Ephesians 3:14-19
My response is to get down on
my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all
heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute
strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as
you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet
planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of
Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and
experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the
heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
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.
Studies
have shown that maintaining body strength and muscle tone is important
as we age. I try to get to the pool three times a week for a workout
and to swim some laps to strengthen my arms, legs, lungs and “inner
core”. I know people who are far more dedicated than I am and spend
several hours each day working on their body strength and muscle tone.
And all of this is great…and important for the long haul!
But if
you look at this passage carefully, Paul talks about a “glorious inner
strength”, which comes from the Holy Spirit. By inviting Jesus Christ
into our hearts and minds...and spending time in His presence…we develop
our inner strength. This allows us to fully experience the
extravagance of Jesus’ love…to test the length, plumb the depths, and
rise to the heights with Him…and to share this with others in a profound
way.
Just as brute muscle strength doesn’t happen without hard
work, we must exercise our faith to obtain inner strength and fully
experience the presence of God and His Holy Spirit. How dedicated are
you to this goal? How hard are you working to build your Spiritual
“inner core”? Is God’s presence in your life all that you long for…all
that it should be? Will this be the day that you develop a new workout
plan and aim higher, deeper and broader with Christ?
Are you ready to build some “muscle” that matters? Will this be the day you get started?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label strengthening our heart for God and others. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strengthening our heart for God and others. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for January 25, 2015
Revelation 2:2-5
I know everything you have done, including your hard work and how you have endured. I know you won’t put up with anyone who is evil. When some people pretended to be apostles, you tested them and found out that they were liars. You have endured and gone through hard times because of me, and you have not given up.
But I do have something against you! And it is this: You don’t have as much love as you used to. Think about where you have fallen from, and then turn back and do as you did at first. If you don’t turn back, I will come and take away your lampstand.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve owned a guitar almost continuously since I was about 8 years old…but at best, I’ve always been a mediocre guitarist. I can strum a few tunes enough to get by…but I never fully developed the knack to play really well. So when Timothy’s kindergarten teacher asked me to bring my guitar to the classroom and sing Christmas carols, I set in to practice enough that I would not embarrass myself – or Timothy. After a few days, I felt I was ready…but my fingers were so sore.
Here’s the thing about guitar strings…they are thin wires that dig into your fingers as you press them against the fretboard to create the pitches. Until you build up calluses, it can really hurt after you play for several minutes or longer. By the time I worked on the Christmas songs for the kindergartners over several days, my sore fingers were beginning to toughen, and it didn’t hurt as badly. I could play for longer periods of time.
Then Christmas came, and I got busy with holiday dinners and other things, and I stopped playing every day…and soon, my fingers lost their calluses. The next time I picked up the guitar, it hurt again. And the longer I go between “sessions”…the more “rusty” I get. I feel certain that were I to stop altogether for a long period of time, I would probably be unable to even fake a few Christmas tunes for five-year-olds.
This is essentially what the message to the church at Ephesus conveys…you’ve worked hard – for awhile and to a point. But you’ve lost your love and passion for Christ…and your relationship with Him is not as “callused”. You’ve grown “rusty” in your faith. And if you don’t start “practicing” again soon, your relationship will be taken from you.
Christian faith is something we have to work at. Yes, the gift of Salvation through the blood of Jesus is freely given. But to deepen our relationship with Christ…to be strong enough to stand up to sin and the evils that Satan hurls our way…to be effective in our witness and confident in our relationship with Him…we have to practice! We have to stay connected and work at digging deeply into God’s word and what it means for our lives. We have to talk to God and share the message of Jesus Christ with others…and speak with a firsthand knowledge of these teachings and how they have applied in our own lives. We have to live our faith each and every day.
I could kick myself for not picking up guitar and playing at least every few days, to keep those calluses. But here’s the thing…I CAN start again and rebuild them – and I can vow to keep them this time around. And so it is with Jesus…it’s not too late to start again…too renew and strengthen our relationship with Him…and to keep it that way. Are you ready to do this in your own “faith walk”? Isn’t today a great day to get started?!
©2015 Debbie Robus
I know everything you have done, including your hard work and how you have endured. I know you won’t put up with anyone who is evil. When some people pretended to be apostles, you tested them and found out that they were liars. You have endured and gone through hard times because of me, and you have not given up.
But I do have something against you! And it is this: You don’t have as much love as you used to. Think about where you have fallen from, and then turn back and do as you did at first. If you don’t turn back, I will come and take away your lampstand.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve owned a guitar almost continuously since I was about 8 years old…but at best, I’ve always been a mediocre guitarist. I can strum a few tunes enough to get by…but I never fully developed the knack to play really well. So when Timothy’s kindergarten teacher asked me to bring my guitar to the classroom and sing Christmas carols, I set in to practice enough that I would not embarrass myself – or Timothy. After a few days, I felt I was ready…but my fingers were so sore.
Here’s the thing about guitar strings…they are thin wires that dig into your fingers as you press them against the fretboard to create the pitches. Until you build up calluses, it can really hurt after you play for several minutes or longer. By the time I worked on the Christmas songs for the kindergartners over several days, my sore fingers were beginning to toughen, and it didn’t hurt as badly. I could play for longer periods of time.
Then Christmas came, and I got busy with holiday dinners and other things, and I stopped playing every day…and soon, my fingers lost their calluses. The next time I picked up the guitar, it hurt again. And the longer I go between “sessions”…the more “rusty” I get. I feel certain that were I to stop altogether for a long period of time, I would probably be unable to even fake a few Christmas tunes for five-year-olds.
This is essentially what the message to the church at Ephesus conveys…you’ve worked hard – for awhile and to a point. But you’ve lost your love and passion for Christ…and your relationship with Him is not as “callused”. You’ve grown “rusty” in your faith. And if you don’t start “practicing” again soon, your relationship will be taken from you.
Christian faith is something we have to work at. Yes, the gift of Salvation through the blood of Jesus is freely given. But to deepen our relationship with Christ…to be strong enough to stand up to sin and the evils that Satan hurls our way…to be effective in our witness and confident in our relationship with Him…we have to practice! We have to stay connected and work at digging deeply into God’s word and what it means for our lives. We have to talk to God and share the message of Jesus Christ with others…and speak with a firsthand knowledge of these teachings and how they have applied in our own lives. We have to live our faith each and every day.
I could kick myself for not picking up guitar and playing at least every few days, to keep those calluses. But here’s the thing…I CAN start again and rebuild them – and I can vow to keep them this time around. And so it is with Jesus…it’s not too late to start again…too renew and strengthen our relationship with Him…and to keep it that way. Are you ready to do this in your own “faith walk”? Isn’t today a great day to get started?!
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 5, 2014
Proverbs 4:23-27
Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.
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.
For several years now, I have served as the neighborhood volunteer for the American Heart Association’s annual fund drive. I send information to each household in my neighborhood about heart disease and how to prevent it…and of course, a request for a donation to the American Heart Association to fund research and future treatments and cures is included. Each neighbor receives information about heart disease and how to prevent it. A statement is printed on the back of each neighbor’s envelope that states: “Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity done for at least 30 minutes on most or all days of the week helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. The more activity, the greater your benefits."
When I read these verses from Proverbs 4 about keeping vigilant watch over your heart, I immediately thought of this admonition from the American Heart Association. The information printed on the envelope refers to a person’s physical heart, while the verses in Proverbs refer to your thoughts, emotions, spirit and soul. And both need “vigorous activity – most or all days of the week”! Our physical heart needs 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day, such as some form of aerobic activity…a moderate diet that is high in fiber, lower in sugar, and calorie conscious…and a lifestyle that avoids smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and manages stress.
The “Spirit-filled heart” needs a completely different form of exercise…a careful avoidance of speaking unkindly, telling lies, and sharing gossip…a lifestyle that remains focused on our relationship with God and serving Him…an effort to stay alert to the devil’s attempts to trip us up and cause us to veer off course…and a steady diet of God’s word and communication with Him to make sure that we are continually operating in His will. Just as with the physical heart, the more activity and attention we give to our spiritual “heart health”, the greater our benefits!
A healthy heart is vital if we are to enjoy a happy, productive life…both physically and spiritually. Have you checked your “heart health” today? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.
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.
For several years now, I have served as the neighborhood volunteer for the American Heart Association’s annual fund drive. I send information to each household in my neighborhood about heart disease and how to prevent it…and of course, a request for a donation to the American Heart Association to fund research and future treatments and cures is included. Each neighbor receives information about heart disease and how to prevent it. A statement is printed on the back of each neighbor’s envelope that states: “Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity done for at least 30 minutes on most or all days of the week helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. The more activity, the greater your benefits."
When I read these verses from Proverbs 4 about keeping vigilant watch over your heart, I immediately thought of this admonition from the American Heart Association. The information printed on the envelope refers to a person’s physical heart, while the verses in Proverbs refer to your thoughts, emotions, spirit and soul. And both need “vigorous activity – most or all days of the week”! Our physical heart needs 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day, such as some form of aerobic activity…a moderate diet that is high in fiber, lower in sugar, and calorie conscious…and a lifestyle that avoids smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and manages stress.
The “Spirit-filled heart” needs a completely different form of exercise…a careful avoidance of speaking unkindly, telling lies, and sharing gossip…a lifestyle that remains focused on our relationship with God and serving Him…an effort to stay alert to the devil’s attempts to trip us up and cause us to veer off course…and a steady diet of God’s word and communication with Him to make sure that we are continually operating in His will. Just as with the physical heart, the more activity and attention we give to our spiritual “heart health”, the greater our benefits!
A healthy heart is vital if we are to enjoy a happy, productive life…both physically and spiritually. Have you checked your “heart health” today? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 17, 2012
Romans 12:9-10
Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
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.
Everywhere you turn, someone is promoting a particular fitness routine… Insanity Workout®, P90X®, Boot Camp, Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and countless others are taking the country by storm as people seek a way to get fit – and fast! What all of these workouts have in common is a lot of focus on your body’s “core” – or “center.” In order to develop true strength and fitness, you build up your mid-section, abdominal and lower back muscles. These represent your “core” or “center.”
Once your core is strong, you have more stamina and are less prone to injury. Your workouts are more effective. You are able to lift more, exert your body for longer periods of time, and your overall health improves. But you MUST strengthen your body’s core!
Here’s the message for today… in order to be Spiritually fit and strong, you must build up your heart, which is the core of your life in Christ. I’m not talking about your physical heart… I’m referring to the center of your soul… the place where the Holy Spirit resides. In order to be a loving, faith-filled, Spiritually healthy Christian, you must maintain a strong Spiritual “core.”
What constitutes a strong Spiritual “core?” Read these verses in Romans 12 again. Love from the center of who you are - and never fake it! Be the real deal. Truly love others with the love of Christ… remembering that you are often just as unlovely as the next guy – yet Jesus always has open arms to embrace you. Look for the good in all situations… and turn away from anything that is evil. This includes gossip, backbiting, revenge and spite, hatred, bigotry, dishonesty, and deliberate mistreatment of others, to name a few. Focus on putting others first. Compliment others… build them up in good times, and support them when life brings them difficulties. Quit asking “What’s in it for me?” Instead, ask God, “Who can I bless in Your name today?”
When you start to share the love of Jesus as outlined in these verses and other passages of Scripture… when you truly operate from a strong, sound Spiritual core…amazing things can happen. Blessings flow - in all directions and in ways you can’t begin to imagine. We are all so bad to put off our workouts – to say, “I’ll start tomorrow, next week, or next year.” Don’t do this with your Spiritual core. Start exercising today. Look for ways to build up your heart… opportunities to love others as Jesus loves you. Strengthen your Spiritual core, so that you have the stamina and power to handle everything life gives you. And get ready to be blessed beyond measure in the bargain!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
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.
Everywhere you turn, someone is promoting a particular fitness routine… Insanity Workout®, P90X®, Boot Camp, Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and countless others are taking the country by storm as people seek a way to get fit – and fast! What all of these workouts have in common is a lot of focus on your body’s “core” – or “center.” In order to develop true strength and fitness, you build up your mid-section, abdominal and lower back muscles. These represent your “core” or “center.”
Once your core is strong, you have more stamina and are less prone to injury. Your workouts are more effective. You are able to lift more, exert your body for longer periods of time, and your overall health improves. But you MUST strengthen your body’s core!
Here’s the message for today… in order to be Spiritually fit and strong, you must build up your heart, which is the core of your life in Christ. I’m not talking about your physical heart… I’m referring to the center of your soul… the place where the Holy Spirit resides. In order to be a loving, faith-filled, Spiritually healthy Christian, you must maintain a strong Spiritual “core.”
What constitutes a strong Spiritual “core?” Read these verses in Romans 12 again. Love from the center of who you are - and never fake it! Be the real deal. Truly love others with the love of Christ… remembering that you are often just as unlovely as the next guy – yet Jesus always has open arms to embrace you. Look for the good in all situations… and turn away from anything that is evil. This includes gossip, backbiting, revenge and spite, hatred, bigotry, dishonesty, and deliberate mistreatment of others, to name a few. Focus on putting others first. Compliment others… build them up in good times, and support them when life brings them difficulties. Quit asking “What’s in it for me?” Instead, ask God, “Who can I bless in Your name today?”
When you start to share the love of Jesus as outlined in these verses and other passages of Scripture… when you truly operate from a strong, sound Spiritual core…amazing things can happen. Blessings flow - in all directions and in ways you can’t begin to imagine. We are all so bad to put off our workouts – to say, “I’ll start tomorrow, next week, or next year.” Don’t do this with your Spiritual core. Start exercising today. Look for ways to build up your heart… opportunities to love others as Jesus loves you. Strengthen your Spiritual core, so that you have the stamina and power to handle everything life gives you. And get ready to be blessed beyond measure in the bargain!
©2012 Debbie Robus
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