Joel 3:1-2
In those days, yes, at that very time when I put life back together again for Judah and Jerusalem, I’ll assemble all the godless nations.
I’ll lead them down into Judgment Valley and put them all on trial, and judge them one and all because of their treatment of my own people Israel.
They scattered my people all over the pagan world and grabbed my land for themselves.
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 are entering that time of the year where everyone seems to go a little nuts with food and drink. It starts with Halloween and continues straight through Christmas and into winter. “I’ll only have a couple of pieces of candy… after all, it is Halloween!” we tell ourselves. But two pieces becomes twenty during the weeks of November (or maybe even sooner for some!). On Thanksgiving Day, we justify piling our plate high with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (with marshmallows, of course!), hot rolls and more. No tossed salad for us… but bring on the congealed ones laden with all sorts of rich deliciousness! Hey, it’s only Jello® and Cool Whip®… right? And we simply must try a slice of each kind of pie on the buffet... to resist the whipped cream on top would be downright unpatriotic!
This gets us to the first of December, where each day brings one cookie and/or piece of candy after the next… parties galore… rich finger foods, eggnog and all sorts of tantalizing drinks, and of course - hot cocoa! By the time New Year’s arrives, many of us will have added extra poundage… not to mention how sluggish and cranky we will feel! So we’ll make our resolutions to take off the weight and “get ready for swimsuit season!” We’ll ride a roller coaster of workouts and diets and winter nights with hot cocoa and a good movie… and in the end, we may or may not regain our health and drop the weight.
Over time, I can tell you that this will have a cumulative effect. And while you may be young and able to somewhat handle this yo-yo approach to life…there may come a day when you sit across the desk from a doctor who tells you that you have diabetes, high cholesterol or heart disease… or you may find yourself in the back of an ambulance headed for the ER after suffering a stroke due to high blood pressure. You may develop arthritis and hip/knee problems because you have taxed your body’s capacity for bearing weight. Or if you manage to avoid these “judgments”, you may spend a good chunk of your adulthood battling the scales, struggling with your willpower, and trying to squeeze into the too-small clothes in your closet!
I’ve watched enough seasons of NBC’s The Biggest Loser and heard the stories of a sufficient number of the contestants to see that many people in this country reach a point where God steps in and gives them a wake-up call. In essence, He says, “It’s time to stop the madness!”… and He offers them an opportunity to reclaim their life – and their health. He gives them a chance to do the necessary work to come back into alignment (physically, mentally, and emotionally)… and to build a truly healthy life – in every sense of the word.
Not everyone will respond successfully… some will choose to continue down a destructive path. But many will make permanent life changes. They will develop a vital respect for God’s desire for them to be completely healthy and well. They will trust Him to help them learn balance… and how to confidently say “No!” where necessary. God will guide them back into a right relationship with food and good health… and they will enter subsequent holiday seasons with His protection and support as they exercise willpower and resolve!
If you are one of those for whom the temptations of the holiday offerings are not a problem…congratulations! But here’s the thing… we all encounter temptations and missteps in our lives. Your “issue” may not be food... but I bet there is some area of your life in which you struggle to maintain balance. And that’s where God comes into the equation. The scriptures tell us that God will bring all of His people together again someday and judge each of us. He will hold us accountable for how we respected Him and all that He gave us… and that includes our bodies, our thoughts, and our actions.
In the meantime, God won’t let us continue down the wrong path forever with a vow to “play now and pay later”. I firmly believe that God sends “wake-up calls” to His children… and in some instances, He calls them home sooner than later in order to put a halt to their irresponsibility and disrespect. While I am ready for heaven - and I hope you are, also - I don’t want to live in a way that frustrates God and disrespects all that He has done for me. I want to give everything I have every single day… to serve and honor Him in each word and action.
Just as each of us will slip up from time to time and eat more cookies than we know we should… or slack off on our workouts once in a while… I know that I will make plenty of mistakes, even as I try my hardest to give God my very best. When God gathers us together for judgment, I want Him to smile at me and see far more that pleases Him than He does mistakes and disappointments. Don’t you? What are you doing about this? Have you asked God to help you… to equip you with the fortitude and determination you need to make healthy decisions – in every area of your life? Are you showing God the respect He deserves? Isn’t it time you did? Will this be the “season” that you get off the roller coaster and start truly living well? Are you ready to get started?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label repentance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label repentance. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for July 25, 2012
Mark 11:22-25
Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."
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.
Have you ever attempted to open a drawer, and it stuck on something? Try as you might, the drawer would only open so far, and then it would catch on whatever was sticking up and trapping the drawer’s forward progress in some manner. If you’re like me, sometimes it’s pretty tough to remove the displaced item and get the drawer to open smoothly…which probably says something about the organization and overall condition of my drawers!
Our personal lives are much like a household drawer… often unorganized and cluttered… perhaps filled to overflowing with all sorts of things. And once in a while, something will get turned “cattywompus” and derail everything. Until we take time to remove the source of our problem, nothing will go smoothly, and certainly “the drawer will not open!”
Let’s be honest… there are times when we just leave the “drawer” ajar and move on for a while. But that situation is not going to change. We have to do something. And in our personal lives, this most often means asking God to forgive us… or to help us forgive someone else. If you ever find that you have a situation where you feel like no answer comes… where you just can’t seem to have a breakthrough… stop and ask yourself, “What is blocking this? Where do I need to make an adjustment? Is there something or someone I need to forgive? Is there someone I need to ask to forgive me?”
Once we “get our drawer straight,” we often find that all sorts of things begin to operate more smoothly. Remember, with God all things are possible. But often, He is waiting on us to tidy up a few things before He delivers an answer or makes good on a promise. When was the last time you gave your drawers a good cleaning and organizing… for real, and in your personal life? Don’t you think it’s time you did?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."
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.
Have you ever attempted to open a drawer, and it stuck on something? Try as you might, the drawer would only open so far, and then it would catch on whatever was sticking up and trapping the drawer’s forward progress in some manner. If you’re like me, sometimes it’s pretty tough to remove the displaced item and get the drawer to open smoothly…which probably says something about the organization and overall condition of my drawers!
Our personal lives are much like a household drawer… often unorganized and cluttered… perhaps filled to overflowing with all sorts of things. And once in a while, something will get turned “cattywompus” and derail everything. Until we take time to remove the source of our problem, nothing will go smoothly, and certainly “the drawer will not open!”
Let’s be honest… there are times when we just leave the “drawer” ajar and move on for a while. But that situation is not going to change. We have to do something. And in our personal lives, this most often means asking God to forgive us… or to help us forgive someone else. If you ever find that you have a situation where you feel like no answer comes… where you just can’t seem to have a breakthrough… stop and ask yourself, “What is blocking this? Where do I need to make an adjustment? Is there something or someone I need to forgive? Is there someone I need to ask to forgive me?”
Once we “get our drawer straight,” we often find that all sorts of things begin to operate more smoothly. Remember, with God all things are possible. But often, He is waiting on us to tidy up a few things before He delivers an answer or makes good on a promise. When was the last time you gave your drawers a good cleaning and organizing… for real, and in your personal life? Don’t you think it’s time you did?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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