1 Peter 3:18, 22
Christ died once for our sins.
An innocent person died for those who are guilty. Christ did this to
bring you to God, when his body was put to death
and his spirit was made alive.
Christ is now in heaven, where he sits at the right side of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under his control.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I
keep replaying Timothy’s question to Greg and me the other day when we
gave the children some new Play-doh®…”Why are you so NICE to us?” It
seems like I ask God this same question a LOT! WHY do You bless me so
often and abundantly? WHY did You sacrifice Your only Son on the cross
for MY sins – and those of others?”
Our answer to Timothy is that
we love him and his siblings so much. It is our joy and delight to do
nice things for them. And scripture tells us that this is God’s answer,
too…although, for the life of me, I cannot comprehend that much love
and care! I do not think I could ever sacrifice a child – for anything
or anyone! I am profoundly moved by the sentence, “An innocent person died for those who are guilty.” You and I are among those “guilty” parties.
So
this makes God’s love even more profound. This causes me to appreciate
God even more to think that He would allow such horrific things to
happen to Jesus – just for me…and for you! Doesn’t this motivate you to
serve better…to be more obedient…to go the second mile? We serve the
most amazing, mighty, powerful…and LOVING God. No One could love us
more than He does. No One could have sacrificed more than God did,
through Jesus Christ.
The next time you start to say or do
something that dishonors such a great gift, ask yourself, “Is this a
fitting way to show God my gratitude and appreciation?” As you look at
those in your midst and are tempted to criticize, judge, disparage or
call them names, consider that EVERYTHING that God has done for you, He
offers the other person, also.
WHY does God love us so much? I
really don’t know…but I know that He does. And that is reason enough
for me to love Him back as much as possible. What about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 21, 2015
Luke 22:41-44
He pulled away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?” At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.
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.
This morning as we got ready to go to church, I listened to the live broadcast of worship services at “Mother Emmanuel” A.M.E. church in Charleston, South Carolina. Just four nights ago, 9 members were massacred there by a 21-year-old man who claimed to hate black people and told them, You’ve got to go.” Today, members of the congregation – and Charleston at large – gathered to worship God…to remember those who were killed… and to offer hope and encouragement to one another – and to the world.
During the service, the altar was opened for prayer, and as several knelt there, the crowd sang the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” It is hard for many to fathom how we can sing these words in days following such a heinous act. How can we sing that God doesn’t change – and neither does His compassion and care - when nine people who were gathered to study God’s word and pray were gunned down, even as they worshipped Him?
How can we declare that everything we have ever needed has been provided by God…that His mercies never fail…when the very people who welcomed a stranger into their midst were betrayed and assassinated? The better question is…”How can we not?”
We need look no further than Jesus’ actions in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He cried out to God to relieve Him of the suffering that was to come – to “take the cup” of impending brutality, torture, and agonizing death…but only if it be God’s will. And many will ask, “How can we serve a God who would allow such atrocities…even to His only Son?” Again, the answer is found in another question…”How can we not?”
The full answer lies in the greatness and magnitude of God’s love and commitment to us. This began with Noah and God’s promise to never wipe out His people again. God made covenants with us to always have our back…to always offer us love, mercy, second chances, and forgiveness. And the only way to really make this work was to sacrifice His only Son – Jesus – on the cross. And somehow, whether we realize it or not…the only way God could make His perfect plans work was to call these nine church members to Heaven at the hands of a deranged gunman. We may never see the “end result” of this event…we may never fully understand what God intended by allowing this horrific crime to occur…but we must accept it and trust that God is in the details.
Be assured that God will not waste these lives – or the way in which they ended. This is evidenced already in the media coverage and the public reaction to these deaths. Additionally, scripture tells us that an angel appeared to comfort Jesus in His grief and anguish. Surely God sent angels to surround those nine on Wednesday night – and He is surrounding many with angels of comfort and compassion even today as they grieve, mourn and sort through the roller-coaster emotions of this aftermath.
I pray that God never calls you or me to face a deranged killer. But I know that He will test each of us throughout our lifetimes. How will we fare? Will we have the strength, courage – and faith – to say, “Your will, not mine”? Will we call out for mercy with the intent to fully accept whatever decision God makes? Will we still be able to claim the blessings of God…even when our world seems to be crumbling around us?
Do we fully understand God’s faithfulness over us…how He is holding up His end of the covenant bargain? Or do we question His presence, particularly when tragedies like this one arise? Are we fully committed to God’s will…no matter how difficult it may seem? Can we sing “Great is Thy faithfulness” with confidence in all circumstances…and a heart for serving Him in all things? Could THIS be what God intended in Charleston last Wednesday? Will this be the day that we begin to make it so?
©2015 Debbie Robus
He pulled away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?” At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.
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.
This morning as we got ready to go to church, I listened to the live broadcast of worship services at “Mother Emmanuel” A.M.E. church in Charleston, South Carolina. Just four nights ago, 9 members were massacred there by a 21-year-old man who claimed to hate black people and told them, You’ve got to go.” Today, members of the congregation – and Charleston at large – gathered to worship God…to remember those who were killed… and to offer hope and encouragement to one another – and to the world.
During the service, the altar was opened for prayer, and as several knelt there, the crowd sang the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” It is hard for many to fathom how we can sing these words in days following such a heinous act. How can we sing that God doesn’t change – and neither does His compassion and care - when nine people who were gathered to study God’s word and pray were gunned down, even as they worshipped Him?
How can we declare that everything we have ever needed has been provided by God…that His mercies never fail…when the very people who welcomed a stranger into their midst were betrayed and assassinated? The better question is…”How can we not?”
We need look no further than Jesus’ actions in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He cried out to God to relieve Him of the suffering that was to come – to “take the cup” of impending brutality, torture, and agonizing death…but only if it be God’s will. And many will ask, “How can we serve a God who would allow such atrocities…even to His only Son?” Again, the answer is found in another question…”How can we not?”
The full answer lies in the greatness and magnitude of God’s love and commitment to us. This began with Noah and God’s promise to never wipe out His people again. God made covenants with us to always have our back…to always offer us love, mercy, second chances, and forgiveness. And the only way to really make this work was to sacrifice His only Son – Jesus – on the cross. And somehow, whether we realize it or not…the only way God could make His perfect plans work was to call these nine church members to Heaven at the hands of a deranged gunman. We may never see the “end result” of this event…we may never fully understand what God intended by allowing this horrific crime to occur…but we must accept it and trust that God is in the details.
Be assured that God will not waste these lives – or the way in which they ended. This is evidenced already in the media coverage and the public reaction to these deaths. Additionally, scripture tells us that an angel appeared to comfort Jesus in His grief and anguish. Surely God sent angels to surround those nine on Wednesday night – and He is surrounding many with angels of comfort and compassion even today as they grieve, mourn and sort through the roller-coaster emotions of this aftermath.
I pray that God never calls you or me to face a deranged killer. But I know that He will test each of us throughout our lifetimes. How will we fare? Will we have the strength, courage – and faith – to say, “Your will, not mine”? Will we call out for mercy with the intent to fully accept whatever decision God makes? Will we still be able to claim the blessings of God…even when our world seems to be crumbling around us?
Do we fully understand God’s faithfulness over us…how He is holding up His end of the covenant bargain? Or do we question His presence, particularly when tragedies like this one arise? Are we fully committed to God’s will…no matter how difficult it may seem? Can we sing “Great is Thy faithfulness” with confidence in all circumstances…and a heart for serving Him in all things? Could THIS be what God intended in Charleston last Wednesday? Will this be the day that we begin to make it so?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 3, 2015
John 19:1-7, 16-22, 31-37
Then Pilate laid open Jesus’ back with a leaded whip, and the soldiers made a crown of thorns and placed it on his head and robed him in royal purple. “Hail, ‘King of the Jews’!” they mocked, and struck him with their fists.
Pilate went outside again and said to the Jews, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.”
Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Behold the man!”
At sight of him the chief priests and Jewish officials began yelling, “Crucify! Crucify!”
“You crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”
They replied, “By our laws he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”
Then Pilate gave Jesus to them to be crucified.
So they had him at last, and he was taken out of the city, carrying his cross to the place known as “The Skull,” in Hebrew, “Golgotha.” There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign over him reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and the signboard was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people read it.
Then the chief priests said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”
Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written. It stays exactly as it is.”
The Jewish leaders didn’t want the victims hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath at that, for it was the Passover), so they asked Pilate to order the legs of the men broken to hasten death; then their bodies could be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus; but when they came to him, they saw that he was dead already, so they didn’t break his. However, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out. I saw all this myself and have given an accurate report so that you also can believe. The soldiers did this in fulfillment of the Scripture that says, “Not one of his bones shall be broken,” and, “They shall look on him whom they pierced.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
It is a somber day…Good Friday…the day we remember what Jesus did for us – for you, and me, and even that person you don’t particularly like for whatever reason. We remember how Jesus suffered…physically…mentally…emotionally. We remember how, despite his initial protests, Pilate ultimately bowed to “the will of the people” – and Jesus accepted the verdict.
Remember, Jesus could have stopped any or all of this in the blink of an eye. He could have said, “That’s going too far…I will not do this!” Any one of us would probably have done so. But we’re not Jesus, thankfully.
We cannot get to Easter Sunday without going through this day. What is “good” about “Good Friday?” Certainly, this day signals Jesus’ death for our wrongdoings…His exchange of flesh and blood for the sins of each and every one of us. We are also given the ultimate example of suffering for our faith in God. Jesus died that we might live...He chose to allow the brutality that was inflicted upon Him because He knew that it was part of God’s plan. And sometimes, we have to endure some things that seem pretty hard in order to get where God wants us to be.
We may have to walk away from “friendships” or bear some sort of loss…the death of a loved one, termination of our employment, a debilitating injury or illness, bankruptcy…or the rejection – and even ridicule – of those who disagree with our viewpoints. It may take weeks, months or years to see what God was accomplishing in this. And we might not ever understand it all in our earthly lifetime! But if we stay focused on the Jesus…and remember what He did for us on the cross…we can do this thing we call “life” – and all that it entails.
Humbly focus on the cross today. God is with us…even on this dark, somber day. Easter IS coming…but for this day, “look on Him whom they pierced”…Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
“Amazing love…how can it be…that you my King would die for me.”*
©2015 Debbie Robus
*You Are My King (Amazing Love), written by Billy James Foote, released by Newsboys – Adoration: Worship Album 2003
Then Pilate laid open Jesus’ back with a leaded whip, and the soldiers made a crown of thorns and placed it on his head and robed him in royal purple. “Hail, ‘King of the Jews’!” they mocked, and struck him with their fists.
Pilate went outside again and said to the Jews, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.”
Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Behold the man!”
At sight of him the chief priests and Jewish officials began yelling, “Crucify! Crucify!”
“You crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”
They replied, “By our laws he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”
Then Pilate gave Jesus to them to be crucified.
So they had him at last, and he was taken out of the city, carrying his cross to the place known as “The Skull,” in Hebrew, “Golgotha.” There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign over him reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and the signboard was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people read it.
Then the chief priests said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”
Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written. It stays exactly as it is.”
The Jewish leaders didn’t want the victims hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath at that, for it was the Passover), so they asked Pilate to order the legs of the men broken to hasten death; then their bodies could be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus; but when they came to him, they saw that he was dead already, so they didn’t break his. However, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out. I saw all this myself and have given an accurate report so that you also can believe. The soldiers did this in fulfillment of the Scripture that says, “Not one of his bones shall be broken,” and, “They shall look on him whom they pierced.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
It is a somber day…Good Friday…the day we remember what Jesus did for us – for you, and me, and even that person you don’t particularly like for whatever reason. We remember how Jesus suffered…physically…mentally…emotionally. We remember how, despite his initial protests, Pilate ultimately bowed to “the will of the people” – and Jesus accepted the verdict.
Remember, Jesus could have stopped any or all of this in the blink of an eye. He could have said, “That’s going too far…I will not do this!” Any one of us would probably have done so. But we’re not Jesus, thankfully.
We cannot get to Easter Sunday without going through this day. What is “good” about “Good Friday?” Certainly, this day signals Jesus’ death for our wrongdoings…His exchange of flesh and blood for the sins of each and every one of us. We are also given the ultimate example of suffering for our faith in God. Jesus died that we might live...He chose to allow the brutality that was inflicted upon Him because He knew that it was part of God’s plan. And sometimes, we have to endure some things that seem pretty hard in order to get where God wants us to be.
We may have to walk away from “friendships” or bear some sort of loss…the death of a loved one, termination of our employment, a debilitating injury or illness, bankruptcy…or the rejection – and even ridicule – of those who disagree with our viewpoints. It may take weeks, months or years to see what God was accomplishing in this. And we might not ever understand it all in our earthly lifetime! But if we stay focused on the Jesus…and remember what He did for us on the cross…we can do this thing we call “life” – and all that it entails.
Humbly focus on the cross today. God is with us…even on this dark, somber day. Easter IS coming…but for this day, “look on Him whom they pierced”…Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
“Amazing love…how can it be…that you my King would die for me.”*
©2015 Debbie Robus
*You Are My King (Amazing Love), written by Billy James Foote, released by Newsboys – Adoration: Worship Album 2003
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 September 29, 2014
Isaiah 53:4-5
Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed!
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.
Pick someone...anyone...who is truly important to you. I don’t care if you choose a “significant other”, your spouse, a child, a parent, your best friend – or even your beloved pet. Now imagine that every time you sin, this person (or pet) takes a beating. Every time you get sick, this person or animal will be whipped until bloody. And you will feel better...right?
Wouldn’t you be mortified if you thought that your well-being...mentally, physically or spiritually...depended on the suffering and mistreatment of someone else? Yet this is exactly the exchange that Jesus offers us. He was wounded, beaten, and pressed down by our sorrows and sins...all so that we could have peace and healing of all kinds – and Eternal Life in His presence!
Crazy, isn’t it? Heart-wrenching even! Yet we essentially brandish the whip and hammer the nails day in and day out. We press the thorns of the crown deeper into His head and either take His forgiveness and restoration for granted...or we thumb our nose and effectively say, “I really don’t care what He did for me.”
Here’s a challenge for each of us...the next time you are tempted to be unkind to someone else...to pass judgment...to criticize...or to berate...hear the lash of the whip as it tears Jesus’ flesh – for you. The next time you are healed of a sickness or injury...think of the Roman soldiers spitting on our Savior – for you. The next time you turn your back on God and try to do things your way...the next time you go days without talking to God or studying His word and then wondering why things aren’t going so well...think of Jesus hanging on the cross as nails dig through His hands and feet and people mock Him – all for you.
When we stop and remember Jesus...when we focus on what He did for us – it surely must seem a little harder to disappoint and disrespect Him. Hopefully, we will pay closer attention to how we are acting and thinking as we think of Jesus and what He did for us – what He does for us each and every day. He suffered greatly...for us. Believe it...He really loves us that much!
We cannot fathom another breathing thing suffering such horrors because of anything we have said or done. So why can we so readily accept this treatment of Jesus on our behalf? Isn’t it time for a mental shift? Don’t we need to refocus our awareness...and re-direct our efforts to live in a way that glorifies the tremendous sacrifices of our Great Healer? Will this be the day that you say, “By His stripes I am healed...and I will serve Him forever with each word and action!”? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed!
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.
Pick someone...anyone...who is truly important to you. I don’t care if you choose a “significant other”, your spouse, a child, a parent, your best friend – or even your beloved pet. Now imagine that every time you sin, this person (or pet) takes a beating. Every time you get sick, this person or animal will be whipped until bloody. And you will feel better...right?
Wouldn’t you be mortified if you thought that your well-being...mentally, physically or spiritually...depended on the suffering and mistreatment of someone else? Yet this is exactly the exchange that Jesus offers us. He was wounded, beaten, and pressed down by our sorrows and sins...all so that we could have peace and healing of all kinds – and Eternal Life in His presence!
Crazy, isn’t it? Heart-wrenching even! Yet we essentially brandish the whip and hammer the nails day in and day out. We press the thorns of the crown deeper into His head and either take His forgiveness and restoration for granted...or we thumb our nose and effectively say, “I really don’t care what He did for me.”
Here’s a challenge for each of us...the next time you are tempted to be unkind to someone else...to pass judgment...to criticize...or to berate...hear the lash of the whip as it tears Jesus’ flesh – for you. The next time you are healed of a sickness or injury...think of the Roman soldiers spitting on our Savior – for you. The next time you turn your back on God and try to do things your way...the next time you go days without talking to God or studying His word and then wondering why things aren’t going so well...think of Jesus hanging on the cross as nails dig through His hands and feet and people mock Him – all for you.
When we stop and remember Jesus...when we focus on what He did for us – it surely must seem a little harder to disappoint and disrespect Him. Hopefully, we will pay closer attention to how we are acting and thinking as we think of Jesus and what He did for us – what He does for us each and every day. He suffered greatly...for us. Believe it...He really loves us that much!
We cannot fathom another breathing thing suffering such horrors because of anything we have said or done. So why can we so readily accept this treatment of Jesus on our behalf? Isn’t it time for a mental shift? Don’t we need to refocus our awareness...and re-direct our efforts to live in a way that glorifies the tremendous sacrifices of our Great Healer? Will this be the day that you say, “By His stripes I am healed...and I will serve Him forever with each word and action!”? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 21, 2014
Deuteronomy 28:1-6
“If you fully obey all of these commandments of the Lord your God, the laws I am declaring to you today, God will transform you into the greatest nation in the world. These are the blessings that will come upon you:
We have a system that we use with Timothy and his siblings to promote good behavior when they visit us. I have little cards that have a spot for the child’s name, and boxes with numbers 1-20. Each time the child does something good, I punch a number. When the card has all of its boxes punched, the child gets to pick a “prize”. My brother-in-law calls this bribery...but you can see from this scripture passage that the “if/then” method of “behavior modification” is nothing new!
The children have seen the prize basket. They know what is in there and what they are working toward, and they are motivated to earn those toy cars, dinosaurs, tiny baby dolls, and more. These are mostly thrift-store or Dollar Tree® finds...nothing expensive or extraordinary. But the children really work hard to do what is asked of them so that they can earn those punches – and a prize! There ARE consequences for bad choices and behaviors. But by putting the focus on doing what is right, we avoid most conflicts and infractions. At school, Timothy’s kindergarten teacher refers to this as “making excellent choices”.
There is a bigger payoff...the children build a sense of responsibility for their actions, a feeling of pride in doing what is right, and a delight in showing their mom and others the fully punched cards and hearing, “You did a good job! I’m proud of you!” I don’t think it’s all that different for us as Christians...or it shouldn’t be.
God has clearly laid out the “rules and consequences”. He has told us what He expects of us...and what blessings will be ours as a result of our obedience. He has told us that “the wages of sin are death”...and that a life without Christ will keep us from spending Eternity in heaven. And as I have pointed out before, God’s blessings are so numerous...and Jesus’ sacrifices on our behalf were so tremendous...that we should be filled with desire to honor and obey out of our own sense of devotion and gratitude.
I don’t know about you, but I am appreciative of the “health and blessings” that God provides. I don’t mind knowing what is required of me...and doing all I can to live up to those expectations. I feel so much better about myself when I know that I am pleasing God and operating within His will for my life. And I look forward to the day when I meet Jesus face-to-face and hear, “Well done! I’m so proud of you! Welcome Home!!!”
There is healing power in the “rules and consequences” of God. We have a clear “prescription” for how to live as disciples of Christ. And like all people, we have a choice to make...we can “follow the Doctor’s orders” and be healthy...or we can set the “medicine” on the shelf and try to do things on our own. We pretty well know what the end results will be. So what choices will YOU make today? Will they be “excellent”, healthy, and pleasing to God...or not?
©2014 Debbie Robus
“If you fully obey all of these commandments of the Lord your God, the laws I am declaring to you today, God will transform you into the greatest nation in the world. These are the blessings that will come upon you:
Blessings in the city,The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Blessings in the field;
Many children,
Ample crops,
Large flocks and herds;
Blessings of fruit and bread;
Blessings when you come in,
Blessings when you go out.
We have a system that we use with Timothy and his siblings to promote good behavior when they visit us. I have little cards that have a spot for the child’s name, and boxes with numbers 1-20. Each time the child does something good, I punch a number. When the card has all of its boxes punched, the child gets to pick a “prize”. My brother-in-law calls this bribery...but you can see from this scripture passage that the “if/then” method of “behavior modification” is nothing new!
The children have seen the prize basket. They know what is in there and what they are working toward, and they are motivated to earn those toy cars, dinosaurs, tiny baby dolls, and more. These are mostly thrift-store or Dollar Tree® finds...nothing expensive or extraordinary. But the children really work hard to do what is asked of them so that they can earn those punches – and a prize! There ARE consequences for bad choices and behaviors. But by putting the focus on doing what is right, we avoid most conflicts and infractions. At school, Timothy’s kindergarten teacher refers to this as “making excellent choices”.
There is a bigger payoff...the children build a sense of responsibility for their actions, a feeling of pride in doing what is right, and a delight in showing their mom and others the fully punched cards and hearing, “You did a good job! I’m proud of you!” I don’t think it’s all that different for us as Christians...or it shouldn’t be.
God has clearly laid out the “rules and consequences”. He has told us what He expects of us...and what blessings will be ours as a result of our obedience. He has told us that “the wages of sin are death”...and that a life without Christ will keep us from spending Eternity in heaven. And as I have pointed out before, God’s blessings are so numerous...and Jesus’ sacrifices on our behalf were so tremendous...that we should be filled with desire to honor and obey out of our own sense of devotion and gratitude.
I don’t know about you, but I am appreciative of the “health and blessings” that God provides. I don’t mind knowing what is required of me...and doing all I can to live up to those expectations. I feel so much better about myself when I know that I am pleasing God and operating within His will for my life. And I look forward to the day when I meet Jesus face-to-face and hear, “Well done! I’m so proud of you! Welcome Home!!!”
There is healing power in the “rules and consequences” of God. We have a clear “prescription” for how to live as disciples of Christ. And like all people, we have a choice to make...we can “follow the Doctor’s orders” and be healthy...or we can set the “medicine” on the shelf and try to do things on our own. We pretty well know what the end results will be. So what choices will YOU make today? Will they be “excellent”, healthy, and pleasing to God...or not?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 14, 2014
1 Peter 2:21-25
This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
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.
This morning, I substituted in Timothy’s Sunday school class as an assistant leader. As this little group of five-year-olds waited for their parents to pick them up after class, I watched while each took turns “hanging” from a miniature “cross” that was placed against the wall in one corner of the classroom. “Look!” one of the little girls cried, “Timothy is nailed to the cross!” And sure enough, there stood Timothy...arms raised to the cross-beam...body pressed against the vertical post. I didn’t fuss at them... I just smiled at the children and nodded as I called the names of those whose parents had arrived.
These precious five-year-olds do not – and cannot – fully grasp the meaning of the cross. They have been told that Jesus died on the cross for their sins...they’ve seen pictures and heard stories. But they don’t fully understand what happened there...the “how and why” of it all, or the holiness – and healing - of this symbol. But the sad thing is...for the most part, neither do we.
Very few of us really grasp the power of the cross. It’s understandable that we don’t fully comprehend the grace, mercy and love that God extended to us through Jesus in this manner. Even more difficult for us to take in is how the wounds of Jesus became our healing...mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Jesus took everything that happens to us on His shoulders. He essentially asked, “What else have you got? I’ll take that, too!”
So the next time you start to start to worry and stew over something...think of the cross. When you are sick or injured, and fear and panic start to set in...remember that the wounds of Jesus are your healing. When you are confused or uncertain...when you face difficult decisions and circumstances...remember Whose you are. When all seems hopeless or you feel like you cannot take another step, remind yourself that you are named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your soul.
The One who never did anything wrong or said anything amiss paid a huge price for our “healing”. Isn’t it time we recognized Him? What does the cross mean to you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
He never did one thing wrong,They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.
Not once said anything amiss.
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.
This morning, I substituted in Timothy’s Sunday school class as an assistant leader. As this little group of five-year-olds waited for their parents to pick them up after class, I watched while each took turns “hanging” from a miniature “cross” that was placed against the wall in one corner of the classroom. “Look!” one of the little girls cried, “Timothy is nailed to the cross!” And sure enough, there stood Timothy...arms raised to the cross-beam...body pressed against the vertical post. I didn’t fuss at them... I just smiled at the children and nodded as I called the names of those whose parents had arrived.
These precious five-year-olds do not – and cannot – fully grasp the meaning of the cross. They have been told that Jesus died on the cross for their sins...they’ve seen pictures and heard stories. But they don’t fully understand what happened there...the “how and why” of it all, or the holiness – and healing - of this symbol. But the sad thing is...for the most part, neither do we.
Very few of us really grasp the power of the cross. It’s understandable that we don’t fully comprehend the grace, mercy and love that God extended to us through Jesus in this manner. Even more difficult for us to take in is how the wounds of Jesus became our healing...mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Jesus took everything that happens to us on His shoulders. He essentially asked, “What else have you got? I’ll take that, too!”
So the next time you start to start to worry and stew over something...think of the cross. When you are sick or injured, and fear and panic start to set in...remember that the wounds of Jesus are your healing. When you are confused or uncertain...when you face difficult decisions and circumstances...remember Whose you are. When all seems hopeless or you feel like you cannot take another step, remind yourself that you are named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your soul.
The One who never did anything wrong or said anything amiss paid a huge price for our “healing”. Isn’t it time we recognized Him? What does the cross mean to you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 10, 2014
Romans 5:6-8
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.
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.
Several years ago, I got the flu. It just so happened that I was scheduled for a yearly physical with my family doctor during the time when I felt the worst. I called the clinic and told the receptionist that I could not come in...that I was too sick to get there. I heard a long, slow, dubious, “Okaaaaaaaaaayyy” on the other end of the line. It didn’t make any sense to her that someone could be “too sick” to see the doctor!
Believe it or not, when I was a little girl, the doctor would have probably visited ME in such a situation. There really was a time when doctors made “house calls”! When people were too weak or sick to get ready or leave their homes, physicians and nurses would leave their offices, get in their cars, and drive to patient’s homes to treat them! While this was not a “sacrifice” on their part that could in any way compare to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross...I’m sure it was an inconvenience for them - one they were willing to endure for the health and well-being of their patients.
If your doctor actually came to your home to treat you today, wouldn’t you be astounded at his/her care and kindness? Wouldn’t you feel just a tad special...like you were receiving preferential treatment? Surely the doctor doesn’t do this for just anybody...you must be someone pretty important to him/her!
Here’s the thing...there are a lot of things that we think we would do for certain people. But when it comes to those we don’t know very well...or never even met...we’d think twice about inconveniencing ourselves on their behalf – much less making a big sacrifice for them. The concept of offering our lives for people who don’t know us – and really don’t deserve our help – is beyond our comprehension. Yet this is exactly what Jesus did for us. He stepped up and offered His very life for ours...people who were yet to be born and would never be worthy of such generous grace and mercy.
Jesus is the Healer who shows up on your doorstep when you are too weak to get up and take yourself to the doctor. When life beats you down so badly that you can’t move – and don’t know what to do – Jesus makes a “house call”. You and I needed a Savior...Someone who understood that we will never be able to cover our own sins, so He did it for us with a payment of His very life. If you will start paying closer attention, you’ll see how Jesus shows up in your life over and again – right on time. He seems to anticipate what we will need before we even know that we need it. When we whisper, “LORD...” we hear Him say, “I’m already on it!”
Don’t misunderstand me...I love my family doctor – even if he doesn’t make house calls! But I am so glad to know that the Great Physician will visit me anywhere, anytime...that He will go to the ends of the earth to meet the needs of all of His “patients”...and that there is NOTHING that he cannot cure! What ails you today? Do you need a “house call” from Jesus? Aren’t you ready to call on Him to give you a “clean bill of health”? Will this be the day that you truly get well?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.
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.
Several years ago, I got the flu. It just so happened that I was scheduled for a yearly physical with my family doctor during the time when I felt the worst. I called the clinic and told the receptionist that I could not come in...that I was too sick to get there. I heard a long, slow, dubious, “Okaaaaaaaaaayyy” on the other end of the line. It didn’t make any sense to her that someone could be “too sick” to see the doctor!
Believe it or not, when I was a little girl, the doctor would have probably visited ME in such a situation. There really was a time when doctors made “house calls”! When people were too weak or sick to get ready or leave their homes, physicians and nurses would leave their offices, get in their cars, and drive to patient’s homes to treat them! While this was not a “sacrifice” on their part that could in any way compare to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross...I’m sure it was an inconvenience for them - one they were willing to endure for the health and well-being of their patients.
If your doctor actually came to your home to treat you today, wouldn’t you be astounded at his/her care and kindness? Wouldn’t you feel just a tad special...like you were receiving preferential treatment? Surely the doctor doesn’t do this for just anybody...you must be someone pretty important to him/her!
Here’s the thing...there are a lot of things that we think we would do for certain people. But when it comes to those we don’t know very well...or never even met...we’d think twice about inconveniencing ourselves on their behalf – much less making a big sacrifice for them. The concept of offering our lives for people who don’t know us – and really don’t deserve our help – is beyond our comprehension. Yet this is exactly what Jesus did for us. He stepped up and offered His very life for ours...people who were yet to be born and would never be worthy of such generous grace and mercy.
Jesus is the Healer who shows up on your doorstep when you are too weak to get up and take yourself to the doctor. When life beats you down so badly that you can’t move – and don’t know what to do – Jesus makes a “house call”. You and I needed a Savior...Someone who understood that we will never be able to cover our own sins, so He did it for us with a payment of His very life. If you will start paying closer attention, you’ll see how Jesus shows up in your life over and again – right on time. He seems to anticipate what we will need before we even know that we need it. When we whisper, “LORD...” we hear Him say, “I’m already on it!”
Don’t misunderstand me...I love my family doctor – even if he doesn’t make house calls! But I am so glad to know that the Great Physician will visit me anywhere, anytime...that He will go to the ends of the earth to meet the needs of all of His “patients”...and that there is NOTHING that he cannot cure! What ails you today? Do you need a “house call” from Jesus? Aren’t you ready to call on Him to give you a “clean bill of health”? Will this be the day that you truly get well?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 6, 2014
Isaiah 1:18
Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My niece, Jasmine, has referred to me as something of the “Queen of Stain Removal”. I’ll admit...I have had some pretty major success at removing stubborn stains on everything from vintage linens to baby clothing to vintage glassware and silver. There have been a few stubborn spots that just would not bow...but often, I find a way to camouflage these and still use the item. Sometimes the stains have to be cut away...but rarely do I have to totally give up on a piece because of such blemishes.
Honestly, I enjoy the challenge. I get a kick out of restoring a tarnished item to its former glory – or at least something that is more than passable. I get immense satisfaction from the “rescue”. So it is easy for me to see what pleasure it gives Jesus to be able to restore us. Trust me, His methods of stain removal are failsafe. There is absolutely NO stain of sin that He cannot remove...EVER! When I think about how delighted I am when a garment comes out of the wash clean and “fresh as the fallen snow,” I totally “get” how thrilled Jesus is when He makes us “white as wool”.
More importantly, I am humbled and grateful for the tremendous price that Jesus paid for my “stain removal”. I know that I often spend a lot of time and energy on removing a mark or blemish from something. But I know that Jesus spent much more to remove my sins...He shed His very blood on the cross for me. He suffered agony and anguish, brutality and horrific insults, just to take out my sinful stains and restore me. There is no way I can compare to this...no way I would ever even want to try. I am incredibly grateful and humbled that He did this for me.
I love how this translation portrays Jesus as a trusted friend who says, “Come...let’s talk this over...I can fix that for you...I can get that stain out and make you good as new again!” That’s an offer I cannot refuse...what about you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My niece, Jasmine, has referred to me as something of the “Queen of Stain Removal”. I’ll admit...I have had some pretty major success at removing stubborn stains on everything from vintage linens to baby clothing to vintage glassware and silver. There have been a few stubborn spots that just would not bow...but often, I find a way to camouflage these and still use the item. Sometimes the stains have to be cut away...but rarely do I have to totally give up on a piece because of such blemishes.
Honestly, I enjoy the challenge. I get a kick out of restoring a tarnished item to its former glory – or at least something that is more than passable. I get immense satisfaction from the “rescue”. So it is easy for me to see what pleasure it gives Jesus to be able to restore us. Trust me, His methods of stain removal are failsafe. There is absolutely NO stain of sin that He cannot remove...EVER! When I think about how delighted I am when a garment comes out of the wash clean and “fresh as the fallen snow,” I totally “get” how thrilled Jesus is when He makes us “white as wool”.
More importantly, I am humbled and grateful for the tremendous price that Jesus paid for my “stain removal”. I know that I often spend a lot of time and energy on removing a mark or blemish from something. But I know that Jesus spent much more to remove my sins...He shed His very blood on the cross for me. He suffered agony and anguish, brutality and horrific insults, just to take out my sinful stains and restore me. There is no way I can compare to this...no way I would ever even want to try. I am incredibly grateful and humbled that He did this for me.
I love how this translation portrays Jesus as a trusted friend who says, “Come...let’s talk this over...I can fix that for you...I can get that stain out and make you good as new again!” That’s an offer I cannot refuse...what about you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 28, 2014
Hebrews 10:11-18
Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. The Holy Spirit confirms this:
This new plan I’m making with Israel
isn’t going to be written on paper,
isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time “I’m writing out the plan in them,
carving it on the lining of their hearts.”
He concludes,
I’ll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.
Once sins are taken care of for good, there’s no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them.
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’ve been helping my cousin Natalie with a makeover project on her kindergarten classroom. After 17 years of teaching, she was ready for a “room re-do.” She found several ideas that she liked online and in stores, and we melded them into a cohesive “look” using the graphic design and photo editing programs on my computer.
When I was teaching in the late ‘70s and early-to-mid ‘80s, we didn’t have computers that created labels and artwork with the click of a mouse. We didn’t know about fonts and Adobe Photoshop® and color printers. I spent days and weeks coloring individual name tags and characters that I had printed out in black and white...outlining with a Sharpie® marker, then carefully cutting, pasting and laminating everything together. We thought our results looked pretty good, but compared to the slick pieces that are possible today, our classrooms were downright crafty!
I stopped by the school to see Natalie’s progress, and she showed me her wall display for color words. Each color word was printed on a card – in that particular color – and outlined in a matching polka-dot border. But there was a gap. She said, “I realized when I hung them that there was not a card for the color brown. I messaged the person who designed these, and she said that she doesn’t have a template for brown. So I am going to print a black and white copy and color it in...then cut and paste letters to make the word ‘brown’ for the center.” I stopped her...”I can do all of that on the computer.” Her eyes lit up. “You can?” “I’m pretty sure I can make that all work,” I told her. She sent me her file, and I was able to do in a matter of minutes what would have otherwise taken her hours...if not a whole day.
In recent years, I’ve thought about the things that my fellow teachers and I spent hours and days working on that are accomplished now with the click of a button. I have asked myself how we did it all...and the short answer is that we gave up our nights, weekends, holidays and summers to prepare classroom materials and displays for our students. It’s a wonder we found time to teach! And quite frankly, there were times when we were drowning in mountains of paper work and “busywork” that we barely made a dent in the primary goal of presenting lessons and reaching academic objectives!
As I read this scripture passage, I thought about this...and about how many times we go around in circles, somewhat chasing our tail as we try to accomplish things that we do not have the adequate tools or skills to undertake. Like teachers everywhere, we spend a lot of energy trying to figure out a “work-around” that will suffice...and often, we are more than a little disappointed with the results – if not downright wearied by them. And nowhere is this more evident than in our attempts to muddle through life on our own...to do the same things over and over while hoping for different outcomes. We often think we know so much more than we really do...or feel that our way is sufficient, if not better, than God’s. And this is when we make a huge mess of things.
It’s MORE than a good thing that God is so merciful and tender with us. We truly have no clue just how blessed we are that He sent Jesus to pay for our sins...once and for all. I love the sentence...”It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people.” This sums up Jesus beautifully. This description grasps the essence of His grace and mercy over us...and demonstrates His love for us. He made us perfect...unblemished...pure and whole...and we could never have done this on our own, no matter how long or hard we tried.
I’m grateful for our present-day technology – even the vast array that I do not fully understand! I love how computers can make things look so neat and pretty. I am even more appreciative of the love and tender care of Jesus...how His single sacrifice accomplished what I never could. Now I am heaven bound, fully forgiven for my sins, and free to love others in His name and share the Good News that this gift extends to them, as well! I know that the price He paid was anything but simple...far more than the click of a button! And I recognize the tremendous love and commitment that He demonstrated on my behalf.
When I sent back the file to Natalie with the “brown” color card, she responded, “You saved the day!” In the scheme of things, this was not a big deal on my part. I just happened to have experience in pressing buttons and “cutting and pasting” on some pretty amazing and powerful computer programs! But Jesus wiped the slate clean with His own blood on the cross...once and for all...and truly saved us from a life of sin and eternity in Hell. Have you let Him know how grateful you are for this amazing sacrifice? Isn’t it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. The Holy Spirit confirms this:
This new plan I’m making with Israel
isn’t going to be written on paper,
isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time “I’m writing out the plan in them,
carving it on the lining of their hearts.”
He concludes,
I’ll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.
Once sins are taken care of for good, there’s no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them.
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’ve been helping my cousin Natalie with a makeover project on her kindergarten classroom. After 17 years of teaching, she was ready for a “room re-do.” She found several ideas that she liked online and in stores, and we melded them into a cohesive “look” using the graphic design and photo editing programs on my computer.
When I was teaching in the late ‘70s and early-to-mid ‘80s, we didn’t have computers that created labels and artwork with the click of a mouse. We didn’t know about fonts and Adobe Photoshop® and color printers. I spent days and weeks coloring individual name tags and characters that I had printed out in black and white...outlining with a Sharpie® marker, then carefully cutting, pasting and laminating everything together. We thought our results looked pretty good, but compared to the slick pieces that are possible today, our classrooms were downright crafty!
I stopped by the school to see Natalie’s progress, and she showed me her wall display for color words. Each color word was printed on a card – in that particular color – and outlined in a matching polka-dot border. But there was a gap. She said, “I realized when I hung them that there was not a card for the color brown. I messaged the person who designed these, and she said that she doesn’t have a template for brown. So I am going to print a black and white copy and color it in...then cut and paste letters to make the word ‘brown’ for the center.” I stopped her...”I can do all of that on the computer.” Her eyes lit up. “You can?” “I’m pretty sure I can make that all work,” I told her. She sent me her file, and I was able to do in a matter of minutes what would have otherwise taken her hours...if not a whole day.
In recent years, I’ve thought about the things that my fellow teachers and I spent hours and days working on that are accomplished now with the click of a button. I have asked myself how we did it all...and the short answer is that we gave up our nights, weekends, holidays and summers to prepare classroom materials and displays for our students. It’s a wonder we found time to teach! And quite frankly, there were times when we were drowning in mountains of paper work and “busywork” that we barely made a dent in the primary goal of presenting lessons and reaching academic objectives!
As I read this scripture passage, I thought about this...and about how many times we go around in circles, somewhat chasing our tail as we try to accomplish things that we do not have the adequate tools or skills to undertake. Like teachers everywhere, we spend a lot of energy trying to figure out a “work-around” that will suffice...and often, we are more than a little disappointed with the results – if not downright wearied by them. And nowhere is this more evident than in our attempts to muddle through life on our own...to do the same things over and over while hoping for different outcomes. We often think we know so much more than we really do...or feel that our way is sufficient, if not better, than God’s. And this is when we make a huge mess of things.
It’s MORE than a good thing that God is so merciful and tender with us. We truly have no clue just how blessed we are that He sent Jesus to pay for our sins...once and for all. I love the sentence...”It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people.” This sums up Jesus beautifully. This description grasps the essence of His grace and mercy over us...and demonstrates His love for us. He made us perfect...unblemished...pure and whole...and we could never have done this on our own, no matter how long or hard we tried.
I’m grateful for our present-day technology – even the vast array that I do not fully understand! I love how computers can make things look so neat and pretty. I am even more appreciative of the love and tender care of Jesus...how His single sacrifice accomplished what I never could. Now I am heaven bound, fully forgiven for my sins, and free to love others in His name and share the Good News that this gift extends to them, as well! I know that the price He paid was anything but simple...far more than the click of a button! And I recognize the tremendous love and commitment that He demonstrated on my behalf.
When I sent back the file to Natalie with the “brown” color card, she responded, “You saved the day!” In the scheme of things, this was not a big deal on my part. I just happened to have experience in pressing buttons and “cutting and pasting” on some pretty amazing and powerful computer programs! But Jesus wiped the slate clean with His own blood on the cross...once and for all...and truly saved us from a life of sin and eternity in Hell. Have you let Him know how grateful you are for this amazing sacrifice? Isn’t it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 23, 2014
1 Peter 1:3
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My friend Marla was telling me how frazzled her daughter Molly is these days. Molly is the working, single mother of three children…and they are all going in different directions. She has been driving her oldest son to a night-time “band camp” this week to prepare for his entry into high school band next fall. The two younger children are involved in gymnastics classes. Marla said that when she visited recently, Molly’s kitchen table was littered with applications for a number of summer camps. She said, “It’s all about to drive Molly crazy!” And many of you can relate.
Even if you don’t have three children and a job, you may have a “to-do” list that seems insurmountable. I can remember days when I worked full-time and was so frazzled and exhausted by all that I had to accomplish that I woke up thinking, “If I can get through this day, in 10-12 hours, I can go back to bed!” Does this sound familiar?
What if our spiritual life was like this? In the Old Testament, we read about making blood sacrifices for our sins. If you think people in Biblical times had it easier, think again! They didn’t have cars, microwaves, smart phones, computers, or even running water (at least your average Joe didn’t!). So in addition to toting water…hunting and killing – or growing – their food…gathering fire wood…protecting their property and their physical body from the elements, predators and enemies… and even the logistics of getting from Point A to Point B…they had to select the purest lambs, carry them to the high priest, confess their sins, then kill the lamb with a knife and spill its blood in atonement! Whew! Makes me tired just to type all of this!
I’m thankful for all of our modern conveniences. But I am even more thankful for the blood of Jesus that bought and paid for my sins - once and for all. Now understand, this is not a “given”…we cannot just assume that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and go on with our merry lives. We must humbly confess before God that we are sinners. We must ask for His forgiveness. We must request the gift of eternal life by the blood of Jesus. THEN He will bestow it! And we’re not done…we still have obligations. We must be good stewards of our gift of Salvation in Jesus.
We have to live in a way that honors this gift and truly demonstrates our desire and efforts to enjoy a life free of sin. But “resting in the LORD” is so much more peaceful and soothing than constantly worrying and examining your life and rushing to a priest with a living sacrifice. Even more importantly, once we confess our sins and vow to follow Jesus, we are free of the “after-burden” of our sins. We don’t have to carry the added weight of picturing a precious lamb suffering, quite literally, under the knife of our transgressions…and the knowledge that we will have to repeat this act over and over and over throughout our lives.
Acceptance of Jesus’ gift of salvation allows us to rest in His love and to concentrate our time and energy on other things…like serving Him and loving others – and enjoying the new life that He has given us! Our new life in Christ won’t take all of the tasks off of our “to-do” list. We will still have jobs, spouses, kids, family obligations, civic duties, and ministries to tend. But we will not have the heavy burden of sin looming over our heads. I don’t know about you, but for me, this is HUGE!
Summer is a time when we often think of a slower, more relaxed pace…afternoons lounging in a porch swing or hammock…sunny days spent playing in the water…the fun and camaraderie of a baseball game…camps and vacations…and so much more. Let this summer be the one that you leave behind the burden of sin. Truly humble yourself and ask Jesus to forgive you…to wash you in the blood of His sacrifice…and be done with it, once and for all! Rest in His hope; relax in His peace. See if this doesn’t make your crazy “to-do” list just a little more tolerable. Aren’t you ready to “rest in the LORD”?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My friend Marla was telling me how frazzled her daughter Molly is these days. Molly is the working, single mother of three children…and they are all going in different directions. She has been driving her oldest son to a night-time “band camp” this week to prepare for his entry into high school band next fall. The two younger children are involved in gymnastics classes. Marla said that when she visited recently, Molly’s kitchen table was littered with applications for a number of summer camps. She said, “It’s all about to drive Molly crazy!” And many of you can relate.
Even if you don’t have three children and a job, you may have a “to-do” list that seems insurmountable. I can remember days when I worked full-time and was so frazzled and exhausted by all that I had to accomplish that I woke up thinking, “If I can get through this day, in 10-12 hours, I can go back to bed!” Does this sound familiar?
What if our spiritual life was like this? In the Old Testament, we read about making blood sacrifices for our sins. If you think people in Biblical times had it easier, think again! They didn’t have cars, microwaves, smart phones, computers, or even running water (at least your average Joe didn’t!). So in addition to toting water…hunting and killing – or growing – their food…gathering fire wood…protecting their property and their physical body from the elements, predators and enemies… and even the logistics of getting from Point A to Point B…they had to select the purest lambs, carry them to the high priest, confess their sins, then kill the lamb with a knife and spill its blood in atonement! Whew! Makes me tired just to type all of this!
I’m thankful for all of our modern conveniences. But I am even more thankful for the blood of Jesus that bought and paid for my sins - once and for all. Now understand, this is not a “given”…we cannot just assume that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and go on with our merry lives. We must humbly confess before God that we are sinners. We must ask for His forgiveness. We must request the gift of eternal life by the blood of Jesus. THEN He will bestow it! And we’re not done…we still have obligations. We must be good stewards of our gift of Salvation in Jesus.
We have to live in a way that honors this gift and truly demonstrates our desire and efforts to enjoy a life free of sin. But “resting in the LORD” is so much more peaceful and soothing than constantly worrying and examining your life and rushing to a priest with a living sacrifice. Even more importantly, once we confess our sins and vow to follow Jesus, we are free of the “after-burden” of our sins. We don’t have to carry the added weight of picturing a precious lamb suffering, quite literally, under the knife of our transgressions…and the knowledge that we will have to repeat this act over and over and over throughout our lives.
Acceptance of Jesus’ gift of salvation allows us to rest in His love and to concentrate our time and energy on other things…like serving Him and loving others – and enjoying the new life that He has given us! Our new life in Christ won’t take all of the tasks off of our “to-do” list. We will still have jobs, spouses, kids, family obligations, civic duties, and ministries to tend. But we will not have the heavy burden of sin looming over our heads. I don’t know about you, but for me, this is HUGE!
Summer is a time when we often think of a slower, more relaxed pace…afternoons lounging in a porch swing or hammock…sunny days spent playing in the water…the fun and camaraderie of a baseball game…camps and vacations…and so much more. Let this summer be the one that you leave behind the burden of sin. Truly humble yourself and ask Jesus to forgive you…to wash you in the blood of His sacrifice…and be done with it, once and for all! Rest in His hope; relax in His peace. See if this doesn’t make your crazy “to-do” list just a little more tolerable. Aren’t you ready to “rest in the LORD”?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 19, 2014
Matthew 27:57-66
Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate granted his request. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens, put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb.
After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with Pilate. They said, “Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be raised.’ We’ve got to get that tomb sealed until the third day. There’s a good chance his disciples will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, ‘He’s risen from the dead.’ Then we’ll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing the first.”
Pilate told them, “You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the best you can.” So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards.
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.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In John 19:30 (NLT), we read…”When Jesus had tasted it, he said, ‘It is finished!’ Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.” But it was not “finished”…the literal act of dying is never the end. I remember distinctly when my grandmother died last year...on a Friday night. The coroner and his deputy happened to be dear friends who loved Mam-ma Polly like their own grandmother. They came and got her body and took it to the funeral home for embalming and preparation. I knew in my heart that each task they performed…every touch of their hands…would be a loving gesture. I believe it was the same for Joseph of Arimathea…one of Jesus’ followers. I know it was that way for Mary Magdalene, and Mary – Jesus’ aunt. I know that they waited…hoping to have a chance to add their own “touches” to what Joseph had done as he wrapped Jesus’ body in oil-laden linen strips.
I remember that the day after my Mam-ma Polly died was a whirlwind of appointments to make funeral arrangements, visits with family members and friends, and time spent at my computer collecting information and photos for the obituary and funeral service. I don’t remember every minute detail of that day and the days after…but I know they were full and left me little time to think and “stew”. It felt like I was on “auto-pilot” as others around me did the things that provided the supporting structure, while I focused on just getting things done and making it through the day.
In the midst of their grief and sorrow, I know that even Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ Aunt Mary wanted to stay “busy”…I get that. It helps to have something to do in those next few hours/days…making arrangements, greeting those who come to extend condolences, and more. Many people really don’t want to be alone in their thoughts…at least not initially. It’s often far too painful. I believe the “busyness” that comes after someone dies is in some way God’s design to shield and shelter us from the profound grief that would overcome us otherwise. So Mary Magdalene and his Aunt Mary got busy…they focused on waiting and watching near the tomb. They made it their mission to supervise – as best they could – every single facet of Jesus’ burial. They involved themselves in the details.
Today, as you reflect on the crucifixion and the events of “yesterday” – Good Friday – think about the day after the crucifixion and all of the people who were ministering to Jesus and his family members in ways great and small. More importantly, think about how God cares about every minute detail of your life…even the “busy work”. Thank Him for loving us in such a way that even in our deepest sorrow or on our worst day, He orchestrates the particulars of our life and pulls everything together. In the most profound way, God is always with us to support us and keep us from collapsing under the weight of our burdens and challenges. Nothing is ever too big for God to handle.
And so today - the day after Good Friday - we sit by the tomb and wait. We go about our day with a Supernatural strength and courage…an inexplicable and unspoken assurance that all is well…and a confidence that “joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). As you “sit by the tomb” today, think of all that God does for you…from the largest sacrifices of Jesus on the cross to the tiniest unrecognized gestures of each and every day…and be eternally grateful for such unimaginable, unconditional, inexplicable love and care. It’s only Saturday…the best is yet to come! Are you watching and waiting?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate granted his request. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens, put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb.
After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with Pilate. They said, “Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be raised.’ We’ve got to get that tomb sealed until the third day. There’s a good chance his disciples will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, ‘He’s risen from the dead.’ Then we’ll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing the first.”
Pilate told them, “You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the best you can.” So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards.
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.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In John 19:30 (NLT), we read…”When Jesus had tasted it, he said, ‘It is finished!’ Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.” But it was not “finished”…the literal act of dying is never the end. I remember distinctly when my grandmother died last year...on a Friday night. The coroner and his deputy happened to be dear friends who loved Mam-ma Polly like their own grandmother. They came and got her body and took it to the funeral home for embalming and preparation. I knew in my heart that each task they performed…every touch of their hands…would be a loving gesture. I believe it was the same for Joseph of Arimathea…one of Jesus’ followers. I know it was that way for Mary Magdalene, and Mary – Jesus’ aunt. I know that they waited…hoping to have a chance to add their own “touches” to what Joseph had done as he wrapped Jesus’ body in oil-laden linen strips.
I remember that the day after my Mam-ma Polly died was a whirlwind of appointments to make funeral arrangements, visits with family members and friends, and time spent at my computer collecting information and photos for the obituary and funeral service. I don’t remember every minute detail of that day and the days after…but I know they were full and left me little time to think and “stew”. It felt like I was on “auto-pilot” as others around me did the things that provided the supporting structure, while I focused on just getting things done and making it through the day.
In the midst of their grief and sorrow, I know that even Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ Aunt Mary wanted to stay “busy”…I get that. It helps to have something to do in those next few hours/days…making arrangements, greeting those who come to extend condolences, and more. Many people really don’t want to be alone in their thoughts…at least not initially. It’s often far too painful. I believe the “busyness” that comes after someone dies is in some way God’s design to shield and shelter us from the profound grief that would overcome us otherwise. So Mary Magdalene and his Aunt Mary got busy…they focused on waiting and watching near the tomb. They made it their mission to supervise – as best they could – every single facet of Jesus’ burial. They involved themselves in the details.
Today, as you reflect on the crucifixion and the events of “yesterday” – Good Friday – think about the day after the crucifixion and all of the people who were ministering to Jesus and his family members in ways great and small. More importantly, think about how God cares about every minute detail of your life…even the “busy work”. Thank Him for loving us in such a way that even in our deepest sorrow or on our worst day, He orchestrates the particulars of our life and pulls everything together. In the most profound way, God is always with us to support us and keep us from collapsing under the weight of our burdens and challenges. Nothing is ever too big for God to handle.
And so today - the day after Good Friday - we sit by the tomb and wait. We go about our day with a Supernatural strength and courage…an inexplicable and unspoken assurance that all is well…and a confidence that “joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). As you “sit by the tomb” today, think of all that God does for you…from the largest sacrifices of Jesus on the cross to the tiniest unrecognized gestures of each and every day…and be eternally grateful for such unimaginable, unconditional, inexplicable love and care. It’s only Saturday…the best is yet to come! Are you watching and waiting?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 17, 2014
Matthew 26:36-48
Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. He was very sad and troubled, and he said to them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”
Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don’t make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.”
He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Can’t any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? Stay awake and pray that you won’t be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”
Again Jesus went to pray and said, “My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want.”
Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. Get up! Let’s go. The one who will betray me is already here.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I read this passage today about the disciples falling asleep in the garden, I totally got it. I’m terrible about falling asleep while watching television or a movie…especially after a big meal. Greg says he thinks it is funny…but it’s embarrassing to me that I cannot stay awake. I suppose I see it as a sign of weakness.
But I also understood how Jesus felt. It used to be a running game in my family to guess who would fall asleep the fastest after a big dinner…and I have several pictures of relatives “laid out” in recliners and sleeping on couches as evidence that we are pretty good at this! I understand that feeling of looking around in a group and realizing that virtually everyone else is asleep. It’s not the end of the world…but it IS something of an odd feeling - a sense of loneliness, and sometimes even a perception of insignificance or unimportance to those who could not stay awake in your company!
There were a lot of disappointments for Jesus on “Maundy Thursday”. The word “Maundy” is thought to derive from the Latin word “mandatum”…as in “A new commandment I give to you...” -the “mandate” spoken by Jesus that we are to love one another. Others think it comes from the English word “maund”, which is a derivative of the Latin word “mendicare” or the French word “mendier”...meaning “to beg”. Jesus did plead with His disciples to stay awake. He pled with God to take the cup of torture and crucifixion from Him. And when He realized that the disciples could not even stay awake and pray with Him - knowing how anguished and concerned He was - He must have felt terribly sad and lonely. Worse yet, when Jesus realized that God was not going to remove this suffering - that He would indeed have to endure the cross - He had to have experienced incredible despair.
So as we think about “Maundy Thursday” and Jesus’ journey to the cross, let’s stay awake and alert. Let’s join together in prayer today and ask God to give us the strength and courage we need for whatever He has in store for us. More importantly, let’s ask God to protect us from the devil’s temptations…to give us the fortitude to resist the persuasion to deny Jesus and conform to the world’s ways…to take the easy way out. Let’s thank God for the indescribable sacrifice of Jesus…and for the assurance that He has never left us for even one minute.
Take some time today to consider the significance of the Last Supper, as well. Recognize the significance of Jesus’ words…“This is my body…this is my blood.” When you eat the bread of Holy Communion, think about Jesus’ body – beaten, brutalized and mutilated…for YOU. Remember that this tiny bite of bread signifies your sins…taken from you by Jesus. His flesh was broken and demolished so that we could be whole and complete…perfectly without blemish before God.
The juice or wine in which you dip your bread – or drink from a cup – signifies Jesus’ blood pouring out and literally washing away every one of your sins. By His grace, we will never know that level of suffering…because of His amazing love, we never have to face such indignation. Because of the cross, we don’t ever have to face the darkness of hell.
At times, it may seem like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders…that your body has been bruised and battered – even mutilated…that your friends or loved ones have “fallen asleep”, denied your existence, or literally betrayed you in some manner. You may even feel like God has turned His back on you. When these feelings arise, think of the cross. Think of “the bread and the cup” and what they represent. Remind yourself how much Jesus loves you…how much He sacrificed and took upon Himself – for YOU. Hear His plea to stay awake… to stick by Him. It’s the least we can do for the One who did EVERYTHING for us.
We’re getting closer to "Black Friday"…and these are dark, desperate days. But hang on…Easter is coming! It is important to remember how we get there, for today. But rest assured that this is not the end of the “story” – it’s only the beginning. May you feel Jesus’ presence – and His amazing love on this day…and may you stay awake and alert as our journey takes us even nearer to the cross.
©2014 Debbie Robus
Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. He was very sad and troubled, and he said to them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”
Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don’t make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.”
He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Can’t any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? Stay awake and pray that you won’t be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”
Again Jesus went to pray and said, “My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want.”
Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. Get up! Let’s go. The one who will betray me is already here.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I read this passage today about the disciples falling asleep in the garden, I totally got it. I’m terrible about falling asleep while watching television or a movie…especially after a big meal. Greg says he thinks it is funny…but it’s embarrassing to me that I cannot stay awake. I suppose I see it as a sign of weakness.
But I also understood how Jesus felt. It used to be a running game in my family to guess who would fall asleep the fastest after a big dinner…and I have several pictures of relatives “laid out” in recliners and sleeping on couches as evidence that we are pretty good at this! I understand that feeling of looking around in a group and realizing that virtually everyone else is asleep. It’s not the end of the world…but it IS something of an odd feeling - a sense of loneliness, and sometimes even a perception of insignificance or unimportance to those who could not stay awake in your company!
There were a lot of disappointments for Jesus on “Maundy Thursday”. The word “Maundy” is thought to derive from the Latin word “mandatum”…as in “A new commandment I give to you...” -the “mandate” spoken by Jesus that we are to love one another. Others think it comes from the English word “maund”, which is a derivative of the Latin word “mendicare” or the French word “mendier”...meaning “to beg”. Jesus did plead with His disciples to stay awake. He pled with God to take the cup of torture and crucifixion from Him. And when He realized that the disciples could not even stay awake and pray with Him - knowing how anguished and concerned He was - He must have felt terribly sad and lonely. Worse yet, when Jesus realized that God was not going to remove this suffering - that He would indeed have to endure the cross - He had to have experienced incredible despair.
So as we think about “Maundy Thursday” and Jesus’ journey to the cross, let’s stay awake and alert. Let’s join together in prayer today and ask God to give us the strength and courage we need for whatever He has in store for us. More importantly, let’s ask God to protect us from the devil’s temptations…to give us the fortitude to resist the persuasion to deny Jesus and conform to the world’s ways…to take the easy way out. Let’s thank God for the indescribable sacrifice of Jesus…and for the assurance that He has never left us for even one minute.
Take some time today to consider the significance of the Last Supper, as well. Recognize the significance of Jesus’ words…“This is my body…this is my blood.” When you eat the bread of Holy Communion, think about Jesus’ body – beaten, brutalized and mutilated…for YOU. Remember that this tiny bite of bread signifies your sins…taken from you by Jesus. His flesh was broken and demolished so that we could be whole and complete…perfectly without blemish before God.
The juice or wine in which you dip your bread – or drink from a cup – signifies Jesus’ blood pouring out and literally washing away every one of your sins. By His grace, we will never know that level of suffering…because of His amazing love, we never have to face such indignation. Because of the cross, we don’t ever have to face the darkness of hell.
At times, it may seem like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders…that your body has been bruised and battered – even mutilated…that your friends or loved ones have “fallen asleep”, denied your existence, or literally betrayed you in some manner. You may even feel like God has turned His back on you. When these feelings arise, think of the cross. Think of “the bread and the cup” and what they represent. Remind yourself how much Jesus loves you…how much He sacrificed and took upon Himself – for YOU. Hear His plea to stay awake… to stick by Him. It’s the least we can do for the One who did EVERYTHING for us.
We’re getting closer to "Black Friday"…and these are dark, desperate days. But hang on…Easter is coming! It is important to remember how we get there, for today. But rest assured that this is not the end of the “story” – it’s only the beginning. May you feel Jesus’ presence – and His amazing love on this day…and may you stay awake and alert as our journey takes us even nearer to the cross.
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 15, 2014
Matthew 16:21-28
Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, “Impossible, Master! That can never be!”
But Jesus didn’t swerve. “Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”
Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
“Don’t be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of angels. You’ll get everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. This isn’t pie in the sky by and by. Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory.”
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.
Two months ago, a high school sophomore in our community named Cody was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He subsequently underwent surgery to remove the tumor, and for days and weeks afterward, things looked very bleak. His mother reflected on this journey in a post on Facebook:
Don’t misunderstand me…there is no shame in calling on God for help and/or deliverance. God WANTS us to petition Him for these things. But He also wants us to trust His answers…to operate in the confidence that He will carry us through even the “valley of Death”. God wants us to understand that suffering for Him builds strength and character…and demonstrates our commitment to serving as a disciple of Christ. God doesn’t relish our suffering. It anguishes Him just as surely as He was tormented over the atrocities that befell Jesus on Calvary.
Cody is due to be released from the hospital very soon. He has lost his hearing…for now. His mother says the damage is at the brain stem, and they are waiting – and hoping – for “the good LORD to reconnect and re-fire neurons.” She explains that the issue is in processing sound within the brain itself. In the meantime they are learning basic sign language and lip reading. Cody’s mother also noted that “What a horrible, terrifying, beautiful ride it has been and continues to be. He grows stronger every, EVERY day. We have [seen]... YOU have seen the hand of God.”
Are you allowing God to work in and through your “sufferings”? Have you truly seen His hand at work in your life and in the lives of others? What could you ever trade your soul for? Are you willing to follow Jesus to the cross and embrace His suffering on your behalf? Are you ready to follow Him and find your true self? Will Holy Week be just another holiday to you… or will this be the year that you “embrace the suffering of Jesus” and claim your seat at His table? Will you be one who sees the Son of Man in kingdom glory?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, “Impossible, Master! That can never be!”
But Jesus didn’t swerve. “Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”
Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
“Don’t be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of angels. You’ll get everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. This isn’t pie in the sky by and by. Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory.”
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.
Two months ago, a high school sophomore in our community named Cody was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He subsequently underwent surgery to remove the tumor, and for days and weeks afterward, things looked very bleak. His mother reflected on this journey in a post on Facebook:
I vowed that in this, the second greatest storm of my life, I would not make the same mistake as the first...I would not turn away from our Creator. This time, I would stand…no matter where this road took us. I am now in total understanding that the Holy Spirit was responsible for that firm resolution. He knew [that] Cody would die without it, so a measure of faith was poured out to me.“You have no idea how God works.” As we move one day closer to Good Friday, the day when we remember Jesus’ suffering on the cross for the sins of the world, we don’t understand what is happening. We are like Peter…we want Jesus to hold up His hands and say, “Whoa, wait a minute! This isn’t happening!” But we don’t understand that this is yet one more temptation by the devil. If Satan can get us to doubt…if he can persuade us to cry out to God and tell Him that “I give in…this is too much to manage!”…he has won – and we have handed him the victory.
Through some of the darkest days when I couldn't see, all I could do was pray and post. I'd scroll through your responses, and in them I would find strength. People who didn't have to came up beside me and walked with me. Together, we watched as my son walked through the valley of Death, as doctors gave us severe news after severe news…as nurses looked at me with empathy that would make me cringe, because I'd given those looks to patient families when my medical brain knew their future. As I leaned over my very intubated, very much unstable child, I recited "strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord."
Don’t misunderstand me…there is no shame in calling on God for help and/or deliverance. God WANTS us to petition Him for these things. But He also wants us to trust His answers…to operate in the confidence that He will carry us through even the “valley of Death”. God wants us to understand that suffering for Him builds strength and character…and demonstrates our commitment to serving as a disciple of Christ. God doesn’t relish our suffering. It anguishes Him just as surely as He was tormented over the atrocities that befell Jesus on Calvary.
Cody is due to be released from the hospital very soon. He has lost his hearing…for now. His mother says the damage is at the brain stem, and they are waiting – and hoping – for “the good LORD to reconnect and re-fire neurons.” She explains that the issue is in processing sound within the brain itself. In the meantime they are learning basic sign language and lip reading. Cody’s mother also noted that “What a horrible, terrifying, beautiful ride it has been and continues to be. He grows stronger every, EVERY day. We have [seen]... YOU have seen the hand of God.”
Are you allowing God to work in and through your “sufferings”? Have you truly seen His hand at work in your life and in the lives of others? What could you ever trade your soul for? Are you willing to follow Jesus to the cross and embrace His suffering on your behalf? Are you ready to follow Him and find your true self? Will Holy Week be just another holiday to you… or will this be the year that you “embrace the suffering of Jesus” and claim your seat at His table? Will you be one who sees the Son of Man in kingdom glory?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 22, 2014
Romans 8:1-2
With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Greg and I have been blessed with the good fortune to live on a bluff with a panoramic view to the east and northeast… across the river valley – and on a good day, into the next county. So as the weather fronts pass through our area, we are sometimes treated to a stark - and literal - visual image of low-lying black clouds that are cleared away by strong winds. I have stood at the windows and watched a dark cloud band literally be blown farther and farther east until it disappeared over the horizon. When I read this passage, I immediately could picture this in my mind, and it gave me pause to consider my new life in Christ in this context.
If you backtrack to Romans 7 and read the last few verses, you see where Paul is wrestling with his human dilemma of wanting to be sinless and do what God desires…yet doing the opposite much of the time. The sinful mind and the Christian heart seem to be locked in some sort of battle. Paul says in Romans 7:21-23: “It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.” In verse 24, he says, “I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?” And in verse 25, we find the response…”The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.”
So in the first two verses of Romans 8, we are presented with the incredible compassion of God through Jesus Christ…so much love and empathy for us that he sacrificed Jesus and allowed Him to suffer “brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death” so that the “low-lying black cloud” of our sins could be blown away by the strong wind of Christ’s Holy Spirit! If you really stop and think of it… if you truly form that mental image of the black storm cloud being forcefully blown away and completely out of view…this is almost overwhelming. We are not truly capable of imagining a love such as this! And yet…this is what Jesus offers to each of us.
Now here’s the thing…we are not Jesus. We cannot possibly love like He does…nor are we as individuals capable of the powerful things that Christ accomplishes. But with His power and through His Holy Spirit, we are able to offer grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion… and love…even when our sinful head says “That is the last thing you want to do!” So the question becomes…are you operating in the strong wind of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit? Or are you allowing the sinful rationale of the devil’s dark cloud to control you? Are you sharing the tremendous gift of compassion that Christ extends to you with others in your midst…and honoring your commitment and gratitude to Him in the process?
Many in your midst are operating under a dark cloud of some sort. If Christ found you worth the sacrifice…worth the “redeeming wind” of His love and compassion…don’t you think you should pay this forward to others in His name? Isn’t this a good day to stir up the breeze?
©2014 Debbie Robus
With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Greg and I have been blessed with the good fortune to live on a bluff with a panoramic view to the east and northeast… across the river valley – and on a good day, into the next county. So as the weather fronts pass through our area, we are sometimes treated to a stark - and literal - visual image of low-lying black clouds that are cleared away by strong winds. I have stood at the windows and watched a dark cloud band literally be blown farther and farther east until it disappeared over the horizon. When I read this passage, I immediately could picture this in my mind, and it gave me pause to consider my new life in Christ in this context.
If you backtrack to Romans 7 and read the last few verses, you see where Paul is wrestling with his human dilemma of wanting to be sinless and do what God desires…yet doing the opposite much of the time. The sinful mind and the Christian heart seem to be locked in some sort of battle. Paul says in Romans 7:21-23: “It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.” In verse 24, he says, “I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?” And in verse 25, we find the response…”The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.”
So in the first two verses of Romans 8, we are presented with the incredible compassion of God through Jesus Christ…so much love and empathy for us that he sacrificed Jesus and allowed Him to suffer “brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death” so that the “low-lying black cloud” of our sins could be blown away by the strong wind of Christ’s Holy Spirit! If you really stop and think of it… if you truly form that mental image of the black storm cloud being forcefully blown away and completely out of view…this is almost overwhelming. We are not truly capable of imagining a love such as this! And yet…this is what Jesus offers to each of us.
Now here’s the thing…we are not Jesus. We cannot possibly love like He does…nor are we as individuals capable of the powerful things that Christ accomplishes. But with His power and through His Holy Spirit, we are able to offer grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion… and love…even when our sinful head says “That is the last thing you want to do!” So the question becomes…are you operating in the strong wind of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit? Or are you allowing the sinful rationale of the devil’s dark cloud to control you? Are you sharing the tremendous gift of compassion that Christ extends to you with others in your midst…and honoring your commitment and gratitude to Him in the process?
Many in your midst are operating under a dark cloud of some sort. If Christ found you worth the sacrifice…worth the “redeeming wind” of His love and compassion…don’t you think you should pay this forward to others in His name? Isn’t this a good day to stir up the breeze?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 8, 2013
Isaiah 53:2-6
The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
on him, on him.
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.
In her book, Unglued, author Lysa TerKeurst describes situations in which many of us have an "inner chatter" going on in our heads much of the time. We analyze what we have said to others... and what they have said to us. We assume that the person is thinking this or that... when truthfully, these were not the other person's thoughts in any way/shape/form. In fact, the person may not have been thinking about us much at all!
Have you ever said to yourself, "He/she must have thought I was crazy!"? Or maybe you have told yourself, "Those people don't like me. I could tell by their body language. It was as much what they DIDN'T say to me as what they said. They think I am fat, lazy, stupid, (or not good enough in any number of ways). Why did I say this or that? Why did I do such-and-such? What was I thinking wearing THAT outfit?!" As TerKeurst says in her book, if you have never thought any of these things or had "inner chatter"... CONGRATULATIONS! You are a rare bird!
I think you can see there is little to no peace in "inner chatter". And boy, does the devil ever do a dance! Here's what struck me as I read this passage today. When we allow these thoughts to worm our way into our hearts, we are adding another stripe to Jesus' back... because He stands ready to take all of these negative thoughts and feelings from us. So when you replay events in your head and stew over how you said things - or what you said - Jesus takes another lash. When you decide that people are talking about you behind your back or criticizing you...add another bruise to Jesus. When you build up a boatload of negative thoughts in your head and lambast yourself with them over and again, Jesus' flesh is ripped and torn once more. Not a peaceful image, is it?!
When we allow these negative ideas to permeate our heart and mind, we need to remember that Jesus stands ready to take all of these feelings - right or wrong - and exchange them for His peace. Yes, we all say or do things from time to time that we truly shouldn't have... and there is nothing wrong with feeling regret, making amends where possible, and moving forward. But the key message in this passage is that Jesus has taken all of our shortcomings, failures and messes... He has already suffered and paid for them... and He doesn't want us to carry these burdens ourselves.
Take a look at John 14:27 and hear Jesus tell His disciples… “I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.” And this is the message I want us to hear today. Yes… Jesus took our sins and suffered greatly on our behalf. Yes… it was horrific – and yes, we have every reason to be ashamed and uncomfortable that He had to agonize like this for the things we have done. But the way to honor His sacrifices is to live in His blessings and peace... to love Him with our whole heart...to serve Him at every turn.
We must be careful to live and speak in a manner that pleases God... to choose our words and actions wisely. But we must also quiet the devil's "inner chatter," and say, "No way! By the stripes and bruises of Jesus Christ, I am healed. He was wounded that I might have peace... and I will not disrespect His amazing gift by behaving otherwise."
Jesus wants us well... whole... at peace. Are you listening to HIS voice today... or the devil's "inner chatter"? Which voice will you choose to hear?
©2013 Debbie Robus
The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
on him, on him.
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.
In her book, Unglued, author Lysa TerKeurst describes situations in which many of us have an "inner chatter" going on in our heads much of the time. We analyze what we have said to others... and what they have said to us. We assume that the person is thinking this or that... when truthfully, these were not the other person's thoughts in any way/shape/form. In fact, the person may not have been thinking about us much at all!
Have you ever said to yourself, "He/she must have thought I was crazy!"? Or maybe you have told yourself, "Those people don't like me. I could tell by their body language. It was as much what they DIDN'T say to me as what they said. They think I am fat, lazy, stupid, (or not good enough in any number of ways). Why did I say this or that? Why did I do such-and-such? What was I thinking wearing THAT outfit?!" As TerKeurst says in her book, if you have never thought any of these things or had "inner chatter"... CONGRATULATIONS! You are a rare bird!
I think you can see there is little to no peace in "inner chatter". And boy, does the devil ever do a dance! Here's what struck me as I read this passage today. When we allow these thoughts to worm our way into our hearts, we are adding another stripe to Jesus' back... because He stands ready to take all of these negative thoughts and feelings from us. So when you replay events in your head and stew over how you said things - or what you said - Jesus takes another lash. When you decide that people are talking about you behind your back or criticizing you...add another bruise to Jesus. When you build up a boatload of negative thoughts in your head and lambast yourself with them over and again, Jesus' flesh is ripped and torn once more. Not a peaceful image, is it?!
When we allow these negative ideas to permeate our heart and mind, we need to remember that Jesus stands ready to take all of these feelings - right or wrong - and exchange them for His peace. Yes, we all say or do things from time to time that we truly shouldn't have... and there is nothing wrong with feeling regret, making amends where possible, and moving forward. But the key message in this passage is that Jesus has taken all of our shortcomings, failures and messes... He has already suffered and paid for them... and He doesn't want us to carry these burdens ourselves.
Take a look at John 14:27 and hear Jesus tell His disciples… “I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.” And this is the message I want us to hear today. Yes… Jesus took our sins and suffered greatly on our behalf. Yes… it was horrific – and yes, we have every reason to be ashamed and uncomfortable that He had to agonize like this for the things we have done. But the way to honor His sacrifices is to live in His blessings and peace... to love Him with our whole heart...to serve Him at every turn.
We must be careful to live and speak in a manner that pleases God... to choose our words and actions wisely. But we must also quiet the devil's "inner chatter," and say, "No way! By the stripes and bruises of Jesus Christ, I am healed. He was wounded that I might have peace... and I will not disrespect His amazing gift by behaving otherwise."
Jesus wants us well... whole... at peace. Are you listening to HIS voice today... or the devil's "inner chatter"? Which voice will you choose to hear?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst~©2012 Zondervan Press
Daily Devotional for June 21, 2013
Colossians 1:19-20
God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I would not have made a good “Old Testament” woman! I cannot imagine living every day with the knowledge that I would have to make this sacrifice or another to atone for my sins…that a priest would talk to God for me and decide how I should live and what I should do to show my loyalty and honor to Him. I can barely remember to take my grocery list to the store, so how on earth would I remember all of the rules about what was unclean – and when…which days to do what…how to clean and dress this animal or that and what we could and could not eat! I have to imagine that for most, life in Old Testament days was anything but peaceful.
We don’t fully comprehend how blessed we are because of Jesus. Few of us really understand how peaceful He made life for us because of His sacrifices on the cross. We take for granted the privilege of talking directly to God… and most of us certainly lack ample appreciation for our salvation and all that it implies. In a nutshell, the incredibly horrific, selfless and complicated sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross gave our lives amazing simplicity, by comparison. Because of Jesus, all who believe in Him and call on His name are saved – forever. Because of Jesus…we can talk to God anytime we want or need, and His Holy Spirit can dwell in our heart to guide us every second of the day. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to worry about sacrificing animals or which meat is clean or unclean… we don’t have to pay attention to rites, rituals and burnt offerings. We don’t need anyone else to tell us how to worship, what to believe, or what the Bible says… we can read God’s word for ourselves and personally discover His teachings.
The beauty of finding God’s peace lies in the simplicity of a relationship with Him. We don’t have to jump through hoops. We don’t need bells and whistles… we just need Jesus. My cousin JD is preaching a tent revival in Fairview, Alabama. He and two other evangelists have held worship every night for three weeks now. A local newspaper interviewed the evangelists about the services and the hundreds of people who are coming every night to hear God’s word and find His peace and healing.
I read the interview online, along with several dozen comments submitted by other readers. Sadly, most were negative. How could these men believe that drug addicts would immediately lose their addiction at the altar? Who in their right mind would think people could really be healed by God in an instant and lay down a cane or a walker and stroll away without pain? Many said this was like many other “business ventures”… when the money (or in this case, the people) dried up and stopped coming in… the evangelists will “close shop.”
Sadly, too many people do not see the simplicity and peace that Jesus can bring. There is nothing fancy about an open-air tent on a hot June night in Alabama. There is no big choir or even a Praise and Worship Team. One man from a local congregation plays a keyboard and leads congregational praise and worship singing. People are coming for a hefty dose of one thing… Jesus… and they are getting all they asked for, and more. But many of us are skeptical. We are like the Old Testament people. We think we surely must jump through some hoops, butcher a goat, or SOMETHING! It surely can’t be as simple as trusting in Jesus… can it?
The time has come to start truly seeking Jesus...and trusting Him to give us peace. We need to un-complicate our lives and stop looking for blaring horns, fireworks and bright lights… and focus on the One who can change things forever. The answer to 99% of our stresses can be found in Jesus. Through His own chaos, turmoil and suffering, He bought and paid for perpetual peace for each of us. So why aren’t we operating in it?
When was the last time you called on Jesus… for anything? Isn’t it time to turn back to Him? God is waiting… what’s keeping you from Him – and from operating in His peace?
©2013 Debbie Robus
God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I would not have made a good “Old Testament” woman! I cannot imagine living every day with the knowledge that I would have to make this sacrifice or another to atone for my sins…that a priest would talk to God for me and decide how I should live and what I should do to show my loyalty and honor to Him. I can barely remember to take my grocery list to the store, so how on earth would I remember all of the rules about what was unclean – and when…which days to do what…how to clean and dress this animal or that and what we could and could not eat! I have to imagine that for most, life in Old Testament days was anything but peaceful.
We don’t fully comprehend how blessed we are because of Jesus. Few of us really understand how peaceful He made life for us because of His sacrifices on the cross. We take for granted the privilege of talking directly to God… and most of us certainly lack ample appreciation for our salvation and all that it implies. In a nutshell, the incredibly horrific, selfless and complicated sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross gave our lives amazing simplicity, by comparison. Because of Jesus, all who believe in Him and call on His name are saved – forever. Because of Jesus…we can talk to God anytime we want or need, and His Holy Spirit can dwell in our heart to guide us every second of the day. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to worry about sacrificing animals or which meat is clean or unclean… we don’t have to pay attention to rites, rituals and burnt offerings. We don’t need anyone else to tell us how to worship, what to believe, or what the Bible says… we can read God’s word for ourselves and personally discover His teachings.
The beauty of finding God’s peace lies in the simplicity of a relationship with Him. We don’t have to jump through hoops. We don’t need bells and whistles… we just need Jesus. My cousin JD is preaching a tent revival in Fairview, Alabama. He and two other evangelists have held worship every night for three weeks now. A local newspaper interviewed the evangelists about the services and the hundreds of people who are coming every night to hear God’s word and find His peace and healing.
I read the interview online, along with several dozen comments submitted by other readers. Sadly, most were negative. How could these men believe that drug addicts would immediately lose their addiction at the altar? Who in their right mind would think people could really be healed by God in an instant and lay down a cane or a walker and stroll away without pain? Many said this was like many other “business ventures”… when the money (or in this case, the people) dried up and stopped coming in… the evangelists will “close shop.”
Sadly, too many people do not see the simplicity and peace that Jesus can bring. There is nothing fancy about an open-air tent on a hot June night in Alabama. There is no big choir or even a Praise and Worship Team. One man from a local congregation plays a keyboard and leads congregational praise and worship singing. People are coming for a hefty dose of one thing… Jesus… and they are getting all they asked for, and more. But many of us are skeptical. We are like the Old Testament people. We think we surely must jump through some hoops, butcher a goat, or SOMETHING! It surely can’t be as simple as trusting in Jesus… can it?
The time has come to start truly seeking Jesus...and trusting Him to give us peace. We need to un-complicate our lives and stop looking for blaring horns, fireworks and bright lights… and focus on the One who can change things forever. The answer to 99% of our stresses can be found in Jesus. Through His own chaos, turmoil and suffering, He bought and paid for perpetual peace for each of us. So why aren’t we operating in it?
When was the last time you called on Jesus… for anything? Isn’t it time to turn back to Him? God is waiting… what’s keeping you from Him – and from operating in His peace?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 30, 2013
Psalm 26:8-12
I love your sanctuary, Lord,
the place where your glorious presence dwells.
Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners.
Don’t condemn me along with murderers.
Their hands are dirty with evil schemes,
and they constantly take bribes.
But I am not like that; I live with integrity.
So redeem me and show me mercy.
Now I stand on solid ground,
and I will publicly praise the Lord.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My husband and I have spent much of this week sorting through old photographs – ours and my grandmothers, mostly. We’ve looked at each one and compared this one and that… “Aren’t they almost identical? Is this one more blurry than the next? Why are we saving a picture of someone we don’t even know?” We’ve “culled” the ones that we did not deem worthy of keeping for some reason. Some went to the shredder… others were sent to those featured in the picture for their albums – or trash cans!
Our qualifying criteria for keeping a picture were that it had to have some sort of value – or integrity – or it had to be something we could scan and improve the quality. More than once, one of us would be ready to toss a picture, and the other would say, “I know that’s not a great photo… but I like the way So-and-so is smiling…” or “Yes, that’s a little blurry, but that is good of XYZ…you never saw him/her without that object!” So we were merciful and returned more than a few less-than-stellar specimens to the “save” pile.
I’d like to think that I have more redeeming qualities than poor ones. I strive to live with integrity… to please God with my thoughts, words and actions. But on any given day, He could easily toss me to the “cull” stack if He chose… and I know this. So I make a concerted effort to live in a way that honors God each day. I try not to murder… even with sharp words or gossip. I try very hard not to be manipulated or bribed into doing or saying something I shouldn’t. Even when I feel that others won’t like my comments or actions, I work hard at standing on solid ground and operating in God’s truth – and I hope I do so with kindness and grace.
I do love God’s sanctuary… the place where His glorious presence dwells. I am forever indebted to Him for His gift of Jesus Christ… and for the sacrifice that He made for you and me on the cross. I am forever grateful that Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into heaven… that He waits for me there. Ultimately, I praise God for taking a second look at me… for putting me back in the “keep” pile to live for Him another day… and I’m doing everything I can to stay there. What about you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
I love your sanctuary, Lord,
the place where your glorious presence dwells.
Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners.
Don’t condemn me along with murderers.
Their hands are dirty with evil schemes,
and they constantly take bribes.
But I am not like that; I live with integrity.
So redeem me and show me mercy.
Now I stand on solid ground,
and I will publicly praise the Lord.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My husband and I have spent much of this week sorting through old photographs – ours and my grandmothers, mostly. We’ve looked at each one and compared this one and that… “Aren’t they almost identical? Is this one more blurry than the next? Why are we saving a picture of someone we don’t even know?” We’ve “culled” the ones that we did not deem worthy of keeping for some reason. Some went to the shredder… others were sent to those featured in the picture for their albums – or trash cans!
Our qualifying criteria for keeping a picture were that it had to have some sort of value – or integrity – or it had to be something we could scan and improve the quality. More than once, one of us would be ready to toss a picture, and the other would say, “I know that’s not a great photo… but I like the way So-and-so is smiling…” or “Yes, that’s a little blurry, but that is good of XYZ…you never saw him/her without that object!” So we were merciful and returned more than a few less-than-stellar specimens to the “save” pile.
I’d like to think that I have more redeeming qualities than poor ones. I strive to live with integrity… to please God with my thoughts, words and actions. But on any given day, He could easily toss me to the “cull” stack if He chose… and I know this. So I make a concerted effort to live in a way that honors God each day. I try not to murder… even with sharp words or gossip. I try very hard not to be manipulated or bribed into doing or saying something I shouldn’t. Even when I feel that others won’t like my comments or actions, I work hard at standing on solid ground and operating in God’s truth – and I hope I do so with kindness and grace.
I do love God’s sanctuary… the place where His glorious presence dwells. I am forever indebted to Him for His gift of Jesus Christ… and for the sacrifice that He made for you and me on the cross. I am forever grateful that Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into heaven… that He waits for me there. Ultimately, I praise God for taking a second look at me… for putting me back in the “keep” pile to live for Him another day… and I’m doing everything I can to stay there. What about you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 24, 2013
March 24 ~ Psalm 101:1-2
I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life—when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In 1973, country music artist Charlie Rich recorded a song called “Behind Closed Doors.” Essentially, this song tells of a woman who behaves one way in public – and another at home “behind closed doors.” The tag line to the chorus is, “…no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.” Sadly, I’m afraid this could be the tag line for a lot of us. We “play nice” in public and project the persona of someone who is polite, kind, morally upright, fair… and honest to a fault. Then we go home, and “the gloves come off” so to speak… along with our sense of propriety and decorum.
We treat our family members poorly… we use foul language and deride others. We gossip… we connive… we lie to others – and to ourselves. We think nobody else will find out how we really are, as long as we go to church on Sundays and act nicely at work, school, among our friends and/or when we are in public. But David tells us in this Psalm that integrity begins at home… where we think no one is looking. The truth is that GOD is always watching. And whether we want to believe it or not, others are watching, too.
You may think you are doing pretty well. You don’t curse… you try never to gossip… and you are kind and loving at all times. But let me ask you this… do you claim to trust Jesus in all things, then go home and wring your hands, worry and wrestle over challenges and concerns? Are you all about telling others how “the LORD will provide” as you question the very circumstances of your own life? Do you attend worship services and Bible studies and then blow up and get upset over the least of things that don’t go your way?
As human beings, there is no way we can sustain a “split personality” forever. We will slip up at some point, and the four-letter words we let fly at home will pepper our language in public. We’ll find it easy to say something we shouldn’t have or lash out at someone in the heat of the moment. If we mistreat our siblings, our spouse, our children or our pets, this behavior will carry over into our “public” lives… or someone will realize our secret. Others will discover what we really think about them… how we truly talk and act… or how weak our faith in God to meet our needs truly is…and our “Christian” witness will be tarnished.
God wants to equip us to operate with integrity at all times… in all places. He wants to help us control our thoughts and actions on every front. Through His love and justice, we are each able to come before Him and receive the help we need. Because of the blood of Jesus on the cross, our sins can be forgiven. We can ask God to enable us to live a more blameless life… and to trust Him more fully.
Jesus stands at the door and knocks, fully aware of what goes on inside your home… and your heart. Does what is on the inside match the outside? Have you entrusted Him to help you live with integrity? Have you given Him glory and praise for His love and justice? Isn’t this Holy Week a great time to renew your commitment to living a more blameless life in Christ and sharing His amazing love with others? Operating with complete integrity seems like such a small gesture of respect for the One who sacrificed so much. Will you praise the LORD in song and action - and glorify Him in your daily living… regardless of who is looking?
©2013 Debbie Robus
I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life—when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In 1973, country music artist Charlie Rich recorded a song called “Behind Closed Doors.” Essentially, this song tells of a woman who behaves one way in public – and another at home “behind closed doors.” The tag line to the chorus is, “…no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.” Sadly, I’m afraid this could be the tag line for a lot of us. We “play nice” in public and project the persona of someone who is polite, kind, morally upright, fair… and honest to a fault. Then we go home, and “the gloves come off” so to speak… along with our sense of propriety and decorum.
We treat our family members poorly… we use foul language and deride others. We gossip… we connive… we lie to others – and to ourselves. We think nobody else will find out how we really are, as long as we go to church on Sundays and act nicely at work, school, among our friends and/or when we are in public. But David tells us in this Psalm that integrity begins at home… where we think no one is looking. The truth is that GOD is always watching. And whether we want to believe it or not, others are watching, too.
You may think you are doing pretty well. You don’t curse… you try never to gossip… and you are kind and loving at all times. But let me ask you this… do you claim to trust Jesus in all things, then go home and wring your hands, worry and wrestle over challenges and concerns? Are you all about telling others how “the LORD will provide” as you question the very circumstances of your own life? Do you attend worship services and Bible studies and then blow up and get upset over the least of things that don’t go your way?
As human beings, there is no way we can sustain a “split personality” forever. We will slip up at some point, and the four-letter words we let fly at home will pepper our language in public. We’ll find it easy to say something we shouldn’t have or lash out at someone in the heat of the moment. If we mistreat our siblings, our spouse, our children or our pets, this behavior will carry over into our “public” lives… or someone will realize our secret. Others will discover what we really think about them… how we truly talk and act… or how weak our faith in God to meet our needs truly is…and our “Christian” witness will be tarnished.
God wants to equip us to operate with integrity at all times… in all places. He wants to help us control our thoughts and actions on every front. Through His love and justice, we are each able to come before Him and receive the help we need. Because of the blood of Jesus on the cross, our sins can be forgiven. We can ask God to enable us to live a more blameless life… and to trust Him more fully.
Jesus stands at the door and knocks, fully aware of what goes on inside your home… and your heart. Does what is on the inside match the outside? Have you entrusted Him to help you live with integrity? Have you given Him glory and praise for His love and justice? Isn’t this Holy Week a great time to renew your commitment to living a more blameless life in Christ and sharing His amazing love with others? Operating with complete integrity seems like such a small gesture of respect for the One who sacrificed so much. Will you praise the LORD in song and action - and glorify Him in your daily living… regardless of who is looking?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 13, 2013
Romans 5:6-8
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.
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.
In his autobiography, Gypsy Smith: His Life, His Work, evangelist Rodney “Gypsy” Smith writes about how his father, Cornelius, played his fiddle in taverns throughout England. Cornelius always got drunk when he performed in these taverns. All of this changed on the day he found Jesus and was converted. When Cornelius Smith found Jesus, he vowed to never again play in a tavern. One Christmas, the family was hungry and without food. Cornelius knew that he could earn money for his family by taking his fiddle and going to a tavern to perform. But he refused to betray the commitment he had made to Jesus Christ…who died on the cross for sinners like him.
Gathering his family together, Cornelius Smith suggested that they sing a hymn… “The Lord Will Provide.” Here are the words of this hymn, written in 1894 by Mrs. A. W. Cook…
In some way or other the Lord will provide;
It may not be my way, It may not be thy way;
And yet, in His own way, “The Lord will provide.”
At some time or other the Lord will provide;
It may not be my time; It may not be thy time;
And yet, in His own time, “The Lord will provide.”
Despond then no longer; the Lord will provide;
And this be the token, No word He hath spoken
Was ever yet broken: “The Lord will provide.”
March on then right boldly; the sea shall divide,
The path-way made glorious, With shoutings victorious
We’ll join in the chorus: “The Lord will provide.”
Then, we’ll trust in the Lord,
And He will provide; Yes, we’ll trust in the Lord,
And He will provide.
Soon after singing this hymn, a local missionary knocked on the Smith’s door and told Cornelius that a shop in town was holding three legs of mutton and some other groceries for the family. All they had to do was go and collect the food. The Lord had provided.
Long before Cornelius Smith turned his life around, Jesus was providing for him. Jesus knew exactly what would happen… how this man would spend much of his young life drunk or passed out in taverns, and still He felt Cornelius was worth the sacrifice of His very life. He knows you… and me… our families and friends… the homeless guy we pretend is not there… the drunk who can’t seem to stay out of bars or away from the bottle… and the coed in your dorm who seems headed for disaster.
Jesus knows each of us better than we will ever know ourselves. He knew us before the Roman soldiers arrested Him… long before He was beaten and nailed to a cross. And still, He thought we were worth the sacrifice. Jesus knew that we needed Him to provide for us… and provide He did. Now that we have made a commitment to follow Him, Jesus continues to provide and sacrifice on our behalf. See, Jesus knows that even His disciples will have days/weeks/months where things don’t go so well… where the “cupboards are bare,” so to speak. He knows we will have challenges, setbacks, and pitfalls… and still He provides.
It may look pretty bleak in your corner of the world today. You may have taken a step or more backward… you may feel that you have fallen away from God and don’t deserve the sacrifices of Jesus – or His forgiveness. You may be ready to “pick up your fiddle and go back to the tavern.” I’m here to tell you that Jesus will ALWAYS provide… if only we will trust Him to do so.
Read the words of this beautiful hymn again… “Despond then no longer; the Lord will provide.” Humble yourself before God and thank Him for the sacrifices of Jesus Christ. Ask God to forgive you yet again for whatever you may have done that separated you from your connection with Jesus. Remember that Jesus isn’t the one who walked away. But if you will take steps to come back to Him, He will welcome you with open arms. And yes, He will provide.
Once we have recognized Jesus’ sacrifices and claimed them, we must trust Him to fulfill His promises… to provide for us according to His will…to love us even though we will never deserve this gift. I don’t know about you, but it boggles my mind to think that Jesus could love me… could give his life for mine… that He could truly care about my needs and want to meet every single one of them. But this is the truth! So I will “march on right boldly… join in the chorus, with shoutings victorious… and trust in the LORD”… that He will provide. Will you add your voice to the choir?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.
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.
In his autobiography, Gypsy Smith: His Life, His Work, evangelist Rodney “Gypsy” Smith writes about how his father, Cornelius, played his fiddle in taverns throughout England. Cornelius always got drunk when he performed in these taverns. All of this changed on the day he found Jesus and was converted. When Cornelius Smith found Jesus, he vowed to never again play in a tavern. One Christmas, the family was hungry and without food. Cornelius knew that he could earn money for his family by taking his fiddle and going to a tavern to perform. But he refused to betray the commitment he had made to Jesus Christ…who died on the cross for sinners like him.
Gathering his family together, Cornelius Smith suggested that they sing a hymn… “The Lord Will Provide.” Here are the words of this hymn, written in 1894 by Mrs. A. W. Cook…
In some way or other the Lord will provide;
It may not be my way, It may not be thy way;
And yet, in His own way, “The Lord will provide.”
At some time or other the Lord will provide;
It may not be my time; It may not be thy time;
And yet, in His own time, “The Lord will provide.”
Despond then no longer; the Lord will provide;
And this be the token, No word He hath spoken
Was ever yet broken: “The Lord will provide.”
March on then right boldly; the sea shall divide,
The path-way made glorious, With shoutings victorious
We’ll join in the chorus: “The Lord will provide.”
Then, we’ll trust in the Lord,
And He will provide; Yes, we’ll trust in the Lord,
And He will provide.
Soon after singing this hymn, a local missionary knocked on the Smith’s door and told Cornelius that a shop in town was holding three legs of mutton and some other groceries for the family. All they had to do was go and collect the food. The Lord had provided.
Long before Cornelius Smith turned his life around, Jesus was providing for him. Jesus knew exactly what would happen… how this man would spend much of his young life drunk or passed out in taverns, and still He felt Cornelius was worth the sacrifice of His very life. He knows you… and me… our families and friends… the homeless guy we pretend is not there… the drunk who can’t seem to stay out of bars or away from the bottle… and the coed in your dorm who seems headed for disaster.
Jesus knows each of us better than we will ever know ourselves. He knew us before the Roman soldiers arrested Him… long before He was beaten and nailed to a cross. And still, He thought we were worth the sacrifice. Jesus knew that we needed Him to provide for us… and provide He did. Now that we have made a commitment to follow Him, Jesus continues to provide and sacrifice on our behalf. See, Jesus knows that even His disciples will have days/weeks/months where things don’t go so well… where the “cupboards are bare,” so to speak. He knows we will have challenges, setbacks, and pitfalls… and still He provides.
It may look pretty bleak in your corner of the world today. You may have taken a step or more backward… you may feel that you have fallen away from God and don’t deserve the sacrifices of Jesus – or His forgiveness. You may be ready to “pick up your fiddle and go back to the tavern.” I’m here to tell you that Jesus will ALWAYS provide… if only we will trust Him to do so.
Read the words of this beautiful hymn again… “Despond then no longer; the Lord will provide.” Humble yourself before God and thank Him for the sacrifices of Jesus Christ. Ask God to forgive you yet again for whatever you may have done that separated you from your connection with Jesus. Remember that Jesus isn’t the one who walked away. But if you will take steps to come back to Him, He will welcome you with open arms. And yes, He will provide.
Once we have recognized Jesus’ sacrifices and claimed them, we must trust Him to fulfill His promises… to provide for us according to His will…to love us even though we will never deserve this gift. I don’t know about you, but it boggles my mind to think that Jesus could love me… could give his life for mine… that He could truly care about my needs and want to meet every single one of them. But this is the truth! So I will “march on right boldly… join in the chorus, with shoutings victorious… and trust in the LORD”… that He will provide. Will you add your voice to the choir?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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