Daily Devotional for November 5, 2016

Matthew 6:22-23
“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

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.

This morning, I awoke in darkness, even though the sun had been up for more than an hour.  We have room darkening drapery and blinds on one side of our bedroom…and a dark, windowless hallway just outside the other.  So even on the sunniest day, there is darkness until the door is opened to the rest of our house…which is virtually walled in windows.  Then the light comes flooding in and fills ups every nook and cranny!

When I was a young teenager, I loved to keep the curtains drawn tightly for much of the morning in summer.  It was as if as long as the light and the “outside world” were not visible, we didn’t have to start our day.  We could laze in pajamas, drain the last cups of coffee from my dad’s percolator, and pretend that we didn’t have anything we had to do all day.  My mother was attending college classes at a university some 40 miles away and didn’t return home until after noon, so we would piddle around until about an hour before she arrived, then scramble like “Samantha” on the TV sitcom “Bewitched” to get the kitchen cleaned, beds made, and all of our other chores done…and yes, open the curtains!

We like the darkness when we are trying to sleep or be lazy for a day. But too many of us choose to stay in the dark much of the time. We either try to shut out the outside world…or we squint to see things as we wish them to be, rather than review them in the bright light of truth.  It seems to me that lately there has been a lot of “squinting” and “curtain pulling” in our country, as people try to put their own “spin” on how things are…or how they want them to be.

The time has come to open the blinds…and open our eyes.  We need to trust God to handle everything that is happening to us…to seek His will and believe that He truly knows best…and we need to demonstrate this to others.  No more hand wringing…no more “trash talk” and berating of one another…no more picking and choosing what to believe or support based on our own agendas and desires – or because it just “feels good.”  The time has come to fill our bodies with the Light of Christ…and act like it!

I will be the first to admit that I have had my moments where the issue wasn’t that I didn’t trust God…but I got caught up in the negativity and “gloom and doom” despair that seems to be a pervading attitude among many.  My sweet husband reminded me this morning that we are “glass half full” people.  God gave him words of encouragement and logic to speak to me that were a reminder of WHO is in charge…and how blessed we are because of Jesus.

So I am challenging each of us to get out from under the covers, pull back the curtains, and open our eyes to the bright light of Jesus Christ.  Let’s trust Him to do what only He can and embrace the wonderful, amazing, abundant life that He offers each of us.  And let’s begin today!

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for September 9, 2016

September 9 ~ John 3:27-30
John answered, “It’s not possible for a person to succeed—I’m talking about eternal success—without heaven’s help. You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready. The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom’s friend, his ‘best man’—that’s me—in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start?

“That’s why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.

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.
    
During the Sunday school lesson last week for second and third graders, I mentioned my brother Tim, who died almost 18 years ago.  It was like a light bulb went on in Timothy’s head, and he said, “OH!  So Uncle Tim was named for ME?”  I smiled and explained that it was the other way around…that Uncle Tim was here first.  This was logical thinking for a seven-year-old.  Little children tend to believe that the world revolves around them.  And I will have to say that most of the time, Timothy is unusually empathetic for his age. Still…every child has his/her moments.

You and I are no longer children.  We cannot afford the “luxury” of selfish thinking…much less the assumption that “we’ve got this” by ourselves.  There is no way that we can navigate “life” on our own for even the shortest amount of time.  And if you believe differently, you are in for some pretty big heartaches and disappointments.

A friend shared a post on Facebook that started off, “Imagine getting to heaven and hearing God say”…and then “God” described how thought of us before we were born…laid out plans for us and prepared the way. “God” noted how He gave us time to accomplish these goals and supplied us with the Holy Spirit to guide and protect us…and provided us with missions and opportunities to fulfill them. And then it ends with “Let’s talk about how that all went.”

Too many of us want to have Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our hip pocket…but we still want the spotlight.  We want it to be all about us…about our needs and desires.  We spend our lives asking, “Is it fun?  Will I enjoy this?  Will it make me happy? What about ME?”  And the truth is…it’s not about us at all.  There’s an old hymn – “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” - that says, “Thou are the potter, I am the clay.”  Jesus is the bridegroom…you and I are just the “bridesmaids and groomsmen.”  Our job is to support Him…to fulfill His plans and missions…to step aside and bask in the rays of His limelight.

A little self-absorption is cute when you are a child…but it is in no way an attractive quality in adults…especially people who are supposed to represent Jesus.  Humility, servitude, and the desire to keep Christ front and center are hallmarks of a faithful Christian disciple.  It may never be “your turn” or “about you”…and that’s okay.  When Jesus is given top priority, all other things fall into place as He designed.  THIS is what truly matters!

When God has the talk with you about “how things went,” what will you have to say for yourself?  Have you stepped aside and given Jesus the spotlight?  Or are you still fighting to get off the sidelines and take center stage?  How you answer makes all the difference…both now and for all eternity.  Where are you standing today?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for May 29, 2016

Revelation 22:5
Never again will night appear, and no one who lives there will ever need a lamp or the sun. The Lord God will be their light, and they will rule forever.  Jesus answered, “God wants you to have faith in the one he sent.”

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 
Our little ones have a hard time going to sleep at night when they visit us. They want the light left on – or some form of illumination nearby - and I get that.  When I was a little girl, my siblings and I would go to stay with our paternal grandparents at their farm “in the country.”  Their house sat on a dirt road, surrounded by thick forests…and the darkness at night was beyond what I can describe. There were no street lights. No digital clock on the night stand delivered the time in LED.  There was no blinking smoke alarm in the ceiling - or glow from so much as the power light on a television set!

And the quiet was amazing!  The only noise was the steady tick-tock of my grandparents’ mantel clock as it counted down the minutes and chimed on the hour and half-hour.  So I lay there many nights, trying to “see” in the darkness - and listening to that clock…totally unable to relax and fall asleep!
 
This might have something to do with why I keep so many lights on in our house today.  We have twinkling lights that are plugged in each morning – lamps on timers that go on and off different hours of the day and night.  And I leave a light on in our bathroom each night, so that we are not stumbling around in the darkness.  I am not afraid of the dark…but I have to say that I prefer the light…and I am more than a little glad to hear that there will be no darkness in heaven!

I am also grateful that Jesus (and His Holy Spirit) illuminates my heart… and for the most part, there is no room for the devil and his darkness.  I marvel sometimes at how sources of light have crept into our contemporary lives…how we are never in a room that some gadget doesn’t have a light source, like the LED display on digital clocks and the alarms in our walls/ceilings.  And we think nothing of it.

By contrast, I’m afraid that many of us have grown complacent and accepting of the intrusions of darkness in our hearts - and the devil’s attempt to pepper the light with areas of sin and iniquity. If we are not careful and diligent, we will allow him to sneak in little areas of darkness that can grow over time – and we’ll never even see it coming.

When I think of Jesus…and Heaven…I think of bright light that never fades.  I picture a light so bright and pure that we shouldn’t be able to even handle it without protective eyewear – and yet we bask in its brilliance with eagerness and boundless joy.  I want all of this Light that I can get – even now!  I have faith that Jesus is ALL that I need…and I trust Him to care for me completely.  So I am doubling down on my efforts to stay close to Him…to listen for His voice and “keep the lights on” as much as possible. What about you?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for March 3, 2016

1 John 2:9-11
Anyone who claims to live in God’s light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. It’s the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God’s light and doesn’t block the light from others. But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn’t know which end is up, blinded by the darkness.

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.
       

My great-aunt Altha (left) and my
maternal grandmother Loree - obviously
on a family picnic.  In the background
is my paternal grandmother, Polly!

Last night I was looking through an old photo album from my mother’s.  I found a photo of my grandmother and my great-aunt – her sister – standing arm-in-arm.  They were obviously on a family outing…both had on red “pedal-pushers” (we sometimes call them “capris” today), and there were items in the background that indicated this was a picnic.  I wanted to get a closer look at this photo, which was dimmed by age.  So I moved the photo album directly under a lamp with a fairly strong light bulb.  I plan to scan the photo and see if I can enhance the details even further with light and shadows, so that I can get a full and clear picture of what was going on that day.

If ever there were an applicable scripture passage for what is currently happening, this is it!  I know that people have been disparaging one another for centuries…but with all of the media that is instantly available to us these days, we are far more aware of this – and much too numb to its effects. 

We have become all too complacent with the darkness of hatred.  You may think it is not only your right – but your DUTY – to speak out against people who observe other religions – or no religious belief at all. You may honestly believe that people who practice alternative lifestyles are sinners who live in immorality. You or someone you know and love may have had an unpleasant experience with a person from another race or ethnic or socioeconomic group, and now you feel justified in lumping everyone from that group together and judging them negatively.

You may be aggravated and disgusted with lazy people who won’t work and those who appear to always have their hand out…often at YOUR expense, if only inadvertently through your tax dollars and charitable gifts.  And you may feel compelled to publicly express your disdain with these folks – even at the risk of including some who really are trying and cannot help their situation and need for assistance.

In each of these situations and circumstances…you may feel completely entitled to shed a little darkness.  And in every one of them, you would be living a contradiction to your Christian faith.  If we truly live in God’s light…we must step aside and let Him shine on every person…with no exceptions.  When we start to criticize, berate, disparage…and yes, HATE someone else…we have effectively blocked God’s light and “blurred the photograph” of others’ lives.  And God is heartbroken by this.

I cannot say this any more effectively than scripture…we cannot claim to live in God’s light and then create an atmosphere of darkness for others.  We cannot say or do anything that might even suggest the impression of blocking His light from anyone else.  We cannot discriminate, condemn, judge, insult, verbally abuse, and yes, HATE other people because they make us uncomfortable or we do not like their words and actions, for whatever reason.  We cannot risk blocking God’s light.  Conversely, we must do everything we can to allow His light to shine even more brightly on all people.

Let me be clear. I am not pleased in the least with a lot of people who are offering their opinions on a variety of subjects and situations these days.  I do not approve of the venom that is being spewed by politicians…the hatred that is directed at so many people and groups.  But insulting these people and trying to “shout them down” in some manner makes us just as bad in God’s eyes. 

Jesus had the power and authority to do this, and yet, the times I can actually count in scripture where He lashed out at someone else are minimal.  Instead He taught us to operate in love, compassion, grace, mercy, forgiveness…and yes, LIGHT!  Jesus demonstrated how we must step aside and let God’s light shine on all people, so that the features and details are fully illuminated and clarified…and His glory can truly be illuminated.

Are we contributing to the darkness with our words and actions?  Or are we positioned so that God’s glory and power shines brightly on others? My question for each of us today is…”Where are we standing?” 

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for March 28, 2015

Psalm 119:103-105
Your teachings are sweeter
    than honey.
They give me understanding
    and make me hate all lies.
Your word is a lamp
    that gives light
    wherever I walk.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
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I’ve been sewing for the kids for Easter…a dress and matching pants for Zola, t-shirts with pockets in a coordinating fabric for the boys.  Everywhere I turn in my sewing room, there are lights.  There is bright fluorescent light overhead…a bright LED light on my sewing machine, and another bright bulb on my serger.  Even my iron has a light that tells me when the device is turned on – and blinks when the iron has been left unattended for more than a few minutes!  I cannot imagine trying to sew without these lights.  Well, okay…I guess I could do without the light on the iron – or could I?!

Without a strong light source, many daily tasks would be virtually impossible.  And so it is with God.  If we do not have His “Light source” – Jesus Christ – there are a lot of things that will always loom just beyond our grasp…like true joy, peace, comfort, wisdom, and courage.  If our hearts are not illuminated with the “Light” of the Holy Spirit, we will never experience an understanding of what it means to belong fully to God.

Someone told me recently that there are those who teach and preach God’s grace and love…but really do not feed us the scriptures.  They do not give us doctrine and Biblical instruction.  My reply was that until one understands the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ…until the LIGHT of His passion – and compassion – for each of us fills our hearts and minds, we will not hear the teachings of the scriptures.  They will hold no meaning for us – at least not to the extent that God intends.

My message to you today is that God loves you…far beyond what you could ever imagine and in spite of anything you might have ever thought, said, or done.  GOD LOVES YOU…so much that He sent Jesus to light the way for you to find Him. GOD LOVES YOU…so much that He allowed Jesus to die for your sins - and then gave you His Holy Spirit to illuminate your heart. God wants His word and will for your life to be sweeter than honey…He wants you to understand how perfect His plans and promises are for each of us. 

I cannot imagine what my sewing projects would look like if I created them in the dark…and I don’t even want to think about what my life would look like without the Light of Christ!  Won’t you fully embrace His Light for yourself and walk in His ways?  Will this be the day that you begin?

©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for March 12, 2015

John 3:19-21
Their sentence is based on this fact: that the Light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the Light, for their deeds were evil.  They hated the heavenly Light because they wanted to sin in the darkness. They stayed away from that Light for fear their sins would be exposed and they would be punished.   But those doing right come gladly to the Light to let everyone see that they are doing what God wants them to.”

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Our kitchen, living and dining areas are basically all one big room.  The “house and garden experts” call this “open concept living”.  One wall of this room is almost completely covered in windows that start about knee-high and go all the way to the ceiling.  So early on sunny mornings, this room is flooded with bright light!  And I will tell you, there have been mornings that I wished for darkness!  Every single speck of dust…every crumb…every piece of lint, fuzz (and cat hair) shows in that bright light. 

I am not nearly as diligent with my housekeeping as I once was - so there are times when it looks pretty bad.  But I will also add that in the brightest of sunrises, I don’t think there is any amount of housekeeping that could prevent SOME dust from being exposed!  And that’s just how it is with our Christian fellowship!

There is a delicate balance between wishing the morning was dark enough that God wouldn’t so blatantly illuminate our sins and shortcomings…and feeling like you have done your best and can proudly live with what His bright “Sonlight” reveals.  Because you see, we will never be perfect…and by God’s grace and mercy, this is okay.  But we cannot use this as an excuse or a license to operate in darkness and expect God to forgive and forget.

Those bright days when the house is not as clean as it needs to be are a physical reminder to me of how my life in Christ may be on any given day.  And while I may not get any more zealous with my housekeeping any time soon, I am doing all I can to maintain a spotless home for God in my heart.  I want to fellowship with Him in a way that never causes embarrassment to either of us.  I want to be able to stand in God’s bright light and know that I am flawed, but forgiven…less than perfect, but loved anyway.  I want to know that I have given Him my very best…and I have nothing to hide. What about you?

©2015 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for January 29, 2015

1 John 1:6-7
If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth. But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.
 
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 
In the last few days, a series of events have occurred that – even more than usual – have demonstrated God’s perfect timing. As I talked to God about these events, I thanked Him for opening my eyes and ears, so that I see more clearly than ever how His hand is in even the smallest details of my life.  To me, this represents tremendous growth in my faith - and fellowship - with God…and I am truly grateful.
 
I turned to Google to search for more clear interpretations and insights on these verses from 1 John 1…and I discovered an interesting commentary from pastor and expositor Ray Stedman.* Stedman details the difference between a “relationship” with God…and a “fellowship”.  He maintains that there are a lot of Christians who have a “relationship” – and they ARE Christians. But they “live in the dark” because they have not cultivated a “fellowship” with God, in which “He warms, fills, and fulfills us and unveils reality to us by showing up the false” as we walk in His light.
 
In other words, many of us treat our Christian faith like electricity.  Just because you have electrical power does not mean you necessarily have “light”…until you flip the switch!  In the same way, many Christians have failed to “turn on the light” of God.  They have salvation through the blood of Jesus.  They belong to God and are promised Eternal Life in His presence.  But they are still walking in the dark.
 
So a “Christian in the dark” may have a sour, cynical outlook on life.  He/she may be negative, delight in gossip and the downfall of others, be easily depressed and discouraged, view Christian faith as a drudgery or chore, and generally “see the glass as half empty”.  A Christian who “lives in the light” with God can function in exactly the same set of circumstances with a completely different outcome.  The difference, Stedman suggests, is “fellowship.”
 
Fellowship with God can be cultivated through prayer, Bible study, and interaction with faith-filled Christians who already enjoy living in “the light” with Him.  We must genuinely hunger after God’s wisdom and be open to His guidance and instruction – in all of the forms in which He will send it.  We cannot become smug and assume that we “have it all together”.  God is continually teaching us.  If we wish to live in His light…we must be open to His messages…and remember to “flip on the switch”!
 
Too many Christians are fumbling in the dark…wondering where God has gone.  It’s time to find Him again.  It’s time to reconnect – or maybe to really connect for the first time – and to cultivate a true “fellowship” with Him.  Will this be the day that you “turn on the light” and make the connection?
 
©2015 Debbie Robus
 
*http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/1-john/the-man-who-ignores-light

Daily Devotional for April 28, 2014

Ephesians 5:8-10
You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do 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.
 
We were warned for days.  Every forecaster talked about the serious tornado threat for our area – up to a week beforehand.  The danger from impending tornadoes was the lead story on the national news broadcasts on Saturday evening…even though the storms were not expected for another 24 hours or so.  I sat in church Sunday morning and prayed for safety for everyone in Arkansas.  A line of thunderstorms with hail had come through earlier, and a soft rain fell.  I asked, “LORD…who won’t be here this evening?  What structures will be missing?  Will our area be hit?  Is this, quite literally, the ‘calm before the storm’?”  It seemed surreal…and nebulous.  “Maybe the storms will miss us,” we commented hopefully.
 
The storms did miss our community…but not those 40-50 miles to our south, with the cities of Mayflower and Vilonia, Arkansas, being hit the worst.  Storm debris, photos and papers from these areas have even been found near my neighborhood.  Lives have been taken.  Homes are destroyed.  The devastation defies description in a swath as much as a mile wide and spanning some 90 miles in distance.  This massive, violent storm was on the ground for a long, long time.  And worse yet, the tornado’s path was the same as one that emaciated much of this very area only three years ago.  Some people lost their homes – or suffered thousands of dollars in damage – in 2011…and now those refurbished or reconstructed homes are gone once again.  The death toll is 16…and climbing…as family and friends search for missing loved ones.
 
So today, as the sun tries to peek through the clouds and we step up out of our safe rooms and “hidey holes”…as we pull ourselves out of the murk and the darkness into the bright light of day and the truth of this horrific scene, we are left to ask a lot of questions…”WHY, LORD?  And…WHY the same area once again?  Why were two cities who have endured much hardship in recent years – including natural disasters and a man-made one – revisited with tragedy and incredible hardships?  What on earth do we do now?  Where do we turn?”
 
A couple of years ago, I watched incredible cable news footage of a tornado destroying homes in rural Oklahoma.  A photographer aboard a nearby helicopter captured the horrific scene, and the news station aired it live.  Once the storm passed, people began to emerge from underneath the rubble.  Where only the foundations of houses remained, doors to “safe rooms” in the ground opened, and entire families stepped up and out into the light of day.  They wandered…and stumbled…and appeared to be understandably dazed and confused.  And many are in that same condition today.
 
I watched an interview this morning with one young father whose house is gone – for the second time in three years.  He told the reporter, “We are still here by the grace of God.”  I know it is easy for me to say this from a safe distance…but the hand of God is evident in this tragic event – even now.  People are sharing harrowing stories of survival.  Many who lost everything they own are thanking God for keeping them physically safe.  Rescue and recovery efforts are organizing all over the state and nation.  People are praying.  And even in circumstances where loved ones have lost their lives, God is at work.  These deaths will not be in vain.  We cannot see it, but God is orchestrating the events of this storm – and its clean-up.  He is touching the hearts and lives of all who observe this devastation, and people are pulling together in restoration efforts.
 
People are figuring out what to do to please Christ…even as they grieve and struggle.  They are turning to Him for guidance as they stumble…because honestly, they don’t have a clue what to do of their own accord.  And Jesus is answering.  As we look to Him for wisdom and direction, He is walking with us.  If we will prayerfully move forward, He will guide our steps.  Our Heavenly Father will make sense of all of this for us in the daylight hours.  He will show us what is good…right…true…and equip us to do these things!
 
Where is God in this tragedy?  He is here…right smack dab in the middle of it!  He is holding our hand, picking up a shovel and scooping debris, and orchestrating rescue and restoration efforts.  He is soothing the broken hearts of the grieving, healing the injured, and touching the hearts and minds of His people.  He is saying, “Step into the light of Christ. Walk with Him…and when you can’t put one foot in front of another, let Him carry you. We will get through this!”
 
Christ’s bright light is making the way plain.  Have you come out of the darkness and found God?  This is the day to get busy doing what is good, right, and true – even in the midst of this horrific, devastating storm…to figure out what will please Christ, and then do it!  Are you with me?

©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for March 13, 2014

Ephesians 5:8-10
You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do 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 childhood friend of mine who teaches 3rd grade said that one of her students asked her if she has a disco ball at her house.  She asked, “How does he know what a disco ball is…and do I look like I have a disco ball at my house?”  Friends began to tease her about it, of course, and I told her and a mutual friend that there is no going back now…we all know what they really do together on “movie night”!

Of course, we were all having some harmless fun at my friends’ expense.  But this scripture passage did remind me once again that we truly do not know what goes on “behind closed doors”.  And for the most part, we should remind ourselves that as Christians, the “bright light of Christ” is always “on”…and people are watching!  Someone commented to the Facebook post and said that at one time, she truly did own a disco ball…but it she gave it away because she heard it could cause seizures.  Here’s the good news… the light of Christ is in no way harmful!  When you walk in Jesus’ light, you are not only “out in the open”…but you have no reason for stumbling around.  His light will direct your path in the best possible way.  You can count on Jesus’ love and light to illuminate the perfect plan for you…to show you how and where to serve Him, and what actions are appropriate.

I’m 99% sure my friend doesn’t really own a disco ball.  But if she does, I hope she dances to her heart’s content, because I know it would all be in harmless fun.  But I also hope that we will all stop and take a look at what is revealed in the bright light of Christ that illuminates our lives.  Do we represent Jesus well?  Do we share His love and compassion with others?  Do we tell them the Good News about salvation in Jesus and the opportunity to spend Eternity in His presence?  Are we caring, kind, honest, fair, merciful, gracious, forgiving, respectful, honest and genuine?  Do we show others an example of what pleases Jesus in our “walk” and our “talk”?

Isn’t it time we remembered that Jesus pulled us out of the murk and darkness of sin…and started acting like “children of the Light”?  Will this be the day that you begin?

©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for February 11, 2014

1 Corinthians 3:16-18
Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.

A friend posted a link on Facebook to an article about a man who has traced his DNA back to a time that he claims makes the account of Adam and Eve as the original humans impossible.  You can only imagine the debate this sparked.  This friend - an academic genius in my book – spoke of the Biblical story of Adam and Eve’s creation as an “allegory”.  He further commented…”I would rather let a God who cannot be simply defined lead the course of my life, rather than one who can be easily explained by a book.  For if such a book were so perfect in explaining everything, then why are there still so many questions unanswered?”

As you can imagine, the “camps” who commented were fairly evenly divided.  My friend cited “science” as indisputable.  I shared a link to an article that offered a suggestion that “science” and “religion” can co-exist and actually provide complimentary views.  But this devotional is not meant to spark a debate about creation science.  My point in sharing this example today is to discuss compassion for others…and their points of view.  How do we point them to God?  How do we get them to turn their face toward Him rather than away from Him?  I believe we must delicately balance our reactions…and responses…as well as our own behavior and daily witness.  In order to ensure that we remain face-to-face with God…and that we reflect His shining face to others, we must carefully weigh our thoughts, words and actions.

There was so much I wanted to say to this young friend.  I wanted to tell him how important God’s word is in my life…how each day I find even the same passage of scripture to be new and fresh.  God’s intent through these words and “stories” does not change…but how He uses them to guide my path can shift from one day to the next.  So the passage in James 4:8 that says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”(NLT) can say to me one day…”You need to spend more time in Bible study and prayer”…and another time it will tell me that “God is waiting to help you with this issue - scoot on over!”  The account of Adam and Eve serves to set the stage for explaining sin…and the devil’s influence in our lives.  On another day, God may use this “story” to illustrate to me how much He desires our companionship…and how He recognizes our own need for human company.

We must be ready to defend God’s word…and to share with others how He has cared for us and guided our steps.  We also need to know when to back off and let His face shine through us.  And this is where so many Christians seem to miss the mark.  In our “zeal” to be a “good Christian,” we say and do things that often bring about more harm than help.  We turn others off to the living, personal presence of God.  In essence, we raise the “veil” and create a sense of mystery and distance.

After prayer and careful consideration, I trashed my written response to my friend in favor of the article link and a simple “I love you.”  He sees my daily devotional posts. He knows me well…he knows where I stand – and with Whom.  Hopefully, he sees the light of Christ permeating my soul and shining through to him…and wants that same Light to shine in and through his life!

As you react and respond to others, consider this scripture passage, and ask yourself if you have humbly invited God to enter your life and transform you.  Is your face truly shining with the light of His face?  Are you sharing Christ Jesus’ love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and compassion with those whom you encounter?  Has the veil of confusion and mystique been dropped, so that God’s wisdom, power, love and care can truly be illuminated?  Do you offer others compassion – and a glimpse of something that they would wish to run toward, rather an away from?  Isn’t it time you did?

©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for July 13, 2013

Isaiah 60:20
Your sun will never set
    or your moon go down.
I, the Lord, will be
    your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow
    will come to an end.
 
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 
In the mornings, I have a routine that seldom varies.  I walk through our house and turn on several lights… miniature lights on the mantle and along the top of the kitchen cabinets… a lamp in the kitchen…and sometimes others if it’s an especially cloudy day.  We have night lights and lamps that we turn on in the evenings to further illuminate the rooms of our house. If you count our little “night lights,” there is virtually no hour of the day that a light is not “on” somewhere in our house.
 
Several years ago, the husband of a dear friend of mine died suddenly while they were attending a wedding in another state.  She told me that before she returned, friends went to her house and turned on lights and made everything cozy, so that she did not walk into a dark, sad home. Some people suffer from a condition known as S.A.D. – Seasonal Affective Disorder.  On cloudy, dreary days – especially in the fall and winter – they experience a sort of depression and sadness.  Actually sitting in front of a lamp that mimics natural daylight is said to help with this condition!
 
In John 8:12, we read…”Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, ‘I am the light for the world! Follow me...’” and in 2 Timothy 1:10, we read, “Now Christ Jesus has come to show us the kindness of God. Christ our Savior defeated death and brought us the good news. It shines like a light and offers life that never ends.”  Have you ever noticed that your mood is more cheerful and you have more energy on a sunny day than a cloudy one?  Jesus is referred to in several places in the New Testament as “the Light”.  If your mood is better on a sunny day filled with light… would it not follow that your life would be better if you filled it with the Light of Christ?

Aren’t you flooded with peace to think of a relationship with Jesus in which “your sun never sets and the moon never goes down”… a life where “your days of sorrow will come to an end”?  Doesn’t this fill you with hope and serenity… a sense of calm and confidence?  Light is such an important factor in our lives.  There are so many things we can do with light that are impossible to accomplish in darkness.  And there are even more things that we cannot achieve without the Light of Christ!  He truly does shine the light of GOOD NEWS and bring us a life that never ends!
 
This is encouraging news.  This is worth celebrating!  I often sing the little song to Timothy, Zola and Nathan… “This little light of mine – I’m gonna let it shine.”  Is the light of Christ shining in your heart and illuminating your way?  Do you have the peace of knowing His GOOD NEWS and walking in the confidence that sorrows will end – but your life in Him never will?  Isn’t it time you “turned on the Light” of Jesus and filled your life with His joy and peace?
 
©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for March 1, 2013

1 John 1:5-6
Jesus told us that God is light and doesn’t have any darkness in him. Now we are telling you.

If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth.

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

In El Paso, Texas, a developmentally disabled student at Coronado High School named Mitchell Marcus serves as the basketball team’s manager. As the squad suited up to play Franklin High, Coach Peter Morales told Marcus to suit up, too. The game was winding down when Morales signaled for Marcus to take the court. The crowd chanted, “Mitchell! Mitchell” as the young man attempted several shots… all unsuccessful in producing a score. Down by some 10 points, the ball was inbounded by Franklin High’s senior, Jonathon Montanez, who yelled out Mitchell’s name and passed the ball to him directly under the basket. Mitchell scored, and the crowd went wild. After the game, Montanez said, "I was raised to treat others how you want to be treated…I just thought Mitchell deserved his chance - deserved his opportunity."

This selfless act did not change the game’s outcome… Franklin High won by 15 points. But that’s not the point. Jonathon Montanez demonstrated integrity, which www.dictionary.com describes as “soundness of moral character.” Granted, his decision did not cost his team the game. But I have to wonder how many players in Montanez’ position would have even considered this – much less done it! This seems like a small gesture. But it demonstrates this young man’s capacity to think of someone other than himself…to see the bigger picture…to do the right thing.

We all know people with big hearts who seem to have a penchant for always acting with honor and decency. We also know people who claim the name of Jesus and then operate in the dark… the person who will tell you how much he/she loves the LORD while “twisting the knife in someone’s back,” so to speak. We’ve seen the posts on social media outlets by those who say they love God and desire to serve Him… then speak with such unkindness – and sometimes downright hatred – that you can’t begin to believe they truly have ANY light – much less the light of God - within them!

What about you? When others look at you…what do they see? Are you known as someone who lives in the light of God and shares it with others? Or are you lying – to others and to yourself? Do you live by the truth… or do you twist things to suit your needs? You can’t have it both ways. We truly are either “in” or “out!” God is seeking believers who will operate with complete integrity… impeccable soundness of moral character…who always tell the truth and act honestly, fairly, and in the best interest of all concerned.

Each of us needs to do an “integrity inventory” to make sure our moral character is not lacking in any aspect. We have claimed the name of Jesus… we must now be willing to treat others as we wish to be treated… to throw the ball to the opponent and give him/her a moment in the sun. We must remove all darkness from our lives and step into God’s light, once and for all. Are you ready?

©2013 Debbie Robus