Isaiah 30:15, 18
God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: "Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me — the very thing you've been unwilling to do.
But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you. He's gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right—everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
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.
When I visit my grandmother at her Assisted Living Facility during mealtime, I often have to laugh. The pervading topic of conversation at her table is how long she and her friends have to wait to be served their meal. There are probably 80 residents in this dining hall. Three or four nurse’s aides busily move from table to table, serving the meal… often a plate of hot food, and an extra dish or two with salads and dessert. This doesn’t count the aide who may circle the dining room serving coffee, iced tea, water, buttermilk… and often offering an extra dish of pudding, fruit, or maybe some sort of salad.
The point is… these residents are served a sit-down meal three times a day in a retirement center. Seldom, if ever, do these folks have a pressing appointment. While they sit and wait for the meal (perhaps as much as 30 minues), they have plenty to drink… and often the “appetizer” on which to snack. Yet it never fails… the residents in my grandmother’s area of the dining room, which is usually the last to be served, grow impatient.
I remember how frustrated Timothy used to grow when he was hungry. He would sometimes bang his high chair tray and cry while I prepared his meals… and once or twice, he tried to climb out! I would often occupy him with a snack of cheese, “goldfish” or cereal to satisfy him while he waited for the main event. The difference was… he was a baby who didn’t know any better. The residents at my grandmother’s facility should understand how this works by now!
Do you see where I am headed? Some of us are so young in our faith that maybe we have an excuse. We may not be mature enough to understand that we can rest in the LORD and let Him handle things for us. Others of us have been at this for a while… so we ought to know by now that God’s timing is perfect… He can handle what we cannot… and we need to calm down and rest in Him!
In God, we find the perfect example of patience in action. Do you think God gripes and grumbles and says to Himself, “I wish Tom would hurry up and get this! I wish Jane would figure out that I’ve got her back and quit running around like a chicken with its head cut off!”? No! God waits! He settles in and holds our treasures and blessings in store for us, so that when we finally DO calm down and turn to Him, He has plenty to share with us… grace, mercy, love, and an abundance of miracles.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to settle in, relax and give my cares to God. I often tell my grandmother that after all of the meals she has cooked and served – and cleaned up afterward – this is her reward… her time to be blessed by others. She should sit back and enjoy it! And while I’m not calling for us to become lazy in our faith… it IS time for us to get comfortable with trusting God and letting Him have control.
We need to be patient and stop wasting time trying to do God’s job for Him, so that we can enjoy the blessings and “good stuff” that comes with being His faithful servant. I know I don’t want to miss anything He has in store for me… do you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label maturity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maturity. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for September 12, 2011
1 Kings 4:12-13
If you obey my commands and do what I say, I will keep the promise I made to your father David. I will live among my people Israel in this temple you are building, and I will not desert them.
Psalm 111:7-8
God is always honest and fair, and his laws can be trusted. They are true and right and will stand forever.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In many ways, two-year-olds trust no one! I promise Timothy that he can play outside when he wakes from a nap, but he doesn’t believe me. I tell him that he cannot play on the stairs unattended, because he might fall… but he has to take a little tumble to be convinced. We tell him that the kitties don’t want to be bothered, but he has to get a spit and a swat from them to believe it.
We always have Timothy’s very best interest at heart… but he doesn’t see it that way at all! In this little two-year-old’s mind, every time we leave without him, we’ve deserted him forever. We have broken every promise we ever made… and he is crushed. The good news is that we do honor our promises, and his trust is always restored. He forgets all about being upset with us and showers us with hugs and kisses and giggles.
Do you think God sees us as His very own two-year-olds? Don’t we behave much like little Timothy? Do we not act as if God’s promises are unbelievable and unworthy of our trust? Don’t we treat God like He has completely deserted us at the first sign of trouble? Aren’t we crushed the second God tells us to stand on our own two feet and operate in faith that He will carry us through whatever we are facing?
Timothy will grow up soon enough. Hopefully, he will learn who to trust… and when he is being told the truth. For us as Christians, the time to grow up is NOW! We can no longer act like fickle two-year-olds. God has told us… shown us… demonstrated over and again His power, love, grace, and mercy. He has delivered on countless promises already… and assured us that He will make good on hundreds more.
We must mature in our faith and trust God to do what He says. We must recognize His laws as honest, fair, and in our best interest. We must believe that He will hear our prayers and answer in a way that is perfect for our situation. And we must shower Him with “hugs, kisses and giggles” in the form of our praise and devotion… our service and gratitude.
Growing up is never easy… whether you are a two-year-old just learning the ropes or a Christian trying to operate in total surrender of self. Both are a process… but you have to start somewhere. Are you ready to trust God and believe Him? Are you growing in your faith… or are stuck in the “terrible twos”?
©2011 Debbie Robus
If you obey my commands and do what I say, I will keep the promise I made to your father David. I will live among my people Israel in this temple you are building, and I will not desert them.
Psalm 111:7-8
God is always honest and fair, and his laws can be trusted. They are true and right and will stand forever.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In many ways, two-year-olds trust no one! I promise Timothy that he can play outside when he wakes from a nap, but he doesn’t believe me. I tell him that he cannot play on the stairs unattended, because he might fall… but he has to take a little tumble to be convinced. We tell him that the kitties don’t want to be bothered, but he has to get a spit and a swat from them to believe it.
We always have Timothy’s very best interest at heart… but he doesn’t see it that way at all! In this little two-year-old’s mind, every time we leave without him, we’ve deserted him forever. We have broken every promise we ever made… and he is crushed. The good news is that we do honor our promises, and his trust is always restored. He forgets all about being upset with us and showers us with hugs and kisses and giggles.
Do you think God sees us as His very own two-year-olds? Don’t we behave much like little Timothy? Do we not act as if God’s promises are unbelievable and unworthy of our trust? Don’t we treat God like He has completely deserted us at the first sign of trouble? Aren’t we crushed the second God tells us to stand on our own two feet and operate in faith that He will carry us through whatever we are facing?
Timothy will grow up soon enough. Hopefully, he will learn who to trust… and when he is being told the truth. For us as Christians, the time to grow up is NOW! We can no longer act like fickle two-year-olds. God has told us… shown us… demonstrated over and again His power, love, grace, and mercy. He has delivered on countless promises already… and assured us that He will make good on hundreds more.
We must mature in our faith and trust God to do what He says. We must recognize His laws as honest, fair, and in our best interest. We must believe that He will hear our prayers and answer in a way that is perfect for our situation. And we must shower Him with “hugs, kisses and giggles” in the form of our praise and devotion… our service and gratitude.
Growing up is never easy… whether you are a two-year-old just learning the ropes or a Christian trying to operate in total surrender of self. Both are a process… but you have to start somewhere. Are you ready to trust God and believe Him? Are you growing in your faith… or are stuck in the “terrible twos”?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 19, 2011
1 Peter 2:11-12
Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honor God by telling the good things they saw you do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My mother told us recently about visiting a “ghost-town-turned-tourist-trap” in Arizona, where they observed an interesting exchange between a man and a horse. It seems the man was trying to lead the horse across a roadway – and away from other horses – toward what appeared to be a large trough of water. (Interject “you can lead a horse to water…” joke here!)
The horse apparently did NOT want to go, and he reared up at the man and retreated to the point of origin and took his place with the other horses. The man tried again (remember our definition of insanity?!) and got the same results. Clearly the horse did not want to surrender to the man. This animal could not understand that the man’s intention (purpose) was a good one. His plans were to provide the horse with necessary nurture and care, i.e. water!
Aren’t we just like the horse? God is trying to give us so much, but for whatever reason… fear, selfishness, ego, stubbornness, sin, and more… we rear up, stomp and pitch a fit, dig in our heels and refuse to budge. We retreat to what we know… what is comfortable… even if it’s all wrong for us. We think we know better than God what is right for us… what we need… what will make the most sense in our lives.
In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says “Surrender doesn’t weaken you, it strengthens you.” The Bible gives us tremendous examples of people who surrendered to God when it didn’t make a lick of sense… Noah, Moses, Queen Esther… even Jesus Christ. Surrender to God does not equal an admission of defeat… it reflects maturity in our faith and a true desire to live fully in the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father.
We are like the stubborn horse who foregoes life-sustaining water in favor of a comfortable stance on the sidelines. When we fail to surrender to God, we fail to enjoy a complete relationship with Him – and all that He wants to give us. Where are you standing today? Will you “cross the road” and surrender completely to God and start living in His grace, mercy, love… and abundance? Or are you kicking up your feet and taking a stand… stuck in the same old rut? Are you ready to let God take the reins and lead you to “the good stuff”? Are you ready to surrender completely?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honor God by telling the good things they saw you do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My mother told us recently about visiting a “ghost-town-turned-tourist-trap” in Arizona, where they observed an interesting exchange between a man and a horse. It seems the man was trying to lead the horse across a roadway – and away from other horses – toward what appeared to be a large trough of water. (Interject “you can lead a horse to water…” joke here!)
The horse apparently did NOT want to go, and he reared up at the man and retreated to the point of origin and took his place with the other horses. The man tried again (remember our definition of insanity?!) and got the same results. Clearly the horse did not want to surrender to the man. This animal could not understand that the man’s intention (purpose) was a good one. His plans were to provide the horse with necessary nurture and care, i.e. water!
Aren’t we just like the horse? God is trying to give us so much, but for whatever reason… fear, selfishness, ego, stubbornness, sin, and more… we rear up, stomp and pitch a fit, dig in our heels and refuse to budge. We retreat to what we know… what is comfortable… even if it’s all wrong for us. We think we know better than God what is right for us… what we need… what will make the most sense in our lives.
In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says “Surrender doesn’t weaken you, it strengthens you.” The Bible gives us tremendous examples of people who surrendered to God when it didn’t make a lick of sense… Noah, Moses, Queen Esther… even Jesus Christ. Surrender to God does not equal an admission of defeat… it reflects maturity in our faith and a true desire to live fully in the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father.
We are like the stubborn horse who foregoes life-sustaining water in favor of a comfortable stance on the sidelines. When we fail to surrender to God, we fail to enjoy a complete relationship with Him – and all that He wants to give us. Where are you standing today? Will you “cross the road” and surrender completely to God and start living in His grace, mercy, love… and abundance? Or are you kicking up your feet and taking a stand… stuck in the same old rut? Are you ready to let God take the reins and lead you to “the good stuff”? Are you ready to surrender completely?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 6, 2011
James 1:19-20; 26
My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.
If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and everything you do is useless.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Sporting events provide a good arena to observe human nature. Some people are what one could describe as “fair weather” fans. They are ready to yell and cheer when their team is winning. When things slow down or the team lags behind, the fans start visiting with one another, or sitting with their hands folded in their laps… or talking/texting on their phones. But let something exciting or “big” happen on the field or court, and the fans jump to their feet as if they had been wholeheartedly following the game all along.
There are also fans who cannot seem to control themselves. Many are well-meaning… even parents or relatives and friends of team members. But they get so caught up in their own emotions that they lose sight of the bigger picture, it seems. They are quick to anger… and nothing is ever their team’s fault. It’s always the referees… or the coaches… or the other guy! The same people who faithfully fill a pew each Sunday in a local church (or maybe even lead a Bible study or Sunday-school class!) are the very same people who jump from their seats to yell and scream – or even curse or speak in a derogatory manner – at or about those involved in a sporting event!
We do this in all areas of life. We talk one way and act another. We are “fair-weather Christians” who get on the bandwagon when something exciting happens. We wave our hands and sing along at a Christian rock concert or even during praise and worship on Sunday morning. Then we lash out in anger… at family, friends, co-workers, and even people we don’t know who drive alongside us. We are quick to criticize and judge others… never recognizing that when you point one finger at someone else, three more are cocked in our own direction. We rock along with our hands in our lap… then when a crisis occurs, we open our Bibles, start praying – and for some - dare to darken the doors of a church sanctuary for the first time in weeks/months/years!
I know these things happen, because I do some of them, too. We need to pay attention to these verses in James… and we need to examine our behavior at every turn. I know we all think snappy comebacks are cool… but many of us would do well to stop and think a little bit about what we are going to say before we speak. Words spoken in anger and frustration are hard to retract – and often very hurtful and unbecoming.
If we spent a little more time being a fulltime Christian instead of a “fair-weather” participant, we might have a better shot at keeping our behaviors in check… along with our anger and our judgments. And… more of the good things of God’s kingdom might actually get done in the process. Isn’t it surely worth a shot?!
©2011 Debbie Robus
My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.
If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and everything you do is useless.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Sporting events provide a good arena to observe human nature. Some people are what one could describe as “fair weather” fans. They are ready to yell and cheer when their team is winning. When things slow down or the team lags behind, the fans start visiting with one another, or sitting with their hands folded in their laps… or talking/texting on their phones. But let something exciting or “big” happen on the field or court, and the fans jump to their feet as if they had been wholeheartedly following the game all along.
There are also fans who cannot seem to control themselves. Many are well-meaning… even parents or relatives and friends of team members. But they get so caught up in their own emotions that they lose sight of the bigger picture, it seems. They are quick to anger… and nothing is ever their team’s fault. It’s always the referees… or the coaches… or the other guy! The same people who faithfully fill a pew each Sunday in a local church (or maybe even lead a Bible study or Sunday-school class!) are the very same people who jump from their seats to yell and scream – or even curse or speak in a derogatory manner – at or about those involved in a sporting event!
We do this in all areas of life. We talk one way and act another. We are “fair-weather Christians” who get on the bandwagon when something exciting happens. We wave our hands and sing along at a Christian rock concert or even during praise and worship on Sunday morning. Then we lash out in anger… at family, friends, co-workers, and even people we don’t know who drive alongside us. We are quick to criticize and judge others… never recognizing that when you point one finger at someone else, three more are cocked in our own direction. We rock along with our hands in our lap… then when a crisis occurs, we open our Bibles, start praying – and for some - dare to darken the doors of a church sanctuary for the first time in weeks/months/years!
I know these things happen, because I do some of them, too. We need to pay attention to these verses in James… and we need to examine our behavior at every turn. I know we all think snappy comebacks are cool… but many of us would do well to stop and think a little bit about what we are going to say before we speak. Words spoken in anger and frustration are hard to retract – and often very hurtful and unbecoming.
If we spent a little more time being a fulltime Christian instead of a “fair-weather” participant, we might have a better shot at keeping our behaviors in check… along with our anger and our judgments. And… more of the good things of God’s kingdom might actually get done in the process. Isn’t it surely worth a shot?!
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 14, 2010
Proverbs 12:6
Bad advice is a deadly trap, but good advice is like a shield.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
If you have ever trapped a “critter” – even a mouse, you know that one of the key components of a successful trap is good bait. Raw bacon works particularly well for several varmints, because it is enticing, yet slippery and hard to grab without getting caught. Contrast the image of a trap for a pesky critter with the pen or cage in which you keep your pet, perhaps to keep him/her safe from other animals (even the two-legged kind!) outside. Maybe you even have a dog house or shed that serves as a shield for your pet against the elements of everyday weather … sun, rain, heat, cold, and more.
Now think about receiving bad advice – and acting on it versus the benefits of good advice - and how it affects your life. If you have ever received – and taken – bad advice, you know it can affect you as seriously as a deadly trap and may cause you mental, emotional, and/or physical ruin. Good advice, though, can protect you from making costly mistakes. Good advice can bring you blessings and joy and positive outcomes and shield you from the hardships of life.
Learning to recognize whether advice is good or bad often comes with experience and maturity. But praying about advice – before you give it or take it – can make a huge difference. Asking yourself if the advice lines up with the word of God also helps. Asking God to guide your steps and give you wisdom and discernment is another vital component.
Often, bad advice looks good on the surface. Sometimes we want to take bad advice, even when we know we shouldn’t … like when a friend says, “C’mon … go to the party… what can it hurt?” or your boss says, “If anybody asks, you don’t know anything about this,” or even when someone tells you, “Trust me … I’ll take care of everything,” and you know this is really never going to happen.
We must learn to analyze advice based on wisdom and discernment – and prayerful guidance from God … not the whims and desires of our heart. This is the “bacon” in Satan’s traps … and it will get us caught in a life of disappointment, misery, and possibly serious trouble. Whether we are taking advice from someone else – or doling it out ourselves – we need to prayerfully consider every angle and make sure that God is in the details … and shielding us all the way.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Bad advice is a deadly trap, but good advice is like a shield.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
If you have ever trapped a “critter” – even a mouse, you know that one of the key components of a successful trap is good bait. Raw bacon works particularly well for several varmints, because it is enticing, yet slippery and hard to grab without getting caught. Contrast the image of a trap for a pesky critter with the pen or cage in which you keep your pet, perhaps to keep him/her safe from other animals (even the two-legged kind!) outside. Maybe you even have a dog house or shed that serves as a shield for your pet against the elements of everyday weather … sun, rain, heat, cold, and more.
Now think about receiving bad advice – and acting on it versus the benefits of good advice - and how it affects your life. If you have ever received – and taken – bad advice, you know it can affect you as seriously as a deadly trap and may cause you mental, emotional, and/or physical ruin. Good advice, though, can protect you from making costly mistakes. Good advice can bring you blessings and joy and positive outcomes and shield you from the hardships of life.
Learning to recognize whether advice is good or bad often comes with experience and maturity. But praying about advice – before you give it or take it – can make a huge difference. Asking yourself if the advice lines up with the word of God also helps. Asking God to guide your steps and give you wisdom and discernment is another vital component.
Often, bad advice looks good on the surface. Sometimes we want to take bad advice, even when we know we shouldn’t … like when a friend says, “C’mon … go to the party… what can it hurt?” or your boss says, “If anybody asks, you don’t know anything about this,” or even when someone tells you, “Trust me … I’ll take care of everything,” and you know this is really never going to happen.
We must learn to analyze advice based on wisdom and discernment – and prayerful guidance from God … not the whims and desires of our heart. This is the “bacon” in Satan’s traps … and it will get us caught in a life of disappointment, misery, and possibly serious trouble. Whether we are taking advice from someone else – or doling it out ourselves – we need to prayerfully consider every angle and make sure that God is in the details … and shielding us all the way.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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