Daily Devotional for November 5, 2016

Matthew 6:22-23
“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.

This morning, I awoke in darkness, even though the sun had been up for more than an hour.  We have room darkening drapery and blinds on one side of our bedroom…and a dark, windowless hallway just outside the other.  So even on the sunniest day, there is darkness until the door is opened to the rest of our house…which is virtually walled in windows.  Then the light comes flooding in and fills ups every nook and cranny!

When I was a young teenager, I loved to keep the curtains drawn tightly for much of the morning in summer.  It was as if as long as the light and the “outside world” were not visible, we didn’t have to start our day.  We could laze in pajamas, drain the last cups of coffee from my dad’s percolator, and pretend that we didn’t have anything we had to do all day.  My mother was attending college classes at a university some 40 miles away and didn’t return home until after noon, so we would piddle around until about an hour before she arrived, then scramble like “Samantha” on the TV sitcom “Bewitched” to get the kitchen cleaned, beds made, and all of our other chores done…and yes, open the curtains!

We like the darkness when we are trying to sleep or be lazy for a day. But too many of us choose to stay in the dark much of the time. We either try to shut out the outside world…or we squint to see things as we wish them to be, rather than review them in the bright light of truth.  It seems to me that lately there has been a lot of “squinting” and “curtain pulling” in our country, as people try to put their own “spin” on how things are…or how they want them to be.

The time has come to open the blinds…and open our eyes.  We need to trust God to handle everything that is happening to us…to seek His will and believe that He truly knows best…and we need to demonstrate this to others.  No more hand wringing…no more “trash talk” and berating of one another…no more picking and choosing what to believe or support based on our own agendas and desires – or because it just “feels good.”  The time has come to fill our bodies with the Light of Christ…and act like it!

I will be the first to admit that I have had my moments where the issue wasn’t that I didn’t trust God…but I got caught up in the negativity and “gloom and doom” despair that seems to be a pervading attitude among many.  My sweet husband reminded me this morning that we are “glass half full” people.  God gave him words of encouragement and logic to speak to me that were a reminder of WHO is in charge…and how blessed we are because of Jesus.

So I am challenging each of us to get out from under the covers, pull back the curtains, and open our eyes to the bright light of Jesus Christ.  Let’s trust Him to do what only He can and embrace the wonderful, amazing, abundant life that He offers each of us.  And let’s begin today!

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for May 30, 2015

1 Corinthians 10:30-31
If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why let someone spoil everything just because he thinks I am wrong? Well, I’ll tell you why. It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking.

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
When our nephew John was about three or four, he went to visit Greg’s parents.  During one of the meals, Grandma “E” served corn on the cob.  When she put John’s plate in front of him, he came unhinged.  There were no “things”!  Grandma “E” could not figure out at first what he was talking about…but she quickly realized that he needed “handles” for his corn…namely, those yellow skewers that look like miniature ears of corn – the ones that you get in the kitchen section at a department store!  These were what his mother had…didn’t everyone have them?  Well, Grandma “E” did not have those (she did shortly thereafter!), and in what I thought was a stroke of genius, she stuck toothpicks into either end of Johnny’s ear of corn, and he reluctantly used those for handles!

The absence of those yellow “corn” skewers did not alter the ear of corn.  It didn’t change how it was grown – or how it tasted!  But in the mind of a 3-year-old, it changed everything and was not up for negotiation!  I wish I had a nickel for every time a child has looked at a food that has been presented to him/her and retorted, “Blech!” without so much as even a single taste. 

We can somewhat forgive children for this, because after all, they ARE children who are still learning the art of polite behavior. But I have seen adults turn up their noses and refuse to sample something with embarrassing fanfare.  I have seen grown men and women refuse to eat a casserole because “different foods were touching!”  I saw beauty, fashion and home design editors for some of the country’s top magazines turn up their noses at beautiful trays of bite-sized pieces of catfish, carefully prepared by a wonderful New York City chef.  People who would not give a second thought to spearing a snail from its shell in a fancy French restaurant waved the tray away, and with an air of superiority, uttered… “No, thank you!”  For the record, those who actually dared to sample the fried tidbits LOVED them and were immediate converts!

What Paul is telling the Corinthians here is about more than just food or our dining customs.  Paul is telling us that we need to get over ourselves.  Just because this is not necessarily how WE have always done things does not mean that the other person is wrong – or less of a Christian...or even less of a human being, for that matter.  We must not look down on the poor…or those who are less fortunate, for how they manage from day to day.  We must not be judgmental and critical of those who have a different way of doing things, and we most certainly must not do this to people of other cultures and ethnicities.  We must remember that God made them, just as He created us…and how we treat them must glorify and honor Him at every turn.  We must also not criticize others for their worship style or how they demonstrate their faith.

We all get too caught up in the “that’s-not-how-it’s-done” way of thinking. From even the littlest things like “my roommate or spouse doesn’t fold the towels like I do” to “what kind of mother lets her kids go out looking like that” to “we never did it like that at my other church/school/team/club/place of work”…our words and actions are often not the kind that glorify God and honor all that He has done for us.  They do not say to others, “God loves us and wants ALL of us to belong to Him…not just the chosen few who ‘do everything my way’.” 

Change is never easy…and some of us have been stuck in our ways for a long, long time!  But if we want to glorify God and honor Him, we have to be willing to make the effort to set aside our own egos and see the bigger picture.  Let's face it...you may still like to eat your corn on the cob with those little yellow skewers, but at least you’ll know that it tastes the same, either way.  We must learn that there is often a difference between compromising your Christian values and doing things in another manner than the one you prefer.  As long as God is exalted and respected, considering and accommodating another person’s feelings may be best for all concerned.

©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for May 28, 2015

John 14:6-7
Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

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.
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A large portion of the South is currently experiencing historic flooding.  One hour, roadways and fields are dry and open…and the next hour, they are submerged in water.  The surges have often come quickly and swiftly - and drastically changed the landscape significantly in a dangerous manner.  I saw a photo this week of some cattle stranded on a small area of pasture land that is now surrounded by rising floodwaters, creating an island of sorts.  This was an aerial photo that had been taken by a drone. 

There is no way to reach the cattle by car or truck…but I suppose they COULD be rescued by pontoon boat…although it would probably be an arduous project that would have to be accomplished one cow at a time!  Wouldn’t it be great if we could magically create a bridge to span the gap between that patch of dry land and another and walk the cows to safety?!  But that’s a pipe dream.  In truth, some sort of boat or large raft probably represents the only way to rescue the cattle.  So the farmer has two choices…try to perform this rescue – or leave the cows there and hope that the waters don’t rise so much that they drown.

In many ways, we are like the cattle on the island.  We are completely surrounded with only one way to safety…and that is salvation through Jesus Christ.  He stands in the gap between the island of sin on which we are standing and the safety of His grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love.  We have two choices – stay where we are and hope for the best…or allow Jesus to rescue us.  And in choosing Jesus, we choose God, because as we are told in this passage, Jesus is God in flesh on this earth.  If we believe in Him and “see” Him…we “see” God, also.

I know this can be confusing, and I don’t mean to muddy the water here (pardon the corny flood reference!).  What you really need to understand is that you have two choices – to remain stuck on the island of sin, or to ask Jesus to rescue you and live in the safety and blessings of His love and protection.  Don’t be stubborn or foolish!  That island is NOT where you want to be!  Let go and let God have control…and enjoy the freedom and safety of “dry land” once and for all.  And pray for all whose lives have been turned upside down by these spring flood waters.  God knows their needs…but it doesn’t ever hurt to remind Him of them!

©2015 Debbie Robus

NOTE:  If you wish to help those who have been affected by the recent flooding, go to https://www.redcross.org/combined-donate.

Daily Devotional for September 12, 2014

1 Kings 8:56
Praise the Lord! He has kept his promise and given us peace. Every good thing he promised to his servant Moses has happened.

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

“I promise!” These two words often roll off the tongue fairly easily, don’t they? I promise I will be on time...study hard...never say or do that again...call/write/visit...love you forever and ever, no matter what may happen.  But here’s the thing...we’re HUMAN. So we often “write checks we can’t cash.”  We can’t see the “bumps in the road” or the mitigating circumstances that may arise.  We can’t fully know what twists and turns lie ahead...and how we will react and respond to them. So we make promises – hopefully with all of the best intentions in the world – and then “life” gets in the way of our delivery.

The GREAT NEWS is that God never breaks a promise. He never tells us that He will do something and then fails us.  We can fully believe that God will do what He has said that He will do. God promised Moses that He would deliver his people out of Egypt. And he did...it just took forty years.

In Exodus 6:6-8, God promised Moses...

• I will punish the Egyptians and free you from slavery.
• I will accept you as my people.
• I will be your God.
• I will bring you into the land that I solemnly promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and it will be yours.

So why did Moses lead his people to the Promised Land, yet die before he set foot there himself?  The short answer is that Moses didn’t always listen to God.  There were times when Moses failed to trust God...or he trusted in his own abilities more than those of God...or he tried to orchestrate things in his own timing. And nothing has changed...we still do this!  But God has not changed.  He is still persistent and unfailing. He has numbered the hairs of our head, and nothing can keep Him from caring for us.

Whether you realize it or not, God has made many promises to each of us. If you have surrendered to God and asked Him to forgive your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ...

• God has promised to be all that you need.  2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "But he replied, 'My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.' So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am."
• God has promised to meet all of your needs. Philippians 4:19 tells us, "I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus!"
• God has promised to always work on your behalf.  In Romans 8:28, we read..."We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose..."
• God has promised that you will not be tempted beyond what you can handle with His help. 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that..."You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations."
• God has promised to save you, if you believe in Jesus Christ. Mark 16:16 declares that... "Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned."
• God has promised that death is not the end!  In Acts2:32, we see that...”All of us can tell you that God has raised Jesus to life!"
• God has promised to protect you as His child and give you eternal life. In John 10:27, we are told..."My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me..."

These are reasons to shout for joy. The God who makes these promises to us deserves our praise and glory...our honor and admiration...our devotion and our service. Because of God’s promises, we are more than okay...we are well in every sense of the word! We have a Great Physician who can heal of us of anything and assure us of eternal life in His presence!

Where have you failed to listen to God?  Where have you blocked His promises for your life and delayed His answers and blessings?  Will this be the day that you recognize the strength and power of God’s promises... feel His healing touch...and allow Him to work every area of your life?  Isn’t it time you did?

©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for July 22, 2014

Daniel 9:9
Lord God, you are merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against you

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

I sat at the table today with our nephew, Nathan, trying to coax him to eat.  “Those are strawberries...Yum! Yum!”  He would look away and hide his face.  “Mmmmmm...chocolate milk!  It’s goooooooooooood!”  He would push away the sippy cup.  I know Nathan is moody at times...and just shy of his 2nd birthday, he is still figuring us out!  So I pretended not to notice him.  I quietly ate my lunch...turned on a television show...even got my laptop and started to check e-mail.  Of course, I was watching him intently...and at times I felt him watching ME!  If he noticed that I noticed him, he would retreat...put his goldfish and strawberries back in the bowl, and hide his face.  It was a game...and I caught on pretty fast!

Over the course of about 30 minutes, Nathan discovered that the food I had given him was really tasty...and it all disappeared into his tummy.  No matter how many times I told him how delicious it was...it had to be HIS idea.  So I quickly decided to be gracious and merciful and ignore him...to play HIS game and forgive his stubbornness.

This is not just the game of a toddler.  We do it all the time with God.  He shows us what to do...and what not to do...and we try to do things our way.  We essentially say, “Don’t look at me right now!” and pretend that if God does not acknowledge what we are doing (or not doing), it doesn’t count.  Then when things fall apart, where do we run?  You’ve got it...we head straight for God  - and want Him to forgive us and restore us.  And usually He does just that!

If you read the next few verses of Daniel 9, you will see, however, that God has His limits!  While He will never turn His back on us completely, God may “hang us out to dry” a little.  There may come a day when He says, “That’s it...I’ve been patient with you long enough.  I told you “not to touch the hot stove” and you kept inching closer and closer, so you will just have to get burned a little to learn your lesson!”  Or we ask and ask for things that God doesn’t seem to deliver, and we wonder why He is silent...only to realize that we have failed to do something He asked of us – or we have disobeyed Him repeatedly in some area.  God is loving, compassionate, merciful and gracious...but He is also just and fair.

So for today, I have allowed Nathan the leeway to eat at his pace and to decide whether he was hungry.  When he is older, I may have to INSIST that he eat his veggies or drink his milk.  But I will always love him, just the same.  And God loves us.  He wants to snuggle us in His arms like we would a 2-year-old who is learning the ropes.  But He also wants us to grow up and mature in our faith and our discipleship.

How patient has God been with you lately?  Are there areas where He has been more than lenient? Are there other situations where you are probably testing the limits of His mercy?  Isn’t it time you grew up in your faith and started listening to God a little more closely?  Will God have to lose His patience with you before you truly “get it”?

©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 8, 2013

Proverbs 16:9
We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.

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.

 

One year ago today, Greg and I were in Arlington, Texas, loading up my niece, her husband and three children – and moving them back to Arkansas. When I was her age (23), I would have never believed anyone who told me that someday we would be so actively involved in the lives of children ages 4, 2, and 1.  Even at age FORTY-THREE, I would not have imagined this! We did not have children… we felt God sent us in a different direction - and we planned accordingly.

 

When we retired in 2005, I was not even fifty years old.  My “retirement plans” included spending time with Greg and our two cats, exploring lots of writing projects – blogs, music, and articles for “content” websites, antiquing, catching up on the stacks of books I had purchased and never read… and much more.  God has allowed me to fulfill some of these plans… just not in the way I had envisioned them.  I now write mostly devotionals and a few blog posts…my “antiquing phase” has greatly waned… and I play the piano and guitar about once a week for an hour or so – or when the children visit.  Many of those books I bought are still on the shelf - waiting to be read.

 

My “retirement plans” have taken a pretty sharp turn… but the results have been no less blessed or fulfilling.  Our home has frequently been filled with the noise of at least one – and sometimes two or three babies and toddlers.  Watching this family grow and develop has been an unexpected joy.  I am so grateful that God gave me such a compatible mate. Greg and I spend virtually every waking moment together, and we still enjoy each other’s company after almost 40 years of marriage.  Our 14-year-old cats have learned to tolerate frequent visits from little ones who love to chase them… and yes, I think that is somewhat God’s doing, as well.  I was able to provide the necessary care for my grandmother in her last years and spend  a lot of time with her – or doing things behind the scenes with regard to her care.  Now that she is gone, those memories – even the less than happy ones – sustain me.

 

God has shifted my focus… and I am trying to stay alert to His plans for my life instead of my own.  I’m a slow learner, but I’m learning nonetheless… that each day has its own ebb and flow – and blessings.  The key is to choose to see them!  I can plan the way I want to live… but only God will make me able to live it.  And on the days when things don’t go according to my plans, I can choose to be upset – or to look for God’s hand in the shifting… and work with what He allows.  I can clearly see that God has been orchestrating the events of my life from the very beginning… with some fairly amazing experiences and outcomes.  Why on earth would I want to start trying to tell Him how to run things now?

 

What about you?  Are you planning the way you want to live and fully expecting everything to go just as you designed it?  Are you frustrated, angry and upset when things do not materialize as you expected?  Isn’t it time you recognize God’s hand in making us able to live out our plans… and embrace the changes He allows and/or arranges?  I promise you… God is at work in every single detail of our lives.  It is up to us to see this… and to acknowledge His presence.  How we react to the events of our lives is totally up to us.  What will you choose to do?
 

©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for September 17, 2013

Isaiah 30:19-21
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
    you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
    He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
    and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
    You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
Your own ears will hear him.
    Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
    whether to the right or to the left.
 
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.
 
“You can teach yourself to type.”  That’s what several people told me when I was in high school.  I really thought I would save the time block allotted for typing class and take something else in its place.  I got a manual – maybe from the local library, and I practiced over the summer.  This was long before the Internet, and so long ago that I’ve forgotten some of the details.  Suffice it to say that when the school year rolled around, I decided I needed to take the class…I needed the teacher’s help.  I can still remember her hovering over me as I typed… giving me instruction about not only how to type, but also how to care for the typewriter itself.
 
Since I type every single day, I am so grateful that I chose to take that class and learn the proper technique.  Typing served both Greg and me very well through college… and it certainly played a huge role in our publishing business!  I think of my grandfather and how he “hunted and pecked” as he typed information onto insurance and real estate forms, and I am thankful for every struggle… every minute of frustration and boredom as I learned how to type properly.
 
Could I have learned to type on my own?  Probably.  Would I have been good at it, in my own way?  Possibly. But knowing that I had an expert standing behind me to whisper, “Do this” or “Don’t do that” made a difference.  I know that now… just as I know that I can’t make it on my own without help from the LORD.  Believe me, there have been plenty of times when I have tried.  But there have been more when I’ve cried out for help… and received it.
 
People ask why God allows us to go through trials.  Why are we challenged?  A friend posted on Facebook today… “I need a book or a course on how to not let "frustrating" customers annoy the bajeepers out of me and drain me of life.”  I responded…”Not to sound trite or "preachy", but I know a GOOD ONE! Start with Philippians 4:9... ‘Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.’ Philippians 4:13 is a good ‘mantra’ to repeat when frustrated... ‘For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.’”
 
A lot of what happens to us in life boils down to a choice… whether to try to handle things on our own – or to “let go and let God.”  I don’t know about you, but I’m not up for living life via the “hunt and peck” method.  I’m ready to ask for God’s help… and to listen to His reply.  Are you?
 
©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for August 31, 2013

Romans 8:5-8
Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.
 
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.
 
In the interest of fairness, I will talk about our other cat, Lucy, today.  Lucy is a “tuxedo” (black and white) who is pretty much attached to me (while her sister, Mabel, prefers to hang with Greg 99% of the time).  To say that Lucy is self-absorbed would be an understatement.  Don’t get me wrong, we love and adore both of our cats – and spoil them rotten!  Both are the most vocal cats we have ever known… but “No!” is not in Lucy’s vocabulary!  When she wants my attention, she will squawk and squall like she is dying.  Or if I am trying to sleep and she wants my attention, she will either paw at me incessantly (front paws declawed, thankfully!) or she will lie down next to me and thump her tail so loudly it echoes in the bed springs!
 
Granted, Lucy is a cat. And I guess a cat is entitled to be self-centered… it’s kinda their job!  But when it comes to our own lives, we are often so much like Lucy – or worse – and God is not pleased.  We are either kicking, screaming and insisting that He do something for us… that He give us every one of our heart’s desires (which are not necessarily the same as His desires for us)… or we completely ignore Him and strike out on our own to do things our way.  OR… we figure out another way to get what we want.  Like Lucy, if God doesn’t answer as quickly as we wish – or in the manner we prefer – we have ways of making our requirements known! 
 
Often, end result is not pretty.  We end up miserable, defeated and disappointed… and feeling anything but peaceful.  If only we had sense enough to trust God… to seek Him in all things and to desire what He desires.  If only we thought of God first…and second… and third…and put our ego on the back burner.  We can’t even begin to imagine what God would do for us if we would do this for Him.  But as my Mam-ma Polly would say, “I tell you what”… I’m willing to try.  Are you?
 
©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for August 25, 2013

Psalms 119:165
Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.
 
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.
 
Recently, I tried out a couple of new recipes I found on Pinterest.  We invited my mother-in-law, Elaine, over for dinner. It’s always dicey to try out new recipes on a dinner guest, but Elaine is a good sport… and the dishes were actually quite tasty – crock pot lasagna and a peanut butter pie.  As we finished dessert, Elaine asked, “Did you have a recipe for this pie?”  I laughed and said “Oh, yes… no telling how this pie would have turned out if I had made it up in my head!”  I know that I would probably not have thought to follow the same steps – and the taste and texture of my “version” would have been markedly different!
 
There are a few dishes in my repertoire that I have made enough times that I don’t really need to follow a recipe (although I guess technically, I still follow the recipe in my head!).  But printed instructions for most entrees and desserts serve as a comfort – and a confidence booster!  If I follow the recipe, I have a pretty good idea that I won’t stumble… and that gives me great peace.  The same can be said for sewing patterns.  When I veer off course and try to create a garment without referring to the pattern and instructions, I have a pretty good shot at making something that is un-wearable… or at the very least doesn’t fit correctly. And when I stray from a recipe, there is a fairly good chance the dish won’t be nearly as tasty.
 
When it comes to following God’s instructions, there is really no difference.  We can try to do things our way…and sometimes skirt by with little repercussion.  But more often, we experience an epic fail. We make a huge mess of things…and our life is anything but peaceful and filled with days of “smooth sailing”.  And it’s almost always because we didn’t follow “God’s recipe or pattern”.

In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (CEV), we read “Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only true God! So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.  Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.  Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.”  In Matthew and Luke, Jesus instructs us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  This is what I would call a good “pattern” or “recipe”!  If we will truly commit to following these guidelines, our lives should be filled with steady steps and great peace.  There will surely be “bumps in the road”… but God will be with us to help us regroup and move forward.
 
Whose “recipe” or “pattern” will you follow?  Will you love the instructions God has given us and make them an innate part of your daily living?  Are you really willing to risk God’s peace and a relatively bump-free road in life just to have your own way?  Are you following your own rules… or God’s?   How’s that working for you?
 
©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for May 29, 2013

Proverbs 29:1
For people who hate discipline
    and only get more stubborn,
There’ll come a day when life tumbles in and they break,
    but by then it’ll be too late to help them.
 
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.
 

If you are old enough, you remember the ads for Coppertone sunscreen with the little girl in pigtails and blue swimsuit bottoms… a dog tugging at her pants, revealing a pale white bottom!  If you are too young to remember this ad, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coppertone_girl.  When I was growing up, we were told to “tan, don’t burn,” but our suntan lotion was designed to aid us in achieving a golden tan… not to protect us from the sun’s harmful rays.
 
By the time I was in my 30s, everyone knew about studies that revealed the dangers of sun exposure… how the harmful UVA and UVB rays could cause everything from premature wrinkling to fatal skin cancers.  Like many, I continued to tan long after I knew the potential consequences.  And just last week, I had cryosurgery on an ugly “sunspot” on my chest, while another raised area near my collarbone had to be biopsied for potential Basal Cell Carcinoma!  Thankfully, it was a benign keratosis… but now I have these two raw places that must be babied and tended while they heal… and I have once again been warned to stay out of the sun and to wear sunscreen at all times.  Not suntan lotion… sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) – the higher the number, the better!
 
I was stubborn.  I liked the looks of a deep tan, and I worked hard to maintain one!  And then the day came when some suspicious spots began to appear on my body, and the doctor began to tell me that some were “pre-cancerous.”  Thankfully, I have dodged the fate of many… my mother had to have plastic surgery on her nose last year following the removal of a cancerous lesion (and she wasn’t even a sun worshiper like I was!)… and I recently read a magazine article about a woman in Texas who had to have multiple plastic surgeries on her lip following the removal of a very deep malignancy.  For them, it was too late to think about sunscreen, wearing a hat, or staying out of the harmful rays… at least in that instance.  And for me, it’s too late for the creamy smooth skin of my grandmother, who wore a hat, long sleeves and even gloves whenever she was out in the sun for most of her 100 years…regardless of the temperature.  I am forever freckled and marked for my dogged obstinacy!
 
This is not totally about staying out of the sun!  There are countless ways in which we think we know better than the experts… including God!  We are often more concerned with pleasing ourselves than with doing what we know we ought to do… or pleasing God.  How many times have you said, “LORD… one of these days, I’ll do this or that for You.”?  How often have you said, “I’ll give up XYZ and do what God wants… but not today!”?  Just how often do you listen to God… and to others He sends into your life to guide your path?
 
Here’s the deal… God is incredibly patient with us… to a point.  When He has had enough… or He sees that we are not going to change our ways and listen to Him, God starts to allow us to experience consequences.  In my case, cryosurgery and biopsies have caused me to become quite diligent about wearing sunscreen and protecting myself from the sun’s harmful rays.  For an elderly friend of mine, three near-misses with other drivers in the same day have caused her to reconsider driving.  As she put it, “When God gives you THREE signs in one outing, I think you ought to listen!”  Hopefully she will really follow through, put down her keys, and allow others to chauffeur her around from now on.
 
What about you?  Where are you being stubborn and insisting on your own way?  Do you see that you are trying God’s patience… and possibly that of many in your midst?  Don’t you think it’s time to consider your actions… and potential consequences… to make the necessary changes before things go too far?  Isn’t it time to start listening to God and those He sends to guide you?  Aren’t you ready to operate fully in His wisdom… or are you willing to test the limits of God’s tolerance?  What will it take to fully get your attention?  Is it worth the risk?
 
©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for September 11, 2012

James 4:1-6
Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.

You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.

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.

Eleven years ago today, a horrific terroristic attack occurred in New York City at the World Trade Center. I can’t imagine there is a person alive over the age of 10 who hasn’t at least heard about “9-11,” as it is commonly known. And yes, evil people who wanted their way took matters into their own hands, using violence and killing innocent people in an attempt to make their point.

While we cannot – and must not – forget what happened on September 11, 2001, we must remember that in our own way, we all fight and quarrel and would do anything to get what we want. More than a few of us wage an inner battle with such things as controlling our anger, our tongue or our thoughts… weight loss and/or keeping fit and healthy… addictions from smoking to drinking, drug abuse, gambling, overeating, overspending, and more… and a variety of things we crave to satisfy our ego. We trick ourselves into thinking we are asking God for His will by praying, “LORD, please help me with this,” but our translation is, “LORD… please give me what I want!” And the results wreak havoc in our own life… and the lives of many of those we encounter on a daily basis.

Let’s be honest, a lot of us are willing to go to great lengths to get what we want or to have things our way. Thankfully, very few among us will physically kill another person to accomplish this, but we destroy our health and our relationships, wipe out our bank accounts, and compromise our faith… all because we want what isn’t ours – or we want to do and say whatever we please. And in many ways, these actions are as much a form of murder as if we had pulled the trigger on a gun. We don’t ask God to give us what we want, because we know in our gut that He will say “No” – and with good reason. So we connive, argue and wage battle within our self and with others… and we make a huge mess of things.

Now that you’ve tried “having it your way” and seen how futile this can be… why not give God’s way a chance? Isn’t it time you tried humility and genuinely asked God to meet your daily needs? What if you humbly and honestly asked God to guide your steps… to give you the determination to kick that bad habit or actually engage in a daily workout… to grant you the willpower to resist buying things you don’t need and participating in activities that are wrong for you, at best – or downright immoral at their core… to control your thoughts and your tongue?

What if we started to think about the wide-ranging ramifications of our words and actions and asked God to help us do what is right for us – and for those we encounter? This passage tells us that what God gives in love is better than anything we will find on our own… that He gives His grace to the willing humble. What do you supposed could happen if we dropped pretense and ego… and operated humbly in the will of God? Are you ready to find out? Isn’t today a great day to begin?

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for April 27, 2012

Proverbs 3:5-12
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health… your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this.

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

This morning, I downloaded the pattern for making a crochet button necklace. I saw my friend wearing one, and I liked it enough to want to make some with my old buttons. I can already tell from reading the instructions that I will probably have to start over more than once before I get the hang of it, but I will keep trying, and the end result will be really cool.

As with many things that don’t work out on the first try, I will probably grow a little frustrated. And I will have to be careful not to race ahead, assuming that I already know how to do the next stitch. I looked my friend’s necklace over carefully, but I have enough sense to realize that I need instructions in order to make a decent replica on my own! So I will be happy for the free instructions I found online, and I will welcome the “corrections” that will come as I attempt to create my own fashion accessory.

We often trust our own instincts and try to figure things out on our own… frequently with less than stellar results. We resent instruction, and we ignore even some of the most glaring signs that we are headed in the wrong direction. Worse yet, we listen to people who are not helpful at best – and sometimes those who may be downright evil in one way or another. If we are going to “walk in the fear of the LORD,” we have to humble ourselves and detach from evil ways. We cannot hang out with evil people… or do things we did before we committed to Christ.

This is not a bad thing… or a “death sentence!” When we walk in the “fear” (respect and honor) of the LORD and seek His guidance in all things, He will elevate us to heights we have never known… and the end result will be beautiful, healthy, and glowing! I find that learning new things is beneficial in so many ways… even if it is how to make a crochet button necklace! Learning more about the LORD and His desires for me is even better - and draws me closer to walking in His purpose for my life.

In my prayer journal notes, I have written… “Whether or not the world is ever impressed with you doesn’t ever matter to God. You don’t ever have to “kiss up” to get ahead. Walking in the fear of the LORD will get you where you need to be – to your one true root purpose.” Are you seeking God’s direction and respectfully trusting Him from the bottom of your heart? Are you healthy and glowing… do your bones “vibrate with life” in Him? Are you still learning from God… or are you stubbornly clinging to your old life and its evil pull?

God wants to do beautiful things in and through you. He wants to reveal His purpose and help you to grow in its fullness. What is holding you back today? Isn’t it time to listen to God’s instruction for your life? Are you ready to start learning again?

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for April 21, 2012

2 Chronicles 16:7-9
Just after that, Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said, "Because you went for help to the king of Aram and didn't ask God for help, you've lost a victory over the army of the king of Aram. Didn't the Ethiopians and Libyans come against you with superior forces, completely outclassing you with their chariots and cavalry? But you asked God for help and he gave you the victory. God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God's help. Now you're in trouble—one round of war after another."

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

Timothy has a book that we must have read a thousand times or more, entitled I Can Do It Myself. The book features Sesame Street characters that tie their own shoes, make their own bed, button their own buttons, and much more. Even though Timothy could not do many of these things himself, he loved reading about his friends like Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Bettie Lou and Elmo who could do many things for themselves and enjoyed exerting their independence.

Learning to do things for themselves marks monumental milestones in the life of a toddler or small child. We want our children to function independently. But I can tell you firsthand that watching your little ones learn to depend less on you for certain things is bittersweet. I liked that Timmy needed me to read bedtime stories to him. I know the day will come all too quickly when he will outgrow this. I liked pushing him in the stroller… and when he began to balk at riding in it, I was a little sad. Even though I’m glad he can walk and run and is growing in his abilities, the day he learned to crawl – then walk – changed the entire game around our house! And as he gets older and “outgrows” us, he will listen less and less to our advice and try more and more to do things his own way… with mixed results.

Imagine how God must feel as He sits and watches us flounder and try to do things on our own that we are in no way equipped to accomplish. Whether we physically voice it or not, we tell Him all the time that “I can do it myself.” And quite often, nothing could be farther from the truth. Then we have the nerve to question why we’re in such a pickle.

Things don’t have to be this way. Your pride is at stake here… but not in the way you imagine. By asking God for His help, acknowledging His will and listening to His answers, you are assuring victory and success. Trying to do things by yourself will result in a wounded pride at best… and the potential for disaster.

Don’t place yourself in a position to fail. Wouldn’t you rather go to God in the beginning than have to crawl to Him later after you’ve made a royal mess of things? God wants to open up and show His strength on our behalf. In order to do this, we have to operate in His kingdom and do His will. Yes, I can do it myself in many instances… but I must let God show me how and when this applies. Do you respect His decisions and guidance… are you really listening?

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for April 19, 2012

Hebrews 3:15-19
For who were the people who turned a deaf ear? Weren't they the very ones Moses led out of Egypt? And who was God provoked with for forty years? Wasn't it those who turned a deaf ear and ended up corpses in the wilderness? And when he swore that they'd never get where they were going, wasn't he talking to the ones who turned a deaf ear? They never got there because they never listened, never believed.

Scripture quotations from The Message. ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

Have you ever tried to tell give a person advice – or directions – or you tried to show someone how to do a particular task… and the whole time, you knew they were not listening? In the end, all you could do was stand by and watch this person go the wrong way… or make a poor choice… or royally botch whatever he/she was trying to accomplish.

Imagine how this feels for God… because we do these same things to Him all the time! He has shown us the way. He has given us His word, His Holy Spirit, fellow believers to minister and encourage us, and much more… and still we tune it all out and try to do things on our own. God has given us the beauty of His creation, yet we doubt His existence. He has blessed us immeasurably, still we gripe and complain and have some pretty big pity parties!

We are our own worst enemy (with the devil’s help, of course). We block hearing from God… and in doing so, we block His blessings – and for some, salvation and the promise of an eternity spent in Heaven. We make the same mistakes over and again… then wonder why nothing ever works out for us like we had hoped.

The secret of success is hearing from God. I don’t necessarily mean success in a financial or material manner… although not listening to God could block these, also. I am talking about the success that comes from finding the joy, peace, hope and encouragement that God stands ready to give us… the life-altering health and wealth of living in the abundance of His blessings. We can all still enjoy this! All it takes is a shift of attitude… a willingness to pay attention, seek God’s word and will, and truly LISTEN to what He is telling us.

God’s word blesses us… empowers us… allows us to excel in all things. Don’t you want that for yourself? Won’t you stop, look and listen… and learn what God has in store for you in the days to come?

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 1, 2011

2 Kings 17:18-20
The LORD became so furious with the people of Israel that he allowed them to be carried away as prisoners.

Only the people living in Judah were left, but they also disobeyed the LORD's commands and acted like the Israelites. So the LORD turned his back on everyone in Israel and Judah and let them be punished and defeated until no one was left.

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

I’ve been reading the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings, and over and again I’ve seen this phrase… “He disobeyed the LORD and caused the Israelites to sin.” Otherwise, these chapters have been pretty much an account of one king after another and commands of God that were ignored. There were a few who listened – sometimes only partially… but on a whole, these kings were “Burger Kings” – they had things their own way!

I asked myself… “Why is this important? If God felt it should be included in the Bible, what is He trying to show us with these accounts?” The conclusion I came to is found in today’s verses… God loves us and protects us – but He also doles out consequences and punishments when we misbehave. And we need to understand this!

When a child disobeys, they get “time out” or lose their toys for a while. When teenagers break the rules, they are grounded and may lose their car keys, cell phone, and other privileges. When adults break the law, they are arrested – and may go to jail or suffer a fine. And when we sin, sometimes God hangs His head in disappointment and walks away temporarily. Just because we are saved by the blood of Jesus doesn’t mean we get a free ticket, any more than becoming king made those rulers above the laws and directives of God Almighty!

When little children disobey and misbehave, we may place them in “time out” or send them to their room and walk away for a little bit… but we never desert them completely. And God will not totally abandon you, either. But He may very well turn away and leave you to fend for yourself at times, so that you learn to respect His desires and guidance for your life – and seek His forgiveness and restoration.

Whatever you do, remember that God loves you and will care for you… but He may also teach you a few hard lessons along the way. Work hard to stay obedient and to operate within His will. Don’t try to have things your way when you know that God desires something else. And most certainly do not cause others to sin!

Listen carefully for God’s voice. Seek Him in every area of your life… even those that seem small and not worth His time. I assure you, everything about you matters to God! Have you acted like He matters to you lately? Isn’t it time you did?

©2011 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for August 27, 2011

John 7:14-19
With the Feast already half over, Jesus showed up in the Temple, teaching. The Jews were impressed, but puzzled: "How does he know so much without being schooled?"

Jesus said, "I didn't make this up. What I teach comes from the One who sent me. Anyone who wants to do his will can test this teaching and know whether it's from God or whether I'm making it up. A person making things up tries to make himself look good. But someone trying to honor the one who sent him sticks to the facts and doesn't tamper with reality. It was Moses, wasn't it, who gave you God's Law? But none of you are living it. So why are you trying to kill me?"

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.

Friends on Facebook have been contributing to a page about recollections of our home town when we were kids. More than one has remembered Whitaker Drug Store, were we could sit at the counter and order fountain sodas and other treats. And many have remembered getting a drink there called a “suicide.” Basically, the ladies behind the counter put in a little bit of every syrup available and added carbonated water for “fizz.” I don’t remember if I ever drank a “suicide,” but I know plenty of times that I – and others – have tried to create our own culinary concoction with less than stellar results!

I will experiment a little here and there when cooking, but I’ve pretty well learned from a few mistakes in the kitchen. Now I mostly stick to the recipe and leave the tampering to someone more adventuresome! I am content to have people enjoy my cooking, and I will gladly give the credit to whatever cookbook author or good cook willing to share recipes deserves the recognition. And hopefully, people are comfortable eating what I prepare… confident that I’ve not made things up as I went along! I never went to culinary school… but I had good teachers who taught me how to navigate the kitchen and produce a tasty meal.

Now if I were to continually strike out and create dishes of my own invention, would I have the right to be mad at Julia Child, Betty Crocker, or the Southern Living cooks because my results were poor? Would it make sense to be angry at someone who shared a recipe with me if I changed the ingredients and didn’t follow the cooking directions… and the result was inedible? So why do we think we can study God’s word and receive His guidance and instruction, then “have it our way?”

Why are we persuaded by sinful friends and acquaintances who clearly are not behaving in a Christ-like manner? Why do we choose “Spiritual suicide” when we already know that the results are going to leave a bad taste in our mouth and have horrendous consequences? What right do we have to be mad at God when things don’t go the way we want?

When will we learn? When will we begin to recognize the power and authority of God Almighty? When will we see that God sent Jesus to show us how to live… how to conduct ourselves in all sorts of situations… how to resist temptation… how to love others in His name… how to spread the Gospel and model Christ-like behavior for others? When will we realize that fakes and phonies are a dime a dozen… but Jesus is the Real Deal?

Remember John 3:16 – God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could live – forever! All we have to do is believe in Him… all we have to do is acknowledge that Jesus is truly who He said He was, ever since “back in the day”… and commit our heart and soul to living for Him continually in the “now!” Jesus brought us the recipe for success, joy, and Eternal Life! Are you ready to follow Him?

©2011 Debbie Robus