Daily Devotional for December 12, 2016

Malachi 3:10
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be food enough in my Temple; if you do, I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in!

“Try it! Let me prove it to you!

​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 helping Timothy’s room mother “chair” with the holiday parties this year.  It seems that in Zola’s kindergarten class, there are plenty of parents lined up and ready to help.  By the time the children get to second grade, the enthusiasm has waned and that number has greatly dwindled. So while we have managed to get plenty of “donations” – party favors, food, and money – we have had trouble getting parents to come and actually help with activities.

For the Fall Party, more than a dozen parents actually came to the party…but only 3 or four had agreed to help serve refreshments, play games, decorate, and clean up.  A week from today, we will have the Christmas party, and I will be interested to see how much physical help we are able to muster!

It’s easy to grab a few cupcakes, pick up some party favors at the dollar store, or send a check to cover the cost of decorations. It’s another to actually show up and do the work…to give time and effort. I understand that parents work - now, more than ever.  But I also know that a lot of people think that it won’t be fun to help the children…or they won’t be good at it.  And the truth is…the adults will get more from the experience than the children, in many instances.

Here’s the thing…a lot of us write a check for 10% to the church…and we think we are done. But I don’t believe this is what was meant by these scriptures about “tithing.” Sure…churches need money to operate. But they need physical participation, also. People in your community need a helping hand as much as they need your dollars. The world at large needs to be encouraged, nurtured, and helped in a myriad of ways that involve actually getting in there and doing the work!

Should we “tithe” to the church?  Yes!  I know from watching my Mam-ma Polly take 10% off the top every month and give it to her church that she received countless blessings in return. She never ran short…there was always abundance in her life.  But I also know that she gave far more than this 10% of her monthly Social Security pension. She gave of her time, talents, physical energy, prayers, and much more.  And God blessed her greatly for her efforts.

Examine your life and prayerfully consider what you give to God…and how you give it.  Are you simply writing a check and moving on with other things…or are you giving in every way that you can, to the best of your ability?  Are you missing out on blessings that could be yours if you gave more creatively?  Make this the season that you step outside of your comfort zone and start really “tithing” to God and His children.  And if you want to come play Christmas Bingo with some second graders next week, let me know!

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for June 10, 2015

Exodus 20:8-11
Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That’s why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me.

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

I’m going to be honest with you.  I don’t attend worship every single Sunday. Sometimes I am not feeling well…sometimes in the winter the weather is too icy…and sometimes, I just don’t go. When Greg and I were still business owners, we often had to work on Sundays.  We had deadlines to meet…work that had to get done.  And as business owners and the only two employees for many years, the workload fell on our shoulders - regardless of what day the calendar showed.

Do not judge me!  I understand fully the significance of the Sabbath…and even on my busiest day – or the days when I “play hooky,” I try to spend time with God…to listen for His voice, study His word...and to reflect on what He has in store for me.  Sometimes, we all need to sit quietly and let God fill us…whether we’re sitting on a pew in a church sanctuary – or on our couch or back porch, drinking a cup of coffee.  There are times when God wants us to simply be still and take a breather…from EVERYTHING!

Here’s the thing…attending a worship service every Sunday morning and/or evening (or both) does not make us superior Christians…or even mean that we are truly living “in God’s will.” I believe that corporate worship is important…that we demonstrate to others our desire to humbly come before God and worship Him as a body of believers…to learn more about His word, how He works, and His missions. I believe that fellowship with others is important…both for those who are born-again Christians, those who may be seeking God - and those who don’t have a clue who God is, much less that they need Him in their lives.

I also believe that some use the Sabbath to make a point rather than to make a difference.  For some, Sunday is the day to put on a show and give others the impression that we are good, faithful, and pleasing to God…while in truth, we may be none of these things.  In our heart, we may not be seeking a deeper relationship with God and communion with other believers.  We may be hoping to impress everyone with our appearance (in every sense of this word), our presence in the choir or as an usher (or simply filling a pew)…and going through the motions of worship for an hour or so.

We do need to give God our time and attention!  We do need to take a breath, sit quietly, and let Him fill us – and we need to do this often!  We need to recognize God’s power and supremacy…to acknowledge all that He has created…to humble ourselves before Him and seek His presence – and His voice.  We need to spend time worshipping God…and getting our “marching orders!” We need to fellowship with others - without a personal agenda or ulterior motives. 

The God who did so much for us deserves our full time and attention on a regular basis.  The Sabbath is a great day for this...but it’s not the only day.  The important thing is how we spend time with God…rather than when…and how often this happens.  Are you making quality time for God in your life…resting in Him and creating an atmosphere in which He can truly speak to you?  Don’t you think it’s time you did?

©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for June 8, 2015

Deuteronomy 8:3
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to both you and your ancestors. He did it to help you realize that food isn’t everything, and that real life comes by obeying every command of God.
 
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

You can’t make this stuff up!  I once witnessed a fairly heated discussion at a family dinner between two “camps” – one that swore  that Showboat® pork ‘n beans could not be beat…and another that insisted that VanCamp’s® pork ‘n beans were most surely the best! We are a culture obsessed with food…not as sustenance to fuel our bodies and minds, but as art and entertainment.  We don’t look at a banana and consider how its nutrients and fiber can make us strong and healthy…we think about how it will taste and whether it has gotten too ripe for consumption.  OR…we envision it slathered with ice cream, coated in chocolate, or incorporated into muffins, cake or “quickbread!”

We do not plan our meals based on our true hunger and nutritional needs…but more often around social events, what we are “hungry for” at the moment, and which restaurant we have not patronized this week!  We think that we would die without certain foods…or without eating SOMETHING every few hours.  In truth, most of us would survive far longer without eating than we can imagine.  And were we truly hungry, a lot of “foods” we would never otherwise consider eating might look pretty tasty!

While I have never fasted…at least in a spiritual context…I know people who have done this.  They used the time and “energy” that we all pour into thinking about food to concentrate on prayer, Bible study, and seeking God’s presence in their lives.  While I do not believe this is the right practice for me…I do not criticize anyone who wants to engage in an occasional Spiritual fast.

But what I do think we need to do is pay closer notice to what grabs our attention.  We need to “feed” on God’s word…both His scriptures, and what He tells us and shows us every single day.  Recently, my niece Jasmine said that Zola asked her, “Mom, what are you doing?”  Jasmine told her, “I’m talking to God.” Four-year-old Zola replied, “Again?!!”  Jasmine explained to Zola that we can talk to God any time, as often as we like/need - even all day if we want! 

God’s nurture and sustenance is unlike any ordinary meal…we can feast on His provisions night and day!  The time has come for us to change our diet…to focus less on edible nourishment, and more on God’s spiritual manna.  He may not help us choose which pork ‘n beans are best, but He will supply our needs in every area of real importance.  Will this be the day that you begin to truly feed on a steady regimen of God’s word and commands?  Don’t you think it should be?

©2015 Debbie Robus