John 20:11-18
Mary Magdalene stood crying
outside the tomb. She was still weeping, when she stooped down and saw
two angels inside. They were dressed in white and were sitting where
Jesus' body had been. One was at the head and the other was at the foot.
The angels asked Mary, “Why are you crying?”
She answered, “They have taken away my Lord’s body! I don’t know where they have put him.”
As
soon as Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there.
But she did not know who he was. Jesus asked her, “Why are you crying?
Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener and said, “Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me, so I can go and get him.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him, “Rabboni.” The Aramaic word “Rabboni” means “Teacher.”
Jesus
told her, “Don’t hold on to me! I have not yet gone to the Father. But
tell my disciples that I am going to the one who is my Father and my
God, as well as your Father and your God.” Mary Magdalene then went and
told the disciples that she had seen the Lord. She also told them what
he had said to her.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A few years ago, my mother gave copies of a little book called Jesus Calling*
to me, my sister, and my niece. When Mother died in January, I found
extra copies in her “stash” of books, so I know that she shared this
inspirational book with many people over the years.
Mother spoke of Jesus Calling
often…she faithfully read her copy every day. I have it on my desk,
and often, I look at the notes she made and the parts she underlined. I
will admit that I didn’t pay much attention to my copy until Mother’s
last days on this earth. And while I sometimes get busy, I always catch
up on the entries at some point during the week. I would highly
recommend Jesus Calling to each of you…the passages are brief and
easy to understand – as if they were written from Jesus directly to us.
There are also scripture references for each entry that correlate the
message to actual Bible verses.
This morning, I was reading the
entry for August 30th, which begins…”There is no place so desolate that
you cannot find Me there.” In the second paragraph, “Jesus” tells us,
“No set of circumstances could ever isolate you from My loving
Presence.”
As I read this story from John 20 of Mary Magdalene
and how despondent and lonely she must have felt after Jesus’ death, I
was touched by the gentleness of Jesus’ encounter with her. He didn’t
yell at her…or scream, “Mary, it’s ME…JESUS! How could you not know
Me?” He gently and sweetly approached her. And with a simple
almost-whisper of her name, Mary recognized her Lord. The tenderness of
this image nearly moves me to tears. Jesus is always with us…but He
never forces Himself on us.
This may be a difficult day for you.
You may be so busy that you don’t see how you can possibly accomplish
everything on your “to-do” list. You may be brokenhearted with grief and
sadness…frightened about circumstances beyond your control…angry over
some injustice or wrong…sick or injured - and worried about your health
and well-being. Or you may be filled with uncontrollable joy and
excitement about wonderful things that are happening to you and/or
someone you love. Life may be exceptionally hard right now…or
incredibly good…or somewhere in between.
Regardless of your
situation and present circumstances, Jesus is with you. He is gently
and tenderly calling your name. You may be looking everywhere for Him…or
He may not even be “on your radar” today. But I assure you that you
are on His! He is with you…waiting to be recognized…ready to meet your
every need and walk with you through this day – and every other. Stop…look…listen…and call to Jesus! Recognize His presence, and take every opportunity to let others know that He is always available to each
of us.
Jesus IS calling…your Lord is right beside you! Will you acknowledge His presence?
©2016 Debbie Robus
*www.JesusCalling.com
Showing posts with label how Jesus loves and guides us. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how Jesus loves and guides us. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for May 1, 2016
John 6:44
No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me makes them want to come. But if they do come, I will raise them to life on the last day.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning, I assisted in the nursery during our 11:00 worship service. When I arrived near the end of the second service, there were 16 toddlers in the nursery! By the time parents picked up little ones, we were left with four for the last hour. I’ve spent several Sundays in the nursery, so I am becoming familiar with many of these little ones…and they are getting to know me.
Toddlers are a lot like kittens and puppies…you can’t just pick one up and expect it to instantly like you! Relationships have to be developed…familiarity has to be nurtured. So when I arrived this morning, a few children who know me came with arms outstretched to be picked up for a hug. Some even asked to be rocked. And a couple who thought this might be a good idea decided otherwise when their eyelids began to droop!
Their “reward” was a snuggle and a kiss…a chance to play with the sparkly cross necklace I was wearing…and maybe to hear me sing a little song or two as we rocked in the rocking chair. But again, they had to want to do all of this…or it would not have been pleasant for any of us!
Here’s how this works with Jesus...
God has given us opportunities to get to know Him…through scripture, worship, friendship and communion with believers, and more. He has set the stage for us to discover just how much Jesus loves us – and how much He sacrificed for us. God has shared His Only Son with us in such a way that we might desire to “climb up in His lap and rock for a while.” But it is our choice…and the only way it will work for any of us is if we choose Jesus of our own free will.
The rewards for making this choice are far more numerous than I can outline in this devotional…but they include freedom and forgiveness from our sins…and the promise of Eternal Life in Heaven at the Lord’s Table - as well as the presence of His Holy Spirit to fill our heart and guide us through this earthly life. Like the toddler who crawls down out of the rocking chair when he/she gets sleepy…we often turn away from the caring arms of Jesus – at least temporarily. But for those of us who have freely chosen Him, those arms are always outstretched for another hug, and Jesus delights in “snuggling” with us.
There are several questions we should ask ourselves today. Have we chosen Jesus? Have we gotten to know Him well enough that we trust His outstretched arms and readily run into them? What can we do to improve this relationship? Where have we gotten down and tried to handle things on our own – without His care and assistance? Isn’t it time to trust Jesus’ embrace again…to crawl back into His lap and settle in for the long haul? Will this be the day that we reconnect?
God has made a way for us to get to know His Son, Jesus…to fully embrace all that He offers – and enjoy the blessings and rewards of this communion. Now it is up to us to make the right choice. What have you decided?
©2016 Debbie Robus
No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me makes them want to come. But if they do come, I will raise them to life on the last day.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning, I assisted in the nursery during our 11:00 worship service. When I arrived near the end of the second service, there were 16 toddlers in the nursery! By the time parents picked up little ones, we were left with four for the last hour. I’ve spent several Sundays in the nursery, so I am becoming familiar with many of these little ones…and they are getting to know me.
Toddlers are a lot like kittens and puppies…you can’t just pick one up and expect it to instantly like you! Relationships have to be developed…familiarity has to be nurtured. So when I arrived this morning, a few children who know me came with arms outstretched to be picked up for a hug. Some even asked to be rocked. And a couple who thought this might be a good idea decided otherwise when their eyelids began to droop!
Their “reward” was a snuggle and a kiss…a chance to play with the sparkly cross necklace I was wearing…and maybe to hear me sing a little song or two as we rocked in the rocking chair. But again, they had to want to do all of this…or it would not have been pleasant for any of us!
Here’s how this works with Jesus...
God has given us opportunities to get to know Him…through scripture, worship, friendship and communion with believers, and more. He has set the stage for us to discover just how much Jesus loves us – and how much He sacrificed for us. God has shared His Only Son with us in such a way that we might desire to “climb up in His lap and rock for a while.” But it is our choice…and the only way it will work for any of us is if we choose Jesus of our own free will.
The rewards for making this choice are far more numerous than I can outline in this devotional…but they include freedom and forgiveness from our sins…and the promise of Eternal Life in Heaven at the Lord’s Table - as well as the presence of His Holy Spirit to fill our heart and guide us through this earthly life. Like the toddler who crawls down out of the rocking chair when he/she gets sleepy…we often turn away from the caring arms of Jesus – at least temporarily. But for those of us who have freely chosen Him, those arms are always outstretched for another hug, and Jesus delights in “snuggling” with us.
There are several questions we should ask ourselves today. Have we chosen Jesus? Have we gotten to know Him well enough that we trust His outstretched arms and readily run into them? What can we do to improve this relationship? Where have we gotten down and tried to handle things on our own – without His care and assistance? Isn’t it time to trust Jesus’ embrace again…to crawl back into His lap and settle in for the long haul? Will this be the day that we reconnect?
God has made a way for us to get to know His Son, Jesus…to fully embrace all that He offers – and enjoy the blessings and rewards of this communion. Now it is up to us to make the right choice. What have you decided?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 8, 2015
John 17:12-19
While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.
I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.
Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
On March 1, 2015, giant panda cub Bao Bao was officially and completely separated from her mother, Mei Xiang, at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. This weaning process actually began several weeks earlier, as the two spent more and more time away from each other, and Bao Bao began to munch on bamboo to supplement her mother’s nursing. Now she is completely dependent on the cane for her sustenance.
According to information found at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/, "Giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian are at the National Zoo under a Giant Panda Cooperative Research and Breeding Agreement, signed in January 2011, between the Zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. This extends the Zoo’s giant panda program through 2015. Mei and Tian are the focus of an ambitious research, conservation, and breeding program designed to preserve this endangered species." 18-month-old offspring Bao Bao will remain at the National Zoo until she is four years old. While she would naturally separate completely from her mother and no longer see her, this is not possible at the National Zoo, and staff members there hope that this will result in her observing the breeding cycle between her parents – and better understanding what she is to do in the wild when she is released in China.
In many ways, Bao Bao’s parents have done all they can for her…and at the end of her fourth year, the National Zoo officials will have to say the same thing. It will be time for Bao Bao to take the lessons she has learned – all that has been instilled in her and taught to her – and carry on alone. Every human involved in her nurture and care hopes and believes that this will be a successful venture. Will there be trepidation and worry? Certainly. Will it be hard to let her go…a little nerve-wracking to trust that she will be okay and remember all that she learned? Most definitely! But it will still be the right thing to do…an act of tremendous love and faith – in the effectiveness and endurance of lessons and care demonstrated – and in Bao Bao’s steadfastness and faithfulness to what has been given her.
Now think of Jesus and all that He has done for us. Consider how He taught us…nurtured and cared for us…demonstrated the right path – showed us how to serve God and honor His laws. Jesus did all that He was supposed to do for us – and then some. Jesus did all He could to keep us safe…and now He trusts that we learned our lessons well and will be able to serve as His disciples.
Here’s where we differ from the pandas and other “parents/offspring”…Jesus does not separate from us completely. He does not desert us. When He returned to Heaven, He left His Holy Spirit as “back-up”…should we choose to invite Him into our hearts. So we always have our Heavenly Father with us…He is only a heartbeat and a whisper away.
This is GREAT NEWS! We don’t have to wonder and worry what to do – the Holy Spirit is always with us to give us the answer! We don’t have to wander aimlessly…suffer or grieve without comfort…or operate in confusion and uncertainty. Our God is always available…His presence takes many shapes and forms…and all we have to do is recognize Him.
I know that it will be a hard day at the National Zoo when Bao Bao is packed off to China. I have a feeling that with some of us, it’s pretty hard for Jesus to watch us bumble around and try to do “life” on our own. Thankfully, we don’t have to live like this…He will draw near in a split second and set our feet on the right path. It’s up to us to issue the invitation for Him to do just that. Have you invited Jesus and His Holy Spirit into your heart…and do you keep Him there? Isn’t it time that you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.
I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.
Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
On March 1, 2015, giant panda cub Bao Bao was officially and completely separated from her mother, Mei Xiang, at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. This weaning process actually began several weeks earlier, as the two spent more and more time away from each other, and Bao Bao began to munch on bamboo to supplement her mother’s nursing. Now she is completely dependent on the cane for her sustenance.
According to information found at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/, "Giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian are at the National Zoo under a Giant Panda Cooperative Research and Breeding Agreement, signed in January 2011, between the Zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. This extends the Zoo’s giant panda program through 2015. Mei and Tian are the focus of an ambitious research, conservation, and breeding program designed to preserve this endangered species." 18-month-old offspring Bao Bao will remain at the National Zoo until she is four years old. While she would naturally separate completely from her mother and no longer see her, this is not possible at the National Zoo, and staff members there hope that this will result in her observing the breeding cycle between her parents – and better understanding what she is to do in the wild when she is released in China.
In many ways, Bao Bao’s parents have done all they can for her…and at the end of her fourth year, the National Zoo officials will have to say the same thing. It will be time for Bao Bao to take the lessons she has learned – all that has been instilled in her and taught to her – and carry on alone. Every human involved in her nurture and care hopes and believes that this will be a successful venture. Will there be trepidation and worry? Certainly. Will it be hard to let her go…a little nerve-wracking to trust that she will be okay and remember all that she learned? Most definitely! But it will still be the right thing to do…an act of tremendous love and faith – in the effectiveness and endurance of lessons and care demonstrated – and in Bao Bao’s steadfastness and faithfulness to what has been given her.
Now think of Jesus and all that He has done for us. Consider how He taught us…nurtured and cared for us…demonstrated the right path – showed us how to serve God and honor His laws. Jesus did all that He was supposed to do for us – and then some. Jesus did all He could to keep us safe…and now He trusts that we learned our lessons well and will be able to serve as His disciples.
Here’s where we differ from the pandas and other “parents/offspring”…Jesus does not separate from us completely. He does not desert us. When He returned to Heaven, He left His Holy Spirit as “back-up”…should we choose to invite Him into our hearts. So we always have our Heavenly Father with us…He is only a heartbeat and a whisper away.
This is GREAT NEWS! We don’t have to wonder and worry what to do – the Holy Spirit is always with us to give us the answer! We don’t have to wander aimlessly…suffer or grieve without comfort…or operate in confusion and uncertainty. Our God is always available…His presence takes many shapes and forms…and all we have to do is recognize Him.
I know that it will be a hard day at the National Zoo when Bao Bao is packed off to China. I have a feeling that with some of us, it’s pretty hard for Jesus to watch us bumble around and try to do “life” on our own. Thankfully, we don’t have to live like this…He will draw near in a split second and set our feet on the right path. It’s up to us to issue the invitation for Him to do just that. Have you invited Jesus and His Holy Spirit into your heart…and do you keep Him there? Isn’t it time that you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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