to sell. In return, the shoemaker and his wife made beautiful clothes for the little elves.
Haven’t we all wished we had elves to come in at night and do our work for us and make everything beautiful by morning? When I awoke today and looked across the fiery hillside below our house, I thought, “God was surely up all night!” It was as if He spent the entire evening with a brush and a palette of oranges, reds, yellows and more… painting away on the trees outside our back door!
But God is no magical elf! While He often works in the background…making things better for us as the elves did for the shoemaker and his wife… the wonderful gifts and blessings that God bestows on us create riches far beyond money and material things. And the power and might of our Heavenly Father are far above and beyond mere magic!
As I looked at the hillside and valley this morning, I thought of the first verse of this passage… I considered the strength and protection God bestows on me every day… and how He never sleeps (which reminded me of the little Grimm fairy tale!). I was humbled, and blessed, to see that God not only blesses us and cares for our every need… He does it with astounding beauty and finesse!
Today, I hope your “take away” from this passage is that God cares for us beyond what we could ever imagine. I hope you remember that He never sleeps. And one more thing… as the shoemakers gave the elves new clothing, we should give back to God as much as we can - to the best of our abilities. We should be so grateful for His abundance that we are eager to do all we can for Him in return. We can never repay God – and that’s not the point! But we can do our best to show Him how much we appreciate His amazing generosity.
Look around today – look “to the hills” and up at the beautiful trees and the colors of fall – and remember Who is up all night and day caring for each of us. Take time to thank God for His love and care… go about your day with confidence that He is in complete control… and know that all will be well.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 15, 2011
Psalm 118:28-29
The LORD is my God! I will praise him and tell him how thankful I am. Tell the LORD how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Did you have breakfast this morning? Did you wake up with a knot in your stomach because you had not had food to eat for the last few days? Did you have to walk several miles just to get your bowl of morning cereal? By the mere act of reading this devotional, you have indicated how blessed you are. You have some sort of device at your disposal that allows you to communicate with the world… to say whatever you wish to whomever you please.
When was the last time you thanked God for all of the comforts you have in your life? Even if God didn’t give us the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ… salvation… the promise of eternal life… the basic (and not-so-basic) conveniences and blessings He lavishes on us daily are more than enough to merit praise.
We take so much for granted. We have our little pity parties and lament how mistreated and misunderstood and neglected we are… how “poor” we are and how we can’t seem to get ahead in this world or we’re being taxed to death – or “they” are out to get us. All the while, we live in such abundance compared to many.
We may not dine on steak and caviar every night, but we have food to eat. We may not live in a palace…but we are safe, warm and dry. We may not drive a Rolls Royce, but we have a means to get where we need to go. And when we do have a need, God always provides. It may not be exactly what we asked for… you may pray for a Mercedes and get a clunker… but God answers with grace and mercy.
We have no problem asking God for what we need… yet we fail to give Him the only thing we can to truly repay Him besides our service and loyalty – our praise. Isn’t it time we started focusing more on giving thanks and showing gratitude? We’ll never be able to “even the score”… and thankfully, God doesn’t care about that. But we can make a dent. Are you ready to try?
©2011 Debbie Robus
The LORD is my God! I will praise him and tell him how thankful I am. Tell the LORD how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Did you have breakfast this morning? Did you wake up with a knot in your stomach because you had not had food to eat for the last few days? Did you have to walk several miles just to get your bowl of morning cereal? By the mere act of reading this devotional, you have indicated how blessed you are. You have some sort of device at your disposal that allows you to communicate with the world… to say whatever you wish to whomever you please.
When was the last time you thanked God for all of the comforts you have in your life? Even if God didn’t give us the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ… salvation… the promise of eternal life… the basic (and not-so-basic) conveniences and blessings He lavishes on us daily are more than enough to merit praise.
We take so much for granted. We have our little pity parties and lament how mistreated and misunderstood and neglected we are… how “poor” we are and how we can’t seem to get ahead in this world or we’re being taxed to death – or “they” are out to get us. All the while, we live in such abundance compared to many.
We may not dine on steak and caviar every night, but we have food to eat. We may not live in a palace…but we are safe, warm and dry. We may not drive a Rolls Royce, but we have a means to get where we need to go. And when we do have a need, God always provides. It may not be exactly what we asked for… you may pray for a Mercedes and get a clunker… but God answers with grace and mercy.
We have no problem asking God for what we need… yet we fail to give Him the only thing we can to truly repay Him besides our service and loyalty – our praise. Isn’t it time we started focusing more on giving thanks and showing gratitude? We’ll never be able to “even the score”… and thankfully, God doesn’t care about that. But we can make a dent. Are you ready to try?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 14, 2011
Psalm 118:21-24
I praise the LORD for answering my prayers and saving me. The stone that the builders tossed aside has now become the most important stone. The LORD has done this, and it is amazing to us. This day belongs to the LORD! Let's celebrate and be glad today.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning when I woke up, I saw sunlight streaming across a hickory tree in our back yard. Its leaves are turning a brilliant yellow in the cool air of fall. This is not the greatest tree in the world… it “forked” somewhere above our second story, and a recent strong wind blew the dead section out, leaving an even more off-balance looking tree standing on the bluff.
Still, dozens of squirrels feed on hickory nuts from this tree… evidence of their buffet covers the ground around the trunk. The tree still delights us with its brilliance in the fall – and shade in spring/summer. Flying squirrels still live in a hole in the side, and woodpeckers of several varieties enjoy feasting on bugs in the bark… and our suet cakes in the winter!
Others would probably declare this tree unimportant and in need of cutting. And someday, we very well may lose this tree… either to a strong wind, or we may decide it should not stand so close to our house in its weakened condition. But for now, the tree still has value to us – and to the little creatures that live on our bluff. It is still very much an “important stone” in our yard. And God showed me the beauty of this tree in the morning sunlight.
Later in the morning, we took a 30-mile drive to Searcy to shop, and I marveled at the beauty God is giving us with his “paintbrush,” in the form of brilliant red sumac, yellow goldenrod, lavender wildflowers, brilliant leaves in a variety of hues, and a bright blue sky with wispy white clouds to accent it all. I thought of how He cares as much about a tiny patch of goldenrod as He does for you and me… and how no stone is unimportant to Him. And I was humbled… and grateful.
When we feel discouraged… unsettled, disappointed, insignificant, misunderstood, disrespected, or even worthless… we must remember that we are still vitally important to God. We mean so much to Him that He sent His Son to save us… to ensure that we have a way to Him – and that He will always be there for us. And for this, we should be incredibly grateful and thankful.
Today, I am humbled by God’s love and care… and incredibly appreciative. I am taking extra time to stop and tell Him how much I love Him, and I encourage you to do the same. Let’s celebrate and be glad for all God does for us… and let’s be sure He knows how grateful we are!
©2011 Debbie Robus
I praise the LORD for answering my prayers and saving me. The stone that the builders tossed aside has now become the most important stone. The LORD has done this, and it is amazing to us. This day belongs to the LORD! Let's celebrate and be glad today.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning when I woke up, I saw sunlight streaming across a hickory tree in our back yard. Its leaves are turning a brilliant yellow in the cool air of fall. This is not the greatest tree in the world… it “forked” somewhere above our second story, and a recent strong wind blew the dead section out, leaving an even more off-balance looking tree standing on the bluff.
Still, dozens of squirrels feed on hickory nuts from this tree… evidence of their buffet covers the ground around the trunk. The tree still delights us with its brilliance in the fall – and shade in spring/summer. Flying squirrels still live in a hole in the side, and woodpeckers of several varieties enjoy feasting on bugs in the bark… and our suet cakes in the winter!
Others would probably declare this tree unimportant and in need of cutting. And someday, we very well may lose this tree… either to a strong wind, or we may decide it should not stand so close to our house in its weakened condition. But for now, the tree still has value to us – and to the little creatures that live on our bluff. It is still very much an “important stone” in our yard. And God showed me the beauty of this tree in the morning sunlight.
Later in the morning, we took a 30-mile drive to Searcy to shop, and I marveled at the beauty God is giving us with his “paintbrush,” in the form of brilliant red sumac, yellow goldenrod, lavender wildflowers, brilliant leaves in a variety of hues, and a bright blue sky with wispy white clouds to accent it all. I thought of how He cares as much about a tiny patch of goldenrod as He does for you and me… and how no stone is unimportant to Him. And I was humbled… and grateful.
When we feel discouraged… unsettled, disappointed, insignificant, misunderstood, disrespected, or even worthless… we must remember that we are still vitally important to God. We mean so much to Him that He sent His Son to save us… to ensure that we have a way to Him – and that He will always be there for us. And for this, we should be incredibly grateful and thankful.
Today, I am humbled by God’s love and care… and incredibly appreciative. I am taking extra time to stop and tell Him how much I love Him, and I encourage you to do the same. Let’s celebrate and be glad for all God does for us… and let’s be sure He knows how grateful we are!
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 29, 2011
August 29 ~ John 8:1-11
Jesus walked out to the Mount of Olives. Then early the next morning he went to the temple. The people came to him, and he sat down and started teaching them. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses brought in a woman who had been caught in bed with a man who wasn't her husband. They made her stand in the middle of the crowd. Then they said, "Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who isn't her husband. The Law of Moses teaches that a woman like this should be stoned to death! What do you say?"
They asked Jesus this question, because they wanted to test him and bring some charge against him. But Jesus simply bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger.
They kept on asking Jesus about the woman. Finally, he stood up and said, "If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the first stone at her!" Once again he bent over and began writing on the ground. The people left one by one, beginning with the oldest. Finally, Jesus and the woman were there alone. Jesus stood up and asked her, "Where is everyone? Isn't there anyone left to accuse you?" "No sir," the woman answered. Then Jesus told her, "I am not going to accuse you either. You may go now, but don't sin anymore."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I would love to know what Jesus wrote in the sand. I’ve done some searching on the Internet, and some suggest He was merely doodling. Others say he was drawing a circle in which the accused stood for stoning. Anyone in the circle when it was completed was subject to stoning – maybe He thought some of the Pharisees wouldn’t move fast enough! Still others say Jesus was listing the sins of every person present… who else hadcommitted adultery – and with whom. Even another suggested that Jesus was writing out the law that said that this woman could only be stoned if the sinless person cast the first blow, because inability to comply would be the only thing that would cause the leaders to dissipate.
At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what Jesus wrote… but the fact that He was less than fully present in the activities of making accusations and berating this woman matters greatly. See, we are all this woman, in some manner, because we are all sinners. And lest you start protesting that her sins were so much greater than yours, let me remind you again that sin is sin… and we are all sinners – except for Jesus.So when Jesus let this woman go and said, “I’m not going to accuse you, either,” He granted her grace and mercy far beyond anything any of us deserve. He told each of us the same thing, in essence, when He died on the cross for our sins. He took our burden upon Himself, and we are charged to “go now, but don’t sin anymore.” There is every chance we won’t be able to hold up to our end of the bargain, but we must try. When we fall short, we must confess, pick ourselves up, ask forgiveness, and move ahead, glorifying God for His grace, mercy, and unending love.
I don’t know about you, but when I find myself in the circle, being accused (even by my own conscience) of my sins and shortcomings, I’m so happy to know that Jesus is standing beside me – drawing in the sand. I’m grateful that He does not condemn me… and that because of my salvation through Him, I am forever set upright and given another chance. If you have asked Jesus to become LORD of your life and invited His Holy Spirit to live in your heart, you can enjoy this same grace, mercy and salvation.
So the question of the day is… “What is Jesus writing in the sand beside your circle?”
©2011 Debbie Robus
Jesus walked out to the Mount of Olives. Then early the next morning he went to the temple. The people came to him, and he sat down and started teaching them. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses brought in a woman who had been caught in bed with a man who wasn't her husband. They made her stand in the middle of the crowd. Then they said, "Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who isn't her husband. The Law of Moses teaches that a woman like this should be stoned to death! What do you say?"
They asked Jesus this question, because they wanted to test him and bring some charge against him. But Jesus simply bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger.
They kept on asking Jesus about the woman. Finally, he stood up and said, "If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the first stone at her!" Once again he bent over and began writing on the ground. The people left one by one, beginning with the oldest. Finally, Jesus and the woman were there alone. Jesus stood up and asked her, "Where is everyone? Isn't there anyone left to accuse you?" "No sir," the woman answered. Then Jesus told her, "I am not going to accuse you either. You may go now, but don't sin anymore."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I would love to know what Jesus wrote in the sand. I’ve done some searching on the Internet, and some suggest He was merely doodling. Others say he was drawing a circle in which the accused stood for stoning. Anyone in the circle when it was completed was subject to stoning – maybe He thought some of the Pharisees wouldn’t move fast enough! Still others say Jesus was listing the sins of every person present… who else hadcommitted adultery – and with whom. Even another suggested that Jesus was writing out the law that said that this woman could only be stoned if the sinless person cast the first blow, because inability to comply would be the only thing that would cause the leaders to dissipate.
At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what Jesus wrote… but the fact that He was less than fully present in the activities of making accusations and berating this woman matters greatly. See, we are all this woman, in some manner, because we are all sinners. And lest you start protesting that her sins were so much greater than yours, let me remind you again that sin is sin… and we are all sinners – except for Jesus.So when Jesus let this woman go and said, “I’m not going to accuse you, either,” He granted her grace and mercy far beyond anything any of us deserve. He told each of us the same thing, in essence, when He died on the cross for our sins. He took our burden upon Himself, and we are charged to “go now, but don’t sin anymore.” There is every chance we won’t be able to hold up to our end of the bargain, but we must try. When we fall short, we must confess, pick ourselves up, ask forgiveness, and move ahead, glorifying God for His grace, mercy, and unending love.
I don’t know about you, but when I find myself in the circle, being accused (even by my own conscience) of my sins and shortcomings, I’m so happy to know that Jesus is standing beside me – drawing in the sand. I’m grateful that He does not condemn me… and that because of my salvation through Him, I am forever set upright and given another chance. If you have asked Jesus to become LORD of your life and invited His Holy Spirit to live in your heart, you can enjoy this same grace, mercy and salvation.
So the question of the day is… “What is Jesus writing in the sand beside your circle?”
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 1, 2011
Psalm 100
Shout praises to the LORD, everyone on this earth. Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the LORD! You know the LORD is God! He created us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep in his pasture. Be thankful and praise the LORD as you enter his temple. The LORD is good! His love and faithfulness will last forever.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently I visited my grandmother at the retirement center where she now lives. It was time for lunch, and I visited with the ladies at her table while they waited to be served… all women I’ve known most, if not all, of my life. The ladies were all excited about their lunch – chicken livers! But when the meals were served, they each had a boneless chicken breast… and they were not happy. It seems that they had misunderstood… they were served the “daily lunch special.” Chicken livers was an option for those who didn’t want the “special.” But the ladies got it backwards… and they were very disappointed.
The food the ladies were served looked delicious, and I encouraged them to give it a try. And later, when I phoned my grandmother, we talked about how fortunate these seniors are to have such a wonderful, comfortable, safe place to live… a place where they have great care, delicious food, air conditioning in summer and heat in winter… and so much more. And I began to think about how often we are so busy complaining about something that is wrong that we fail to recognize all that is right!
It should be enough that we belong to God… that we are His people and the sheep in His pasture. Just knowing that we belong to God and He is caring for our every need should fill us with joy and make us want to “shout praises to the LORD!” But we – and I am right smack in the middle of this group – tend to find the glass half empty and stew about the things that are wrong in our little worlds. We should be busy listing our blessings and thanking God for all He does for us.
There is an e-mail message that circulates from time to time that starts off: "If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.” I do not know who to credit for these comments. But they are great thoughts.
We have so many reasons to be thankful and to give God praise… and truly, so very little about which to complain. Yet we are often far more eager to tell anyone who will ask what is wrong with our lives than what is right. It’s time to change this! We need to be busy counting our blessings and praising God for all He does for us.
We need to be thankful for the house that needs cleaning… the less-than-restful night of sleep in a clean, warm bed and the clothing on our backs that may have come from a thrift store… because even when things are not up to our “standards” or desires, we are still incredibly blessed. And when we finally get our “chicken liver dinner,”… as the ladies at the retirement center did the next day… we need to thank God for blessing us even when we gripe!
What has been your “chicken liver dinner” lately? What will you praise God for today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Shout praises to the LORD, everyone on this earth. Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the LORD! You know the LORD is God! He created us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep in his pasture. Be thankful and praise the LORD as you enter his temple. The LORD is good! His love and faithfulness will last forever.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently I visited my grandmother at the retirement center where she now lives. It was time for lunch, and I visited with the ladies at her table while they waited to be served… all women I’ve known most, if not all, of my life. The ladies were all excited about their lunch – chicken livers! But when the meals were served, they each had a boneless chicken breast… and they were not happy. It seems that they had misunderstood… they were served the “daily lunch special.” Chicken livers was an option for those who didn’t want the “special.” But the ladies got it backwards… and they were very disappointed.
The food the ladies were served looked delicious, and I encouraged them to give it a try. And later, when I phoned my grandmother, we talked about how fortunate these seniors are to have such a wonderful, comfortable, safe place to live… a place where they have great care, delicious food, air conditioning in summer and heat in winter… and so much more. And I began to think about how often we are so busy complaining about something that is wrong that we fail to recognize all that is right!
It should be enough that we belong to God… that we are His people and the sheep in His pasture. Just knowing that we belong to God and He is caring for our every need should fill us with joy and make us want to “shout praises to the LORD!” But we – and I am right smack in the middle of this group – tend to find the glass half empty and stew about the things that are wrong in our little worlds. We should be busy listing our blessings and thanking God for all He does for us.
There is an e-mail message that circulates from time to time that starts off: "If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.” I do not know who to credit for these comments. But they are great thoughts.
We have so many reasons to be thankful and to give God praise… and truly, so very little about which to complain. Yet we are often far more eager to tell anyone who will ask what is wrong with our lives than what is right. It’s time to change this! We need to be busy counting our blessings and praising God for all He does for us.
We need to be thankful for the house that needs cleaning… the less-than-restful night of sleep in a clean, warm bed and the clothing on our backs that may have come from a thrift store… because even when things are not up to our “standards” or desires, we are still incredibly blessed. And when we finally get our “chicken liver dinner,”… as the ladies at the retirement center did the next day… we need to thank God for blessing us even when we gripe!
What has been your “chicken liver dinner” lately? What will you praise God for today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 19, 2011
Psalm 96:1-4
Sing a new song to the LORD! Everyone on this earth, sing praises to the LORD, sing and praise his name. Day after day announce, "The LORD has saved us!" Tell every nation on earth, "The LORD is wonderful and does marvelous things! The LORD is great and deserves our greatest praise! He is the only God worthy of our worship.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
One morning recently I got up early and headed for the farmer’s market and the grocery store, before the heat of the day set in and made being in and out of a car quite miserable. I stopped at Spring Park, where a farmer’s truck bed was laden with vegetables like potatoes, onions, squash, and tomatoes. He had cantaloupes and watermelons, too. As he placed the tomatoes and squash I had purchased into a bag, a strong breeze stirred through the trees.
I looked at those trees… tall and mighty – standing in that park for decades, if not centuries. And later, I stood and looked at old oak trees in the yard of our former office across the street from my grandparents’ house, where all but one massive oak tree that shaded the property have succumbed to time and mankind. I thought about how God had placed these trees in our yards and parks to shade us and carry cool breezes on a hot summer day.
I thought about how God provides us with delicious summer garden vegetables and fruits… how He carefully orchestrates every detail of our lives and continually does “wonderful and marvelous things.” And I realized… none of us praise Him enough! We should get up every morning and sing a new song to the LORD. We should praise His name day after day.
Even on our worst day… when nothing seems to be going right, we didn’t sleep well (or overslept), and life is really getting us down… we should still give God continual praise, because He never stops working on our behalf. So the challenge for each of us is this… let’s begin each day with praise to God for all that He does for us. Let’s make a concerted effort to praise Him throughout the day for all of his marvelous works and wonders that surround us. Let’s get in the habit of praising God continually for being our Savior and the only God worthy of our worship.
It’s time we stopped taking God for granted. Have you given Him praise today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Sing a new song to the LORD! Everyone on this earth, sing praises to the LORD, sing and praise his name. Day after day announce, "The LORD has saved us!" Tell every nation on earth, "The LORD is wonderful and does marvelous things! The LORD is great and deserves our greatest praise! He is the only God worthy of our worship.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
One morning recently I got up early and headed for the farmer’s market and the grocery store, before the heat of the day set in and made being in and out of a car quite miserable. I stopped at Spring Park, where a farmer’s truck bed was laden with vegetables like potatoes, onions, squash, and tomatoes. He had cantaloupes and watermelons, too. As he placed the tomatoes and squash I had purchased into a bag, a strong breeze stirred through the trees.
I looked at those trees… tall and mighty – standing in that park for decades, if not centuries. And later, I stood and looked at old oak trees in the yard of our former office across the street from my grandparents’ house, where all but one massive oak tree that shaded the property have succumbed to time and mankind. I thought about how God had placed these trees in our yards and parks to shade us and carry cool breezes on a hot summer day.
I thought about how God provides us with delicious summer garden vegetables and fruits… how He carefully orchestrates every detail of our lives and continually does “wonderful and marvelous things.” And I realized… none of us praise Him enough! We should get up every morning and sing a new song to the LORD. We should praise His name day after day.
Even on our worst day… when nothing seems to be going right, we didn’t sleep well (or overslept), and life is really getting us down… we should still give God continual praise, because He never stops working on our behalf. So the challenge for each of us is this… let’s begin each day with praise to God for all that He does for us. Let’s make a concerted effort to praise Him throughout the day for all of his marvelous works and wonders that surround us. Let’s get in the habit of praising God continually for being our Savior and the only God worthy of our worship.
It’s time we stopped taking God for granted. Have you given Him praise today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 9, 2011
Proverbs 18:24
Some friends don't help, but a true friend is closer than your own family.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Another favorite book of Timothy’s these days is titled Slobcat. It’s the story of a little girl and her cat. The family named him Slobcat because they think he is lazy. The story shows Slobcat doing all sorts of things – rescuing a baby kitten from deep water, scaring away snakes and predatory birds in the garden, batting a ball out of the way so that the mother doesn’t trip and fall, and much more. But in each instance, the family doesn’t notice the good things that Slobcat does.
Instead, they see a cat who is constantly under foot rather than one who protects them. They see a cat who is too lazy to come in out of the rain – not one who rescues kittens from deep water. Basically, the family fails to recognize what a good friend and companion Slobcat is to each of them.
What about us? Do we recognize our real friends? Do we realize who truly has our back through thick and thin… who cares about us and keeps our confidence? Have we chosen our friends wisely and acknowledged how important these good, true friends are in our lives?
So often, we are like the little girl in the story and her family. We go through life taking our truest friends for granted… or failing to recognize them in the first place. We run after people we want to be our friends… we seek relationships that are not in our best interest – and downright unhealthy in some cases - while foregoing the attention and devotion of those who genuinely care about our well-being. We fail to acknowledge the countless ways a true friend cares for us on a regular basis… and sometimes – just like Slobcat’s family – we assume the opposite.
Shouldn’t we take a look around and see if we have mistakenly labeled a genuine friend in our lives as a “Slobcat”? Can you identify your true friends these days? Have you thanked God for bringing them into your life… and have you thanked these individuals for their friendship and devotion? It only takes a few minutes to send an e-mail, make a phone call, or drop a note to your friends and let them know how blessed you feel that God has placed them in your life. Isn’t today a perfect time to do just that?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Some friends don't help, but a true friend is closer than your own family.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Another favorite book of Timothy’s these days is titled Slobcat. It’s the story of a little girl and her cat. The family named him Slobcat because they think he is lazy. The story shows Slobcat doing all sorts of things – rescuing a baby kitten from deep water, scaring away snakes and predatory birds in the garden, batting a ball out of the way so that the mother doesn’t trip and fall, and much more. But in each instance, the family doesn’t notice the good things that Slobcat does.
Instead, they see a cat who is constantly under foot rather than one who protects them. They see a cat who is too lazy to come in out of the rain – not one who rescues kittens from deep water. Basically, the family fails to recognize what a good friend and companion Slobcat is to each of them.
What about us? Do we recognize our real friends? Do we realize who truly has our back through thick and thin… who cares about us and keeps our confidence? Have we chosen our friends wisely and acknowledged how important these good, true friends are in our lives?
So often, we are like the little girl in the story and her family. We go through life taking our truest friends for granted… or failing to recognize them in the first place. We run after people we want to be our friends… we seek relationships that are not in our best interest – and downright unhealthy in some cases - while foregoing the attention and devotion of those who genuinely care about our well-being. We fail to acknowledge the countless ways a true friend cares for us on a regular basis… and sometimes – just like Slobcat’s family – we assume the opposite.
Shouldn’t we take a look around and see if we have mistakenly labeled a genuine friend in our lives as a “Slobcat”? Can you identify your true friends these days? Have you thanked God for bringing them into your life… and have you thanked these individuals for their friendship and devotion? It only takes a few minutes to send an e-mail, make a phone call, or drop a note to your friends and let them know how blessed you feel that God has placed them in your life. Isn’t today a perfect time to do just that?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 3, 2011
Psalm 19:11-14
By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it. Don't let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault. Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, LORD, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We don’t always have the whole story. Two recent events triggered an old memory for me recently. We have been seeing our high school principal at basketball games – he’s come to watch his grand-daughters cheer. Then a former classmate mentioned Home Economics class on Facebook. When I was in high school, I couldn’t take Home Economics class, because there was a schedule conflict with my band class. So I took General Science instead. This meant that I had a different class schedule - and lunch hour - than my fellow ninth graders.
One day, our principal called an assembly to announce that the campus was going to be closed during the lunch hour, meaning we could no longer leave to go out to eat or home for lunch. He gathered us all together and then said, “If you are in grades 7-9, this doesn’t involve you, so go back to class.” The upper classmen who were in my science class said, “You need to stay, since you have lunch with us.” So I did. When I returned to class, my teacher didn’t think I should have stayed for the information. Neither did the teacher in the next class, for which I arrived late, and she sent me to the principal’s office.
I explained to the principal that I did not know I had done anything wrong – and told him why I stayed for his assembly. He “forgave” me and sent me back to class. I can see why the teachers thought I shouldn’t have stayed. I truly did not believe I was doing anything wrong by staying. I realized later that I could have gotten the information from someone in my science class, but at the time, I felt that what was being said pertained to me, and I needed to hear it firsthand.
In a totally unrelated event, my dad once told me of a conversation he had with an aunt who had no children. She made some comment about child-rearing, and my dad (who was just a young boy), replied, “How would you know? You’ve never had children.” What Daddy did not know was that his aunt had lost a baby as a teenager… and she felt that loss deeply, particularly since she never gave birth to any other children. My grandmother took my dad aside and explained this to him, and he felt badly. He really loved his aunt, and he was so sad that he had hurt her feelings… albeit unknowingly.
See… we don’t always have all the information. And sometimes, we say and do things we shouldn’t because we truly do not know we have made a mistake. There are two lessons here. The first is to be more aware of what we say and how we say it… and to be more careful with our words and behaviors. The second is to understand that we all make mistakes – many of them innocent, if no less wrong or hurtful. Thankfully, we serve a God who forgives us and sets us back on our feet.
None of us is perfect… we all have faults. God understands this. It is not an excuse – or a license to sin or to behave badly. But we must look at our own lives – and the lives of others – and consider how God loves us and extends grace and mercy when we falter. I am so grateful that God cares for us this way – and with this level of understanding. But do we do this for others? Are we willing to forgive and extend compassion and encouragement to those we encounter? Are we willing to do for others what God does for us on a daily basis? Shouldn’t we?
©2011 Debbie Robus
By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it. Don't let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault. Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, LORD, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We don’t always have the whole story. Two recent events triggered an old memory for me recently. We have been seeing our high school principal at basketball games – he’s come to watch his grand-daughters cheer. Then a former classmate mentioned Home Economics class on Facebook. When I was in high school, I couldn’t take Home Economics class, because there was a schedule conflict with my band class. So I took General Science instead. This meant that I had a different class schedule - and lunch hour - than my fellow ninth graders.
One day, our principal called an assembly to announce that the campus was going to be closed during the lunch hour, meaning we could no longer leave to go out to eat or home for lunch. He gathered us all together and then said, “If you are in grades 7-9, this doesn’t involve you, so go back to class.” The upper classmen who were in my science class said, “You need to stay, since you have lunch with us.” So I did. When I returned to class, my teacher didn’t think I should have stayed for the information. Neither did the teacher in the next class, for which I arrived late, and she sent me to the principal’s office.
I explained to the principal that I did not know I had done anything wrong – and told him why I stayed for his assembly. He “forgave” me and sent me back to class. I can see why the teachers thought I shouldn’t have stayed. I truly did not believe I was doing anything wrong by staying. I realized later that I could have gotten the information from someone in my science class, but at the time, I felt that what was being said pertained to me, and I needed to hear it firsthand.
In a totally unrelated event, my dad once told me of a conversation he had with an aunt who had no children. She made some comment about child-rearing, and my dad (who was just a young boy), replied, “How would you know? You’ve never had children.” What Daddy did not know was that his aunt had lost a baby as a teenager… and she felt that loss deeply, particularly since she never gave birth to any other children. My grandmother took my dad aside and explained this to him, and he felt badly. He really loved his aunt, and he was so sad that he had hurt her feelings… albeit unknowingly.
See… we don’t always have all the information. And sometimes, we say and do things we shouldn’t because we truly do not know we have made a mistake. There are two lessons here. The first is to be more aware of what we say and how we say it… and to be more careful with our words and behaviors. The second is to understand that we all make mistakes – many of them innocent, if no less wrong or hurtful. Thankfully, we serve a God who forgives us and sets us back on our feet.
None of us is perfect… we all have faults. God understands this. It is not an excuse – or a license to sin or to behave badly. But we must look at our own lives – and the lives of others – and consider how God loves us and extends grace and mercy when we falter. I am so grateful that God cares for us this way – and with this level of understanding. But do we do this for others? Are we willing to forgive and extend compassion and encouragement to those we encounter? Are we willing to do for others what God does for us on a daily basis? Shouldn’t we?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 18, 2010
June 18 ~ Daniel 10:19
The angel touched me a second time and said, "Don't be frightened! God thinks highly of you, and he intends this for your good, so be brave and strong."
At this, I regained my strength and replied, "Please speak! You have already made me feel much better."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I saw a news story recently about Mary Bargiel, a young mother in Conway, Arkansas, who was broadsided at an intersection by a police officer on his way to answer an emergency call. The light was green as Bargiel moved into the intersection. The officer approached from the side, lights flashing and sirens blaring, but Mary did not see or hear him. The intersection has since been reworked. Both Mary Bargiel and the police officer were injured badly, especially Mary, whose injuries included a broken hand and ribs, a collapsed lung, serious brain, spinal and eye injuries, and more. The officer, who suffered a broken neck, has recovered and returned to work. Mary Bargiel has recovered enough to return home to her family, but she still has a lot of struggles - including a rod in her leg, shoe lifts to even out her body, double vision, ongoing back pain, and she may never fully regain brain function and be able to move and live as she once did.
I don’t know the prior circumstances of this Mary Bargiel’s life, but she stated in the news story that the accident probably saved her life in many ways. After the accident, she became a Christian, and her husband attested to the validity of her claims that she is a changed woman… quite literally a new person in Christ. What seemed like the most horrific event at the time has become a tremendous turning point for this woman and her family. What Satan meant for evil, God used for good.
I hope it doesn’t take a car crash at a major intersection – even figuratively – to get our attention. I hope God doesn’t have to use frightening events to show us His power – and His love – and to capture our hearts. I pray that we can stop and look around and see how blessed we are… and how much God loves us. I pray that we would trust Him to get us through the calamities and scary times in our lives… the times when we wonder and worry… and that looking back, we would say, “Yep, there He was, right beside us all along.”
How brave and strong are we? I’m ashamed to say that I have moments when I am neither. But I am determined to do better. I am convinced that God thinks highly of me and wants only the best for my life. And that is the case for each one of us. Do you see this in your own life? Are you brave and strong and recognizing God’s desire for good in your life? Start believing this today. Look around and see how God has blessed you and rescued you already. Regain your strength and feel much better. God is our refuge and our strength… feel His love and blessings…and BELIEVE in Him!
©2010 Debbie Robus
The angel touched me a second time and said, "Don't be frightened! God thinks highly of you, and he intends this for your good, so be brave and strong."
At this, I regained my strength and replied, "Please speak! You have already made me feel much better."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I saw a news story recently about Mary Bargiel, a young mother in Conway, Arkansas, who was broadsided at an intersection by a police officer on his way to answer an emergency call. The light was green as Bargiel moved into the intersection. The officer approached from the side, lights flashing and sirens blaring, but Mary did not see or hear him. The intersection has since been reworked. Both Mary Bargiel and the police officer were injured badly, especially Mary, whose injuries included a broken hand and ribs, a collapsed lung, serious brain, spinal and eye injuries, and more. The officer, who suffered a broken neck, has recovered and returned to work. Mary Bargiel has recovered enough to return home to her family, but she still has a lot of struggles - including a rod in her leg, shoe lifts to even out her body, double vision, ongoing back pain, and she may never fully regain brain function and be able to move and live as she once did.
I don’t know the prior circumstances of this Mary Bargiel’s life, but she stated in the news story that the accident probably saved her life in many ways. After the accident, she became a Christian, and her husband attested to the validity of her claims that she is a changed woman… quite literally a new person in Christ. What seemed like the most horrific event at the time has become a tremendous turning point for this woman and her family. What Satan meant for evil, God used for good.
I hope it doesn’t take a car crash at a major intersection – even figuratively – to get our attention. I hope God doesn’t have to use frightening events to show us His power – and His love – and to capture our hearts. I pray that we can stop and look around and see how blessed we are… and how much God loves us. I pray that we would trust Him to get us through the calamities and scary times in our lives… the times when we wonder and worry… and that looking back, we would say, “Yep, there He was, right beside us all along.”
How brave and strong are we? I’m ashamed to say that I have moments when I am neither. But I am determined to do better. I am convinced that God thinks highly of me and wants only the best for my life. And that is the case for each one of us. Do you see this in your own life? Are you brave and strong and recognizing God’s desire for good in your life? Start believing this today. Look around and see how God has blessed you and rescued you already. Regain your strength and feel much better. God is our refuge and our strength… feel His love and blessings…and BELIEVE in Him!
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 1, 2010
May 1 ~ Psalm 139:13-14
You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In the last few weeks, we have celebrated several birthdays in our family – my mother’s, my husband’s - and soon we will celebrate the 6th birthday of our great-nephew Chase and the first birthday of our great-nephew Timothy. Birthdays are a wonderful time to stop and truly think about the honoree – and to truly celebrate their life and birth. Often we wonder aloud… “Where has the time gone? Has it really been a year already? Can Chase really be six?” And for those of us who are several decades along, we find ourselves musing that “Geez, I’m getting old,” or “I may be this age, but I feel twenty years younger – or older!”
As wonderful as birthdays can be… the concept that God planned us before we were ever conceived is even more astounding – and quite literally, marvelous! God knew every hair on our head before we were even an embryo! Let that really soak in for a minute. God knew about you before you were formed… and He planned every detail of your life… every eyelash and freckle… how tall you would grow and what color your eyes would be. He cares so much about us that He meticulously crafted every wrinkle and fold on our body, and He wove family characteristics and resemblances into us with perfection.
Pretty much every one of us has stood before the mirror on any given day and wondered, “Why do I have such and such?” We’ve griped and complained about our freckles or the way our nose curves. We’ve lamented that “I’m short and squatty like the rest of my family,” or we’ve joked that a sibling with brown hair and eyes in a family of blonds “must be adopted!” In actuality, we should be looking at our image and saying, “WOW, God! Thank you! Thank you for the subtle, intimate thread of familiarity that runs through all the members of my family. Thank you for giving me talents, skills and abilities. Thank you for my fingers and toes, arms and legs. Thank you for such amazing, incredible plans that included ME!”
We serve an awesome, amazing God… a God who cares enough to carefully plan each creature. We stand in awe of a God who formed us in His mind before our parents even met… and then literally brought His concept to life! If that doesn’t make us feel special, nothing will. If that doesn’t make us appreciate God, it’s never gonna happen. Thank God today for the birthdays and celebrations of people in your life – and for giving YOU such an incredible, unique, and blessed life. Thank Him for choosing to love each of us so abundantly – and so well – and celebrate the wonderful way you were created.
©2010 Debbie Robus
You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In the last few weeks, we have celebrated several birthdays in our family – my mother’s, my husband’s - and soon we will celebrate the 6th birthday of our great-nephew Chase and the first birthday of our great-nephew Timothy. Birthdays are a wonderful time to stop and truly think about the honoree – and to truly celebrate their life and birth. Often we wonder aloud… “Where has the time gone? Has it really been a year already? Can Chase really be six?” And for those of us who are several decades along, we find ourselves musing that “Geez, I’m getting old,” or “I may be this age, but I feel twenty years younger – or older!”
As wonderful as birthdays can be… the concept that God planned us before we were ever conceived is even more astounding – and quite literally, marvelous! God knew every hair on our head before we were even an embryo! Let that really soak in for a minute. God knew about you before you were formed… and He planned every detail of your life… every eyelash and freckle… how tall you would grow and what color your eyes would be. He cares so much about us that He meticulously crafted every wrinkle and fold on our body, and He wove family characteristics and resemblances into us with perfection.
Pretty much every one of us has stood before the mirror on any given day and wondered, “Why do I have such and such?” We’ve griped and complained about our freckles or the way our nose curves. We’ve lamented that “I’m short and squatty like the rest of my family,” or we’ve joked that a sibling with brown hair and eyes in a family of blonds “must be adopted!” In actuality, we should be looking at our image and saying, “WOW, God! Thank you! Thank you for the subtle, intimate thread of familiarity that runs through all the members of my family. Thank you for giving me talents, skills and abilities. Thank you for my fingers and toes, arms and legs. Thank you for such amazing, incredible plans that included ME!”
We serve an awesome, amazing God… a God who cares enough to carefully plan each creature. We stand in awe of a God who formed us in His mind before our parents even met… and then literally brought His concept to life! If that doesn’t make us feel special, nothing will. If that doesn’t make us appreciate God, it’s never gonna happen. Thank God today for the birthdays and celebrations of people in your life – and for giving YOU such an incredible, unique, and blessed life. Thank Him for choosing to love each of us so abundantly – and so well – and celebrate the wonderful way you were created.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 27, 2010
April 27 ~ Proverbs 16:8
It's better to be honest and poor than to be dishonest and rich.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve always told my husband that “I’d live with you in a pup tent.” He laughs at that… knowing I like the comfort of a warm bed and a good hot shower… but he also understands what I am saying. As long as we are together, it really doesn’t matter where we live or how much “stuff” we have. Many people assume that the “rich” are happier – or that becoming wealthy will equal lifelong contentment. We toss around phrases like “When I win the lottery…” or “When my ship comes in…” or “When I marry a rich man/woman…” The truth is… chasing wealth has been the downfall of many people. This doesn’t mean it’s wrong to have ambition or to desire to be financially secure. If you work hard, with honesty and integrity, and treat people well – and you make a lot of money as a result - good for you! But if you “kick and claw your way to the top” and are willing to do things that are dishonest or illegal – or you mistreat others along the way – your “victory” will be rather hollow. You may not go to jail like Bernie Madoff and others, but Judgment Day will surely come.
God wants us to be happy. And while some think that Jesus’ call for the disciples to leave everything and follow Him means that we are supposed to live meager lives in very simple houses, drive clunkers and wear cheap, plain clothing, they are mistaken. God doesn’t begrudge us having nice homes, clothes, cars and more… as long as we earn them honestly and honor Him in the bargain.
Please hear me… you do not have to apologize for what you have… or what you don’t have… as long as you are serving God according to His will for your life. If God wants you to sell all of your belongings and move to a Third World country to serve him, do it! But God may want you to use your fancy house and car to witness to others in your neighborhood… or to host meals and get-togethers for a group in your church. He may have helped you afford a Suburban so that you can haul the youth group to weekly activities. Or He may have chosen you to work with the less fortunate – and to relate well to them because they readily accept you as “one of them.”
The point is… God isn’t doling out favors and punishments in the form of monetary wealth and possessions. He is calling us to be rich in HIM… not in things. This is not a license to be a slacker and decide that God wants you to goof off and just barely get by in life. Truly find out where God wants you to be… then serve Him honestly and faithfully in that station. Be the best employee, boss, teacher, student, parent, son/daughter, servant that you can become. Always do your “job” honestly and make sure your behavior is beyond question or reproach. Measure your wealth in terms of God’s favor… not man’s. You’ll find your value is far higher in HIS sight than on this earth… and that’s where it really counts!
©2010 Debbie Robus
It's better to be honest and poor than to be dishonest and rich.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve always told my husband that “I’d live with you in a pup tent.” He laughs at that… knowing I like the comfort of a warm bed and a good hot shower… but he also understands what I am saying. As long as we are together, it really doesn’t matter where we live or how much “stuff” we have. Many people assume that the “rich” are happier – or that becoming wealthy will equal lifelong contentment. We toss around phrases like “When I win the lottery…” or “When my ship comes in…” or “When I marry a rich man/woman…” The truth is… chasing wealth has been the downfall of many people. This doesn’t mean it’s wrong to have ambition or to desire to be financially secure. If you work hard, with honesty and integrity, and treat people well – and you make a lot of money as a result - good for you! But if you “kick and claw your way to the top” and are willing to do things that are dishonest or illegal – or you mistreat others along the way – your “victory” will be rather hollow. You may not go to jail like Bernie Madoff and others, but Judgment Day will surely come.
God wants us to be happy. And while some think that Jesus’ call for the disciples to leave everything and follow Him means that we are supposed to live meager lives in very simple houses, drive clunkers and wear cheap, plain clothing, they are mistaken. God doesn’t begrudge us having nice homes, clothes, cars and more… as long as we earn them honestly and honor Him in the bargain.
Please hear me… you do not have to apologize for what you have… or what you don’t have… as long as you are serving God according to His will for your life. If God wants you to sell all of your belongings and move to a Third World country to serve him, do it! But God may want you to use your fancy house and car to witness to others in your neighborhood… or to host meals and get-togethers for a group in your church. He may have helped you afford a Suburban so that you can haul the youth group to weekly activities. Or He may have chosen you to work with the less fortunate – and to relate well to them because they readily accept you as “one of them.”
The point is… God isn’t doling out favors and punishments in the form of monetary wealth and possessions. He is calling us to be rich in HIM… not in things. This is not a license to be a slacker and decide that God wants you to goof off and just barely get by in life. Truly find out where God wants you to be… then serve Him honestly and faithfully in that station. Be the best employee, boss, teacher, student, parent, son/daughter, servant that you can become. Always do your “job” honestly and make sure your behavior is beyond question or reproach. Measure your wealth in terms of God’s favor… not man’s. You’ll find your value is far higher in HIS sight than on this earth… and that’s where it really counts!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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