Daily Devotional for November 21, 2016

Romans 5:6-8
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway.

We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to 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.

We’ve all heard stories of a parent who jumped into the water to save a drowning child…and ended up drowning instead.  I know of a woman who was killed when she pushed her child out of the way of an oncoming truck.  While none of us can say for certain we would do in such a situation, I’m pretty sure I would risk my life for that of one of our children. And you probably would, also.

Conversely, you may have said of someone, “I would not walk across the street to spit on him if he was on fire!”  Now, whether you meant this or not…it was a harsh statement, to be certain.  But sometimes, the devil whispers in our ear and causes us to feel this way about people.  And sometimes, we play the “stranger card.”  We say, “I don’t know him/her…what happens is none of my business.”

Here’s the thing…it’s ALL the business of Jesus!  And aren’t we glad?!  Jesus gave His very life for us before we were even formed!  He sacrificed His blood on the cross for the child who is so precious to you and me…the stranger…and even that person we would not venture to save!  JESUS will save them, if only they will call on Him.

This kinda puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?  Jesus died for ALL of us…even those we find despicable!  He didn’t pick and choose based on race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, politics, socio-economics, or even attitudes and opinions!  In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.”  He doesn’t specify WHO can come to Him…ALL are welcome!

As we approach Thanksgiving Day and reflect on our blessings, we must surely include Jesus among them.  We should all be grateful for how He welcomes each of us…and the incredible sacrifice that He made on our behalf.  There is nothing we can offer Jesus that is truly special…yet He died for us anyway.  We are all afforded equal opportunity to receive salvation in Him. We didn’t deserve it…we can’t earn it…but still, He laid down His life for each of us.

There might be someone, somewhere, who would be willing to lay down his/her life for you and me…and vice versa.  But only Jesus can say that He could do this for ANYONE and EVERYONE. Whether we accept Him as our Savior was not a deciding factor…He did it anyway.

Praise God for sending His precious Son – for His incredible, selfless gift.  My prayer is that you have embraced Jesus for yourself – that you have humbly and gratefully surrendered your heart to Him and asked that He forgive your sins – and fill your heart forever. ThisThanksgiving, can you count Jesus as your biggest blessing?  Isn’t it time you could?
 
©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for April 22, 2016

John 14:23-24
Jesus replied:

If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them. But anyone who doesn’t love me, won’t obey me. What they have heard me say doesn’t really come from me, but from the Father who sent me.

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

We picked up the boys yesterday afternoon and brought them home for an overnight stay.  Timothy is out of school today, and this is Nathan’s regular Friday to stay with us while Mom and Dad are at work.  We took the boys for haircuts…then we went to see our niece, Erin, play her final regular conference softball game.  The boys played on an adjacent playground during the game.  Then we picked up pizza and headed for home, where the brothers ate, played with Legos® and other toys, and drew/colored pictures.
 
Both boys were sitting at the counter coloring after their baths, and I told them it was almost bedtime.  Timothy asked if they could watch television in bed.  I told him I was not sure there would be time for that.  I was in another room, and I heard him say, “You don’t love us anymore.”  This was echoed by Nathan.  I told him that we do love them – very much – and Timothy said, “Well, if you loved us, you would do what WE want to do!  We just are not going to share our love with you anymore!”

I couldn’t help but think of this when I read today’s scripture passage.  Jesus is telling us that anyone who truly loves Him will obey Him – and by default, they will obey God.  Jesus is God’s “vehicle” to deliver love and instruction to us.  The wonderful thing about Jesus is that those of us who belong to Him are called to show our love for Him with our obedience and faithfulness…but HIS love for us is not dependent upon this!

We will love Timothy, Nathan and Zola even when they disobey us…but we won’t be very happy with them at times.  We know that the children are being manipulative and “testing the waters” when they say, “You don’t love me anymore”…or “If you don’t give me what I want, I won’t share my love with you any longer.”  We also know they don't really mean it!  When we disobey Jesus, He will still love us.  But when we deliberately choose to withhold our love from Jesus...this is a serious thing!

Greg gently reminded the boys of all of the fun things we had done yesterday…all because we love them.  And we don’t have to look far at all to see the wonderful things that Jesus does for us every minute of the day.  What’s not to love?  How can we possibly fail to have faith that He will continue to meet our every need? Why would we NOT want to obey One who loves us so unconditionally? 

Do you love Jesus…I mean REALLY love Him?  Is your life demonstrating just how much you value His presence in your life each and every day? Do you trust Jesus to represent God’s love and care to you?  Are you making every effort to show Him your love by serving Him with faithfulness and obedience - or are you trying to manipulate Him into doing what YOU want?  The time has come to decide whether we are making a difference for Jesus...or still trying to make our own point.  Which way will you choose?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for March 31, 2015

Luke 22:8-13
So Jesus said to Peter and John, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us to eat.”

But they asked, “Where do you want us to prepare it?”

Jesus told them, “As you go into the city, you will meet a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him into the house and say to the owner, ‘Our teacher wants to know where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.’ The owner will take you upstairs and show you a large room ready for you to use. Prepare the meal there.”

Peter and John left. They found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

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

My idea of a “perfect vacation” is to go somewhere for a few days and be totally pampered…no meals to cook, no dishes to wash, nothing to clean… just do as I please ALL.DAY.LONG!  It has been suggested that I can do this at home – and those of you who know what a huge homebody I am may figure that this would be a good fit!  But there would still be dishes (if only carry-out containers to dispose) and little things to be done…or reminders of tasks that I need to do. 

Think about times you have gone on vacation – or even to a friend’s house for dinner – and EVERYTHING was done for you.  All you had to do was show up and enjoy the meal and fellowship.  Someone else took care of all of the details.  Isn’t that a good feeling?  Don’t you feel just a little bit special?

Now think about this scripture passage and how Jesus had taken care of everything.  All the disciples had to do was to go to the specific house and prepare the Passover meal.  Everything was there for them…it was all arranged. The disciples simply had to follow Jesus’ directions, and they would find the right place.  And every detail of our lives is arranged by God in just this manner.  All we have to do is communicate with Him…listen for His directions…and follow them…and everything is planned and prepared.

Today, I am grateful for preparation.

• I am grateful that God loves me…that He planned and prepared for my life eons ago!
• I am grateful that God sent Jesus to prepare us to live according to His teachings.
• I am grateful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins – that He prepared for my salvation long before I was even born.
• I am grateful that Jesus has gone to prepare an Eternal place for me…and you…and all who seek Him and give their hearts to Him.

I feel incredibly special and loved.  To think that God has done all of this for me is overwhelming, in a way.  I cannot wrap my brain around such love and preparation…and yet, I will gladly accept it! 

I know that there is really no such thing on this earth as the “perfect vacation.”  But I also know that this - and so much more - awaits me in heaven, thanks to God’s incredible preparation.  I plan to enjoy every single minute of it!  Meanwhile, I will pay close attention to the daily “preparations” that God makes in my life and relish each and every one.  What about you?

©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for December 22, 2014

Zephaniah 3:16-17
Jerusalem, the time is coming,
    when it will be said to you:
“Don’t be discouraged
    or grow weak from fear!
The Lord your God
wins victory after victory
    and is always with you.
He celebrates and sings
    because of you,
and he will refresh your life
    with his love.”
 
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 
We’re in the “home stretch”!  Timothy held up three fingers today (meaning three more “sleeps”) and said, “Thursday is Christmas…and we come to YOUR house!” All over the world, thousands of people have a lot left to do in those “three sleeps”.  My cousin has a 7-foot trampoline on his carport that has to be assembled.  People were scrambling up and down the aisles at Wal-Mart today to purchase food for holiday meals.  Others have presents to wrap, turkeys and hams to cook…and no doubt, more than a few parents have toys with hundreds of parts to assemble before Christmas morning.
 
As you “race toward the Finish Line” of this Christmas week, stop to take a few minutes and reflect on what is really important.  Take time to put some coins in the red kettle as you exit the store.  Spend a few minutes in conversation with someone you meet in the parking lot…or a shut-in who could really use a visit in the next few days.  Do something wonderful for someone – not because it is Christmas, but “just because”.  Call someone you have not talked to in a while…if only to say, “Merry Christmas!”
 
Don’t get bogged down in the “busyness” of this week.  Stop and celebrate the victories that Jesus wins for you.  Revel in the confidence that He is always with you – that He truly does celebrate and sing - because of YOU.  Feel His refreshment, His love, and His presence.  Be filled with joy that Jesus loves you…now and forever!
 
Make a concerted effort to celebrate Jesus these next few days.  He truly IS the reason for the season!
 
©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for September 10, 2014

Romans 5:6-8
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to 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.

Several years ago, I got the flu. It just so happened that I was scheduled for a yearly physical with my family doctor during the time when I felt the worst. I called the clinic and told the receptionist that I could not come in...that I was too sick to get there.  I heard a long, slow, dubious, “Okaaaaaaaaaayyy” on the other end of the line.  It didn’t make any sense to her that someone could be “too sick” to see the doctor!

Believe it or not, when I was a little girl, the doctor would have probably visited ME in such a situation. There really was a time when doctors made “house calls”!  When people were too weak or sick to get ready or leave their homes, physicians and nurses would leave their offices, get in their cars, and drive to patient’s homes to treat them! While this was not a “sacrifice” on their part that could in any way compare to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross...I’m sure it was an inconvenience for them - one they were willing to endure for the health and well-being of their patients.

If your doctor actually came to your home to treat you today, wouldn’t you be astounded at his/her care and kindness? Wouldn’t you feel just a tad special...like you were receiving preferential treatment?  Surely the doctor doesn’t do this for just anybody...you must be someone pretty important to him/her!

Here’s the thing...there are a lot of things that we think we would do for certain people. But when it comes to those we don’t know very well...or never even met...we’d think twice about inconveniencing ourselves on their behalf – much less making a big sacrifice for them.  The concept of offering our lives for people who don’t know us – and really don’t deserve our help – is beyond our comprehension.  Yet this is exactly what Jesus did for us. He stepped up and offered His very life for ours...people who were yet to be born and would never be worthy of such generous grace and mercy.

Jesus is the Healer who shows up on your doorstep when you are too weak to get up and take yourself to the doctor.  When life beats you down so badly that you can’t move – and don’t know what to do – Jesus makes a “house call”.  You and I needed a Savior...Someone who understood that we will never be able to cover our own sins, so He did it for us with a payment of His very life.  If you will start paying closer attention, you’ll see how Jesus shows up in your life over and again – right on time.  He seems to anticipate what we will need before we even know that we need it. When we whisper, “LORD...” we hear Him say, “I’m already on it!”

Don’t misunderstand me...I love my family doctor – even if he doesn’t make house calls!  But I am so glad to know that the Great Physician will visit me anywhere, anytime...that He will go to the ends of the earth to meet the needs of all of His “patients”...and that there is NOTHING that he cannot cure!  What ails you today?  Do you need a “house call” from Jesus?  Aren’t you ready to call on Him to give you a “clean bill of health”?  Will this be the day that you truly get well?

©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for August 22, 2014

Matthew 26:28
“...for this is my blood, sealing the new covenant. It is poured out to forgive the sins of multitudes.”

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I’ve been seeing trailers for the movie Left Behind, starring Nicholas Cage.  This film is set to be released in October 2014.  It’s been probably a decade since I read the Left Behind series, written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.  This set of 12 fictional novels gave me insights into the biblical passages of the book of Revelation and helped “unpack” this chapter of the Bible for me in a manner that I could understand.  So I am anxious to see this film and see how Hollywood has treated this story.

As I read the passage from Matthew 26 today – this tiny piece of a verse in which Jesus is speaking – I was reminded of a scene in one of the last books of the Left Behind series.  Jesus has returned for His church.  All of His believers are gathered in one assemblage...millions of people – maybe more.  And Jesus is sitting on His throne and calling their names, one by one.  Each person is sitting patiently and waiting his/her turn with Jesus.  No one grows impatient...and nothing is rushed.  Time must quite literally stand still!  As each believer comes to sit with Jesus, it is as if no one else is there.  Jesus has all of the time, energy, love and focus for that one person in that moment.  Everything centers on the interchange between this Christian and his/her Jesus.  When I read this part of the story, I literally cried.  I was so moved by this deeply personal interaction and how much Jesus loves each of us...how much He loves ME!

So as I read Jesus’ words in Matthew 26 today, I thought of His blood shed on the cross...for ME...and YOU...and the other guy...each and every one of us individually.  People could easily say, “It’s really no stretch to say that Jesus’ blood was shed for each one of us, because He was there...either way He was crucified.”  And anyone who believes this has totally missed the point. 

When God sent Jesus to earth, knowing fully well what would happen to Him...how high the cost would be...He said, “I’m sending Him anyway.  I’m sending Him to die for Joe, Sue, Jim, Margaret, Sanjay, José, Chou Ling, Svetlana, Ingrid, Marco, Dakotah, Moses, Naomi, Kenyatta...” and on and on.  Jesus didn’t die on that cross for anyone else more or less significant than YOU!  When Jesus surrendered His spirit to God...He was thinking of YOU!  Out of His abundant love, grace, mercy and forgiveness, He stayed nailed to the cross and suffered unimaginable atrocities...for YOU!

If you don't take away anything else from these words today, hear this.  Jesus died for the sins of the multitudes...but no one is any more or less precious to Him than you are. When you think of the blood of the cross...when you “drink the cup” in Holy Communion...consider this to be your “time at the throne” in His presence.  Imagine that someday, you truly will have your “moment” with Him in this manner...and it will be as if you are the only one who exists for Him.  You are THAT special and important!

So whatever is happening in your life today, stop and think of the cross and Jesus’ blood...shed for you.  Remind yourself that you are so important to Jesus that He made this amazing sacrifice...just for you.  Surely He can handle the challenges of your day.  The One who sacrificed everything on your behalf is not about to abandon you now!  Feel His presence.  Recognize His amazing love for you...His grace and mercy over every aspect of your life.  Thank Him for such glorious compassion and devotion.  Honor Him with every word and action. 

Jesus came to the world for YOU.  If you have committed your heart to Jesus, He will come back...for YOU.  This promise is signed and sealed for all who belong to Jesus...those who call on Him and trust in His power to forgive.  Are you one of His already?  Isn’t it time you were?

©2014 Debbie Robus