1 Corinthians 10:1-5
Remember our history, friends,
and be warned. All our ancestors were led by the providential Cloud and
taken miraculously through the Sea. They went through the waters, in a
baptism like ours, as Moses led them from enslaving death to salvation
life. They all ate and drank identical food and drink, meals provided
daily by God. They drank from the Rock, God’s fountain for them that
stayed with them wherever they were. And the Rock was Christ. But just
experiencing God’s wonder and grace didn’t seem to mean much—most of
them were defeated by temptation during the hard times in the desert,
and God was not pleased.
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.
Years ago, I had a
housekeeper who did an amazing job. She kept our house thoroughly clean
and pretty well did a better job than I did! When this person left to
take another job, I hired someone new. I should have known there was a
problem when the new woman could “clean” the same house in about half
the time of the first housekeeper. For a while, I marveled at how nice
and neat the house looked – and chalked it up to the additional help
from a relative who came along to share the workload.
After a
month or two, I began to notice that the house didn’t seem all that
clean. It would look nice and neat for a day or so…but I discovered
areas that had really not been scrubbed at all…like the shower. A light
rub-down and spritz of cleaner gave it a sparkly appearance…but
underneath, there was a buildup of grime and scum that soon became
disgustingly apparent. And that was the tip of the iceberg. It
ultimately took me several days to get our house back to the condition
that the other housekeeper had maintained for us. And I ended up doing
the housekeeping myself afterward. I’d had the best, and I didn’t think
I could ever replicate her level of commitment again!
How does
this relate to our spiritual life – and this scripture passage? It’s
all about going the second mile. Moses’ people listened to God speak
through him…they followed God and pledged allegiance to Him – for a
while. And then they went back to their old ways. They were “all in”
for God’s gifts, goodness and blessings…but they didn’t fully
internalize His message. They didn’t embrace His grace, mercy,
forgiveness, and healing - and allow Him to change them from the inside
out. So essentially, things looked all sparkly and shiny on the
surface…but underneath, a layer of grime and scum built up that could
not be ignored.
God has so much to offer us. And most of us are
eager to sign on and take all that He will give! But are we willing to
go the extra mile…to do the “deep cleaning” of our hearts and minds…to
do the hard work of maintaining a spotless vessel for Him? Are we
demonstrating a level of commitment to God that is beyond reproach? Or
are we giving Him justification to throw up His hands and say, “Enough!
I’m done with him/her!” Oh, how I hope it’s not the latter!
I
don’t think that any of us want to deliberately disappoint God. But we
do get caught up in the temptations of the devil and this world…and we
tend to cut corners in our walk with God – and hope that He will
overlook this. Let’s not play that game! Let’s give God our very best
efforts every single day. Let’s honor God and His blessings over us by
serving wholeheartedly and going the second mile. The Bible says that
our bodies are God’s “houses”…that we are His vessels on this earth.
What sort of “housekeeper” are you these days?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label surface change vs real change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label surface change vs real change. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for February 11, 2011
Matthew 24:42-44
So be on your guard! You don't know when your Lord will come. Homeowners never know when a thief is coming, and they are always on guard to keep one from breaking in. Always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Do you know what it feels like to be caught unprepared? More than once, I’ve gotten a call that required I drop everything and go somewhere for some emergency. More than once I was left wishing I had gotten up that morning and put on my makeup, done my hair and put on nice clothes. But there I was, a total mess… and the emergency had come at an hour I didn’t expect!
The message of this passage is as simple as “be prepared” – for whatever arises… tests, emergencies, that unexpected encounter with a friend or someone you wish to impress, crises and surprises of all kinds. But it is more about being prepared spiritually. There is no such thing as living for today and “getting right with God tomorrow.” We’ve lost enough teens and young children in our own community to know that nobody is immune from death – expected or otherwise. This is one gamble we cannot afford to take.
I have said before that often, we hesitate to change our lives and totally surrender to God out of some semblance of fear… of the unknown, that we will have to “give up” our fun, or that we will be ostracized by family and friends or those with whom we wish to associate. The truth is that whatever you believe you will give up, God will restore to you exponentially. We truly can’t even begin to count the blessings God wants to send our way.
So in one sense, we need to drop our guard… let go of whatever is holding us back from surrendering totally to God. In the other sense, we need to prepare now for His coming. We may already be resting in His arms in heaven when He makes the glorious return to earth for His church… or He could arrive in the next thirty minutes. Either way, it’s time to spiritually “put on your good clothes, wash your face, and comb your hair” and be ready! Jesus is coming at an hour we don’t expect! In what condition will He find you?
©2011 Debbie Robus
So be on your guard! You don't know when your Lord will come. Homeowners never know when a thief is coming, and they are always on guard to keep one from breaking in. Always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Do you know what it feels like to be caught unprepared? More than once, I’ve gotten a call that required I drop everything and go somewhere for some emergency. More than once I was left wishing I had gotten up that morning and put on my makeup, done my hair and put on nice clothes. But there I was, a total mess… and the emergency had come at an hour I didn’t expect!
The message of this passage is as simple as “be prepared” – for whatever arises… tests, emergencies, that unexpected encounter with a friend or someone you wish to impress, crises and surprises of all kinds. But it is more about being prepared spiritually. There is no such thing as living for today and “getting right with God tomorrow.” We’ve lost enough teens and young children in our own community to know that nobody is immune from death – expected or otherwise. This is one gamble we cannot afford to take.
I have said before that often, we hesitate to change our lives and totally surrender to God out of some semblance of fear… of the unknown, that we will have to “give up” our fun, or that we will be ostracized by family and friends or those with whom we wish to associate. The truth is that whatever you believe you will give up, God will restore to you exponentially. We truly can’t even begin to count the blessings God wants to send our way.
So in one sense, we need to drop our guard… let go of whatever is holding us back from surrendering totally to God. In the other sense, we need to prepare now for His coming. We may already be resting in His arms in heaven when He makes the glorious return to earth for His church… or He could arrive in the next thirty minutes. Either way, it’s time to spiritually “put on your good clothes, wash your face, and comb your hair” and be ready! Jesus is coming at an hour we don’t expect! In what condition will He find you?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 10, 2011
Jeremiah 13:23
Can you ever change and do what's right? Can people change the color of their skin, or can a leopard remove its spots? If so, then maybe you can change and learn to do right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A decade ago, I was a sun worshipper. My skin is incredibly pale, and I thought a tan made me look better… younger, healthier, and more fit. In the winter, I would skip the tanning bed and give my skin a rest, and I did not like how it looked… pasty, freckled, and almost ghostly! But over time, I realized that I was not really changing my skin… I was just making it age faster. No matter how much time I spend in a tanning bed – or how much I am able to darken my skin – when I stop the process, my skin will once again be pasty white (albeit with more freckles and “sun/age spots” as a result).
In other words, I didn’t really change my skin color, any more than bleaching my hair changes the fact that my “natural color” is a salt-and-pepper combo of dishwater blonde and snowy white. Once I stop spending time in the tanning bed or out in the sun – or going to a hairdresser and having my hair color adjusted – the original color returns. The change is only on the surface.
Sadly, there are some people who seem to treat their relationship with God like tanning or coloring their hair. The results are short-term, and fairly shallow. Once the “new” wears off, old habits and behaviors resurface. The “change” was not from deep within the heart. Maybe these people thought the change was real… maybe they convinced themselves that they had given their heart to God and were committed to following Him and serving as Christ’s disciple. And maybe nobody explained to them that salvation is not the end – it’s the beginning!
Accepting Jesus is the first step… inviting the Holy Spirit to dwell within your heart is vital… but Jesus’ words were, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” He also told us to “go and make disciples of all nations.” The rewards of a life in Christ are great… but so is the responsibility. And often, our commitment to God involves incredible, profound, permanent change. I’ll be the first to tell you that this is difficult… and there may be periods when we slip and fall and seem to lose our way for a time. But the key is to get back to God as quickly as possible, to admit your shortcomings and earnestly work to correct them.
Maybe we can’t change our ethnicity or the real color of our hair (at least not once and for all), but with work and dedication… faith and trust in God… we can change our heart to line up more closely with His. Are you willing to do what it takes to make the changes that matter? Is today the day you begin?
©2010 Debbie Robus
Can you ever change and do what's right? Can people change the color of their skin, or can a leopard remove its spots? If so, then maybe you can change and learn to do right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A decade ago, I was a sun worshipper. My skin is incredibly pale, and I thought a tan made me look better… younger, healthier, and more fit. In the winter, I would skip the tanning bed and give my skin a rest, and I did not like how it looked… pasty, freckled, and almost ghostly! But over time, I realized that I was not really changing my skin… I was just making it age faster. No matter how much time I spend in a tanning bed – or how much I am able to darken my skin – when I stop the process, my skin will once again be pasty white (albeit with more freckles and “sun/age spots” as a result).
In other words, I didn’t really change my skin color, any more than bleaching my hair changes the fact that my “natural color” is a salt-and-pepper combo of dishwater blonde and snowy white. Once I stop spending time in the tanning bed or out in the sun – or going to a hairdresser and having my hair color adjusted – the original color returns. The change is only on the surface.
Sadly, there are some people who seem to treat their relationship with God like tanning or coloring their hair. The results are short-term, and fairly shallow. Once the “new” wears off, old habits and behaviors resurface. The “change” was not from deep within the heart. Maybe these people thought the change was real… maybe they convinced themselves that they had given their heart to God and were committed to following Him and serving as Christ’s disciple. And maybe nobody explained to them that salvation is not the end – it’s the beginning!
Accepting Jesus is the first step… inviting the Holy Spirit to dwell within your heart is vital… but Jesus’ words were, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” He also told us to “go and make disciples of all nations.” The rewards of a life in Christ are great… but so is the responsibility. And often, our commitment to God involves incredible, profound, permanent change. I’ll be the first to tell you that this is difficult… and there may be periods when we slip and fall and seem to lose our way for a time. But the key is to get back to God as quickly as possible, to admit your shortcomings and earnestly work to correct them.
Maybe we can’t change our ethnicity or the real color of our hair (at least not once and for all), but with work and dedication… faith and trust in God… we can change our heart to line up more closely with His. Are you willing to do what it takes to make the changes that matter? Is today the day you begin?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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