Proverbs 15:18
Losing your temper causes a lot of trouble, but staying calm settles arguments.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I
don’t know how she did it. I don’t know how Diamond Reynolds was able
to remain calm and do a Facebook live stream of the aftermath from the
shooting of her boyfriend, Philando Castille, who sat beside her in the
front seat of her car in a Minneapolist/St. Paul suburb. Reynolds’
four-year-old daughter was in the back seat. And as the police officer
shouted at this child’s mother to keep her hands visible, she politely
said, “I will, sir. No worries. I will.”
I don’t know how
Reynolds kept her composure as she cried out to God and asked that her
boyfriend not die. I have to believe that every fiber of her being
wanted to scream and rail in agony at what was unfolding. And while I
do not mean to pass judgment on either party in this horrific incident…I
do believe that this woman’s calm demeanor prevented further escalation
– and maybe more injuries or casualties.
While I hope and pray
that we are never on either side of a confrontation where one person is
pointing a gun at another, there is a lesson here for all of us. Because
you see, every single day, in many ways, we “point the gun” at someone
and begin to scream our harsh words and loud protests. Every day,
someone rails against another person with vile language and loud
rants…and that person has a choice about how to react. He/she can join
in and allow the yelling and screaming to escalate into a free-for-all
and potential disaster. Or the conscious choice can be made to remain
calm and proceed with caution and measured reason.
You and I
make choices every day about how we will react to others. And often,
those choices involve whether to “yell and scream” – or to ask God to
fill us with calm, kindness and a rational demeanor in our responses.
The outcome may not be literally a matter of life and death…but it has
spiritual – and possibly eternal – consequences. We simply cannot
afford to risk such dire results…this is not God’s desire for us.
I
have to believe that God surrounded Diamond Reynolds with a spirit of
calm and resolve as chaos ensued all around her. Today, ask God to give
you this same spirit of calm – and a heart filled with kindness, mercy
and compassion, even when others are “yelling and screaming” all around
you. Ask God to equip you with the wisdom and gentleness of spirit to
moderate situations in which tempers could flare and chaos could erupt.
And ask Him to make you an instrument of peace for others. God wants
us to get this right. Will this be the day that we begin?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label operating in calm and peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label operating in calm and peace. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 4, 2014
Isaiah 14:3-4
In that wonderful day when the Lord gives his people rest from sorrow and fear, from slavery and chains, you will jeer at the king of Babylon and say, “You bully, you! At last you have what was coming to you.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Greg and I started watching the new “24” series on DVR last night. We watched every season of the original series, so we thought we would give these episodes a try. If you are not familiar with the “24” series, each episode represents one hour in a 24-hour day. A digital “clock” counts down the time in a particular hour, so that if a commercial break is 3 minutes and 30 seconds, that amount of time is removed from the hour when the actual show resumes. Over the course of 24 episodes, we will follow a story that supposedly took place in one full day/night.
It’s been three or four years since the original “24” series ended, so I had to sort of regroup and remind myself of how this all goes. At one point, I said to Greg, “By the end of this show, Jack Bauer (the lead character, played by Kiefer Sutherland) will fix everything.” He replied, “I don’t think so…it’s just the first hour of the 24!” Oh, yeah! That’s right! We will have twists and turns for another 23 episodes before this is all resolved! I think we pretty much know how this will ultimately finish. There will be surprises along the way and the finale may not be exactly as we pictured…but I’m pretty sure the “bad guy” will get his/her just desserts.
This series has tension and drama and often leaves us on the edge of our seats. But all we have to do is remind ourselves that it’s just a TV show…that we can rest and relax. The shoot-‘em-up scenes are not real…the torturous interrogations didn’t really happen…and there isn’t really a bad guy lurking behind every door! I’m sure in the end, we will root for the “good guys” and cheer that the “bullies” got what they deserved.
We have to laugh sometimes, because in the course of “24 hours”, Jack Bauer can survive attacks, falls from multi-storied buildings, car crashes, beatings, wounds and injuries that would be the end of most mere mortals in the first 10 minutes! As Greg reminded me sarcastically…”It’s only a flesh wound!”…and our hero is soon on his feet and headed back for more! He seems to have a supernatural strength and stamina!
We “regular Joes” are faced with countless challenges throughout our lifetime. Our daily activities may not be as exciting – or as harrowing – as Jack Bauer’s. But there will be times when we come up against obstacles that are daunting, to say the least…and sometimes downright terrifying and exhausting. We will wonder how we can make it through an entire day…and who truly will “win” at the end of it!
Thankfully, as Christians, we are undergirded, quite literally, by Supernatural strength and power. We are able to stare down the “enemy” with the more-than-able protection of our Hero and real-life Savior, Jesus Christ. We really do know how the story ends…and Who wins! So as we go through each day and handle tasks and trials both great and small, we can do so without sorrow and fear. We can rest in the protective shelter of God Almighty…and we can anticipate the “ultimate rest” in His presence when our life’s journey ends.
Ours is not some made-for-TV fantasy thriller…this is real life, baby! With Christ in the leading role, we’ve truly got this! Are you with me?
©2014 Debbie Robus
In that wonderful day when the Lord gives his people rest from sorrow and fear, from slavery and chains, you will jeer at the king of Babylon and say, “You bully, you! At last you have what was coming to you.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Greg and I started watching the new “24” series on DVR last night. We watched every season of the original series, so we thought we would give these episodes a try. If you are not familiar with the “24” series, each episode represents one hour in a 24-hour day. A digital “clock” counts down the time in a particular hour, so that if a commercial break is 3 minutes and 30 seconds, that amount of time is removed from the hour when the actual show resumes. Over the course of 24 episodes, we will follow a story that supposedly took place in one full day/night.
It’s been three or four years since the original “24” series ended, so I had to sort of regroup and remind myself of how this all goes. At one point, I said to Greg, “By the end of this show, Jack Bauer (the lead character, played by Kiefer Sutherland) will fix everything.” He replied, “I don’t think so…it’s just the first hour of the 24!” Oh, yeah! That’s right! We will have twists and turns for another 23 episodes before this is all resolved! I think we pretty much know how this will ultimately finish. There will be surprises along the way and the finale may not be exactly as we pictured…but I’m pretty sure the “bad guy” will get his/her just desserts.
This series has tension and drama and often leaves us on the edge of our seats. But all we have to do is remind ourselves that it’s just a TV show…that we can rest and relax. The shoot-‘em-up scenes are not real…the torturous interrogations didn’t really happen…and there isn’t really a bad guy lurking behind every door! I’m sure in the end, we will root for the “good guys” and cheer that the “bullies” got what they deserved.
We have to laugh sometimes, because in the course of “24 hours”, Jack Bauer can survive attacks, falls from multi-storied buildings, car crashes, beatings, wounds and injuries that would be the end of most mere mortals in the first 10 minutes! As Greg reminded me sarcastically…”It’s only a flesh wound!”…and our hero is soon on his feet and headed back for more! He seems to have a supernatural strength and stamina!
We “regular Joes” are faced with countless challenges throughout our lifetime. Our daily activities may not be as exciting – or as harrowing – as Jack Bauer’s. But there will be times when we come up against obstacles that are daunting, to say the least…and sometimes downright terrifying and exhausting. We will wonder how we can make it through an entire day…and who truly will “win” at the end of it!
Thankfully, as Christians, we are undergirded, quite literally, by Supernatural strength and power. We are able to stare down the “enemy” with the more-than-able protection of our Hero and real-life Savior, Jesus Christ. We really do know how the story ends…and Who wins! So as we go through each day and handle tasks and trials both great and small, we can do so without sorrow and fear. We can rest in the protective shelter of God Almighty…and we can anticipate the “ultimate rest” in His presence when our life’s journey ends.
Ours is not some made-for-TV fantasy thriller…this is real life, baby! With Christ in the leading role, we’ve truly got this! Are you with me?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 1, 2014
Matthew 5:9
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”
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.
Go to any organized sporting event, and you will see coaches, players and fans who conduct themselves with poise…who never seem to get frustrated or lose their temper...who enjoy the game and their “role” in it with dignity and decorum. They don’t overreact to “bad” calls or poor plays. They let the event unfold and revel in their participation…whatever it may be. Still others rant and rave and “show out” – and sometimes cause a scene. Honestly, there have been nights lately when I told Greg that the opposing high school basketball teams’ coaches were more entertaining than the game itself! You have to wonder who these people really are off the court. What sort of student/teacher/parent are they? How do they treat others when no winning score or title is on the line?
You are probably familiar with this scripture passage as part of a group of verses from Matthew known as “The Beatitudes”. In many familiar translations of the Bible, Matthew 5:9 begins… “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” In his book The Sermon on the Mount*, author Emmet Fox suggests that the “peacemakers” Jesus refers to in this scripture are actually “those who make or bring about this true peace, or serenity, in their own souls, for it is they who surmount limitation and become actually, and not merely potentially, the children of God.”
Fox maintains that each time we offer a prayer, we return to our true communion with God. As we pray, our character is changed, and we begin to get a more real awareness of the presence of God. He further suggests that it is hard to be a “peacemaker” in the usual sense of the word, because we often interject our own opinions and/or make things worse. Frequently, what we create is more a “compromise” than true peace and resolution. But…Fox contends that once we discover the true power of prayer, we can really heal quarrels and make a difference…often without saying a word! How is this possible? Fox says it is because we allow the power of God to penetrate hearts, change minds, invoke wisdom and love, and create true forgiveness and understanding.
Think about it. Consider those you know who seem to have a calming, loving presence. Think of the coaches, players, and fans who seem to be on an even keel pretty much all of the time…win or lose. Contrast them with those who are “high-strung” and always up for a fight or a conflict of some sort…the coaches and parents who burst from their seat and yell at the referees or players…and the players who seem ready to challenge every call or pick a fight with their opponent. Which ones strike you as having more peace and serenity in their heart?
This is not a judgment. I am not suggesting that an excitable, unruly coach, parent, fan or player does not have true communion with God. But it would seem logical that the two cannot fully co-exist. When our head and heart are full of conflict and confrontation…or we are “carrying a chip on our shoulder” about something… it seems like there would be very little room left for the serenity of God.
So what can we do? How can we become more “peaceful”? I think Fox has given us the perfect starting point - prayer. He admits that we will not achieve complete serenity overnight…or even with our first conversations with God. Ours is a relationship that must be cultivated over several dialog exchanges. The more we pray, the more the presence of God will permeate our heart and soul…and the more peaceful and serene we will become. Those who achieve this level of contentment and confidence in the power of God Almighty are the ones who can best offer His compassion, understanding, and peace of mind to others.
Don’t you want to be one of the “peacemakers”? Don’t you want to have that level of peace in your own heart and mind… and be able to convey this serenity to others – sometimes by your mere presence? Are you ready to reach the point where God’s power flowing in and through you is so commanding that you can bring about peaceful resolutions simply by your prayers and calming influence? Are you ready to fully operate as a child of God? Will this be the day you open the dialog and get started?
©2014 Debbie Robus
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”
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.
Go to any organized sporting event, and you will see coaches, players and fans who conduct themselves with poise…who never seem to get frustrated or lose their temper...who enjoy the game and their “role” in it with dignity and decorum. They don’t overreact to “bad” calls or poor plays. They let the event unfold and revel in their participation…whatever it may be. Still others rant and rave and “show out” – and sometimes cause a scene. Honestly, there have been nights lately when I told Greg that the opposing high school basketball teams’ coaches were more entertaining than the game itself! You have to wonder who these people really are off the court. What sort of student/teacher/parent are they? How do they treat others when no winning score or title is on the line?
You are probably familiar with this scripture passage as part of a group of verses from Matthew known as “The Beatitudes”. In many familiar translations of the Bible, Matthew 5:9 begins… “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” In his book The Sermon on the Mount*, author Emmet Fox suggests that the “peacemakers” Jesus refers to in this scripture are actually “those who make or bring about this true peace, or serenity, in their own souls, for it is they who surmount limitation and become actually, and not merely potentially, the children of God.”
Fox maintains that each time we offer a prayer, we return to our true communion with God. As we pray, our character is changed, and we begin to get a more real awareness of the presence of God. He further suggests that it is hard to be a “peacemaker” in the usual sense of the word, because we often interject our own opinions and/or make things worse. Frequently, what we create is more a “compromise” than true peace and resolution. But…Fox contends that once we discover the true power of prayer, we can really heal quarrels and make a difference…often without saying a word! How is this possible? Fox says it is because we allow the power of God to penetrate hearts, change minds, invoke wisdom and love, and create true forgiveness and understanding.
Think about it. Consider those you know who seem to have a calming, loving presence. Think of the coaches, players, and fans who seem to be on an even keel pretty much all of the time…win or lose. Contrast them with those who are “high-strung” and always up for a fight or a conflict of some sort…the coaches and parents who burst from their seat and yell at the referees or players…and the players who seem ready to challenge every call or pick a fight with their opponent. Which ones strike you as having more peace and serenity in their heart?
This is not a judgment. I am not suggesting that an excitable, unruly coach, parent, fan or player does not have true communion with God. But it would seem logical that the two cannot fully co-exist. When our head and heart are full of conflict and confrontation…or we are “carrying a chip on our shoulder” about something… it seems like there would be very little room left for the serenity of God.
So what can we do? How can we become more “peaceful”? I think Fox has given us the perfect starting point - prayer. He admits that we will not achieve complete serenity overnight…or even with our first conversations with God. Ours is a relationship that must be cultivated over several dialog exchanges. The more we pray, the more the presence of God will permeate our heart and soul…and the more peaceful and serene we will become. Those who achieve this level of contentment and confidence in the power of God Almighty are the ones who can best offer His compassion, understanding, and peace of mind to others.
Don’t you want to be one of the “peacemakers”? Don’t you want to have that level of peace in your own heart and mind… and be able to convey this serenity to others – sometimes by your mere presence? Are you ready to reach the point where God’s power flowing in and through you is so commanding that you can bring about peaceful resolutions simply by your prayers and calming influence? Are you ready to fully operate as a child of God? Will this be the day you open the dialog and get started?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*The Sermon on the Mount: The Key to Success in Life ©1934,1935, 1938 by Emmet Fox ~HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY
Daily Devotional for August 27, 2013
Romans 14:19-21
So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you? I said it before and I’ll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.
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 two best times to keep your mouth shut are when you are swimming and when you are angry.” This quote appeared a few months ago on the Facebook wall of my friend Mich Magness, who was celebrated and buried in Oklahoma today. Mich was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor known as Glioblastoma on June 14th and died August 23rd. He was only 52. I’ve talked about Mich in previous devotionals, so I won’t repeat the story of how we became friends. But I have to mention Mich today, because he truly understood these verses in Romans 14. Mich stood up for what was right… and he spoke out when necessarily. But Mich was very careful not to judge others… or to criticize or speak in a way that would make the other person feel inferior or unimportant. And that’s why so many people loved him so dearly.
Sunday afternoon, Greg, my mother-in-law Elaine, and I went to see the movie, The Butler. We found the film to be extraordinarily good. As my dear friend John Birdsong put it, “I thought it was an amazingly courageous look at an ugly time in America, and even though we have granted racial equality in our country by law, there are many people who never saw what was going on or understood the human toll our racial divide took on real people and real families. I thought the movie told a story that needs to be heard again and again.”
John is one of the most fair, honest men I know. He always presents his thoughts in a careful, gentle manner. Still, he took flak over his movie review… as he has for other comments in the past. In many cases, Facebook commenters lodge their attacks and ugliness at John himself. At times, it’s gotten very personal. This happens all the time… not just on Facebook, but all over the place. Even in church and Sunday school classrooms, people often voice their opinions as if they are straight from the Gospel, giving little consideration to who might take offense. These people are entitled to their views… but one statement spoken unkindly or with judgment can condemn someone else (even inadvertently) and cause him/her to turn away from God – possibly forever! In other words, these people may decide that…”If this is how those who serve God feel… and perhaps even how GOD feels… then I don’t want any part of Him!” And in essence, the “meal around Jesus’ table” is ruined.
Again, I am not asking you to compromise your values… or even to sugarcoat the hard teachings of the Bible. But I am suggesting that you think carefully about what you say and how you act… that you temper your opinions with a hefty dose of grace and mercy – and the love of Christ. Be gentle. Make sure that you are acting and speaking in a way that represents Jesus Christ and everything He stands for… compassion, generosity, forgiveness, acceptance, and kindness. Remember our place in the word as Christ’s disciples. We are not the judge and jury… we are His hands and feet – His humble servants. Nurture others and quietly guide them toward a right relationship with Jesus… don’t hit them over the head with a hammer!
For the most part, critical, opinionated Christians are not bad people…they just don’t pause to think about their words and actions and how they might affect others. I’m asking each of us to take a hard look at our lives and see where we have “spoiled the meal” with our behavior. Like the quote from Mich’s wall reminds us…let’s learn to keep our mouths shut more often – and not only when we go swimming!
©2013 Debbie Robus
So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you? I said it before and I’ll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.
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 two best times to keep your mouth shut are when you are swimming and when you are angry.” This quote appeared a few months ago on the Facebook wall of my friend Mich Magness, who was celebrated and buried in Oklahoma today. Mich was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor known as Glioblastoma on June 14th and died August 23rd. He was only 52. I’ve talked about Mich in previous devotionals, so I won’t repeat the story of how we became friends. But I have to mention Mich today, because he truly understood these verses in Romans 14. Mich stood up for what was right… and he spoke out when necessarily. But Mich was very careful not to judge others… or to criticize or speak in a way that would make the other person feel inferior or unimportant. And that’s why so many people loved him so dearly.
Sunday afternoon, Greg, my mother-in-law Elaine, and I went to see the movie, The Butler. We found the film to be extraordinarily good. As my dear friend John Birdsong put it, “I thought it was an amazingly courageous look at an ugly time in America, and even though we have granted racial equality in our country by law, there are many people who never saw what was going on or understood the human toll our racial divide took on real people and real families. I thought the movie told a story that needs to be heard again and again.”
John is one of the most fair, honest men I know. He always presents his thoughts in a careful, gentle manner. Still, he took flak over his movie review… as he has for other comments in the past. In many cases, Facebook commenters lodge their attacks and ugliness at John himself. At times, it’s gotten very personal. This happens all the time… not just on Facebook, but all over the place. Even in church and Sunday school classrooms, people often voice their opinions as if they are straight from the Gospel, giving little consideration to who might take offense. These people are entitled to their views… but one statement spoken unkindly or with judgment can condemn someone else (even inadvertently) and cause him/her to turn away from God – possibly forever! In other words, these people may decide that…”If this is how those who serve God feel… and perhaps even how GOD feels… then I don’t want any part of Him!” And in essence, the “meal around Jesus’ table” is ruined.
Again, I am not asking you to compromise your values… or even to sugarcoat the hard teachings of the Bible. But I am suggesting that you think carefully about what you say and how you act… that you temper your opinions with a hefty dose of grace and mercy – and the love of Christ. Be gentle. Make sure that you are acting and speaking in a way that represents Jesus Christ and everything He stands for… compassion, generosity, forgiveness, acceptance, and kindness. Remember our place in the word as Christ’s disciples. We are not the judge and jury… we are His hands and feet – His humble servants. Nurture others and quietly guide them toward a right relationship with Jesus… don’t hit them over the head with a hammer!
For the most part, critical, opinionated Christians are not bad people…they just don’t pause to think about their words and actions and how they might affect others. I’m asking each of us to take a hard look at our lives and see where we have “spoiled the meal” with our behavior. Like the quote from Mich’s wall reminds us…let’s learn to keep our mouths shut more often – and not only when we go swimming!
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 25, 2013
Psalms 119:165
Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.
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.
Recently, I tried out a couple of new recipes I found on Pinterest. We invited my mother-in-law, Elaine, over for dinner. It’s always dicey to try out new recipes on a dinner guest, but Elaine is a good sport… and the dishes were actually quite tasty – crock pot lasagna and a peanut butter pie. As we finished dessert, Elaine asked, “Did you have a recipe for this pie?” I laughed and said “Oh, yes… no telling how this pie would have turned out if I had made it up in my head!” I know that I would probably not have thought to follow the same steps – and the taste and texture of my “version” would have been markedly different!
There are a few dishes in my repertoire that I have made enough times that I don’t really need to follow a recipe (although I guess technically, I still follow the recipe in my head!). But printed instructions for most entrees and desserts serve as a comfort – and a confidence booster! If I follow the recipe, I have a pretty good idea that I won’t stumble… and that gives me great peace. The same can be said for sewing patterns. When I veer off course and try to create a garment without referring to the pattern and instructions, I have a pretty good shot at making something that is un-wearable… or at the very least doesn’t fit correctly. And when I stray from a recipe, there is a fairly good chance the dish won’t be nearly as tasty.
When it comes to following God’s instructions, there is really no difference. We can try to do things our way…and sometimes skirt by with little repercussion. But more often, we experience an epic fail. We make a huge mess of things…and our life is anything but peaceful and filled with days of “smooth sailing”. And it’s almost always because we didn’t follow “God’s recipe or pattern”.
In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (CEV), we read “Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only true God! So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.” In Matthew and Luke, Jesus instructs us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. This is what I would call a good “pattern” or “recipe”! If we will truly commit to following these guidelines, our lives should be filled with steady steps and great peace. There will surely be “bumps in the road”… but God will be with us to help us regroup and move forward.
Whose “recipe” or “pattern” will you follow? Will you love the instructions God has given us and make them an innate part of your daily living? Are you really willing to risk God’s peace and a relatively bump-free road in life just to have your own way? Are you following your own rules… or God’s? How’s that working for you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.
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.
Recently, I tried out a couple of new recipes I found on Pinterest. We invited my mother-in-law, Elaine, over for dinner. It’s always dicey to try out new recipes on a dinner guest, but Elaine is a good sport… and the dishes were actually quite tasty – crock pot lasagna and a peanut butter pie. As we finished dessert, Elaine asked, “Did you have a recipe for this pie?” I laughed and said “Oh, yes… no telling how this pie would have turned out if I had made it up in my head!” I know that I would probably not have thought to follow the same steps – and the taste and texture of my “version” would have been markedly different!
There are a few dishes in my repertoire that I have made enough times that I don’t really need to follow a recipe (although I guess technically, I still follow the recipe in my head!). But printed instructions for most entrees and desserts serve as a comfort – and a confidence booster! If I follow the recipe, I have a pretty good idea that I won’t stumble… and that gives me great peace. The same can be said for sewing patterns. When I veer off course and try to create a garment without referring to the pattern and instructions, I have a pretty good shot at making something that is un-wearable… or at the very least doesn’t fit correctly. And when I stray from a recipe, there is a fairly good chance the dish won’t be nearly as tasty.
When it comes to following God’s instructions, there is really no difference. We can try to do things our way…and sometimes skirt by with little repercussion. But more often, we experience an epic fail. We make a huge mess of things…and our life is anything but peaceful and filled with days of “smooth sailing”. And it’s almost always because we didn’t follow “God’s recipe or pattern”.
In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (CEV), we read “Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only true God! So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.” In Matthew and Luke, Jesus instructs us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. This is what I would call a good “pattern” or “recipe”! If we will truly commit to following these guidelines, our lives should be filled with steady steps and great peace. There will surely be “bumps in the road”… but God will be with us to help us regroup and move forward.
Whose “recipe” or “pattern” will you follow? Will you love the instructions God has given us and make them an innate part of your daily living? Are you really willing to risk God’s peace and a relatively bump-free road in life just to have your own way? Are you following your own rules… or God’s? How’s that working for you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 24, 2013
Romans 14:13-14
Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I’m convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate 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.
A few weeks before my Mam-ma Polly died, she fell one day and hit her head. The nurse at her facility called me and said, “Do you want me to put her in my car and drive her to the ER?” I told her that I did not want her to do that… Mam-ma was under the care of Hospice, and I had promised her “No more hospitals!” The nurse thought the head wound needed stitches. I asked her to call the Hospice nurses, and I got in my car and drove to the facility to check things out for myself.
If you have never experienced a head wound, they bleed profusely. It looks like every drop of blood in your body is quickly exiting via your head! I kept reminding everyone that when Mam-ma fell one Christmas Eve on our driveway and hit her head, the blood poured from what ended up being a tiny puncture wound. “Let’s get this cleaned up and see what we have,” I suggested.
The Hospice nurse cleaned the wound and we determined it was indeed small. Mam-ma insisted she was fine! She did NOT want to go to the ER for stitches. With virtually everyone except the Hospice nurse looking at me like I had grown horns, I opted to let things be. A loving and very competent aide checked on Mam-ma every thirty minutes through the rest of the night...the next day, she was perfectly fine.
Had I taken Mam-ma to the ER for stitches, we might have sat there waiting for hours… something that was very hard on a woman who was 100+ years of age. The doctor would have poked and prodded and ordered all sorts of unnecessary tests… and then the medical staff would probably have sewn up her wound and sent her home – exhausted - in the wee hours of the morning. As it was, she spent the night in her own bed, woke up feeling fine, and moved forward with her daily routine.
If I had opted to take my grandmother to the ER, I would have made her life more difficult than it already was. Believe me, I did not make any decisions concerning Mam-ma without a LOT of prayer. At the end of the day, Mam-ma made it abundantly clear that she was ready to go to heaven, and she did not want any of us getting in her way! She trusted God to know when and how to call her home…and I did my best to see that her “holy alliance” with Him was not contaminated by human actions. We were both at peace with this agreement.
Hopefully you are not making end-of-life decisions. But I would bet the farm that you are making choices that could go either way in the “holy alliance” battle. Maybe you are speaking out about thoughts and behaviors you view to be sinful… but you are doing so in a manner that makes others look at you and say, “If that’s how Christians behave, I don’t want any part of it!” Perhaps you have been critical or derogatory toward some who disagree with your beliefs, and you have failed to recognize that your own attitudes and behaviors are unkind, unloving… and borderline sinful! Suppose your conduct is less than perfect (HELLOOOO… NOBODY is perfect!)… yet you are quick to tell the other guy why he/she is wrong and “needs Jesus”!
Do you see that you may be “contaminating a holy alliance” with God? Do you see that you very well may be doing more harm than good when it comes to adding to the Kingdom of Heaven? Can you grasp that these are not attitudes and behaviors that foster an environment where God’s peace can flourish – for any of us? Please read this passage… more than once! Examine your heart – and your attitudes and actions – and see where you are trying to decide what is right for others. This is not God’s plan for us… and it does not create an atmosphere of peace and spiritual growth. And that’s really what we’re after… or it should be!
In order to please God and operate in His peace, we often have to move over and get out of His way. Where are you standing today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I’m convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate 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.
A few weeks before my Mam-ma Polly died, she fell one day and hit her head. The nurse at her facility called me and said, “Do you want me to put her in my car and drive her to the ER?” I told her that I did not want her to do that… Mam-ma was under the care of Hospice, and I had promised her “No more hospitals!” The nurse thought the head wound needed stitches. I asked her to call the Hospice nurses, and I got in my car and drove to the facility to check things out for myself.
If you have never experienced a head wound, they bleed profusely. It looks like every drop of blood in your body is quickly exiting via your head! I kept reminding everyone that when Mam-ma fell one Christmas Eve on our driveway and hit her head, the blood poured from what ended up being a tiny puncture wound. “Let’s get this cleaned up and see what we have,” I suggested.
The Hospice nurse cleaned the wound and we determined it was indeed small. Mam-ma insisted she was fine! She did NOT want to go to the ER for stitches. With virtually everyone except the Hospice nurse looking at me like I had grown horns, I opted to let things be. A loving and very competent aide checked on Mam-ma every thirty minutes through the rest of the night...the next day, she was perfectly fine.
Had I taken Mam-ma to the ER for stitches, we might have sat there waiting for hours… something that was very hard on a woman who was 100+ years of age. The doctor would have poked and prodded and ordered all sorts of unnecessary tests… and then the medical staff would probably have sewn up her wound and sent her home – exhausted - in the wee hours of the morning. As it was, she spent the night in her own bed, woke up feeling fine, and moved forward with her daily routine.
If I had opted to take my grandmother to the ER, I would have made her life more difficult than it already was. Believe me, I did not make any decisions concerning Mam-ma without a LOT of prayer. At the end of the day, Mam-ma made it abundantly clear that she was ready to go to heaven, and she did not want any of us getting in her way! She trusted God to know when and how to call her home…and I did my best to see that her “holy alliance” with Him was not contaminated by human actions. We were both at peace with this agreement.
Hopefully you are not making end-of-life decisions. But I would bet the farm that you are making choices that could go either way in the “holy alliance” battle. Maybe you are speaking out about thoughts and behaviors you view to be sinful… but you are doing so in a manner that makes others look at you and say, “If that’s how Christians behave, I don’t want any part of it!” Perhaps you have been critical or derogatory toward some who disagree with your beliefs, and you have failed to recognize that your own attitudes and behaviors are unkind, unloving… and borderline sinful! Suppose your conduct is less than perfect (HELLOOOO… NOBODY is perfect!)… yet you are quick to tell the other guy why he/she is wrong and “needs Jesus”!
Do you see that you may be “contaminating a holy alliance” with God? Do you see that you very well may be doing more harm than good when it comes to adding to the Kingdom of Heaven? Can you grasp that these are not attitudes and behaviors that foster an environment where God’s peace can flourish – for any of us? Please read this passage… more than once! Examine your heart – and your attitudes and actions – and see where you are trying to decide what is right for others. This is not God’s plan for us… and it does not create an atmosphere of peace and spiritual growth. And that’s really what we’re after… or it should be!
In order to please God and operate in His peace, we often have to move over and get out of His way. Where are you standing today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 12, 2013
Proverbs 20:3
It makes you look good when you avoid a fight — only fools love to quarrel.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
It seems that everybody has that one family member who likes to pick on kids. Sometimes it’s an ornery uncle or grandpa… as was my mother’s experience. Her great-grandfather used a cane, and he liked to “hook” little kids with it. He thought it was funny… my mother did not! I had a similar experience that has stuck with me to this day.
When I was about nine, I went home one weekend with a classmate to spend time on her family’s farm. She lived “out in the country”, and we rode the bus to her house. My friend had an older brother and sister. Her brother was probably thirteen or fourteen, and his cousin who was about the same age was visiting the same weekend as I was. The two boys decided it would be fun to tie up my friend and me out in the yard with some baling twine. My friend was laughing and thought it was funny. I didn’t like it one bit.
It might help you to know that I am incredibly claustrophobic… the result of a visit to the hospital when I was two for my stomach to be pumped after I drank rubbing alcohol. The doctors and nurses wrapped me tightly in a bed sheet and pushed a tube down my nose to pump out any residual liquid. To this day, I am not a fan of tight clothing, tight places… or even the thought of things that bind. So being tied up and unable to get free was torture for me.
To add insult to injury, these boys produced a pocketknife and threatened us. They were having such a good time with their taunting… they thought they were so clever. But my friend did not find this quite as funny, and she gave them “what-for” and began to scream for her mother. We were quickly released… no worse for the wear. But to this day, I cannot shake the feeling of fear that I had whenever I think of that incident… and it colored my opinion of those two boys forever. I don’t remember ever going home with that friend again… over time, we grew apart and developed different circles of acquaintances.
In some way or another, a lot of us are like these teenage boys or the ornery grandpa. We mean well enough… we are just teasing and/or having a little fun…but we are anything but funny! Here’s a news flash… little kids don’t like to be picked on by adults! They don’t like it when you poke at them or give them “wet willies”. They don’t like to be badgered or taunted… and honestly, their moms don’t like it either! They have to “mop up” and deal with ornery kids afterward… or smooth hurt feelings. And adults feel much the same way about being antagonized.
My friend’s brother and cousin were not bad people… and you probably aren’t either. You just are not thinking about your words and actions. You may not even realize that you are opening the door for a quarrel or some sort of “unrest”. You certainly may not understand that your behavior could have long-term ramifications… cause lifelong hard feelings or uneasiness – or even ruin a friendship or other relationship.
This is a call for all of us to think before we speak and act. If you have a strong urge to retaliate for something another has said or done… this might be just the sign that you need to respond in exactly the opposite manner. If you are unsure what to do, take a breath and step back… ask God to guide your words and your actions… and tread lightly! I guess there are actually a few people who enjoy a good quarrel… but I’m not one of them. When you consider the potential consequences, I can’t imagine that it’s really worth the risk… and I’m not sure that God would be very pleased, either.
So focus on creating peace… for yourself and for others. Choose a path that avoids confrontation whenever possible, and do all you can to avoid a quarrel. And for goodness sake… figure out another way to relate to people besides picking on them! Everyone involved will be better for it.
©2013 Debbie Robus
It makes you look good when you avoid a fight — only fools love to quarrel.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
It seems that everybody has that one family member who likes to pick on kids. Sometimes it’s an ornery uncle or grandpa… as was my mother’s experience. Her great-grandfather used a cane, and he liked to “hook” little kids with it. He thought it was funny… my mother did not! I had a similar experience that has stuck with me to this day.
When I was about nine, I went home one weekend with a classmate to spend time on her family’s farm. She lived “out in the country”, and we rode the bus to her house. My friend had an older brother and sister. Her brother was probably thirteen or fourteen, and his cousin who was about the same age was visiting the same weekend as I was. The two boys decided it would be fun to tie up my friend and me out in the yard with some baling twine. My friend was laughing and thought it was funny. I didn’t like it one bit.
It might help you to know that I am incredibly claustrophobic… the result of a visit to the hospital when I was two for my stomach to be pumped after I drank rubbing alcohol. The doctors and nurses wrapped me tightly in a bed sheet and pushed a tube down my nose to pump out any residual liquid. To this day, I am not a fan of tight clothing, tight places… or even the thought of things that bind. So being tied up and unable to get free was torture for me.
To add insult to injury, these boys produced a pocketknife and threatened us. They were having such a good time with their taunting… they thought they were so clever. But my friend did not find this quite as funny, and she gave them “what-for” and began to scream for her mother. We were quickly released… no worse for the wear. But to this day, I cannot shake the feeling of fear that I had whenever I think of that incident… and it colored my opinion of those two boys forever. I don’t remember ever going home with that friend again… over time, we grew apart and developed different circles of acquaintances.
In some way or another, a lot of us are like these teenage boys or the ornery grandpa. We mean well enough… we are just teasing and/or having a little fun…but we are anything but funny! Here’s a news flash… little kids don’t like to be picked on by adults! They don’t like it when you poke at them or give them “wet willies”. They don’t like to be badgered or taunted… and honestly, their moms don’t like it either! They have to “mop up” and deal with ornery kids afterward… or smooth hurt feelings. And adults feel much the same way about being antagonized.
My friend’s brother and cousin were not bad people… and you probably aren’t either. You just are not thinking about your words and actions. You may not even realize that you are opening the door for a quarrel or some sort of “unrest”. You certainly may not understand that your behavior could have long-term ramifications… cause lifelong hard feelings or uneasiness – or even ruin a friendship or other relationship.
This is a call for all of us to think before we speak and act. If you have a strong urge to retaliate for something another has said or done… this might be just the sign that you need to respond in exactly the opposite manner. If you are unsure what to do, take a breath and step back… ask God to guide your words and your actions… and tread lightly! I guess there are actually a few people who enjoy a good quarrel… but I’m not one of them. When you consider the potential consequences, I can’t imagine that it’s really worth the risk… and I’m not sure that God would be very pleased, either.
So focus on creating peace… for yourself and for others. Choose a path that avoids confrontation whenever possible, and do all you can to avoid a quarrel. And for goodness sake… figure out another way to relate to people besides picking on them! Everyone involved will be better for it.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 5, 2013
Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
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.
Have you ever written out a message to someone and read over it before you sent it… only to discover that what you had written sounded silly or ridiculous? Maybe you expressed worry or concern over something, and once you saw it written down on paper, it all seemed trivial or less important. Often, when thoughts come into our head, it is helpful to write them down and let them settle before doing anything further. This could be akin to "shaping your worries into prayers".
If you have ever worked with cookie dough… the kind you roll out and cut into pretty shapes for baking…you know that at some point, you work and work with the dough until there is nothing left but scraps that are hard to shape and form into anything pretty. These last few pieces usually end up as a “blob cookie” – most often eaten by the baker (at least at my house!).
Writing out our prayers… listing our worries and “shaping them into prayer”… might actually be a pretty good idea. When we write things down, then step back and look at them, we can see where God is already on the job… and how He can handle certain aspects of whatever concerns us far better than we ever could hope to do. Just as with the cookie dough, we might even do a halfway decent job of working out the first few shapes… but God can take that last “blob” and mold it into something beautiful, as well.
So whether we actually write out our worries and petitions to God… or we simply voice them… let’s understand that He’s got this. God knows our concerns and is already working on them. He’s waiting for us to surrender them completely to Him, so that He can resolve them perfectly. This is a hard one for me… and maybe for you, also. I want to scoop up my worries and concerns and keep reshaping them. Surely if I just massage that “worry dough” enough, I can get it all to work out in perfectly formed “cookies”… right? What I need to learn – and maybe you do, too – is that God is the far superior “baker”… He can work everything out perfectly, and I need to step aside and let Him. AND… I need to trust Him more.
Today, I challenge you to write out a prayer to God and tell Him ALL of your worries and concerns. Then read it again and see where you are trying to “rework the dough” that God is already forming into the perfect “cookies” for your life. We are often our own worst enemy when it comes to having peace about all things. God has already promised to handle our worries and our cares and give us complete peace… isn’t it time for us to let Him?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
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.
Have you ever written out a message to someone and read over it before you sent it… only to discover that what you had written sounded silly or ridiculous? Maybe you expressed worry or concern over something, and once you saw it written down on paper, it all seemed trivial or less important. Often, when thoughts come into our head, it is helpful to write them down and let them settle before doing anything further. This could be akin to "shaping your worries into prayers".
If you have ever worked with cookie dough… the kind you roll out and cut into pretty shapes for baking…you know that at some point, you work and work with the dough until there is nothing left but scraps that are hard to shape and form into anything pretty. These last few pieces usually end up as a “blob cookie” – most often eaten by the baker (at least at my house!).
Writing out our prayers… listing our worries and “shaping them into prayer”… might actually be a pretty good idea. When we write things down, then step back and look at them, we can see where God is already on the job… and how He can handle certain aspects of whatever concerns us far better than we ever could hope to do. Just as with the cookie dough, we might even do a halfway decent job of working out the first few shapes… but God can take that last “blob” and mold it into something beautiful, as well.
So whether we actually write out our worries and petitions to God… or we simply voice them… let’s understand that He’s got this. God knows our concerns and is already working on them. He’s waiting for us to surrender them completely to Him, so that He can resolve them perfectly. This is a hard one for me… and maybe for you, also. I want to scoop up my worries and concerns and keep reshaping them. Surely if I just massage that “worry dough” enough, I can get it all to work out in perfectly formed “cookies”… right? What I need to learn – and maybe you do, too – is that God is the far superior “baker”… He can work everything out perfectly, and I need to step aside and let Him. AND… I need to trust Him more.
Today, I challenge you to write out a prayer to God and tell Him ALL of your worries and concerns. Then read it again and see where you are trying to “rework the dough” that God is already forming into the perfect “cookies” for your life. We are often our own worst enemy when it comes to having peace about all things. God has already promised to handle our worries and our cares and give us complete peace… isn’t it time for us to let Him?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 23, 2013
John 16:31-33
Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
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 was visiting with a friend who is fostering a very young child. She said, “I have grown so much in the last three months.” She shared a few things with me about her difficulties… and friends shared even more about how the child who had come into this woman’s home had some pretty serious issues. I was told of the incredible progress this child has made since coming into the care of my friend and her husband. Clearly their love and nurture have done wonders for him. And she told me, “We have gotten the bigger blessing.”
I totally understand the concept of “growing from difficulties.” And I bet many of you do, as well. You know what it feels like to bear unbelievable challenges, worries and concerns… to operate totally on faith that God will fix things…because honestly, trust in God is all you have! We know this is all we need… more than enough, in fact! But when your back is to the wall, and the only choice you have is to look up to heaven and say, “LORD, this is bigger than I am. You will have to handle this!”… you may not feel so unshakable and assured – at least initially.
The more I experience, the easier it becomes for me to trust God for an outcome. Honestly, it’s fairly easy to say this today… because for the moment, everything in my life is going along quite smoothly. But I know that the day will come again when there will be challenges… heartaches… disappointments… concerns… and plenty of reasons to feel unsettled and frightened. How will I respond in that moment? I would love to say that I will take heart, totally trust God, and forge ahead… unshakable, assured, and deeply at peace. I pray this will be the case. But I know it’s not always easy for us to do this as mere humans! In fact, you may be feeling unsettled and frightened at this very moment.
I believe God is using this scripture passage to reassure each of us today that He is in control… that we are not abandoned… that He is with us. We know that He has done amazing things in our lives already. We’ve seen Him handle crises and conflicts, struggles and disappointments, challenges that appear to be insurmountable and heartaches that seem impossible to bear. All of the trials yet to come are no different. God never changes. So take heart! Let go and let God. Trust Him in all circumstances… and feel His presence. Grow in the difficulties God enables you to handle… and live deeply in His peace in all circumstances.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
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 was visiting with a friend who is fostering a very young child. She said, “I have grown so much in the last three months.” She shared a few things with me about her difficulties… and friends shared even more about how the child who had come into this woman’s home had some pretty serious issues. I was told of the incredible progress this child has made since coming into the care of my friend and her husband. Clearly their love and nurture have done wonders for him. And she told me, “We have gotten the bigger blessing.”
I totally understand the concept of “growing from difficulties.” And I bet many of you do, as well. You know what it feels like to bear unbelievable challenges, worries and concerns… to operate totally on faith that God will fix things…because honestly, trust in God is all you have! We know this is all we need… more than enough, in fact! But when your back is to the wall, and the only choice you have is to look up to heaven and say, “LORD, this is bigger than I am. You will have to handle this!”… you may not feel so unshakable and assured – at least initially.
The more I experience, the easier it becomes for me to trust God for an outcome. Honestly, it’s fairly easy to say this today… because for the moment, everything in my life is going along quite smoothly. But I know that the day will come again when there will be challenges… heartaches… disappointments… concerns… and plenty of reasons to feel unsettled and frightened. How will I respond in that moment? I would love to say that I will take heart, totally trust God, and forge ahead… unshakable, assured, and deeply at peace. I pray this will be the case. But I know it’s not always easy for us to do this as mere humans! In fact, you may be feeling unsettled and frightened at this very moment.
I believe God is using this scripture passage to reassure each of us today that He is in control… that we are not abandoned… that He is with us. We know that He has done amazing things in our lives already. We’ve seen Him handle crises and conflicts, struggles and disappointments, challenges that appear to be insurmountable and heartaches that seem impossible to bear. All of the trials yet to come are no different. God never changes. So take heart! Let go and let God. Trust Him in all circumstances… and feel His presence. Grow in the difficulties God enables you to handle… and live deeply in His peace in all circumstances.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 12, 2013
Isaiah 57:2
For those who follow godly paths
will rest in peace when they die.
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.
This week, I attended the funeral of my childhood friend Kenny. At his funeral, the pastor noted that we all know death is inevitable… but we don’t expect the sudden death of someone 55 years young. He shared stories about my friend and told of his earlier life when he was healthy, energetic and enthused… completely engaged in life. In later years, health issues caused Kenny to become reclusive… even paranoid. At the time of his death, Kenny had isolated himself so completely from everyone except his mother, brother and immediate family that his brother said, “He really had no close friends.” Many of his classmates, childhood friends and acquaintances came to his funeral…giving testimony to the person we all knew and loved - the healthy guy who once made us laugh and smile.
There was one more story that the pastor related… the most important story of all, really. He told of how a church member went out on weekly visitation ministry one evening and happened to stop in to visit with Kenny. There, he shared the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ and how He died on the cross for our sins. Kenny invited Jesus to be the LORD of his life. Talk about a “game changer!”
As I thought about my friend and his life - and death - I couldn’t help but feel a tremendous sense of tranquility. I know he is no longer tormented. I know that he is at HOME and has found rest and complete peace at the feet of Jesus. I fully understand that sometimes our healing and reconciliation comes in death.
If you are a young person reading this devotional, death may not be on your radar screen. We all seem to have a sense of immortality in our early years. We don’t want to consider death… and we figure we have lots and lots of years ahead of us before we have to consider it. Then someone we know and love dies… a grandparent or a parent…another family member… a close friend… or even a celebrity we admired. Suddenly, we are distraught, frightened, confused… and totally disheartened. We don’t know what to make of it all… and we start to think about our own lives… and deaths.
Even if you are a Christian, this may be a daunting thought for you. If you have been to more than one funeral, you have probably heard the pastor read from John 14, where Jesus tells us there are “many mansions” in His house… and He is preparing a place for each of us. You may be thinking… “Yeah… but I’m doing just fine right here on earth! I don’t really need a mansion!” Or you may have fear and dread about leaving your family and friends behind.
Please read the words of Isaiah 57:2 again. Those who follow Godly paths will rest in peace. I cannot tell you exactly when I made the switch from thinking of heaven as an intimidating place to one of tremendous peace and joy. It probably began more than 20 years ago, when my grandfather - and then my father-in-law – died suddenly. As I watched other beloved family members and friends suffer with debilitating diseases or the rigors of aging, I began to see what a relief death would be for them. It wasn’t long until I realized that many of us have a large number of loved ones waiting for us in heaven… already enjoying the blessings and rewards God promised them through Jesus Christ.
Yesterday I shared scripture from Isaiah about the hills singing and the trees clapping as we pass by. My mother told me that this is how she pictures heaven. As we arrive, hills will sing, trees will clap… and those who went before us will open their arms widely to embrace us with a “We’re so glad you’re here… you’re gonna love this place!” My sweet childhood friend, Kenny, will be among them.
I feel like someone reading this today needs to hear about the peace of heaven. If you are not that person… you could be in any given moment. I pray you will come to think of Paradise as not only a “friendly place”… but your destination for ultimate peace and joy. As you grieve and mourn the passing of loved ones who you miss dearly, think of them in complete bliss… healthy, whole, abundantly blessed, and continually in the presence of Jesus. Enjoy your earthly life… but look forward to the day you can join them and experience eternal peace.
If you have not yet offered Jesus your heart, as my friend did one evening, I pray that you will do so. Secure your place on the “waiting list” for heaven. Start making preparations for your “move” by living for Jesus every single day you are placed on this earth. Get so comfortable in your relationship with God that you anticipate the moment when the hills will sing for you and the trees will clap… and you will rest forever in His peace.
©2013 Debbie Robus
For those who follow godly paths
will rest in peace when they die.
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.
This week, I attended the funeral of my childhood friend Kenny. At his funeral, the pastor noted that we all know death is inevitable… but we don’t expect the sudden death of someone 55 years young. He shared stories about my friend and told of his earlier life when he was healthy, energetic and enthused… completely engaged in life. In later years, health issues caused Kenny to become reclusive… even paranoid. At the time of his death, Kenny had isolated himself so completely from everyone except his mother, brother and immediate family that his brother said, “He really had no close friends.” Many of his classmates, childhood friends and acquaintances came to his funeral…giving testimony to the person we all knew and loved - the healthy guy who once made us laugh and smile.
There was one more story that the pastor related… the most important story of all, really. He told of how a church member went out on weekly visitation ministry one evening and happened to stop in to visit with Kenny. There, he shared the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ and how He died on the cross for our sins. Kenny invited Jesus to be the LORD of his life. Talk about a “game changer!”
As I thought about my friend and his life - and death - I couldn’t help but feel a tremendous sense of tranquility. I know he is no longer tormented. I know that he is at HOME and has found rest and complete peace at the feet of Jesus. I fully understand that sometimes our healing and reconciliation comes in death.
If you are a young person reading this devotional, death may not be on your radar screen. We all seem to have a sense of immortality in our early years. We don’t want to consider death… and we figure we have lots and lots of years ahead of us before we have to consider it. Then someone we know and love dies… a grandparent or a parent…another family member… a close friend… or even a celebrity we admired. Suddenly, we are distraught, frightened, confused… and totally disheartened. We don’t know what to make of it all… and we start to think about our own lives… and deaths.
Even if you are a Christian, this may be a daunting thought for you. If you have been to more than one funeral, you have probably heard the pastor read from John 14, where Jesus tells us there are “many mansions” in His house… and He is preparing a place for each of us. You may be thinking… “Yeah… but I’m doing just fine right here on earth! I don’t really need a mansion!” Or you may have fear and dread about leaving your family and friends behind.
Please read the words of Isaiah 57:2 again. Those who follow Godly paths will rest in peace. I cannot tell you exactly when I made the switch from thinking of heaven as an intimidating place to one of tremendous peace and joy. It probably began more than 20 years ago, when my grandfather - and then my father-in-law – died suddenly. As I watched other beloved family members and friends suffer with debilitating diseases or the rigors of aging, I began to see what a relief death would be for them. It wasn’t long until I realized that many of us have a large number of loved ones waiting for us in heaven… already enjoying the blessings and rewards God promised them through Jesus Christ.
Yesterday I shared scripture from Isaiah about the hills singing and the trees clapping as we pass by. My mother told me that this is how she pictures heaven. As we arrive, hills will sing, trees will clap… and those who went before us will open their arms widely to embrace us with a “We’re so glad you’re here… you’re gonna love this place!” My sweet childhood friend, Kenny, will be among them.
I feel like someone reading this today needs to hear about the peace of heaven. If you are not that person… you could be in any given moment. I pray you will come to think of Paradise as not only a “friendly place”… but your destination for ultimate peace and joy. As you grieve and mourn the passing of loved ones who you miss dearly, think of them in complete bliss… healthy, whole, abundantly blessed, and continually in the presence of Jesus. Enjoy your earthly life… but look forward to the day you can join them and experience eternal peace.
If you have not yet offered Jesus your heart, as my friend did one evening, I pray that you will do so. Secure your place on the “waiting list” for heaven. Start making preparations for your “move” by living for Jesus every single day you are placed on this earth. Get so comfortable in your relationship with God that you anticipate the moment when the hills will sing for you and the trees will clap… and you will rest forever in His peace.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 11, 2013
Isaiah 55:8-12
The Lord says:
“My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.
Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.
“Rain and snow fall from the sky.
But they don’t return without watering the earth
that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat.
That’s how it is with my words.
They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.”
When you are set free, you will celebrate and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing as you pass by, and trees will clap.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We’ve all been to a concert or the ballgame where entertainers, celebrities, and/or athletes appear, and the crowd goes wild with excitement. The enthusiasm is palpable… contagious… and for a time, at least, we leave the event feeling uplifted and joyful. We travel home in peace. God wants us to experience Him in this manner. He wants us to be so filled with His presence that we are exhilarated, yet serene… all at once confident and calm.
There are about a dozen people that I often encounter who truly make me a better person every time I am with them. They seem to exude joy and faith in God. No matter what is happening in their lives, they have a smile and a positive attitude… and I know it is because of their close relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Truly, after I am with these people, I feel like the mountains and hills sing and the trees clap as I pass by.
Do you know people like this? Are you one of them? Do you know that God wants us to be so filled with His thoughts, words and ways that we cannot help but experience incredible peace and joy in Him? Can you see that God wants us to be so full of faith and enthusiasm for His truths that we move the mountains and hills to sing and the trees to clap in celebration?
Most of us will never attain celebrity status or be professional athletes or entertainers. We will never enter arenas or stages to the rousing applause and celebration of an adoring throng. But this really isn’t important anyway. What matters is that we live in the applause and celebration of God… of belonging completely to Him, surrendering to His ways, and sharing His love with others. When we settle into the complete peace and freedom of a life in Christ… with the Holy Spirit as our constant companion… mountains and hills will indeed sing, trees will clap, and these will be all of the accolades we could ever need.
Whose applause are you seeking these days? Where are you searching for peace? Give God room to work in your life… make a place for the Holy Spirit in your heart. Look for joy and contentment in the right places. Attune your heart to the higher ways and words of God… and get ready to “travel home in peace”.
©2013 Debbie Robus
The Lord says:
“My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.
Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.
“Rain and snow fall from the sky.
But they don’t return without watering the earth
that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat.
That’s how it is with my words.
They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.”
When you are set free, you will celebrate and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing as you pass by, and trees will clap.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We’ve all been to a concert or the ballgame where entertainers, celebrities, and/or athletes appear, and the crowd goes wild with excitement. The enthusiasm is palpable… contagious… and for a time, at least, we leave the event feeling uplifted and joyful. We travel home in peace. God wants us to experience Him in this manner. He wants us to be so filled with His presence that we are exhilarated, yet serene… all at once confident and calm.
There are about a dozen people that I often encounter who truly make me a better person every time I am with them. They seem to exude joy and faith in God. No matter what is happening in their lives, they have a smile and a positive attitude… and I know it is because of their close relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Truly, after I am with these people, I feel like the mountains and hills sing and the trees clap as I pass by.
Do you know people like this? Are you one of them? Do you know that God wants us to be so filled with His thoughts, words and ways that we cannot help but experience incredible peace and joy in Him? Can you see that God wants us to be so full of faith and enthusiasm for His truths that we move the mountains and hills to sing and the trees to clap in celebration?
Most of us will never attain celebrity status or be professional athletes or entertainers. We will never enter arenas or stages to the rousing applause and celebration of an adoring throng. But this really isn’t important anyway. What matters is that we live in the applause and celebration of God… of belonging completely to Him, surrendering to His ways, and sharing His love with others. When we settle into the complete peace and freedom of a life in Christ… with the Holy Spirit as our constant companion… mountains and hills will indeed sing, trees will clap, and these will be all of the accolades we could ever need.
Whose applause are you seeking these days? Where are you searching for peace? Give God room to work in your life… make a place for the Holy Spirit in your heart. Look for joy and contentment in the right places. Attune your heart to the higher ways and words of God… and get ready to “travel home in peace”.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 9, 2013
Isaiah 54:9-10
“This exile is just like the days of Noah for me:
I promised then that the waters of Noah
would never again flood the earth.
I’m promising now no more anger,
no more dressing you down.
For even if the mountains walk away
and the hills fall to pieces,
My love won’t walk away from you,
my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.”
The God who has compassion on you says so.
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.
On the way home from church Sunday, Timothy was telling us about his Sunday school lesson. “God wants us to do our BEST!” he would say emphatically. He elaborated… “God wants us to pick up our toys when we pour them out. If we don’t, He will be so disappointed in us… maybe even angry!” Our little four-year-old can be pretty dramatic! But he kept talking about disappointing God and making Him angry, so I reminded him… “We talked about this… when you think you have done something that will disappoint God, talk to Him and tell Him you are sorry.” He lifted his eyes to the roof of the car, and we heard, “God, I’m sorry I didn’t pick up my blocks. Please don’t be disappointed.”
My husband and I stifled our grins from the front seat, and I reminded Timothy that you have to really be sorry… you can’t just say you are and go on misbehaving. But I also reassured Him that God always…ALWAYS loves us – even when we disappoint Him or make Him angry. Explaining compassion and unconditional love to a small child is a challenge. On one hand, we are trying to teach them to follow rules and be obedient and respectful… to their parents, teachers, other adults – and to GOD. But we also want them to understand that they can be forgiven… that their love and value is not based solely on their words and actions. We must make sure that we portray God in the proper light … as a loving, gracious, merciful Father Who has high expectations for each of us – but also as Someone who will never walk away.
I don’t know about you, but I grew up with more than healthy dose of fear about my relationship with God. I do not believe this was intentional…the people who nurtured me in my faith were loving, caring, well-meaning Christians. But the emphasis was on God’s retribution far more than His mercy and kindheartedness. I am so thankful that I have come to know the compassionate side of God… that I operate from a place of peace. I respect God and His authority over my life… but I no longer picture Him waiting like a lion tamer with a whip and a chair to chastise me for my every transgression!
The thought of God as someone who will not walk away from me when things get tough is incredibly comforting. The assurance that God loves me no matter what – that His promises are the real deal - makes me want to love Him and serve Him faithfully in return. In my book, a faith built on mutual trust and peace trumps one based in fear every time!
I know that there are times when God truly is disappointed with us… or possibly angry. I also know that He will never leave us or stop loving us, even in our worst moments. This is an incredibly peaceful – and powerful – guarantee! I pray that your faith is based in God’s peaceful promises rather than fear of His retribution… that His unconditional love makes you want to serve Him obediently- with your whole heart - and to always do your BEST. But you’ll still have to pick up your toys!
©2013 Debbie Robus
“This exile is just like the days of Noah for me:
I promised then that the waters of Noah
would never again flood the earth.
I’m promising now no more anger,
no more dressing you down.
For even if the mountains walk away
and the hills fall to pieces,
My love won’t walk away from you,
my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.”
The God who has compassion on you says so.
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.
On the way home from church Sunday, Timothy was telling us about his Sunday school lesson. “God wants us to do our BEST!” he would say emphatically. He elaborated… “God wants us to pick up our toys when we pour them out. If we don’t, He will be so disappointed in us… maybe even angry!” Our little four-year-old can be pretty dramatic! But he kept talking about disappointing God and making Him angry, so I reminded him… “We talked about this… when you think you have done something that will disappoint God, talk to Him and tell Him you are sorry.” He lifted his eyes to the roof of the car, and we heard, “God, I’m sorry I didn’t pick up my blocks. Please don’t be disappointed.”
My husband and I stifled our grins from the front seat, and I reminded Timothy that you have to really be sorry… you can’t just say you are and go on misbehaving. But I also reassured Him that God always…ALWAYS loves us – even when we disappoint Him or make Him angry. Explaining compassion and unconditional love to a small child is a challenge. On one hand, we are trying to teach them to follow rules and be obedient and respectful… to their parents, teachers, other adults – and to GOD. But we also want them to understand that they can be forgiven… that their love and value is not based solely on their words and actions. We must make sure that we portray God in the proper light … as a loving, gracious, merciful Father Who has high expectations for each of us – but also as Someone who will never walk away.
I don’t know about you, but I grew up with more than healthy dose of fear about my relationship with God. I do not believe this was intentional…the people who nurtured me in my faith were loving, caring, well-meaning Christians. But the emphasis was on God’s retribution far more than His mercy and kindheartedness. I am so thankful that I have come to know the compassionate side of God… that I operate from a place of peace. I respect God and His authority over my life… but I no longer picture Him waiting like a lion tamer with a whip and a chair to chastise me for my every transgression!
The thought of God as someone who will not walk away from me when things get tough is incredibly comforting. The assurance that God loves me no matter what – that His promises are the real deal - makes me want to love Him and serve Him faithfully in return. In my book, a faith built on mutual trust and peace trumps one based in fear every time!
I know that there are times when God truly is disappointed with us… or possibly angry. I also know that He will never leave us or stop loving us, even in our worst moments. This is an incredibly peaceful – and powerful – guarantee! I pray that your faith is based in God’s peaceful promises rather than fear of His retribution… that His unconditional love makes you want to serve Him obediently- with your whole heart - and to always do your BEST. But you’ll still have to pick up your toys!
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 3, 2013
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
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.
Today was an unseasonably crisp, cool day for July 3rd in Arkansas. We awoke to a low of approximately 55 degrees, with a bright sunny sky overhead. I picked up Timothy about 9:30 and took him to get a haircut. Then we returned to his house and retrieved his mom, his sister Zola, and baby brother Nathan… and off we went to the city park to play. A little while later, my husband joined us there (thankfully)… it pretty well took all three of us to watch all three children!
But the little ones didn’t have a care in the world. Theirs was an atmosphere of exuberant joy… and complete peace. Their thoughts were on which apparatus to play upon next… who would push them in the swing…the children who came and went and interacted with them. They trusted that we would see to their every need. And when the time came to leave just before noon, they trusted that we would feed them and see that they got home safely. When you are four, two and one, you trust the adults in your life to see that everything goes smoothly and that all of your needs are met. You depend upon your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to ensure that you are fed, kept clean and tidy, and entertained. So far… so good for our three!
Not all children have such a carefree existence. Some already know the pangs of hunger… the discomfort of living in squalor or not having clean clothes to wear - or even a bed in which to sleep. I know this. I understand that some children lose their ability to trust adults – or anyone else – at a very early age. Still, I believe that children as a group are better able to operate in total faith that someone will meet their needs and care for them than most of us.
I don’t know what age we begin to worry and mistrust. I am fairly certain it is different for each of us. But few of us make it to adulthood with perfect peace and a continual notion that someone else has our back at all times… even God. And therein lies the problem. See, the reason even children can operate in such faith, peace and joy is because God places people in their lives to care for their every need. The reason we can continue to operate in faith and peace as we grow and age is because God always has our back – one way or another. If we will keep our focus on this, nothing can rattle us.
Troubles will come…there will be bumps in the road some days – and downright potholes on others. But when we trust God and keep our thoughts fixed on Him… pleasing Him, serving Him, and trusting Him… we can have peace and joy even in the midst of our worst, most difficult day.
We all know that every July 3rd in Arkansas will not be cool and crisp. We all understand that we can’t play in the park with the abandonment of young children every day. But when we trust in God to meet our needs and handle our cares, every day can have the joy and peace that little ones seem to find so readily in even the most mundane – or unpleasant - circumstances. Are you ready to trust God with childlike faith? Are you ready to receive the serenity and calm that He can provide in all situations? Will today be the day you “let go and let God” once and for all? Shouldn’t it be?
©2013 Debbie Robus
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
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.
Today was an unseasonably crisp, cool day for July 3rd in Arkansas. We awoke to a low of approximately 55 degrees, with a bright sunny sky overhead. I picked up Timothy about 9:30 and took him to get a haircut. Then we returned to his house and retrieved his mom, his sister Zola, and baby brother Nathan… and off we went to the city park to play. A little while later, my husband joined us there (thankfully)… it pretty well took all three of us to watch all three children!
But the little ones didn’t have a care in the world. Theirs was an atmosphere of exuberant joy… and complete peace. Their thoughts were on which apparatus to play upon next… who would push them in the swing…the children who came and went and interacted with them. They trusted that we would see to their every need. And when the time came to leave just before noon, they trusted that we would feed them and see that they got home safely. When you are four, two and one, you trust the adults in your life to see that everything goes smoothly and that all of your needs are met. You depend upon your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to ensure that you are fed, kept clean and tidy, and entertained. So far… so good for our three!
Not all children have such a carefree existence. Some already know the pangs of hunger… the discomfort of living in squalor or not having clean clothes to wear - or even a bed in which to sleep. I know this. I understand that some children lose their ability to trust adults – or anyone else – at a very early age. Still, I believe that children as a group are better able to operate in total faith that someone will meet their needs and care for them than most of us.
I don’t know what age we begin to worry and mistrust. I am fairly certain it is different for each of us. But few of us make it to adulthood with perfect peace and a continual notion that someone else has our back at all times… even God. And therein lies the problem. See, the reason even children can operate in such faith, peace and joy is because God places people in their lives to care for their every need. The reason we can continue to operate in faith and peace as we grow and age is because God always has our back – one way or another. If we will keep our focus on this, nothing can rattle us.
Troubles will come…there will be bumps in the road some days – and downright potholes on others. But when we trust God and keep our thoughts fixed on Him… pleasing Him, serving Him, and trusting Him… we can have peace and joy even in the midst of our worst, most difficult day.
We all know that every July 3rd in Arkansas will not be cool and crisp. We all understand that we can’t play in the park with the abandonment of young children every day. But when we trust in God to meet our needs and handle our cares, every day can have the joy and peace that little ones seem to find so readily in even the most mundane – or unpleasant - circumstances. Are you ready to trust God with childlike faith? Are you ready to receive the serenity and calm that He can provide in all situations? Will today be the day you “let go and let God” once and for all? Shouldn’t it be?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 2, 2013
Isaiah 2:4
He will settle arguments between nations. They will pound their swords and their spears into rakes and shovels; they will never make war or attack one another.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Shortly before Christmas Day 1943, Charles Brown, a 21-year-old West Virginia farm boy, was flying his first WWII combat mission over Germany. His B-17 had been shot to smithereens, several crew members were injured… and his tail gunner was dead. As Brown looked out his window, he saw German 2nd Lt. Franz Stigler fly alongside him in his ME-109. Brown assumed Stigler would finish off him and his crew… and indeed, Stigler had his hand on the trigger to do so.
But Stigler thought of his own older brother, killed earlier in the war. Here was his chance to mete revenge… and to earn a medal for valor – Germany’s highest military honor – if only he could score one more kill. But as Stigler looked at the bloodied body of the tail gunner, he realized that he would be committing murder. He knew that to fail to complete this mission could result in execution if someone reported him. But as a man who had once studied for the priesthood, Stigler pressed his fingers to his rosary and realized that he lived by a Higher Code of honor. So he saluted American pilot Brown and safely escorted the crippled plane to the German border.
I encourage you to take a few minutes and read this entire story at http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/09/living/higher-call-military-chivalry. Learn how the lives of these men – and countless others – were changed forever on this December day in 1943. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but see God’s hand in this…how He settled the arguments between nations for at least two young men. The reason I share this story with you is twofold… 1) we are nearing our country’s Independence Day… a time when we pause to celebrate our freedom - and those who helped secure it; and 2) this story serves to once again remind us of God’s profound desire for us to live together in peace and harmony… a desire so intense that He would convict the heart of one enemy of war and prevent him from firing on another.
In our daily living, God is hard at work providing us with opportunities to choose to “remove our hand from the trigger”… to operate by a Higher Code of honor… to create and preserve an atmosphere of peace – for ourselves and for those in our midst. This is so characteristic of the God we serve… to want us to get along and operate in peace and calm so passionately that He would go to great lengths to convict us to do the right thing. God wants us to experience serenity and harmony so much that He would provide us with a “safe escort to the border” while enemies swarm us. God is calling on us to “pound our swords and spears into rakes and shovels” and never make war again.
The question for today is this… who – or what – are you battling? Where are you experiencing chaos and turmoil… where so you need to surrender to a Higher Code of honor – GOD’s code? Who do you need to “salute” and “escort to the border” with a heavy dose of compassion and grace? Have you considered what might transpire as a result?
Will this be the year that you celebrate Independence Day with a new perspective… free of the burdens of discord with others? Shouldn’t it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
He will settle arguments between nations. They will pound their swords and their spears into rakes and shovels; they will never make war or attack one another.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Shortly before Christmas Day 1943, Charles Brown, a 21-year-old West Virginia farm boy, was flying his first WWII combat mission over Germany. His B-17 had been shot to smithereens, several crew members were injured… and his tail gunner was dead. As Brown looked out his window, he saw German 2nd Lt. Franz Stigler fly alongside him in his ME-109. Brown assumed Stigler would finish off him and his crew… and indeed, Stigler had his hand on the trigger to do so.
But Stigler thought of his own older brother, killed earlier in the war. Here was his chance to mete revenge… and to earn a medal for valor – Germany’s highest military honor – if only he could score one more kill. But as Stigler looked at the bloodied body of the tail gunner, he realized that he would be committing murder. He knew that to fail to complete this mission could result in execution if someone reported him. But as a man who had once studied for the priesthood, Stigler pressed his fingers to his rosary and realized that he lived by a Higher Code of honor. So he saluted American pilot Brown and safely escorted the crippled plane to the German border.
I encourage you to take a few minutes and read this entire story at http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/09/living/higher-call-military-chivalry. Learn how the lives of these men – and countless others – were changed forever on this December day in 1943. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but see God’s hand in this…how He settled the arguments between nations for at least two young men. The reason I share this story with you is twofold… 1) we are nearing our country’s Independence Day… a time when we pause to celebrate our freedom - and those who helped secure it; and 2) this story serves to once again remind us of God’s profound desire for us to live together in peace and harmony… a desire so intense that He would convict the heart of one enemy of war and prevent him from firing on another.
In our daily living, God is hard at work providing us with opportunities to choose to “remove our hand from the trigger”… to operate by a Higher Code of honor… to create and preserve an atmosphere of peace – for ourselves and for those in our midst. This is so characteristic of the God we serve… to want us to get along and operate in peace and calm so passionately that He would go to great lengths to convict us to do the right thing. God wants us to experience serenity and harmony so much that He would provide us with a “safe escort to the border” while enemies swarm us. God is calling on us to “pound our swords and spears into rakes and shovels” and never make war again.
The question for today is this… who – or what – are you battling? Where are you experiencing chaos and turmoil… where so you need to surrender to a Higher Code of honor – GOD’s code? Who do you need to “salute” and “escort to the border” with a heavy dose of compassion and grace? Have you considered what might transpire as a result?
Will this be the year that you celebrate Independence Day with a new perspective… free of the burdens of discord with others? Shouldn’t it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 1, 2013
Isaiah 12:2
I trust you to save me, Lord God, and I won’t be afraid. My power and my strength come from you, and you have saved me.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’d like to explain a little about how these devotionals come together. Over the last few years as I’ve look at what is going on in our world and in my own life, God has shown me timely “themes”… integrity, excuses, grace and mercy, patience, peace, and many others. For each theme, I search for scriptures that speak to these topics and create an outline. Each day, I look at the outline and select the next scripture reference on the list. Over and again, I am amazed at how the particular verse for that day is exactly what was needed…how God’s timing is indeed perfect! These cannot be coincidence… a reference to childlike faith when I have just seen it from our four-year-old Timothy… a word of encouragement and strength when bombers attack the Boston marathon… and today’s words of God’s power and strength in the midst of human tragedies in our country - and locally.
Over the weekend, 19 firefighters in Arizona perished. On our own lake, two young adults drowned while on a weekend outing. And I bet you could cite other incidents – deaths, failing health and personal accidents, relationship troubles, challenges and trials of all sorts that may not be “tragic” per se… but are consequential enough to cause you distress or dismay. What are we to think? How do we react? The Bible tells us very clearly in Isaiah 12:2 to trust the LORD to save us and not to be afraid… to find our strength – and our peace – in Him.
My church's Bishop, Gary Mueller, writes a daily “note” on Facebook. Today’s was titled “Right Smack Dab in the Middle of Life”. Were his topic/comments a coincidence? I think not! He says in part, “Life happens and, when it does, it's often painful, overwhelming and devastating. When it does, it can be tempting to give up, grow cynical and look out only for yourself. But that doesn't work. In fact, it never works. But there is something that does - join hands with God to deal with it.”
When we join hands with God, He gives us His power and strength to handle whatever comes. We have already seen evidence that God is surrounding grieving families with people who care for them… other family members, friends, believers across the nation who are lifting all involved in prayer, and even rescue crews and law enforcement personnel who are sacrificing their time and risking their own lives to recover the bodies. If we will turn to God, He will supply us with whatever we need to face illness, injuries, losses, and stresses of every kind.
I can tell you firsthand that it is entirely possible to experience peace in the midst of tremendous heartache and chaos. I will also tell you that I didn’t get here overnight… nor am I any sort of an expert in this department! I still have times when I fall short – and in the words of author Lysa TerKeurst*, I “come unglued!” As a teacher, I learned that repetition is key… most students learn best when concepts are taught via drills. I discovered that effective lessons have a beginning, middle and end. The point should be presented initially, reinforced in the middle, and reviewed in closing. My journey has been filled with “faith builders”…lessons and tests in which the point that God will save me - that He will give power and strength to handle anything and everything - has been drilled into my heart and mind over and again.
So today, I encourage you to study Isaiah 12:2, and let it settle deeply within your heart. Hear God’s voice in this passage as He calls upon you to join hands with Him and let His power, strength – and His peace – fill your heart. Do not fear or dread life’s challenges. Instead, rest in the LORD and trust Him to save you… and fill you with a sense of calm and confidence. Remember… God’s got this! Won’t you reach out and take His hand?
©2013 Debbie Robus
*Unglued, by Lysa TerKeurst - ©2012 Zondervan Press
I trust you to save me, Lord God, and I won’t be afraid. My power and my strength come from you, and you have saved me.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’d like to explain a little about how these devotionals come together. Over the last few years as I’ve look at what is going on in our world and in my own life, God has shown me timely “themes”… integrity, excuses, grace and mercy, patience, peace, and many others. For each theme, I search for scriptures that speak to these topics and create an outline. Each day, I look at the outline and select the next scripture reference on the list. Over and again, I am amazed at how the particular verse for that day is exactly what was needed…how God’s timing is indeed perfect! These cannot be coincidence… a reference to childlike faith when I have just seen it from our four-year-old Timothy… a word of encouragement and strength when bombers attack the Boston marathon… and today’s words of God’s power and strength in the midst of human tragedies in our country - and locally.
Over the weekend, 19 firefighters in Arizona perished. On our own lake, two young adults drowned while on a weekend outing. And I bet you could cite other incidents – deaths, failing health and personal accidents, relationship troubles, challenges and trials of all sorts that may not be “tragic” per se… but are consequential enough to cause you distress or dismay. What are we to think? How do we react? The Bible tells us very clearly in Isaiah 12:2 to trust the LORD to save us and not to be afraid… to find our strength – and our peace – in Him.
My church's Bishop, Gary Mueller, writes a daily “note” on Facebook. Today’s was titled “Right Smack Dab in the Middle of Life”. Were his topic/comments a coincidence? I think not! He says in part, “Life happens and, when it does, it's often painful, overwhelming and devastating. When it does, it can be tempting to give up, grow cynical and look out only for yourself. But that doesn't work. In fact, it never works. But there is something that does - join hands with God to deal with it.”
When we join hands with God, He gives us His power and strength to handle whatever comes. We have already seen evidence that God is surrounding grieving families with people who care for them… other family members, friends, believers across the nation who are lifting all involved in prayer, and even rescue crews and law enforcement personnel who are sacrificing their time and risking their own lives to recover the bodies. If we will turn to God, He will supply us with whatever we need to face illness, injuries, losses, and stresses of every kind.
I can tell you firsthand that it is entirely possible to experience peace in the midst of tremendous heartache and chaos. I will also tell you that I didn’t get here overnight… nor am I any sort of an expert in this department! I still have times when I fall short – and in the words of author Lysa TerKeurst*, I “come unglued!” As a teacher, I learned that repetition is key… most students learn best when concepts are taught via drills. I discovered that effective lessons have a beginning, middle and end. The point should be presented initially, reinforced in the middle, and reviewed in closing. My journey has been filled with “faith builders”…lessons and tests in which the point that God will save me - that He will give power and strength to handle anything and everything - has been drilled into my heart and mind over and again.
So today, I encourage you to study Isaiah 12:2, and let it settle deeply within your heart. Hear God’s voice in this passage as He calls upon you to join hands with Him and let His power, strength – and His peace – fill your heart. Do not fear or dread life’s challenges. Instead, rest in the LORD and trust Him to save you… and fill you with a sense of calm and confidence. Remember… God’s got this! Won’t you reach out and take His hand?
©2013 Debbie Robus
*Unglued, by Lysa TerKeurst - ©2012 Zondervan Press
Daily Devotional for June 26, 2013
Haggai 2:6-9
Soon I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake the nations, and their treasures will be brought here. Then the brightness of my glory will fill this temple. All silver and gold belong to me, and I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one. I will also bless this city with peace.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This was my daily quote…I am sorry I don’t have the source to cite…”A Sunday school teacher was reading a Bible story to her class. ‘The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and turned to salt.’ A little boy softly asked, ‘What happened to the flea?’”
Today’s scripture passage was included in an outline I created for scriptures on peace… gleaned from several Internet searches for such verses. I almost deleted these particular verses from the outline. Frankly, I didn’t understand a lot about Haggai. I knew that he was a prophet, but I didn’t know much about the meaning or history behind his 2-chapter book in the Old Testament.
The Internet is an amazing resource! I found several commentaries on Haggai and read a few of them. Still, there was little to no clarity about what these chapters had to do with finding God’s peace. Then I discovered a commentary at http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/haggai.pdf by Thomas L. Constable, Th.D., Senior Professor Emeritus of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Thomas took 26 pages to outline and explain Haggai’s prophecy and why he believes God allowed it to be included in the Old Testament writings. He narrowed it down to four “perils” that we face… 1) misplaced priorities; 2) incorrect perspectives, 3) unrealistic expectations; and 4) unnecessary fears. Dr. Thomas noted the verses in these chapters in which Haggai demonstrates these perils. Solomon’s temple has been destroyed. There is a movement to rebuild this temple, but the people of Israel appear to be too busy and preoccupied with building their own homes and other endeavors to fully concentrate on rebuilding God’s temple (misplaced priorities).
Once building does begin, those involved decide that the temple is not going to be as grand and glorious as the one built by King Solomon, and they become discouraged and disheartened (incorrect perspectives). They expect lavish blessings and gifts from God for their efforts to rebuild… and they are disappointed (unrealistic expectations). After the temple is completed, the people of Israel compare themselves to the Gentiles and decide that they are inferior as a people… that they will never be as respected and valued by God as others (unnecessary fears). Haggai reminds us how wrong the Israelites were on all counts.
Don’t these “perils” ring a bell? Haven’t we all had misplaced priorities… incorrect perspectives…unrealistic expectations… and unnecessary fears? The people of Israel failed to put God’s work ahead of their own… don’t we sometimes do this? They based their value and the value of their contributions on personal wealth. In other words, those who didn’t have a lot of gold and silver to give to the “building fund” didn’t believe their contributions would be valued in the project. How many times have you decided that you or your contributions were not “good enough” to be offered?
The people of Israel thought that any efforts they did make for God would be instantly and tremendously rewarded. Do we expect “immediate gratification and reward” from God for our “good deeds?” They looked around and compared themselves to others… and promptly felt like they did not measure up. How often do you look in the mirror and wish you looked more like So-and-So? Do you sometimes wish you had another person’s possessions, appearance… or their life in general? Like the Israelites, do you diminish your own value in God’s eyes and long for the “favor” He appears to grant to another? Truly, we are all exactly like the people of Israel that Haggai describes!
Can we possibly hope to experience God’s peace in the midst of these pressures? I think you know the answer. Haggai dispels every one of these “perils” with promises from God… “Don’t worry. My Spirit is right here with you…I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one... I will also bless this city with peace.”
We are all a lot like the little boy hearing the Sunday school lesson… we’re focused on the flea and completely missed the real message! Don’t overlook the significance of Haggai’s words… make God’s plans for your life a top priority. Recognize that God doesn’t care about your material wealth – He just wants you to do your best with what you have. Celebrate God’s timing and learn to appreciate even His smallest blessings and gifts as much or more than the extravagant ones. Recognize that we are all precious in His sight. The talents, abilities and strengths He gave to you are uniquely yours… and would never be right for someone else. By the same token, theirs would never be right for you!
Who knew there was such “meat” in a 2-chapter Old Testament prophecy? If we change these four “life pressures” into positive actions that glorify God and His love for us, I believe that the peace in our lives will grow exponentially. God has pretty much guaranteed it. Now it’s up to us to do our part. What will you do? Will you start to turn these pressures around… or are you still too busy worrying about what happened to the flea?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Soon I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake the nations, and their treasures will be brought here. Then the brightness of my glory will fill this temple. All silver and gold belong to me, and I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one. I will also bless this city with peace.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This was my daily quote…I am sorry I don’t have the source to cite…”A Sunday school teacher was reading a Bible story to her class. ‘The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and turned to salt.’ A little boy softly asked, ‘What happened to the flea?’”
Today’s scripture passage was included in an outline I created for scriptures on peace… gleaned from several Internet searches for such verses. I almost deleted these particular verses from the outline. Frankly, I didn’t understand a lot about Haggai. I knew that he was a prophet, but I didn’t know much about the meaning or history behind his 2-chapter book in the Old Testament.
The Internet is an amazing resource! I found several commentaries on Haggai and read a few of them. Still, there was little to no clarity about what these chapters had to do with finding God’s peace. Then I discovered a commentary at http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/haggai.pdf by Thomas L. Constable, Th.D., Senior Professor Emeritus of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Thomas took 26 pages to outline and explain Haggai’s prophecy and why he believes God allowed it to be included in the Old Testament writings. He narrowed it down to four “perils” that we face… 1) misplaced priorities; 2) incorrect perspectives, 3) unrealistic expectations; and 4) unnecessary fears. Dr. Thomas noted the verses in these chapters in which Haggai demonstrates these perils. Solomon’s temple has been destroyed. There is a movement to rebuild this temple, but the people of Israel appear to be too busy and preoccupied with building their own homes and other endeavors to fully concentrate on rebuilding God’s temple (misplaced priorities).
Once building does begin, those involved decide that the temple is not going to be as grand and glorious as the one built by King Solomon, and they become discouraged and disheartened (incorrect perspectives). They expect lavish blessings and gifts from God for their efforts to rebuild… and they are disappointed (unrealistic expectations). After the temple is completed, the people of Israel compare themselves to the Gentiles and decide that they are inferior as a people… that they will never be as respected and valued by God as others (unnecessary fears). Haggai reminds us how wrong the Israelites were on all counts.
Don’t these “perils” ring a bell? Haven’t we all had misplaced priorities… incorrect perspectives…unrealistic expectations… and unnecessary fears? The people of Israel failed to put God’s work ahead of their own… don’t we sometimes do this? They based their value and the value of their contributions on personal wealth. In other words, those who didn’t have a lot of gold and silver to give to the “building fund” didn’t believe their contributions would be valued in the project. How many times have you decided that you or your contributions were not “good enough” to be offered?
The people of Israel thought that any efforts they did make for God would be instantly and tremendously rewarded. Do we expect “immediate gratification and reward” from God for our “good deeds?” They looked around and compared themselves to others… and promptly felt like they did not measure up. How often do you look in the mirror and wish you looked more like So-and-So? Do you sometimes wish you had another person’s possessions, appearance… or their life in general? Like the Israelites, do you diminish your own value in God’s eyes and long for the “favor” He appears to grant to another? Truly, we are all exactly like the people of Israel that Haggai describes!
Can we possibly hope to experience God’s peace in the midst of these pressures? I think you know the answer. Haggai dispels every one of these “perils” with promises from God… “Don’t worry. My Spirit is right here with you…I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one... I will also bless this city with peace.”
We are all a lot like the little boy hearing the Sunday school lesson… we’re focused on the flea and completely missed the real message! Don’t overlook the significance of Haggai’s words… make God’s plans for your life a top priority. Recognize that God doesn’t care about your material wealth – He just wants you to do your best with what you have. Celebrate God’s timing and learn to appreciate even His smallest blessings and gifts as much or more than the extravagant ones. Recognize that we are all precious in His sight. The talents, abilities and strengths He gave to you are uniquely yours… and would never be right for someone else. By the same token, theirs would never be right for you!
Who knew there was such “meat” in a 2-chapter Old Testament prophecy? If we change these four “life pressures” into positive actions that glorify God and His love for us, I believe that the peace in our lives will grow exponentially. God has pretty much guaranteed it. Now it’s up to us to do our part. What will you do? Will you start to turn these pressures around… or are you still too busy worrying about what happened to the flea?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 25, 2013
Galatians 5:22-23
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
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.
Sunday morning after church, we got everyone fastened into car seats and started to drive out of the church parking lot. I asked Timothy, “What did you learn in Sunday school today?” He replied, “We learned that you have to listen to GOD (emphasis here on the Father’s name in a dramatic drawl).” “Really?” I quizzed. “Yes!” he continued, “and some people ate the fruit of the tree, and they got in TROUBLE!” Later, when we took the children home, Timothy repeated this story to his mother. But he added… “And the lady and that girl ate the fruit, and they can’t ever go into the jungle again!”
This is what happens when we don’t listen to God! Well, okay… maybe we will still be able to “go into the jungle” – which means that God continues to love us, and we Christians can still enjoy the blessings of Salvation…even when we sin. But this kind of thinking focuses on settling for “adequate” rather than operating in “abundance.” I don’t know about you… but I’d rather have operate in the latter!
Do you really want a life of “good enough”… of barely getting by… of living in the relative drudgery of putting one foot in front of the other each day and doing the same old thing for years on end? I’m not just talking about your physical assets – home, car, clothing and possessions – or your job. I’m also talking about having relationships that are stale – or always in some sort of state of discord or high drama… living with a poor self-image…and worst of all, lacking in joy and confidence with regard to your relationship with the Holy Spirit… or feeling like you don’t even have a relationship with the Holy Spirit in the first place.
When we live God’s way, scripture describes how all sorts of things come into full view for us… how we find ourselves feeling more complete and satisfied… functioning at a higher level in all areas of life. My dad would call this “running on all cylinders”… and hopefully you get this picture! God has perfect plans for each of us. All we have to do is seek them – and follow through! Clearly, our little four-year-old has a few things to learn yet about sin and disobedience… or does he? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to chance being exiled from the “jungle” of God’s gifts forever.
Will you listen to GOD and live His way? Aren’t you ready to experience His peace? Are you ready to eat the “good fruit” He wishes to give you? Isn’t today the perfect time to begin?
©2013 Debbie Robus
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
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.
Sunday morning after church, we got everyone fastened into car seats and started to drive out of the church parking lot. I asked Timothy, “What did you learn in Sunday school today?” He replied, “We learned that you have to listen to GOD (emphasis here on the Father’s name in a dramatic drawl).” “Really?” I quizzed. “Yes!” he continued, “and some people ate the fruit of the tree, and they got in TROUBLE!” Later, when we took the children home, Timothy repeated this story to his mother. But he added… “And the lady and that girl ate the fruit, and they can’t ever go into the jungle again!”
This is what happens when we don’t listen to God! Well, okay… maybe we will still be able to “go into the jungle” – which means that God continues to love us, and we Christians can still enjoy the blessings of Salvation…even when we sin. But this kind of thinking focuses on settling for “adequate” rather than operating in “abundance.” I don’t know about you… but I’d rather have operate in the latter!
Do you really want a life of “good enough”… of barely getting by… of living in the relative drudgery of putting one foot in front of the other each day and doing the same old thing for years on end? I’m not just talking about your physical assets – home, car, clothing and possessions – or your job. I’m also talking about having relationships that are stale – or always in some sort of state of discord or high drama… living with a poor self-image…and worst of all, lacking in joy and confidence with regard to your relationship with the Holy Spirit… or feeling like you don’t even have a relationship with the Holy Spirit in the first place.
When we live God’s way, scripture describes how all sorts of things come into full view for us… how we find ourselves feeling more complete and satisfied… functioning at a higher level in all areas of life. My dad would call this “running on all cylinders”… and hopefully you get this picture! God has perfect plans for each of us. All we have to do is seek them – and follow through! Clearly, our little four-year-old has a few things to learn yet about sin and disobedience… or does he? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to chance being exiled from the “jungle” of God’s gifts forever.
Will you listen to GOD and live His way? Aren’t you ready to experience His peace? Are you ready to eat the “good fruit” He wishes to give you? Isn’t today the perfect time to begin?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 21, 2013
Colossians 1:19-20
God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I would not have made a good “Old Testament” woman! I cannot imagine living every day with the knowledge that I would have to make this sacrifice or another to atone for my sins…that a priest would talk to God for me and decide how I should live and what I should do to show my loyalty and honor to Him. I can barely remember to take my grocery list to the store, so how on earth would I remember all of the rules about what was unclean – and when…which days to do what…how to clean and dress this animal or that and what we could and could not eat! I have to imagine that for most, life in Old Testament days was anything but peaceful.
We don’t fully comprehend how blessed we are because of Jesus. Few of us really understand how peaceful He made life for us because of His sacrifices on the cross. We take for granted the privilege of talking directly to God… and most of us certainly lack ample appreciation for our salvation and all that it implies. In a nutshell, the incredibly horrific, selfless and complicated sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross gave our lives amazing simplicity, by comparison. Because of Jesus, all who believe in Him and call on His name are saved – forever. Because of Jesus…we can talk to God anytime we want or need, and His Holy Spirit can dwell in our heart to guide us every second of the day. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to worry about sacrificing animals or which meat is clean or unclean… we don’t have to pay attention to rites, rituals and burnt offerings. We don’t need anyone else to tell us how to worship, what to believe, or what the Bible says… we can read God’s word for ourselves and personally discover His teachings.
The beauty of finding God’s peace lies in the simplicity of a relationship with Him. We don’t have to jump through hoops. We don’t need bells and whistles… we just need Jesus. My cousin JD is preaching a tent revival in Fairview, Alabama. He and two other evangelists have held worship every night for three weeks now. A local newspaper interviewed the evangelists about the services and the hundreds of people who are coming every night to hear God’s word and find His peace and healing.
I read the interview online, along with several dozen comments submitted by other readers. Sadly, most were negative. How could these men believe that drug addicts would immediately lose their addiction at the altar? Who in their right mind would think people could really be healed by God in an instant and lay down a cane or a walker and stroll away without pain? Many said this was like many other “business ventures”… when the money (or in this case, the people) dried up and stopped coming in… the evangelists will “close shop.”
Sadly, too many people do not see the simplicity and peace that Jesus can bring. There is nothing fancy about an open-air tent on a hot June night in Alabama. There is no big choir or even a Praise and Worship Team. One man from a local congregation plays a keyboard and leads congregational praise and worship singing. People are coming for a hefty dose of one thing… Jesus… and they are getting all they asked for, and more. But many of us are skeptical. We are like the Old Testament people. We think we surely must jump through some hoops, butcher a goat, or SOMETHING! It surely can’t be as simple as trusting in Jesus… can it?
The time has come to start truly seeking Jesus...and trusting Him to give us peace. We need to un-complicate our lives and stop looking for blaring horns, fireworks and bright lights… and focus on the One who can change things forever. The answer to 99% of our stresses can be found in Jesus. Through His own chaos, turmoil and suffering, He bought and paid for perpetual peace for each of us. So why aren’t we operating in it?
When was the last time you called on Jesus… for anything? Isn’t it time to turn back to Him? God is waiting… what’s keeping you from Him – and from operating in His peace?
©2013 Debbie Robus
God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I would not have made a good “Old Testament” woman! I cannot imagine living every day with the knowledge that I would have to make this sacrifice or another to atone for my sins…that a priest would talk to God for me and decide how I should live and what I should do to show my loyalty and honor to Him. I can barely remember to take my grocery list to the store, so how on earth would I remember all of the rules about what was unclean – and when…which days to do what…how to clean and dress this animal or that and what we could and could not eat! I have to imagine that for most, life in Old Testament days was anything but peaceful.
We don’t fully comprehend how blessed we are because of Jesus. Few of us really understand how peaceful He made life for us because of His sacrifices on the cross. We take for granted the privilege of talking directly to God… and most of us certainly lack ample appreciation for our salvation and all that it implies. In a nutshell, the incredibly horrific, selfless and complicated sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross gave our lives amazing simplicity, by comparison. Because of Jesus, all who believe in Him and call on His name are saved – forever. Because of Jesus…we can talk to God anytime we want or need, and His Holy Spirit can dwell in our heart to guide us every second of the day. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to worry about sacrificing animals or which meat is clean or unclean… we don’t have to pay attention to rites, rituals and burnt offerings. We don’t need anyone else to tell us how to worship, what to believe, or what the Bible says… we can read God’s word for ourselves and personally discover His teachings.
The beauty of finding God’s peace lies in the simplicity of a relationship with Him. We don’t have to jump through hoops. We don’t need bells and whistles… we just need Jesus. My cousin JD is preaching a tent revival in Fairview, Alabama. He and two other evangelists have held worship every night for three weeks now. A local newspaper interviewed the evangelists about the services and the hundreds of people who are coming every night to hear God’s word and find His peace and healing.
I read the interview online, along with several dozen comments submitted by other readers. Sadly, most were negative. How could these men believe that drug addicts would immediately lose their addiction at the altar? Who in their right mind would think people could really be healed by God in an instant and lay down a cane or a walker and stroll away without pain? Many said this was like many other “business ventures”… when the money (or in this case, the people) dried up and stopped coming in… the evangelists will “close shop.”
Sadly, too many people do not see the simplicity and peace that Jesus can bring. There is nothing fancy about an open-air tent on a hot June night in Alabama. There is no big choir or even a Praise and Worship Team. One man from a local congregation plays a keyboard and leads congregational praise and worship singing. People are coming for a hefty dose of one thing… Jesus… and they are getting all they asked for, and more. But many of us are skeptical. We are like the Old Testament people. We think we surely must jump through some hoops, butcher a goat, or SOMETHING! It surely can’t be as simple as trusting in Jesus… can it?
The time has come to start truly seeking Jesus...and trusting Him to give us peace. We need to un-complicate our lives and stop looking for blaring horns, fireworks and bright lights… and focus on the One who can change things forever. The answer to 99% of our stresses can be found in Jesus. Through His own chaos, turmoil and suffering, He bought and paid for perpetual peace for each of us. So why aren’t we operating in it?
When was the last time you called on Jesus… for anything? Isn’t it time to turn back to Him? God is waiting… what’s keeping you from Him – and from operating in His peace?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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