Ephesians 2:1-6
It wasn’t so long ago that you
were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which
doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You
filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience.
We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt
like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose
his temper and do away with the whole lot of us.
Instead,
immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took
our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his
own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in
highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
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
Each day before Nathan naps, I
read to him. One of his recent favorites is a pop-up book that tells
the story of the three little pigs. We all know that story…the mother
pig sends her three little pigs out into the world, and the first pig
gets in a big hurry and builds a straw house, which the wolf promptly
blows over. Pig #2 builds his house out of sticks, and the wolf blows
it over, as well. Pig #3 has a little more sense, and he builds a brick
house. It takes longer and requires more effort…but in the end, all
three pigs live there safely…and the old wolf is sent packing for good.
There
are some interesting parallels for us in this children’s story. The
mother pig wants what is best for her children, just as God wants what
is best for us. She sends them out into the world…each one a “clean
slate” so to speak…just as we are cleansed of our sins, sent out and
commissioned by Jesus to share His message with the world. Some of us
get in a hurry and take the path of least resistance, while others just
plain do things like they want. The end result is never pretty for any
of those who choose to “pollute their lungs with unbelief and exhale
disobedience.”
Some, like the third little pig, work slowly and
steadily…keeping their focus on the end result. Not only that, they
share their blessings with others…have an “open-door policy” for even
those who disobey and cut corners. They operate in grace, mercy and
forgiveness - and in the wisdom of the LORD - at all times and in all
things.
The end result is that the wolf (a.k.a. the devil!)
doesn’t stand a chance! Those who serve with love and obedience are
rewarded for their faithfulness…and the ones who receive grace and mercy
are shown the face of Christ in these words and actions.
I agree
with the Apostle Paul…I am astounded that God doesn’t just throw up His
hands and wipe the earth clean of each and every one of us. He could
probably start over more easily than He could deal with some of the
messes we make. God could create a new people who would love more
deeply and serve more earnestly…who would treat others with more
kindness and compassion and encourage them to love Jesus and serve Him
wholeheartedly.
But God didn’t do this. For some unknown reason, He chose us…and
He really, REALLY wants us to choose Him in return. I have to tell
you, I am incredibly moved that ANYONE would do that for me…so moved
that I want more than anything to give back to Him in return…to be the
hands and feet of Jesus on this earth for as many people as I can - and
to serve Him in everything I say and do. What about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label turning our back on God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label turning our back on God. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 12, 2015
Hebrews 10:26-31
If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe 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.
When I was teaching kindergarten, my all-time favorite “film” to share with my students was Marlo Thomas’ production of Free to Be…You and Me. I had to order it from the Arkansas Department of Education’s film library, and it was so popular that I sometimes waited all year for our “turn” to arrive. This “film” is now available on DVD*, and I recently gave Timothy, Zola and Nathan a copy. The illustrations of presenting a positive image and being who God called you to be (although Thomas does not reference God directly), are invaluable.
Thomas included several stories by a well-known children’s author, Maurice Sendak…such as “Where the Wild Things Are,” and “Pierre.” The latter story is a really good lesson for the children in attitude. It begins…”There once was a boy named Pierre…who only would say, ‘I don’t care!’” Pierre doesn’t care about anything, and as a result, he ends up being eaten by a lion! In the end, the lion spits him out, but the adventure that ensues in the meantime is captivating and instructive!
And so it is with us as Christians. Too many of us have looked God square in the eye and said, “I don’t care!” And just as the storybook character’s choice led to a disastrous result, this sort of attitude will have the same outcome for us.
Don’t confuse sin with denial. We will all sin. All who have been saved by the blood of Jesus will need to stay continually close and repeatedly beg for His forgiveness – because we are human, and the devil is persistent. But to consciously deny Jesus…to turn our backs on Him and say, “I’m done with You,” or “I don’t care!” is to invalidate the incredible sacrifice that He made for each of us - and God will not stand for this! If you accept salvation through Jesus Christ and then throw it away…you are discarding everything…God’s blessings…His forgiveness…and ultimately, the gift of Eternity in Paradise.
In the last pages of the children’s story, Pierre decides that he cares greatly! And the lion spits him out, and all is forgiven. The last line of the book is, “The moral of ‘Pierre’ is…CARE!” The moral of our story is to care…about Jesus…about His gift of salvation…and about our attitude and our demonstration of faith to others. Every day, we must let His light shine through us. We must show God AND the world that we care about Jesus greatly…and never turn our backs on all that we have learned.
We are not little boys with bad attitudes…or we shouldn’t be! Are you showing God and others know how much you care? Don’t you think it’s time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
* http://www.amazon.com/Free-Be-You-Marlo-Thomas/dp/B0042DN4TU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434121102&sr=8-1&keywords=free+to+be+you+and+me+dvd
If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe 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.
When I was teaching kindergarten, my all-time favorite “film” to share with my students was Marlo Thomas’ production of Free to Be…You and Me. I had to order it from the Arkansas Department of Education’s film library, and it was so popular that I sometimes waited all year for our “turn” to arrive. This “film” is now available on DVD*, and I recently gave Timothy, Zola and Nathan a copy. The illustrations of presenting a positive image and being who God called you to be (although Thomas does not reference God directly), are invaluable.
Thomas included several stories by a well-known children’s author, Maurice Sendak…such as “Where the Wild Things Are,” and “Pierre.” The latter story is a really good lesson for the children in attitude. It begins…”There once was a boy named Pierre…who only would say, ‘I don’t care!’” Pierre doesn’t care about anything, and as a result, he ends up being eaten by a lion! In the end, the lion spits him out, but the adventure that ensues in the meantime is captivating and instructive!
And so it is with us as Christians. Too many of us have looked God square in the eye and said, “I don’t care!” And just as the storybook character’s choice led to a disastrous result, this sort of attitude will have the same outcome for us.
Don’t confuse sin with denial. We will all sin. All who have been saved by the blood of Jesus will need to stay continually close and repeatedly beg for His forgiveness – because we are human, and the devil is persistent. But to consciously deny Jesus…to turn our backs on Him and say, “I’m done with You,” or “I don’t care!” is to invalidate the incredible sacrifice that He made for each of us - and God will not stand for this! If you accept salvation through Jesus Christ and then throw it away…you are discarding everything…God’s blessings…His forgiveness…and ultimately, the gift of Eternity in Paradise.
In the last pages of the children’s story, Pierre decides that he cares greatly! And the lion spits him out, and all is forgiven. The last line of the book is, “The moral of ‘Pierre’ is…CARE!” The moral of our story is to care…about Jesus…about His gift of salvation…and about our attitude and our demonstration of faith to others. Every day, we must let His light shine through us. We must show God AND the world that we care about Jesus greatly…and never turn our backs on all that we have learned.
We are not little boys with bad attitudes…or we shouldn’t be! Are you showing God and others know how much you care? Don’t you think it’s time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
* http://www.amazon.com/Free-Be-You-Marlo-Thomas/dp/B0042DN4TU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434121102&sr=8-1&keywords=free+to+be+you+and+me+dvd
Daily Devotional for December 28, 2014
1 Peter 3:8-9
Finally, all of you should agree and have concern and love for each other. You should also be kind and humble. Don’t be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God’s chosen ones, and he will bless you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio spoke at the funeral of slain NYPD office Rafael Ramos, hundreds of policemen who had gathered outside the church turned their backs to the building in a sign of dissatisfaction with the mayor. The police union officials maintain that DeBlasio made comments that fostered mistrust in the city’s police force. This gesture was meant as an insult to the mayor…but some claim that it served no good purpose at this event. And scripture would tend to bear support this.
Do not misunderstand me. We live in a country where people are free to express their opinions. We’ve heard a lot about “peaceful protest” of late…and I guess this response could qualify. But at the same time, we have to look at the big picture – and at least TRY to see things the way God sees them.
In God’s eyes, we are all equals…capable of doing great good – and great evil. After church today, Timothy was expressing how he tries to be good, but sometimes he is not. I reminded him that we all have to work at “being good”…and at times, we all fall short. But we keep trying. He said, “But it’s a lot of work!” And he is right! And sometimes, loving others and offering them grace and mercy in the face of disappointments, hurts and insults is really hard! But we don’t have to look very far to find the perfect Example of this in action - Jesus Christ.
We will never be insulted, disappointed, hurt, disrespected, or mistreated like Jesus. Yet He took it all…and He did this for us! Jesus treated everyone with kindness…even those who were nailing Him to the cross. He asked God to forgive them…reminding God that they didn’t have a clue what they were really doing! Jesus demonstrated for each of us exactly how we are to treat others…regardless of what is done to us in return.
So the question becomes…”Do you want to be like Jesus?” If your answer is “Yes,” then you cannot turn your back on others…physically or figuratively. You cannot hurl insults, operate with intolerance, or treat others unkindly. You must “take the high road” – even when every fiber of your being wants to respond otherwise. Anything less than this essentially amounts to turning your back on Jesus. And none of us wants to do that.
©2014 Debbie Robus
Finally, all of you should agree and have concern and love for each other. You should also be kind and humble. Don’t be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God’s chosen ones, and he will bless you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio spoke at the funeral of slain NYPD office Rafael Ramos, hundreds of policemen who had gathered outside the church turned their backs to the building in a sign of dissatisfaction with the mayor. The police union officials maintain that DeBlasio made comments that fostered mistrust in the city’s police force. This gesture was meant as an insult to the mayor…but some claim that it served no good purpose at this event. And scripture would tend to bear support this.
Do not misunderstand me. We live in a country where people are free to express their opinions. We’ve heard a lot about “peaceful protest” of late…and I guess this response could qualify. But at the same time, we have to look at the big picture – and at least TRY to see things the way God sees them.
In God’s eyes, we are all equals…capable of doing great good – and great evil. After church today, Timothy was expressing how he tries to be good, but sometimes he is not. I reminded him that we all have to work at “being good”…and at times, we all fall short. But we keep trying. He said, “But it’s a lot of work!” And he is right! And sometimes, loving others and offering them grace and mercy in the face of disappointments, hurts and insults is really hard! But we don’t have to look very far to find the perfect Example of this in action - Jesus Christ.
We will never be insulted, disappointed, hurt, disrespected, or mistreated like Jesus. Yet He took it all…and He did this for us! Jesus treated everyone with kindness…even those who were nailing Him to the cross. He asked God to forgive them…reminding God that they didn’t have a clue what they were really doing! Jesus demonstrated for each of us exactly how we are to treat others…regardless of what is done to us in return.
So the question becomes…”Do you want to be like Jesus?” If your answer is “Yes,” then you cannot turn your back on others…physically or figuratively. You cannot hurl insults, operate with intolerance, or treat others unkindly. You must “take the high road” – even when every fiber of your being wants to respond otherwise. Anything less than this essentially amounts to turning your back on Jesus. And none of us wants to do that.
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 3, 2013
Romans 1:28-32
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Have you ever told a child, “Don’t touch that… it’s hot!”? Or maybe you have said, “You’re going to turn over in that chair,” or “You’ll fall and hurt yourself!” In the end, chances are good that the child had to learn the hard way! It can be terribly frustrating and upsetting to watch a child do something that could very well lead to physical harm… and not be able to prevent it. You turn your back for one minute, and the unthinkable has happened. We truly cannot prevent all accidents or shield our children from every single injury. Kids will fall and skin knees… they will try the very thing we told them would hurt them… and all we can do is be there to pick them up and soothe them - or cart them off to the Emergency Room!
No matter how much we tell teenagers and young adults that we were young once… that we know – often firsthand – the perils of certain situations... they often either don’t believe us or simply have to try these for themselves. So kids start smoking…drinking…experimenting with drugs…cursing…texting while driving…driving too fast…and testing the waters in countless other ways. And often, they “encourage” their friends to do the same. Again, all we can do is stand by and offer support when things go awry.
God is really no different from any other parent in this regard… when His children show out and try things He has warned them against… when they choose to “do it anyway,” He has no choice but to “abandon them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.” Just as there are times when there is absolutely nothing a parent can do to rescue a child… there comes a time when God cannot rescue us either, because He allows us to operate with free will. And like any parent, God is grieved when things fall apart.
For his/her part, the “child” has a myriad of excuses… ranging from stubbornness to peer pressure to curiosity – and even sheer stupidity! And unless we “children” come clean and change course… admit our mistakes, beg for mercy and acknowledge God…He will have no choice but to leave us “wandering in the desert” of sin, hopelessness, and despair – and ultimately, the depths of hell. Think of the parent who leaves his/her child in jail and refuses to post bond - times a gazillion!
How would you feel to know that God wasn’t coming after you? What would you think if you realized that your choices and actions had essentially sealed the gates of heaven closed? After all He has done for you, can you really bear to grieve God by making selfish choices… could you really turn away and deny Him completely?
I know that temptations surround us. None of us likes to be told what to do… or that someone else knows what is best for us. But God truly DOES know best… His ways are perfect… His love for us is so great that He would never steer us in the wrong direction or tell us to do something that wasn’t in our very best interest. When we choose to directly contradict God, we have shown ourselves to be heartless and without mercy… two things we would NEVER wish to experience from Him! If we are so foolish as to turn our backs on God and decide that we have no need for Him in our lives, we have essentially abandoned Him. Yet we would NEVER want God to abandon us!
So why are we treating God this way? What excuse could possibly be good enough to ignore God… even for one day? Isn’t it time we fully acknowledged Him, submitted OUR desires to His will for our lives, and operated in humble obedience and gratitude? What is holding you back today? What is your excuse?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Have you ever told a child, “Don’t touch that… it’s hot!”? Or maybe you have said, “You’re going to turn over in that chair,” or “You’ll fall and hurt yourself!” In the end, chances are good that the child had to learn the hard way! It can be terribly frustrating and upsetting to watch a child do something that could very well lead to physical harm… and not be able to prevent it. You turn your back for one minute, and the unthinkable has happened. We truly cannot prevent all accidents or shield our children from every single injury. Kids will fall and skin knees… they will try the very thing we told them would hurt them… and all we can do is be there to pick them up and soothe them - or cart them off to the Emergency Room!
No matter how much we tell teenagers and young adults that we were young once… that we know – often firsthand – the perils of certain situations... they often either don’t believe us or simply have to try these for themselves. So kids start smoking…drinking…experimenting with drugs…cursing…texting while driving…driving too fast…and testing the waters in countless other ways. And often, they “encourage” their friends to do the same. Again, all we can do is stand by and offer support when things go awry.
God is really no different from any other parent in this regard… when His children show out and try things He has warned them against… when they choose to “do it anyway,” He has no choice but to “abandon them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.” Just as there are times when there is absolutely nothing a parent can do to rescue a child… there comes a time when God cannot rescue us either, because He allows us to operate with free will. And like any parent, God is grieved when things fall apart.
For his/her part, the “child” has a myriad of excuses… ranging from stubbornness to peer pressure to curiosity – and even sheer stupidity! And unless we “children” come clean and change course… admit our mistakes, beg for mercy and acknowledge God…He will have no choice but to leave us “wandering in the desert” of sin, hopelessness, and despair – and ultimately, the depths of hell. Think of the parent who leaves his/her child in jail and refuses to post bond - times a gazillion!
How would you feel to know that God wasn’t coming after you? What would you think if you realized that your choices and actions had essentially sealed the gates of heaven closed? After all He has done for you, can you really bear to grieve God by making selfish choices… could you really turn away and deny Him completely?
I know that temptations surround us. None of us likes to be told what to do… or that someone else knows what is best for us. But God truly DOES know best… His ways are perfect… His love for us is so great that He would never steer us in the wrong direction or tell us to do something that wasn’t in our very best interest. When we choose to directly contradict God, we have shown ourselves to be heartless and without mercy… two things we would NEVER wish to experience from Him! If we are so foolish as to turn our backs on God and decide that we have no need for Him in our lives, we have essentially abandoned Him. Yet we would NEVER want God to abandon us!
So why are we treating God this way? What excuse could possibly be good enough to ignore God… even for one day? Isn’t it time we fully acknowledged Him, submitted OUR desires to His will for our lives, and operated in humble obedience and gratitude? What is holding you back today? What is your excuse?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 2, 2013
Romans 1:18-25
But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.
So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” It wasn’t long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes!
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’ll admit it… I’m hooked on A&E’s “Duck Dynasty!” I realize that not everyone “gets” this show, and I know that it is made-for-TV and borders on the ridiculous at times. But I laugh so hard… especially at the wacky Uncle, Si Robertson. On a recent episode, Uncle Si won $2000 at the Duck Commander Company Casino Night. He spent it on a massage chair to take to work. His nephew – and CEO of Duck Commander - Willie, told him that the chair had to go… that he had to buy something else with the money. In true “Uncle Si style,” he chose to go to a children’s pizza place, similar to Chuck E. Cheese. He said they had the best pizza in the world.
While waiting for the staff to make him a pizza, Si began to play the games. He knew these were designed for children, but he said they had two of his favorite things… lights and bells. When he learned that he could win prizes, Si became determined to win a big stuffed purple gorilla… which was “priced” at 5000 winning tickets. Willie bought $200 worth of tokens, and Si began to play the games again… and he focused on one in particular that he said he had figured out how to beat. Si soon had this electronic game spitting out a mound of tickets, which he used to “purchase” the stuffed gorilla. He used the rest of his money to buy pizza to share with his entire extended family, and the closing scene of the show depicts them all sitting down at a table laden with pizzas from this establishment. Si’s “excuse” was that (paraphrasing here)… “Hey, I won this $2000, and I can spend it any way I want!”
Now here’s the deal… Si Robertson is quoted as saying he never leaves home without his sweet tea and his Bible. He doesn’t just know about God… He KNOWS Him! But Si has a tendency to get a little obsessive about things and lose his focus – or at least to temporarily shift his attention to things like playing children’s games to win a stuffed gorilla. And yes, I do realize that this was all probably a total fabrication by the show’s writers/producers… designed to entertain us and make us laugh. But many of us have made an art of losing focus in all aspects of our lives. When it comes to our acknowledgment of God’s truth and serving Him accordingly, losing focus is not the least bit funny.
Too many of us have become sidetracked or distracted by the things of the world. We’ve decided that “it’s our life, and I’ll live it however I want!” We’ve justified our “rabbit trails” by either turning our back on God and saying that things wouldn’t be this way or that if He really existed and/or loved us… or we have decided that we are entitled to do as we please – God will love us anyway. We know better on both fronts. But it’s sort of like when you sit down at one of these “pizza parlor” games or a slot machine and lose… you just have to keep trying until you win – even though you are falling deeper into the pit of failure and despair.
I saw a news report where a “lottery expert” who had won big cash prizes seven times or more tried to show a reporter how to beat the system and win… and the reporter spent countless dollars in order to “win” only a few. It didn’t work… and neither does trying to excuse our lies, wrongdoing, and the twisting of God’s truths. And often, the more we try to satisfy our own whims and desires, the farther away from God we fall. We cannot do as we please and expect God to bless us. We cannot spend the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ however we please. I think that at the core of things, most of us know this. Our lives are not a reality TV show. The time has come for us to treat God with respect… to honor His gift of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins… to love and serve Him with our whole heart – and without excuses!
In Spiritual terms, we have more than won the lottery. We have received something much grander than the biggest stuffed purple gorilla. We feast at the table of the LORD on blessings far greater than the world’s best pizza. It’s time we opened our eyes and started acting like God’s children. It’s time we operated in God’s truth – and shared it with others each and every day. It’s time we dropped the excuses and started focusing completely on acknowledging God in every aspect of our lives. What about you? Are you ready to commit wholeheartedly… or are you still trying to win a purple gorilla?
©2013 Debbie Robus
But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.
So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” It wasn’t long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes!
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’ll admit it… I’m hooked on A&E’s “Duck Dynasty!” I realize that not everyone “gets” this show, and I know that it is made-for-TV and borders on the ridiculous at times. But I laugh so hard… especially at the wacky Uncle, Si Robertson. On a recent episode, Uncle Si won $2000 at the Duck Commander Company Casino Night. He spent it on a massage chair to take to work. His nephew – and CEO of Duck Commander - Willie, told him that the chair had to go… that he had to buy something else with the money. In true “Uncle Si style,” he chose to go to a children’s pizza place, similar to Chuck E. Cheese. He said they had the best pizza in the world.
While waiting for the staff to make him a pizza, Si began to play the games. He knew these were designed for children, but he said they had two of his favorite things… lights and bells. When he learned that he could win prizes, Si became determined to win a big stuffed purple gorilla… which was “priced” at 5000 winning tickets. Willie bought $200 worth of tokens, and Si began to play the games again… and he focused on one in particular that he said he had figured out how to beat. Si soon had this electronic game spitting out a mound of tickets, which he used to “purchase” the stuffed gorilla. He used the rest of his money to buy pizza to share with his entire extended family, and the closing scene of the show depicts them all sitting down at a table laden with pizzas from this establishment. Si’s “excuse” was that (paraphrasing here)… “Hey, I won this $2000, and I can spend it any way I want!”
Now here’s the deal… Si Robertson is quoted as saying he never leaves home without his sweet tea and his Bible. He doesn’t just know about God… He KNOWS Him! But Si has a tendency to get a little obsessive about things and lose his focus – or at least to temporarily shift his attention to things like playing children’s games to win a stuffed gorilla. And yes, I do realize that this was all probably a total fabrication by the show’s writers/producers… designed to entertain us and make us laugh. But many of us have made an art of losing focus in all aspects of our lives. When it comes to our acknowledgment of God’s truth and serving Him accordingly, losing focus is not the least bit funny.
Too many of us have become sidetracked or distracted by the things of the world. We’ve decided that “it’s our life, and I’ll live it however I want!” We’ve justified our “rabbit trails” by either turning our back on God and saying that things wouldn’t be this way or that if He really existed and/or loved us… or we have decided that we are entitled to do as we please – God will love us anyway. We know better on both fronts. But it’s sort of like when you sit down at one of these “pizza parlor” games or a slot machine and lose… you just have to keep trying until you win – even though you are falling deeper into the pit of failure and despair.
I saw a news report where a “lottery expert” who had won big cash prizes seven times or more tried to show a reporter how to beat the system and win… and the reporter spent countless dollars in order to “win” only a few. It didn’t work… and neither does trying to excuse our lies, wrongdoing, and the twisting of God’s truths. And often, the more we try to satisfy our own whims and desires, the farther away from God we fall. We cannot do as we please and expect God to bless us. We cannot spend the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ however we please. I think that at the core of things, most of us know this. Our lives are not a reality TV show. The time has come for us to treat God with respect… to honor His gift of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins… to love and serve Him with our whole heart – and without excuses!
In Spiritual terms, we have more than won the lottery. We have received something much grander than the biggest stuffed purple gorilla. We feast at the table of the LORD on blessings far greater than the world’s best pizza. It’s time we opened our eyes and started acting like God’s children. It’s time we operated in God’s truth – and shared it with others each and every day. It’s time we dropped the excuses and started focusing completely on acknowledging God in every aspect of our lives. What about you? Are you ready to commit wholeheartedly… or are you still trying to win a purple gorilla?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 14, 2012
Matthew 12:31-32
“There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God’s Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you’re sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.
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.
Last night, my husband and I watched a movie called The Miracle. This is the true story of three whales that were trapped in 1988, in the ice near Barrow, Alaska. I don’t want to give away the story, in case you have not seen the movie and/or do not know/remember what happened. But in order to breathe and stay alive, the whales were rising from the water in a small hole in the ice, and a massive rescue operation was organized.
Temperatures dipped to well past 50 degrees below zero, and the ice began to freeze faster than the Eskimos of Barrow could chip it away. The hole was closing… the whales were in serious danger of losing their airway. So the Eskimos began to create a pathway of holes that led toward open sea, hoping to guide the whales toward safety. And it worked for a while… until the whales were spooked and reversed course. These whales didn’t understand what was happening, so you couldn’t fault them… but at the same time, they were headed toward disaster as the holes froze over behind them.
Okay… this is a rather vague analogy, maybe… but we are often like the whales. We see the path to Jesus… we follow Him and head in the direction of his mercy and goodness. But then, many of us turn back. Some are like the whales… they really do not understand. Perhaps you find things not going so well in your life and you lose hope. Maybe you suffer a major disappointment… or people mistreat you… and you decide that being an obedient Christian isn’t all it’s cracked up to be… that you are getting nowhere fast. Or maybe “life” gets in the way and you get busy. Before you know it, a few days/weeks have passed without a single conversation between you and God. You haven’t opened your Bible… much less attended a worship service or shared fellowship with other believers. People get stuck in a rut… headed in the wrong direction… and often, they have no clue that the way OUT of that rut is to turn back to Jesus!
Others take a more drastic course. For whatever reason, they allow the devil to get a firm grip on them, and they not only move away from God… they disown Him completely. They listen to that inner voice telling them that God is not on their side… that He is not even real. They hear the devil whisper, “He doesn’t care about you, or He would never allow this/that to happen! You don’t need Him. You can do better on your own – and have a whole lot more fun in the bargain!” This deliberate denouncement can have fatal consequences. If the course is not altered, the doors of Heaven could be closed forever… and an eternity in the pits of hell could be the end result.
Here’s the deal… it is not too late to turn to God. Forgiveness and acceptance is totally within your reach today. Hope is alive… a life in Christ is available to everyone who accepts Him. I cannot imagine anyone rejecting the promise of heaven. But I know that there are those who do not believe it exists. OUR JOB is to live in a way that shows them that heaven DOES exist – that heaven is real… and the way to get there is through Jesus Christ. We must live in such a way that this promise is so appealing and encouraging – even in the midst of disappointments and heartaches – that others are clamoring to follow Jesus, as well.
Additionally, we must offer compassion to others… whether they are like the whales who became momentarily confused and disoriented, or they have rejected Jesus outright. We must show them His grace, mercy, and the opportunity for real forgiveness. And… we must never give up. As long as we draw breath, there is the possibility of salvation and pardon. And we must never give up… for ourselves – or on others.
As you sit out on the “branch of life” today, are you trusting Jesus to support and sustain you? Or do you have saw in hand, ready to sever the ties, crash and burn? Will you allow Jesus to guide you safely past the “ice holes” that freeze over… will you continue to believe in Him for your very breath? Will you show others the way and lead by example? Are you fully operating in the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus? Isn’t it time you did?
©2012 Debbie Robus
“There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God’s Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you’re sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.
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.
Last night, my husband and I watched a movie called The Miracle. This is the true story of three whales that were trapped in 1988, in the ice near Barrow, Alaska. I don’t want to give away the story, in case you have not seen the movie and/or do not know/remember what happened. But in order to breathe and stay alive, the whales were rising from the water in a small hole in the ice, and a massive rescue operation was organized.
Temperatures dipped to well past 50 degrees below zero, and the ice began to freeze faster than the Eskimos of Barrow could chip it away. The hole was closing… the whales were in serious danger of losing their airway. So the Eskimos began to create a pathway of holes that led toward open sea, hoping to guide the whales toward safety. And it worked for a while… until the whales were spooked and reversed course. These whales didn’t understand what was happening, so you couldn’t fault them… but at the same time, they were headed toward disaster as the holes froze over behind them.
Okay… this is a rather vague analogy, maybe… but we are often like the whales. We see the path to Jesus… we follow Him and head in the direction of his mercy and goodness. But then, many of us turn back. Some are like the whales… they really do not understand. Perhaps you find things not going so well in your life and you lose hope. Maybe you suffer a major disappointment… or people mistreat you… and you decide that being an obedient Christian isn’t all it’s cracked up to be… that you are getting nowhere fast. Or maybe “life” gets in the way and you get busy. Before you know it, a few days/weeks have passed without a single conversation between you and God. You haven’t opened your Bible… much less attended a worship service or shared fellowship with other believers. People get stuck in a rut… headed in the wrong direction… and often, they have no clue that the way OUT of that rut is to turn back to Jesus!
Others take a more drastic course. For whatever reason, they allow the devil to get a firm grip on them, and they not only move away from God… they disown Him completely. They listen to that inner voice telling them that God is not on their side… that He is not even real. They hear the devil whisper, “He doesn’t care about you, or He would never allow this/that to happen! You don’t need Him. You can do better on your own – and have a whole lot more fun in the bargain!” This deliberate denouncement can have fatal consequences. If the course is not altered, the doors of Heaven could be closed forever… and an eternity in the pits of hell could be the end result.
Here’s the deal… it is not too late to turn to God. Forgiveness and acceptance is totally within your reach today. Hope is alive… a life in Christ is available to everyone who accepts Him. I cannot imagine anyone rejecting the promise of heaven. But I know that there are those who do not believe it exists. OUR JOB is to live in a way that shows them that heaven DOES exist – that heaven is real… and the way to get there is through Jesus Christ. We must live in such a way that this promise is so appealing and encouraging – even in the midst of disappointments and heartaches – that others are clamoring to follow Jesus, as well.
Additionally, we must offer compassion to others… whether they are like the whales who became momentarily confused and disoriented, or they have rejected Jesus outright. We must show them His grace, mercy, and the opportunity for real forgiveness. And… we must never give up. As long as we draw breath, there is the possibility of salvation and pardon. And we must never give up… for ourselves – or on others.
As you sit out on the “branch of life” today, are you trusting Jesus to support and sustain you? Or do you have saw in hand, ready to sever the ties, crash and burn? Will you allow Jesus to guide you safely past the “ice holes” that freeze over… will you continue to believe in Him for your very breath? Will you show others the way and lead by example? Are you fully operating in the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus? Isn’t it time you did?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 23, 2012
Acts 9:1-18
All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem.
He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?” He said, “Who are you, Master?”
“I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.” His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn’t see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.
There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”
Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”
But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.
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.
We all have “defining moments” or “turning points” in our lives. From our first day of school or daycare to the day we graduate from high school and/or college, we have “firsts” that shape us… experiences that change us in a heartbeat. Life is a series of incidents that mold and shape us… wedding days… the births of children… careers…physical moves… even the everyday decisions we make – no matter how small they seem. We also have moments when we make terrible choices that change us and the course of our life. These are no less critical…in some cases, they are even more impactful.
Then there are the handful of truly defining moments that radically change our lives forever… true turning points in one direction or another. These might include the death of a loved one, the dissolution of a relationship, an arrest, a serious accident or illness, a circumstance beyond our control – like being called up for military duty, or a natural disaster. In my own life, I mark time in part by the fire that destroyed my grandparents’ home in 1981… the death of my father-in-law in 1992, my brother in 1998, and my dad in 1999…and much of a 72-hour journey in 2004 as a Walk to Emmaus pilgrim. Each of these events changed me profoundly…deeply… in ways I probably don’t even realize or understand to this day. And I’m betting that you have your own list.
In the world of defining moments or turning points, the experience of Saul on the Road to Damascus was HUGE. This tyrant who had persecuted anyone who spoke of Jesus… the man who made it his mission to destroy Jesus and His followers… was physically struck down – blinded and incapacitated for three days. At the end of this time, Saul was transformed… he became Paul – a man who made serving Jesus his mission every waking moment from that point forward.
Did this signal a life on “Easy Street” for Paul? Absolutely not! He suffered greatly the rest of his life… imprisoned much of the time in abhorrent conditions… physically challenged with unnamed illness and affliction…and persecuted for his faith. Still, he persevered. Serving Christ was all he lived for… the only thing that mattered. I would say that Paul’s “defining moment” was one of the more profound on record! And what he did moving forward was far more important than what he left behind.
As you look at the turning points in your life, ask yourself this question… “What did I do with this experience?” How did this occurrence change you? Did you fully recognize the impact of these events? Did use this encounter to move forward and do better? Did you become more awake and alert… more appreciative of how God has blessed you… more determined to share His love, grace, mercy and compassion with others? Were you able to use your defining moment to help someone else through a similar situation? Are you a better servant and Disciple because of your turning points… or were they destructive and damaging?
When God presents us with a defining moment, we most likely will not literally be blinded by a flash of light. But our change can be just as profound, in many ways. We can say, “LORD, where do I go from here? How do I use this to be better?” Or we can throw up our hands and let the devil defeat us. We have choices to make every single day. We never know when a turning point in life will occur. But unlike Saul, we can be ready. We can be attuned to God’s direction for our lives and prepared to call on Him to help us make the right decision and to use these moments for His glory.
What events define your life? How are you using them to be more for God today than you were yesterday? Have you allowed the turning points in your life to propel you forward… or were you struck down in the road and stuck there? Ask God to help you figure out what He wants you to do… in all situations. Remove the scales from your eyes and see what He has in store for your future… then get up and get busy!
©2012 Debbie Robus
All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem.
He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?” He said, “Who are you, Master?”
“I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.” His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn’t see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.
There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”
Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”
But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.
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.
We all have “defining moments” or “turning points” in our lives. From our first day of school or daycare to the day we graduate from high school and/or college, we have “firsts” that shape us… experiences that change us in a heartbeat. Life is a series of incidents that mold and shape us… wedding days… the births of children… careers…physical moves… even the everyday decisions we make – no matter how small they seem. We also have moments when we make terrible choices that change us and the course of our life. These are no less critical…in some cases, they are even more impactful.
Then there are the handful of truly defining moments that radically change our lives forever… true turning points in one direction or another. These might include the death of a loved one, the dissolution of a relationship, an arrest, a serious accident or illness, a circumstance beyond our control – like being called up for military duty, or a natural disaster. In my own life, I mark time in part by the fire that destroyed my grandparents’ home in 1981… the death of my father-in-law in 1992, my brother in 1998, and my dad in 1999…and much of a 72-hour journey in 2004 as a Walk to Emmaus pilgrim. Each of these events changed me profoundly…deeply… in ways I probably don’t even realize or understand to this day. And I’m betting that you have your own list.
In the world of defining moments or turning points, the experience of Saul on the Road to Damascus was HUGE. This tyrant who had persecuted anyone who spoke of Jesus… the man who made it his mission to destroy Jesus and His followers… was physically struck down – blinded and incapacitated for three days. At the end of this time, Saul was transformed… he became Paul – a man who made serving Jesus his mission every waking moment from that point forward.
Did this signal a life on “Easy Street” for Paul? Absolutely not! He suffered greatly the rest of his life… imprisoned much of the time in abhorrent conditions… physically challenged with unnamed illness and affliction…and persecuted for his faith. Still, he persevered. Serving Christ was all he lived for… the only thing that mattered. I would say that Paul’s “defining moment” was one of the more profound on record! And what he did moving forward was far more important than what he left behind.
As you look at the turning points in your life, ask yourself this question… “What did I do with this experience?” How did this occurrence change you? Did you fully recognize the impact of these events? Did use this encounter to move forward and do better? Did you become more awake and alert… more appreciative of how God has blessed you… more determined to share His love, grace, mercy and compassion with others? Were you able to use your defining moment to help someone else through a similar situation? Are you a better servant and Disciple because of your turning points… or were they destructive and damaging?
When God presents us with a defining moment, we most likely will not literally be blinded by a flash of light. But our change can be just as profound, in many ways. We can say, “LORD, where do I go from here? How do I use this to be better?” Or we can throw up our hands and let the devil defeat us. We have choices to make every single day. We never know when a turning point in life will occur. But unlike Saul, we can be ready. We can be attuned to God’s direction for our lives and prepared to call on Him to help us make the right decision and to use these moments for His glory.
What events define your life? How are you using them to be more for God today than you were yesterday? Have you allowed the turning points in your life to propel you forward… or were you struck down in the road and stuck there? Ask God to help you figure out what He wants you to do… in all situations. Remove the scales from your eyes and see what He has in store for your future… then get up and get busy!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 21, 2011
1 Kings 11:9-13
The LORD God of Israel had appeared to Solomon two times and warned him not to worship foreign gods. But Solomon disobeyed and did it anyway. This made the LORD very angry, and he said to Solomon:
You did what you wanted and not what I told you to do. Now I'm going to take your kingdom from you and give it to one of your officials. But because David was your father, you will remain king as long as you live. I will wait until your son becomes king, then I will take the kingdom from him. When I do, I will still let him rule one tribe, because I have not forgotten that David was my servant and Jerusalem is my city.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A young friend of ours recently injured his ankle in a football game. The injury does not appear to be as bad as everyone thought initially, but there is still injury and stress on the ankle that has to heal. The young man is anxious to get back on the football field as conference play begins. Like many other adults, we have cautioned him to be patient and make sure he is fully healed. I have especially tried to share my own experience with a broken ankle and torn ligaments… encouraging him to do all of the recommended therapies and take the needed time to repair this damage. I’ve told him, “When you are my age, you will be glad you listened!”
In my twenties, a doctor told me, “Today’s runners are tomorrow’s arthritics!” I laughed as I looked at this overweight physician who was counseling a slender, healthy woman who ran as much as six miles a day. Now, when I walk up and down our stairs on a rainy day, my knees remind me of this doctor’s words! I am not saying that running is bad for you, but I should have paced myself more and paid attention. I have found other ways to exercise and stay in shape, but I listen to my body now and treat my joints with respect and care!
When I read this scripture passage, I was immediately struck by two things… 1) God loves us, no matter what… and He will never go back on His promises; and 2) sometimes our consequences are not immediate… but that doesn’t mean we got a free pass! God loved David passionately – and the feeling was mutual. David was not perfect, but he never loved anyone but God. David’s son, Solomon, on the other hand, was dazzled by wealth and fame… women and power… and he made them the focus of his devotion. While God did not blast Solomon with great and immediate punishment for this, He did promise to strip him of everything by taking the kingdom from Solomon’s heirs. Solomon’s legacy was everything to him… so losing it to another lineage was huge! This reminds me of the adage, “Pay now, or pay later.”
Know this… God will never turn His back on you completely, if you have confessed your sins and asked Him to save you. He will never change His mind about loving you. But He will have consequences if you disobey and turn your back on Him. You may not see it for years to come. You may play fast and loose with alcohol and drugs, overeating, gambling, flitting from one job to another and getting in and out of all kinds of relationships with seemingly minor consequences or adjustments in your daily living. You may treat others poorly and live by the philosophy, “What’s in it for me?” But some day, this will all change. God will remind you of your indiscretions and poor choices, and He will mete out His justice for your disobedience and disloyal actions.
So how do you stop this? How do you turn things around now before “the shoe falls?” Turn back to God. Stop what you are doing and humbly confess that you have not been obedient and loyal. You have worshipped other things… people, money, alcohol, drugs and more. You have allowed Satan to present you with false idols, and you have worshipped them. You think more of yourself than you should and have elevated yourself to a status that you do not deserve… one that God did not give you. Tell God you are sorry, and that you are making significant changes. Kick your false idols to the curb, and ask God to help you make a fresh start. He will gladly do this!
If I had listened to the doctor in my twenties, I might have still been able to run a few miles without pain in my thirties and forties. My knees might not be a better barometer than the local weatherman. If Solomon had just taken a step back and looked at what he was doing, he could have returned to God’s favor. Don’t be stubborn. Don’t be blinded by the glitz and lure of sins and vices. Recognize these tools of the devil… turn around and walk the other way- toward God - and enjoy His blessings and protection... now and always.
©2011 Debbie Robus
The LORD God of Israel had appeared to Solomon two times and warned him not to worship foreign gods. But Solomon disobeyed and did it anyway. This made the LORD very angry, and he said to Solomon:
You did what you wanted and not what I told you to do. Now I'm going to take your kingdom from you and give it to one of your officials. But because David was your father, you will remain king as long as you live. I will wait until your son becomes king, then I will take the kingdom from him. When I do, I will still let him rule one tribe, because I have not forgotten that David was my servant and Jerusalem is my city.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A young friend of ours recently injured his ankle in a football game. The injury does not appear to be as bad as everyone thought initially, but there is still injury and stress on the ankle that has to heal. The young man is anxious to get back on the football field as conference play begins. Like many other adults, we have cautioned him to be patient and make sure he is fully healed. I have especially tried to share my own experience with a broken ankle and torn ligaments… encouraging him to do all of the recommended therapies and take the needed time to repair this damage. I’ve told him, “When you are my age, you will be glad you listened!”
In my twenties, a doctor told me, “Today’s runners are tomorrow’s arthritics!” I laughed as I looked at this overweight physician who was counseling a slender, healthy woman who ran as much as six miles a day. Now, when I walk up and down our stairs on a rainy day, my knees remind me of this doctor’s words! I am not saying that running is bad for you, but I should have paced myself more and paid attention. I have found other ways to exercise and stay in shape, but I listen to my body now and treat my joints with respect and care!
When I read this scripture passage, I was immediately struck by two things… 1) God loves us, no matter what… and He will never go back on His promises; and 2) sometimes our consequences are not immediate… but that doesn’t mean we got a free pass! God loved David passionately – and the feeling was mutual. David was not perfect, but he never loved anyone but God. David’s son, Solomon, on the other hand, was dazzled by wealth and fame… women and power… and he made them the focus of his devotion. While God did not blast Solomon with great and immediate punishment for this, He did promise to strip him of everything by taking the kingdom from Solomon’s heirs. Solomon’s legacy was everything to him… so losing it to another lineage was huge! This reminds me of the adage, “Pay now, or pay later.”
Know this… God will never turn His back on you completely, if you have confessed your sins and asked Him to save you. He will never change His mind about loving you. But He will have consequences if you disobey and turn your back on Him. You may not see it for years to come. You may play fast and loose with alcohol and drugs, overeating, gambling, flitting from one job to another and getting in and out of all kinds of relationships with seemingly minor consequences or adjustments in your daily living. You may treat others poorly and live by the philosophy, “What’s in it for me?” But some day, this will all change. God will remind you of your indiscretions and poor choices, and He will mete out His justice for your disobedience and disloyal actions.
So how do you stop this? How do you turn things around now before “the shoe falls?” Turn back to God. Stop what you are doing and humbly confess that you have not been obedient and loyal. You have worshipped other things… people, money, alcohol, drugs and more. You have allowed Satan to present you with false idols, and you have worshipped them. You think more of yourself than you should and have elevated yourself to a status that you do not deserve… one that God did not give you. Tell God you are sorry, and that you are making significant changes. Kick your false idols to the curb, and ask God to help you make a fresh start. He will gladly do this!
If I had listened to the doctor in my twenties, I might have still been able to run a few miles without pain in my thirties and forties. My knees might not be a better barometer than the local weatherman. If Solomon had just taken a step back and looked at what he was doing, he could have returned to God’s favor. Don’t be stubborn. Don’t be blinded by the glitz and lure of sins and vices. Recognize these tools of the devil… turn around and walk the other way- toward God - and enjoy His blessings and protection... now and always.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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