John 20:11-18
Mary Magdalene stood crying
outside the tomb. She was still weeping, when she stooped down and saw
two angels inside. They were dressed in white and were sitting where
Jesus' body had been. One was at the head and the other was at the foot.
The angels asked Mary, “Why are you crying?”
She answered, “They have taken away my Lord’s body! I don’t know where they have put him.”
As
soon as Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there.
But she did not know who he was. Jesus asked her, “Why are you crying?
Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener and said, “Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me, so I can go and get him.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him, “Rabboni.” The Aramaic word “Rabboni” means “Teacher.”
Jesus
told her, “Don’t hold on to me! I have not yet gone to the Father. But
tell my disciples that I am going to the one who is my Father and my
God, as well as your Father and your God.” Mary Magdalene then went and
told the disciples that she had seen the Lord. She also told them what
he had said to her.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A few years ago, my mother gave copies of a little book called Jesus Calling*
to me, my sister, and my niece. When Mother died in January, I found
extra copies in her “stash” of books, so I know that she shared this
inspirational book with many people over the years.
Mother spoke of Jesus Calling
often…she faithfully read her copy every day. I have it on my desk,
and often, I look at the notes she made and the parts she underlined. I
will admit that I didn’t pay much attention to my copy until Mother’s
last days on this earth. And while I sometimes get busy, I always catch
up on the entries at some point during the week. I would highly
recommend Jesus Calling to each of you…the passages are brief and
easy to understand – as if they were written from Jesus directly to us.
There are also scripture references for each entry that correlate the
message to actual Bible verses.
This morning, I was reading the
entry for August 30th, which begins…”There is no place so desolate that
you cannot find Me there.” In the second paragraph, “Jesus” tells us,
“No set of circumstances could ever isolate you from My loving
Presence.”
As I read this story from John 20 of Mary Magdalene
and how despondent and lonely she must have felt after Jesus’ death, I
was touched by the gentleness of Jesus’ encounter with her. He didn’t
yell at her…or scream, “Mary, it’s ME…JESUS! How could you not know
Me?” He gently and sweetly approached her. And with a simple
almost-whisper of her name, Mary recognized her Lord. The tenderness of
this image nearly moves me to tears. Jesus is always with us…but He
never forces Himself on us.
This may be a difficult day for you.
You may be so busy that you don’t see how you can possibly accomplish
everything on your “to-do” list. You may be brokenhearted with grief and
sadness…frightened about circumstances beyond your control…angry over
some injustice or wrong…sick or injured - and worried about your health
and well-being. Or you may be filled with uncontrollable joy and
excitement about wonderful things that are happening to you and/or
someone you love. Life may be exceptionally hard right now…or
incredibly good…or somewhere in between.
Regardless of your
situation and present circumstances, Jesus is with you. He is gently
and tenderly calling your name. You may be looking everywhere for Him…or
He may not even be “on your radar” today. But I assure you that you
are on His! He is with you…waiting to be recognized…ready to meet your
every need and walk with you through this day – and every other. Stop…look…listen…and call to Jesus! Recognize His presence, and take every opportunity to let others know that He is always available to each
of us.
Jesus IS calling…your Lord is right beside you! Will you acknowledge His presence?
©2016 Debbie Robus
*www.JesusCalling.com
Showing posts with label seeking Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seeking Jesus. Show all posts
Matthew 7:7-11
Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. Would any of you give your hungry child a stone, if the child asked for some bread? Would you give your child a snake if the child asked for a fish? As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Things got a little hectic this past week, and I got behind on reading my daily devotionals from Jesus Calling*. So I caught up this morning…and the thoughts for June 29th could not have paralleled better with this scripture. In part, we were reminded to call on Jesus each morning…to whisper His name and invite Him to come into our thoughts. The writer reminds us that with Jesus on our minds, we don’t face anything alone…He is right beside us to handle anything that arises.
But here’s the thing…we have to ask! We have to knock – and expect Jesus to answer! As I have mentioned in recent days, sometimes our thoughts and feelings are so jumbled that we don’t even know what to ask…and a simple plea of “LORD, You know what I need…will you help me?” is sufficient. I would caution you not to reduce your daily prayers to this on a regular basis. God wants us to lay bare our hearts and define our needs to Him. I believe this helps us to recognize when and how He does answer each one of them.
But there will be times when we simply need to “ask” or “knock”…to invite Jesus to come and sit with us…and handle things. And He will do exactly that!
Stop for a minute today and examine your life and the issues that are on your heart…the joys and the burdens. Whisper the name of Jesus, and invite Him to come and “sit a spell.” Give Him your anxieties…revel in your blessings…talk to Him about “things” and ask Him to give you exactly what you need for this day.
Philippians 4:13 tells us that “Christ gives me the strength to face anything.” Have you asked Him for strength today?
©2016 Debbie Robus
*www.JesusCalling.com
Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. Would any of you give your hungry child a stone, if the child asked for some bread? Would you give your child a snake if the child asked for a fish? As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Things got a little hectic this past week, and I got behind on reading my daily devotionals from Jesus Calling*. So I caught up this morning…and the thoughts for June 29th could not have paralleled better with this scripture. In part, we were reminded to call on Jesus each morning…to whisper His name and invite Him to come into our thoughts. The writer reminds us that with Jesus on our minds, we don’t face anything alone…He is right beside us to handle anything that arises.
But here’s the thing…we have to ask! We have to knock – and expect Jesus to answer! As I have mentioned in recent days, sometimes our thoughts and feelings are so jumbled that we don’t even know what to ask…and a simple plea of “LORD, You know what I need…will you help me?” is sufficient. I would caution you not to reduce your daily prayers to this on a regular basis. God wants us to lay bare our hearts and define our needs to Him. I believe this helps us to recognize when and how He does answer each one of them.
But there will be times when we simply need to “ask” or “knock”…to invite Jesus to come and sit with us…and handle things. And He will do exactly that!
Stop for a minute today and examine your life and the issues that are on your heart…the joys and the burdens. Whisper the name of Jesus, and invite Him to come and “sit a spell.” Give Him your anxieties…revel in your blessings…talk to Him about “things” and ask Him to give you exactly what you need for this day.
Philippians 4:13 tells us that “Christ gives me the strength to face anything.” Have you asked Him for strength today?
©2016 Debbie Robus
*www.JesusCalling.com
Daily Devotional for May 28, 2016
Revelation 20:4
Then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those who had been given the right to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the Creature or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They had come to life again and now they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
You and I cannot fathom literally losing our heads for speaking of Jesus and proclaiming the Word of God. And yet, it happens in our world even today. In Columbine, Colorado, a teenage girl was shot when she told her assailant she knew Jesus. In Charleston, South Carolina, family members of the victims told their murderer in court, “I forgive you.” In a way, these are forms of “losing your head” for Jesus. Many Christians are persecuted every day in our own back yards because they prayerfully speak what they believe is God’s truth, while others condemn them – and sometimes physically abuse them!
The Bible tells us that those who stand firm and serve as God’s witnesses will be rewarded. We are promised that we will be given yet another “new life in Christ” for our faithfulness and steadfast delivery of His message to the world. OUR JOB is to be certain that this is the message we are delivering…that we are doing the work of Jesus Christ and not that of the conniving, sly agents of the devil!
Sadly, there are a lot of people who believe they are doing God’s work…that they are sharing the message of Christ. And all the while, they are judging and condemning others, acting out of hate and fear rather than love, and demonstrating anything but Jesus’ grace and mercy. As I read this scripture verse, I pictured the day of judgment…and the countless “Christians” who THOUGHT they were serving God but had actually accepted the mark of the devil and perpetuated His message! These souls will be sorely disappointed and dismayed when Christ raises His church – and they are not among the saints!
We must be diligent and very careful as we study God’s word and follow the teachings of Jesus. We must make certain that our thoughts, words and actions line up with His. We must be prepared to take the abuse and criticism that may come…willing to literally lose our heads (although hopefully, it will never come to that) in order to speak and live God’s truth. I don’t know where or how you and I will come face to face with Jesus…but I want to be certain that He is pleased with me in that moment. I want to know that He will raise me to new life with Him…and I am doing all I can to ensure that I always operate in His will – and no one else’s. What about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those who had been given the right to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the Creature or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They had come to life again and now they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
You and I cannot fathom literally losing our heads for speaking of Jesus and proclaiming the Word of God. And yet, it happens in our world even today. In Columbine, Colorado, a teenage girl was shot when she told her assailant she knew Jesus. In Charleston, South Carolina, family members of the victims told their murderer in court, “I forgive you.” In a way, these are forms of “losing your head” for Jesus. Many Christians are persecuted every day in our own back yards because they prayerfully speak what they believe is God’s truth, while others condemn them – and sometimes physically abuse them!
The Bible tells us that those who stand firm and serve as God’s witnesses will be rewarded. We are promised that we will be given yet another “new life in Christ” for our faithfulness and steadfast delivery of His message to the world. OUR JOB is to be certain that this is the message we are delivering…that we are doing the work of Jesus Christ and not that of the conniving, sly agents of the devil!
Sadly, there are a lot of people who believe they are doing God’s work…that they are sharing the message of Christ. And all the while, they are judging and condemning others, acting out of hate and fear rather than love, and demonstrating anything but Jesus’ grace and mercy. As I read this scripture verse, I pictured the day of judgment…and the countless “Christians” who THOUGHT they were serving God but had actually accepted the mark of the devil and perpetuated His message! These souls will be sorely disappointed and dismayed when Christ raises His church – and they are not among the saints!
We must be diligent and very careful as we study God’s word and follow the teachings of Jesus. We must make certain that our thoughts, words and actions line up with His. We must be prepared to take the abuse and criticism that may come…willing to literally lose our heads (although hopefully, it will never come to that) in order to speak and live God’s truth. I don’t know where or how you and I will come face to face with Jesus…but I want to be certain that He is pleased with me in that moment. I want to know that He will raise me to new life with Him…and I am doing all I can to ensure that I always operate in His will – and no one else’s. What about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 11, 2013
Isaiah 55:8-12
The Lord says:
“My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.
Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.
“Rain and snow fall from the sky.
But they don’t return without watering the earth
that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat.
That’s how it is with my words.
They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.”
When you are set free, you will celebrate and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing as you pass by, and trees will clap.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We’ve all been to a concert or the ballgame where entertainers, celebrities, and/or athletes appear, and the crowd goes wild with excitement. The enthusiasm is palpable… contagious… and for a time, at least, we leave the event feeling uplifted and joyful. We travel home in peace. God wants us to experience Him in this manner. He wants us to be so filled with His presence that we are exhilarated, yet serene… all at once confident and calm.
There are about a dozen people that I often encounter who truly make me a better person every time I am with them. They seem to exude joy and faith in God. No matter what is happening in their lives, they have a smile and a positive attitude… and I know it is because of their close relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Truly, after I am with these people, I feel like the mountains and hills sing and the trees clap as I pass by.
Do you know people like this? Are you one of them? Do you know that God wants us to be so filled with His thoughts, words and ways that we cannot help but experience incredible peace and joy in Him? Can you see that God wants us to be so full of faith and enthusiasm for His truths that we move the mountains and hills to sing and the trees to clap in celebration?
Most of us will never attain celebrity status or be professional athletes or entertainers. We will never enter arenas or stages to the rousing applause and celebration of an adoring throng. But this really isn’t important anyway. What matters is that we live in the applause and celebration of God… of belonging completely to Him, surrendering to His ways, and sharing His love with others. When we settle into the complete peace and freedom of a life in Christ… with the Holy Spirit as our constant companion… mountains and hills will indeed sing, trees will clap, and these will be all of the accolades we could ever need.
Whose applause are you seeking these days? Where are you searching for peace? Give God room to work in your life… make a place for the Holy Spirit in your heart. Look for joy and contentment in the right places. Attune your heart to the higher ways and words of God… and get ready to “travel home in peace”.
©2013 Debbie Robus
The Lord says:
“My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.
Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.
“Rain and snow fall from the sky.
But they don’t return without watering the earth
that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat.
That’s how it is with my words.
They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.”
When you are set free, you will celebrate and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing as you pass by, and trees will clap.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We’ve all been to a concert or the ballgame where entertainers, celebrities, and/or athletes appear, and the crowd goes wild with excitement. The enthusiasm is palpable… contagious… and for a time, at least, we leave the event feeling uplifted and joyful. We travel home in peace. God wants us to experience Him in this manner. He wants us to be so filled with His presence that we are exhilarated, yet serene… all at once confident and calm.
There are about a dozen people that I often encounter who truly make me a better person every time I am with them. They seem to exude joy and faith in God. No matter what is happening in their lives, they have a smile and a positive attitude… and I know it is because of their close relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Truly, after I am with these people, I feel like the mountains and hills sing and the trees clap as I pass by.
Do you know people like this? Are you one of them? Do you know that God wants us to be so filled with His thoughts, words and ways that we cannot help but experience incredible peace and joy in Him? Can you see that God wants us to be so full of faith and enthusiasm for His truths that we move the mountains and hills to sing and the trees to clap in celebration?
Most of us will never attain celebrity status or be professional athletes or entertainers. We will never enter arenas or stages to the rousing applause and celebration of an adoring throng. But this really isn’t important anyway. What matters is that we live in the applause and celebration of God… of belonging completely to Him, surrendering to His ways, and sharing His love with others. When we settle into the complete peace and freedom of a life in Christ… with the Holy Spirit as our constant companion… mountains and hills will indeed sing, trees will clap, and these will be all of the accolades we could ever need.
Whose applause are you seeking these days? Where are you searching for peace? Give God room to work in your life… make a place for the Holy Spirit in your heart. Look for joy and contentment in the right places. Attune your heart to the higher ways and words of God… and get ready to “travel home in peace”.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 19, 2103
2 Thessalonians 5:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
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.
Every day, we are each faced with situations that can disrupt any semblance of peace in our lives. We may get cut off in traffic… we may stress out over a test or an upcoming competition…illness may be plaguing us or someone we know and love…we can have money troubles or relationship challenges… there can be problems with our job… our computer can crash or get a virus… or some sort of emergency may arise that sends us scrambling to deal with a myriad of questions/issues we were not anticipating. Life is hard, and the devil delights in making it even harder for us each and every day!
I would be willing to bet that you would have a hard time finding someone who says, “I want chaos in my life… I thrive on illness, accidents, calamity and discord.” We all want tranquility… contentment… serenity… for things in our life to go well… and for the devil to leave us alone! But sometimes, it seems like this is totally out of the realm of possibilities. Why can’t we simply have peace and quiet in our lives?
The truth of the matter is that we can have peace and quiet… but we often fail to recognize what real peace looks like - and how to get it! See, you have to study this passage again. It doesn’t say, “May the Lord of peace himself give you everything you asked for and make your life hunky-dory every single day.” It says, “May the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.” There is a difference… do you see it?
Let’s look a little closer. Jesus is “the Lord of peace himself,” which means that He operates in perfect peace at all times. He doesn’t worry, stew, fret, become excited or agitated, wring His hands, or throw a hissy fit! He trusts God to walk with Him and be with Him at all times…to make the bad times tolerable and manageable… and the good times great… to give Him peace in all circumstances. When we learn to operate in God’s peace… the peace of mind that He is in control and available in every minute to help us with whatever we are experiencing…we can have the kind of “peace and quiet” that we envision. When God settles things for me, I have a calm and serenity that I cannot even explain. In fact, I have asked before, “Why am I so calm about this?” The only explanation is that I gave the situation to God and allowed Him to work… I gave Him room to handle things, and He gave me peace and quiet in return.
Think about the events of even this day… how you may have hurried and worried, fretted and stressed. Consider all that has challenged you, and ask yourself whether you tried to handle these things on your own… or whether you allowed God to cover you with His peace. Your answer matters. If you are content to try to find your own peace, the devil will surely be busy giving you anything but that! If you want to operate in calm and serenity, confidence and security… you need a hefty dose of Jesus! Ask Him to bring you peace. Release your burdens and even the most insignificant of issues to Him.
Let Jesus show you how to walk in faith that He’s got this… and feel the weight lift from your shoulders. Truly discover what it means to allow the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. And may the Lord truly be with you all.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
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.
Every day, we are each faced with situations that can disrupt any semblance of peace in our lives. We may get cut off in traffic… we may stress out over a test or an upcoming competition…illness may be plaguing us or someone we know and love…we can have money troubles or relationship challenges… there can be problems with our job… our computer can crash or get a virus… or some sort of emergency may arise that sends us scrambling to deal with a myriad of questions/issues we were not anticipating. Life is hard, and the devil delights in making it even harder for us each and every day!
I would be willing to bet that you would have a hard time finding someone who says, “I want chaos in my life… I thrive on illness, accidents, calamity and discord.” We all want tranquility… contentment… serenity… for things in our life to go well… and for the devil to leave us alone! But sometimes, it seems like this is totally out of the realm of possibilities. Why can’t we simply have peace and quiet in our lives?
The truth of the matter is that we can have peace and quiet… but we often fail to recognize what real peace looks like - and how to get it! See, you have to study this passage again. It doesn’t say, “May the Lord of peace himself give you everything you asked for and make your life hunky-dory every single day.” It says, “May the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.” There is a difference… do you see it?
Let’s look a little closer. Jesus is “the Lord of peace himself,” which means that He operates in perfect peace at all times. He doesn’t worry, stew, fret, become excited or agitated, wring His hands, or throw a hissy fit! He trusts God to walk with Him and be with Him at all times…to make the bad times tolerable and manageable… and the good times great… to give Him peace in all circumstances. When we learn to operate in God’s peace… the peace of mind that He is in control and available in every minute to help us with whatever we are experiencing…we can have the kind of “peace and quiet” that we envision. When God settles things for me, I have a calm and serenity that I cannot even explain. In fact, I have asked before, “Why am I so calm about this?” The only explanation is that I gave the situation to God and allowed Him to work… I gave Him room to handle things, and He gave me peace and quiet in return.
Think about the events of even this day… how you may have hurried and worried, fretted and stressed. Consider all that has challenged you, and ask yourself whether you tried to handle these things on your own… or whether you allowed God to cover you with His peace. Your answer matters. If you are content to try to find your own peace, the devil will surely be busy giving you anything but that! If you want to operate in calm and serenity, confidence and security… you need a hefty dose of Jesus! Ask Him to bring you peace. Release your burdens and even the most insignificant of issues to Him.
Let Jesus show you how to walk in faith that He’s got this… and feel the weight lift from your shoulders. Truly discover what it means to allow the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. And may the Lord truly be with you all.
©2013 Debbie Robus
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