James 3:10-18
My friends, this can’t go on. A
spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it?
Apple trees don’t bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don’t
bear apples, do they? You’re not going to dip into a polluted mud hole
and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?
Do you want to be
counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live
well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you
talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that
you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound
wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal
cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than
others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends
up at the others’ throats.
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with
a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is
gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one
day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust
community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you
do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other
with dignity and honor.
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.
The 80-year-old sister of one
of our dear friends passed away recently in Kentucky. Unfortunately,
we never had the pleasure of getting to know her. As I read this
woman’s obituary online, I sorely regretted that our paths never
crossed. She apparently possessed real wisdom. In fact, in one
paragraph, her children wrote...”she faced adversity with courage, class
and integrity; she was unyieldingly honest, unless being so would cause
needless pain.”
A few lines later, the writers noted…”Martha
had, by turns, the humility of a pauper and the dignity of a manor-born
aristocrat. She could, and joyfully did, instantly relate to the
youngest of children and the oldest of the infirm. From the Bluegrass
society matron, down to a homeless man, Martha related to them all, and
she did so without guile, condescension or calculation. She cared, and
people knew it instinctively. And they loved her for it.”
This is
quite a legacy. These were the accomplishments that were noted about
this woman by people who knew and loved her. They briefly cited her
education at Hendrix College in Arkansas…and her love for poetry. But
they didn’t talk of her career – or even any accolades or awards she
might have garnered over the years for civic involvement or service of
some kind. And yet, I felt like I got a complete picture of this woman,
because the children showed me her heart…and her wisdom.
Stop
and consider how others see you. What do they think when your name is
mentioned? Do they instinctively know that you care? Do they think of
you as kind and wise…humble and genuine…someone who is consistent, lives
with dignity, and treats all people as equals? Does your life seem to
others to be holy and filled with God’s wisdom?
Or do you give
people a reason to doubt what you say and do? Are you up one day and
down the next…changing your mind – and your attitude - with the wind?
Is it all about you? Do you set yourself up as an expert or
authority…and then berate or criticize those who fail to follow your
lead? Are you ever even a little bit judgmental and condescending?
How
are you representing God’s wisdom? Could even some of the same things
that were said about this woman be said of you? As important as it may
seem to be remembered well, it is even more critical how you conduct
your life today…here…now. It matters greatly whether you operate in
God’s wisdom…or your own folly. Which are you demonstrating?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label rooted in Gods wisdom and care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rooted in Gods wisdom and care. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for November 7, 2014
Colossians 2:6-7
You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A cattle farmer purchased harvested timber land to develop for his farming operation. The land had originally been covered in timber, which the previous owner sold and had cleared. This left the ground littered with stumps – and ruts where the equipment had dragged the logs away.
The farmer had to do extensive work to get the soil in condition to produce grass for his cattle. Once he removed all of the stumps and filled in the ruts, he had to treat the land with fertilizers and other nutrients, just to get it to a point where grass would grow. In other words, a lot of work had to be done before the grass would actually take root and rise from the ground. It all began with the soil…a firm foundation for the vegetation that would ultimately feed and sustain his cattle and bring him good prices for them.
When Jesus came to earth and taught His disciples, healed the sick and the lame, and demonstrated how to serve and honor God – then died for our sins on the cross – He laid the foundation for our faith and salvation. He also gave us the promise of spending Eternity with Him in God’s Heavenly home. Jesus “worked the soil” so that we could confidently “plant our roots” in Him and be assured that they would grow and produce good fruit.
The farmer’s “soil reclamation” took a lot of time and hard work. I would venture to say that it also required some wisdom and understanding about just which mixture of nutrients would make the ground the most fertile and receptive to plants and grasses.
This is what Jesus did for us. He invested His time and hard work…the incredible sacrifices that extended to His very life…so that we could be confident of a life in Him that would grow and bloom. Try as we might, we can never calculate – or fully comprehend what this cost Jesus…and it was all done for each of us. But we can offer Him our very best. We can be grateful for His amazing and selfless grace, mercy, forgiveness and love…and we can honor Him with our thoughts, words and actions.
Are you a visible, grateful representation of Jesus’ “fertile soil” and all that He endured to establish a firm foundation for you? Don’t you think it’s time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A cattle farmer purchased harvested timber land to develop for his farming operation. The land had originally been covered in timber, which the previous owner sold and had cleared. This left the ground littered with stumps – and ruts where the equipment had dragged the logs away.
The farmer had to do extensive work to get the soil in condition to produce grass for his cattle. Once he removed all of the stumps and filled in the ruts, he had to treat the land with fertilizers and other nutrients, just to get it to a point where grass would grow. In other words, a lot of work had to be done before the grass would actually take root and rise from the ground. It all began with the soil…a firm foundation for the vegetation that would ultimately feed and sustain his cattle and bring him good prices for them.
When Jesus came to earth and taught His disciples, healed the sick and the lame, and demonstrated how to serve and honor God – then died for our sins on the cross – He laid the foundation for our faith and salvation. He also gave us the promise of spending Eternity with Him in God’s Heavenly home. Jesus “worked the soil” so that we could confidently “plant our roots” in Him and be assured that they would grow and produce good fruit.
The farmer’s “soil reclamation” took a lot of time and hard work. I would venture to say that it also required some wisdom and understanding about just which mixture of nutrients would make the ground the most fertile and receptive to plants and grasses.
This is what Jesus did for us. He invested His time and hard work…the incredible sacrifices that extended to His very life…so that we could be confident of a life in Him that would grow and bloom. Try as we might, we can never calculate – or fully comprehend what this cost Jesus…and it was all done for each of us. But we can offer Him our very best. We can be grateful for His amazing and selfless grace, mercy, forgiveness and love…and we can honor Him with our thoughts, words and actions.
Are you a visible, grateful representation of Jesus’ “fertile soil” and all that He endured to establish a firm foundation for you? Don’t you think it’s time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 13, 2013
Proverbs 3:13-18
God blesses everyone who has wisdom and common sense.
Wisdom is worth more than silver; it makes you much richer than gold. Wisdom is more valuable than precious jewels; nothing you want compares with her.
In her right hand Wisdom holds a long life, and in her left hand are wealth and honor. Wisdom makes life pleasant and leads us safely along. Wisdom is a life-giving tree, the source of happiness for all who hold on to her.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Tonight, our little four-year-old Timothy will attend an open house for pre-K. His mom and dad will go with him, and they will all meet his teachers and the school’s directors… and Timothy’s classmates. While a part of me is quite sad to think that this signals the beginning of a whole new chapter in our little guy’s life… I am also incredibly excited. As a former kindergarten teacher, I know what this will mean for him… how much he will grow and learn…how enriched his life will be by this experience.
About two years ago, Timothy attended a daycare for a few months. The daycare owner had a really strong instructional curriculum that she taught to even the toddlers… there was a whole lot more going on each day than just playtime. And in a few short weeks, Timothy went from being a baby who could barely say a handful of words to a little boy who spoke complete sentences – about panda bears and other animals… colors and shapes… numbers and so much more. He began to develop social skills and to learn about structure and organized activities. I had a glimpse then of how much this wisdom was going to expand his already-bright mind… and I know for certain that we’re about to be amazed once again.
Some of you may be about to embark on another school year – if not as a student, as a teacher, coach, or school staff member. I hope you will think about wisdom… whether you are the one who imparts it, or the recipient of knowledge from another. We are all capable of learning new things every day. So even if you are not involved in formal education of some sort, God has things to share with you. As our focus shifts from absorbing knowledge in a classroom setting to actually functioning in the real everyday world, we learn about wisdom of another kind - God’s wisdom. And oh, how we need this!
God’s wisdom can make the difference between saying the right thing… and starting World War Three. His wisdom can keep us from making mistakes both great and small… from getting into trouble – or hurting someone’s feelings. God gives us common sense, so that we don’t make foolish choices. He shows us how to share the love of Jesus Christ with others… to win their hearts for Him… and how to nurture other believers in our path. God’s wisdom and common sense help us deal with crises and heartaches… times of great loneliness and sadness… and the “mountaintop experiences” that bring us tremendous joy. The “school of God” is far different from a pre-K or other formal educational setting. In order to learn from Him, we basically need three things… prayer and communion with Him, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. Through these avenues, God can grant us life-giving wisdom that will fill us with confidence, safety, joy, and peace.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this is a good time to declare “back to school” for all of us… regardless of our age or station in life! As a teacher, this time of year signaled a New Year to me even more, perhaps, than January 1st. So why don’t we resolve to start a new year of learning… a time of growth and increased knowledge in the LORD! Let’s agree to increase our Spiritual wisdom and common sense… to spend a little time in “study” with God… and to mature our faith in the coming months. Like the little four-year-old boy who is going off to pre-K, I have a feeling we will see amazing results in a short time. I’m willing to give it a shot… are you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
God blesses everyone who has wisdom and common sense.
Wisdom is worth more than silver; it makes you much richer than gold. Wisdom is more valuable than precious jewels; nothing you want compares with her.
In her right hand Wisdom holds a long life, and in her left hand are wealth and honor. Wisdom makes life pleasant and leads us safely along. Wisdom is a life-giving tree, the source of happiness for all who hold on to her.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Tonight, our little four-year-old Timothy will attend an open house for pre-K. His mom and dad will go with him, and they will all meet his teachers and the school’s directors… and Timothy’s classmates. While a part of me is quite sad to think that this signals the beginning of a whole new chapter in our little guy’s life… I am also incredibly excited. As a former kindergarten teacher, I know what this will mean for him… how much he will grow and learn…how enriched his life will be by this experience.
About two years ago, Timothy attended a daycare for a few months. The daycare owner had a really strong instructional curriculum that she taught to even the toddlers… there was a whole lot more going on each day than just playtime. And in a few short weeks, Timothy went from being a baby who could barely say a handful of words to a little boy who spoke complete sentences – about panda bears and other animals… colors and shapes… numbers and so much more. He began to develop social skills and to learn about structure and organized activities. I had a glimpse then of how much this wisdom was going to expand his already-bright mind… and I know for certain that we’re about to be amazed once again.
Some of you may be about to embark on another school year – if not as a student, as a teacher, coach, or school staff member. I hope you will think about wisdom… whether you are the one who imparts it, or the recipient of knowledge from another. We are all capable of learning new things every day. So even if you are not involved in formal education of some sort, God has things to share with you. As our focus shifts from absorbing knowledge in a classroom setting to actually functioning in the real everyday world, we learn about wisdom of another kind - God’s wisdom. And oh, how we need this!
God’s wisdom can make the difference between saying the right thing… and starting World War Three. His wisdom can keep us from making mistakes both great and small… from getting into trouble – or hurting someone’s feelings. God gives us common sense, so that we don’t make foolish choices. He shows us how to share the love of Jesus Christ with others… to win their hearts for Him… and how to nurture other believers in our path. God’s wisdom and common sense help us deal with crises and heartaches… times of great loneliness and sadness… and the “mountaintop experiences” that bring us tremendous joy. The “school of God” is far different from a pre-K or other formal educational setting. In order to learn from Him, we basically need three things… prayer and communion with Him, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. Through these avenues, God can grant us life-giving wisdom that will fill us with confidence, safety, joy, and peace.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this is a good time to declare “back to school” for all of us… regardless of our age or station in life! As a teacher, this time of year signaled a New Year to me even more, perhaps, than January 1st. So why don’t we resolve to start a new year of learning… a time of growth and increased knowledge in the LORD! Let’s agree to increase our Spiritual wisdom and common sense… to spend a little time in “study” with God… and to mature our faith in the coming months. Like the little four-year-old boy who is going off to pre-K, I have a feeling we will see amazing results in a short time. I’m willing to give it a shot… are you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 15, 2012
Psalm 1
God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God. Instead, the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night.
They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. Those people succeed in everything they do. That isn’t true of those who are evil, because they are like straw blown by the wind. Sinners won’t have an excuse on the day of judgment, and they won’t have a place with the people of God.
The Lord protects everyone who follows him, but the wicked follow a road that leads to ruin.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Over the weekend, my best friend, Marla, and I attended a party to celebrate the marriage of two of our friends from high school. The weather was quirky, and we debated what to wear for a party on the river. The invitation said “outdoor festive attire.” So Marla chose a denim skirt and a pretty blouse… and I decided to wear a simple knit black dress.
I’ve had this dress for more than ten years… it is so old I can’t remember when I actually bought it. I find it as comfortable as pajamas… yet it looks nice enough to wear to a party. It doesn’t wrinkle, washes and dries in less than an hour, and can be worn with casual sandals to shop at Wal-Mart… or with dressy jewelry and heels to the most elegant party. You may have a “go-to” piece in your closet. It could be a basic dress, your favorite t-shirt or pair of jeans, or the sneakers that look more like dress shoes that you wear with everything you own!
The point is… most of us have an item in our closet that we turn to over and again… the piece that makes us feel good in our own skin – comfortable, confident, happy and grounded. This is the item that we are certain will always be appropriate and frees us to concentrate on being present in the moment instead of worrying, “Did I wear the right thing?”
Our relationship with God should be as comfortable and worry-free as the most dependable garment in our closet or our favorite t-shirt or sneakers. GOD should be our “go-to” item… His wisdom and love should be the guiding force that frees us to concentrate on the people and tasks at hand, rather than on whether or not we are doing the right thing or making good decisions. When we are grounded in God, we know that we are on the right path… we are comfortable, confident, happy and grounded. We are firmly rooted, like a hundred-year-old tree… and God’s love and care hangs over us like a shady canopy of guidance.
You know how it is when you get somewhere and feel like you aren’t dressed appropriately. You probably also know the feeling that you are not quite “dressed right” with God. Both are lousy feelings! Every fashion expert tells us to fill our closet with “staples” that are good for any occasion... those that stand the test of time and serve as a foundation for other items and accessories. God’s wisdom and guidance is our “Spiritual staple.” When we start with His foundation – our “tree” has solid roots… and we are always on point and “in style.”
What’s in your “Spiritual closet” these days? Are you firmly rooted in God? Does His wisdom and care cover you like the canopy of a shade tree? Or are you often insecure and uncertain about your choices and behaviors? This is the perfect time to recommit to GOD… to follow Him and listen for His guidance. Let the Psalms be a good source of information and encouragement to help you stay deeply rooted. Don’t waste another minute… fill your “spiritual closet” with solid basics today… and feel the confidence that God can give you when you stay close to Him.
©2012 Debbie Robus
God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God. Instead, the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night.
They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. Those people succeed in everything they do. That isn’t true of those who are evil, because they are like straw blown by the wind. Sinners won’t have an excuse on the day of judgment, and they won’t have a place with the people of God.
The Lord protects everyone who follows him, but the wicked follow a road that leads to ruin.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Over the weekend, my best friend, Marla, and I attended a party to celebrate the marriage of two of our friends from high school. The weather was quirky, and we debated what to wear for a party on the river. The invitation said “outdoor festive attire.” So Marla chose a denim skirt and a pretty blouse… and I decided to wear a simple knit black dress.
I’ve had this dress for more than ten years… it is so old I can’t remember when I actually bought it. I find it as comfortable as pajamas… yet it looks nice enough to wear to a party. It doesn’t wrinkle, washes and dries in less than an hour, and can be worn with casual sandals to shop at Wal-Mart… or with dressy jewelry and heels to the most elegant party. You may have a “go-to” piece in your closet. It could be a basic dress, your favorite t-shirt or pair of jeans, or the sneakers that look more like dress shoes that you wear with everything you own!
The point is… most of us have an item in our closet that we turn to over and again… the piece that makes us feel good in our own skin – comfortable, confident, happy and grounded. This is the item that we are certain will always be appropriate and frees us to concentrate on being present in the moment instead of worrying, “Did I wear the right thing?”
Our relationship with God should be as comfortable and worry-free as the most dependable garment in our closet or our favorite t-shirt or sneakers. GOD should be our “go-to” item… His wisdom and love should be the guiding force that frees us to concentrate on the people and tasks at hand, rather than on whether or not we are doing the right thing or making good decisions. When we are grounded in God, we know that we are on the right path… we are comfortable, confident, happy and grounded. We are firmly rooted, like a hundred-year-old tree… and God’s love and care hangs over us like a shady canopy of guidance.
You know how it is when you get somewhere and feel like you aren’t dressed appropriately. You probably also know the feeling that you are not quite “dressed right” with God. Both are lousy feelings! Every fashion expert tells us to fill our closet with “staples” that are good for any occasion... those that stand the test of time and serve as a foundation for other items and accessories. God’s wisdom and guidance is our “Spiritual staple.” When we start with His foundation – our “tree” has solid roots… and we are always on point and “in style.”
What’s in your “Spiritual closet” these days? Are you firmly rooted in God? Does His wisdom and care cover you like the canopy of a shade tree? Or are you often insecure and uncertain about your choices and behaviors? This is the perfect time to recommit to GOD… to follow Him and listen for His guidance. Let the Psalms be a good source of information and encouragement to help you stay deeply rooted. Don’t waste another minute… fill your “spiritual closet” with solid basics today… and feel the confidence that God can give you when you stay close to Him.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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