Daily Devotional for October 13, 2016

Matthew 4:17
Then Jesus started preaching, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here.”

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

Today I accompanied Timothy’s second grade class (and the other second grade classes) to Little Rock to visit the Museum of Discovery.  The children had a wonderful time exploring such things as weather, earth science, the human body, mechanics and physical science, chemistry, and more.  Virtually every exhibit is interactive.  The children can punch buttons, pull knobs, crank handles and more to make things happen and learn in the process.

Timothy’s teacher asked me to keep up with him and three of his classmates.  One of the activities the boys tried was a demonstration of water flow.  They tilted a board to try to get a metal ball to roll down a “waterway” without falling into a hole.  The boys had to jostle the board and maneuver this metal ball along a maze that included several holes and pitfalls. We saw another group manage to navigate this “waterway” successfully. Our metal ball somehow always fell in the hole!

The boys had fun, but they never could get a handle on which way to turn in order to get the ball to go down a path with no holes or pitfalls.  And this is a good example of how you and I operate a lot of the time. We have the best intentions.  We try really hard…and still, we move in the wrong direction and encounter a few “holes.”  OR…like the 4 seven-year-old boys in my group, we get in a hurry or decide to do things our way…and the outcome is less than stellar.

But you and I know Someone who can steer us in the right direction each and every time.  Jesus can show us the way and help us avoid every hazard and obstacle.  If only we will turn back to God and trust HIM to guide our steps, He will show us how to navigate the “waters” of life and get on a course that ultimately leads us to Heaven.  This is the ultimate prize…one that we can all receive.

Will you turn to God and get on His path?  Or are you “hell-bent” on having things your way?  It really is that simple…which course are you on today?

©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for June 8, 2014

Isaiah 57:18-19
I know what you are like!
But I will heal you, lead you,
    and give you comfort,
until those who are mourning
    start singing my praises.
No matter where you are,
I, the Lord, will heal you
    and give you peace.

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

Last year, I bought some new “lounge wear” to dress in at home.  I figured the old flannel pajama pants and t-shirts with holes could use a facelift!  But I have to tell you, those comfortable old pieces seem to find a way back onto my body from time to time!  They are welcoming and cozy…restful and relaxing…and since I tucked them into the back of the drawer and didn’t throw them out, they have crept back into my clothing “repertoire” over time.

We all know someone who has vowed to “turn over a new leaf”.  Maybe that “someone” was you!  We vow to start a new diet – and stick to it…to stop a bad habit…to exercise regularly or spend less.  And for a while, we do okay.  But over time, many of us slide right back into our “comfy old pajamas and t-shirts” and go back to our old ways.

I know this will come as a shock to some of you, but I am not perfect!  The rest of you can stop rolling your eyes and laughing uncontrollably.  You know me and love me in spite of my flaws… and for your grace and mercy, I am grateful.  Here’s the thing - and I know you will be astounded to hear this – but you aren’t perfect, either!  Yet you’ve managed to make it through more than few years…hopefully with friends and family members who love you - and with relative success in your endeavors!

The truth of the matter is that we are all flawed.  Each of our lives is something of a mess in one way or another.  Try as we might to do better - to be better - we never seem to get it quite right.  It’s enough to make some of us throw up our hands and declare ourselves “hopeless cases”!  But somehow, some way, we survive. This is no small thing…and in many cases, it’s nothing short of miraculous.

Hear the GOOD NEWS…God knows what a mess you are.  He is fully aware of every mistake, idiosyncrasy, bad habit, flawed thought and action, and struggle you may have…and He still loves you and wants you for His Kingdom.  He wants you to grow so familiar and comfortable with your new life in Christ that you no longer need the coziness of your old “pajama pants and t-shirt” habits and sins.  He offers us grace, mercy and compassion for the struggles we encounter.  But He also redeems us and provides us with healing and peace.

I am thankful that God loves me so much…and I know He loves you equally.  I am working to “clean out the closets and drawers” of my life and get rid of some old habits and flaws once and for all, so that they are no longer readily available to me.  But I am also reveling in the joy and peace of knowing that God is with me…that He loves me and offers me rest for every step of the journey.  I will never be perfect…but I can be better.  I can enjoy the comfort of God’s healing, love and care as His “work in progress”.  And so can you!

Will this be the day that you start “cleaning out a few closets” and operating in the restful healing of God’s grace and mercy?  Aren’t you ready to trade some of your “holey messes” for the “new clothes” of His perfect peace?

©2014 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for November 26, 2012

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.

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

The other night, Timothy did not want to go to bed. I knew he was exhausted. It was late, and his day had been full. But he also had not visited our house in a few weeks, and he was having so much fun playing with toys that sleeping was the last thing on his mind. I assured him that we would play all day the following day – after we rested – but he would have none of that! We sat on the edge of the bed and he tearfully cried, “We can’t do this! There has to be a better way!”

My heart broke for this little guy, as I hugged him and wiped away his tears. I know… I know… he was being dramatic and working me. But at the same time, I know that he is only three years old, and these are confusing times for children his age. They want to exert their independence, yet they often lack the skills and abilities to express themselves properly. And let’s be honest, sometimes things in life just make us want to have a good cry.

Soon enough, three-year-old children discover real problems… pain, suffering and truly hard life lessons – even death. As we grow, we may have a friend, family member, or spouse who comes to our rescue and wipes away our tears and reassures us. But often, we may find ourselves wandering in a wasteland of sorts… carrying burdens and frustrations on our own without anyone to physically offer us comfort and encouragement.

The GOOD NEWS is that God is always with us… ready to shoulder our burdens and soothe us when we cry. We can take anything to God… He is always ready to hear our deepest hurts and to comfort us. And we have the hope and promise of a day when there will be NO MORE tears, sickness, hurt, confusion, frustration, suffering or pain. That is glorious news to me!

This is what keeps me going on days when I would really like to throw up my hands and say, “I’m done!” And don’t tell me you don’t have those days… because we all do! But God understands… and He is right there to lift us and help us put one foot in front of the other. All we have to do is say, “LORD, I can’t do this… there has to be a better way. Please help me.”

Don’t you want to call on God? Don’t you want to feel His gentle hand on your face, wiping away your tears…His strong arms wrapping around you and holding you close? Aren’t you encouraged by this promise of heaven and no more pain, sorrow and tears? Isn’t today the perfect time to start depending on God to handle whatever challenges you… and to trust His promises for your future?

©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

Daily Devotional for September 22, 2012

James 5:19-20
My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.

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

On June 9, 1995, six-year-old Morgan Nick asked her mother’s permission to catch lightning bugs with friends at a Little League ball field in Alma, Arkansas. Morgan’s mother, Colleen, reluctantly agreed. That was at 10:30 p.m. At 10:45, Colleen Nick went searching for Morgan. Other children told her that Morgan was seen emptying sand from her shoes near the family car and talking to a “creepy” man. When Colleen got to the car, Morgan was gone. Seventeen years later, she is still missing… but Colleen and countless others are still searching.

On September 12, 2012 - Morgan’s twenty-fourth birthday - Colleen Nick was in Onia, Arkansas, just outside of Mountain View, as a three-year-old child who had wandered from home some 30 hours earlier was located. The little boy was kneeling at the edge of a pond, caked in mud. He unassumingly told the rescuer, “I’m playing.” That he was found some 3+ miles from home was amazing. That he was physically unscathed, save a few scratches, was truly a miracle. Hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement personnel searched the thickly wooded, snake-and-critter-infested forests of the central Arkansas Ozarks for this child who was wearing only his Spider-Man underwear.

The child wandered off… and many went after him. Through tears and shouts of praise and “God is so good,” the rescue workers celebrated the safe return of this little guy. There is still hope that someday, somehow, now 24-year-old Morgan Nick might be rescued, as well. Her mother’s efforts are a testament to faith and perseverance. And this is what God asks of us… not only in the rescue of lost and abducted children in this physical world… but in the realm of those who have wandered away spiritually - gotten off track, and lost their way.

You probably know at least one person who fits into this category. I’m not asking you to pass judgment on others or lord over them how good and righteous you are. But surely you know someone you can lift in prayer and say, “LORD, I see So-and-so struggling. Help them to get on track and find their way back to You. If there is a way You can use me to help them, show me what to do.” If you know someone who could use gentle encouragement and guidance – and you feel close enough to this person to do so – by all means, speak a word of love and hope to them. You can also offer redirection to others by simple acts of kindness. Sometimes all the other person needs to know is that someone genuinely cares about him/her… and that you have not deserted them.

Prayerfully ask God to show you how to work in the lives of others, for His glory. When you are clearly led to take direct action, be bold and trust God to work out the details. When you feel hesitation, take that as a cue from God to proceed more cautiously. Prayer and a smile NEVER go out of style or lose effectiveness! Often, this is all God requires of us… that we pray for others… offer kindness… and never stop caring.

Who do you need to lift in prayer today? Where are you led to offer a hug or a smile? Is there someone you have been tempted to write off… to toss in the towel and say, “I give up on him/her”? Isn’t today a great day to redouble your efforts on their behalf… to say, “LORD, this precious child of yours has gotten lost, but I will not stop seeking him/her on Your behalf.”? Just as with the toddler lost in the woods whose location was uncertain… the value of finding him was sure. Just as Colleen Nick and others continue to believe that Morgan will be found, we must trust God to bring those who have wandered from Him back home once again. Are you doing your part in the rescue efforts?

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for December 1, 2011

Psalm 140:1-2
Rescue me from cruel and violent enemies, LORD! They think up evil plans and always cause trouble.

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

In William P. Young’s book, The Shack, he tells the story of a four-year-old girl named Missy who was abducted by a serial killer who preyed on young girls. He abused them physically and sexually, then killed them… always leaving behind a painted ladybug as his “signature.” The father of the little girl in the story is given a chance to visit with three characters who represent God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Like any normal human being, he cannot wrap his brain around how horrific this experience must have been for his precious child. And he cannot fathom how God could allow such cruelty and violence – especially toward such an innocent little girl.

What the man discovers is that God was always with the little girl. He never left her, even in the depths of the brutality committed against her. God shielded her from much of the evil and pain. He shifted her focus onto Him, and He lifted her to heaven and wiped away every memory of the indignities committed against her.

There are several important messages presented in The Shack. One is that God can rescue us from the most insipid cruelty and violence. He may not accomplish this in the way we envision, but He will do it just the same. In other words, He did not stop what happened to this little girl from taking place… but He rescued her from it by holding her hand and leading her to the eternal safety of Paradise. As my grandmother would say, “There are worse things than dying.” Sometimes our healing and rescue comes in the form of death and a home with Jesus.

There is another message that I got from this book… there comes a point when you have done all you can do – and now it’s time to let go and let God. We spend an awful lot of time trying to fix things ourselves… to fight God’s battles for Him…and this never works. I told someone recently that I am really bad about giving my burdens and problems to God… but then I pick them back up again. It’s as if I want to say, “Yeah, but did You think of this? Did You remember that? And what about such-and such?” And this is not truly letting go and letting God have control.

We will never understand why bad things happen… why people have to suffer… why our plans don’t always work out like we hoped, even when we think we’ve done everything right. This passage speaks the truth… there are evil, cruel people who are busy 24/7 thinking up plans to cause trouble. The devil never sleeps! But God doesn’t either! He will rescue us.

When we have done all we can do and we finally turn to God and say, “I need your help,” He will say, “I’ve been here all along.” Truly, God is often just waiting for us to ask Him to take over. He is waiting for us to realize that we are out of our league. Are you recognizing God’s presence in your life today? Have you asked Him to rescue you from violent and cruel enemies? Isn’t this a good time to do “let go and let God?"

©2011 Debbie Robus