Daily Devotional for October 15, 2014

October 15 ~ Mark 11:22-24
Jesus told his disciples:

Have faith in God! If you have faith in God and don’t doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.

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

Several years ago, I watched a certain televangelist’s morning program every week.  In fact, I recorded his “sermons” and studied them each Sunday afternoon. Do not judge!  I gained a lot of Bible knowledge from this exercise.  That is not to say that I believed everything this man taught – or his interpretation of the scriptures he presented each day.  He took the scripture promise of Mark 11:22-24 in a totally different direction – and he quoted other scriptures in an attempt to support his stance. 

This man believed that God wanted us to all live in “McMansions”, drive an expensive vehicle (or own a fleet of cars), wear expensive watches and diamond jewelry, own private jets and more.  He assured us that all of this was within our reach...if we would believe for it AND “sow seeds” of money gifts to the church – even when we couldn’t pay our light bill!  This is called “prosperity teaching/preaching”, and it’s become quite popular in certain “Christian” circles.  No apologies are made for having excessive wealth...this is considered God’s reward or “favor” for faithfulness and obedience.

One of the things I did learn from all of this was how to study the scriptures for myself...to dig deeply and discover what God intended me to glean from His word.  And here’s what I feel He tells me about this particular set of verses...”the rest of the story”! 

If you continue reading in Mark 11, verses 25-26 say, “Whenever you stand up to pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins.”  Oh, but wait!  You mean...I have to forgive others in order to “move that mountain”?  Certainly!  John 15:16 says “You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.”  So I have to ask for GOD’s will rather than my own?  Most definitely! 

In Isaiah 55:9, God tells us, “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.”  Then we must not only have faith in God...but also in His ways – even when they are not what we expected or desired?  Absolutely!

So while we may grow up wanting to be an architect or ballerina...believing with every fiber of our being that we will end up in the NBA or the NFL...or that we will marry the person of our dreams, have 2.5 children and the proverbial “house with the picket fence, two cars a dog and a cat” and live happily ever after...God may have far different plans.  We can believe all day long that all we have to do is ask God for something, and He will give it to us...but if it doesn’t fit into His perfect plan, this simply will not happen. If we operate with anger, hatred, ill will or unforgiveness in our hearts and ask God to produce certain results, we’ve gotten it all wrong.

Understand this...God is in the business of miracles and moving mountains.  He is ready, willing, and able to answer our prayers...to help us soar to heights beyond any we could ever imagine.  But this only happens within His will and the parameters that He has outlined for us.  We must have obedient faith...we must get rid of any ulterior or selfish motives...we must come to Him with a humble attitude and a genuine confidence that His answer is the best one.  If all of these things come together as God desires, the “mountain” will be moved.  If it is not...we must be ready to accept this and ask, “What did YOU have in mind, LORD?”

I don’t know what “mountains” you are asking God to move today.  Perhaps you are asking for healing for yourself or someone you know. Maybe you are struggling at school or in the workplace...looking for a job...grappling with bills and a way to make ends meet...fighting for your marriage or resolution in another personal relationship...coping with the challenges of aging (your own or someone else’s)...seeking a deeper spiritual connection and/or grappling with relationships that involve fellow believers and/or your church family.  Whatever your situation entails...God has a plan.  He already knows what is best for us. But He wants us to ask for His help...in the right way, with the right attitude and expectations.

A lot of people want to tout the “power of positive thinking”...the notion that if we just believe strongly enough...if we just envision what we want with enough conviction...it will happen.  Don’t leave God out of this equation.  There is no “secret”, as some would have you believe.  Everything is clearly spelled out in the scriptures...and everything you ask for in prayer – according to God’s perfect will – can indeed be yours.  What are you asking for today...and how did you ask?  There is faith...and then there is faith.  In which will you choose to operate?  How you answer may spell the difference in what happens to the “mountain”!

©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for July 15, 2013

James 1:6-9
But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm.  If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.
 
Any of God’s people who are poor should be glad that he thinks so highly of them.
 
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 

Vacation Bible School began at my church last night, and the theme is Athens.  We are learning about Paul’s journey to Athens to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. I am leading crafts for grades 1-5.  My assistant and I created a “marketplace”… tenting overhead with tables laden with musical instruments, pottery, baskets, fruits and vegetables, and more.  We dress in costume appropriate for the era and visit with the children as they create their “marketplace souvenirs”.  Last night it was a musical lyre…tonight it will be a clay pot decorated with beads and jewels, then a voting ballot necklace and a memory box on subsequent nights.
 
The “leader guidelines” tell us to begin the first night as skeptics…to ask the children if they have heard of this guy, Paul… and the “crazy” things he is saying about some guy named Jesus who died and rose again.  Supposedly, Paul is telling people that there is only one God… and He is Jesus!  As market vendors during a “festival of gods,” we are to ask the children, “How can this be?  Aren’t there many gods?”  Recognizing that women probably were not supposed to have an opinion, I told one table of 3rd-graders that I overheard my husband and father talking, and they said that there were MANY gods… that this Paul fellow was wrong.  One little girl looked up at me and said, “Well, your husband needs to read his Bible!”
 
As the Vacation Bible School progresses, we will all learn the TRUTH about Paul and Jesus, and by the last night, my character will have become a believer.  But for now, I have a feeling at least one 3rd grader does not trust me!  In her mind, I have doubts.  She has none… and thankfully, I am happy to report that many other children in the group adamantly expressed an assurance that Jesus is REAL and the one true God.
 
My character is sort of having a rough go of things.  Business is slow in the marketplace, and now some guy has shown up in town stirring up trouble.  My character has a lot of questions.  As I told the children last night, “I hope I get to meet this Paul guy and hear what he has to say.”  And maybe you need to hear from someone about Jesus today.  Even if you know Him… you may not really know Him.  You may not have the full assurance that He is with you and will provide for your every need, regardless of who you are – or where you are in life.  You may not understand that God does not see us as we see ourselves… He doesn’t recognize “beauty” as we do… He doesn’t care about your economic status – He just cares what you do with what you have!  God doesn’t judge us by the same criteria we value.  He stands ready to bless us… to love and nurture us… to meet our every need.  Our job is to trust Him to do so… and to recognize His blessings when they come.
 
Are you even a little like my marketplace vendor?  Are you even the least bit skeptical about when and how God answers our prayers and cares for us?  Are you as certain as a 3rd-grader of the power and autonomy of Jesus in your life?  Isn’t it time you were?  On the way home last night, Timothy reported that “Paul is our friend!”  Some of us need to hear this today… and to hear that Jesus is the best Friend we will ever have.  If little children who have absolutely zero reference point for a relationship with Jesus can believe in Him so readily and trust His word… why can’t we?  Isn’t it time to change this?
 
©2013 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for January 12, 2013

Matthew 21:21-22
But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.”

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 often refer to our 19-month-old great-niece, Zola, as “our little monkey!” Zola absolutely loves to climb things. One day, as my husband sat on our couch, he put his feet on the ottoman in front of him. Zola wanted to pass by. She could easily have crawled underneath my husband’s legs and been on her way. Instead, she worked, wriggled, huffed and puffed as she attempted to “scale the mountain” and climb up and over. For her, those legs were a huge obstacle… one she faced head-on! I’m not sure where she gets her determination and confidence, but there is nothing she won’t tackle!

My favorite part of this particular translation of Matthew 21:21-22 is…” you’ll not only do minor feats … but also triumph over huge obstacles.” Most of us perform minor feats every single day - from getting to work or school on time… running a household a combination of people of all ages and maybe a pet or two…managing to squeeze in a workout that keeps us healthy.. and much more. Let’s call them “small victories.” I believe God blesses us with these to keep us encouraged and moving forward… to show us that we are strong and capable of “getting it done.”

By the same token, each one of us will likely face huge obstacles at one point or another in our life. Our “mountain” may be something such as finishing college or completing a difficult internship…losing a significant amount of weight (or that last stubborn 10 pounds) and getting in shape to reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure…coping with the grief of losing a loved one…losing our job and/or our home… managing a serious illness (ours or that of a friend or family member)… facing the results of a crisis, such as a natural disaster… or conquering an addiction. But God can equip us with the strength, courage and fortitude to handle these obstacles… if only we will trust Him.

Isn’t it great to know that God can help us with all of this – minor feats, huge obstacles - and everything in between? Wouldn’t it be great if we operated a little more like Zola… in the “No Fear Zone?” We DO know where our determination and confidence lies… in the strength and power of God Almighty. It is up to us to lay hold of Him… to remove all doubt and claim the dominion of God as our believing prayer. Whether He directs us to crawl under or around our hurdle… or to climb to the top and tackle it head-on, we can embrace Kingdom Life and handle anything under God’s power.

Does this mean that we can literally make mountains jump into the lake by telling them to do so? Probably not! But with God’s help, the “mountains” in our individual lives can be seized and managed, captured and dominated… and we can rest in the assurance and protection of a victorious Master who always has our back. Aren’t you ready for this? What “mountain” do you need to move today? Are you ready to lay hold of God and get it done?

©2013 Debbie Robus