Daily Devotional for November 23, 2016

Psalm 138
Thank you! Everything in me says “Thank you!”
    Angels listen as I sing my thanks.
I kneel in worship facing your holy temple
    and say it again: “Thank you!”
Thank you for your love,
    thank you for your faithfulness;
Most holy is your name,
    most holy is your Word.
The moment I called out, you stepped in;
    you made my life large with strength.
When they hear what you have to say, God,
    all earth’s kings will say “Thank you.”
They’ll sing of what you’ve done:
    “How great the glory of God!”
And here’s why: God, high above, sees far below;
    no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.
When I walk into the thick of trouble,
    keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
With one hand
    strike my foes,
With your other hand
    save me.
Finish what you started in me, God.
    Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.

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.

“Life is short…and sugar is cheap!” – Jay Grelen, former “Sweet Tea” columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

I think of this phrase on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas… when we have a family dinner, and I make big pitchers of sweet tea. There is so much wisdom in this phrase.  Life IS short…as many of us know all too well. We don’t stop to take stock of the blessings we have in our lives…or to truly appreciate the presence of those around us.  We look up, and half the people in the room have their noses buried in a smart phone…or they are glued to a television. Or perhaps we don’t even bother to get together at all.

I shared a poignant video* on Facebook last week of an elderly man who was sitting at a holiday table, dining alone.  His children all made excuses for why they couldn’t come for a Christmas visit this year…how maybe next time, they would make it.  Then the video cuts to a scene of the children receiving devastating news. By their reactions, you conclude that the “poppa” has died. The children are shown arriving outside this man’s home. They are distraught…it seems their beloved father/grandfather has died.  But when they enter the home, a holiday meal is on the table. Candles are lit, and everything is perfect…and the father/grandpa emerges from the kitchen, and asks, “How else could I have brought you all together?”

I don’t know your situation and circumstances today. My own family has spent holidays together – and apart - for various reasons.  We’ve postponed holiday get-togethers because someone was ill or hospitalized…and we’ve buried loved ones on Christmas Eve.  And yes, we’ve made our share of excuses why we couldn’t make it to one or more events when there was nothing catastrophic to prevent such a gathering. Sometimes, this couldn’t be helped…but other times, we just didn’t try hard enough.

The point is that we do this with God, too.  We often make excuses or postpone our time with Him.  At best, we give God limited attention and a lot of “lip service.”  Sometimes, He has to shake up our world just to bring us together with Him for some intimate time!  We forget that life is short…and sugar is cheap. It doesn’t cost us anything to spend time with God…and yet, that time is some of the most precious we will ever have.

So this Thanksgiving, thank God with everything in you. Set aside everything and spend quality time with God and let Him know just how grateful you are that He makes your life large with strength…that no matter the distance, He knows everything about you - and keeps you alive in the thick of turmoil and trouble.  Thank God that His love is eternal and everlasting.

While you’re at it…thank God for the people that He has placed in your life.  Reach out to some of them and spend some quality time in conversation, if not personal contact.  Soak in the moments spent together, and relish in them.  Life is short, and sugar is cheap…so maybe drink a glass of sweet tea while you’re at it!  Remember how blessed you are to be loved by such a great and mighty God…and make the most of each blessing that He has given you – this week, and always.

©2016 Debbie Robus

* http://www.3lstories.com/people-are-calling-this-the-most-powerful-christmas-commercial-ever

Daily Devotional for October 17, 2016

Psalm 119:1-8
You’re blessed when you stay on course,
    walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
    doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
    you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
    now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
    keeping to the course you set;
Then I’d never have any regrets
    in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
    I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do;
    don’t ever walk off and leave me.

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, my husband pointed out a dead branch on a tree under the bluff in our back yard.  For as long as we have lived here, buzzards have perched on that branch.  We commented several times that one day, the branch was going to snap and take the birds with it!  I don’t know how this actually transpired, but the end of the branch is gone.  Greg said, “I guess you noticed that the branch broke…it happened about 2 weeks ago.”  I had not noticed.  I had also not noticed his new eye glasses…the ones he picked up at the eye care center last week!  Greg laughed and said, “There’s a devo in there somewhere!”  And he was right!

I get so caught up in my own world…in the things on my “to do” list…going here or there for the kids…what’s for dinner – and what’s on the grocery list…who I need to send a card…when I can fit in a workout…and a zillion other things that probably don’t really amount to a hill of beans.  And I neglect people right in front of me…namely my wonderful husband and our sweet little cat…as I check off other a myriad of things and the needs of others on my list.  It’s not that my own “family” is not important to me…or that I don’t love them…but I get sidetracked and distracted – and ultimately, they get pushed farther down the list!  And – bless them – they never complain!

Here’s the thing…we do this all the time with people – but especially with God.  We get sidetracked and distracted…and days/weeks/months go by without our so much as opening our Bibles or spending a few minutes in earnest prayer, short of a “God, please help me!” uttered in sheer distress.  We don’t notice the things that God does for us…the “broken branch” or the “new glasses” because we are so busy with our own agendas and juggling a dozen balls in the air – many of which are not “top shelf” priorities!

So we miss the beauty of a sunrise or sunset…or the amazing Hunter’s Moon that has illuminated our nights this week.  We wake up one day, and those closest to us have vanished.  They have either drifted away mentally, physically or emotionally…or they have grown up - or aged to a point where they can’t, or won’t, interact with us as they once did. Sadly, in some cases, they have even died and physically left us forever.  And we wonder…what happened?  How did we not spend our time more wisely?  Why didn’t we pay more attention?

This passage reminds us that we are blessed when we stay on course…when we maintain focus – first on God, and then on a prayerfully constructed “to-do" list!  There is no time like today to stop and re-order our lives…to get this right and ask God to organize our steps and help us maintain proper awareness of our surroundings and what is truly important.  Life IS short…and we don’t have a minute to waste!  God can help us prioritize and sort out the details so that we always stay on course. I’m asking Him to do this in my life…what about you?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for May 31, 2014

Exodus 23:12
“Work six days only, and rest the seventh; this is to give your oxen and donkeys a rest, as well as the people of your household—your slaves and visitors."

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Recently I joined a water aerobics class at our community’s Aquatic Center.  The class met Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at eight o’clock.  Anyone who knows me very well knows that especially in recent years, I am anything BUT a morning person.  9:00 a.m. is EARLY for me!  So making the commitment to be “up and at ‘em” - and ready to get into a pool of chilly water at 8:00 a.m. - was really a stretch for me.  But I did it - for a few weeks.  I’m also something of a “night owl”.  Try as I might to get to bed earlier, I found myself thinking, “I’ll try to fit in an afternoon nap,” or “I’ll make up for lost sleep on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings.”  But my body began to adjust to the early morning wake-up time, and I found myself unable to sleep an extra hour or two on those “days off” from swimming! 

I finally realized that this class was just not working for me…for a number of reasons.  I made a few trips to the pool to work out on my own – at later daytime hours – and I found that I was a much happier camper.  So I opted to drop the class and commit to an individual workout program at a more convenient time.  In doing so, I discovered just how tired I had become, when one evening last week I could not hold my eyes open for very long past the 8:00 hour!  I went to bed early – and slept LATE the next morning.  Clearly, I was in need of some rest!  And that’s what this scripture in Exodus seems to be reminding us today…that rest is important – for everyone!

Now believe me, I know that there are extenuating circumstances.  As the sole employees of a small business, Greg and I used to work at least several hours of EVERY single day…and we did this for eighteen years.  There was always work to be done, and we were the only ones who could do much of it!  So we worked through holidays, anniversaries, weekends and much more.  And yes, we grew weary.  As much as this is often unavoidable in many situations, I think we need to listen to God’s admonition to rest when and where we can.

I’m not suggesting that we all become slackers.  There is a delicate balance to maintain.  But so many of us have filled every minute of our day with some kind of activity, and we have made these far more important than just taking time to sit, rest, relax, breathe in and out, maybe say a prayer or two, and simply renew our minds and our souls.  In other words, a lot of us need to clear out the clutter!  I’d say that if you cannot find a way to rest every six days or so – at least for a part of the day – this scripture applies to you!  There may be a season of extenuating circumstances.  You may be caring for someone who is ill, or working on a major project for several weeks.  But over the long haul, everyone needs to make sure that they get enough rest…and this is ordained by GOD!

Today as I worked out at the pool, I watched two young children who were playing in the shallow end…apparently a brother and sister.  Two women who I surmised to be their mother and grandmother settled into chairs along the wall of windows.  The younger woman took out her phone and began to scroll through messages or something.  The older woman read a flyer.  A man arrived who must have been the children’s dad.  He settled himself in the corner of the room farthest from the pool, opened up a laptop, and got busy reading and typing.  He barely looked up from his computer screen. The children laughed and giggled and did “tricks”…and kept looking toward the adults to see if they had noticed.  They had not.  They would smile at me as if, “Wasn’t that a neat trick?” and I would smile back.  But it seemed like they wanted the adults who were with them to pay attention and smile, too…even though they never said, “Watch this!” or asked for their notice.

I felt sad as I observed this…that these three adults could not stop for an hour and just “rest” in the moment with their kids.  I had seen this same scenario play out a few days earlier as a grandmother brought a little girl to swim.  The little girl DID ask for attention…and her grandmother finally put down her copy of The National Enquirer.  As I left the pool, the woman struck up a conversation with me and volunteered that she has been keeping grandchildren for a few weeks now, and she was tired. She told me that she had stopped and picked up this tabloid (to the tune of $5) to read while her granddaughter swam.  I tried not to judge, but a voice in my head said, “Children and grandbabies grow up overnight – and no longer want to be seen with parents and grandparents...much less ask for their attention while they swim or play.” 

Parents and grandparents grow old and are gone, and we wish we had spent a little more time with them…asked more questions…shown more respect.  Relationships fall apart when one person or the other is too busy, too tired, or too caught up in trying to do more than is humanly possible.  Employees become disgruntled when we work them to death.  Friends and family members grow distant when we expect too much of them.  Ministries become ineffective when those who are involved become overworked or burned out.  Even Jesus and His disciples took time to rest!

In short, God ordained rest because He knows we need it!  When was the last time you cleared out the clutter in your life and truly “rested”?  Is it time to evaluate your priorities and make a few adjustments?  Will this be the day that you begin?
   
©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for February 25, 2012

Isaiah 43:19
I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.

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

We’ve been spoiled lately by some pretty amazing days weather-wise. Temps have warmed to nearly 80 degrees – a rare treat for mid-to-late February. Trees have started to bud, and daffodils are blooming. This happens every winter, to some degree… but we seem to forget from year to year. So we are always enthralled with the promise of spring and all of the “newness” that will come with it.

A lot of our trouble is that we “wake up in a new world every day,” so to speak. We are not paying attention to our surroundings. We are “living in the moment” – but we are not truly soaking in each of these moments and living in them. We miss so many of God’s gifts because we are too busy hurrying from one to the next, and we fail to stop, breathe deeply, and inhale the blessings that His Holy Spirit bestows on us each and every day. Our mantra is “I don’t have time for this.”

Today, take time to “sit a spell”… to look around you and soak in what you see and hear… to breathe deeply. God has indeed made all things new… from the tiny flowers of spring to His gift of Jesus Christ to pay for our sins. Unlike God’s children of the Old Testament, we do not have to spend our time making sacrifices, burning offerings, and more. We can concentrate on truly serving God and sharing His message with others. When we are bogged down with “busyness”, we often miss the true blessings.

Today, my prayer is that you will find even a few minutes to stop and “be”… to soak in what God is trying to give you… to enjoy your blessings… to communicate with God… and to truly thank Him for all of this. Ask God, “What am I supposed to do with Your blessings? What is Your plan for me?” Then LISTEN for His direction. God is trying to do new things in and through us each and every day… our job is to pay attention so that we don’t miss this. Are you “living in the moment”… or are you “living in this moment?” There is a difference… do you get it?

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for February 20, 2012

1 Corinthians 4:14-17
I am not writing to embarrass you. I want to help you, just as parents help their own dear children. Ten thousand people may teach you about Christ, but I am your only father. You became my children when I told you about Christ Jesus, and I want you to be like me. That's why I sent Timothy to you. I love him like a son, and he is a faithful servant of the Lord. Timothy will tell you what I do to follow Christ and how it agrees with what I always teach about Christ in every church.

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

A friend shared a story via Facebook recently about a young violinist who played in a metro station in Washington, DC, one cold January morning. In 45 minutes, the young man played six pieces by Bach. People passed by without as much as a look. A few tossed money into his case. Some even paused briefly before they hurried on. One three-year-old boy stopped and listened to the musician, but his mother tugged and pushed and insisted he move ahead. Other children and parents were observed engaging in much the same interaction.

The Washington Post had planted this musician in the metro as an experiment. His name was Joshua Bell, and he was one of the most talented musicians in the world. One of the pieces he performed was considered to be the most complicated musical work ever written – and he played it on a violin worth $3.5 million! Two nights earlier, he had sold out a concert hall in Boston, where seats went for as much as $100 each. This morning he garnered $32 in “tips”.

The story claimed that the Post put Bell here as part of… “a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The outlines were… in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: 1) Do we perceive beauty? 2) Do we stop to appreciate it? and 3) Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?”

The article concluded by asking (paraphrased)… “If we don’t pause in a crowded place to listen to one of the best musicians in the world play one of the most complicated, beautiful pieces of music ever written, what else might we be missing?” As I read this passage from Paul to the Corinthians, I asked myself how many people and situations God has sent to teach us about Jesus, and we were too busy or disinterested… lost in our own little worlds to recognize and appreciate them? Just as God used Paul to send Timothy to minister to the people of Corinth, He sends ministers to us each day. But do we recognize them?

There are thousands of “teachable moments” from God… but we miss too many of them. We overlook far too many opportunities to hear from God – to experience His glory and beauty in nature, music, the laugh of a child or even the touch of an adoring pet who paws at us, and more. We hurry onward and often do nothing more than toss a dollar bill into a collection plate – or give a sideward glance or lip service to who and what surrounds us - as we race to get to our next big event… failing to see God standing right before us creating a magnificent opus to begin our day!

Who has God sent your way to teach you and bless you? Where is He offering you “teachable moments” – and blessings to brighten your journey? Are you truly alert and appreciative? Do you recognize His presence with childlike innocence and intrigue… or are you far too busy? Can I tell you something? There is nothing more important that we have to do today than hear from God! Stop! Look! Listen! Hear God’s “music” and recognize those He sends to perform it for you. Pay attention to your Heavenly Father… and truly learn all you can from Him. Let this be the day you begin to slow down and recognize His presence… and to appreciate more deeply just how blessed we are by His love and care.

©2012 Debbie Robus