Romans 8:5-8
Those who think they can do it on their
own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get
around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in
them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God!
Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God
leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the
self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in
self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person
ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being
ignored.
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.
A former
student who is now the father of a 5-year-old shared a link to an
essay published by Reif Larsen in the May 31, 2016, edition of the New
York Times, titled, “In Search of Lost Time.”* The writer talks of his
first solo trip after the birth of his son…how he dreamed of going to a
movie alone, dining in peace and quiet…even drinking more than one beer
without feeling guilty. He eagerly anticipated a swim in the pool
without any worries and concerns for a 12+-month-old mini-version of
himself. He practically drooled over the thought of his great big hotel
bed, which he would not have to share with a soul – and the epic sleep
he hoped to experience there.
Nothing was as Larsen thought it
would be. The trip started out well. Larsen marveled at how quickly and
easily he navigated airport security without a baby and its
paraphernalia. But he found himself noticing every baby in his line of
sight. Larsen listened for his boy at every turn…he could not enjoy his
meals – or his drinks – and he said, “…everywhere I went I couldn’t
escape this feeling as if I had lost something essential. Keys, wallet,
cellphone … hmmm. It was eerie.” He woke up several times in the night –
disoriented and thinking he heard his son’s cry. And in the end, he
declared the trip to be “boring” and exhausting.
Do you see how
this relates to the Romans 8:5-8 – and to many aspects of our lives? We
build up so much that we think will be grand and glorious…people…trips…
acquisitions of all kinds…the perfect job/house/marriage/children…”fame
and fortune”…the ideal level of fitness and attractiveness…and just
plain “fun” in everything we do. And we set out to achieve these
things…through any and all means possible. We try to “do it our
way”…and often, this means pushing God to the back burner, at best.
We’re too busy to pray…we don’t have time to study His word…we surely
don’t have room in our lives to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus and
address the needs of others. What about OUR needs?
In the end,
we often find that the very things we thought were so important either
1) never measure up to our high expectation level; or 2) are actually
quite boring and exhausting – the exact opposite of what we thought we
wanted. But GOD always satisfies. Attention to God isn’t always
glamorous – or even fun! But when we focus on God and trust His Spirit
to move in and through us, we find that everything in life is oh, so
satisfying. We find a peace and contentment we never knew could exist
as we chased the world by the tail. We can rest and reflect on His
goodness…bask in the glow of His glory…and revel in the blessings that
come our way each and every day.
Will God give us a rosy, trouble
free life? Probably not – at least not 24/7/365. But the good will
far outweigh the bad…in all things…day in and day out. As we please God,
He will show us just how good life with Him can be. In Philippians
4:12, the Apostle Paul tells us that…”I’ve learned by now to be quite
content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with
much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy
whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have,
wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me
who I am.” I pray that this would become our battle cry today…our words
to live by. We can make it through anything in Christ Jesus. We don’t
have to do it on our own – and the grass is NOT greener on the other
side. Many of the things we think will make our lives so much better
are pipe dreams, because God has not ordained them.
Wherever
God has “planted” you today…do your best to bloom. But let HIM handle
the “gardening!” Let’s spend some time talking with God and ask where
we are supposed to focus…then allow Him to guide our steps and bring out
His very best in us! Are you with me?
©2016 Robus
*http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/05/travel/family-holidays-parenting-fatherhood.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share
Showing posts with label trying to have it our way. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trying to have it our way. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 13, 2016
James 4:4-6
You people aren’t faithful to God! Don’t you know that if you love the world, you are God’s enemies? And if you decide to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you doubt the Scriptures that say, “God truly cares about the Spirit he has put in us”? In fact, God treats us with even greater kindness, just as the Scriptures say,
“God opposes everyone
who is proud,
but he is kind to everyone
who is humble.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In my Jesus Calling®* passage for April 11, the author (speaking as Jesus) says, “The best way to handle unwanted situations is to thank Me for them.” I was reminded of more than one recent report of an injustice that transpired that seemed incredibly unfair to some of the parties involved…especially children. How can we thank God when a child is being used as a pawn in adult disagreements? How can we thank God when our loan has been refused…we are slapped with exorbitant medical bills that require, at best, a huge co-pay…or the business where we’ve been employed for decades suddenly closes its doors? How can we thank God when He has just called our loved one to Heaven and left us brokenhearted?
We have a hard time being faithful in such moments. We want a “Burger King®” kind of faith, where we are allowed to “have it our way” any time of the day. How can we thank God when He doesn’t give us the desires of our heart?
The bigger question is…”How can we NOT thank God?” Don’t we get that we are telling God how to run things when we make demands of Him? When we tell God, “You need to fix ABC or deal with Sam or Sue,” we are acting as His enemy. We have decided that we know better than God what needs to happen.
Instead, we should look at “unwanted situations” and ask, “What are You trying to show me?” We should humbly ask God to help us handle these events – and to show us how He can be glorified by our actions and reactions to them. Jesus Calling® explains that when we demonstrate such faith, we are freed from resentment – and God is freed to work His ways into the situation and produce a good outcome.
Is this easy to do? Absolutely not! But that’s what makes it an act of faith! The more we let God have control in our lives, the less hold the enemy has on us – and the closer we draw to Him. When we humble ourselves before God and submit to His plans and His will, we are free to bask in His glory and care…and to fully experience His profound kindness. Don’t you want this in your life? I know I do! Are you willing to fully surrender in order to get it? Don’t you think you should be?
©2016 Debbie Robus
*www.JesusCalling.com
You people aren’t faithful to God! Don’t you know that if you love the world, you are God’s enemies? And if you decide to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you doubt the Scriptures that say, “God truly cares about the Spirit he has put in us”? In fact, God treats us with even greater kindness, just as the Scriptures say,
“God opposes everyone
who is proud,
but he is kind to everyone
who is humble.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In my Jesus Calling®* passage for April 11, the author (speaking as Jesus) says, “The best way to handle unwanted situations is to thank Me for them.” I was reminded of more than one recent report of an injustice that transpired that seemed incredibly unfair to some of the parties involved…especially children. How can we thank God when a child is being used as a pawn in adult disagreements? How can we thank God when our loan has been refused…we are slapped with exorbitant medical bills that require, at best, a huge co-pay…or the business where we’ve been employed for decades suddenly closes its doors? How can we thank God when He has just called our loved one to Heaven and left us brokenhearted?
We have a hard time being faithful in such moments. We want a “Burger King®” kind of faith, where we are allowed to “have it our way” any time of the day. How can we thank God when He doesn’t give us the desires of our heart?
The bigger question is…”How can we NOT thank God?” Don’t we get that we are telling God how to run things when we make demands of Him? When we tell God, “You need to fix ABC or deal with Sam or Sue,” we are acting as His enemy. We have decided that we know better than God what needs to happen.
Instead, we should look at “unwanted situations” and ask, “What are You trying to show me?” We should humbly ask God to help us handle these events – and to show us how He can be glorified by our actions and reactions to them. Jesus Calling® explains that when we demonstrate such faith, we are freed from resentment – and God is freed to work His ways into the situation and produce a good outcome.
Is this easy to do? Absolutely not! But that’s what makes it an act of faith! The more we let God have control in our lives, the less hold the enemy has on us – and the closer we draw to Him. When we humble ourselves before God and submit to His plans and His will, we are free to bask in His glory and care…and to fully experience His profound kindness. Don’t you want this in your life? I know I do! Are you willing to fully surrender in order to get it? Don’t you think you should be?
©2016 Debbie Robus
*www.JesusCalling.com
Daily Devotional for December 20, 2015
Job 28:28
And this is what he says to all mankind: ‘Look, to fear the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I was watching a show about people who weigh more than 600 pounds and desperately want gastric bypass surgery to help them lose weight. On one particular episode, the doctor asked his patient, “What do you eat?” The young man explained that “I only eat twice a day…but I snack a lot, and I can’t seem to get by without potatoes – especially potato chips.” The doctor asked this patient what he thought would happen to him if he stopped eating the chips. “I would probably lose weight,” he replied.
The young man really didn’t want to do this. He told the doctor that he was an emotional eater…that he didn’t eat because he was hungry, but because he was trying to feed inner conflicts. This is a common behavior…and the doctor pointed out that if the young man continued to feed his feelings after surgery, he still would not lose weight.
This doctor has a reputation for helping morbidly obese people get their lives back on track…and this young man had a healthy “fear” (respect) for the doctor’s opinion. He was able to receive psychological counseling in tandem with the bypass surgery – and he lost almost 400 pounds. But for every “success story” on this program, there are probably two or three stories of people who simply cannot stop eating poorly and don’t keep the weight off long-term. In fact, there is a “five-year mark” that is deemed the true measure of success. If the patient can lose weight and maintain it for five years, there is a decent chance that this weight loss will be permanent.
In so many ways, we are the obese person who looks to God to help us lose our “weight”…but we don’t want to give up the “chips.” We know that God can fix us…that He can heal our bodies, minds and souls…that He can resolve conflicts and set us on the right course in every area of our lives. But we want Him to do this while we continue right on with our old habits. We want to wring our hands over people and problems. We want to eat whatever we choose and sit on our backsides. We want to gripe and complain, gossip and disparage, and do as we please…and we want God to fix it all.
The truth is…we can’t have it both ways. A lot of us are wise enough to trust and “fear” God…but fewer of us have figured out that the real victory comes in an understanding of how He works. And this means that we must do our part and forsake evil in all of its forms.
So our assignment for today is to take a good hard look at our lives and see where we are allowing “evil” of some sort to control us. Where have we not fully surrendered to God? Where have we given up on something or someone instead of humbly trusting God to work in this situation? Where have we thrown up our hands and said, “It’s no use!” – and “opened the bag of chips and begun to eat?”
Look at the circumstances of your life today, and make the necessary changes. Fear (respect) God and walk in His wisdom – and grow in understanding of how He cares for you and meets your every need. Surrender your will to God’s…and see how far He will take you. Make this the day that you shed the weight of a life not fully offered to God and discover the new “spring in your step” that comes from letting Him have your burdens. This is the day to “lighten our load!” I’m all in…are you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
And this is what he says to all mankind: ‘Look, to fear the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I was watching a show about people who weigh more than 600 pounds and desperately want gastric bypass surgery to help them lose weight. On one particular episode, the doctor asked his patient, “What do you eat?” The young man explained that “I only eat twice a day…but I snack a lot, and I can’t seem to get by without potatoes – especially potato chips.” The doctor asked this patient what he thought would happen to him if he stopped eating the chips. “I would probably lose weight,” he replied.
The young man really didn’t want to do this. He told the doctor that he was an emotional eater…that he didn’t eat because he was hungry, but because he was trying to feed inner conflicts. This is a common behavior…and the doctor pointed out that if the young man continued to feed his feelings after surgery, he still would not lose weight.
This doctor has a reputation for helping morbidly obese people get their lives back on track…and this young man had a healthy “fear” (respect) for the doctor’s opinion. He was able to receive psychological counseling in tandem with the bypass surgery – and he lost almost 400 pounds. But for every “success story” on this program, there are probably two or three stories of people who simply cannot stop eating poorly and don’t keep the weight off long-term. In fact, there is a “five-year mark” that is deemed the true measure of success. If the patient can lose weight and maintain it for five years, there is a decent chance that this weight loss will be permanent.
In so many ways, we are the obese person who looks to God to help us lose our “weight”…but we don’t want to give up the “chips.” We know that God can fix us…that He can heal our bodies, minds and souls…that He can resolve conflicts and set us on the right course in every area of our lives. But we want Him to do this while we continue right on with our old habits. We want to wring our hands over people and problems. We want to eat whatever we choose and sit on our backsides. We want to gripe and complain, gossip and disparage, and do as we please…and we want God to fix it all.
The truth is…we can’t have it both ways. A lot of us are wise enough to trust and “fear” God…but fewer of us have figured out that the real victory comes in an understanding of how He works. And this means that we must do our part and forsake evil in all of its forms.
So our assignment for today is to take a good hard look at our lives and see where we are allowing “evil” of some sort to control us. Where have we not fully surrendered to God? Where have we given up on something or someone instead of humbly trusting God to work in this situation? Where have we thrown up our hands and said, “It’s no use!” – and “opened the bag of chips and begun to eat?”
Look at the circumstances of your life today, and make the necessary changes. Fear (respect) God and walk in His wisdom – and grow in understanding of how He cares for you and meets your every need. Surrender your will to God’s…and see how far He will take you. Make this the day that you shed the weight of a life not fully offered to God and discover the new “spring in your step” that comes from letting Him have your burdens. This is the day to “lighten our load!” I’m all in…are you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 7, 2015
Deuteronomy 5:28-29
The Lord heard you and said:
Moses, I heard what the people said to you, and I approve. I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“He’s making a list…and checking it twice…gonna find out who’s naughty or nice…Santa Claus is coming to town!”* Many of us use these words as “leverage” at this time of year to elicit good behavior from our kids. And for the most part, it works. I am sure that more than one child is praying and promising God that he/she will be really good all year long, if only He will let Santa visit them this Christmas! And while we adults may not be promising to be good for Santa, we make a lot of promises to God that we don’t end up keeping.
If you go back to Deuteronomy 5 and read the verses before this one, the people have told Moses that they believe in God…and frankly, they are afraid of what will happen to them if they don’t follow Him. So they asked Moses to go and listen to everything that God said – and report back to them…and they promised to do it all. Of course, God knew already that this wouldn’t happen…and this is pretty much what He addressed with Moses in verses 28-29.
To do what God asks of us will result in a successful life. But few of us are willing to do the work to draw close to God and listen for His directives. We are so interested in doing what we want and having things our own way that we really don’t have time or inclination to seek God’s will – and act on it. So we fumble and bumble around. And when the chips are down, we act like a kid in early December who is afraid that Santa Claus will not visit. And we start fervently praying and begging God to take care of us!
Isn’t it time to get off of this merry-go-round? Don’t you want to just rest and relax in God’s peace, forever and ever? Will this be the day that you say, “Have it YOUR way, LORD” – and let Him guide your every thought, word and step? Are you ready to enjoy a truly successful life? Will this be the day that you get started?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*Santa Claus is Coming to Town ~ ©1934 John Frederick Coots & Haven Gillespie
The Lord heard you and said:
Moses, I heard what the people said to you, and I approve. I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“He’s making a list…and checking it twice…gonna find out who’s naughty or nice…Santa Claus is coming to town!”* Many of us use these words as “leverage” at this time of year to elicit good behavior from our kids. And for the most part, it works. I am sure that more than one child is praying and promising God that he/she will be really good all year long, if only He will let Santa visit them this Christmas! And while we adults may not be promising to be good for Santa, we make a lot of promises to God that we don’t end up keeping.
If you go back to Deuteronomy 5 and read the verses before this one, the people have told Moses that they believe in God…and frankly, they are afraid of what will happen to them if they don’t follow Him. So they asked Moses to go and listen to everything that God said – and report back to them…and they promised to do it all. Of course, God knew already that this wouldn’t happen…and this is pretty much what He addressed with Moses in verses 28-29.
To do what God asks of us will result in a successful life. But few of us are willing to do the work to draw close to God and listen for His directives. We are so interested in doing what we want and having things our own way that we really don’t have time or inclination to seek God’s will – and act on it. So we fumble and bumble around. And when the chips are down, we act like a kid in early December who is afraid that Santa Claus will not visit. And we start fervently praying and begging God to take care of us!
Isn’t it time to get off of this merry-go-round? Don’t you want to just rest and relax in God’s peace, forever and ever? Will this be the day that you say, “Have it YOUR way, LORD” – and let Him guide your every thought, word and step? Are you ready to enjoy a truly successful life? Will this be the day that you get started?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*Santa Claus is Coming to Town ~ ©1934 John Frederick Coots & Haven Gillespie
Daily Devotional for June 1, 2015
1 John 2:15-17
Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.
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 once worked with a woman whose cousin was killed in a car accident. When she went to visit the family, the widow was sitting on a couch with her head in her hands. She tearfully told this woman, “He was going to buy me a fur coat!” I cannot express how this made the cousin feel. But before you cluck your tongue and declare this widow to be so horrible, consider that each of us has a “fur coat moment”…probably more often than we realize.
The problem is, we make things all about us…what we want…what we think we need…whether or not we feel validated and important. And in the process, we totally leave God out of the equation. There is a saying that no one ever said on his/her death bed, “I wish I had spent more time in the office.” We could add to this…”No one ever said on his/her death bed, ‘I wish I had one more car, piece of jewelry, electronic gadget, or trophy.’”
Too often, we are so busy loving the world and its goods that we truly do squeeze out love for God. And even those with what seem to be the best of intentions may be doing this in ways that are not readily recognized. We all pretty well “get it” about selfish desires for possessions, positions and personal desires. But things like signing up to serve on every committee and attend every group or mission that your church sponsors may not include God, either.
How can this be? Clearly, God has a plan for each of us…things that He wants us to do to honor and glorify Him. Just because you are “all in” with church or civic activities…or you are running here and there doing things for your family doesn’t mean that God commissioned you to participate in all of these activities. Whether we realize it or not, too many people are overly-involved so that others will say, “I don’t know how he/she does it all!” And this isolates us from God.
So the challenge for each of us today is to sit quietly and evaluate who we are, what we are doing, and where we are headed. Are we listening for God’s voice? Is He guiding our steps and showing us how and where to serve? Are we carefully considering how God feels about every aspect of our lives…from our possessions to how we spend our time, talents and money to those who are in our circle of friends and associates? Are we seeking HIS approval – or the world’s? And are we ready to change any and all of this to put Him front and center in our lives?
Are we living in the world of “fur coats”, mortal accolades and appreciation, and the immediate future…or are we focused on Eternity and how we will account for ourselves when we get to Heaven? Who DO we love…the world – or God? It’s time we figured this out, once and for all.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.
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 once worked with a woman whose cousin was killed in a car accident. When she went to visit the family, the widow was sitting on a couch with her head in her hands. She tearfully told this woman, “He was going to buy me a fur coat!” I cannot express how this made the cousin feel. But before you cluck your tongue and declare this widow to be so horrible, consider that each of us has a “fur coat moment”…probably more often than we realize.
The problem is, we make things all about us…what we want…what we think we need…whether or not we feel validated and important. And in the process, we totally leave God out of the equation. There is a saying that no one ever said on his/her death bed, “I wish I had spent more time in the office.” We could add to this…”No one ever said on his/her death bed, ‘I wish I had one more car, piece of jewelry, electronic gadget, or trophy.’”
Too often, we are so busy loving the world and its goods that we truly do squeeze out love for God. And even those with what seem to be the best of intentions may be doing this in ways that are not readily recognized. We all pretty well “get it” about selfish desires for possessions, positions and personal desires. But things like signing up to serve on every committee and attend every group or mission that your church sponsors may not include God, either.
How can this be? Clearly, God has a plan for each of us…things that He wants us to do to honor and glorify Him. Just because you are “all in” with church or civic activities…or you are running here and there doing things for your family doesn’t mean that God commissioned you to participate in all of these activities. Whether we realize it or not, too many people are overly-involved so that others will say, “I don’t know how he/she does it all!” And this isolates us from God.
So the challenge for each of us today is to sit quietly and evaluate who we are, what we are doing, and where we are headed. Are we listening for God’s voice? Is He guiding our steps and showing us how and where to serve? Are we carefully considering how God feels about every aspect of our lives…from our possessions to how we spend our time, talents and money to those who are in our circle of friends and associates? Are we seeking HIS approval – or the world’s? And are we ready to change any and all of this to put Him front and center in our lives?
Are we living in the world of “fur coats”, mortal accolades and appreciation, and the immediate future…or are we focused on Eternity and how we will account for ourselves when we get to Heaven? Who DO we love…the world – or God? It’s time we figured this out, once and for all.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 23, 2014
Nahum 1:3, 9
The Lord is powerful,
yet patient;
he makes sure that the guilty
are always punished.
He can be seen in storms
and in whirlwinds;
clouds are the dust from his feet.
So don’t plot against the Lord!
He wipes out his enemies,
and they never revive.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
While waiting for a local parade, Timothy "hid" behind the bushes that were planted near an office building. He thought he was being clever...he even said, "You'll never find me!" (He also said, "Please don't leave me!") In truth, I always knew where he was...even when I counted to ten and pretended to "search" for him. And when we would discover each other, Timothy would squeal with delight and laugh like it was the funniest thing ever. This was simply a fun childhood game that we have all played hundreds of times...but it has bigger ramifications for us as Christians!
As we grow older, we often try to play "hide-and-seek" with God...or rather, there are times when we try to hide from Him. Once in a while, many of us would really like to take a "day off" from being a Christian, live in the world of "Burger King®", and "have it our way." Because we serve the God of free will, He allows this...to a point. But everyone has limits - even God. If we linger too long in the land of "You-Can't-Find-Me!", God will grow weary of these games - and He may allow us to suffer some consequences. We may even feel like God "counted to ten", then walked away and left us to fend for ourselves.
Understand this...God's desire for each of us is never to leave us - or that we suffer in any form. He does not send diseases, natural disasters, war, personal ridicule or mistreatment by others, and "bad things that happen to good people" in order to punish us. This might have happened in the Old Testament times, but the blood of Jesus changed everything - forever!
God does not "rain down" these things to "give us something to cry about"...but He does allow them some of the time. If God is so patient and loving...why would He do this? Think about it this way...if a child was playing hide-and-seek, and he/she wandered farther and farther away and would not come when called, you might let them feel "lost" for a little bit so that they realized that they needed to return. Sometimes children have to learn a hard lesson...and experience a burned finger or a scraped knee in the process.
As God's children, we have sometimes have to learn hard lessons, too. It's the price we pay for our "grown-up independence". I cannot promise that you will have a life free of any and every discomfort, illness, or unpleasant situation if you "toe the line" with God and "do everything right." For one thing, that will never happen, because we are human - and sinful! But more importantly, we will always need to lean on God to get us through tough times...to heal us from diseases and solve our problems. And that can only happen when there is the potential for troubles.
The GOOD NEWS is that with God, there will never be anything that we cannot handle together. Philippians 4:13 promises us that we can do all things through the power and strength of Christ Jesus (paraphrased). God's deepest desire is to heal us and restore us to new life, peace and joy in Him - and He is willing to do this over and again, every single day, if necessary. Our job is to "come out from behind the bush or tree" and follow Him...to say, "Here I am, LORD...where would you like me to go?"
God has counted to ten...and said, "Here I am!" Are you ready to be "found"? Have you decided to operate in His will and receive His healing power in every situation of your life? Isn't it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
The Lord is powerful,
yet patient;
he makes sure that the guilty
are always punished.
He can be seen in storms
and in whirlwinds;
clouds are the dust from his feet.
So don’t plot against the Lord!
He wipes out his enemies,
and they never revive.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
While waiting for a local parade, Timothy "hid" behind the bushes that were planted near an office building. He thought he was being clever...he even said, "You'll never find me!" (He also said, "Please don't leave me!") In truth, I always knew where he was...even when I counted to ten and pretended to "search" for him. And when we would discover each other, Timothy would squeal with delight and laugh like it was the funniest thing ever. This was simply a fun childhood game that we have all played hundreds of times...but it has bigger ramifications for us as Christians!
As we grow older, we often try to play "hide-and-seek" with God...or rather, there are times when we try to hide from Him. Once in a while, many of us would really like to take a "day off" from being a Christian, live in the world of "Burger King®", and "have it our way." Because we serve the God of free will, He allows this...to a point. But everyone has limits - even God. If we linger too long in the land of "You-Can't-Find-Me!", God will grow weary of these games - and He may allow us to suffer some consequences. We may even feel like God "counted to ten", then walked away and left us to fend for ourselves.
Understand this...God's desire for each of us is never to leave us - or that we suffer in any form. He does not send diseases, natural disasters, war, personal ridicule or mistreatment by others, and "bad things that happen to good people" in order to punish us. This might have happened in the Old Testament times, but the blood of Jesus changed everything - forever!
God does not "rain down" these things to "give us something to cry about"...but He does allow them some of the time. If God is so patient and loving...why would He do this? Think about it this way...if a child was playing hide-and-seek, and he/she wandered farther and farther away and would not come when called, you might let them feel "lost" for a little bit so that they realized that they needed to return. Sometimes children have to learn a hard lesson...and experience a burned finger or a scraped knee in the process.
As God's children, we have sometimes have to learn hard lessons, too. It's the price we pay for our "grown-up independence". I cannot promise that you will have a life free of any and every discomfort, illness, or unpleasant situation if you "toe the line" with God and "do everything right." For one thing, that will never happen, because we are human - and sinful! But more importantly, we will always need to lean on God to get us through tough times...to heal us from diseases and solve our problems. And that can only happen when there is the potential for troubles.
The GOOD NEWS is that with God, there will never be anything that we cannot handle together. Philippians 4:13 promises us that we can do all things through the power and strength of Christ Jesus (paraphrased). God's deepest desire is to heal us and restore us to new life, peace and joy in Him - and He is willing to do this over and again, every single day, if necessary. Our job is to "come out from behind the bush or tree" and follow Him...to say, "Here I am, LORD...where would you like me to go?"
God has counted to ten...and said, "Here I am!" Are you ready to be "found"? Have you decided to operate in His will and receive His healing power in every situation of your life? Isn't it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 27, 2014
Ephesians 2:7-10
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
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.
There is a running joke in our family that Timothy is just a little compulsive. His bath tub “friends” must all face a certain direction, and “everyone knows that dinosaurs and zoo animals do not mix together on the window [sill]”! He gets things just like he likes them…and trust me…it has to be HIS idea how everything will go from there! He is big on “I’ll do it myself!” I’ll be honest… most of the time in between Timothy’s visits to our house, his toys are left exactly where he placed them. They remind me of him and how hard he “worked” to get them just right when he was here.
Have you thought about how hard God worked to create you and get you to where you are today? Have you considered all of the planning and preparation that went into designing you and your life… all of the actual “work” that was involved in making you the person you are and developing your potential for the future? Did you know that God even has plans for your Eternity in heaven…purposes and goals for what you will accomplish there for Him?
Trust me…you won’t mind performing your “heavenly assignments”. But I am afraid more than a few of us resent doing God’s work on this earth…or at least we act like we do. We appear to be anything BUT eager to serve Him…to seek His will…to stay in communication with Him. We’re like the teenager or college-aged student who doesn’t answer Mom or Dad’s phone calls or texts. We figure if they can’t reach us, we can say we didn’t get their message…that we had no clue they wanted us to do something. We didn’t know that they expected us to come for dinner, pick up a sibling from school, or help Grandma with some yard work. We were not aware that they were counting on us to do well in school and provide frequent reports…or to be a responsible citizen/employee/friend/child. We didn’t get the “memo”.
Do you see that this really makes no sense? Do you understand that everything we have…everything we are and ever will be is because of God – not ourselves? Don’t you want to enjoy everything He designed and planned for you? Do you get it that your attempts to do things your way often sabotage God’s plans to make everything “just right” for you…lined up perfectly and in the exact combinations that are spot-on? Isn’t it time you dropped the arrogance and bravado and allowed God to create perfection within you...His way…on His terms? Don’t you know that His way will always be better than ours?
Are you ready to go full in with God…to let go of your own will in order to embrace His? Will this be the week that you begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
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.
There is a running joke in our family that Timothy is just a little compulsive. His bath tub “friends” must all face a certain direction, and “everyone knows that dinosaurs and zoo animals do not mix together on the window [sill]”! He gets things just like he likes them…and trust me…it has to be HIS idea how everything will go from there! He is big on “I’ll do it myself!” I’ll be honest… most of the time in between Timothy’s visits to our house, his toys are left exactly where he placed them. They remind me of him and how hard he “worked” to get them just right when he was here.
Have you thought about how hard God worked to create you and get you to where you are today? Have you considered all of the planning and preparation that went into designing you and your life… all of the actual “work” that was involved in making you the person you are and developing your potential for the future? Did you know that God even has plans for your Eternity in heaven…purposes and goals for what you will accomplish there for Him?
Trust me…you won’t mind performing your “heavenly assignments”. But I am afraid more than a few of us resent doing God’s work on this earth…or at least we act like we do. We appear to be anything BUT eager to serve Him…to seek His will…to stay in communication with Him. We’re like the teenager or college-aged student who doesn’t answer Mom or Dad’s phone calls or texts. We figure if they can’t reach us, we can say we didn’t get their message…that we had no clue they wanted us to do something. We didn’t know that they expected us to come for dinner, pick up a sibling from school, or help Grandma with some yard work. We were not aware that they were counting on us to do well in school and provide frequent reports…or to be a responsible citizen/employee/friend/child. We didn’t get the “memo”.
Do you see that this really makes no sense? Do you understand that everything we have…everything we are and ever will be is because of God – not ourselves? Don’t you want to enjoy everything He designed and planned for you? Do you get it that your attempts to do things your way often sabotage God’s plans to make everything “just right” for you…lined up perfectly and in the exact combinations that are spot-on? Isn’t it time you dropped the arrogance and bravado and allowed God to create perfection within you...His way…on His terms? Don’t you know that His way will always be better than ours?
Are you ready to go full in with God…to let go of your own will in order to embrace His? Will this be the week that you begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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