Showing posts with label
wasting time on worry and disbelief.
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Showing posts with label
wasting time on worry and disbelief.
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Psalm 62:5-8
Only God gives inward peace,
and I depend on him.
God alone is the mighty rock
that keeps me safe,
and he is the fortress
where I feel secure.
God saves me and honors me.
He is that mighty rock
where I find safety.
Trust God, my friends,
and always tell him
each one of your concerns.
God is our place of safety.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I got a little behind on reading the daily devotionals in Jesus Calling*,
but in the last few days, there has been some “good meat” there that I
think we need. So I am going to paraphrase a few of the best thoughts…
- Instead of worrying – about anything – give everything to Jesus and trust Him with all of your concerns.
- We
need to look past what is happening all around us and focus on Jesus.
We need to see Him looking back at us and feel His abundant love.
- Jesus
wants us to stay close to Him…and He wants to hear all that we are
thinking – even the complaints. But He wants us to reserve those for
HIM…and not vent to the world at large. HE can help us put our thoughts
in perspective. But when we gripe to others, we open the door for the
devil through such things as anger and self-indulgence.
- We
cannot do “life” alone. We must depend on Jesus. Instead of focusing on
what we cannot seem to accomplish, concentrate on what Jesus can do out
of His abundance. We must trust Him to always meet our needs - and
then some!
- All of the delights that Jesus has given us
are superficial. What matters is HIM…the One who blesses us with these
abundant gifts. We must learn to focus on the Giver…not the gift – and
on His continual presence in our lives.
I know that this
sounds somewhat like an oversimplification…especially given all that is
happening around us these days. But the answer really IS this
simple…let go, trust Jesus, and stay close to Him. He will handle the
rest. As I look back over the events of the last year, I see that the
times I felt “eerily calm,” I was resting in this hope. I was trusting
Jesus to do what I could not…and He did.
I don’t always like the
way Jesus answers. I don’t always want to hear what He tells me. But
in my heart, I know that He would never lead me in the wrong
direction…and that He truly does know far better than I what is in my
best interest. My prayer for all of us today is that we would truly
learn to surrender to Jesus and hold Him close at all times. He truly
is our only hope. Are you walking with Him today?
©2016 Debbie Robus
*Jesus Calling - http://jesuscalling.com
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
I will say this: because
these experiences I had were so tremendous, God was afraid I might be
puffed up by them; so I was given a physical condition which has been a
thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to hurt and bother me and
prick my pride. Three different times I begged God to make me well
again.
Each time he said, “No. But I am with you; that is all you
need. My power shows up best in weak people.” Now I am glad to boast
about how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s
power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities. Since I know
it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite happy about “the thorn,” and
about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties; for when I
am weak, then I am strong—the less I have, the more I depend on him.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
My childhood friend, Becky,
battled breast cancer for more than five years before it claimed her
life. She told me often, “People want to ask, ‘Why me?’ I say to them,
‘Why not me?’” Becky had a very practical and faith-filled
attitude about the “beast” that would ultimately deplete her strength
and end her earthly existence. ABC television broadcaster Robin Roberts
wrote a book about her own journey with breast cancer… a rare blood
disease that resulted…and the death of her mother. The title is Everybody’s Got Something.
The point is that everybody has
got something…but what will we do with it? Will we wallow in
self-pity…and succumb to the devil’s desire that we turn our back on God
and/or blame Him for our troubles? Will our illness, grief, sadness,
injury, or challenge of any sort be what defines us? Will we use it as a
crutch and an excuse for everything from laziness to complacency to
out-and-out misbehaving?
Or will we say, “You know what? I can
handle anything with God. He is all I need. His power shows up best in
weak people…so I must be one of His most shining examples!” God does
not “cause” bad things to happen to us to break our spirit and drag us
down into the pit. He “allows” these things to fortify us in His strength. Because of this, when “bad things happen to good people,” we can say with confidence…”Why not me? God’s got this!”
I
know that there are days and situations for all of us where we fall to
our knees and say, “You’ve got me this time, LORD. This is simply TOO
MUCH!” But I’m here to remind all of us today – myself included – that
it is NEVER too much for God!
Whatever your “thorn in the side”
today, consider it a reminder from God that He is in complete control.
Trust Him to manage this for you…and glorify Him as a living
demonstration of Christ’s power. Depend on God for everything, full of
confidence that He’s got this…and YOU…because He truly has.
©2015 Debbie Robus
1 Corinthians 16:19-20
Haven’t you yet learned
that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he
lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you. For God has
bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give
glory back to God because he owns it.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Sunday
afternoon, I played “Washing Machine” in the pool with Timothy, Zola,
and Nathan. FYI…this is a game best played “one-on-one!” Basically, I
assumed a wide stance on the pool floor, wrapped my arms around all
three children and held onto their lifejackets…and “agitated” them back
and forth, then bounced us all up and down.
Two days later, I
feel the results in my shoulders and upper back… in my legs and hips…and
basically, all over! Very clearly, I hear God telling me…”You’re too
old for that, Sister! But you had better find other ways to keep up
your strength, so that you can keep up with these three little
fireballs!”
I don’t share this to complain about my “ailment.”
God has blessed me with great health, and I have no room to fuss about
anything. I know so many who have genuine aches and pains…maladies that
are truly impacting their quality of life. Many people, including my
own mother, are facing life-altering illnesses like cancer, Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s, MS, and more. Others are debilitated by strokes,
accidents that brought the sudden onset of a myriad of problems, and
health concerns that have changed their lives forever – sometimes in an
instant. I watched an interview with a young woman who survived a
bullet to the spine during the recent shooting in Oregon, and I heard
her say that she would never take a minute of her life for granted
again…because she stared death in the face.
The point is
this…many will reference this chapter of 1 Corinthians and talk about
our body with relation to sexual purity. But there is so much more to
the Apostle Paul’s message. Our bodies truly do belong to God. And
while I refuse to believe that He causes ailments and injuries –
particularly as a form of “punishment,” I do believe that God looks at
what will befall us and says, “Okay…how will I use this for my glory?
How will I strengthen ABC and those who know him/her through this
experience?” I believe that God gives us an opportunity to say,
“LORD…this is YOUR vessel…show me how to use it to further Your
kingdom.”
This is how you see people move forward in life as if
everything was perfectly fine, even when their bodies are literally
falling apart! This grace and strength is what should propel each of us
forward…encourage us to take the best care of our bodies that we
can…and glorify God when illness and injury come our way. As Paul
reminds us in this passage, God paid a tremendous price for us. We are
each precious and valuable to Him. It’s time we acted like we believe
this!
Take stock of your own life today and see where you are
treating your body with less respect and honor than you should.
Discover where you are griping and complaining instead of looking for a
way to turn your ailment into a blessing - or an opportunity to share
how powerful God’s Holy Spirit is within you. And listen to your body –
and to God’s voice. We are pretty much the “occupant” – and God is the
“Landlord.” Maybe the “Washing Machine” game needs to be replaced with
“London Bridge” or something less strenuous that won’t cause so much
“wear and tear” on His property!
Are you a good tenant of the body God has loaned you? Isn’t it time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Psalm 86:1-7
Bend down and hear my prayer, O Lord, and answer me, for I am deep in trouble.
Protect
me from death, for I try to follow all your laws. Save me, for I am
serving you and trusting you. Be merciful, O Lord, for I am looking up
to you in constant hope. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I worship only
you. O Lord, you are so good and kind, so ready to forgive, so full of
mercy for all who ask your aid.
Listen closely to my prayer, O God. Hear my urgent cry. I will call to you whenever trouble strikes, and you will help me.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
We’re a couple of weeks
into the school year...and already, you’re struggling to keep up in a
class or two. The doctor just told you that you have a major illness
and gave you treatment options to consider. You (or an elderly friend
or loved one) are experiencing difficulty in managing your daily living
on your own, and it may be time to consider getting some help or moving
into a facility where assistance is available. Someone has betrayed you –
at school, in the workplace, at church, or even at home – and you don’t
quite know what to do with these feelings. Your aging pet is in
constant pain or has become quite ill, and you must make a gut-wrenching
choice about his/her life. A certain set of circumstances has resulted
in your need to make major decisions that could potentially cost you
dearly in terms of time, money, relationships, and more.
Every
day, many of us face some pretty big challenges. They may not actually
be “life or death” situations...but a lot of them will certainly feel
like it! We will find ourselves at least whispering under our breath, “I
am deep trouble.” We will call on God to help us...to relieve us of
these issues and give us hope and happiness. And our merciful God hears
our pleas...and He so wants to help.
Here’s the thing...we ask
for help, and then we often tie God’s hands. We do this by not
completely trusting Him to do what we have asked – and what He has
promised. We say, “Lord, help me!” And then we act in a way that says,
“I need Your help, but I’m not sure you really can provide it.”
We wring our hands and wallow in our fears, disappointments,
frustrations, and concerns...and God essentially folds His arms and
asks, “Do you really want My help...or not?”
I get it! I do
this, too. But I am determined to stop, because I am convinced that I
block God’s answers and blessings, to some degree. I believe that there
are times when we wonder why God has not given us clear answers or
direction...and when you really take a hard look at the situation, you
see that YOU were the roadblock. Think of a time when you have asked
God to help you with something, and then all you did was “worry the
problem to death” with talk and thoughts that clearly indicated that you
did not truly trust Him to handle things.
We have to give God
room to work. We have to step aside and let Him have control. Imagine
that you are in one room, God is in another...and there is a door
between you. God hears your pleas for help...but in order for Him to
work, you have to step away from the doorway and allow Him to step
through. You continue to stand at the door holding onto the handle,
crying for help and wondering aloud just how this situation could
possibly be resolved...what would be the best option...who you should
consult or how you should proceed. All you have to do is step aside and
let God come through the door, and He will handle everything –
perfectly. But you have to move out of His way first.
Isn’t today
the perfect day to step aside and allow God to “come through the
door”? Aren’t you ready to experience his mercy, grace and
compassion...to truly operate in the hope and happiness of allowing God
to offer help and protection? Will you “let go and let God”...and feel
the joy and peace that comes from trusting Him completely? Or will you
continue to stand on “the other side of the door” and whisper, “Lord, I
am in deep trouble.”?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Matthew 6:25-34
I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds?
Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. He will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?
Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.
Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
The first time I remember turning to this scripture was almost 40 years ago, when my soon-to-be-husband and I were talking about college. My husband was considering a change of major… and even transferring from the college where he attended (and I was enrolling). He opened the Gideon Bible he had gotten on campus his freshman year and showed me this passage. We agreed that we would not worry about all of the hassles and challenges that changing college campuses – and majors – would bring. If this was God’s plan for us, everything would work out as it should. In the end, we did move to another university, and our coursework progressed in such a manner that we both graduated on the same day… sitting side-by-side.
When we started a new business venture and both quit our “regular” jobs, we again looked to this scripture passage as we considered our budget and how we would pay our bills and stretch our savings while we built the business. God once again met all of our needs… over and above what we had asked for or anticipated.
In the last 25 years, this passage has spoken to me several times… always in a slightly different way. I don’t worry about food and clothing these days, but when other things trouble me, I remind myself that the God who cares about the flowers in the field or the tiniest little bird cares for me, too. These creatures don’t think about how they will make it… they just go about their business, doing whatever their kind is supposed to do. And this is our lesson… to be about the business of doing whatever God has called us to do… to follow His lead and trust Him to work out the details… and to quit worrying.
I’m a pretty seasoned worrier, so this is hard for me… and maybe it’s hard for you, too. But just remind yourself to consider the flowers of the field… the birds up in the air, and how carefully and perfectly God meets their needs. Think over the times in your life when God has already carried you through – and your worrying really didn’t help one bit. Ask Him to give you peace and comfort as He helps you handle whatever is challenging you today… and trust that He will do exactly that.
Don’t worry about tomorrow… give it to God and ask Him to manage it for you. Focus your time and energy on doing things that please and serve Him – and honor His generous blessings upon your life. I guarantee you that God will do a much better job of handling your cares than you or I ever could. Won’t you trust Him to do so?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Luke 1:18-20
Zachariah said to the angel, “Do you expect me to believe this? I’m an old man and my wife is an old woman.”
But the angel said, “I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won’t believe me, you’ll be unable to say a word until the day of your son’s birth. Every word I’ve spoken to you will come true on time—God’s time.”
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.
Several years ago, I stopped getting e-mail messages from my cousin. I knew that he sent out a lot of e-mail… you know - those forwards (jokes, interesting stories, cartoons, etc.). I realized that I was no longer receiving them – but, I also was not receiving personal messages from him. While these were more infrequent than the “canned” messages, it dawned on me one day that I was not getting anything from this dear cousin.
I started doing a little digging and discovered that somehow, my cousin’s e-mail address had gotten on my “block sender” list. I was inadvertently blocking his messages. While the “canned” transactions were not all that critical, the personal messages and information I failed to receive during this time were significant. I immediately removed my cousin’s address from the “block sender” file and restored our connection!
So often, we block the connection to God. We fail to believe in His promises… or to trust His timing. And in essence, we block our blessings and answers from God. I heard a pastor say recently that sometimes God has to sort of “rattle our cage” a bit in order to get our attention. Just as He rendered Zechariah unable to speak until after his baby was born, God may allow us to go through a few things in order to teach us about faith and obedience. I sometimes look at situations in my own life and wonder, “If I had trusted God for this sooner, might I have avoided so much stress and heartache?” I look at some of the sleepless nights I have had… times when my stomach was in knots over a certain situation. I almost have to shake my head at I realize how ridiculous – and incredulous – my lack of faith was.
Over and over, we create roadblocks to success and blessings…we produce an atmosphere in which God refuses to work. We leave Him with no choice but to teach us a lesson… to squelch our voices, like Zechariah... to allow us to wallow in our own misery and disbelief.
Haven’t you had enough of this? Isn’t it time we grow up as Christians and act like the children of God we are called to be? Are you ready to walk in faith and stop blocking God’s efforts in your lives… and the lives of those you are impacting on His behalf? When will we truly “let go and let God”? Isn’t today the perfect time to begin?
©2012 Debbie Robus
