Philemon 1:3
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
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.
Suppose someone you loved and trusted came to you with a Rolex watch and said, “I want you to have this.” Wouldn’t you feel confident that the watch was authentic? If one of your parents, grandparents, or another close relative handed you an envelope with a lot of money and said, “This is a gift. Spend it however you please.”… would you believe them? Would you feel free to spend the money on whatever you wanted?
Why can we so readily believe human beings… yet when Jesus tells us, “My peace I leave with you…” we figure there must be a catch? Either Jesus’ peace comes with strings attached… or it isn’t truly real in the first place. We need to understand that neither of these statements is true.
Jesus sacrificed everything for our salvation…to give us complete peace in Him. Because of Jesus, we can find peace even when we are worried about college or an upcoming test. When we face a major change in our life… a move, a new job, marriage – or the end of a relationship, the birth of a baby and the rearing of children, illness, aging, or even death… Jesus offers us His peace as we work our way through every circumstance. When we are saddled with grief, loneliness, uncertainty, fear, conflict, or sadness of any sort… peace in Jesus is only a prayer away.
Along with His peace, Jesus also offers us grace. So as our hearts are breaking, or we are so mad and upset we could spit nails… we can find peace in Him and handle the situation with poise and dignity. When we are scared out of our wits or so nervous we cannot eat or sleep, Jesus can give us peace and grace to calm down, stick out our chin, and face the day with confidence. And the best part is that these gifts don’t cost us a dime. We don’t have to do anything to earn Jesus’ peace and grace… we cannot do anything to earn these gifts, and we can “spend” them any way we desire. Really, the only way to mess this up is to ignore Jesus’ offerings… or refuse to accept them in the first place!
All we have to do to receive the peace and grace of Jesus is to accept it… to trust that these gifts are genuine… that He is authentic… and to fully embrace His amazing gestures of love. God sends us many incredible blessings and gifts through Jesus Christ…but His peace and grace are among two of the greatest. Have you received these for yourself? Are you ready to fully acknowledge His constant presence and strength in your life? Will this be the day you begin to fully operate in Jesus’ peace and grace? Have you fully accepted His gifts?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label operating in grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label operating in grace. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for January 23, 2013
1 John 3:14-15
The way we know we’ve been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn’t love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don’t go together.
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 really enjoy Facebook… most of the time. This social media venue is great for keeping up with our friends’ daughter and grandchildren – and my cousins – who live in northwest Arkansas. I’ve reconnected with cousins in Texas that I have not seen since childhood. I can share photos of my niece’s three babies with family members and friends who live out of town and rarely, if ever get to see them. We can see pictures of our great nieces and nephew who live in Tennessee and Missouri. AND…I can keep up with former students from Texas to Iowa to Japan, relatives and friends scattered all over the country… and I can even participate in some online garage sales!
However, I have to wade through some pretty nasty posts a lot of the time. This venue has provided some people with a platform for spewing venom and hatred… and more than a few have thoroughly honed their skills. The worst part is that many of these people spout hatred in one breath… and claim Jesus in the next!
We all need to take a good, hard look at 1 John 3:14-15 today. Do you see the line that says “anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer”? Do you get that when you speak so insufferably about another human being – and encourage your “friends” to join you – that you are as good as wishing them dead? Where in the life of a Christian does this fit? How did you become an officer in the courts of Heaven?
We all have the right of free speech… and the liberty to have - and voice - our opinions. But we cannot claim the name of Jesus and harbor hatred in our heart…even if we never speak it aloud or post a comment on a social media outlet. The minute you start to feel anything that approaches loathing toward another living soul, you need to stop in your tracks and ask God to strengthen you… to give you a spirit if love, forgiveness, grace, mercy and tolerance.
If someone behaves in a way you do not like, talk to God about it. Don’t ask Him to correct this person – you are not the judge and jury. Ask God to touch this person’s heart… to guide him/her according to HIS will… to give them a spirit of receptiveness to His wisdom and teachings. And ask God to give you a spirit of love and acceptance… maybe not of the person’s behaviors – but most certainly of the person.
I know this is hard… we have become a society of haters, it seems. “Oh, but I don’t HATE anybody,” you may say. And maybe you don’t. But you have to admit that we have all found it pretty easy to embrace – and sometimes express – some pretty awful thoughts about others. I don’t want to operate this way… I don’t want to have murderous thoughts or feelings… and that’s exactly what scripture says a spirit of hatred encompasses.
This is really heady stuff, and we need to stop today and take a moment to consider how we think and feel… where we have fallen short of the tremendous power that God grants us through His gifts of grace, mercy and forgiveness. We need to revisit His command to love one another and share these gifts with those in our path. Are you operating in a spirit of hatred? Are you, in essence, a murderer? Don’t you want to change this? Ask God to help you begin your transformation TODAY! Transfer from death to life and operate in the love of Jesus toward everyone. Don’t be one of “those people.” Instead, choose a genuine, loving life in Christ… and let grace, mercy and tolerance of others be your constant hallmark.
©2013 Debbie Robus
The way we know we’ve been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn’t love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don’t go together.
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 really enjoy Facebook… most of the time. This social media venue is great for keeping up with our friends’ daughter and grandchildren – and my cousins – who live in northwest Arkansas. I’ve reconnected with cousins in Texas that I have not seen since childhood. I can share photos of my niece’s three babies with family members and friends who live out of town and rarely, if ever get to see them. We can see pictures of our great nieces and nephew who live in Tennessee and Missouri. AND…I can keep up with former students from Texas to Iowa to Japan, relatives and friends scattered all over the country… and I can even participate in some online garage sales!
However, I have to wade through some pretty nasty posts a lot of the time. This venue has provided some people with a platform for spewing venom and hatred… and more than a few have thoroughly honed their skills. The worst part is that many of these people spout hatred in one breath… and claim Jesus in the next!
We all need to take a good, hard look at 1 John 3:14-15 today. Do you see the line that says “anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer”? Do you get that when you speak so insufferably about another human being – and encourage your “friends” to join you – that you are as good as wishing them dead? Where in the life of a Christian does this fit? How did you become an officer in the courts of Heaven?
We all have the right of free speech… and the liberty to have - and voice - our opinions. But we cannot claim the name of Jesus and harbor hatred in our heart…even if we never speak it aloud or post a comment on a social media outlet. The minute you start to feel anything that approaches loathing toward another living soul, you need to stop in your tracks and ask God to strengthen you… to give you a spirit if love, forgiveness, grace, mercy and tolerance.
If someone behaves in a way you do not like, talk to God about it. Don’t ask Him to correct this person – you are not the judge and jury. Ask God to touch this person’s heart… to guide him/her according to HIS will… to give them a spirit of receptiveness to His wisdom and teachings. And ask God to give you a spirit of love and acceptance… maybe not of the person’s behaviors – but most certainly of the person.
I know this is hard… we have become a society of haters, it seems. “Oh, but I don’t HATE anybody,” you may say. And maybe you don’t. But you have to admit that we have all found it pretty easy to embrace – and sometimes express – some pretty awful thoughts about others. I don’t want to operate this way… I don’t want to have murderous thoughts or feelings… and that’s exactly what scripture says a spirit of hatred encompasses.
This is really heady stuff, and we need to stop today and take a moment to consider how we think and feel… where we have fallen short of the tremendous power that God grants us through His gifts of grace, mercy and forgiveness. We need to revisit His command to love one another and share these gifts with those in our path. Are you operating in a spirit of hatred? Are you, in essence, a murderer? Don’t you want to change this? Ask God to help you begin your transformation TODAY! Transfer from death to life and operate in the love of Jesus toward everyone. Don’t be one of “those people.” Instead, choose a genuine, loving life in Christ… and let grace, mercy and tolerance of others be your constant hallmark.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 21, 2012
Matthew 11:28-29
If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Timmy and I watched “Daisy Bothers Minnie,” a Disney video. Minnie Mouse and her cat, Figero, are all set to relax for the evening, when Daisy calls to say she has a problem at her house and cannot take her “therapeutic bath.” Even though Minnie has plans for the evening, Daisy inserts herself into Minnie’s night and comes right on over. Then she imposes over and over, causing all sorts of problems, and totally interrupting Minnie’s “quiet night at home.” To say that Minnie Mouse was frustrated would be a major understatement. Minnie was more than tired from carrying heavy burdens!
From the demands of family members and friends to school and work - to concerns about the world at large, our burdens can get pretty heavy. Some have worries that seem like they would crush Superman, much less us ordinary humans. Around the world, illness, debt, relationship difficulties, homelessness, war, separation, hunger, fear and oppression, and more weigh heavily on the shoulders of millions of people every minute of the day. But even if your own “burdens” pale in comparison to those of someone in a war-torn country or a person who is facing a serious illness or the prospect of homelessness, they are YOUR burdens and have real significance in your life and the lives of those with whom you interact.
The amazingly wonderful thing is that God can handle ALL burdens. The woman in the Sudan who cannot feed herself or her children can cry out to God just like the student in a college classroom who needs help getting through freshman English! The soldier who is stationed halfway around the world in Afghanistan and won’t be home for Thanksgiving can experience rest in the LORD just as much as the elderly shut-in who will spend the holiday in his/her living room, all alone, watching parades and ballgames on TV.
The hostage in a war-torn country who is beaten and imprisoned can feel the same comfort and care from God as the foster child who is separated from his/her biological family and doesn’t know what will happen next. Every single one of us has “burdens” that seem like more than we can handle at one time or another, and God stands ready to take this load from each of us… if only we will ask Him to do so.
These verses in The Message say in part… “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to lay my burdens down at the feet of Jesus and learn the unforced rhythms of His grace.
So often, we’re like Minnie Mouse… we reach our limits with friends, family members, work, school, and the worries of our day. We are ready to “have a quiet night” and relax… and something – or someone like Daisy Duck – comes along to ruin our plans. We can become overwhelmed in a hurry. God understands this, and He is saying, “I’ve got this. Let me handle things while you rest.” Aren’t you ready to do this? Isn’t it time we stopped throwing up our hands and screaming in frustration? Won’t you simply pick up the easy, gentle, graceful yoke of God and wear it for a change… and let Him handle the heavy stuff?
©2012 Debbie Robus
If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Timmy and I watched “Daisy Bothers Minnie,” a Disney video. Minnie Mouse and her cat, Figero, are all set to relax for the evening, when Daisy calls to say she has a problem at her house and cannot take her “therapeutic bath.” Even though Minnie has plans for the evening, Daisy inserts herself into Minnie’s night and comes right on over. Then she imposes over and over, causing all sorts of problems, and totally interrupting Minnie’s “quiet night at home.” To say that Minnie Mouse was frustrated would be a major understatement. Minnie was more than tired from carrying heavy burdens!
From the demands of family members and friends to school and work - to concerns about the world at large, our burdens can get pretty heavy. Some have worries that seem like they would crush Superman, much less us ordinary humans. Around the world, illness, debt, relationship difficulties, homelessness, war, separation, hunger, fear and oppression, and more weigh heavily on the shoulders of millions of people every minute of the day. But even if your own “burdens” pale in comparison to those of someone in a war-torn country or a person who is facing a serious illness or the prospect of homelessness, they are YOUR burdens and have real significance in your life and the lives of those with whom you interact.
The amazingly wonderful thing is that God can handle ALL burdens. The woman in the Sudan who cannot feed herself or her children can cry out to God just like the student in a college classroom who needs help getting through freshman English! The soldier who is stationed halfway around the world in Afghanistan and won’t be home for Thanksgiving can experience rest in the LORD just as much as the elderly shut-in who will spend the holiday in his/her living room, all alone, watching parades and ballgames on TV.
The hostage in a war-torn country who is beaten and imprisoned can feel the same comfort and care from God as the foster child who is separated from his/her biological family and doesn’t know what will happen next. Every single one of us has “burdens” that seem like more than we can handle at one time or another, and God stands ready to take this load from each of us… if only we will ask Him to do so.
These verses in The Message say in part… “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to lay my burdens down at the feet of Jesus and learn the unforced rhythms of His grace.
So often, we’re like Minnie Mouse… we reach our limits with friends, family members, work, school, and the worries of our day. We are ready to “have a quiet night” and relax… and something – or someone like Daisy Duck – comes along to ruin our plans. We can become overwhelmed in a hurry. God understands this, and He is saying, “I’ve got this. Let me handle things while you rest.” Aren’t you ready to do this? Isn’t it time we stopped throwing up our hands and screaming in frustration? Won’t you simply pick up the easy, gentle, graceful yoke of God and wear it for a change… and let Him handle the heavy stuff?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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