Daily Devotional for November 22, 2016

Psalm 100
Shout praises to the Lord,
    everyone on this earth.
Be joyful and sing
as you come in
    to worship the Lord!
You know the Lord is God!
He created us,
    and we belong to him;
    we are his people,
    the sheep in his pasture.
Be thankful and praise the Lord
    as you enter his temple.
The Lord is good!
    His love and faithfulness
    will last forever.

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

Thanksgiving Day is almost here!  Many Americans are frantically trying to get home to family and friends…or they are cooking night and day to prepare a feast that will be consumed within an hour or two - and result in leftovers for days on end!

Others are not so “fortunate.”  They are sitting in hospitals with loved ones who are gravely ill…or their loved ones are in heaven, and they have no one with whom to share a holiday meal.  They are homeless, hungry, out of work, lonely, despondent and generally hopeless.  And an expensive, overdone holiday to celebrate an “abundance” they don’t seem to enjoy seems not only pointless – but also painful.

We’ve all been there, to some degree.  We’ve all experienced highs and lows – both on holidays and on “regular” days.  But through it all, one thing has remained constant…the love and care of Jesus.  He loves us on our best days – and on our worst.  Jesus is with us when we have more than enough…and when we are wondering how we will get through the next few minutes.  And because of Jesus, we all have a reason to be thankful.

So look beyond your situation and circumstances this week. Look up…and stare into the eyes of Someone who loves you more than you can ever begin to imagine. Let His love surround you, and snuggle in closely as Jesus wraps you in His arms and pulls you toward His heart.  Know that you are one of His sheep…that He will never, ever stop loving you and caring about your every need.  And be thankful.

Even when you don’t feel like celebrating anything about your life, you can celebrate Jesus.  He is good…He is faithful…and His love will last forever! You can belong to Him forever and ever! If you have never fully surrendered your heart to Jesus, this is the time to do so…then bask in His never-ending love, grace and mercy.

Don’t wait another minute!  You belong to Jesus…now truly belong to Him! And make a joyful noise…this week – and always!

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for January 13, 2012

Psalm 148:11-13
Every king and every ruler, all nations on earth, every man and every woman, young people and old, come praise the LORD! All creation, come praise the name of the LORD. Praise his name alone. The glory of God is greater than heaven and earth.

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

This morning, I visited my grandmother at the assisted living facility where she resides. She was in the Activities Room, creating a picture frame from Popsicle® sticks and all sorts of crafts items. Seated with her was a much younger woman who also resides at the facility. She was framing photos of her children. I had never realized that this woman was a mother. As we talked about her children and her husband, I learned that she is also a college graduate. She explained rather matter-of-factly to me how a series of events led to her move into this facility a few years ago. Suffice it to say, I was incredibly humbled by our conversation.

I had hurried to the facility today to check on my grandmother. For the second time this week, a dear friend of hers who also resided there had passed away. I had a zillion other things I wanted to do with my morning, but I felt I needed to spend this time with my grandmother. After I sat in the Activities Room for 30 minutes, I realized that I really had nothing more important to do… except maybe take a few extra minutes to praise God for the life I have. I was once again reminded that my life can change in a heartbeat… and many experience such dramatic changes every single day.

There are other “young” people at the assisted living facility who landed there because of various illnesses and “life events.” And for the most part, they are positive and upbeat, even though they have lots of reasons to feel otherwise. Oh, they will tell you they wish they could live a “normal” life, but by and large, they are making the best of their situation. They find their own set of reasons to praise the LORD, even in their less than perfect circumstances.

I commented to my grandmother that we never know what tomorrow will bring. You or I could be living at such a facility next week. And we would still have plenty of reasons to praise the LORD. But… would we? Do we stop and thank Him now for what we DO have? Are we truly grateful for where we are today… whether it’s stuck inside a classroom listening to a boring lecture, working at a job we don’t particularly like, doing laundry and changing diapers, or aimlessly surfing the channels looking for something to fill a boring evening? Do we find the joy and blessings in every circumstance of our life, or do we gripe and complain and throw ourselves a pity party?

Every single one of us has something to praise the LORD about today. It may be the fact that we are in an assisted living facility with arts and crafts projects and the “freedom” to come and go as we please, rather than confined to a bed in a nursing home. It may be that we are glad to have children and a spouse to care for … meals to cook, houses to clean, diapers to change and laundry to wash. We may be thankful for the old ugly clunker that gets us where we need to go, even though we would love to drive a shiny new sports car. Or we may be grateful to still live alone in our own home, even though our age and infirmities are telling us that soon we will need extra help. Whatever your station… wherever you are in your life… there is SOMETHING today for which you can give God praise. The question is… have you?

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for December 20, 2011

Psalm 146:6-10
God made heaven and earth; he created the sea and everything else. God always keeps his word. He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free and heals blind eyes. He gives a helping hand to everyone who falls.

The LORD loves good people and looks after strangers. He defends the rights of orphans and widows, but destroys the wicked. The LORD God of Zion will rule forever!

Shout praises to the LORD!

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

Christmas Day was the one time of the year when my mom actually said, “Have a cookie for breakfast!” For most of us, we associate December 25th with something magical – a time to somewhat throw caution to the wind. We eat what we want, skip our workouts and diets, stay in our pajamas all day, get together with people we haven’t seen all year for a great big celebration, and more. Many of us drink too much, party to hearty, and spend far more than we have in the bank! For others, December 25th is a day they would just as soon skip altogether. They are lonely, poor, hungry, sick, grieving and downtrodden. A holiday that is supposed to be all about joy and “making merry and bright” is simply like a knife to the heart.

God understands all of this… and He stands ready to meet you right where you are this holiday season. He always keeps His word…and not just on December 25th. For this, we can shout praises to the Him, no matter where we find ourselves - this Christmas, and every day of the year.

We find it easy to focus on the joy of giving during the Christmas season. We also find it easy to focus on what we lack and feel rather sorry for ourselves. The truth is that we serve an awesome, amazing, powerful and loving God who is always there for us, every minute of every day of the year. And for this, we can continually celebrate and be grateful.

As we approach December 25th, stop and shout praises to the LORD for meeting you right where you are and always having your back. Celebrate all that He has created… and thank Him for showing up in our lives each and every day.

©2011 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for November 22, 2011

Psalm 135:1-7; 14
Shout praises to the LORD! You are his servants, so praise his name. All who serve in the temple of the LORD our God, come and shout praises. Praise the name of the LORD! He is kind and good. The LORD is much greater than any other god. He chose the family of Jacob and the people of Israel for his very own.

He does as he chooses in heaven and on earth and deep in the sea. The LORD makes the clouds rise from far across the earth, and he makes lightning to go with the rain. Then from his secret place he sends out the wind.

The LORD will bring justice and show mercy to all who serve him.

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

Since November 8th, we have received 12 inches of rain in our little corner of the world. Because we live high atop a bluff, what the ground cannot absorb rushed down a next-door creek bed and spilled into the river below us. Others were not so lucky, and friends of mine have spent several days retrieving items that tried to float away and cleaning up the muck, mud and water that filled their homes and businesses. When this sort of thing happens, people can have a hard time finding praises to shout to the LORD! After all, surely the God who makes lightning to go with the rain could send a little less at one time… right?

The key to staying positive in times of challenge, difficulty, or downright disaster and tragedy is remembering who God really is… and WHY we praise Him. Yes, God can control how much rain we get. Yes, God can heal the sick and prevent accidents that cause injury and death. Surely God can change the course of a tornado or prevent an earthquake. But God also has the power to bless us abundantly… to provide us with food, clothing, shelter, a job, family, friends… and most importantly… Eternal Life!

For every time we feel sorry for ourselves and ask “Why, LORD, why?” there are dozens of times that God worked on our behalf and we never even noticed. We need to remind ourselves of this. We need to remember that God always has our best interest at heart, even when we cannot readily see what He has done for us.

So praise God today, no matter what your circumstances. Give Him honor and glory for the countless ways He shows up in your life each and every day. Recognize His power and His unending grace and mercy. Shout praises to the LORD! You are indeed His servants… so go ahead and praise His name.

©2011 Debbie Robus