Acts 9:1-18
All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem.
He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?” He said, “Who are you, Master?”
“I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.” His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn’t see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.
There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”
Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”
But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.
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 all have “defining moments” or “turning points” in our lives. From our first day of school or daycare to the day we graduate from high school and/or college, we have “firsts” that shape us… experiences that change us in a heartbeat. Life is a series of incidents that mold and shape us… wedding days… the births of children… careers…physical moves… even the everyday decisions we make – no matter how small they seem. We also have moments when we make terrible choices that change us and the course of our life. These are no less critical…in some cases, they are even more impactful.
Then there are the handful of truly defining moments that radically change our lives forever… true turning points in one direction or another. These might include the death of a loved one, the dissolution of a relationship, an arrest, a serious accident or illness, a circumstance beyond our control – like being called up for military duty, or a natural disaster. In my own life, I mark time in part by the fire that destroyed my grandparents’ home in 1981… the death of my father-in-law in 1992, my brother in 1998, and my dad in 1999…and much of a 72-hour journey in 2004 as a Walk to Emmaus pilgrim. Each of these events changed me profoundly…deeply… in ways I probably don’t even realize or understand to this day. And I’m betting that you have your own list.
In the world of defining moments or turning points, the experience of Saul on the Road to Damascus was HUGE. This tyrant who had persecuted anyone who spoke of Jesus… the man who made it his mission to destroy Jesus and His followers… was physically struck down – blinded and incapacitated for three days. At the end of this time, Saul was transformed… he became Paul – a man who made serving Jesus his mission every waking moment from that point forward.
Did this signal a life on “Easy Street” for Paul? Absolutely not! He suffered greatly the rest of his life… imprisoned much of the time in abhorrent conditions… physically challenged with unnamed illness and affliction…and persecuted for his faith. Still, he persevered. Serving Christ was all he lived for… the only thing that mattered. I would say that Paul’s “defining moment” was one of the more profound on record! And what he did moving forward was far more important than what he left behind.
As you look at the turning points in your life, ask yourself this question… “What did I do with this experience?” How did this occurrence change you? Did you fully recognize the impact of these events? Did use this encounter to move forward and do better? Did you become more awake and alert… more appreciative of how God has blessed you… more determined to share His love, grace, mercy and compassion with others? Were you able to use your defining moment to help someone else through a similar situation? Are you a better servant and Disciple because of your turning points… or were they destructive and damaging?
When God presents us with a defining moment, we most likely will not literally be blinded by a flash of light. But our change can be just as profound, in many ways. We can say, “LORD, where do I go from here? How do I use this to be better?” Or we can throw up our hands and let the devil defeat us. We have choices to make every single day. We never know when a turning point in life will occur. But unlike Saul, we can be ready. We can be attuned to God’s direction for our lives and prepared to call on Him to help us make the right decision and to use these moments for His glory.
What events define your life? How are you using them to be more for God today than you were yesterday? Have you allowed the turning points in your life to propel you forward… or were you struck down in the road and stuck there? Ask God to help you figure out what He wants you to do… in all situations. Remove the scales from your eyes and see what He has in store for your future… then get up and get busy!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label life-changing events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life-changing events. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for January 23, 2012
2 Chronicles 6:28-31
When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their defenses—calamity of any sort—any prayer that's prayed from anyone at all among your people Israel, their hearts penetrated by disaster, hands and arms thrown out for help to this Temple, listen from your home in heaven, forgive and reward us: reward each life and circumstance, for you know each life from the inside, (you're the only one with such inside knowledge!), so they'll live before you in lifelong reverence and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors.
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.
My maternal grandmother’s uncle, Sam Dial, operated the local livery, where he stabled horses, rented cars and wagons, and served as something of the “cab driver” of the day. When a devastating tornado ravaged our town on Thanksgiving Day 1926, my Uncle Sam and his wife, Lucy, took a truck to the western part of town to collect the dead and dying. In the book Time and the River by Evalena Berry, Aunt Lucy is quoted as saying, “I helped Sam, and we loaded them in those trucks. I carried their feet and he carried their head and we loaded them in there like cord wood. We took them to the Court House and laid them out. When I got home you couldn’t tell what my dress was but mud and blood. That was the ’26 tornado.”
In all, 19 people lost their lives that day. My grandmother was 17 years old when this tornado tore through Heber Springs. She stood on the street and watched her aunt and uncle pass with the truckload of bodies, and she never forgot the gruesome image. This partly explains why we spent much of our childhood hiding in a storm cellar at the first hint of a dark cloud on the horizon. My grandmother was forever changed by this horrific event.
Others have been transformed by involvement with a drunk driver, a catastrophic illness, the loss of a loved one, and more – calamities of any sort. And many have reached out to God with a heart penetrated by disaster. Some are only temporarily transformed, while others are changed for good. But only God can truly know the person’s heart. When we reach out to Him in a genuine spirit of humility and yearning for His help… comfort… rescue… restoration… He answers. God knows when we are sincere in our desire for His help – and for change - and He stands ready to deliver us.
I don’t know your heart. Some people experience disaster and devastation at a young age… some not at all… and some have a lifetime that seems to be filled with such events. Whatever your situation… regardless of your “stage” in life… God stands ready to hear your prayers and meet your needs. If your heart is pure… if you truly desire His answers, He will give them, according to His will for your life.
Psalm 56:8 says “You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them.”* Give your tears to God today… ask Him to forgive your sins and repair your heart. Humbly and reverently seek Him, and He will reward your life and its circumstances. Give God your devotion and trust, and walk in confidence that He is guiding your steps and rewarding your obedience.
©2012 Debbie Robus
* Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their defenses—calamity of any sort—any prayer that's prayed from anyone at all among your people Israel, their hearts penetrated by disaster, hands and arms thrown out for help to this Temple, listen from your home in heaven, forgive and reward us: reward each life and circumstance, for you know each life from the inside, (you're the only one with such inside knowledge!), so they'll live before you in lifelong reverence and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors.
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.
My maternal grandmother’s uncle, Sam Dial, operated the local livery, where he stabled horses, rented cars and wagons, and served as something of the “cab driver” of the day. When a devastating tornado ravaged our town on Thanksgiving Day 1926, my Uncle Sam and his wife, Lucy, took a truck to the western part of town to collect the dead and dying. In the book Time and the River by Evalena Berry, Aunt Lucy is quoted as saying, “I helped Sam, and we loaded them in those trucks. I carried their feet and he carried their head and we loaded them in there like cord wood. We took them to the Court House and laid them out. When I got home you couldn’t tell what my dress was but mud and blood. That was the ’26 tornado.”
In all, 19 people lost their lives that day. My grandmother was 17 years old when this tornado tore through Heber Springs. She stood on the street and watched her aunt and uncle pass with the truckload of bodies, and she never forgot the gruesome image. This partly explains why we spent much of our childhood hiding in a storm cellar at the first hint of a dark cloud on the horizon. My grandmother was forever changed by this horrific event.
Others have been transformed by involvement with a drunk driver, a catastrophic illness, the loss of a loved one, and more – calamities of any sort. And many have reached out to God with a heart penetrated by disaster. Some are only temporarily transformed, while others are changed for good. But only God can truly know the person’s heart. When we reach out to Him in a genuine spirit of humility and yearning for His help… comfort… rescue… restoration… He answers. God knows when we are sincere in our desire for His help – and for change - and He stands ready to deliver us.
I don’t know your heart. Some people experience disaster and devastation at a young age… some not at all… and some have a lifetime that seems to be filled with such events. Whatever your situation… regardless of your “stage” in life… God stands ready to hear your prayers and meet your needs. If your heart is pure… if you truly desire His answers, He will give them, according to His will for your life.
Psalm 56:8 says “You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them.”* Give your tears to God today… ask Him to forgive your sins and repair your heart. Humbly and reverently seek Him, and He will reward your life and its circumstances. Give God your devotion and trust, and walk in confidence that He is guiding your steps and rewarding your obedience.
©2012 Debbie Robus
* Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Daily Devotional for January 1, 2011
Genesis 17:4
I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That's why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When couples marry, the bride often changes her surname to that of the groom to signify her commitment and the beginning of a new life. While we don’t go to the extreme of changing our name on January 1st, many of us will vow to make significant changes in our lives… weight loss, kicking habits, getting a degree, starting an exercise program… maybe even starting a new career or moving to a new location! Change is inevitable… and often, change is good!
Making changes of a Spiritual nature are often just what The Doctor ordered. This is a great time to take stock of our Christian life and see where we need to make a few changes. Maybe we need to reinforce our prayer life. Maybe we need to confess a few sins and start living more like a disciple of Christ and less like the devil’s agent. Maybe we need to commit to serving God more and ourself a little less. Or maybe there are some who still need to make major changes – give their heart to Jesus and invite the Holy Spirit to dwell within their heart.
Whatever Spiritual changes you make, today is the perfect time to begin. The other changes you want to incorporate may be important – and positive – but nothing will trump your efforts to become more in tune with God’s will for your life. Spend some time today talking to Him about how and where to start… and Happy New Year! May the coming year be the best, most blessed year you’ve experienced yet!
©2010 Debbie Robus
I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That's why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When couples marry, the bride often changes her surname to that of the groom to signify her commitment and the beginning of a new life. While we don’t go to the extreme of changing our name on January 1st, many of us will vow to make significant changes in our lives… weight loss, kicking habits, getting a degree, starting an exercise program… maybe even starting a new career or moving to a new location! Change is inevitable… and often, change is good!
Making changes of a Spiritual nature are often just what The Doctor ordered. This is a great time to take stock of our Christian life and see where we need to make a few changes. Maybe we need to reinforce our prayer life. Maybe we need to confess a few sins and start living more like a disciple of Christ and less like the devil’s agent. Maybe we need to commit to serving God more and ourself a little less. Or maybe there are some who still need to make major changes – give their heart to Jesus and invite the Holy Spirit to dwell within their heart.
Whatever Spiritual changes you make, today is the perfect time to begin. The other changes you want to incorporate may be important – and positive – but nothing will trump your efforts to become more in tune with God’s will for your life. Spend some time today talking to Him about how and where to start… and Happy New Year! May the coming year be the best, most blessed year you’ve experienced yet!
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 10, 2010
Isaiah 61:1-4God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness"
planted by God to display his glory.
They'll rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They'll start over on the ruined cities,
take the rubble left behind and make it new.
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.
Every holiday season, we hear news reports about a house fire during the holidays. Just this past week, a home burned in our county, and area churches rallied to provide for the family – clothing, cleaning supplies, physical labor, and more. On the morning of December 20, 1981, my grandmother was frying sausage on her stove, preparing breakfast for herself and my grandfather before they dressed for church. My grandfather had been outside checking on his cattle. Mam-ma thought she heard sleet on their tin roof, but a glimpse out her kitchen window revealed sunshine.
My grandfather came through the door and told my Mam-ma that their house was on fire. Ironically, she turned off the burner under her sausage, then she began grabbing clothing from dresser drawers, as my grandfather hurried to move their car and truck from the carport and away from the house. A passerby stopped and helped remove items from the house as it burned… a small living room chair, the mantel clock, the family Bible and a few photos, and most of my grandparents’ clothing. They didn’t think to get wallets, eye glasses, the quilt rack in the front bedroom that held probably a half dozen of my grandmother’s hand-made creations, or even the Christmas presents sitting under the tree just inside the front door.
At the end of the day, the home my grandparents had occupied for 47 years was reduced to smoldering cinders. The fire was so hot that even the cast-iron skillets and claw-footed bath tub were reduced to ashes. This fire was determined to be due to some old faulty wiring… not a truly Christmas-related disaster. And I have shared this story before… how the churches and our community rallied to help my grandparents rebuild… how my dad called on his construction contacts to get a new house built as quickly as possible and people “pounded” my grandparents with necessary household staples and more.
I’ve talked about the yard full of petunias that rose the following spring where the old farmhouse once sat… a true “beauty for ashes” trade. But what I have not really talked about directly is the impact that the fire had on my entire family. Whether we realize it or not, that day was a huge turning point for us. It signaled the end of an era… the only home for my grandparents that I, my sister and brother had ever known. The fire resulted in the loss of countless treasures… mere things… and a greater realization of what really mattered, as we counted our blessings that my grandmother and grandfather both escaped safely.
Even though the new house and many of the replacement items were far nicer than what my grandparents had previously owned, it wasn’t the same… ever. And in thinking about this day again… as I do every December 20th… I was struck by how this correlates for us spiritually. See, we all have “fires” in our lives… moments or events or seasons that define us… change us… move us in a new direction. And these are often hard, devastating, gut-wrenching changes that grieve us and truly break our hearts – and sometimes our emotional spirit.
But God stands ready to give us “bouquets of roses for ashes”… to restore us, repair our hearts, rebuild our spirit. Sometimes, He even gives us something better to replace what was taken from us… or at least something equally wonderful. I told you that my grandparents were not ones to question “Why me?” but rather to look ahead and ask “What next?” – and as I look at my now-98-year-old grandmother and think of all of the things she has endured and how she persevered, I see another “lesson.”
God is not in the business of punishing us… or making us suffer to “teach us a lesson.” When we are in pain, He is in pain. When we grieve, He grieves. When our heart breaks, His heart breaks for us. But God can do something about all of this. He truly is the only One who can really fix things… and He wants to do this for us. But we have to trust Him. We have to let Him work. We have to ask Him, “What next?” and mean it. We have to open our eyes and see His beauty in the ashes…and we have to be grateful to Him for doing this for us.
Where is God trying to give you a bouquet of roses for ashes? Where are you blocking His efforts? In what ways do you need to move aside and let Him work? Examine your heart and your life today… find your “fires” and sift through the “ashes.” See what God has in store for you, and give Him room to do His work.
©2010 Debbie Robus
a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness"
planted by God to display his glory.
They'll rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They'll start over on the ruined cities,
take the rubble left behind and make it new.
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.
Every holiday season, we hear news reports about a house fire during the holidays. Just this past week, a home burned in our county, and area churches rallied to provide for the family – clothing, cleaning supplies, physical labor, and more. On the morning of December 20, 1981, my grandmother was frying sausage on her stove, preparing breakfast for herself and my grandfather before they dressed for church. My grandfather had been outside checking on his cattle. Mam-ma thought she heard sleet on their tin roof, but a glimpse out her kitchen window revealed sunshine.
My grandfather came through the door and told my Mam-ma that their house was on fire. Ironically, she turned off the burner under her sausage, then she began grabbing clothing from dresser drawers, as my grandfather hurried to move their car and truck from the carport and away from the house. A passerby stopped and helped remove items from the house as it burned… a small living room chair, the mantel clock, the family Bible and a few photos, and most of my grandparents’ clothing. They didn’t think to get wallets, eye glasses, the quilt rack in the front bedroom that held probably a half dozen of my grandmother’s hand-made creations, or even the Christmas presents sitting under the tree just inside the front door.
At the end of the day, the home my grandparents had occupied for 47 years was reduced to smoldering cinders. The fire was so hot that even the cast-iron skillets and claw-footed bath tub were reduced to ashes. This fire was determined to be due to some old faulty wiring… not a truly Christmas-related disaster. And I have shared this story before… how the churches and our community rallied to help my grandparents rebuild… how my dad called on his construction contacts to get a new house built as quickly as possible and people “pounded” my grandparents with necessary household staples and more.
I’ve talked about the yard full of petunias that rose the following spring where the old farmhouse once sat… a true “beauty for ashes” trade. But what I have not really talked about directly is the impact that the fire had on my entire family. Whether we realize it or not, that day was a huge turning point for us. It signaled the end of an era… the only home for my grandparents that I, my sister and brother had ever known. The fire resulted in the loss of countless treasures… mere things… and a greater realization of what really mattered, as we counted our blessings that my grandmother and grandfather both escaped safely.
Even though the new house and many of the replacement items were far nicer than what my grandparents had previously owned, it wasn’t the same… ever. And in thinking about this day again… as I do every December 20th… I was struck by how this correlates for us spiritually. See, we all have “fires” in our lives… moments or events or seasons that define us… change us… move us in a new direction. And these are often hard, devastating, gut-wrenching changes that grieve us and truly break our hearts – and sometimes our emotional spirit.
But God stands ready to give us “bouquets of roses for ashes”… to restore us, repair our hearts, rebuild our spirit. Sometimes, He even gives us something better to replace what was taken from us… or at least something equally wonderful. I told you that my grandparents were not ones to question “Why me?” but rather to look ahead and ask “What next?” – and as I look at my now-98-year-old grandmother and think of all of the things she has endured and how she persevered, I see another “lesson.”
God is not in the business of punishing us… or making us suffer to “teach us a lesson.” When we are in pain, He is in pain. When we grieve, He grieves. When our heart breaks, His heart breaks for us. But God can do something about all of this. He truly is the only One who can really fix things… and He wants to do this for us. But we have to trust Him. We have to let Him work. We have to ask Him, “What next?” and mean it. We have to open our eyes and see His beauty in the ashes…and we have to be grateful to Him for doing this for us.
Where is God trying to give you a bouquet of roses for ashes? Where are you blocking His efforts? In what ways do you need to move aside and let Him work? Examine your heart and your life today… find your “fires” and sift through the “ashes.” See what God has in store for you, and give Him room to do His work.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)