Psalm 147:3-5
He renews our hopes
and heals our bodies.
He decided how many stars
there would be in the sky
and gave each one a name.
Our Lord is great and powerful!
He understands everything.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A weather “front” came through our area yesterday, and what seemed like millions of leaves blew from the trees as the winds gusted. Our yard and driveway were covered in the results…leaves more numerous than we could ever begin to count – if we even cared to do so.
Do you realize that the stars in the universe are more numerous than these leaves? Yet God cares so much that He planned for each and every one of them – and gave.them.a.name! The God who cares that much about stars in the sky cares even more for each of us. So how could we ever doubt for one minute that He would renew our hopes and heal our bodies?
How could we ever question whether God would understand us…and everything about us? Surely the God who creates and names the stars can handle little ole me…and YOU! The question is…will we let Him? Will we trust God enough to bring Him our thoughts, dreams, desires, deepest concerns – and even our mistakes? Will we believe His promise to heal us, forgive us, restore us, and meet our every need?
It is time to “walk the Walk” in direct correlation to how we “talk the Talk”! The time has come to thank God for all that He does for us…and to mean it! We say we trust Him…that we believe that He is all-powerful, loving, filled with grace and mercy for us – that He is our “Great Healer”. So isn’t it time to let Him be all of these things in our lives? Will this be the day that we begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label how God numbers our steps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how God numbers our steps. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 9, 2012
Psalm 90:10, 12
We can expect seventy years, or maybe eighty, if we are healthy, but even our best years bring trouble and sorrow. Suddenly our time is up, and we disappear.
Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
For the first twenty-five-plus years of my adult life, I lived and breathed by a schedule and calendar. In my years as a teacher, I planned everything around the school year and scheduled holidays. When I was not in summer school, I mapped out my summer days – to some degree - trying to get everything I felt I had to get done finished within the first week or two so I could “relax” and enjoy the rest of the break. I would frantically spend the first week or two of June doing all of my heavy house cleaning, any “summer sewing” and getting other “obligations” out of the way.
At the end of the summer break, I would allow a couple of weeks or more to get ready to go back to school… cleaning again, making meals to put in the freezer, and then actually working at school to get my room ready for the new class. I used to plan weekly menus – and stick to them! I have “to-do” lists from those years that would probably stack inches high on my desk. And yes, if you saw my laundry room filled with fabrics and crafts items waiting to become my latest project, you would say I still have “to-do” lists of sorts!
Now that I have the luxury of retirement and don’t have to plan my life around a work schedule, I can enjoy “going with the flow” more. There are many days when I say to myself – or anyone within earshot, “I got so much more done when I was working!” But at the same time, I have to ask myself if I really made every day count in the bargain.
In my notes, I have written that “the value of dying is that it makes us aware of how limited time is. Our days are numbered! Make every day count for God!” I have learned the hard way that a lot of what we think is important – or makes us happy – is more about appearances and pleasing others than satisfying ourselves… much less God.
So here are a few things I have learned along the way...
I suggest that we start each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of a new day. Ask God to show you what He has planned for your day… and work your own “to-do” list around His! Our days are numbered, but God can show us how to make every single one count. Are you wisely using all the time that you have?
©2012 Debbie Robus
We can expect seventy years, or maybe eighty, if we are healthy, but even our best years bring trouble and sorrow. Suddenly our time is up, and we disappear.
Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
For the first twenty-five-plus years of my adult life, I lived and breathed by a schedule and calendar. In my years as a teacher, I planned everything around the school year and scheduled holidays. When I was not in summer school, I mapped out my summer days – to some degree - trying to get everything I felt I had to get done finished within the first week or two so I could “relax” and enjoy the rest of the break. I would frantically spend the first week or two of June doing all of my heavy house cleaning, any “summer sewing” and getting other “obligations” out of the way.
At the end of the summer break, I would allow a couple of weeks or more to get ready to go back to school… cleaning again, making meals to put in the freezer, and then actually working at school to get my room ready for the new class. I used to plan weekly menus – and stick to them! I have “to-do” lists from those years that would probably stack inches high on my desk. And yes, if you saw my laundry room filled with fabrics and crafts items waiting to become my latest project, you would say I still have “to-do” lists of sorts!
Now that I have the luxury of retirement and don’t have to plan my life around a work schedule, I can enjoy “going with the flow” more. There are many days when I say to myself – or anyone within earshot, “I got so much more done when I was working!” But at the same time, I have to ask myself if I really made every day count in the bargain.
In my notes, I have written that “the value of dying is that it makes us aware of how limited time is. Our days are numbered! Make every day count for God!” I have learned the hard way that a lot of what we think is important – or makes us happy – is more about appearances and pleasing others than satisfying ourselves… much less God.
So here are a few things I have learned along the way...
- It is okay to pick and choose. I have opted to spend time with my grandmother instead of attending the funeral of one of her friends. I have learned to say “No!” rather than stretch myself too thinly. A dear “other-mother” friend of mine told a mutual friend once, “’No!’ can be a holy answer!” My former pastor told me that “’No!” is a complete sentence!”
- Spending time on my own health and fitness benefits everyone… not just me. If I don’t take care of myself physically, mentally and spiritually, I cannot help those who need me… not to mention that God wants me to be the best “me” possible. (see point #1)
- If I get to the end of a busy, productive day and didn’t plan a meal for dinner, there is always peanut butter – or carry-out!
- “To-do” lists are great things… we should have goals. But just because something is on “the list” doesn’t mean the world will crash down around you if it doesn’t get done!
- Relationships are more important than crossing something off the list. A walk in the park with my husband trumps a clean floor any day. Ditto for time spent with our little ones, a phone conversation with a friend or family member, and dropping everything to comfort someone who is in need.
I suggest that we start each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of a new day. Ask God to show you what He has planned for your day… and work your own “to-do” list around His! Our days are numbered, but God can show us how to make every single one count. Are you wisely using all the time that you have?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 13, 2012
Moses 2:1-10
A man from the Levi tribe married a woman from the same tribe, and she later had a baby boy. He was a beautiful child, and she kept him inside for three months. But when she could no longer keep him hidden, she made a basket out of reeds and covered it with tar. She put him in the basket and placed it in the tall grass along the edge of the Nile River. The baby’s older sister stood off at a distance to see what would happen to him.
About that time one of the king’s daughters came down to take a bath in the river, while her servant women walked along the river bank. She saw the basket in the tall grass and sent one of the young women to pull it out of the water. When the king’s daughter opened the basket, she saw the baby and felt sorry for him because he was crying. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.”
At once the baby’s older sister came up and asked, “Do you want me to get a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby for you?” “Yes,” the king’s daughter answered.
So the girl brought the baby’s mother, and the king’s daughter told her, “Take care of this child, and I will pay you.” The baby’s mother carried him home and took care of him. And when he was old enough, she took him to the king’s daughter, who adopted him. She named him Moses because she said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This is one of the most amazing stories of motherhood I know. To think that Moses’ mother loved him so much that she risked everything for him speaks to the incredible love of a mother for her children. Moses’ mother had the courage to place him where she knew the king’s daughters bathed. She trusted that one of the daughters would discover this beautiful baby and be smitten with him. She risked this to save his life. And she did so at the expense of her own feelings. She sacrificed her own heart to save Moses’ life and ensure his future.
This mother couldn’t possibly know that the king’s daughter would return Moses to her for child-rearing. She also probably didn’t anticipate how heart-wrenching it would be to return him to the king’s daughter someday for adoption. Still, she did all of this to ensure the safety and wellbeing of her child. And God blessed her – and Moses – because of her courage and her unselfishness.
Even though God is our heavenly Father, He loves us with the love of a mother, as well. He wants the best for us, and He considers our well-being at every turn. God loves us unselfishly. He also loves us unconditionally. And He provides us with earthly mothers of biology… and heart.
Today, as we pause to honor the mothers in our lives… those who gave us birth and those who give us unconditional motherly love and support… let’s also thank God for His incredible gifts. God could just as easily have spoken each one of us into existence and provided other ways for us to be nurtured and reared, but He chose mothers as the vehicle for this. The “motherly instinct” is so incredibly important that we see it even in nature… from the bird who sits on a nest to a cat guarding her kittens to the goose who guides her goslings across a busy highway and more. Surely God meant for mothers to be respected and revered – He gave them such important work. Have you thanked Him for your mom lately? Shouldn’t you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
A man from the Levi tribe married a woman from the same tribe, and she later had a baby boy. He was a beautiful child, and she kept him inside for three months. But when she could no longer keep him hidden, she made a basket out of reeds and covered it with tar. She put him in the basket and placed it in the tall grass along the edge of the Nile River. The baby’s older sister stood off at a distance to see what would happen to him.
About that time one of the king’s daughters came down to take a bath in the river, while her servant women walked along the river bank. She saw the basket in the tall grass and sent one of the young women to pull it out of the water. When the king’s daughter opened the basket, she saw the baby and felt sorry for him because he was crying. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.”
At once the baby’s older sister came up and asked, “Do you want me to get a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby for you?” “Yes,” the king’s daughter answered.
So the girl brought the baby’s mother, and the king’s daughter told her, “Take care of this child, and I will pay you.” The baby’s mother carried him home and took care of him. And when he was old enough, she took him to the king’s daughter, who adopted him. She named him Moses because she said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This is one of the most amazing stories of motherhood I know. To think that Moses’ mother loved him so much that she risked everything for him speaks to the incredible love of a mother for her children. Moses’ mother had the courage to place him where she knew the king’s daughters bathed. She trusted that one of the daughters would discover this beautiful baby and be smitten with him. She risked this to save his life. And she did so at the expense of her own feelings. She sacrificed her own heart to save Moses’ life and ensure his future.
This mother couldn’t possibly know that the king’s daughter would return Moses to her for child-rearing. She also probably didn’t anticipate how heart-wrenching it would be to return him to the king’s daughter someday for adoption. Still, she did all of this to ensure the safety and wellbeing of her child. And God blessed her – and Moses – because of her courage and her unselfishness.
Even though God is our heavenly Father, He loves us with the love of a mother, as well. He wants the best for us, and He considers our well-being at every turn. God loves us unselfishly. He also loves us unconditionally. And He provides us with earthly mothers of biology… and heart.
Today, as we pause to honor the mothers in our lives… those who gave us birth and those who give us unconditional motherly love and support… let’s also thank God for His incredible gifts. God could just as easily have spoken each one of us into existence and provided other ways for us to be nurtured and reared, but He chose mothers as the vehicle for this. The “motherly instinct” is so incredibly important that we see it even in nature… from the bird who sits on a nest to a cat guarding her kittens to the goose who guides her goslings across a busy highway and more. Surely God meant for mothers to be respected and revered – He gave them such important work. Have you thanked Him for your mom lately? Shouldn’t you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 24, 2011
Proverbs 20:24
The very steps we take come from GOD; otherwise how would we know where we're going?
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A few weeks ago, Timothy and his family moved to Texas, so we didn’t see our little guy for seven weeks. Now, you may be saying that this is not such a long time, but for us, it seemed like seven years. I was reminded to cherish every moment with him. Now that he is here for an extended stay, I’m doing just that! If he doesn’t take a nap when I want, I try to enjoy watching him wind down – even if he’s fussy. When he wakes me at 4:45 a.m. and says “Jack!” as in “Jack’s Big Music Show,” I try to realize that 2-year-olds have no clock, and he has no clue that grownups are still trying to sleep at this hour!
All too soon, this little guy will be too old for his Aunt DebDeb and Uncle Greg, and our chances to nurture and dote on him will be greatly diminished. We will never get back the cute giggles… the day he first started stringing sentences together… or all of those wonderful, sticky hugs and kisses he has for us now. And it’s not just little ones… last week my grandmother tearfully said to me, “Things are changing.” At nearly 99, she sees her time slipping away, and so do we. Before you know it, she will be off to heaven, and we will no longer have the opportunity to benefit from her presence – and her wisdom and wit.
My point is that God has numbered our steps. If it weren’t for God showing us the way and guiding us, we wouldn’t have a clue how to act or what to do… and for most of us, the results would be disastrous! I believe that God is calling us to slow down, to quit dreaming that hot summer days would give way to fall. I believe He is saying, “Don’t wish it were winter… or next week or next year! Enjoy the day I have given you… this day… this hour. Do what I am calling you to do in this time frame - whether it’s playing with a toddler, spending time with an elderly loved one, or standing in line at the grocery store.”
I believe God wants us to be more present in the moment… to be awake and alert for His blessings and opportunities to serve in His name at all times… not just when it’s convenient, we’re rested, and all of the stars align in the universe!
How are you living these days? Are you aware Who numbers your steps? Are you wishing your life away and rushing through things, or are you truly present in the moment… serving God and praising Him for each second of the day? How do you know where you are going?
©2011 Debbie Robus
The very steps we take come from GOD; otherwise how would we know where we're going?
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A few weeks ago, Timothy and his family moved to Texas, so we didn’t see our little guy for seven weeks. Now, you may be saying that this is not such a long time, but for us, it seemed like seven years. I was reminded to cherish every moment with him. Now that he is here for an extended stay, I’m doing just that! If he doesn’t take a nap when I want, I try to enjoy watching him wind down – even if he’s fussy. When he wakes me at 4:45 a.m. and says “Jack!” as in “Jack’s Big Music Show,” I try to realize that 2-year-olds have no clock, and he has no clue that grownups are still trying to sleep at this hour!
All too soon, this little guy will be too old for his Aunt DebDeb and Uncle Greg, and our chances to nurture and dote on him will be greatly diminished. We will never get back the cute giggles… the day he first started stringing sentences together… or all of those wonderful, sticky hugs and kisses he has for us now. And it’s not just little ones… last week my grandmother tearfully said to me, “Things are changing.” At nearly 99, she sees her time slipping away, and so do we. Before you know it, she will be off to heaven, and we will no longer have the opportunity to benefit from her presence – and her wisdom and wit.
My point is that God has numbered our steps. If it weren’t for God showing us the way and guiding us, we wouldn’t have a clue how to act or what to do… and for most of us, the results would be disastrous! I believe that God is calling us to slow down, to quit dreaming that hot summer days would give way to fall. I believe He is saying, “Don’t wish it were winter… or next week or next year! Enjoy the day I have given you… this day… this hour. Do what I am calling you to do in this time frame - whether it’s playing with a toddler, spending time with an elderly loved one, or standing in line at the grocery store.”
I believe God wants us to be more present in the moment… to be awake and alert for His blessings and opportunities to serve in His name at all times… not just when it’s convenient, we’re rested, and all of the stars align in the universe!
How are you living these days? Are you aware Who numbers your steps? Are you wishing your life away and rushing through things, or are you truly present in the moment… serving God and praising Him for each second of the day? How do you know where you are going?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 20, 2011
Psalm 56:8-13
You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them. When I pray, LORD God, my enemies will retreat, because I know for certain that you are with me. I praise your promises!
I trust you and am not afraid. No one can harm me. I will keep my promises to you, my God, and bring you gifts. You protected me from death and kept me from stumbling, so that I would please you and follow the light that leads to life.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
On a recent episode of NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?”, Rosie O’Donnell traced her ancestry from New York and New Jersey back through Quebec, Canada, to County Kildare, Ireland. Along the way, she discovered that her great-grandfather’s first wife, Anna, was badly burned in a fire in their Manhattan home in the 1800’s. Anna was cooking breakfast and holding an infant daughter, who reached out and grabbed a kerosene lantern and pulled it toward the stove, where it exploded. The baby was not injured (probably do to the heroics of her mother), but Anna suffered for 20 days before dying. Anyone who has spent time with a small baby knows how quickly they can grab something and innocently cause havoc… so I truly felt for this woman and her family.
But that’s not all… Rosie discovered that her great-grandfather, Michael (husband of Anna), was born in Quebec… after his parents emigrated from Ireland, somewhere between 1846 and 1861, when the Murtagh family first appears in a Canadian census. Rosie learns that her great-great grandparents and four children were so poor that they had to enter a “Poor Law workhouse” during the potato famine. She visited a “workhouse” similar to the one in which her ancestors were placed, and she was devastated to see the conditions there. Straw mattresses were placed on the floor, with as many as four people assigned to one bed. Children ages 2-15 were separated from their families and relegated to the top floor. The women were placed in one area – the men in another. Over one million people died during the potato famine… many of them children, who were especially susceptible to disease and infection. Just thinking about someone taking my children from me as I entered such a place… cold, hungry and desperate… gave me chills and made me heartsick.
Rosie found records from 1854 indicating her great-great grandparents were living in a workhouse, but she also discovered that two men in charge recommended this family as suitable candidates to emigrate to Canada. Moved to tears, Rosie considers the incredible hardships her ancestors endured. She recognizes the success and accomplishments that she and her siblings have enjoyed, and she realizes that her life has always been blessed. She says in the episode that she would not be here, were it not for the two men who recommended her ancestors for emigration.
Surely God stored the tears of Rosie’s ancestors in His bottle and numbered them. Surely He had his hand upon this family – and others - even in the suffering that their great-great-granddaughter endured – and Rosie compared to a concentration camp. Rosie was able to do what King David did in the Psalm… look beyond her sadness, grief, and suffering and see the blessings God was preparing for her. And we can do the same. Every family… and every life… will have times of challenge, hardship, sadness, and suffering on some level. No one is immune to these tools of the devil… his attempts to drag us down and make us turn our back on God.
Rick Warren says in The Purpose Driven Life that “You will have happy moments here, but nothing compared to what God has planned for you…faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or even ministry. Never focus on temporary crowns.” When we stop and consider this, we can see that what we consider to be extremely difficult… even horrific… times in our lives are truly just bumps in the road in the overall scheme of God’s plans for us.
If we can learn to focus on worshipping God and making Him smile… if we can look beyond our immediate little world and realize that there is a much bigger picture, we can begin to live in the blessings that God has for us. When we realize just how important we are to Him… how everything weaves together to bring us to the exact spot we are now… we more clearly see how important it is that we stay faithful and do our part to honor and glorify the One who counts our tears.
Sometimes it’s hard to see the blessings and the intricate details of how God is working on our behalf, because we get bogged down in the everyday incidents and focus too much on the immediate rather than the long-term. Where do you need to adjust your focus? Ask God to show you how to trust Him more… and trust His promises. Begin to operate in faith that He will not only number your tears… but your steps as well. Realize how blessed you are to be a child of God… and start to live accordingly!
©2011 Debbie Robus
You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them. When I pray, LORD God, my enemies will retreat, because I know for certain that you are with me. I praise your promises!
I trust you and am not afraid. No one can harm me. I will keep my promises to you, my God, and bring you gifts. You protected me from death and kept me from stumbling, so that I would please you and follow the light that leads to life.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
On a recent episode of NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?”, Rosie O’Donnell traced her ancestry from New York and New Jersey back through Quebec, Canada, to County Kildare, Ireland. Along the way, she discovered that her great-grandfather’s first wife, Anna, was badly burned in a fire in their Manhattan home in the 1800’s. Anna was cooking breakfast and holding an infant daughter, who reached out and grabbed a kerosene lantern and pulled it toward the stove, where it exploded. The baby was not injured (probably do to the heroics of her mother), but Anna suffered for 20 days before dying. Anyone who has spent time with a small baby knows how quickly they can grab something and innocently cause havoc… so I truly felt for this woman and her family.
But that’s not all… Rosie discovered that her great-grandfather, Michael (husband of Anna), was born in Quebec… after his parents emigrated from Ireland, somewhere between 1846 and 1861, when the Murtagh family first appears in a Canadian census. Rosie learns that her great-great grandparents and four children were so poor that they had to enter a “Poor Law workhouse” during the potato famine. She visited a “workhouse” similar to the one in which her ancestors were placed, and she was devastated to see the conditions there. Straw mattresses were placed on the floor, with as many as four people assigned to one bed. Children ages 2-15 were separated from their families and relegated to the top floor. The women were placed in one area – the men in another. Over one million people died during the potato famine… many of them children, who were especially susceptible to disease and infection. Just thinking about someone taking my children from me as I entered such a place… cold, hungry and desperate… gave me chills and made me heartsick.
Rosie found records from 1854 indicating her great-great grandparents were living in a workhouse, but she also discovered that two men in charge recommended this family as suitable candidates to emigrate to Canada. Moved to tears, Rosie considers the incredible hardships her ancestors endured. She recognizes the success and accomplishments that she and her siblings have enjoyed, and she realizes that her life has always been blessed. She says in the episode that she would not be here, were it not for the two men who recommended her ancestors for emigration.
Surely God stored the tears of Rosie’s ancestors in His bottle and numbered them. Surely He had his hand upon this family – and others - even in the suffering that their great-great-granddaughter endured – and Rosie compared to a concentration camp. Rosie was able to do what King David did in the Psalm… look beyond her sadness, grief, and suffering and see the blessings God was preparing for her. And we can do the same. Every family… and every life… will have times of challenge, hardship, sadness, and suffering on some level. No one is immune to these tools of the devil… his attempts to drag us down and make us turn our back on God.
Rick Warren says in The Purpose Driven Life that “You will have happy moments here, but nothing compared to what God has planned for you…faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or even ministry. Never focus on temporary crowns.” When we stop and consider this, we can see that what we consider to be extremely difficult… even horrific… times in our lives are truly just bumps in the road in the overall scheme of God’s plans for us.
If we can learn to focus on worshipping God and making Him smile… if we can look beyond our immediate little world and realize that there is a much bigger picture, we can begin to live in the blessings that God has for us. When we realize just how important we are to Him… how everything weaves together to bring us to the exact spot we are now… we more clearly see how important it is that we stay faithful and do our part to honor and glorify the One who counts our tears.
Sometimes it’s hard to see the blessings and the intricate details of how God is working on our behalf, because we get bogged down in the everyday incidents and focus too much on the immediate rather than the long-term. Where do you need to adjust your focus? Ask God to show you how to trust Him more… and trust His promises. Begin to operate in faith that He will not only number your tears… but your steps as well. Realize how blessed you are to be a child of God… and start to live accordingly!
©2011 Debbie Robus
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