Daily Devotional for December 15, 2016

Matthew 19:21-23
Jesus replied, “If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.” When the young man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.

Jesus said to his disciples, “It’s terribly hard for rich people to get into the kingdom of heaven!

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

Greg and I cleaned our closets yesterday.  It was long overdue.  We will donate the purged items to a local clothes closet that helps people in need…many who have nothing due to a house fire, domestic violence, job loss, or other unfortunate circumstances.  For the record, I am a bit of a clothes hoarder.  I’ve cleaned my closet countless times and put pretty much everything back on the racks and in the drawers.  I tell myself that I might actually be able to wear the jeans that fit when I was 40…or that I really need a shirt I bought for a song – in 1994!

This time, I tried to be ruthless…and I have to say, I did better than expected.  Because I asked myself one question…”Who needs this worse?”  And if you looked at my closet today, you might ask if I really removed anything.  See, I still have plenty…but now, the person who really needs a good pair of Levis® will be able to have them.  The warm jacket that I have not worn in at least five years will keep someone cozy this winter instead of taking up space in our closet.  Those shoes that pinched my toes might be just the right size for a woman who is looking for a job and wants to look professional.  And honestly, these days, my need for “office attire” is pretty well nil.

I inherited this “clothes hoarding” gene from my mother and grandmother.  I know that to be a fact, because I cleaned out their closets!  And I am not criticizing them…they were careful bargain shoppers.  And after decades of scrimping and scraping so that we kids could have nice things, they deserved to have beautiful garments.  But I also know that “you can’t take it with you.” Even after my purging, I could pretty well wear a different outfit every day for a month and not repeat myself!  In view of the fact that some have NOTHING to wear – at least nothing that is decent – this makes no sense.

So I’ve made a small step toward sharing my “riches.”  I have not sold or given away everything that I own, but I’ve started letting go of an unreasonable attachment to clothes that clutter my closet and could actually benefit someone else.

A couple of years ago, I went through every closet and drawer and purged and organized what was in them…and it’s time to do that again.  This may not seem like a huge deal in the realm of God’s Kingdom, but it is. When we let go of our “things,” we focus more on what is really necessary and important.  When we part with something because we realize that another person has a bigger need for it than we do, we’re making progress.  And I have to believe that this makes God smile.

I don’t want to hinder my journey to heaven with clutter and “stuff”…and I’m betting you don’t either.  This small step could lead to bigger ones - and point us in the right direction, once and for all.  Are you ready to start gleaning?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for August 16, 2016

James 1:9-11
A Christian who doesn’t amount to much in this world should be glad, for he is great in the Lord’s sight. But a rich man should be glad that his riches mean nothing to the Lord, for he will soon be gone, like a flower that has lost its beauty and fades away, withered—killed by the scorching summer sun. So it is with rich men. They will soon die and leave behind all their busy activities.

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

In our daily newspaper, I read the heart-wrenching story by New York Times reporter Liz Alderman of a 28-year-old Syrian woman and her four young children who are detained in a refugee camp in Idomeni, Greece.  The family spends their days foraging for food and begging for help for this mother and her dusty, mosquito-bite-covered children.  They are dirty, hungry, tired, and frustrated.  Promises of aid have not materialized…and this mother told Alderman that she would have stayed in Syria and taken her chances, had she known it would be like this. The tone of despair in this report was palpable…and I have to tell you, I was somewhat ashamed of my own material “wealth.”

Just by virtue of where we live, most of us are “rich” by much of the world’s standards.  And yet, many of us perpetually crave more. We measure our wealth – and our worth – in dollars and cents.  We constantly compare ourselves to others…and we work pretty hard to keep up with them!

Today, Greg and I have been married for 42 years. We celebrated by going out to breakfast at a local diner – and we took Greg’s mother with us!  We enjoyed every bite of the meal – and the company – as we reminisced about the years we’ve shared. God has blessed us with more than our portion of “creature comforts” throughout our marriage…but He has also given us a strong bond with our family.  We are rich in His love…and in our relationships with family members and friends.  We try to accumulate memories and special experiences together rather than material possessions and expendable resources.  Don’t misunderstand…we have more than plenty materially.  But “things” do not matter nearly as much as they once did…and we have learned to appreciate the joy and comfort in simple pleasures.

We are both keenly aware how quickly life can change.  We look in the mirror and recognize that youth surely fades…and “beauty” takes on a whole new meaning!  We look around at those who appear to have a good grasp on what makes a person truly “rich”…and we notice that they are busy seeking God and serving Him rather than worrying about their own “wealth” or appearance.  They exude a joy and peace that is captivating – and enviable – and we want this for ourselves!!

I pray that we would never take our “wealth” for granted…both the gift of God’s grace, mercy, and salvation through the blood of Jesus – AND, the physical possessions that we have accumulated.  I pray that God would keep us humble – and grateful for His abundance and the freedoms that we enjoy…that we would never grow complacent about anything or anyone for even one minute!

Should God see fit to give Greg and me more years together, I pray that we will always recognize how rich we are in His love and blessings…and always see each other through the “lens of love” that overlooks wrinkles, age spots and gray hair.  I pray that we would be busy sharing God’s love rather than trying to make ourselves look younger or impressive.

I pray that you would discover for yourself what makes you “rich” in God’s eyes…that you would think of the young refugee mother who just wants her children to be safe and fed - and thank God that you enjoy these comforts every single day.  This automatically makes you richer than a large percentage of the world’s population, praise God!  Do you recognize how “wealthy” He has made you in all things?  Do your words and actions demonstrate your appreciation and gratitude for His gifts and blessings?  Isn’t it time they did?

How “rich” are you today in the things that truly matter for all Eternity?  Aren’t you ready to find out, once and for all?  Will this be the day that you get started?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 19, 2013

Romans 6:22-23
But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.
 
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.
 
Someone posted a link on Facebook to a short video by Phil Robertson, creator of Duck Commander – now known by most via A&E’s television show, “Duck Dynasty”.  If you have a chance, go to http://vimeo.com/75972095 and view this video for yourself.  Robertson tells of the day when he answered his own phone, and the caller said he wanted to order a duck call.  The conversation went something like this…
 
The customer said he needed to order a duck call.  Robertson asked the guy, “Okay...What do you need?”  Phil says, “In process of guy ordering the duck call, he used God's name in vain about five times... just while ordering a duck call.”  He asked the man…”Why would you keep using God's name to curse this, that and the other... He's the only one who can save you from death... why invoke His name like that?”  There was silence.
 
The man ordered his duck call and hung up… then about 10 minutes later, he called back and told Robertson that he had never considered this question before… and he asked if he could come over and visit.  A week later, Robertson received a visit from this man and a friend, and the conversation continued. Robertson implies that the visit ended with an impromptu baptism in a nearby river.  Several years later, Robertson was speaking at an event in Alabama, where he discovered that this customer was now a leader in the church that was serving as hosts.
 
The point of the video is that Robertson used his marketplace as a ministry.  If you know anything at all about the Robertson family and “Duck Dynasty”, you know that they truly have built an empire.  They have catapulted a simple idea into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, and the “Duck Dynasty” brand is now on everything from books, videos, clothing and fleece throws… to jewelry and yes - duck calls!  There is even a “Duck Dynasty” department at Wal-Mart!  Still, the Robertsons make frequent appearances across the country to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  From all accounts, they are the “real deal” for Jesus…and their “wealth” in Him far outweighs any monetary gain or fame they might have acquired.
 
“But I won’t ever be rich and famous like the Robertsons,” you may be thinking.  “I won’t ever have the kind of national platform that they have… much less their wealth.”  And you might be right!  But don’t miss this… you are every bit as affluent as any one of the Robertsons when it comes to the riches of salvation!  You can share in God’s gift equally with anybody else on the planet!  And as someone who enjoys the “put-together life” in Christ, you have the ability to accomplish as much – or more - for the Kingdom of heaven as Phil Robertson and his family members!
 
But here’s the kicker… you have to choose to work hard for God’s real life instead of the life of sin… AND… you have to make a conscious effort to “share the wealth” with others. If you do this, you will be as “rich and famous” in God’s eyes as any of the “Duck Dynasty” clan ever thought about being.  You will be wealthy and influential in a way that truly matters.  If you turn every aspect of your life into a mission field, you won’t be able to spend all that God gives you!  But the choice is totally yours.  In the words of Phil Robertson, will you choose to be “Happy! Happy! Happy!” for Jesus?  Or will you end up being just another “dead duck”?
 
©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for March 22, 2013

March 22 ~ Proverbs 19:1
Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust.
 
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.
 
Suppose someone offered you a million dollars, and all you had to do in return was deliver a package for them.  You didn’t know what was in the package, and you didn’t ask.  But you were pretty sure that what was happening was illegal… or at best, shady in some way.  Would you do it?  Now suppose your boss told you, “If you don’t lie for me about XYZ, you’re fired.”  What would you do?  After all, you have a family counting on your income… you have bills to pay…and all that you’re being asked to do is issue one simple, false statement or perform a single dishonest act.  Maybe you’re being asked to say you saw a vehicular accident happen in a certain way – to place the blame on another driver.  Or perhaps you are being asked to provide an alibi… “He was with me the whole time.”  What could it hurt?
 
What if you could cheat on a test and score high enough for a scholarship… or you could shift one number and pocket some extra dollars that no one else would ever miss?  If being honest about something meant you might actually suffer some sort of material loss… would you tell the truth?  Let’s say you know there is something shifty going on with your friends or family members… or in the business in which you work… and reporting this could get a lot of people in trouble and/or cost you friendships and your job.  How would you react?  Suppose you were encouraged to pass off shoddy work… to cut corners in order to increase profits or speed up production.  Could you keep quiet?
 
Let’s face it… life is not totally “black and white.”  But too many of us are more concerned with “What’s in it for me?” than doing the right thing.  Do you really want to work for a dishonest boss?  Do you truly value friends who lie, cheat and steal?  Are you doing family members a favor by keeping their secrets and allowing harm to come to them – and others?  How would you feel if you were treated this way?  Are you totally honest in all things?  Are you willing to compromise your principles for personal gain?  Are you more worried about how these things will affect you than in operating with integrity?
 
Being completely honest often requires a leap of faith and a heavy dose of courage.  God will supply you with both.  You may not always be the most popular person in some circles… or the wealthiest in terms of money and “stuff.”  But you will be rich beyond measure in the things that truly matter… the blessings of God and His favor.  Does this mean that all “rich” people are dishonest?  Absolutely not!  But in our culture, we have become so jaded by material wealth and “things,” that many of us often gauge our credibility and success in terms money and possessions instead of how well we love and serve others… and God.
 
Take a good hard look at your life and see where you have lost focus.  Figure out what really matters to you and see where you have been willing to compromise your values in favor of a quick fix or something that seems to have value…but might actually be rather hollow.  Fix your attention on God and the things that matter to Him.  Make these the center of your life, and allow Him to determine your course.  Let God show you how to do great things with less “stuff” and more integrity.  Learn to value the things that He prizes.  You may find that you are richer than you ever dreamed possible… in ways that truly matter.
 
©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for September 16, 2012

James 5:1-6
You rich people should cry and weep! Terrible things are going to happen to you. Your treasures have already rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your money has rusted, and the rust will be evidence against you, as it burns your body like fire. Yet you keep on storing up wealth in these last days. You refused to pay the people who worked in your fields, and now their unpaid wages are shouting out against you. The Lord All-Powerful has surely heard the cries of the workers who harvested your crops.

While here on earth, you have thought only of filling your own stomachs and having a good time. But now you are like fat cattle on their way to be butchered. You have condemned and murdered innocent people, who couldn’t even fight back.

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

Recently, I read an article in the newspaper about 87-year-old Dr. Russell Dohner, who practices medicine in Rushville, Illinois. Dr. Dohner charges $5 per visit, regardless of who you are or how much money you have. If you can’t afford to pay $5, he treats you anyway. A “stash” is kept in the drawer – supplemented by the doctor and his staff – to cover these “non-payments.” Click here to read the entire article.

In my opinion, Dr. Dohner understands fully what James is telling us in this passage. His focus was not on becoming rich. He didn’t think about filling his own stomach. He was motivated by the people he served… and he did not discriminate. As a result, all of his needs have been steadily met. His life has not been free of challenges. His marriage failed… he never had a family of his own. But he has had an entire community that embraces him and sees that he is well loved. People invite him to dinner, mow his yard, help with repairs and upkeep around his house, and more.

Dr. Dohner says he never entered the field of medicine to get rich… he only wanted to help others. He knows that without his clinic, many would not get the health care they require. The doctor has a family farm and some investments that provide income to help pay his expenses. But in my book, he is immeasurably rich… and in the best way possible.

My point in sharing this story is that James may have literally meant this passage for the rich, but I believe God is speaking a reminder to us in these words to keep our motives in check. God wants us to have goals and aspirations… He does not object to any of us succeeding – or even becoming rich. But our success… our possessions, our accomplishments – our “stuff” – is not what should define our lives. If we do not focus on serving God by serving others – with everything we have - all of our acquisitions are worthless… rotten, moth-eaten, rusted, and filled with the potential to do great harm to us – and to others.

Regardless of your age or station in life, stop and examine where you are headed… and what you are doing with what you have. Are you hogging every penny and stuffing yourself silly while others around you go hungry and homeless? Are you treating others – even a single person – as if they are beneath you? Do you operate in all things with fairness, kindness, generosity and love? Do you think of others… or is it all about you and those you deem important in your circle?

Few among us will leave a legacy akin to that of Dr. Russell Dohner… and that’s okay. But God expects us to do our best with His blessings… and nothing less. He calls us to treat others fairly… and to be good stewards of all He has given us. How well are you handling what He gives you? What sort of wealth are you building?

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for August 23, 2012

James 1:9-11
Any of God’s people who are poor should be glad that he thinks so highly of them. But any who are rich should be glad when God makes them humble. Rich people will disappear like wild flowers scorched by the burning heat of the sun. The flowers lose their blossoms, and their beauty is destroyed. That is how the rich will disappear, as they go about their business.

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

You can learn a lot from a three-year-old boy. He could generally care less whether he has on a fancy shirt or a plain shirt – or no shirt at all. He is more amused as much by a rolled up sock being tossed above his head in a game of “keep-away” as he is by an expensive electronic gadget. He prefers a bowl of Cheerios®, dried fruit and chocolate chips to something more “gourmet”… and “swimming” in a bathtub filled with plastic toys is just as fun as going to play in an actual pool.

I know that this will change. In a couple of years, these things will not be as satisfying. We teach our children to consume… and to want more… to desire to be wealthy and famous and aspire to drive fancy cars and live in big houses. All three-year-old boys want is to play and be loved… for someone to pay attention to them. And all we should desire of God is HIS love and attention.

Recently, I accompanied my husband on his daily walk down a nearby trail. In one particular stretch, we wound down a hill into a ravine. This has become one of my favorite places in any season. But this time of year, it is incredibly shady and peaceful. As we passed under the crown-canopy of this tranquil forest, I thought, “If Heaven is anything like this, I’ll be a happy camper. This is quite enough!”

I know the Bible promises that when we get to heaven, we will have a mansion. I believe that the streets are paved with gold and the opulence is more than we can imagine. And I guess all of that will be nice… I mean, I’m certainly not going to turn it down – are you?! But what I really want is to be in the physical presence of Jesus… to sit at His feet and feel His arms wrapped around me… to snuggle into His chest and truly rest there in His love.

The point of this passage is that being rich is not the goal. Wealth and possessions don’t matter. As Christians, we need to become like three-year-old boys… content with the love and attention of our Heavenly Father and unimpressed by frills and distractions. We need to focus on what is truly important. And more often than not, riches and “stuff” get in the way of this.

Regardless of what you have… your current position in life… your aspirations for more… make the central focus of your life your relationship with God. The only way to truly be content – rich or poor – is to operate in the confidence that you are pleasing God in everything. Allow Him to show you what is truly important. Learn to find joy in serving Him well with all that you have. Recognize the blessings of God’s “shady ravine” …and if He gives you more than this, consider it a bonus!

©2012 Debbie Robus