Daily Devotional for November 6, 2016

Matthew 6:24-27    
“You cannot serve two masters: God and money. For you will hate one and love the other, or else the other way around.

“So my counsel is: Don’t worry about things—food, drink, and clothes. For you already have life and a body—and they are far more important than what to eat and wear. Look at the birds! They don’t worry about what to eat—they don’t need to sow or reap or store up food—for your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

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

Timmy and Nathan LOVE Legos®.  Zola can take ‘em or leave ‘em…but she will occasionally play with them, too.  If you have priced Lego® sets, you know they are not cheap! A simple “erector set” that creates a figure only a few inches square can cost almost $20.  And as the saying goes among adults with kids…”You can never have too many Legos®!”  So we have searched for ways to add to our collection without breaking the bank.  We will occasionally buy a brand-new set…but we “shop around” for the best deal and lowest price whenever possible.

Lately, I discovered several eBay sellers who offer Legos® by the pound…cleaned, sanitized used pieces that can spark the imagination of any junior creator and offer hours of fun.  For $20, I can get up to two pounds of these pieces and mini figures…literally thousands of new Legos®! I divide these up into plastic bags…and once in a while, I will surprise the boys (or reward good behavior) with a new assortment!

Today, Zola went to church with friends, so we just had Timmy and Nathan with us. When we got home from church, I gave each boy a bag of “new” Legos® to open while I prepared lunch.  You should have seen them!  They were beyond excited.  It was like Christmas Day.  They squealed with excitement as they discovered crystals, swords and other neat accessories…along with a couple of new, cool “mini-figs.”  They created characters and counted their “loot” and showed their Uncle Greg the neat things they were making.  They could not have cared less that these were not “boxed sets.”  They did not even ask whether these were new pieces or not.  They used their imagination rather than a booklet of instructions, and they had a great time!

When the children come to our house, they never worry that there won’t be food, toys, and plenty of fun and love. Occasionally they will see a commercial for some toy that they tell us they simply MUST have…but it’s rare.  They are generally worry-free…and life is great!  Do you remember those carefree days?

Sometimes, I think we need to return to the simplicity of our childhood.  I know we can’t really do this - that we have jobs to do…bills to pay…people counting on us for all sorts of things.  But we DO still have a Heavenly Father who is ready, willing and able to meet many of the needs that we waste time worrying about on a regular basis.

Lately, I’ve done my fair share of “working” my prayers…and turning them over and over in my mind.  This is completely ridiculous, and I know it.  But sometimes, we can’t seem to let go and trust God…and the devil absolutely DANCES when we do this!  I can almost feel God’s disappointment, as He politely stands in the corner and wonders why on earth I won’t trust Him.  I’m here to tell you, I am so ready to do this!!!

Stop and ask yourself what worries you these days.  Then consider if this is really how God wants you to expend your energy.  Isn’t it time you stopped worrying about so many things that are not really ours to handle…and let God have complete control?  Isn’t it time we got serious about operating in Christian faith?  We CAN be a carefree kid again in so many ways…God’s kid!  Will this be the day that we begin?

©2016 Debbie Robus 

Daily Devotional for October 29, 2016

Matthew 5:48
“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

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

This fall as I have been spending time at the elementary school with Timmy and Zola – and in the Sunday school classes at our church -  I’ve realized that these classrooms are microcosms of the world at large…filled with many of the social issues and concerns that trouble the world at large.  I’ve observed children who are struggling (if only subconsciously) with discrimination because of their race, socio-economic level, or intellect. There are children in foster homes, broken homes, and homes that where the family dynamic is disintegrating.  There are children with special needs…and plenty of “drama” between both boys and girls.  This is all on top of the academic challenges that the children face each week in their classrooms!

These little lives and the struggles that befall them parallel those of their adult counterparts in many ways.  And I am reminded of how this broke my heart and troubled me when I left teaching 30 years ago.  I brought a lot of the heartaches home with me at night and “massaged” them over and over. I am trying not to do that now - and here’s why…I am making every effort to live out my faith.

“But wait a minute!” you might say.  “If you are living out your faith, shouldn’t you be concerned for these children?”  Absolutely…but I am confident that God is watching over them.  I ask Him to do this every day…and I trust that He will answer, because I know they are precious to Him.  This frees me to pass out love, hugs and encouragement…to smile and laugh with the children and to let them know how important they are to me – and especially to God. MY JOB as a Christian disciple is not to worry.  It is to live generously and graciously toward others and try my hardest to always give them a glimpse of God and how HE lives toward us.

I hope that I have learned a thing or two in the last few decades.  I’d like to say that I have grown up…but I am sure I still have work to do.  Still, I am doing my best to live like a Kingdom Subject…to quit wringing my hands and worrying over every little thing that happens in this world…to move past the drama, let go, and let God handle the details. This is my God-created identity…and I am trying to honor His gracious and generous gift.  What about you?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 30, 2015

Luke 1:18-20
Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.”

The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, God’s servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to.”

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

The children and I went swimming yesterday at our Aquatic Center. Timothy asked if he could be on the local swim team someday.  I told him maybe…IF he learned to swim!  I asked Timothy if he would like to remove his life jacket and practice what he learned in swim lessons this summer.  He shook his head “no” and said, “I will drown!”  I assured him that he would not drown – that I would never let that happen to him.  I will always do my best to keep him safe.  So he agreed to try, and with the first “lap”, he sunk a little – and panicked a LOT! 

We put the life jacket back on...but before long, Timothy said that he would like to try again to “swim” – but not so far this time.  So we started with very short distances of only a couple or three feet from me to the wall and back.  And soon, he was going farther…and even practicing his breathing skills by pushing himself down to the pool floor and holding his breath for several seconds.  He was so proud of his progress and asked me to please text his swim lesson teacher, Miss Amy, and let her know that he can almost swim!

At one point, I said to Timothy, “You really don’t trust me very much, do you?!”  I reminded him that I would never let anything bad happen to him if I could help it – in the water or otherwise.  And I reminded him that in order to learn to swim, he had to try – and to trust me to help him stay afloat.

As Gabriel talked with Zechariah, I have to imagine that God was thinking…”You really don’t trust me very much, do you?!”  I can tell you, it gets a little exasperating at times when we are trying to persuade one of the children to trust us and try something – a new food or activity that we know they will enjoy or do well at…and they cannot “cut loose” and see what happens.  It must be that way – and then some – for God when we fail to trust Him…when we continue to “worry” our worries…when we won’t step out and try what He is calling us to do because we are scared stiff of failure! 

In these verses from Luke 1, we are reminded that God blesses those who trust Him.  I pointed out to Timothy that “You cannot be on the swim team if you don’t know how to swim!”  And in life, there are many things that we cannot enjoy – at least not as fully as God would like – because we refuse to trust Him in all circumstances.

What are you holding back from God these days?  Where are you failing to be totally obedient…to give Him your troubles and concerns…to trust Him to do what He has promised?  Are you ready to join His “swim team” and receive all of the blessings that come along with it…or are you content to paddle around like a toddler in a “puddle jumper” and live in the land of “good enough?”  The choice is totally yours…what will you decide to do?

©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 21, 2015

James 1:5-8
If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

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.

“Honey, it’s going to be okay.” Those were the words that Vice President Joe Biden shared with the world this morning as he made an announcement not to make a run for President in the 2016 campaign.  Biden explained that as a child, when his family experienced tough times, his parents would always tell him, “Honey, it’s going to be okay.”  He added…”and they meant it!”  He made the point that we must believe this…we must work to take our country in a direction that allows us to be able to look our kids in the eye and say with certitude…”It’s going to be okay” – and mean it!

This is true for us as Christians, also.  We have to be so grounded in our faith in God that we can say with certainty, “This is going to be okay”…and truly mean those words.  We must do the things that strengthen us in our faith…we must study God’s word and spend time talking to Him – and listening to His words for us.  We must reflect on the examples that are all around us of how God has prevailed…the demonstrations of healing and restoration…how He has made a way where none seemed possible.  And we must take comfort and courage in these examples. 

With God in charge of our every breath, we must look to the future with confidence and courage…and the mantra that “Honey, it’s going to be okay.” On any given day, things can arise that make this truly difficult…I get that!  But this is when we need to abide in this thought and phrase the most!  We cannot “worry our prayers” or wring our hands and toss our fears and frustrations around like wind-whipped waves.  We must let go of them and give them to God Almighty, once and for all.

“Honey, it’s going to be okay.” With God in control, I am certain of this.  What about you?

©2015 Debbie Robus