Daily Devotional for August 31, 2016

John 20:1-9
Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone was rolled aside from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and me and said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!”

We ran to the tomb to see; I outran Peter and got there first, and stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but I didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went on inside. He also noticed the cloth lying there, while the swath that had covered Jesus’ head was rolled up in a bundle and was lying at the side. Then I went in too, and saw, and believed that he had risen - for until then we hadn’t realized that the Scriptures said he would come to life again!

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
 
I saw a talk show interview with actor/comedian/filmmaker Mel Brooks in which he spoke of his dear friend, the late actor Gene Wilder.  Brooks said he knew that his friend was not well – that his time on earth was growing short.  But once Wilder passed, Mel Brooks said that he actually felt “shocked” for a while.  Brooks could not accept that he would never be able to call Wilder and speak to him again.  This this is a typical reaction for someone who is grieving…part of a normal process.

When American gymnasts Simone Biles and Aly Raisman took the gold and silver medals, respectively, in the 2016 Rio Olympics,  there were a few moments where the two young women and their coaches stood and hugged each other somewhat in disbelief.  The “talk” for days had been that these girls would win medals.  It was certainly no surprise that Biles took the gold.  But in the initial moments, there was a bit of surprise and excitement…and awe!  Again, this was a normal reaction.  The culmination of all that had happened was almost overwhelming.

Think of a time when someone told you something…but what they were saying didn’t really register.  Maybe you were not paying enough attention. Perhaps you simply did not comprehend what you were being told.  Or maybe, what you were hearing was so astounding that you didn’t think it could possibly be accurate or really happen.  So when you realized that this.was.real…you were “dazed and confused” – at least momentarily.

When I read this scripture passage, I asked myself…”What is our take-away?”  And the message I kept getting is…”pay attention!”  So often, we are caught up in a myriad of circumstances and emotions – many of them important, but some not so much – and we don’t really comprehend what we read or hear.  This is especially true when it comes to God’s word for our life.  So we can read a scripture passage over and again for decades…and one day, it all “clicks” and we realize…”THIS is what Jesus was saying!”  Or we move along through life and don’t realize that Scriptures told us plainly what would happen in this or that situation…and we simply didn’t grasp it!

The bottom line is that we must pay closer attention to God’s word for us…both written and whispered.  We must be awake and alert to His “signs and wonders”…in tune with His directives.  We must ask questions…dig deeper…and really GET what we are being fed!  The mission is too important…the message is unbelievably crucial.  We don’t have time to waste…and figuring things out after the fact – when “the tomb is empty” – is unacceptable.  God wants us to be so attuned to His word that we anticipate what is coming next…that we expect Him to show up…that we are never caught off guard.

I don’t know about you, but this means that I have work to do!  I have to get my act together and sharpen my focus.  I have to start seeking God more and living with confidence that He is always close at hand.  I have to be less shocked when God shows up and “shows out”…and better prepared for His miraculous presence and perfection.  I suspect it is much the same for you, as well.

Will you be like John and Peter at the empty tomb?  Or will this be the day that you sit up a little straighter, perk your ears, and zero in on what God is showing you?  Are you truly paying attention?  Don't you think you should be?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for January 30, 2016

Psalm 31:19
You are wonderful,
    and while everyone watches,
you store up blessings for all
    who honor and trust you.

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

Recent events have caused me to reflect on my life and the lives of those I love.  I found myself reading through some old prayer journals, and I realized once again just how blessed I have been.  Prayer after prayer has been answered.  Situations that seemed impossible have resolved – and perfectly.  Healings have taken place…people have turned their hearts to Jesus…and yes, some have been called to Heaven for all of eternity.

In each instance, I see how God worked.  I am blessed – and also humbled.  I am reminded how ridiculous it is to question Him…or to waste time on worry and fear.  I see how God has safely steered me through situations that I thought I could not handle…and comforted me when I thought that something in “life” was more than I could possibly bear.

As I read this passage, I had a mental image of a child stacking blocks.  I’ve done this countless times with Timothy, Zola and Nathan. I’ve watched the tower rise higher and higher into the air.  I also was reminded of the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” where the vine wound its way up into the heavens.  I couldn’t help but picture God stacking blessings and care…healings and resolutions…comfort and peace…and untold love – winding them higher and higher into the heavens on our behalf, while everyone stands and watches.

The trouble is…some of us are not paying attention!  We are not watching God do this for us, because we are busy tending to our own desires…wringing our hands in frustration, anger or worry…or throwing our own giant pity party.  It is time we shifted our focus and began to pay attention to what God is really doing in our lives…how He is meeting our every need. 

This is the day to begin to seek God in all things…to honor and trust Him for every single circumstance in our lives. Are you ready to do this?  Will this be the day that you your focus shifts to God and the plans that He has for you – the blessings He longs to stack on your behalf?  Don’t you think it’s time?

©2016 Debbie Robus