Romans 8:12-14
So, dear brothers, you have no
obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to
do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but
if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds,
you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons 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.
Some 20 years ago, Greg and I would have been
spending summer Sunday afternoons out on the lake, with our pontoon boat tied
together with several other pontoons and a ski boat or two. We would be
with our friends, soaking up the sun and enjoying our beautiful crystal
clear lake. This morning at church, one of our “boat buddies” (who is
now the father of four children ages 2-10) said, “I no longer tie up in a
cove like we used to do…it’s too dangerous for kids.” Greg and I no
longer even own a boat. We take our children to the indoor pool at the
local Aquatic Center. Times have changed…and we have changed with them!
We
could buy another boat and go back to the cove on the lake with our
friends. Some have grown children now…others have small, young
families. It would be the same – yet different…and we are not bound to
keep doing what we always did. Life changes, and we change with it.
In
the same way, we are not bound to continue our old sinful ways once we
give our hearts and lives to Jesus. We have a new focus…new interests…a
new way of doing things. You may be one of those people who really had
a pretty good life as a sinner. You didn’t break rules…you were kind
to others and cared about their needs…you observed the laws, went to
church, and “did all the right things.” It might seem like your “old
life” was not all that different from the new one…that doing what you
always did would not really be that bad even now.
Here’s the
difference…the power of the Holy Spirit. Because of the commitment you
made to Jesus…and His Holy Spirit working in and through you…everything
about your “new life” is better. “New and improved” are the words of
the day. It may not feel all that different…but your focus HAS shifted –
or it should have. Instead of just going through the motions, you
should now be calling on the Holy Spirit to guide your days…direct your
paths…ordain your thoughts, words and actions. Where you once muddled
through each day, He now gives you a life of “intention”…a holy
purpose…and the promise of Eternal Life.
I sometimes think an
afternoon on the lake would be fun. But then I think about the heat and
sunburn…all of the gear to load and unload…the worry of making sure
that the kids stayed safe…and I am totally content with things as they
are. And I wouldn’t trade my “new life in Christ” and the company of
the Holy Spirit for a single second of the “old life” as a sinner.
All
I have to do is think of how glorious “life” will be in Paradise for
all eternity…and how carefully God tends to my every need in this life
through His Holy Spirit, and I know that this is the life for me…forever
and ever. What about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label new life in Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new life in Christ. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for March 25, 2016
Acts 2:22-26
Now, listen to what I have to say about Jesus from Nazareth. God proved that he sent Jesus to you by having him work miracles, wonders, and signs. All of you know this. God had already planned and decided that Jesus would be handed over to you. So you took him and had evil men put him to death on a cross. But God set him free from death and raised him to life. Death could not hold him in its power. What David said are really the words of Jesus,
“I always see the Lord near me,
and I will not be afraid with him at my right side.
Because of this, my heart will be glad,
my words will be joyful, and I will live in hope.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning, I was trying to help Nathan work a rather difficult jigsaw puzzle. He kept saying, “Don’t help me, Debbie…I will do it myself.” So I sat down to watch…and ever-so-subtly (or so I thought!), I would slide a couple of pieces toward him that I had interlocked. Soon, I heard Nathan begin to sniffle. “What’s wrong, Buddy?” I asked. “You don’t love me anymore!” “Why, of course I do!” I reassured him. “Why would you think I don’t love you?” “Because you don’t think I can work this puzzle by myself…and I can!”
I sat and watched him struggle with the pieces. Nathan tried to work “from the inside out,” so I would suggest that this piece or that one might make a border. Finally, he began to get the hang of it. More than once, I had to squelch my urge to “assist”. It was hard to watch that little guy struggle with this task. I knew that I could help him work that puzzle in no time. But at the same time, I knew that he had to do this…he had to endure the frustration of learning to do it himself. And when he was finished, I “high-fived” him and praised him…and his little face beamed with pride.
I know it’s a stretch to use this illustration to comment on today’s scripture passage. But here’s the thing. God could fix so many things in our lives…but sometimes He understands that we have to struggle with them while He looks on so that we grow in our faith and more perfectly appreciate His love and care. God knows our heartaches and difficulties before they happen – just as He knew that Jesus would suffer horrific torture and abuse at the hands of the Roman soldiers.
Did God cause this to happen? Does He intend for us to get sick, lose our homes and jobs, go off to war, have terrible accidents and get involved in toxic relationships? Does God mean for us to struggle or be orphaned, abused and mistreated? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding, “NO!” But God allows these things in order to demonstrate to us and others His incredible power to rescue us…to comfort us in our pain and suffering…to heal us and set us upright mentally, physically, and emotionally. In this manner, God sets us free and raises us to life over and again. God will NEVER leave us!
So while some would contend that God deserted His Only Son and left Jesus to suffer and die, scripture tells us that this was not the case. Yes, He knew what would happen…but He also knew the next chapter…and the next. And God knows what happens in every chapter of your life and mine…and He wants us to count on Him to “slip us the next piece of the puzzle”…to heal us and repair our brokenness.
Because of what God did for Jesus, we have hope and confidence that He will do these things for us. We have joy that we are the children of such a powerful and mighty God who loves us so very much that He will never let us falter…if only we will trust Him. Hard to do sometimes? You betcha! Worth it all in the end? Absolutely! Are you trusting God to help you with your “life puzzles?” Isn’t it time you did?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Now, listen to what I have to say about Jesus from Nazareth. God proved that he sent Jesus to you by having him work miracles, wonders, and signs. All of you know this. God had already planned and decided that Jesus would be handed over to you. So you took him and had evil men put him to death on a cross. But God set him free from death and raised him to life. Death could not hold him in its power. What David said are really the words of Jesus,
“I always see the Lord near me,
and I will not be afraid with him at my right side.
Because of this, my heart will be glad,
my words will be joyful, and I will live in hope.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This morning, I was trying to help Nathan work a rather difficult jigsaw puzzle. He kept saying, “Don’t help me, Debbie…I will do it myself.” So I sat down to watch…and ever-so-subtly (or so I thought!), I would slide a couple of pieces toward him that I had interlocked. Soon, I heard Nathan begin to sniffle. “What’s wrong, Buddy?” I asked. “You don’t love me anymore!” “Why, of course I do!” I reassured him. “Why would you think I don’t love you?” “Because you don’t think I can work this puzzle by myself…and I can!”
I sat and watched him struggle with the pieces. Nathan tried to work “from the inside out,” so I would suggest that this piece or that one might make a border. Finally, he began to get the hang of it. More than once, I had to squelch my urge to “assist”. It was hard to watch that little guy struggle with this task. I knew that I could help him work that puzzle in no time. But at the same time, I knew that he had to do this…he had to endure the frustration of learning to do it himself. And when he was finished, I “high-fived” him and praised him…and his little face beamed with pride.
I know it’s a stretch to use this illustration to comment on today’s scripture passage. But here’s the thing. God could fix so many things in our lives…but sometimes He understands that we have to struggle with them while He looks on so that we grow in our faith and more perfectly appreciate His love and care. God knows our heartaches and difficulties before they happen – just as He knew that Jesus would suffer horrific torture and abuse at the hands of the Roman soldiers.
Did God cause this to happen? Does He intend for us to get sick, lose our homes and jobs, go off to war, have terrible accidents and get involved in toxic relationships? Does God mean for us to struggle or be orphaned, abused and mistreated? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding, “NO!” But God allows these things in order to demonstrate to us and others His incredible power to rescue us…to comfort us in our pain and suffering…to heal us and set us upright mentally, physically, and emotionally. In this manner, God sets us free and raises us to life over and again. God will NEVER leave us!
So while some would contend that God deserted His Only Son and left Jesus to suffer and die, scripture tells us that this was not the case. Yes, He knew what would happen…but He also knew the next chapter…and the next. And God knows what happens in every chapter of your life and mine…and He wants us to count on Him to “slip us the next piece of the puzzle”…to heal us and repair our brokenness.
Because of what God did for Jesus, we have hope and confidence that He will do these things for us. We have joy that we are the children of such a powerful and mighty God who loves us so very much that He will never let us falter…if only we will trust Him. Hard to do sometimes? You betcha! Worth it all in the end? Absolutely! Are you trusting God to help you with your “life puzzles?” Isn’t it time you did?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 8, 2015
Ephesians 2:1-6
It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
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.
The video clip is an old one – I first saw it a few years ago. But a dad is standing in front of the refrigerator, with twin babies seated on the floor next to him. These babies are probably not quite a year old – they are still crawling – and as the dad opens the fridge and gets out a few things, one of the babies waddles over and starts to peer into the cold box filled with food and condiments. The dad moves the baby…and as he turns back to the refrigerator, the other child advances and begins to investigate the ice box’s contents. This goes on for several seconds in a vicious cycle.
Never once does the dad get upset. He doesn’t raise his voice a single decibel. He continues his work of getting things out of the refrigerator – while gently picking up the babies and (temporarily) relocating them. Finally, Dad is able to quickly scoot both babies out of the doorway and close it. He looks at the camera (obviously operated by Mom), and heaves a weary, “Whew!”
This must be exactly how God feels about us each and every day. We are the babies getting into anything and everything…investigating, learning, testing the waters…and God is the patient Dad who gently moves us out of the way and starts all over – all the while going about the business of running the universe. I do hope you will take the less-than-two-minutes to watch this video. The babies try to stand as the dad repositions them. A couple of times, it takes several attempts before he is able to get them to fold their legs and SIT on the floor. Surprisingly, there is no kicking and screaming!
Again, this is us in a nutshell. God tries to show us how to live…the right way to do things, and while He is trying to seat us at His feet (and get His work done!), we are buckling our legs and resisting - if not out-and-out kicking and screaming!
Watch this video and think of God as the patient Father who continues to love you even when you “get into mischief” and behave sinfully. Feel His hands as He removes you over and again from situations that are, at best, not the right fit for you…and recognize His wisdom in doing so. THANK HIM for picking us up and setting us down in Highest Heaven – in company with Jesus! He certainly doesn’t have to do any this…but aren’t you glad He does?
Where will God reposition you today? Will you be ready, willing, and able to take His cue and do what He desires? Will you recognize His infinite wisdom and care for every aspect of your life? Will this be the day that you “move away from the fridge” and give God room to work? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
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.
The video clip is an old one – I first saw it a few years ago. But a dad is standing in front of the refrigerator, with twin babies seated on the floor next to him. These babies are probably not quite a year old – they are still crawling – and as the dad opens the fridge and gets out a few things, one of the babies waddles over and starts to peer into the cold box filled with food and condiments. The dad moves the baby…and as he turns back to the refrigerator, the other child advances and begins to investigate the ice box’s contents. This goes on for several seconds in a vicious cycle.
Never once does the dad get upset. He doesn’t raise his voice a single decibel. He continues his work of getting things out of the refrigerator – while gently picking up the babies and (temporarily) relocating them. Finally, Dad is able to quickly scoot both babies out of the doorway and close it. He looks at the camera (obviously operated by Mom), and heaves a weary, “Whew!”
This must be exactly how God feels about us each and every day. We are the babies getting into anything and everything…investigating, learning, testing the waters…and God is the patient Dad who gently moves us out of the way and starts all over – all the while going about the business of running the universe. I do hope you will take the less-than-two-minutes to watch this video. The babies try to stand as the dad repositions them. A couple of times, it takes several attempts before he is able to get them to fold their legs and SIT on the floor. Surprisingly, there is no kicking and screaming!
Again, this is us in a nutshell. God tries to show us how to live…the right way to do things, and while He is trying to seat us at His feet (and get His work done!), we are buckling our legs and resisting - if not out-and-out kicking and screaming!
Watch this video and think of God as the patient Father who continues to love you even when you “get into mischief” and behave sinfully. Feel His hands as He removes you over and again from situations that are, at best, not the right fit for you…and recognize His wisdom in doing so. THANK HIM for picking us up and setting us down in Highest Heaven – in company with Jesus! He certainly doesn’t have to do any this…but aren’t you glad He does?
Where will God reposition you today? Will you be ready, willing, and able to take His cue and do what He desires? Will you recognize His infinite wisdom and care for every aspect of your life? Will this be the day that you “move away from the fridge” and give God room to work? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 4, 2015
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become 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.
Sometime this week, I predict
that Timothy will lose his first tooth. He has two bottom teeth that
are loose…but one is particularly wobbly. We asked him to “show us your
loose tooth” yesterday, and he eagerly wiggled it back and forth for
us. According to Timothy’s mother, the permanent tooth is already
pushing through and nudging this old tooth out of the wayN
I’ll be honest…I love little kids’ smiles with their sweet “baby teeth”.
Often what comes in afterward is relatively large and “gawky” for
awhile. In my own case, I had a wide “David Letterman-style” gap between
my two front teeth that was corrected when I was about twelve with some
oral surgery - and braces. The pretty smiles that many adults sport
don’t “just happen”…they often take a lot of work!
When we surrender to Jesus and invite Him to dwell in our hearts and guide our lives, it’s somewhat like losing our baby teeth. Over time, we get the new “permanent” ones, but there are struggles along the way – and often a lot of work is required to make everything straight and pretty. And it’s that way for Christians, too. We do become new creatures in Christ Jesus…but there is still a lot of work to be done…often over a lifetime!
Here’s another thing about “permanent teeth”…in general, they are stronger than “baby teeth” – and will last us the rest of our natural lives if we take care of them. Likewise, our “New Life in Christ” will be stronger than the old one…but it will also require nurture, care – and “regular maintenance!” Sometimes, despite our best efforts – or because of a lack thereof – we lose our teeth. Thankfully, God often “fills in the gaps” quite literally for us with dentures and provides a way for us to keep going!
Just as a child’s “baby-teeth smile” may be all pretty and neat, our old lives may seem fairly comfortable and orderly. But I assure you, the “permanent-tooth-smile” of a New Life in Christ will be so much better. You will have highs and lows…and plenty of work to do…but the benefits will far surpass all of this. God will bless and strengthen you in ways you cannot imagine…and He will reward you with a seat at His table in heaven for all eternity when your earthly life is over.
I don’t know where you are in your journey. I don’t know if you “still have all of your baby teeth”…are smack in the middle of “losing the bigger molars” and are experiencing some real struggles…or you’ve come to the place where you “have a set of dentures” and God’s strength, grace and mercy carry you through every minute of the day and make all the difference. Whatever your “stage,” I pray that you have started the process…that you have asked Jesus to forgive your sins and dwell in your heart. I pray that this day, Jesus is helping you to build the “new smile” that only He can create. Now, let me see those “loose teeth!”
©2015 Debbie Robus
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become 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.
 |
| Timothy with all of his baby teeth... this might be the last picture before he loses one! |
 |
| My four-year-old gap-toothed, "David Letterman-style" smile! |
When we surrender to Jesus and invite Him to dwell in our hearts and guide our lives, it’s somewhat like losing our baby teeth. Over time, we get the new “permanent” ones, but there are struggles along the way – and often a lot of work is required to make everything straight and pretty. And it’s that way for Christians, too. We do become new creatures in Christ Jesus…but there is still a lot of work to be done…often over a lifetime!
Here’s another thing about “permanent teeth”…in general, they are stronger than “baby teeth” – and will last us the rest of our natural lives if we take care of them. Likewise, our “New Life in Christ” will be stronger than the old one…but it will also require nurture, care – and “regular maintenance!” Sometimes, despite our best efforts – or because of a lack thereof – we lose our teeth. Thankfully, God often “fills in the gaps” quite literally for us with dentures and provides a way for us to keep going!
Just as a child’s “baby-teeth smile” may be all pretty and neat, our old lives may seem fairly comfortable and orderly. But I assure you, the “permanent-tooth-smile” of a New Life in Christ will be so much better. You will have highs and lows…and plenty of work to do…but the benefits will far surpass all of this. God will bless and strengthen you in ways you cannot imagine…and He will reward you with a seat at His table in heaven for all eternity when your earthly life is over.
I don’t know where you are in your journey. I don’t know if you “still have all of your baby teeth”…are smack in the middle of “losing the bigger molars” and are experiencing some real struggles…or you’ve come to the place where you “have a set of dentures” and God’s strength, grace and mercy carry you through every minute of the day and make all the difference. Whatever your “stage,” I pray that you have started the process…that you have asked Jesus to forgive your sins and dwell in your heart. I pray that this day, Jesus is helping you to build the “new smile” that only He can create. Now, let me see those “loose teeth!”
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 29, 2015
1 Peter 1:23
For you have a new life. It was not passed on to you from your parents, for the life they gave you will fade away. This new one will last forever, for it comes from Christ, God’s ever-living Message to men.
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 scanning old photographs recently…and taking a trip down “Memory Lane” in the process. As I look back over the years at pictures of my family members, I’ve thought a lot about how certain people have played significant roles in my life…special times we have shared…and the “life lessons” they have provided.
My own parents have been “accomplished” in many ways. My dad was talented and creative…and he never met a stranger. Half of the wrought iron and metal work in this county was probably created by my daddy in his welding shop – and designed on a paper napkin as he ate a bologna sandwich for lunch! He could literally put out fires as a volunteer fireman, or console grieving families in his role as a funeral director. My dad was the ultimate jack-of-all-trades…and I thought there was nothing that he couldn’t do.
Countless children got their “start” at the feet of my mother as she taught kindergarten, both in our home and then in the public schools. She is responsible for the musical foundation of more than one accomplished pianist or organist, including the woman who been the heart and soul our local public school music program for over 40 years. Mother is a well-known and respected writer… author of seven books to date. “Granny”, as the kids call her, is known for her tuna casserole, chicken pie, pimiento cheese and sweet potatoes with marshmallows. And she is a “documented” dog lover. Countless people know her as the lady whose dogs walked HER all over town!
My parents gave me a wonderful start in life…and I am proud of both of them. But they gave me something else that is far more important…an example of what it means to have New Life in Christ. In recent years, I have gained a new appreciation for how both of my parents embraced Jesus and served Him…not only through service to their church and its missions – but in the community at large. None of us is perfect, but my parents both have reputations for loving and encouraging others, demonstrating tremendous faith and courage in the face of crises and difficulties, and recognizing that their New Life in Christ is the one that truly matters.
Here’s the thing…we can have great parents who give us tremendous examples of how to live well. We can be nurtured, encouraged, trained and inspired by them and other “parental figures” in our lives…and we can turn out to be pretty great people, by all accounts. But if we are not reborn in Christ Jesus, none of it matters. You can have the best parents in the world, but if you don’t claim your place as a child of the Most High God, you can’t truly “live”. And we must “pay this forward” and encourage others to invite Jesus to live in our hearts…and join His heavenly family, as well.
I am so very grateful for all that my parents have given me. But at the same time, I am even more indebted to Jesus for what HE did for me…how He suffered, bled and died for my sins…how He came to earth to show us how to truly live. And I am convicted that we who are His children are called to tell others about the New Life that Jesus offers…to encourage others to be reborn in Him and secure THEIR place at His heavenly table forever and ever.
The question we have to ask ourselves is which life we are living…the one our natural parents gave us…or the one secured for us by Jesus Christ. Your answer matters…for all Eternity. Which “life” will you choose?
©2015 Debbie Robus
For you have a new life. It was not passed on to you from your parents, for the life they gave you will fade away. This new one will last forever, for it comes from Christ, God’s ever-living Message to men.
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 scanning old photographs recently…and taking a trip down “Memory Lane” in the process. As I look back over the years at pictures of my family members, I’ve thought a lot about how certain people have played significant roles in my life…special times we have shared…and the “life lessons” they have provided.
My own parents have been “accomplished” in many ways. My dad was talented and creative…and he never met a stranger. Half of the wrought iron and metal work in this county was probably created by my daddy in his welding shop – and designed on a paper napkin as he ate a bologna sandwich for lunch! He could literally put out fires as a volunteer fireman, or console grieving families in his role as a funeral director. My dad was the ultimate jack-of-all-trades…and I thought there was nothing that he couldn’t do.
Countless children got their “start” at the feet of my mother as she taught kindergarten, both in our home and then in the public schools. She is responsible for the musical foundation of more than one accomplished pianist or organist, including the woman who been the heart and soul our local public school music program for over 40 years. Mother is a well-known and respected writer… author of seven books to date. “Granny”, as the kids call her, is known for her tuna casserole, chicken pie, pimiento cheese and sweet potatoes with marshmallows. And she is a “documented” dog lover. Countless people know her as the lady whose dogs walked HER all over town!
My parents gave me a wonderful start in life…and I am proud of both of them. But they gave me something else that is far more important…an example of what it means to have New Life in Christ. In recent years, I have gained a new appreciation for how both of my parents embraced Jesus and served Him…not only through service to their church and its missions – but in the community at large. None of us is perfect, but my parents both have reputations for loving and encouraging others, demonstrating tremendous faith and courage in the face of crises and difficulties, and recognizing that their New Life in Christ is the one that truly matters.
Here’s the thing…we can have great parents who give us tremendous examples of how to live well. We can be nurtured, encouraged, trained and inspired by them and other “parental figures” in our lives…and we can turn out to be pretty great people, by all accounts. But if we are not reborn in Christ Jesus, none of it matters. You can have the best parents in the world, but if you don’t claim your place as a child of the Most High God, you can’t truly “live”. And we must “pay this forward” and encourage others to invite Jesus to live in our hearts…and join His heavenly family, as well.
I am so very grateful for all that my parents have given me. But at the same time, I am even more indebted to Jesus for what HE did for me…how He suffered, bled and died for my sins…how He came to earth to show us how to truly live. And I am convicted that we who are His children are called to tell others about the New Life that Jesus offers…to encourage others to be reborn in Him and secure THEIR place at His heavenly table forever and ever.
The question we have to ask ourselves is which life we are living…the one our natural parents gave us…or the one secured for us by Jesus Christ. Your answer matters…for all Eternity. Which “life” will you choose?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 25, 2014
Galatians 3:13
But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself. For it is written in the Scripture, “Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed” (as Jesus was hung upon a wooden cross).
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Once in a while, there will be a post on social media about “the good ole days”...in the vein of “do you remember this?” or “do you know what this is?” There will be a photograph of some gadget from a previous decade...and the object will be something that perhaps we relied on every day - but now we have something better/faster/easier to use that has replaced it. One example of this might be a wringer washing machine. Say WHAT? Yes...a few decades ago, people washed clothing in a big tub, then they pressed each garment through two heavy rollers that squeezed out all of the excess water. This was a far cry from the “spin cycle” of our modern-day washers!
Even older is the rub board! I have my grandmother’s ribbed glass rub board, on which she “rubbed” the clothes to get the dirt out. I also have a wooden paddle that she used to stir clothing in a big iron cauldron of hot water and lye soap! Not my idea of a fun wash day...is it yours?!
Another gadget that some of you may still use today is the ice cube tray. Most of these are made of plastic – or silicone – today, but when I was a child, we had aluminum trays with a “handle” in the middle that you lifted to separate the ice cubes and release them. Of course, this usually resulted in shatters and shards of ice rather than the nice, neat, perfectly formed cubes of our present-day ice-making machines. And NOW, some of my friends even have “Sonic® ice” machines that create the crushed ice like patrons of Sonic® drive-ins enjoy.
My mom commented recently that she had seen two working "pay telephones". She remarked that many younger people don’t know about pay phones - or phone booths...and will only see them in the media. We both remember the not-so-distant years when she and my dad were traveling and they would search for a pay telephone in order to call home and check in with us. There were no cell phones...much less texting, iPads, and Skype or Face Time!
Here’s the thing... there are a lot of things from the past that we would not wish to return. Who among us wishes there were no cell phones and that we had to rely on finding a pay telephone or dialing 0 for Operator in order to accomplish some of our communications? I enjoy going to my refrigerator and getting a cup of ice cubes or crushed ice. I would not want to spend an entire day or two slaving over a hot iron wash pot filled with laundry and caustic soap...nor would I want to have to crank a “wringer” to get the water out of every garment before I hung the clothing on a line to air dry!
By the same token, I would not want to have to kill an innocent lamb or calf every time I committed a sin. I’d never get anything else done...and neither would you! Because you see, we are ALL sinful, despite our best efforts to behave otherwise. Just like many of us take a daily dose of medicine to keep certain ailments at bay...or vitamins to boost our immune systems...we need a “daily dose” of Jesus to keep us spiritually healthy. And because of his amazing love, grace, mercy – and sacrifice on the cross – the “old ways” of atonement are forever gone for those of us who have accepted His great gift of salvation.
We need the “daily dose” of Jesus to keep us healthy...to boost our spiritual “immune systems”...but when we give our hearts to Jesus, we no longer have to worry about the old laws that required continual sacrifices of animals...rituals to cleanse our souls...intermediaries to petition God on our behalf. Jesus healed ALL of that! And I, for one, can never thank Him enough!
My question today is this...are you living in the “modern world” of Jesus’ healing grace and mercy? Or are you stuck in the past? Do you know the joy of living well, fit, and strong with Jesus? Aren’t you ready to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself. For it is written in the Scripture, “Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed” (as Jesus was hung upon a wooden cross).
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Once in a while, there will be a post on social media about “the good ole days”...in the vein of “do you remember this?” or “do you know what this is?” There will be a photograph of some gadget from a previous decade...and the object will be something that perhaps we relied on every day - but now we have something better/faster/easier to use that has replaced it. One example of this might be a wringer washing machine. Say WHAT? Yes...a few decades ago, people washed clothing in a big tub, then they pressed each garment through two heavy rollers that squeezed out all of the excess water. This was a far cry from the “spin cycle” of our modern-day washers!
Even older is the rub board! I have my grandmother’s ribbed glass rub board, on which she “rubbed” the clothes to get the dirt out. I also have a wooden paddle that she used to stir clothing in a big iron cauldron of hot water and lye soap! Not my idea of a fun wash day...is it yours?!
Another gadget that some of you may still use today is the ice cube tray. Most of these are made of plastic – or silicone – today, but when I was a child, we had aluminum trays with a “handle” in the middle that you lifted to separate the ice cubes and release them. Of course, this usually resulted in shatters and shards of ice rather than the nice, neat, perfectly formed cubes of our present-day ice-making machines. And NOW, some of my friends even have “Sonic® ice” machines that create the crushed ice like patrons of Sonic® drive-ins enjoy.
My mom commented recently that she had seen two working "pay telephones". She remarked that many younger people don’t know about pay phones - or phone booths...and will only see them in the media. We both remember the not-so-distant years when she and my dad were traveling and they would search for a pay telephone in order to call home and check in with us. There were no cell phones...much less texting, iPads, and Skype or Face Time!
Here’s the thing... there are a lot of things from the past that we would not wish to return. Who among us wishes there were no cell phones and that we had to rely on finding a pay telephone or dialing 0 for Operator in order to accomplish some of our communications? I enjoy going to my refrigerator and getting a cup of ice cubes or crushed ice. I would not want to spend an entire day or two slaving over a hot iron wash pot filled with laundry and caustic soap...nor would I want to have to crank a “wringer” to get the water out of every garment before I hung the clothing on a line to air dry!
By the same token, I would not want to have to kill an innocent lamb or calf every time I committed a sin. I’d never get anything else done...and neither would you! Because you see, we are ALL sinful, despite our best efforts to behave otherwise. Just like many of us take a daily dose of medicine to keep certain ailments at bay...or vitamins to boost our immune systems...we need a “daily dose” of Jesus to keep us spiritually healthy. And because of his amazing love, grace, mercy – and sacrifice on the cross – the “old ways” of atonement are forever gone for those of us who have accepted His great gift of salvation.
We need the “daily dose” of Jesus to keep us healthy...to boost our spiritual “immune systems”...but when we give our hearts to Jesus, we no longer have to worry about the old laws that required continual sacrifices of animals...rituals to cleanse our souls...intermediaries to petition God on our behalf. Jesus healed ALL of that! And I, for one, can never thank Him enough!
My question today is this...are you living in the “modern world” of Jesus’ healing grace and mercy? Or are you stuck in the past? Do you know the joy of living well, fit, and strong with Jesus? Aren’t you ready to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 20, 2014
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me and I will give you rest—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Have you ever tried on clothing or a pair of shoes that didn’t feel quite right…then someone suggested that you try another size, and it felt so much better? The fit was more “you”…in fact, it was perfect! That’s exactly how it is with a life in Christ. Jesus fits each of us perfectly. Notice that He doesn’t claim to give you a burden-free life. Jesus promises us burdens that are lighter and easier to bear – because He does the heavy lifting!
Nobody likes to wear shoes or clothing that doesn’t fit. So why are you putting up with a life that is overly burdensome and uncomfortable? Come to Jesus…let Him do the heavy lifting. Wear His yoke instead of the ill-fitting one you’ve been dealing with…and find rest for your soul in the process.
©2014 Debbie Robus
“Come to me and I will give you rest—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Have you ever tried on clothing or a pair of shoes that didn’t feel quite right…then someone suggested that you try another size, and it felt so much better? The fit was more “you”…in fact, it was perfect! That’s exactly how it is with a life in Christ. Jesus fits each of us perfectly. Notice that He doesn’t claim to give you a burden-free life. Jesus promises us burdens that are lighter and easier to bear – because He does the heavy lifting!
Nobody likes to wear shoes or clothing that doesn’t fit. So why are you putting up with a life that is overly burdensome and uncomfortable? Come to Jesus…let Him do the heavy lifting. Wear His yoke instead of the ill-fitting one you’ve been dealing with…and find rest for your soul in the process.
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 25, 2014
2 Corinthians 5:17
When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Yesterday, we added another member to the Robus family when Ellie Grace made her entrance into the world at 7:50 a.m. Weighing in at 8 pounds 9 ounces and measuring 20¾” long, this daughter of Leslie and John (who is Greg's nephew) is new and fresh…and “the world is her oyster”! Ellie Grace is a blank canvas…all of her life stretches before her. For the moment, she is pure and unblemished. As she grows and progresses, she will develop characteristics and personality traits - and find her place in the world. She will make her presence known…and at some point, she will form opinions and attitudes – from the first time she spits out a green veggie she doesn’t like to the day she goes off to college and makes countless choices all by herself.
But for now, she is flawless and unencumbered…without a care in the world! Her parents will handle everything…feeding, changing, bathing, cuddling and protecting her. All she has to do is snuggle against them and settle in for lots of naps and hugs - and goofy looks and coos from the adults who will adore her.
Each and every one of us has more than a few years “under our belts”. And with those years comes baggage…lessons we learned…mistakes we made…bad choices and poor decisions…guilt – and maybe even a heavy dose of shame in many cases. Don’t you ever wish you could just wipe the slate clean and start over? Maybe you have done this, so to speak. If you’ve given your heart to Jesus, this was essentially what He offered you - new life…a brand new start…a chance to pull out a fresh sheet of paper and let Him paint a new masterpiece that would represent your life in Him.
The problem is that many of us invited Jesus into our hearts…then pretty much went right back to our old lives. We didn’t embrace what God offered us through the blood of Jesus – for any number of reasons – and as a result, our lives are anything but restful and peaceful. Our old lives of sin bring with them a boat load of turmoil…and too many of us are wallowing in this needlessly!
It’s time to embrace our new life in Christ…to truly rest in the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of Salvation through the blood of Jesus…to snuggle against His chest and be soothed by His love and kindness. We must never become complacent. There is a difference between resting in the LORD and “resting on our laurels” or becoming smug and lazy. Christians are called to work and to serve…but we are also offered help with the burdens. Jesus offers to carry the brunt of the load and give us the rest and peace that we so desperately need.
We cannot literally return to the simplicity of that first year of life that awaits Ellie Grace…but we can enjoy all of the rest and peace that Jesus offers when we give our hearts to Him. Have you accepted His gift of Salvation and truly left your “old life” behind in exchange for the new one He offers? Regardless of when you initially surrendered to Christ, this can be the day that you start to truly live your “new life” in Him. Are you ready to begin the “first year of the rest of your life” in Christ - and fully rest in His blessings?
©2014 Debbie Robus
When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Yesterday, we added another member to the Robus family when Ellie Grace made her entrance into the world at 7:50 a.m. Weighing in at 8 pounds 9 ounces and measuring 20¾” long, this daughter of Leslie and John (who is Greg's nephew) is new and fresh…and “the world is her oyster”! Ellie Grace is a blank canvas…all of her life stretches before her. For the moment, she is pure and unblemished. As she grows and progresses, she will develop characteristics and personality traits - and find her place in the world. She will make her presence known…and at some point, she will form opinions and attitudes – from the first time she spits out a green veggie she doesn’t like to the day she goes off to college and makes countless choices all by herself.
But for now, she is flawless and unencumbered…without a care in the world! Her parents will handle everything…feeding, changing, bathing, cuddling and protecting her. All she has to do is snuggle against them and settle in for lots of naps and hugs - and goofy looks and coos from the adults who will adore her.
Each and every one of us has more than a few years “under our belts”. And with those years comes baggage…lessons we learned…mistakes we made…bad choices and poor decisions…guilt – and maybe even a heavy dose of shame in many cases. Don’t you ever wish you could just wipe the slate clean and start over? Maybe you have done this, so to speak. If you’ve given your heart to Jesus, this was essentially what He offered you - new life…a brand new start…a chance to pull out a fresh sheet of paper and let Him paint a new masterpiece that would represent your life in Him.
The problem is that many of us invited Jesus into our hearts…then pretty much went right back to our old lives. We didn’t embrace what God offered us through the blood of Jesus – for any number of reasons – and as a result, our lives are anything but restful and peaceful. Our old lives of sin bring with them a boat load of turmoil…and too many of us are wallowing in this needlessly!
It’s time to embrace our new life in Christ…to truly rest in the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of Salvation through the blood of Jesus…to snuggle against His chest and be soothed by His love and kindness. We must never become complacent. There is a difference between resting in the LORD and “resting on our laurels” or becoming smug and lazy. Christians are called to work and to serve…but we are also offered help with the burdens. Jesus offers to carry the brunt of the load and give us the rest and peace that we so desperately need.
We cannot literally return to the simplicity of that first year of life that awaits Ellie Grace…but we can enjoy all of the rest and peace that Jesus offers when we give our hearts to Him. Have you accepted His gift of Salvation and truly left your “old life” behind in exchange for the new one He offers? Regardless of when you initially surrendered to Christ, this can be the day that you start to truly live your “new life” in Him. Are you ready to begin the “first year of the rest of your life” in Christ - and fully rest in His blessings?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 29, 2013
Titus 3:11-14
God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.
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.
Timothy is visiting us for three days and two nights… and as he put it, “I have a LOT of work to do.” In the first 90 minutes, he ate two cheese sandwiches (NO crust!), drank a glass of orange juice, sampled his first eggnog (and loved it!), watched “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and part of “Frosty the Snowman”, played with cars and planes, looked at the ornaments on the Christmas tree, made characters out of new Play-Doh®, and grabbed his “Christmas” blanket and a “soft” Santa Claus, headed upstairs to his Uncle Greg’s office, and piled up on the daybed for a “rest”! Every time he visits, there are familiar toys and rituals… but he makes many of them see new and fresh… as if he is experiencing them for the very first time! For him, there are lots of “do-overs” at our house!
New life… a second chance…starting over…even something as seemingly mundane as a new package of Play-Doh®…don’t we all long for this at one time or another? Don’t we long for the slate to be wiped clean and anticipate a day when everything is perfect… or pretty darn close?
The GOOD NEWS is that the perfect day IS coming, for those of us who have hope in Jesus Christ. We can eagerly await this day with the anticipation of a four-year-old boy who has just been told he gets an extended stay with his aunt and uncle in the “Playland” that is like heaven on earth for him. We have each been granted a new life… a second chance… an opportunity to turn our backs on the godless, indulgent life of our past and fill our hearts and minds with the things of God.
Sound boring and un-exciting? Let me assure you, this life is entirely the opposite. Because of God’s grace, mercy, and blessings… because of the sacrifices of Jesus Christ for our sins… we have the opportunity to enjoy abundant life. We can live free of the constraints of trying to conform to the standards of others. Ours are clear cut…love God with all our heart, mind, and soul… and love others as God loves us! If anything we are doing, saying, or thinking doesn’t line up with this… we know we are off track and need to get back on the right path. The best part is that God stands ready to give and forgive… to help us start over - every day if necessary! So just like Timothy, each day can be as new and fresh as the first time we visited… our first day as a disciple of Christ.
Do you need a “do-over” with Jesus? Did you know that He is willing to grant this to you? Have you placed your hope in Him to give you a pure life filled with energetic goodness? Are you making Him proud in your service as His disciple? Do you have the child-like wonder in your relationship with Jesus that makes even a cheese sandwich with no crust and your first sips of eggnog seem glorious and refreshing? Shouldn’t you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.
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.
Timothy is visiting us for three days and two nights… and as he put it, “I have a LOT of work to do.” In the first 90 minutes, he ate two cheese sandwiches (NO crust!), drank a glass of orange juice, sampled his first eggnog (and loved it!), watched “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and part of “Frosty the Snowman”, played with cars and planes, looked at the ornaments on the Christmas tree, made characters out of new Play-Doh®, and grabbed his “Christmas” blanket and a “soft” Santa Claus, headed upstairs to his Uncle Greg’s office, and piled up on the daybed for a “rest”! Every time he visits, there are familiar toys and rituals… but he makes many of them see new and fresh… as if he is experiencing them for the very first time! For him, there are lots of “do-overs” at our house!
New life… a second chance…starting over…even something as seemingly mundane as a new package of Play-Doh®…don’t we all long for this at one time or another? Don’t we long for the slate to be wiped clean and anticipate a day when everything is perfect… or pretty darn close?
The GOOD NEWS is that the perfect day IS coming, for those of us who have hope in Jesus Christ. We can eagerly await this day with the anticipation of a four-year-old boy who has just been told he gets an extended stay with his aunt and uncle in the “Playland” that is like heaven on earth for him. We have each been granted a new life… a second chance… an opportunity to turn our backs on the godless, indulgent life of our past and fill our hearts and minds with the things of God.
Sound boring and un-exciting? Let me assure you, this life is entirely the opposite. Because of God’s grace, mercy, and blessings… because of the sacrifices of Jesus Christ for our sins… we have the opportunity to enjoy abundant life. We can live free of the constraints of trying to conform to the standards of others. Ours are clear cut…love God with all our heart, mind, and soul… and love others as God loves us! If anything we are doing, saying, or thinking doesn’t line up with this… we know we are off track and need to get back on the right path. The best part is that God stands ready to give and forgive… to help us start over - every day if necessary! So just like Timothy, each day can be as new and fresh as the first time we visited… our first day as a disciple of Christ.
Do you need a “do-over” with Jesus? Did you know that He is willing to grant this to you? Have you placed your hope in Him to give you a pure life filled with energetic goodness? Are you making Him proud in your service as His disciple? Do you have the child-like wonder in your relationship with Jesus that makes even a cheese sandwich with no crust and your first sips of eggnog seem glorious and refreshing? Shouldn’t you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 6, 2013
2 Corinthians 5:17This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Yesterday after pre-K, I took Timothy to get a haircut. Our friend Tiger is a barber, and Timothy loves to go to his barber shop. Tiger has a lot of pictures of tigers (go figure). He is also a pilot, and he has a framed photograph of his plane hanging on the wall. Timothy asked “Mr. Tiger” all about flying his plane while he got his haircut. He said to Tiger several times, “You’re gonna cut my hair too long, right?” He meant, “You’re not going to cut off all my hair, are you?”! Tiger assured him that he would leave plenty of hair… and that new hair would grow to replace what had been cut!
Timothy went in the door looking a little shaggy and ragged around the edges, and he emerged neatly trimmed. I looked at him later as he played in the floor, and I could see the soft, round, still-little-boyish edges to his face. But in many ways, he looked like a new person. Out with the old… in with the new!
I don’t know about you, but I always feel a little like a “new person” when I get a haircut. Everything seems crisper and neater…like a “weight” has been lifted. It gives me a mental boost and makes me feel better about myself. And on a much grander scale, this is what happens when we invite Jesus into our heart to be the LORD of our life! But unlike the decision to get a haircut… our salvation is anything but temporary!
Life is filled with choices… none more important than when we choose to follow Jesus. Our salvation is a game changer…it not only makes us feel like a new person – we truly are changed forever! And the cool thing is that the changes are permanent. We may need a “spiritual trim” from time to time, but this is one “makeover” that trumps all others. We never have to go back to our “old life”… we don’t ever have to revisit the sins of our past or wrestle with the mistakes and poor choices we’ve made. We’re done with all of that… or we should be!
A once-every-six-weeks haircut is about as close to a makeover as a 4-year-old comes. But someday, he will be old enough to understand what it means to choose Jesus for himself. Do you understand this choice? Is your old life gone forever? Have you chosen a new life in Christ? Wouldn’t you like to leave your past behind and receive His salvation… to face the promise of Eternity in heaven with Him? Are you living the life of one who has had a “Spiritual makeover?” Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Yesterday after pre-K, I took Timothy to get a haircut. Our friend Tiger is a barber, and Timothy loves to go to his barber shop. Tiger has a lot of pictures of tigers (go figure). He is also a pilot, and he has a framed photograph of his plane hanging on the wall. Timothy asked “Mr. Tiger” all about flying his plane while he got his haircut. He said to Tiger several times, “You’re gonna cut my hair too long, right?” He meant, “You’re not going to cut off all my hair, are you?”! Tiger assured him that he would leave plenty of hair… and that new hair would grow to replace what had been cut!
Timothy went in the door looking a little shaggy and ragged around the edges, and he emerged neatly trimmed. I looked at him later as he played in the floor, and I could see the soft, round, still-little-boyish edges to his face. But in many ways, he looked like a new person. Out with the old… in with the new!
I don’t know about you, but I always feel a little like a “new person” when I get a haircut. Everything seems crisper and neater…like a “weight” has been lifted. It gives me a mental boost and makes me feel better about myself. And on a much grander scale, this is what happens when we invite Jesus into our heart to be the LORD of our life! But unlike the decision to get a haircut… our salvation is anything but temporary!
Life is filled with choices… none more important than when we choose to follow Jesus. Our salvation is a game changer…it not only makes us feel like a new person – we truly are changed forever! And the cool thing is that the changes are permanent. We may need a “spiritual trim” from time to time, but this is one “makeover” that trumps all others. We never have to go back to our “old life”… we don’t ever have to revisit the sins of our past or wrestle with the mistakes and poor choices we’ve made. We’re done with all of that… or we should be!
A once-every-six-weeks haircut is about as close to a makeover as a 4-year-old comes. But someday, he will be old enough to understand what it means to choose Jesus for himself. Do you understand this choice? Is your old life gone forever? Have you chosen a new life in Christ? Wouldn’t you like to leave your past behind and receive His salvation… to face the promise of Eternity in heaven with Him? Are you living the life of one who has had a “Spiritual makeover?” Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 5, 2013
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| Would you believe this little girl's dress and pants was once a ladies' beaded knit shirt? |
Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
If you know anything about me, you know that I love to take old pieces of clothing and repurpose them into new garments. I cut around holes and stains… I pick out the best parts of the garment… and I make something fresh and new that often barely resembles the previous piece – if at all. You might see a jeans pocket here or be able to discern a t-shirt there. But generally, the former “life” of the garment is totally forgotten. I am somehow able to see beyond a discarded piece of clothing and find the good that still lies there… and to restore it to something clean and up-to-date.
As people who have committed our lives to Christ, we are like repurposed garments. All of the old excuses… our stains, our sins – our past – are exactly that… in the past! God has seen beyond those things that wore us down and made us tired and unlovely. He has cut out the best parts and fashioned them into something totally different – and often unrecognizable. Some of us just needed a little sprucing and updating… others needed a major overhaul. But in the end, we are all new creatures… and Jesus Christ is the King of repurposing!
So the next time you start to make excuses… when you begin to say that God can’t use you or won’t want you because of this or that – your past mistakes or a present flaw in your makeup – remember these repurposed garments. Let Jesus put His creativity and power to work to design a totally new you… one who is fresh, pristine, and beautiful in His glory. If you don’t yet belong to Jesus, this should be reason enough to choose to live for Him. You have the opportunity for a clean slate… a new beginning…a chance to create a completely different life!
Doesn’t this sound exciting? Wouldn’t you like to change your “old garments” for new ones? Do you truly get it that this is possible in Jesus Christ? Isn’t today a great day to change your wardrobe and lose the excuses?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 5, 2013
Colossians 3:9-11
Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
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.
I love to find old garments at the thrift store and repurpose them into new things… especially children’s clothing. I look at a colorful ladies t-shirt and see a cute sundress with leggings for my nieces, Zola and Kelsey. I buy brightly colored, extra-large t-shirts and use them to make cute pants, shorts and more. Denim dresses and jeans have become everything from clothing to window coverings to a blanket to cover a brick fireplace hearth…and even a new high-chair seat cover! Old, discarded, possibly ill-fitting clothing becomes a new wardrobe…and more!
Recently, my friend Melissa gave me a designer-label dress that she no longer wore because it had a stain on the front. She said, “Do something fun and creative with it.” This was a really nice dress… high quality fabric, well made - and I’m sure it was quite expensive. The dress is now an Easter frock for my niece, Zola, and a colorful blouse for Melissa’s daughter, Ada. I used the scraps to make hair bows for both of the girls. As I worked on the scraps, I took a chance and bleached the stained area, and I was able to clean it “white as snow” and use it, as well.
The “old life” of the dress is done and gone, but the new life is customized. The old dress was stained… the new dresses are crisp and clean. While this dress bore a designer label, I don’t put an actual tag on the new things I create. But the children know that I made them with love and care… thinking especially of that particular child as I sewed… and my little friend, Ada, has told her mom several times that her new clothes “smell like ‘Miss Devvie!’”
As the Ultimate Designer, God created each of us. We were high quality…well-made out of the best materials… and so valuable that Jesus gave His very life for ours on the cross. As we grew, we became stained by sin. And Jesus refashioned us into new creatures when he exchanged His life for ours. Now we are crisp and clean. No “designer labels” are necessary if we walk with Jesus, because people will know Who we are “wearing” by the way we talk and act. Honesty and integrity are our trademarks… along with grace, mercy, humility, forgiveness, compassion, empathy, and love. When we wear the new wardrobe given to us in Christ, people recognize that His fragrant aroma all over us!
Here’s the thing… some of us have a closet filled with the “designer label” clothing of Jesus Christ… but we still prefer to wear our old rags. We are trying to live in two different worlds. When we lie, cheat, steal, mistreat others, gossip, act unkindly, fail to conduct ourselves honorably, or ignore God, we totally negate our testimony of salvation and grace by faith to others. It would be like putting on designer jeans or shoes with a dirty, ill-fitting shirt that was tattered and missing buttons. The two do not belong together… and the “look” would not be impressive or desirable to anyone.
Through the blood of Jesus, God has blessed you with a beautiful new wardrobe that never goes out of style. Be “all in” for God. Don’t deface and disrespect His gift by operating in the things of your old life. Strive to live with integrity each and every minute of the day. Continually ask yourself, “Am I representing Jesus… or the devil? Are my actions and behaviors those that He desires… or am I acting selfishly and/or sinfully?” I can tell you, when you take a few minutes to stop and consider this before you speak or act, you will often find that you were about to “put on an old rag.” The more you take a moment to consider your behavior, the easier and more natural these choices will become. You will begin to feel so comfortable in the “new clothing” of Christ that you no longer desire to “wear” the things of your old life.
Take a good look at your “Spiritual closet” today and see what you are wearing. Who is your Designer of choices these days? Are you in need of “repurposing?”
©2013 Debbie Robus
Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
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.
I love to find old garments at the thrift store and repurpose them into new things… especially children’s clothing. I look at a colorful ladies t-shirt and see a cute sundress with leggings for my nieces, Zola and Kelsey. I buy brightly colored, extra-large t-shirts and use them to make cute pants, shorts and more. Denim dresses and jeans have become everything from clothing to window coverings to a blanket to cover a brick fireplace hearth…and even a new high-chair seat cover! Old, discarded, possibly ill-fitting clothing becomes a new wardrobe…and more!
Recently, my friend Melissa gave me a designer-label dress that she no longer wore because it had a stain on the front. She said, “Do something fun and creative with it.” This was a really nice dress… high quality fabric, well made - and I’m sure it was quite expensive. The dress is now an Easter frock for my niece, Zola, and a colorful blouse for Melissa’s daughter, Ada. I used the scraps to make hair bows for both of the girls. As I worked on the scraps, I took a chance and bleached the stained area, and I was able to clean it “white as snow” and use it, as well.
The “old life” of the dress is done and gone, but the new life is customized. The old dress was stained… the new dresses are crisp and clean. While this dress bore a designer label, I don’t put an actual tag on the new things I create. But the children know that I made them with love and care… thinking especially of that particular child as I sewed… and my little friend, Ada, has told her mom several times that her new clothes “smell like ‘Miss Devvie!’”
As the Ultimate Designer, God created each of us. We were high quality…well-made out of the best materials… and so valuable that Jesus gave His very life for ours on the cross. As we grew, we became stained by sin. And Jesus refashioned us into new creatures when he exchanged His life for ours. Now we are crisp and clean. No “designer labels” are necessary if we walk with Jesus, because people will know Who we are “wearing” by the way we talk and act. Honesty and integrity are our trademarks… along with grace, mercy, humility, forgiveness, compassion, empathy, and love. When we wear the new wardrobe given to us in Christ, people recognize that His fragrant aroma all over us!
Here’s the thing… some of us have a closet filled with the “designer label” clothing of Jesus Christ… but we still prefer to wear our old rags. We are trying to live in two different worlds. When we lie, cheat, steal, mistreat others, gossip, act unkindly, fail to conduct ourselves honorably, or ignore God, we totally negate our testimony of salvation and grace by faith to others. It would be like putting on designer jeans or shoes with a dirty, ill-fitting shirt that was tattered and missing buttons. The two do not belong together… and the “look” would not be impressive or desirable to anyone.
Through the blood of Jesus, God has blessed you with a beautiful new wardrobe that never goes out of style. Be “all in” for God. Don’t deface and disrespect His gift by operating in the things of your old life. Strive to live with integrity each and every minute of the day. Continually ask yourself, “Am I representing Jesus… or the devil? Are my actions and behaviors those that He desires… or am I acting selfishly and/or sinfully?” I can tell you, when you take a few minutes to stop and consider this before you speak or act, you will often find that you were about to “put on an old rag.” The more you take a moment to consider your behavior, the easier and more natural these choices will become. You will begin to feel so comfortable in the “new clothing” of Christ that you no longer desire to “wear” the things of your old life.
Take a good look at your “Spiritual closet” today and see what you are wearing. Who is your Designer of choices these days? Are you in need of “repurposing?”
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 5, 2012
Colossians 3:12-14
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
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 closet is probably a lot like most people’s… overflowing with garments for all kinds of occasions. And yet, I seem to wear the same things over and again. I bet if you were honest, you would have to admit that you have things you wear occasionally that you don’t even really like all that much. They don’t make you feel good about yourself... something isn’t quite right. Maybe the garment is too tight – or too loose. Maybe it’s the wrong color, out of style, or starting to show some wear. Conversely, you most likely have at least one item you can reach for that always makes you feel happy and ready to greet the world.
Our attitudes… and our Christian faith… are something like our wardrobe. God has given us all new “Spiritual clothing.” When we wear His garments, we always feel good… and our attitudes reflect this. We are especially happy and well-prepared for the challenges of the world when we put on love.
But sometimes, we drag out old “clothes” that don’t fit right or suit us… offense, unkindness, a quick temper, gossip, foul language, bigotry, and more. Let’s be honest, none of these “garments” are pretty on anybody!
I would suggest that we all consider a good closet cleaning. Sure… we may need to do this to our actual closets, too. But I’m talking about our “Spiritual closet.” Let’s take a really hard look at what is in our wardrobe and weed out anything that wasn’t placed there by God. Let’s dress in the beautiful “garments” He has provided… and be sure to wear love every day! I’m fairly certain our overall attitude will improve… and others will notice! Better yet, God will be pleased… and He will reward our efforts to “dress for Spiritual success.”
When was the last time you cleaned YOUR closet? Don’t you think you should?
©2012 Debbie Robus
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
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 closet is probably a lot like most people’s… overflowing with garments for all kinds of occasions. And yet, I seem to wear the same things over and again. I bet if you were honest, you would have to admit that you have things you wear occasionally that you don’t even really like all that much. They don’t make you feel good about yourself... something isn’t quite right. Maybe the garment is too tight – or too loose. Maybe it’s the wrong color, out of style, or starting to show some wear. Conversely, you most likely have at least one item you can reach for that always makes you feel happy and ready to greet the world.
Our attitudes… and our Christian faith… are something like our wardrobe. God has given us all new “Spiritual clothing.” When we wear His garments, we always feel good… and our attitudes reflect this. We are especially happy and well-prepared for the challenges of the world when we put on love.
But sometimes, we drag out old “clothes” that don’t fit right or suit us… offense, unkindness, a quick temper, gossip, foul language, bigotry, and more. Let’s be honest, none of these “garments” are pretty on anybody!
I would suggest that we all consider a good closet cleaning. Sure… we may need to do this to our actual closets, too. But I’m talking about our “Spiritual closet.” Let’s take a really hard look at what is in our wardrobe and weed out anything that wasn’t placed there by God. Let’s dress in the beautiful “garments” He has provided… and be sure to wear love every day! I’m fairly certain our overall attitude will improve… and others will notice! Better yet, God will be pleased… and He will reward our efforts to “dress for Spiritual success.”
When was the last time you cleaned YOUR closet? Don’t you think you should?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 6, 2012
Romans 8:15-17 This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!
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.
Lately, I’ve been exchanging messages with a friend from high school who will soon be transferring two foster children in her care back to the home of their mother. She has cared for these children for several months now, and her home has been a loving, stable environment for them… their longest “stability” ever. Naturally, she is dreading the day that they will leave her… for many reasons.
While my husband and I were not fulltime foster parents, we did spend a lot of time with my little nephew, Timothy, during his first 2½ years of life. Saying “Good-bye” to him when he moved to another state last December was truly heartbreaking. I understand on some level what my friend is experiencing… I know the dread of “the day” and the sadness of the actual “good-bye.” I also know that God has never left me… He has given me strength and courage when I sad and defeated. He has enabled me to smile, laugh and find joy… and given me a deeper appreciation for other children. And I am assuring my friend that He will do all of this – and more – for her.
The point of sharing this is not to make you feel sorry for my husband and me… or my friend. It is to show you that God not only shares our pain and heartaches… He shields us and lifts us, also. He never leaves us… and out of our most difficult circumstances, He sets us upright and enables us to ask, “What’s next?” Because of my experience, my friend knows that my words of encouragement are genuine and based in firsthand knowledge. And because of Jesus’ suffering, we can trust that He understands our own – and His comfort comes from a place of true empathy.
There are heartaches, challenges and sufferings of all kinds for each of us. Being a Christian doesn’t insulate us from these experiences… but it does insure us against a terminal suffering. In Psalm 30:5, we read that “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”(KJV) I like how The Message puts it… “The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter.” Isn’t this great news? We should be deeply encouraged to know that a “new life in Christ” includes another day with a fresh start and a return of joy and laughter… and that Jesus is with us every step of the way.
Remember two things today: 1) God totally understands everything you are going through… your joys AND your sorrows… the good times AND those that are painful. When you suffer, He suffers with you, and… 2) God will restore your joy. I have no idea what your challenges, or heartaches are… but with God’s help, you WILL get through whatever it is you are suffering or grieving. God will see that you experience “good times” again.
Recognize the presence of Jesus and His Holy Spirit. Thank Him for His company… His grace, mercy, and blessings. Learn from God, and share the comfort you have received with others who have similar needs. Reach out and genuinely say, “I’ve been there… I understand… and you will get through this!” Because Jesus suffered on the cross, He can say, “I know how you feel… I understand what you are going through.” Remember the adage that “people don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” Because I know that Jesus cares, I care what He knows… and I want more of Him each and every day. Don’t you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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.
Lately, I’ve been exchanging messages with a friend from high school who will soon be transferring two foster children in her care back to the home of their mother. She has cared for these children for several months now, and her home has been a loving, stable environment for them… their longest “stability” ever. Naturally, she is dreading the day that they will leave her… for many reasons.
While my husband and I were not fulltime foster parents, we did spend a lot of time with my little nephew, Timothy, during his first 2½ years of life. Saying “Good-bye” to him when he moved to another state last December was truly heartbreaking. I understand on some level what my friend is experiencing… I know the dread of “the day” and the sadness of the actual “good-bye.” I also know that God has never left me… He has given me strength and courage when I sad and defeated. He has enabled me to smile, laugh and find joy… and given me a deeper appreciation for other children. And I am assuring my friend that He will do all of this – and more – for her.
The point of sharing this is not to make you feel sorry for my husband and me… or my friend. It is to show you that God not only shares our pain and heartaches… He shields us and lifts us, also. He never leaves us… and out of our most difficult circumstances, He sets us upright and enables us to ask, “What’s next?” Because of my experience, my friend knows that my words of encouragement are genuine and based in firsthand knowledge. And because of Jesus’ suffering, we can trust that He understands our own – and His comfort comes from a place of true empathy.
There are heartaches, challenges and sufferings of all kinds for each of us. Being a Christian doesn’t insulate us from these experiences… but it does insure us against a terminal suffering. In Psalm 30:5, we read that “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”(KJV) I like how The Message puts it… “The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter.” Isn’t this great news? We should be deeply encouraged to know that a “new life in Christ” includes another day with a fresh start and a return of joy and laughter… and that Jesus is with us every step of the way.
Remember two things today: 1) God totally understands everything you are going through… your joys AND your sorrows… the good times AND those that are painful. When you suffer, He suffers with you, and… 2) God will restore your joy. I have no idea what your challenges, or heartaches are… but with God’s help, you WILL get through whatever it is you are suffering or grieving. God will see that you experience “good times” again.
Recognize the presence of Jesus and His Holy Spirit. Thank Him for His company… His grace, mercy, and blessings. Learn from God, and share the comfort you have received with others who have similar needs. Reach out and genuinely say, “I’ve been there… I understand… and you will get through this!” Because Jesus suffered on the cross, He can say, “I know how you feel… I understand what you are going through.” Remember the adage that “people don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” Because I know that Jesus cares, I care what He knows… and I want more of Him each and every day. Don’t you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 11, 2012
Romans 10:5-10
Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?
The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
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.
A few years ago, I decided I wanted to read the entire Bible in a year. This was a noble goal… and there are dozens of “study guides” and books that will help a person accomplish this. So far, I’ve tried at least three times… and I once did pretty well until almost the end of May! I may still try this again, but for now, I’m learning that I get bogged down in the process and lose focus on the message! So I am letting God lead my study, as in rediscovering notes I made on sermons, and scripture passages that I jotted down… and He is reminding me of old messages – and new insights.
Having said all of this, I did learn from my attempts to study the entire Bible in one year. The study guide I used suggested reading a passage each day from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and one from Proverbs. And the profound lesson I got from this was how the laws and rituals of the Old Testament were virtually all made new by the coming of Jesus in the New Testament. No longer do we have to make living sacrifices to God for our sins… Jesus was the ultimate Living Sacrifice. We don’t need priests and prophets to intercede with God on our behalf… we can speak to Him directly. We don’t have to follow rituals and rites as laid down in the writings and teachings of the old rulers and leaders… all we have to do is open our mouth and our heart… and let Jesus enter and do His work in and through us.
We are told that the tongue holds the power over life and death… and this is incredibly true when we speak up – and out – for Jesus! His Holy Spirit is as close as a whisper… His presence is as near as calling, “Come, LORD Jesus… forgive me... fill me with your Holy Spirit, and make me whole.”
Whenever we have a problem, we don’t have to consult a book of laws. We don’t need to perform a hand or foot washing, sacrifice a newborn lamb, or hide in a closet for a week of purification. We simply need to open our mouth and ask God to help us. Remember the verse in this passage that says, “The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.” You are never alone… never helpless or hopeless… never forgotten. Your answers are a few well-chosen words away.
Call on God to give you the answers and wisdom you seek today. Ask Jesus to be the LORD of your life and fill you with His Holy Spirit. Carry Him closely in your heart… just a whisper away at all times… and when He answers, thank Him for setting things right.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?
The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
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.
A few years ago, I decided I wanted to read the entire Bible in a year. This was a noble goal… and there are dozens of “study guides” and books that will help a person accomplish this. So far, I’ve tried at least three times… and I once did pretty well until almost the end of May! I may still try this again, but for now, I’m learning that I get bogged down in the process and lose focus on the message! So I am letting God lead my study, as in rediscovering notes I made on sermons, and scripture passages that I jotted down… and He is reminding me of old messages – and new insights.
Having said all of this, I did learn from my attempts to study the entire Bible in one year. The study guide I used suggested reading a passage each day from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and one from Proverbs. And the profound lesson I got from this was how the laws and rituals of the Old Testament were virtually all made new by the coming of Jesus in the New Testament. No longer do we have to make living sacrifices to God for our sins… Jesus was the ultimate Living Sacrifice. We don’t need priests and prophets to intercede with God on our behalf… we can speak to Him directly. We don’t have to follow rituals and rites as laid down in the writings and teachings of the old rulers and leaders… all we have to do is open our mouth and our heart… and let Jesus enter and do His work in and through us.
We are told that the tongue holds the power over life and death… and this is incredibly true when we speak up – and out – for Jesus! His Holy Spirit is as close as a whisper… His presence is as near as calling, “Come, LORD Jesus… forgive me... fill me with your Holy Spirit, and make me whole.”
Whenever we have a problem, we don’t have to consult a book of laws. We don’t need to perform a hand or foot washing, sacrifice a newborn lamb, or hide in a closet for a week of purification. We simply need to open our mouth and ask God to help us. Remember the verse in this passage that says, “The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.” You are never alone… never helpless or hopeless… never forgotten. Your answers are a few well-chosen words away.
Call on God to give you the answers and wisdom you seek today. Ask Jesus to be the LORD of your life and fill you with His Holy Spirit. Carry Him closely in your heart… just a whisper away at all times… and when He answers, thank Him for setting things right.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 9, 2011
John 11:24-27
Martha answered, "I know that he will be raised to life on the last day, when all the dead are raised." Jesus then said, "I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Lord!" she replied. "I believe that you are Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Twelve years ago today, my dad left this earth for heaven. He was only 63. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him… and others dear to me who have died and gone to Heaven. But when I think of how sick he was… how miserable his last months on earth were, and how he longed for Heaven and the presence of God, my brother and other loved ones… I wouldn’t wish him back for anything.
I hear people say, “I would give anything for one more day with my loved one.” And I understand this. But I also understand that they probably would not care to have another day with us, because Heaven is so glorious! In his book, 90 Minutes in Heaven, pastor Don Piper tells of asking God over and again, “Why did you send me back?” He “died” in a horrible car wreck and experienced the glory of Heaven… and he badly wanted to stay there. Of course, God used Don Piper in amazing ways to minister to others who had suffered horrendous injuries similar to his. Only he could understand their pain and agony, and he was able to be a great comfort and encouragement to many.
In returning to earth and serving as God desired, Don Piper was the spitting image of someone who lived because of faith in God. And he will never really “die,” because someday he truly will return to Heaven to live in opulence and great comfort with others who have passed before him.
I like to think that our loved ones are not “gone” – they are just “relocated.” We will see them again, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, as they did. Meanwhile, we have “living” to do on this earth… faith-filled living in Jesus Christ… serving Him, loving Him, and sharing His gospel with everyone we encounter. When I say I “plan to live forever,” I don’t mean that I will never physically die. But I’m with Martha… I believe that Christ is the one we hoped would come into the world… and I plan to relocate to His heavenly home someday. Will you be joining us?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Martha answered, "I know that he will be raised to life on the last day, when all the dead are raised." Jesus then said, "I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Lord!" she replied. "I believe that you are Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Twelve years ago today, my dad left this earth for heaven. He was only 63. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him… and others dear to me who have died and gone to Heaven. But when I think of how sick he was… how miserable his last months on earth were, and how he longed for Heaven and the presence of God, my brother and other loved ones… I wouldn’t wish him back for anything.
I hear people say, “I would give anything for one more day with my loved one.” And I understand this. But I also understand that they probably would not care to have another day with us, because Heaven is so glorious! In his book, 90 Minutes in Heaven, pastor Don Piper tells of asking God over and again, “Why did you send me back?” He “died” in a horrible car wreck and experienced the glory of Heaven… and he badly wanted to stay there. Of course, God used Don Piper in amazing ways to minister to others who had suffered horrendous injuries similar to his. Only he could understand their pain and agony, and he was able to be a great comfort and encouragement to many.
In returning to earth and serving as God desired, Don Piper was the spitting image of someone who lived because of faith in God. And he will never really “die,” because someday he truly will return to Heaven to live in opulence and great comfort with others who have passed before him.
I like to think that our loved ones are not “gone” – they are just “relocated.” We will see them again, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, as they did. Meanwhile, we have “living” to do on this earth… faith-filled living in Jesus Christ… serving Him, loving Him, and sharing His gospel with everyone we encounter. When I say I “plan to live forever,” I don’t mean that I will never physically die. But I’m with Martha… I believe that Christ is the one we hoped would come into the world… and I plan to relocate to His heavenly home someday. Will you be joining us?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 15, 2011
Psalm 106:1-5
We will celebrate and praise you, LORD! You are good to us, and your love never fails. No one can praise you enough for all of the mighty things you have done. You bless those people who are honest and fair in everything they do.
Remember me, LORD, when you show kindness by saving your people. Let me prosper with the rest of your chosen ones, as they celebrate with pride because they belong to you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Unless you have been under a rock for the last few weeks, you know that we are in full “back-to-school” mode. Everywhere you turn, there are new beginnings… first days at kindergarten, middle school, junior high, high school – and college. Some are starting new teaching careers… some are spending their first “first day” of school in decades as a newly retired teacher. There is a lot to celebrate… a whole lot of history in the making… and many things for which to thank God.
At the same time, school is not anywhere near the radar of some who are facing their own “firsts”. Some are starting their life without a loved one who has begun a “new life” in Heaven. A friend of mine just kissed her mom “Goodbye” for the last time, while another is lovingly waiting with her dad as he enters his last days on this earth. A former member of our community died in a motorcycle accident… and other friends and relatives lie in hospital beds across the country, struggling to get well again and experience a “first day” of good health.
Yet in all of these things, we give thanks and celebrate. We celebrate because those who are beginning new school years have so much ahead of them. Those who are dying or have just passed into Glory belong to God and have received the ultimate blessing… a place in His physical presence. Those who are sick are under God’s care… covered by the prayers of countless faithful believers who have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father and believe He will do mighty things.
What I want you to take away from this scripture today is this… even in our darkest hours, we can celebrate God. He is with us for our greatest joys and our deepest sorrows. We can choose to walk with Him… or we can choose to go through life alone. I guarantee you, the “highs” won’t be as high, and the “lows” will be almost unbearable unless you make a place for God in your life.
I don’t know what you are experiencing today – where you are on the spectrum of “highs” and “lows” – but I do know that God is ready and able to do mighty things… to bless you in ways you cannot even begin to imagine! And that is worth celebrating. Have you asked God to walk with you today – and always? Have you given Him praise for His never-ending care? How will you celebrate God today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
We will celebrate and praise you, LORD! You are good to us, and your love never fails. No one can praise you enough for all of the mighty things you have done. You bless those people who are honest and fair in everything they do.
Remember me, LORD, when you show kindness by saving your people. Let me prosper with the rest of your chosen ones, as they celebrate with pride because they belong to you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Unless you have been under a rock for the last few weeks, you know that we are in full “back-to-school” mode. Everywhere you turn, there are new beginnings… first days at kindergarten, middle school, junior high, high school – and college. Some are starting new teaching careers… some are spending their first “first day” of school in decades as a newly retired teacher. There is a lot to celebrate… a whole lot of history in the making… and many things for which to thank God.
At the same time, school is not anywhere near the radar of some who are facing their own “firsts”. Some are starting their life without a loved one who has begun a “new life” in Heaven. A friend of mine just kissed her mom “Goodbye” for the last time, while another is lovingly waiting with her dad as he enters his last days on this earth. A former member of our community died in a motorcycle accident… and other friends and relatives lie in hospital beds across the country, struggling to get well again and experience a “first day” of good health.
Yet in all of these things, we give thanks and celebrate. We celebrate because those who are beginning new school years have so much ahead of them. Those who are dying or have just passed into Glory belong to God and have received the ultimate blessing… a place in His physical presence. Those who are sick are under God’s care… covered by the prayers of countless faithful believers who have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father and believe He will do mighty things.
What I want you to take away from this scripture today is this… even in our darkest hours, we can celebrate God. He is with us for our greatest joys and our deepest sorrows. We can choose to walk with Him… or we can choose to go through life alone. I guarantee you, the “highs” won’t be as high, and the “lows” will be almost unbearable unless you make a place for God in your life.
I don’t know what you are experiencing today – where you are on the spectrum of “highs” and “lows” – but I do know that God is ready and able to do mighty things… to bless you in ways you cannot even begin to imagine! And that is worth celebrating. Have you asked God to walk with you today – and always? Have you given Him praise for His never-ending care? How will you celebrate God today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 4, 2011
Proverbs 16:20
It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God.
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 are fast approaching Graduation Day for a lot of people… and the pervading question seems to be, “What are you going to do after graduation?” Sadly, the response from several is, “I don’t know.” For some, this simply means… “I have several colleges who want me,” or “I have a few job offers and haven’t decided which one to accept.” But for others, it truly means, “I have no plan.”
Let’s get real… everybody needs a plan. It may be somewhat vague… or as in the case of retirees like me, the plan may be to “piddle” the day away… but we all need some semblance of a plan. Flying by the seat of your pants just will not cut it!
“But wait!” you may say… “Doesn’t this passage say that things work out when you trust in God?” Absolutely – and yes, they do! But let’s look at this verse in another translation… the King James Version says, “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.” In other words, you can trust God to work out things in your life… if and when you handle them wisely… and that means you have to have a plan!
Now, God may help you with this plan… and He certainly should be consulted. But if you find yourself saying, “I don’t have a clue where I am headed or what I want to do with the rest of my life”… especially if you are under the age of 40… you need to get busy asking God to help you figure out a plan! If you want to experience the blessings and continual presence of God in your life, you need to ask for His guidance, and then follow His lead.
I know that plans can be confusing… and yes… plans can be changed! I planned to teach school for my entire career… but God had other ideas. Someone stopped me just last week and said, “Thank you for being obedient. Thank you for listening when God moved you out of one career and into another. Because you listened, He used you to bless thousands of people.” And on days when I now think that maybe I should spend the time and energy it takes to write devos on something else, God sends me words of encouragement from those who read them… and assurances that I am right where He wants me to be!
What do you plan to do with the next week of your life… the next year? You don’t have to know the details of every minute of the day… but God will give you a rough idea. And as long as you are paying attention and following His lead, you will always be in perfect harmony with His plans for your life… and adaptable as He moves you from one place to another. You can trust God to work out the intricate details… the “hows and whys” – if you are taking things seriously along the way and doing your part.
So I have to ask… what are your plans? Who is guiding your steps and working things out for you these days? Are you taking things seriously? Shouldn’t you?
©2011 Debbie Robus
(Scripture taken from the King James Version, 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States. To read this passage from The Message, go to www.biblegateway.com and do a passage lookup.)
It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God.
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 are fast approaching Graduation Day for a lot of people… and the pervading question seems to be, “What are you going to do after graduation?” Sadly, the response from several is, “I don’t know.” For some, this simply means… “I have several colleges who want me,” or “I have a few job offers and haven’t decided which one to accept.” But for others, it truly means, “I have no plan.”
Let’s get real… everybody needs a plan. It may be somewhat vague… or as in the case of retirees like me, the plan may be to “piddle” the day away… but we all need some semblance of a plan. Flying by the seat of your pants just will not cut it!
“But wait!” you may say… “Doesn’t this passage say that things work out when you trust in God?” Absolutely – and yes, they do! But let’s look at this verse in another translation… the King James Version says, “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.” In other words, you can trust God to work out things in your life… if and when you handle them wisely… and that means you have to have a plan!
Now, God may help you with this plan… and He certainly should be consulted. But if you find yourself saying, “I don’t have a clue where I am headed or what I want to do with the rest of my life”… especially if you are under the age of 40… you need to get busy asking God to help you figure out a plan! If you want to experience the blessings and continual presence of God in your life, you need to ask for His guidance, and then follow His lead.
I know that plans can be confusing… and yes… plans can be changed! I planned to teach school for my entire career… but God had other ideas. Someone stopped me just last week and said, “Thank you for being obedient. Thank you for listening when God moved you out of one career and into another. Because you listened, He used you to bless thousands of people.” And on days when I now think that maybe I should spend the time and energy it takes to write devos on something else, God sends me words of encouragement from those who read them… and assurances that I am right where He wants me to be!
What do you plan to do with the next week of your life… the next year? You don’t have to know the details of every minute of the day… but God will give you a rough idea. And as long as you are paying attention and following His lead, you will always be in perfect harmony with His plans for your life… and adaptable as He moves you from one place to another. You can trust God to work out the intricate details… the “hows and whys” – if you are taking things seriously along the way and doing your part.
So I have to ask… what are your plans? Who is guiding your steps and working things out for you these days? Are you taking things seriously? Shouldn’t you?
©2011 Debbie Robus
(Scripture taken from the King James Version, 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States. To read this passage from The Message, go to www.biblegateway.com and do a passage lookup.)
Daily Devotional for April 23, 2011
Luke 11:9
So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Timothy was staying with us recently, and my mother came over to visit. She brought a blue plastic Easter basket, filled with:
• blue Easter grass
• two different packages/flavors of “Peeps”
• a chocolate bunny
• a Curious George DVD
• a bottle of all-in-one shampoo
• a bunny car filled with Easter candy
• a wand of bubbles, and
• a baby doll that laughs when you squeeze it.
I groaned when I saw all the sticky candy, and she laughed and said, “It’s okay… I’m the great-grandmother!” This is one great-grandmother who knows how to give “good gifts!” And of course, three Peeps later, Timmy was a happy, sticky mess out on our driveway blowing bubbles! He’s not old enough to actually ask for gifts yet, but when he is, I’m sure we will gladly - and readily – oblige… and our door is always open to any and all of our nieces and nephews and young friends.
Truly the basket of goodies was filled with things that, while not necessarily healthy for Timothy, were just what a kid needs on Easter week. Many needs this kid didn’t even know he had were met… and then some!
The GOOD NEWS for each of us this Easter weekend – and always – is that God’s door is always open. He may not give us Peeps and chocolate bunnies, but whatever we ask Him will be given to us, according to His will – and with our best interest at the forefront. So if you ask God for a new Mustang, and you really need transportation to get back and forth to school or work, He may give you a used Ford Focus! If you ask God to help you put food on the table, He may see that you have just enough to eat each day rather than showering you with a pantry filled with groceries. But the point is, God will answer… He will meet your needs. His door is always open!
Because of the blood of Jesus… because of the incredible sacrifice of a totally innocent man Who was willing to take our sins and die for them, we can freely ask for anything. Because this man was Jesus Christ in human form, who could not be contained in an earthly grave, the door to our Father’s house is always open. Because of the incredible love of our LORD and Savior, the Holy Spirit is available to each of us…ready to fill our hearts and be our constant companion!
This is the “Good Gift” of Easter. This is the Good Gift we can enjoy all year long… every year… again and again! Ask God for anything, and trust Him to know just how to answer… and to give you “good and perfect gifts” upon request.
©2011 Debbie Robus
So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Timothy was staying with us recently, and my mother came over to visit. She brought a blue plastic Easter basket, filled with:
• blue Easter grass
• two different packages/flavors of “Peeps”
• a chocolate bunny
• a Curious George DVD
• a bottle of all-in-one shampoo
• a bunny car filled with Easter candy
• a wand of bubbles, and
• a baby doll that laughs when you squeeze it.
I groaned when I saw all the sticky candy, and she laughed and said, “It’s okay… I’m the great-grandmother!” This is one great-grandmother who knows how to give “good gifts!” And of course, three Peeps later, Timmy was a happy, sticky mess out on our driveway blowing bubbles! He’s not old enough to actually ask for gifts yet, but when he is, I’m sure we will gladly - and readily – oblige… and our door is always open to any and all of our nieces and nephews and young friends.
Truly the basket of goodies was filled with things that, while not necessarily healthy for Timothy, were just what a kid needs on Easter week. Many needs this kid didn’t even know he had were met… and then some!
The GOOD NEWS for each of us this Easter weekend – and always – is that God’s door is always open. He may not give us Peeps and chocolate bunnies, but whatever we ask Him will be given to us, according to His will – and with our best interest at the forefront. So if you ask God for a new Mustang, and you really need transportation to get back and forth to school or work, He may give you a used Ford Focus! If you ask God to help you put food on the table, He may see that you have just enough to eat each day rather than showering you with a pantry filled with groceries. But the point is, God will answer… He will meet your needs. His door is always open!
Because of the blood of Jesus… because of the incredible sacrifice of a totally innocent man Who was willing to take our sins and die for them, we can freely ask for anything. Because this man was Jesus Christ in human form, who could not be contained in an earthly grave, the door to our Father’s house is always open. Because of the incredible love of our LORD and Savior, the Holy Spirit is available to each of us…ready to fill our hearts and be our constant companion!
This is the “Good Gift” of Easter. This is the Good Gift we can enjoy all year long… every year… again and again! Ask God for anything, and trust Him to know just how to answer… and to give you “good and perfect gifts” upon request.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 16, 2010
Isaiah 38:16-19
Your words and your deeds bring life to everyone, including me. Please make me healthy and strong again. It was for my own good that I had such hard times. But your love protected me from doom in the deep pit, and you turned your eyes none of those in the deep pit can hope for you to show them how faithful you are. Only the living can thank you, as I am doing today. Each generation tells the next about your faithfulness...
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I started following the story of Job McCully from Bigelow, Arkansas, (his name is pronounced “JOBE” – like the man whose story is recorded in the Bible) in 2006. Job was diagnosed with leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant in 2002, at the age of four. He went into remission until the following year, but then he developed RSV pneumonia and other lung issues, and subsequently, his lungs deteriorated to the point that the only hope was a lung transplant. In 2006, Job was treated in children’s hospitals from Little Rock to Houston to St. Louis, logging more than 365 consecutive days in the hospital.
More than once during this time, doctors told Job’s parents, “He won’t make it. Sign papers to remove life support if needed. This is it.” Every time, Job’s parents walked away. Job’s mother would politely say something to the effect of, “When God tells me to sign, I will… but He has not told me to do so.” Job suffered so much and was so weary and weak… his little body was poked and prodded, and I have to tell you, I began to wonder if it wouldn’t be better to let him go to heaven and be with Jesus. The faith of this child never wavered, unlike mine.
On December 11, 2007, Job received new lungs. Truly, the “eleventh hour” had come, and this was his only hope of survival. Job’s mother Tina kept a journal throughout his ordeal on a website called CaringBridge, and she often wrote such notes as this: Dear Lord, please have mercy and compassion on Job and heal his little body. Restore him to perfect health. In Jesus’ name I ask. AMEN. I have to believe that every person who read Tina’s posts – and those of Job’s grandmother (who was enduring her own battle with breast cancer) – were lifted and given renewed hope and faith in God’s promises. And I know that I was humbled by their steadfast belief that God would heal this little boy.
Since the transplant, Job has survived Histoplasmosis (a lung disease the doctors didn’t know was in his transplanted organs), CMV, Adenovirus… and now he is diabetic. He is taking treatments for bone density… his bones are so weak that a knee gave out as he walked down the hall at school, and his foot broke in three places. The ABC Extreme Home Makeover team built Job’s family a new, safe, mold-free house in 2008.
Job is twelve now and in the seventh grade. His family is recovering from their ordeal, and they continue to be a source of inspiration to others as they share their story – and their faith. I am moved to tears as I read the journal entries and remember all that this family has endured… and how their faith remained steadfast. If you want to read this remarkable story for yourself, go to www.caringbridge.org/ar/job. And the next time you decide that your problems are too big, think of Job. Remember that the God who delivered this precious boy… gave him new lungs and new hopes and dreams… the God who pulled him from the pit of death and despair… can deliver you, too. Nothing is too big for God. Until He says it’s finished, there’s always hope and a fight worth continuing.
Think of Job this December… thank God for using a now-12-year-old boy to show us how to escape the deep pits of our lives…and for continuing to use him as he lives out his faithfulness and shares the message of hope in Jesus for generations to come.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Your words and your deeds bring life to everyone, including me. Please make me healthy and strong again. It was for my own good that I had such hard times. But your love protected me from doom in the deep pit, and you turned your eyes none of those in the deep pit can hope for you to show them how faithful you are. Only the living can thank you, as I am doing today. Each generation tells the next about your faithfulness...
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I started following the story of Job McCully from Bigelow, Arkansas, (his name is pronounced “JOBE” – like the man whose story is recorded in the Bible) in 2006. Job was diagnosed with leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant in 2002, at the age of four. He went into remission until the following year, but then he developed RSV pneumonia and other lung issues, and subsequently, his lungs deteriorated to the point that the only hope was a lung transplant. In 2006, Job was treated in children’s hospitals from Little Rock to Houston to St. Louis, logging more than 365 consecutive days in the hospital.
More than once during this time, doctors told Job’s parents, “He won’t make it. Sign papers to remove life support if needed. This is it.” Every time, Job’s parents walked away. Job’s mother would politely say something to the effect of, “When God tells me to sign, I will… but He has not told me to do so.” Job suffered so much and was so weary and weak… his little body was poked and prodded, and I have to tell you, I began to wonder if it wouldn’t be better to let him go to heaven and be with Jesus. The faith of this child never wavered, unlike mine.
On December 11, 2007, Job received new lungs. Truly, the “eleventh hour” had come, and this was his only hope of survival. Job’s mother Tina kept a journal throughout his ordeal on a website called CaringBridge, and she often wrote such notes as this: Dear Lord, please have mercy and compassion on Job and heal his little body. Restore him to perfect health. In Jesus’ name I ask. AMEN. I have to believe that every person who read Tina’s posts – and those of Job’s grandmother (who was enduring her own battle with breast cancer) – were lifted and given renewed hope and faith in God’s promises. And I know that I was humbled by their steadfast belief that God would heal this little boy.
Since the transplant, Job has survived Histoplasmosis (a lung disease the doctors didn’t know was in his transplanted organs), CMV, Adenovirus… and now he is diabetic. He is taking treatments for bone density… his bones are so weak that a knee gave out as he walked down the hall at school, and his foot broke in three places. The ABC Extreme Home Makeover team built Job’s family a new, safe, mold-free house in 2008.
Job is twelve now and in the seventh grade. His family is recovering from their ordeal, and they continue to be a source of inspiration to others as they share their story – and their faith. I am moved to tears as I read the journal entries and remember all that this family has endured… and how their faith remained steadfast. If you want to read this remarkable story for yourself, go to www.caringbridge.org/ar/job. And the next time you decide that your problems are too big, think of Job. Remember that the God who delivered this precious boy… gave him new lungs and new hopes and dreams… the God who pulled him from the pit of death and despair… can deliver you, too. Nothing is too big for God. Until He says it’s finished, there’s always hope and a fight worth continuing.
Think of Job this December… thank God for using a now-12-year-old boy to show us how to escape the deep pits of our lives…and for continuing to use him as he lives out his faithfulness and shares the message of hope in Jesus for generations to come.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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