April 26 ~ Psalms 91:1-6
We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods.
This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he rescues you from every trap and protects you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Now you don’t need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I still remember the day that I marched into my principal’s office and said, “I will not be back as a teacher next year.” Talk about a scary moment! I knew that this was right for me…but after 9 years in the classroom, I was also nervous and frightened about admitting – to myself and others – that I needed to go in another direction. I remember the day I gave notice in another job that I had held for more than three years. Again, I knew it was the right thing to do, but saying those words was not easy. I remember the day I messaged all of the members of my church’s Praise Team and told them that I had just spent my last Sunday helping to lead worship. I knew that God was moving me…but after eight years of serving in this capacity, the finality of saying, “I’m done” was daunting, to say the least.
Every day, people do courageous things. Some take brave steps, like uttering the phrase, “My name is XYZ, and I am an alcoholic.” Or perhaps they tell their friends and family members that they are gay. Maybe someone in an abusive relationship says, “Enough!” and contacts authorities or a shelter and pursues physical safety and support. Maybe you have admitted to someone that you are in over your head financially and need help figuring out what to do next. Or perhaps you have admitted that your marriage or relationship is not working…and something has to change.
Maybe you have told your parents that you are flunking out of school – or that you don’t want to return to college next year. Or maybe you told your coach or band director - or another group sponsor - that you are quitting the team/band/club.
This scripture passage is particularly important for each of us, because at one point or another, we will all face something that scares the pants off us. It may be one of the things I mentioned. Or it may be another personal crisis – like losing a loved one, physical illness or injury…or even facing your own mortality. We’ve all been in a situation where our heart raced and pounded and we dreaded the day or night and whatever it might bring.
But no more! We must remind ourselves that we do indeed stand within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods. We must remember that He alone is our refuge, our place of safety; He is our God, and we must trust Him. We must feel the shelter of His wings and seek refuge there.
When fears come – and they will – we must call on God to help us…and fully believe that He will do just that. Whatever you are facing today…whatever fears are troubling you…give them to God. Let the armor of His loving arms embrace and embolden you with courage and peace. Put one foot in front of the other, and keep on going. God’s got this…you have nothing to fear!
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label hard choices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hard choices. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for September 19, 2013
Jeremiah 1:4-10
The Lord said:
“Jeremiah, I am your Creator,
and before you were born,
I chose you to speak for me
to the nations.”
I replied, “I’m not a good speaker, Lord, and I’m too young.”
“Don’t say you’re too young,” the Lord answered. “If I tell you to go and speak to someone, then go! And when I tell you what to say, don’t leave out a word! I promise to be with you and keep you safe, so don’t be afraid.”
The Lord reached out his hand, then he touched my mouth and said, “I am giving you the words to say, and I am sending you with authority to speak to the nations for me. You will tell them of doom and destruction, and of rising and rebuilding again.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Do you remember when you were a little kid, and team captains “chose sides” on the playground or in gym class? Do you remember how it felt to stand there, inwardly thinking, “Pick me! Pick me!” and knowing that it was the captain’s choice? Who – and how – he/she chose would affect everyone… but still, the choice was his/hers to make.
Nearly every day, someone will make a choice that is theirs to make… but it will greatly affect your life. Your friend may decide to drink and drive… smoke, do drugs, participate in something illegal or immoral… and you may have to distance – or dissolve – your friendship, if a resolution cannot be reached. Your roommate may fail to study… and flunk out of college. Not only will he/she be affected… you will lose your roomie. Your friends may neglect to pay their bills or show up for work, and the loss of their job, property and more may be devastating to them – and to you. Your aging spouse may refuse to give up driving… and you may have to refuse to ride with him/her any more. Your parents may move to another state… and you may have to go with them. Or your children may move across the country – and take your grandchildren along. OR… you may have to make room in your home for aging relatives who can no longer live alone.
When people make personal choices that are well within their rights – and sometimes when “life” makes choices for them - others still may be greatly affected. And when we are one of those people, how do we handle this? The only answer that makes any sense to me is to trust God for the outcome. If God decides to allow the choice and you are hurt in the bargain, trust Him to comfort you and restore your hope and joy. If God elects to lead the person in the direction that favors your preferences, humbly and gratefully praise Him. When God seems to allow “bad things to happen to good people”, ask Him to show you what He wants you to learn from this… how you can grow – and how you can use the outcome to glorify His name and bless and encourage others.
My mother shared one of her recent devotionals from a book written by Bishop TD Jakes, in which he suggested that when we face adversity or challenge, we throw it at God… that we hurl it as hard and fast as we can toward Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins, and say, “Here you go, LORD… handle THIS for me!” (I’m paraphrasing.) I don’t know about you, but I will probably be doing a lot of throwing in the coming days/weeks/years. The GOOD NEWS is that God can catch – and handle – every test of faith that I toss His way.
What about you… what will you do with your challenges? Are you ready to warm up your “pitching arm”?
©2013 Debbie Robus
The Lord said:
“Jeremiah, I am your Creator,
and before you were born,
I chose you to speak for me
to the nations.”
I replied, “I’m not a good speaker, Lord, and I’m too young.”
“Don’t say you’re too young,” the Lord answered. “If I tell you to go and speak to someone, then go! And when I tell you what to say, don’t leave out a word! I promise to be with you and keep you safe, so don’t be afraid.”
The Lord reached out his hand, then he touched my mouth and said, “I am giving you the words to say, and I am sending you with authority to speak to the nations for me. You will tell them of doom and destruction, and of rising and rebuilding again.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Do you remember when you were a little kid, and team captains “chose sides” on the playground or in gym class? Do you remember how it felt to stand there, inwardly thinking, “Pick me! Pick me!” and knowing that it was the captain’s choice? Who – and how – he/she chose would affect everyone… but still, the choice was his/hers to make.
Nearly every day, someone will make a choice that is theirs to make… but it will greatly affect your life. Your friend may decide to drink and drive… smoke, do drugs, participate in something illegal or immoral… and you may have to distance – or dissolve – your friendship, if a resolution cannot be reached. Your roommate may fail to study… and flunk out of college. Not only will he/she be affected… you will lose your roomie. Your friends may neglect to pay their bills or show up for work, and the loss of their job, property and more may be devastating to them – and to you. Your aging spouse may refuse to give up driving… and you may have to refuse to ride with him/her any more. Your parents may move to another state… and you may have to go with them. Or your children may move across the country – and take your grandchildren along. OR… you may have to make room in your home for aging relatives who can no longer live alone.
When people make personal choices that are well within their rights – and sometimes when “life” makes choices for them - others still may be greatly affected. And when we are one of those people, how do we handle this? The only answer that makes any sense to me is to trust God for the outcome. If God decides to allow the choice and you are hurt in the bargain, trust Him to comfort you and restore your hope and joy. If God elects to lead the person in the direction that favors your preferences, humbly and gratefully praise Him. When God seems to allow “bad things to happen to good people”, ask Him to show you what He wants you to learn from this… how you can grow – and how you can use the outcome to glorify His name and bless and encourage others.
My mother shared one of her recent devotionals from a book written by Bishop TD Jakes, in which he suggested that when we face adversity or challenge, we throw it at God… that we hurl it as hard and fast as we can toward Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins, and say, “Here you go, LORD… handle THIS for me!” (I’m paraphrasing.) I don’t know about you, but I will probably be doing a lot of throwing in the coming days/weeks/years. The GOOD NEWS is that God can catch – and handle – every test of faith that I toss His way.
What about you… what will you do with your challenges? Are you ready to warm up your “pitching arm”?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 15, 2013
Galatians 6:7-8
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
There’s a new Sonic® commercial where two guys are sitting in the car, and one of them says that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and the other guy says, “Tell me about it”… then proceeds to talk about something. Guy #1 says, “Wait a minute! You said ‘tell me about it,’ and then you didn’t give me a chance to tell you!” Guy #2 says, “Man, you really did wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!” It’s a silly commercial… not as funny in my opinion as most by these two actors… but it does make a good point.
We are often so caught up in our own life that we really don’t give the other person a chance to “tell us about it.” We ask people how they are doing as we pass them… but we certainly don’t intend for them to answer us - and we’re not about to stop what we are doing long enough to hear their answer! We don’t notice that others have needs, because we are so busy whining and complaining about our own. We can’t be bothered to help a friend, because we might have to give up or postpone something that we want to do for ourselves. We’ll spend hours shopping online or in a store for just the right shoes, purses, golf clubs, hunting rifle, fishing pole, or outfit to wear to an event… but we can’t spend thirty minutes talking to a friend in need… much less take an hour or two on Sunday to attend a worship service.
We don’t stop to think how others are affected by our decisions because we are too busy worrying about whether or not we will be “fulfilled”, satisfied or happy with the choice. I’m just as guilty as the rest of you… I have made my share of excuses when I didn’t want to do something. But I have also done things I didn’t want to do because they were the right choice… like spend time taking my grandmother to events that didn’t interest me because she had no other way to get there and needed assistance getting around once there. I don’t always want to bite my tongue when someone says something that I disagree with, even though I know to respond might start World War Three or destroy a friendship. I have to consciously choose to pay the guy at the farmer’s market more than he is asking for his home-grown vegetables, even when it means I’m giving him the last of my change… or to tell the girl who sells me her daughters’ hand-me-downs that she is undercharging and give her extra money, even though she didn’t ask for it, and I could rightfully pay her pennies on the dollar.
The point is that we have choices. We can choose to serve ourselves and always do what “feels good.” Or we can ask, “Does this please God and honor my commitment to serve Him as a Christian disciple?” and choose to do what is right. Sometimes, that choice actually feels good and serves us, whether we intended for it to do so or not. Often, we get the bigger blessing when we make a hard choice. Either way, we must deal with our decisions and face the results.
I don’t know what hard choices you are encountering. I don’t know whether you are serving yourself more than you serve God and others… or if you have made a habit of living selflessly. The balance can be delicate. But if you will practice serving God and others first, you will find that you end up served in the bargain more often than not. At the end of the day, God will be pleased with your decisions. And that’s really all that matters.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
There’s a new Sonic® commercial where two guys are sitting in the car, and one of them says that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and the other guy says, “Tell me about it”… then proceeds to talk about something. Guy #1 says, “Wait a minute! You said ‘tell me about it,’ and then you didn’t give me a chance to tell you!” Guy #2 says, “Man, you really did wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!” It’s a silly commercial… not as funny in my opinion as most by these two actors… but it does make a good point.
We are often so caught up in our own life that we really don’t give the other person a chance to “tell us about it.” We ask people how they are doing as we pass them… but we certainly don’t intend for them to answer us - and we’re not about to stop what we are doing long enough to hear their answer! We don’t notice that others have needs, because we are so busy whining and complaining about our own. We can’t be bothered to help a friend, because we might have to give up or postpone something that we want to do for ourselves. We’ll spend hours shopping online or in a store for just the right shoes, purses, golf clubs, hunting rifle, fishing pole, or outfit to wear to an event… but we can’t spend thirty minutes talking to a friend in need… much less take an hour or two on Sunday to attend a worship service.
We don’t stop to think how others are affected by our decisions because we are too busy worrying about whether or not we will be “fulfilled”, satisfied or happy with the choice. I’m just as guilty as the rest of you… I have made my share of excuses when I didn’t want to do something. But I have also done things I didn’t want to do because they were the right choice… like spend time taking my grandmother to events that didn’t interest me because she had no other way to get there and needed assistance getting around once there. I don’t always want to bite my tongue when someone says something that I disagree with, even though I know to respond might start World War Three or destroy a friendship. I have to consciously choose to pay the guy at the farmer’s market more than he is asking for his home-grown vegetables, even when it means I’m giving him the last of my change… or to tell the girl who sells me her daughters’ hand-me-downs that she is undercharging and give her extra money, even though she didn’t ask for it, and I could rightfully pay her pennies on the dollar.
The point is that we have choices. We can choose to serve ourselves and always do what “feels good.” Or we can ask, “Does this please God and honor my commitment to serve Him as a Christian disciple?” and choose to do what is right. Sometimes, that choice actually feels good and serves us, whether we intended for it to do so or not. Often, we get the bigger blessing when we make a hard choice. Either way, we must deal with our decisions and face the results.
I don’t know what hard choices you are encountering. I don’t know whether you are serving yourself more than you serve God and others… or if you have made a habit of living selflessly. The balance can be delicate. But if you will practice serving God and others first, you will find that you end up served in the bargain more often than not. At the end of the day, God will be pleased with your decisions. And that’s really all that matters.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 12, 2013
Deuteronomy 30:9-10
“The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Friends of ours have just sold their house and pretty much everything in it, bought a motorhome and car to tow behind, and made plans to “hit the road”! Every day, countless people across the country sell or give away virtually all that they own, buy an RV (recreational vehicle) and begin traveling America’s highways. At the very least, many of them downsize tremendously… pare their belongings to just what will fit into less than 350 square feet of living space… and trade a conventional lifestyle for the lure of travel, adventure, and a relatively simpler way of life. This can be a daunting choice… but for some, it’s an easy one. For others, the thought of giving up all of their “stuff,” leaving their home and virtually starting over is just too much. It seems difficult, fraught with challenges, and downright fearful.
A lot of people go through the same struggles as they wrestle with the thought of giving up an old, sin-filled life and choosing to live for Jesus. It’s tough to set aside deep-rooted lifestyles… long-time friends…and “fun” habits. The fear of the unknown looms large on the horizon. Will it be as good as promised? Will there truly be abundance, blessings, and delights? Or will serving God be boring, lonely, and sad? This is a question thousands have asked… and one that exponentially more will ask in the days/weeks/years to come. There is no “crystal ball” to see into the future and know for sure that what God has promised will come true. That’s why it’s called “FAITH!”
So how do you know what to choose? How do you know with anything in life? In a lot of cases, you talk to people who have already made a choice. You ask them about the challenges… the “pros and cons”… you get a “testimonial” for how their lives have been since they made the move. This applies to everything from picking a college – or fraternity or sorority – to choosing a career, deciding who to marry, having children, buying a house and/or car… and yes… choosing whether to follow Jesus. There is no shame in asking around and talking to those with experience. Having all the facts before you make a choice is a wise move.
In the end, I hope you will find that those who have chosen to serve God shore up your confidence and build your faith. I hope that those of us who have chosen Jesus serve as active examples of His abundance, blessings, and the joy of living for Him. I pray that you decide to “downsize” your baggage and lighten your load… to step out and take a chance on Jesus and all that He offers.
Anyone who has ever owned an RV will tell you that, “the minute you leave your driveway, something will go wrong.” It’s part of the lifestyle. RVing, like most things in life, is not 100% smooth sailing. There are challenges, breakdowns, limits to how much you can carry, and more. But most take these in stride and rely on a strong support network in the RVing community and industry to keep the wheels turning… just as we Christians rely on our Heavenly Father to help us through any and all challenges we encounter.
So whaddya say? Are you ready to take a giant leap of faith and serve God with your whole heart? If you’re already a Christian, can you truly say you are “all in” for Jesus? Do you need to recommit to serving Him completely – to say, “LORD, here I am, ready to give my heart fully to you and receive all that you are offering!”? Isn’t this the perfect time to “hit the road” with God and see where He takes you? Will this be the day you start your new adventure with Him?
©2013 Debbie Robus
“The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Friends of ours have just sold their house and pretty much everything in it, bought a motorhome and car to tow behind, and made plans to “hit the road”! Every day, countless people across the country sell or give away virtually all that they own, buy an RV (recreational vehicle) and begin traveling America’s highways. At the very least, many of them downsize tremendously… pare their belongings to just what will fit into less than 350 square feet of living space… and trade a conventional lifestyle for the lure of travel, adventure, and a relatively simpler way of life. This can be a daunting choice… but for some, it’s an easy one. For others, the thought of giving up all of their “stuff,” leaving their home and virtually starting over is just too much. It seems difficult, fraught with challenges, and downright fearful.
A lot of people go through the same struggles as they wrestle with the thought of giving up an old, sin-filled life and choosing to live for Jesus. It’s tough to set aside deep-rooted lifestyles… long-time friends…and “fun” habits. The fear of the unknown looms large on the horizon. Will it be as good as promised? Will there truly be abundance, blessings, and delights? Or will serving God be boring, lonely, and sad? This is a question thousands have asked… and one that exponentially more will ask in the days/weeks/years to come. There is no “crystal ball” to see into the future and know for sure that what God has promised will come true. That’s why it’s called “FAITH!”
So how do you know what to choose? How do you know with anything in life? In a lot of cases, you talk to people who have already made a choice. You ask them about the challenges… the “pros and cons”… you get a “testimonial” for how their lives have been since they made the move. This applies to everything from picking a college – or fraternity or sorority – to choosing a career, deciding who to marry, having children, buying a house and/or car… and yes… choosing whether to follow Jesus. There is no shame in asking around and talking to those with experience. Having all the facts before you make a choice is a wise move.
In the end, I hope you will find that those who have chosen to serve God shore up your confidence and build your faith. I hope that those of us who have chosen Jesus serve as active examples of His abundance, blessings, and the joy of living for Him. I pray that you decide to “downsize” your baggage and lighten your load… to step out and take a chance on Jesus and all that He offers.
Anyone who has ever owned an RV will tell you that, “the minute you leave your driveway, something will go wrong.” It’s part of the lifestyle. RVing, like most things in life, is not 100% smooth sailing. There are challenges, breakdowns, limits to how much you can carry, and more. But most take these in stride and rely on a strong support network in the RVing community and industry to keep the wheels turning… just as we Christians rely on our Heavenly Father to help us through any and all challenges we encounter.
So whaddya say? Are you ready to take a giant leap of faith and serve God with your whole heart? If you’re already a Christian, can you truly say you are “all in” for Jesus? Do you need to recommit to serving Him completely – to say, “LORD, here I am, ready to give my heart fully to you and receive all that you are offering!”? Isn’t this the perfect time to “hit the road” with God and see where He takes you? Will this be the day you start your new adventure with Him?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 9, 2013
Daniel 3:15-18
I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
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.
It’s been 27 years since I taught public school kindergarten…and probably 30 years since the incident I am about to describe actually happened… but I remember it like it was yesterday. An administrator for our school district was observing a lesson that I taught one morning. Our school district was something of the “guinea pig” for every new program that came down the pike. This time, it was a program on assertive discipline. The woman who visited my classroom was doing “blind observations.” She did not know which teachers had attended the trial classes in assertive discipline… and which had not (and for the record, I was in the latter category!). As I began my lesson, a little boy named Marice began to “show out.” I warned him that a trip to “time out” was eminent. He persisted. I placed him in said “time out,” which consisted of a little nook in a corner of the classroom with a chair for sitting, separated from the rest of the room by a tall file cabinet. Think of it as a “3-sided box.”
I placed Marice in “time out.” He protested… loudly. I continued my lesson. He screamed and yelled, “I hate you! I’m never coming back!” I continued to deliver my lesson and interact with the other students as if nothing was amiss. Marice continued to shout, kick the filing cabinet, and protest… although he never left the corner. At the end of his ten minutes, the timer I had set began to ring, and I told him that he could return to his seat. The administrator later told me (as she shook her head), “I do not know how you did it! I could not have handled that!” I suggested to her that it was a matter of choices. The little boy chose to misbehave, and I gave him a chance to correct his behavior. By choosing to continue his actions, he elected to suffer consequences. I opted to enforce those consequences.
I could have “caved” and let him off the hook. I could have said, “We have a guest here today, and I don’t want to make a scene.” But I knew that this would not be the right option… this would not be productive for any of us in the long term. So I chose to grit my teeth and endure the 10 minutes of “time out” that was somewhat torturous for everyone. In the end, the little boy – and the other students – realized that I meant business. The rules were to be followed, or there would be consequences.
So often in our lives, there are “rules” that must be followed and choices that must be made, or we suffer consequences. In the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, there were two sets of rules - God’s, and King Nebuchadnezzar’s. To follow the king’s rules would save them from the fiery furnace. To follow God’s rules could possibly result in burning to death, which is not my idea of a pleasant way to go! I don’t know about you, but I would not have been able to blame these men if that threat had caused them to succumb to the pressure and say, “Okay, we will bow down to your idols.”
Here’s the thing…there are times when it would be so easy to say, “I just can’t do this. It’s too hard. I’m not sure exactly what will happen if I say ‘No!’… but I just can’t take that risk. I don’t think I can handle this.” But here’s the more important part… when we can’t handle a choice that we know God is calling us to make, we must trust Him to step in and do the hard work for us. We have to believe that He will carry us… that God will handle whatever pain and disruption our hard choice creates… that He will be there to rescue us from our “fiery furnace.”
I’m telling you… this is H.A.R.D. for me to digest – and it may be for you, as well. Like the administrator, there are times where I want to throw up my hands and say, “I simply cannot do this!” But I keep hearing God whisper, “Why can’t you? I’m right here with you. If you will listen and stay strong, I will show you that together, we can do this!” Does this mean that certain choices are no longer scary… that there aren’t times when I feel nauseous and anxious and wring my hands over the options I choose? Absolutely not! But my desire to follow God’s lead and serve Him is bigger than my fears… at least so far! What about yours?
©2013 Debbie Robus
I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
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.
It’s been 27 years since I taught public school kindergarten…and probably 30 years since the incident I am about to describe actually happened… but I remember it like it was yesterday. An administrator for our school district was observing a lesson that I taught one morning. Our school district was something of the “guinea pig” for every new program that came down the pike. This time, it was a program on assertive discipline. The woman who visited my classroom was doing “blind observations.” She did not know which teachers had attended the trial classes in assertive discipline… and which had not (and for the record, I was in the latter category!). As I began my lesson, a little boy named Marice began to “show out.” I warned him that a trip to “time out” was eminent. He persisted. I placed him in said “time out,” which consisted of a little nook in a corner of the classroom with a chair for sitting, separated from the rest of the room by a tall file cabinet. Think of it as a “3-sided box.”
I placed Marice in “time out.” He protested… loudly. I continued my lesson. He screamed and yelled, “I hate you! I’m never coming back!” I continued to deliver my lesson and interact with the other students as if nothing was amiss. Marice continued to shout, kick the filing cabinet, and protest… although he never left the corner. At the end of his ten minutes, the timer I had set began to ring, and I told him that he could return to his seat. The administrator later told me (as she shook her head), “I do not know how you did it! I could not have handled that!” I suggested to her that it was a matter of choices. The little boy chose to misbehave, and I gave him a chance to correct his behavior. By choosing to continue his actions, he elected to suffer consequences. I opted to enforce those consequences.
I could have “caved” and let him off the hook. I could have said, “We have a guest here today, and I don’t want to make a scene.” But I knew that this would not be the right option… this would not be productive for any of us in the long term. So I chose to grit my teeth and endure the 10 minutes of “time out” that was somewhat torturous for everyone. In the end, the little boy – and the other students – realized that I meant business. The rules were to be followed, or there would be consequences.
So often in our lives, there are “rules” that must be followed and choices that must be made, or we suffer consequences. In the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, there were two sets of rules - God’s, and King Nebuchadnezzar’s. To follow the king’s rules would save them from the fiery furnace. To follow God’s rules could possibly result in burning to death, which is not my idea of a pleasant way to go! I don’t know about you, but I would not have been able to blame these men if that threat had caused them to succumb to the pressure and say, “Okay, we will bow down to your idols.”
Here’s the thing…there are times when it would be so easy to say, “I just can’t do this. It’s too hard. I’m not sure exactly what will happen if I say ‘No!’… but I just can’t take that risk. I don’t think I can handle this.” But here’s the more important part… when we can’t handle a choice that we know God is calling us to make, we must trust Him to step in and do the hard work for us. We have to believe that He will carry us… that God will handle whatever pain and disruption our hard choice creates… that He will be there to rescue us from our “fiery furnace.”
I’m telling you… this is H.A.R.D. for me to digest – and it may be for you, as well. Like the administrator, there are times where I want to throw up my hands and say, “I simply cannot do this!” But I keep hearing God whisper, “Why can’t you? I’m right here with you. If you will listen and stay strong, I will show you that together, we can do this!” Does this mean that certain choices are no longer scary… that there aren’t times when I feel nauseous and anxious and wring my hands over the options I choose? Absolutely not! But my desire to follow God’s lead and serve Him is bigger than my fears… at least so far! What about yours?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 8, 2013
Daniel 1:8-10
But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. The head of the palace staff, by God’s grace, liked Daniel, but he warned him, “I’m afraid of what my master the king will do. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, he’ll have my head!”
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.
When Timothy began to “wind up” and whirl around yesterday afternoon, squealing and yelling at a shrill high pitch, I knew that he was approaching “the wall” and needed a nap. As his “meltdown” ensued and we lay down on his bed, he kept pointing to the door and saying, “But I want to get up.” Timothy must have told me 2 dozen times that he wanted to get up… that he didn’t need to rest. But his body language and demeanor indicated otherwise. This was one time when I had to be the grownup and choose what was best for him. It’s not that his choice was necessarily wrong… it just was not in his best interest – or the best interest of anyone else in the household! In this passage from Daniel, things were the other way around…the king’s choice was not necessarily wrong… but it was not best for Daniel.
The king wanted even the prisoners to be fed exactly what he ate. Quite literally, they were to “eat like royalty” – the king’s idea of keeping everyone healthy and fit. But Daniel’s diet was not the same as the king’s… most likely for religious reasons. He told the steward that he wanted only vegetables and water. He probably did not eat meat – in particular, pork. Nonetheless, his choice was not wrong… just different. If you continue reading beyond verse 10, you will see that Daniel and the other captives were indeed served only vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of that time, they were still perfectly healthy. In fact, they were in better physical shape than others in the king’s court! The steward continued to feed only vegetables to Daniel and his fellow prisoners afterward. The scripture says that… “God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life.”
There were two decisions here: 1) Daniel’s choice not to eat what was served; and 2) the steward’s choice to allow Daniel a period of ten days to prove himself. Both were risky…both decisions involved a lot of faith and wisdom. And I believe both were orchestrated by God. There are times in our lives when we have options… many of which may have their merits. It would have been so easy for Daniel to say, “I’m in a bind here (quite literally), and I think I will just eat what is served and not complain.” It would have been understandable for the steward to say, “Look, I have to serve what the king tells me… and you have to eat it.” Both would have been plausible options.
There may be times when we feel as though it would be easier just to go along with the crowd… to make excuses or cover for a friend who isn’t exactly doing the right thing (but it isn’t necessarily so bad, either – think “Don’t tell So-and-so I’m here!”). We may opt to put up with the foul language from a co-worker, coach, teacher, parent, relative, friend or boss… to stand in silence when someone is saying or doing something we disagree with rather than make a scene… or to allow a 4-year-old to get back up and skip his much-needed nap. These choices don’t necessarily make us bad people.
But there are times when we have to listen to the voice of God nudging us to take a stand… to do the right thing… to speak up and out and say, “I must choose differently.” We have to trust that God will orchestrate the outcome… that He will make a way where none seems possible. We have to “stick to our [Spiritual] guns” and make the choices that God indicates to us are the right ones – those that honor and please Him. In my case, I had to wait out an overly-tired 4-year-old who said he didn’t need a nap and trust God to bring sweet sleep and much-needed rest… and He did!
If you read the book of Daniel, you see that he had an extraordinary relationship with God. But the neat thing is that we can have this relationship, too. We can cultivate a deep and abiding faith in hearing from our Heavenly Father… and trusting that He will work in ways we cannot even fathom. We can ask Him to guide every single one of our choices… and trust Him to know best how things should go in the end. There is a tremendous peace and confidence in this…as well as an opportunity to grow and cultivate our courage and “faith muscle.”
Are you ready to trust God in the choices you are making? Are you ready to stand up for what you decide… and believe that He will handle the outcome? Will you take the easy way out and go along with the crowd… or are you ready to let God speak through you – to make what can sometimes seem like very difficult – and unpopular - decisions? The choice is yours… how will you decide?
©2013 Debbie Robus
But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. The head of the palace staff, by God’s grace, liked Daniel, but he warned him, “I’m afraid of what my master the king will do. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, he’ll have my head!”
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.
When Timothy began to “wind up” and whirl around yesterday afternoon, squealing and yelling at a shrill high pitch, I knew that he was approaching “the wall” and needed a nap. As his “meltdown” ensued and we lay down on his bed, he kept pointing to the door and saying, “But I want to get up.” Timothy must have told me 2 dozen times that he wanted to get up… that he didn’t need to rest. But his body language and demeanor indicated otherwise. This was one time when I had to be the grownup and choose what was best for him. It’s not that his choice was necessarily wrong… it just was not in his best interest – or the best interest of anyone else in the household! In this passage from Daniel, things were the other way around…the king’s choice was not necessarily wrong… but it was not best for Daniel.
The king wanted even the prisoners to be fed exactly what he ate. Quite literally, they were to “eat like royalty” – the king’s idea of keeping everyone healthy and fit. But Daniel’s diet was not the same as the king’s… most likely for religious reasons. He told the steward that he wanted only vegetables and water. He probably did not eat meat – in particular, pork. Nonetheless, his choice was not wrong… just different. If you continue reading beyond verse 10, you will see that Daniel and the other captives were indeed served only vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of that time, they were still perfectly healthy. In fact, they were in better physical shape than others in the king’s court! The steward continued to feed only vegetables to Daniel and his fellow prisoners afterward. The scripture says that… “God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life.”
There were two decisions here: 1) Daniel’s choice not to eat what was served; and 2) the steward’s choice to allow Daniel a period of ten days to prove himself. Both were risky…both decisions involved a lot of faith and wisdom. And I believe both were orchestrated by God. There are times in our lives when we have options… many of which may have their merits. It would have been so easy for Daniel to say, “I’m in a bind here (quite literally), and I think I will just eat what is served and not complain.” It would have been understandable for the steward to say, “Look, I have to serve what the king tells me… and you have to eat it.” Both would have been plausible options.
There may be times when we feel as though it would be easier just to go along with the crowd… to make excuses or cover for a friend who isn’t exactly doing the right thing (but it isn’t necessarily so bad, either – think “Don’t tell So-and-so I’m here!”). We may opt to put up with the foul language from a co-worker, coach, teacher, parent, relative, friend or boss… to stand in silence when someone is saying or doing something we disagree with rather than make a scene… or to allow a 4-year-old to get back up and skip his much-needed nap. These choices don’t necessarily make us bad people.
But there are times when we have to listen to the voice of God nudging us to take a stand… to do the right thing… to speak up and out and say, “I must choose differently.” We have to trust that God will orchestrate the outcome… that He will make a way where none seems possible. We have to “stick to our [Spiritual] guns” and make the choices that God indicates to us are the right ones – those that honor and please Him. In my case, I had to wait out an overly-tired 4-year-old who said he didn’t need a nap and trust God to bring sweet sleep and much-needed rest… and He did!
If you read the book of Daniel, you see that he had an extraordinary relationship with God. But the neat thing is that we can have this relationship, too. We can cultivate a deep and abiding faith in hearing from our Heavenly Father… and trusting that He will work in ways we cannot even fathom. We can ask Him to guide every single one of our choices… and trust Him to know best how things should go in the end. There is a tremendous peace and confidence in this…as well as an opportunity to grow and cultivate our courage and “faith muscle.”
Are you ready to trust God in the choices you are making? Are you ready to stand up for what you decide… and believe that He will handle the outcome? Will you take the easy way out and go along with the crowd… or are you ready to let God speak through you – to make what can sometimes seem like very difficult – and unpopular - decisions? The choice is yours… how will you decide?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 4, 2013
1 Peter 5:5
In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The movie 42, written and directed by Brian Helgeland, tells the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the National Baseball League. Robinson was mistreated at every turn by fellow players, hotel managers, bus drivers, restaurant staff, and other teams…because of his race. His owner, Branch Richey, insisted that Robinson not react to the taunts and abuse from others. He believed that this just encouraged those who were mistreating Robinson… that they wanted him to react to their hatefulness… to give them a reason to say, “See… he doesn’t belong in baseball!”
The movie does a good job of depicting how difficult things were for Jackie Robinson and his family… how he struggled with the abuse and mistreatment. But I also read a recent interview with Jackie Robinson’s wife, Rachel, in AARP Magazine, where she divulged that Jackie frequently left the baseball field and went to a driving range after games and practices. There, he would hit golf balls… sometimes for hours… until his anger and hurt subsided. Only then would he come home.
Jackie Robinson found a way to accept the authority of his owner…to humble himself to the influence of his leaders. He didn’t necessarily accept the abuse and racism of others; but he chose to react in a way that was unexpected and contrary to the effect his enemies desired. By doing so, he honored God, his family, and himself. He maintained his dignity and made God proud.
There are many times when we have to choose whether to do what people expect and react in a certain manner… or to humble ourselves and respond differently. A good example of this is when fellow “Christians” are being critical of those who think otherwise… participating in name calling or derogatory remarks toward certain persons or groups of people…or even speaking out on certain social issues and creating a “buzz” that often is more harmful than if they had remained silent. If we “chime in” and add our support, we may feel better (at least temporarily), but we are not acting as God’s humble servants… and His work is not furthered by these actions and behaviors.
In essence, there are times when we all need to “go to the driving range and hit a few buckets of balls” (at least figuratively). We need to choose to hold our tongues, keep our opinions to ourselves, and refrain from jumping on the latest bandwagon. Our Ultimate Leader is God Almighty… and we must accept His authority and operate in a way that serves His will and makes Him proud. We would all do well to check ourselves often to see if we are operating in humility… to ask if what we are saying and doing pleases God and furthers His Kingdom. If we find that we are doing anything less, we probably should choose to go in a different direction.
©2013 Debbie Robus
In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The movie 42, written and directed by Brian Helgeland, tells the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the National Baseball League. Robinson was mistreated at every turn by fellow players, hotel managers, bus drivers, restaurant staff, and other teams…because of his race. His owner, Branch Richey, insisted that Robinson not react to the taunts and abuse from others. He believed that this just encouraged those who were mistreating Robinson… that they wanted him to react to their hatefulness… to give them a reason to say, “See… he doesn’t belong in baseball!”
The movie does a good job of depicting how difficult things were for Jackie Robinson and his family… how he struggled with the abuse and mistreatment. But I also read a recent interview with Jackie Robinson’s wife, Rachel, in AARP Magazine, where she divulged that Jackie frequently left the baseball field and went to a driving range after games and practices. There, he would hit golf balls… sometimes for hours… until his anger and hurt subsided. Only then would he come home.
Jackie Robinson found a way to accept the authority of his owner…to humble himself to the influence of his leaders. He didn’t necessarily accept the abuse and racism of others; but he chose to react in a way that was unexpected and contrary to the effect his enemies desired. By doing so, he honored God, his family, and himself. He maintained his dignity and made God proud.
There are many times when we have to choose whether to do what people expect and react in a certain manner… or to humble ourselves and respond differently. A good example of this is when fellow “Christians” are being critical of those who think otherwise… participating in name calling or derogatory remarks toward certain persons or groups of people…or even speaking out on certain social issues and creating a “buzz” that often is more harmful than if they had remained silent. If we “chime in” and add our support, we may feel better (at least temporarily), but we are not acting as God’s humble servants… and His work is not furthered by these actions and behaviors.
In essence, there are times when we all need to “go to the driving range and hit a few buckets of balls” (at least figuratively). We need to choose to hold our tongues, keep our opinions to ourselves, and refrain from jumping on the latest bandwagon. Our Ultimate Leader is God Almighty… and we must accept His authority and operate in a way that serves His will and makes Him proud. We would all do well to check ourselves often to see if we are operating in humility… to ask if what we are saying and doing pleases God and furthers His Kingdom. If we find that we are doing anything less, we probably should choose to go in a different direction.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 3, 2013
1 Kings 3:25-28
“Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him.”
“Please don’t kill my son,” the baby’s mother screamed. “Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don’t kill him.”
The other woman shouted, “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”
Solomon said, “Don’t kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”
Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend of mine recently took a test to acquire further certification for her job. She was telling me about the questions and how confusing some of them were. She tried to think through the multiple choice answers and select the one that made the most sense. Sometimes, she felt a very clear indication in one direction or another. But there were some questions where several choices seemed plausible, and she truly had to guess at the answer.
We’ve all been there… if not an actual pencil-and-paper test, there have been times when we had to make a choice, and several options seemed reasonable – or confusing! I really like this story in 1 Kings about the two women who went before King Solomon. Both had given birth to babies at approximately the same time. One rolled over on her infant in the night and smothered him/her. In a panic, she got up and swapped babies with the other woman. Both mothers insisted to King Solomon that the living baby was theirs.
Think about it… there was no way King Solomon could know which woman was truly the mother of this infant - based on the information he had been given. There was a 50-50 chance of getting this right… or wrong! The scripture doesn’t tell us that Solomon paused to talk to God about this… but it does say that God gave him the wisdom to make the right choice. And this is where we find our message for today… when we listen to God, He will give us wise answers. When we stay in close contact with God and pray about everything, He will provide us with the necessary wisdom – and courage – to make the right decisions.
Sometimes, these choices will be abundantly clear… other times, we will have to take a leap of faith and trust that God is leading us. I cannot imagine that Solomon was eager to tell these women to “cut the baby in half” and each take a portion. Yet that was the perfect way to get a “confession” from the “wannabe” mother. Sometimes, we have to “call a bluff”…take a risk…make a choice that is unpopular – or even scary! If we feel that God is leading us in this direction, we must trust that He will manage the outcome and help us deal with the consequences.
I can tell you firsthand that letting God guide our choices can be daunting – and at times, almost petrifying! But I can also tell you that I have never regretted following His lead. And the more that I listen to God… the more clearly I hear His voice. I find “signs” that He is directing my choices, and I experience an inexplicable peace in the options I select… even the scary ones!
Life is often like my friend’s certification exam… fraught with multiple choices that all seem possible – and/or confusing. Every day we make decisions that leave us wondering if we did the right thing. Thankfully, this will probably never extend to selecting to cut a baby in half! But when we call on God to guide us – and trust His direction – we can be satisfied that we have chosen well in the end. With God’s wisdom to judge things fairly, we can live with courage and confidence. Who is guiding your choices today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
“Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him.”
“Please don’t kill my son,” the baby’s mother screamed. “Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don’t kill him.”
The other woman shouted, “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”
Solomon said, “Don’t kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”
Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend of mine recently took a test to acquire further certification for her job. She was telling me about the questions and how confusing some of them were. She tried to think through the multiple choice answers and select the one that made the most sense. Sometimes, she felt a very clear indication in one direction or another. But there were some questions where several choices seemed plausible, and she truly had to guess at the answer.
We’ve all been there… if not an actual pencil-and-paper test, there have been times when we had to make a choice, and several options seemed reasonable – or confusing! I really like this story in 1 Kings about the two women who went before King Solomon. Both had given birth to babies at approximately the same time. One rolled over on her infant in the night and smothered him/her. In a panic, she got up and swapped babies with the other woman. Both mothers insisted to King Solomon that the living baby was theirs.
Think about it… there was no way King Solomon could know which woman was truly the mother of this infant - based on the information he had been given. There was a 50-50 chance of getting this right… or wrong! The scripture doesn’t tell us that Solomon paused to talk to God about this… but it does say that God gave him the wisdom to make the right choice. And this is where we find our message for today… when we listen to God, He will give us wise answers. When we stay in close contact with God and pray about everything, He will provide us with the necessary wisdom – and courage – to make the right decisions.
Sometimes, these choices will be abundantly clear… other times, we will have to take a leap of faith and trust that God is leading us. I cannot imagine that Solomon was eager to tell these women to “cut the baby in half” and each take a portion. Yet that was the perfect way to get a “confession” from the “wannabe” mother. Sometimes, we have to “call a bluff”…take a risk…make a choice that is unpopular – or even scary! If we feel that God is leading us in this direction, we must trust that He will manage the outcome and help us deal with the consequences.
I can tell you firsthand that letting God guide our choices can be daunting – and at times, almost petrifying! But I can also tell you that I have never regretted following His lead. And the more that I listen to God… the more clearly I hear His voice. I find “signs” that He is directing my choices, and I experience an inexplicable peace in the options I select… even the scary ones!
Life is often like my friend’s certification exam… fraught with multiple choices that all seem possible – and/or confusing. Every day we make decisions that leave us wondering if we did the right thing. Thankfully, this will probably never extend to selecting to cut a baby in half! But when we call on God to guide us – and trust His direction – we can be satisfied that we have chosen well in the end. With God’s wisdom to judge things fairly, we can live with courage and confidence. Who is guiding your choices today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 1, 2013
1 Corinthians 10:13
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A few weeks ago, I bought a stack of vintage linens at an estate sale. I carefully selected what I thought were “good” linens… or those that still had useful embroidery or details. After washing everything, I discovered that a few were pretty tattered. In particular, there was a pair of embroidered pillowcases that I really wanted to use to make little girls’ dresses. I decided that I could cut around the bad spots on one pillowcase and create a cute little blouse for our niece, Zola. There was almost the same scenario with a pair of pale pink pillowcases… and I decided I could use the “best” one to make a pair of pants to match Zola’s blouse.
I began to sew the blouse together, and about two-thirds of the way into the project, I tugged on the fabric to pull it taught… and it ripped. The fabric was so old and fragile that it gave way under stress. “No worries,” I thought…”I’ll stitch a decorative flower over that spot! After all, this is vintage fabric!” Then another spot tore…and another. I was almost ready to give up. This was too much. I had spent a couple of hours on the garment at this point. The temptation to cut my losses was there… did I dare succumb to it? In the end, I decided to keep going…to reinforce the torn spots with sturdy stitching and cover them in fabric flower enhancements. If Zola only wore this blouse one time and it fell apart in the wash, so be it!
The end result was darling… and then I experienced virtually the same thing when I made the pants. The fabric tore as I stitched the waistband! I added a little more sturdy “over-stitching”…and I was done. Again, the temptation was to throw in the towel and start another project. But I was able to work through this and finish both garments. I know there will be times when it is right to change directions and leave a project unfinished. But the lesson I learned from this experience and others is that God will tell me when that time comes. Until then, I am to persevere. I know that God will help me handle all of my temptations.
Every day, EVERY ONE of us tempted in one way or another, just as this scripture declares. No one is immune to this. Temptations go far beyond food, alcohol, nicotine and drugs, which are some of the ones that generally come to mind first.
Do we really think so little of God that we cannot trust Him to help us handle temptation? Is the choice really so tantalizing that we cannot resist with His help? Every day we have choices to make… and temptations to resist. God stands ready – and able – to help us in this. The only temptation we should entertain is the one to accept His help and care in all things. When impulses and decisions arise in your life… how – and WHO – will you choose to handle them? Will you opt to give up, give in… or let God guide your choices?
©2013 Debbie Robus
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A few weeks ago, I bought a stack of vintage linens at an estate sale. I carefully selected what I thought were “good” linens… or those that still had useful embroidery or details. After washing everything, I discovered that a few were pretty tattered. In particular, there was a pair of embroidered pillowcases that I really wanted to use to make little girls’ dresses. I decided that I could cut around the bad spots on one pillowcase and create a cute little blouse for our niece, Zola. There was almost the same scenario with a pair of pale pink pillowcases… and I decided I could use the “best” one to make a pair of pants to match Zola’s blouse.
I began to sew the blouse together, and about two-thirds of the way into the project, I tugged on the fabric to pull it taught… and it ripped. The fabric was so old and fragile that it gave way under stress. “No worries,” I thought…”I’ll stitch a decorative flower over that spot! After all, this is vintage fabric!” Then another spot tore…and another. I was almost ready to give up. This was too much. I had spent a couple of hours on the garment at this point. The temptation to cut my losses was there… did I dare succumb to it? In the end, I decided to keep going…to reinforce the torn spots with sturdy stitching and cover them in fabric flower enhancements. If Zola only wore this blouse one time and it fell apart in the wash, so be it!
The end result was darling… and then I experienced virtually the same thing when I made the pants. The fabric tore as I stitched the waistband! I added a little more sturdy “over-stitching”…and I was done. Again, the temptation was to throw in the towel and start another project. But I was able to work through this and finish both garments. I know there will be times when it is right to change directions and leave a project unfinished. But the lesson I learned from this experience and others is that God will tell me when that time comes. Until then, I am to persevere. I know that God will help me handle all of my temptations.
Every day, EVERY ONE of us tempted in one way or another, just as this scripture declares. No one is immune to this. Temptations go far beyond food, alcohol, nicotine and drugs, which are some of the ones that generally come to mind first.
- We are tempted to quit our job or give up on relationships.
- We are tempted to drop out of school or a class that seems too difficult.
- We are tempted to stop caring and trying with loved ones and friends who reject us.
- We are tempted to give up on exercise when results are slow in materializing.
- We are tempted to leave the church when we disagree with fellow members… someone is critical of us… or we experience a conflict of some sort.
- We are tempted to give others a piece of our mind when we are irritated.
- We are tempted to stick our noses in where they don’t belong.
- We are tempted to drink too much, dress too provocatively, curse, tell off-color jokes, and agree with derogatory slurs in order to fit in with the crowd.
- We are tempted to criticize or put down the other guy in order to make ourselves look more important or special.
- We are tempted to spend too much and acquire more “stuff” than we will ever need or use.
- We are tempted to fall apart when grief and/or tragedy strikes.
- We are tempted to pull the covers over our head and never get out of bed again!
Do we really think so little of God that we cannot trust Him to help us handle temptation? Is the choice really so tantalizing that we cannot resist with His help? Every day we have choices to make… and temptations to resist. God stands ready – and able – to help us in this. The only temptation we should entertain is the one to accept His help and care in all things. When impulses and decisions arise in your life… how – and WHO – will you choose to handle them? Will you opt to give up, give in… or let God guide your choices?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 3, 2013
Romans 1:28-32
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Have you ever told a child, “Don’t touch that… it’s hot!”? Or maybe you have said, “You’re going to turn over in that chair,” or “You’ll fall and hurt yourself!” In the end, chances are good that the child had to learn the hard way! It can be terribly frustrating and upsetting to watch a child do something that could very well lead to physical harm… and not be able to prevent it. You turn your back for one minute, and the unthinkable has happened. We truly cannot prevent all accidents or shield our children from every single injury. Kids will fall and skin knees… they will try the very thing we told them would hurt them… and all we can do is be there to pick them up and soothe them - or cart them off to the Emergency Room!
No matter how much we tell teenagers and young adults that we were young once… that we know – often firsthand – the perils of certain situations... they often either don’t believe us or simply have to try these for themselves. So kids start smoking…drinking…experimenting with drugs…cursing…texting while driving…driving too fast…and testing the waters in countless other ways. And often, they “encourage” their friends to do the same. Again, all we can do is stand by and offer support when things go awry.
God is really no different from any other parent in this regard… when His children show out and try things He has warned them against… when they choose to “do it anyway,” He has no choice but to “abandon them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.” Just as there are times when there is absolutely nothing a parent can do to rescue a child… there comes a time when God cannot rescue us either, because He allows us to operate with free will. And like any parent, God is grieved when things fall apart.
For his/her part, the “child” has a myriad of excuses… ranging from stubbornness to peer pressure to curiosity – and even sheer stupidity! And unless we “children” come clean and change course… admit our mistakes, beg for mercy and acknowledge God…He will have no choice but to leave us “wandering in the desert” of sin, hopelessness, and despair – and ultimately, the depths of hell. Think of the parent who leaves his/her child in jail and refuses to post bond - times a gazillion!
How would you feel to know that God wasn’t coming after you? What would you think if you realized that your choices and actions had essentially sealed the gates of heaven closed? After all He has done for you, can you really bear to grieve God by making selfish choices… could you really turn away and deny Him completely?
I know that temptations surround us. None of us likes to be told what to do… or that someone else knows what is best for us. But God truly DOES know best… His ways are perfect… His love for us is so great that He would never steer us in the wrong direction or tell us to do something that wasn’t in our very best interest. When we choose to directly contradict God, we have shown ourselves to be heartless and without mercy… two things we would NEVER wish to experience from Him! If we are so foolish as to turn our backs on God and decide that we have no need for Him in our lives, we have essentially abandoned Him. Yet we would NEVER want God to abandon us!
So why are we treating God this way? What excuse could possibly be good enough to ignore God… even for one day? Isn’t it time we fully acknowledged Him, submitted OUR desires to His will for our lives, and operated in humble obedience and gratitude? What is holding you back today? What is your excuse?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Have you ever told a child, “Don’t touch that… it’s hot!”? Or maybe you have said, “You’re going to turn over in that chair,” or “You’ll fall and hurt yourself!” In the end, chances are good that the child had to learn the hard way! It can be terribly frustrating and upsetting to watch a child do something that could very well lead to physical harm… and not be able to prevent it. You turn your back for one minute, and the unthinkable has happened. We truly cannot prevent all accidents or shield our children from every single injury. Kids will fall and skin knees… they will try the very thing we told them would hurt them… and all we can do is be there to pick them up and soothe them - or cart them off to the Emergency Room!
No matter how much we tell teenagers and young adults that we were young once… that we know – often firsthand – the perils of certain situations... they often either don’t believe us or simply have to try these for themselves. So kids start smoking…drinking…experimenting with drugs…cursing…texting while driving…driving too fast…and testing the waters in countless other ways. And often, they “encourage” their friends to do the same. Again, all we can do is stand by and offer support when things go awry.
God is really no different from any other parent in this regard… when His children show out and try things He has warned them against… when they choose to “do it anyway,” He has no choice but to “abandon them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.” Just as there are times when there is absolutely nothing a parent can do to rescue a child… there comes a time when God cannot rescue us either, because He allows us to operate with free will. And like any parent, God is grieved when things fall apart.
For his/her part, the “child” has a myriad of excuses… ranging from stubbornness to peer pressure to curiosity – and even sheer stupidity! And unless we “children” come clean and change course… admit our mistakes, beg for mercy and acknowledge God…He will have no choice but to leave us “wandering in the desert” of sin, hopelessness, and despair – and ultimately, the depths of hell. Think of the parent who leaves his/her child in jail and refuses to post bond - times a gazillion!
How would you feel to know that God wasn’t coming after you? What would you think if you realized that your choices and actions had essentially sealed the gates of heaven closed? After all He has done for you, can you really bear to grieve God by making selfish choices… could you really turn away and deny Him completely?
I know that temptations surround us. None of us likes to be told what to do… or that someone else knows what is best for us. But God truly DOES know best… His ways are perfect… His love for us is so great that He would never steer us in the wrong direction or tell us to do something that wasn’t in our very best interest. When we choose to directly contradict God, we have shown ourselves to be heartless and without mercy… two things we would NEVER wish to experience from Him! If we are so foolish as to turn our backs on God and decide that we have no need for Him in our lives, we have essentially abandoned Him. Yet we would NEVER want God to abandon us!
So why are we treating God this way? What excuse could possibly be good enough to ignore God… even for one day? Isn’t it time we fully acknowledged Him, submitted OUR desires to His will for our lives, and operated in humble obedience and gratitude? What is holding you back today? What is your excuse?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 4, 2012
Genesis 22:1-3
Some years later God decided to test Abraham, so he spoke to him.
Abraham answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
The Lord said, “Go get Isaac, your only son, the one you dearly love! Take him to the land of Moriah, and I will show you a mountain where you must sacrifice him to me on the fires of an altar.” So Abraham got up early the next morning and chopped wood for the fire. He put a saddle on his donkey and left with Isaac and two servants for the place where God had told him to go.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I was watching a story on television this week about a woman who is in prison… convicted of negligent homicide in the death of a foster child who was in her care. While a judge and jury found ample evidence to place her there, many insist she was a victim of circumstances. The woman is the biological mother of more than one child… and a former missionary who worked with special needs children. She stated in an interview for this story …“I always said, ‘LORD, I’ll go anywhere you send me.’ I just didn’t know He would send me to prison.”
I have no idea if the LORD sent this woman to prison… she may use this thought as a coping mechanism – and these words as a ploy to try to convince others of her innocence. But her comment did cause me to stop and think… “Where is God sending me?” Has it ever occurred to any of us that the little bumps in the road… or even the BIGGER ones… might be God calling us to do something difficult – testing how deeply we rely on Him for strength? When we have our life all mapped out, and we get thrown a curve ball… do we see it as an inconvenience - or an opportunity?
How profoundly would our lives change if instead of asking, “Why me, LORD?” we said, “Here I am!” – and meant it? What if we shifted our thinking to look at tests of our strength as chances to demonstrate God’s power and presence in our life? Isn’t this at least worth a try? Where is God sending you today… and how are you reacting?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Some years later God decided to test Abraham, so he spoke to him.
Abraham answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
The Lord said, “Go get Isaac, your only son, the one you dearly love! Take him to the land of Moriah, and I will show you a mountain where you must sacrifice him to me on the fires of an altar.” So Abraham got up early the next morning and chopped wood for the fire. He put a saddle on his donkey and left with Isaac and two servants for the place where God had told him to go.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I was watching a story on television this week about a woman who is in prison… convicted of negligent homicide in the death of a foster child who was in her care. While a judge and jury found ample evidence to place her there, many insist she was a victim of circumstances. The woman is the biological mother of more than one child… and a former missionary who worked with special needs children. She stated in an interview for this story …“I always said, ‘LORD, I’ll go anywhere you send me.’ I just didn’t know He would send me to prison.”
I have no idea if the LORD sent this woman to prison… she may use this thought as a coping mechanism – and these words as a ploy to try to convince others of her innocence. But her comment did cause me to stop and think… “Where is God sending me?” Has it ever occurred to any of us that the little bumps in the road… or even the BIGGER ones… might be God calling us to do something difficult – testing how deeply we rely on Him for strength? When we have our life all mapped out, and we get thrown a curve ball… do we see it as an inconvenience - or an opportunity?
How profoundly would our lives change if instead of asking, “Why me, LORD?” we said, “Here I am!” – and meant it? What if we shifted our thinking to look at tests of our strength as chances to demonstrate God’s power and presence in our life? Isn’t this at least worth a try? Where is God sending you today… and how are you reacting?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 14, 2012
Proverbs 3:33-35
God's curse blights the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder, but if you're down on your luck, he's right there to help. Wise living gets rewarded with honor; stupid living gets the booby prize.
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.
My husband heard the Chairman of the NCAA interviewed, about how many college football and basketball players have aspirations to become professional athletes. Obviously many Division I athletes have hopes of “going pro.” However, to emphasize his point, the chairman stated that 50% of all of Division II football and basketball players (including those at schools like Harding, Arkansas Tech, and others where student athletes may not even be on full scholarships) hope to “go pro.” In reality, only 1% actually make it to “the big leagues.” Clearly the expectations exceed realizations!
I am not criticizing these young people for having hopes and dreams. In fact, I commend their determination. At the same time, I wonder who has convinced them they may have what it takes to become a professional athlete. How many have unrealistic opinions of themselves and their abilities… and expect to be rewarded for their talents in this manner? As Graduation Day approaches for many high school and college students, I wonder who is looking toward a future in a career that God did not sanction. Who is anticipating being a “star” athlete in college or the pro ranks… or pursuing a degree that meets his/her choices rather than God’s?
Many of us spend a lot of time creating an image of wealth, intelligence, and general “success”. We care far too much about how others see us, and far too little about how we are truly seen. How many times have you heard it said that someone appeared to be beautiful and truly amazing, until this person opened his/her mouth? How many celebrities do you know who appear to have it all… wealth, fame, good looks… a great life… but in reality their life is falling apart? I could give you a laundry list of names, but you probably have your own already.
Regardless of our age or stage in life, we all need to focus on living humbly instead of playing the game. We need to seek God’s will for our lives. If God directs us to do the things that put us in line for wealth, fame… or even a chance to play a professional sport… then He will show us how to do the work to accomplish this. He will use us in this capacity to serve Him and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others in these arenas. If God calls us to operate in the background, He will equip us with the necessary guidance and gifts for this, as well.
God needs all kinds of people in His army… He can use celebrities and “regular Joes” alike. But God is not amused by those who try to be something or someone other than who He has called them to become. If God wants a college athlete to become a high school coach and help mold and shape the lives of countless teenagers, He will bless these efforts far more than the “riches” this athlete could ever accrue on the pro circuit. One has to recognize that the coach and the “pro” athlete are both professionals… just with a different vehicle for serving potential service. There is no shame in changing your major, your career, or even your hobby, if you feel that God is moving you in a different direction.
Who are you trying to be? What are you working toward… and does it line up with what God wants for your life? Have you truly shown up for life… the life that God has planned for you? Or are you determined to be something or someone else? Ask God to show you how to show up for the life that He has chosen. Humbly seek His will for your life… then get busy fulfilling His desires. You will be amazed at how He shows up for you as a result!
©2012 Debbie Robus
God's curse blights the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder, but if you're down on your luck, he's right there to help. Wise living gets rewarded with honor; stupid living gets the booby prize.
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.
My husband heard the Chairman of the NCAA interviewed, about how many college football and basketball players have aspirations to become professional athletes. Obviously many Division I athletes have hopes of “going pro.” However, to emphasize his point, the chairman stated that 50% of all of Division II football and basketball players (including those at schools like Harding, Arkansas Tech, and others where student athletes may not even be on full scholarships) hope to “go pro.” In reality, only 1% actually make it to “the big leagues.” Clearly the expectations exceed realizations!
I am not criticizing these young people for having hopes and dreams. In fact, I commend their determination. At the same time, I wonder who has convinced them they may have what it takes to become a professional athlete. How many have unrealistic opinions of themselves and their abilities… and expect to be rewarded for their talents in this manner? As Graduation Day approaches for many high school and college students, I wonder who is looking toward a future in a career that God did not sanction. Who is anticipating being a “star” athlete in college or the pro ranks… or pursuing a degree that meets his/her choices rather than God’s?
Many of us spend a lot of time creating an image of wealth, intelligence, and general “success”. We care far too much about how others see us, and far too little about how we are truly seen. How many times have you heard it said that someone appeared to be beautiful and truly amazing, until this person opened his/her mouth? How many celebrities do you know who appear to have it all… wealth, fame, good looks… a great life… but in reality their life is falling apart? I could give you a laundry list of names, but you probably have your own already.
Regardless of our age or stage in life, we all need to focus on living humbly instead of playing the game. We need to seek God’s will for our lives. If God directs us to do the things that put us in line for wealth, fame… or even a chance to play a professional sport… then He will show us how to do the work to accomplish this. He will use us in this capacity to serve Him and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others in these arenas. If God calls us to operate in the background, He will equip us with the necessary guidance and gifts for this, as well.
God needs all kinds of people in His army… He can use celebrities and “regular Joes” alike. But God is not amused by those who try to be something or someone other than who He has called them to become. If God wants a college athlete to become a high school coach and help mold and shape the lives of countless teenagers, He will bless these efforts far more than the “riches” this athlete could ever accrue on the pro circuit. One has to recognize that the coach and the “pro” athlete are both professionals… just with a different vehicle for serving potential service. There is no shame in changing your major, your career, or even your hobby, if you feel that God is moving you in a different direction.
Who are you trying to be? What are you working toward… and does it line up with what God wants for your life? Have you truly shown up for life… the life that God has planned for you? Or are you determined to be something or someone else? Ask God to show you how to show up for the life that He has chosen. Humbly seek His will for your life… then get busy fulfilling His desires. You will be amazed at how He shows up for you as a result!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 12, 2012
James 4:4-6
You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”
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.
On the reality TV show, “The Biggest Loser,” there are frequent “temptation” games. Often, the contestants will be presented with tables laden with their favorite foods… pizza, cheeseburgers, cupcakes, candy, ice cream and more. The challenge is offered… whichever team eats the most calories will win an advantage in the overall game. Then contestants are brought in one at a time and given a certain number of minutes to eat as much as they can.
Some contestants go nuts and cram high-calorie, fat-laden foods into their mouths as fast as possible for the allotted time. Others come into the room, fold their arms and say, “I’m not sabotaging my health and weight loss for this.” Some teams agree as a group not to cave in to the pressure… and none of them eat. Virtually every time this challenge is presented, at least one person will take the dare…often with dire consequences.
Usually, the rest of the team feels betrayed. In some instances, the “prize” involves the “winner” getting to make decisions that alter the course of the entire game – and the lives of those who are participating. More than once, this decision to “flirt with danger” and eat the tempting foods has had disastrous payoffs… from weight gain to alienation from the group to actually being ousted from the game by fellow contestants. The sense of separation cannot possibly be worth those brief times of satiation with the rich, delicious foods.
If you think about your Spiritual life in this context, you can readily see that a few minutes of flirting with the devil’s temptations can lead to heartbreaking results. Not only might your selfish choices cost you directly in some way… they can also lead to alienation and/or separation from other people – and worse yet, from God.
As much as it would pain me to experience the distance or rejection of my friends and family, I cannot bear to think of disappointing God. As a disciple of Christ, I know that God would never completely turn His back on me. But just the idea that the One who has done so much for me could be heartbroken over my choices – even temporarily – is not a thought I care to entertain… much less make a reality.
So I am choosing NOT to take the dare… to “step away from the table” of temptations of this world. I know it won’t be easy. I know that Satan is clever… and persistent… and we are weak human creatures. But I also know that I am made strong by the word and wisdom of the LORD… cleansed by the blood of Jesus… and equipped with His full armor to fight against whatever the devil throws in my face.
How is your armor… does it need a little polish and refreshing? Do you need to reconnect with God and give your resolve a bit of a facelift? When your turn comes at the “temptation table,” will you eat… or will you fold your arms and say “No thanks”? Will you operate in pride or humility? Who has your heart these days… the enticements of this world and all that Satan has to offer? Or are you trusting in God’s promises to bless you and meet your every need – both now, and for all eternity?
©2012 Debbie Robus
You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”
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.
On the reality TV show, “The Biggest Loser,” there are frequent “temptation” games. Often, the contestants will be presented with tables laden with their favorite foods… pizza, cheeseburgers, cupcakes, candy, ice cream and more. The challenge is offered… whichever team eats the most calories will win an advantage in the overall game. Then contestants are brought in one at a time and given a certain number of minutes to eat as much as they can.
Some contestants go nuts and cram high-calorie, fat-laden foods into their mouths as fast as possible for the allotted time. Others come into the room, fold their arms and say, “I’m not sabotaging my health and weight loss for this.” Some teams agree as a group not to cave in to the pressure… and none of them eat. Virtually every time this challenge is presented, at least one person will take the dare…often with dire consequences.
Usually, the rest of the team feels betrayed. In some instances, the “prize” involves the “winner” getting to make decisions that alter the course of the entire game – and the lives of those who are participating. More than once, this decision to “flirt with danger” and eat the tempting foods has had disastrous payoffs… from weight gain to alienation from the group to actually being ousted from the game by fellow contestants. The sense of separation cannot possibly be worth those brief times of satiation with the rich, delicious foods.
If you think about your Spiritual life in this context, you can readily see that a few minutes of flirting with the devil’s temptations can lead to heartbreaking results. Not only might your selfish choices cost you directly in some way… they can also lead to alienation and/or separation from other people – and worse yet, from God.
As much as it would pain me to experience the distance or rejection of my friends and family, I cannot bear to think of disappointing God. As a disciple of Christ, I know that God would never completely turn His back on me. But just the idea that the One who has done so much for me could be heartbroken over my choices – even temporarily – is not a thought I care to entertain… much less make a reality.
So I am choosing NOT to take the dare… to “step away from the table” of temptations of this world. I know it won’t be easy. I know that Satan is clever… and persistent… and we are weak human creatures. But I also know that I am made strong by the word and wisdom of the LORD… cleansed by the blood of Jesus… and equipped with His full armor to fight against whatever the devil throws in my face.
How is your armor… does it need a little polish and refreshing? Do you need to reconnect with God and give your resolve a bit of a facelift? When your turn comes at the “temptation table,” will you eat… or will you fold your arms and say “No thanks”? Will you operate in pride or humility? Who has your heart these days… the enticements of this world and all that Satan has to offer? Or are you trusting in God’s promises to bless you and meet your every need – both now, and for all eternity?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 2, 2011
Proverbs 21:2-3
We may think we are doing the right thing, but the LORD always knows what is in our hearts. Doing what is right and fair pleases the LORD more than an offering.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently, I heard Paige, a young girl who belongs to our church, tell about a really hard decision she had to make. Last summer, she was offered the chance to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica, and she was thrilled to be invited. Paige had realized that God was calling her to serve in missions after she heard a missionary to Africa speak. So when she was offered the chance to go to Costa Rica, she knew that this was a huge opportunity. The problem was… this trip was scheduled for the same week as her cheer camp in Florida.
Paige went to her cheerleading sponsor and asked if she could possibly be excused from the camp… and she explained why. The sponsor said she was sorry, but there could be no exceptions. If she let one cheerleader miss, it wouldn’t be fair to the other team members. So Paige had to make a choice… a very hard one. She prayed hard about this, and in the end, she went to Costa Rica. She said it was one of the hardest decisions she ever made… but also one of the best. Paige discovered people in Costa Rica with real needs… and amazing hardships. She realized that her ministry in God’s name had meant something to the people she encountered – for that week, and for a long time afterward.
Sometimes doing the right thing and making the right choice is really hard. I am not sure that I could have made the choice Paige made the summer before my senior year. I’m not sure I always make the right choices even now. But I know that sometimes my heart tells me to choose one way… and God tells me to choose another. When there is something I really want to do that is different from what God wants, I usually know it.
Sometimes I want to sleep in when God wants me to get up and get going. Sometimes I want to tell someone “No” when they ask for help… when clearly God wants me to lend them a hand. Sometimes I want to spout off and say something mean or unkind to someone to make my point… and I know God wants me to bite my tongue and take the high road.
I don’t know what your heart is pulling at you to say or do that doesn’t line up with what is right in God’s eyes. But I know that He can help you to make the correct choice… and just like Paige, you will never regret it. Yes, sometimes our hard decisions seem to “cost” us something… just like Paige’s choice cost her cheer camp and more. But God will make up any “cost” you may feel you have paid in rewards and blessings. All you have to do is ask Him to help you do the right thing. This requires courage and faith in God to see you through… do you have what it takes?
©2011 Debbie Robus
We may think we are doing the right thing, but the LORD always knows what is in our hearts. Doing what is right and fair pleases the LORD more than an offering.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently, I heard Paige, a young girl who belongs to our church, tell about a really hard decision she had to make. Last summer, she was offered the chance to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica, and she was thrilled to be invited. Paige had realized that God was calling her to serve in missions after she heard a missionary to Africa speak. So when she was offered the chance to go to Costa Rica, she knew that this was a huge opportunity. The problem was… this trip was scheduled for the same week as her cheer camp in Florida.
Paige went to her cheerleading sponsor and asked if she could possibly be excused from the camp… and she explained why. The sponsor said she was sorry, but there could be no exceptions. If she let one cheerleader miss, it wouldn’t be fair to the other team members. So Paige had to make a choice… a very hard one. She prayed hard about this, and in the end, she went to Costa Rica. She said it was one of the hardest decisions she ever made… but also one of the best. Paige discovered people in Costa Rica with real needs… and amazing hardships. She realized that her ministry in God’s name had meant something to the people she encountered – for that week, and for a long time afterward.
Sometimes doing the right thing and making the right choice is really hard. I am not sure that I could have made the choice Paige made the summer before my senior year. I’m not sure I always make the right choices even now. But I know that sometimes my heart tells me to choose one way… and God tells me to choose another. When there is something I really want to do that is different from what God wants, I usually know it.
Sometimes I want to sleep in when God wants me to get up and get going. Sometimes I want to tell someone “No” when they ask for help… when clearly God wants me to lend them a hand. Sometimes I want to spout off and say something mean or unkind to someone to make my point… and I know God wants me to bite my tongue and take the high road.
I don’t know what your heart is pulling at you to say or do that doesn’t line up with what is right in God’s eyes. But I know that He can help you to make the correct choice… and just like Paige, you will never regret it. Yes, sometimes our hard decisions seem to “cost” us something… just like Paige’s choice cost her cheer camp and more. But God will make up any “cost” you may feel you have paid in rewards and blessings. All you have to do is ask Him to help you do the right thing. This requires courage and faith in God to see you through… do you have what it takes?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 30, 2011
Luke 23:13-25
Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others and said, "You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It's clear that he's done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go."
At that, the crowd went wild: "Kill him! Give us Barabbas!" (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.) Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again. But they kept shouting back, "Crucify! Crucify him!"
He tried a third time. "But for what crime? I've found nothing in him deserving death. I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go." But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.
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.
The other night, our cat Mabel came in the living room while we were watching TV, and she began to pace around… and even whimper. My husband asked her, “Is your food bowl empty?” I checked… there was plenty of food. We both looked at each other and laughed. We knew that she wanted a dish of milk… a treat we have only recently begun to give our cats. Normally we give them milk right before bedtime, when we feed them for the night. But it was a couple of hours earlier, and Mabel was already begging.
Finally, we caved. I poured a small saucer of milk, and she came running to the laundry room where we feed them and began to lap at the cold treat. We had given in to her demands. And while the only consequence will be that she once again thinks she can manipulate us into doing whatever she wants, in essence, we were her “Pilate.”
Quite honestly, we are all a lot like Pilate more often than we care to admit. We cave to our peers and do things we know we shouldn’t. We give in to our own frailties and desires and fall off our diet, buy that new pair of shoes or the latest electronic gadget or computer game we can’t really afford, and cheat – just this once – on a test, our taxes, or our significant other. And if you read Luke 22, you see that Jesus’ disciples were no better. Peter denied Jesus three times after His arrest – before the rooster could even signal the dawn of a new day. We are weak souls indeed!
The Good News is that we don’t have to succumb to our weaknesses. We have Inner Strength that we cannot even comprehend… in the form of the Holy Spirit. We can call on the Holy Spirit any hour of the night or day to shore up our resolve… to give us courage to stand up to the temptation of that extra cookie, a persuasive friend, or the lure of something we know we should avoid. Pilate knew that to choose Barabbas was right… but it would bring him ridicule and/or discomfort from the people, and he did not have the necessary courage and faith to do this.
When we make the more difficult choice of doing the right thing… we can depend on God to bless the outcome of our faithfulness. When your boss says, “Lie for me, or lose your job,” the temptation may be to do what it takes to stay employed. But God will help you find another – better – place to work, if you do the right thing and your boss fires you, as threatened. When a friend or loved one says, “You think you’re too good for me. I don’t want to hang around you anymore” because you won’t do something illicit or illegal, walk away, knowing God will see you through whatever the outcome. When you think you can’t possibly exercise or do some sort of workout to get in better physical shape, God can help you take the baby steps that lead to bigger steps… and give you the strength and courage to persevere.
It all starts with one thing – a simple prayer… “Lord help me.” He can… and He will! We may have been modern-day “Pilates” in the past, but we don’t have to continue with this kind of behavior. It’s time to exercise our faith muscle… to call on the Holy Spirit to guide and protect us… and to trust God to keep His promises. How deep is your faith? How strong is your resolve? Who is guarding your heart and guiding your choices these days?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others and said, "You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It's clear that he's done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go."
At that, the crowd went wild: "Kill him! Give us Barabbas!" (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.) Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again. But they kept shouting back, "Crucify! Crucify him!"
He tried a third time. "But for what crime? I've found nothing in him deserving death. I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go." But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.
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.
The other night, our cat Mabel came in the living room while we were watching TV, and she began to pace around… and even whimper. My husband asked her, “Is your food bowl empty?” I checked… there was plenty of food. We both looked at each other and laughed. We knew that she wanted a dish of milk… a treat we have only recently begun to give our cats. Normally we give them milk right before bedtime, when we feed them for the night. But it was a couple of hours earlier, and Mabel was already begging.
Finally, we caved. I poured a small saucer of milk, and she came running to the laundry room where we feed them and began to lap at the cold treat. We had given in to her demands. And while the only consequence will be that she once again thinks she can manipulate us into doing whatever she wants, in essence, we were her “Pilate.”
Quite honestly, we are all a lot like Pilate more often than we care to admit. We cave to our peers and do things we know we shouldn’t. We give in to our own frailties and desires and fall off our diet, buy that new pair of shoes or the latest electronic gadget or computer game we can’t really afford, and cheat – just this once – on a test, our taxes, or our significant other. And if you read Luke 22, you see that Jesus’ disciples were no better. Peter denied Jesus three times after His arrest – before the rooster could even signal the dawn of a new day. We are weak souls indeed!
The Good News is that we don’t have to succumb to our weaknesses. We have Inner Strength that we cannot even comprehend… in the form of the Holy Spirit. We can call on the Holy Spirit any hour of the night or day to shore up our resolve… to give us courage to stand up to the temptation of that extra cookie, a persuasive friend, or the lure of something we know we should avoid. Pilate knew that to choose Barabbas was right… but it would bring him ridicule and/or discomfort from the people, and he did not have the necessary courage and faith to do this.
When we make the more difficult choice of doing the right thing… we can depend on God to bless the outcome of our faithfulness. When your boss says, “Lie for me, or lose your job,” the temptation may be to do what it takes to stay employed. But God will help you find another – better – place to work, if you do the right thing and your boss fires you, as threatened. When a friend or loved one says, “You think you’re too good for me. I don’t want to hang around you anymore” because you won’t do something illicit or illegal, walk away, knowing God will see you through whatever the outcome. When you think you can’t possibly exercise or do some sort of workout to get in better physical shape, God can help you take the baby steps that lead to bigger steps… and give you the strength and courage to persevere.
It all starts with one thing – a simple prayer… “Lord help me.” He can… and He will! We may have been modern-day “Pilates” in the past, but we don’t have to continue with this kind of behavior. It’s time to exercise our faith muscle… to call on the Holy Spirit to guide and protect us… and to trust God to keep His promises. How deep is your faith? How strong is your resolve? Who is guarding your heart and guiding your choices these days?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 4, 2011
Mark 8:34-38
Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What could you give to get back your soul?
Don't be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people! If you are, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I got to watch my 15-year-old second cousin cheer for her girls’ basketball team this week in the state tournament, which is hosted at our gym. My cousin has played basketball since she was six. But this year, a friend persuaded her to try out for cheer instead. Her team won their first game, but they were defeated soundly in the second round. From what I’m told, they could have used my cousin’s skills on the court… and she says she will return to the team next year.
I am sure my cousin had fun cheering and being with her friends this season. But I could tell that she sees this is not where she really belongs. She was persuaded by her friends, as we often are… and while this was not a life-or-death decision, I think she wished she was out on the court with her team-mates and not standing on the sidelines.
We do so much of this in our spiritual life. We listen to the wrong “friends” and influences… and let’s be honest, they are often the devil’s agents! We lose our way, if only momentarily. We want to give up our old life and follow Jesus, but we are often scared to death to really do this. What if our old friends desert us? What if it’s not as much fun as we had hoped… or no fun at all? What if people it costs us… socially, emotionally, and financially? Because you see, we may have to change jobs or friends… or even distance ourselves from family members. We might have to move to another apartment, dorm room, or even college! A choice might have to be made about staying with a significant other, or even changing church families!
What could you give to get back your soul? The better question is… what would you give to get back your soul? It may not seem like our choices reflect a shame or embarrassment about our relationship with Jesus, but that’s really what is going on here. If we are not ashamed – if we are not afraid – if the Influence in our life is the Son of Man, and not Satan, we can boldly make the right choices.
What we choose… and who we choose to associate with and/or follow… defines in large part our relationship with Jesus Christ. Who are you listening to… and following… today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What could you give to get back your soul?
Don't be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people! If you are, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I got to watch my 15-year-old second cousin cheer for her girls’ basketball team this week in the state tournament, which is hosted at our gym. My cousin has played basketball since she was six. But this year, a friend persuaded her to try out for cheer instead. Her team won their first game, but they were defeated soundly in the second round. From what I’m told, they could have used my cousin’s skills on the court… and she says she will return to the team next year.
I am sure my cousin had fun cheering and being with her friends this season. But I could tell that she sees this is not where she really belongs. She was persuaded by her friends, as we often are… and while this was not a life-or-death decision, I think she wished she was out on the court with her team-mates and not standing on the sidelines.
We do so much of this in our spiritual life. We listen to the wrong “friends” and influences… and let’s be honest, they are often the devil’s agents! We lose our way, if only momentarily. We want to give up our old life and follow Jesus, but we are often scared to death to really do this. What if our old friends desert us? What if it’s not as much fun as we had hoped… or no fun at all? What if people it costs us… socially, emotionally, and financially? Because you see, we may have to change jobs or friends… or even distance ourselves from family members. We might have to move to another apartment, dorm room, or even college! A choice might have to be made about staying with a significant other, or even changing church families!
What could you give to get back your soul? The better question is… what would you give to get back your soul? It may not seem like our choices reflect a shame or embarrassment about our relationship with Jesus, but that’s really what is going on here. If we are not ashamed – if we are not afraid – if the Influence in our life is the Son of Man, and not Satan, we can boldly make the right choices.
What we choose… and who we choose to associate with and/or follow… defines in large part our relationship with Jesus Christ. Who are you listening to… and following… today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 5, 2011
Psalm 7:12
Whenever your enemies refuse to change their ways, you sharpen your sword and string your bow.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever asked someone why they were putting up with a situation that was hurtful, frustrating… or even potentially dangerous… and the reply was, “It’s just easier to go along than to make waves.”? This is how people become the “doormat” for others… or tolerate abuse…or get themselves into messy situations that seem to have no solution.
Maybe you find yourself in one of these situations. Maybe you have decided that things will never change… and there is nothing you can do. And you would be partly right – there is nothing you can do! But GOD can do plenty!
Today, we need to give our hopeless – and helpless – situations to God. We need to recognize that other people and/or the situations themselves are not the enemy… their driving force is Satan! HE is the one who is wreaking havoc in so many lives, and we must “sharpen our sword and string our bow” in the name of the Lord against him.
How do we do this? Prayer… and lots of it… is our first line of defense. As we make hard choices and step out in faith – and away from the offending situation or behavior(s) – is daunting… but not impossible if we earnestly seek God’s power and protection. Believing that things can change by the power and grace of God may test the level of our faith… but we are up to the challenge!
We must not let the devil have his way. We can’t keep cowering in the corner like a trapped animal. It’s time to shore up our arsenal of tools to combat Satan’s efforts… and to call on God to defeat him. Are you ready to roll?
©2010 Debbie Robus
Whenever your enemies refuse to change their ways, you sharpen your sword and string your bow.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever asked someone why they were putting up with a situation that was hurtful, frustrating… or even potentially dangerous… and the reply was, “It’s just easier to go along than to make waves.”? This is how people become the “doormat” for others… or tolerate abuse…or get themselves into messy situations that seem to have no solution.
Maybe you find yourself in one of these situations. Maybe you have decided that things will never change… and there is nothing you can do. And you would be partly right – there is nothing you can do! But GOD can do plenty!
Today, we need to give our hopeless – and helpless – situations to God. We need to recognize that other people and/or the situations themselves are not the enemy… their driving force is Satan! HE is the one who is wreaking havoc in so many lives, and we must “sharpen our sword and string our bow” in the name of the Lord against him.
How do we do this? Prayer… and lots of it… is our first line of defense. As we make hard choices and step out in faith – and away from the offending situation or behavior(s) – is daunting… but not impossible if we earnestly seek God’s power and protection. Believing that things can change by the power and grace of God may test the level of our faith… but we are up to the challenge!
We must not let the devil have his way. We can’t keep cowering in the corner like a trapped animal. It’s time to shore up our arsenal of tools to combat Satan’s efforts… and to call on God to defeat him. Are you ready to roll?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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