Hebrews 11:32-40
What else can I say? There isn’t
enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David,
Samuel, and the prophets. Their faith helped them conquer kingdoms, and
because they did right, God made promises to them. They closed the jaws
of lions and put out raging fires and escaped from the swords of their
enemies. Although they were weak, they were given the strength and power
to chase foreign armies away.
Some women received their loved
ones back from death. Many of these people were tortured, but they
refused to be released. They were sure that they would get a better
reward when the dead are raised to life. Others were made fun of and
beaten with whips, and some were chained in jail. Still others were
stoned to death or sawed in two or killed with swords. Some had nothing
but sheep skins or goat skins to wear. They were poor, mistreated, and
tortured. The world did not deserve these good people, who had to wander
in deserts and on mountains and had to live in caves and holes in the
ground.
All of them pleased God because of their faith! But still
they died without being given what had been promised. This was because
God had something better in store for us. And he did not want them to
reach the goal of their faith without us.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Nathan
and I were watching YouTube videos the other day of ordinary people
opening boxed toys. Every few minutes, Nathan would say, “I want that!”
or “I need that toy, Debbie…can we get it?” I would tell him, “Not
now,” as I made a mental note of what he liked – or put something on my
“wish list” at Amazon.com for future reference. Then Nathan would
say…”Yeah…but for my birthday!” I would acknowledge…”Well, MAYBE for
your birthday.”
It’s April…Nathan’s birthday is not until
August. For a 3½-year-old, waiting that long is akin to adults waiting
for Jesus’ second coming…it’s a LONG TIME! And if the truth be told, a
lot of the toys on “the list” will never be purchased. If Nathan
doesn’t receive a Spider-Man mask that talks and a Spider-Man glove that
“spins webs,” he will survive. And he will be so excited over what he
DOES get, that he will hardly notice that anything is missing.
Life
is largely about priorities. In one of my mother’s journals, she
mentioned her arch-enemy…time. Mother never had enough of it. She said
her husband pointed out to her that we all have 24 hours in a day. I’m
sure that did not go over well…and I get that! We all have desires and
goals…aspirations for things we want to accomplish. We all have
struggles and challenges…illnesses and injuries…hurts and heavy hearts
at times. And we all hope against hope that God will fix ALL of this!
And He does…but not always as we imagined or intended!
Just as
there will be birthday parties – and presents – for Nathan and his
siblings, there will be a “party to end all parties” someday for us in
Heaven, if we have surrendered our hearts - and sins - to Jesus. All of
the things we hoped and dreamed for – and all of the requests we made
known to God - will not matter at that time, because the Ultimate Prize
of His perfect promises and designs for our Eternity will be
manifested. In other words…a lot of the things we fight so hard for -
and think we want or need on this earth - really won’t matter in the
long run.
Believe me…I’ve thought about this a lot lately. My
mother left many “projects” on the table - books and articles she wanted
to write…trips she wanted to take…things she wanted to do with her
great-grandchildren…and more. She quite literally ran out of time. And
you know what? None of it matters today. She sits in Heaven at the
feet of Jesus with other believers who went before her…and she would not
return to work on her “list” for all of the tea in China! God has
rewarded her with more time than she can use…and glorious activities to
fill it. She is at peace and has no frustration or sense of urgency
about anything. And this is waiting for us someday, as well.
So
let’s shift our focus a little. We must continue to have goals…and
hope. We must continue to believe that God is in the business of
fulfilling promises…healing and righting wrongs…fixing our messes and
giving us the desires of our heart. But we must also understand that
these must all line up with HIS desires and plans for us…and it all
pales in comparison to what He has waiting for us in Heaven.
If we got all that God promised us now, there would nothing to look forward to afterward. We must live with faith that everything gets better in Paradise…and operate in hope and confidence until the day comes that we see it firsthand. Are you pleasing God with your faith these days?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label what really matters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what really matters. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 14, 2012
Matthew 6:19-21
Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
After my husband and I both graduated from college, we moved back to Heber Springs and worked for one year. The following year, we got an opportunity to return to Russellville, Arkansas, where we had attended college. I applied for a teaching job and received a call for an interview. I wore the only decent dress I had… made by my mother from green polka dot jersey knit. About two weeks later, I was called back for a second interview. I didn’t have another dress to wear… or time to shop for one. Clothing stores were not exactly on every corner of Heber Springs in 1977 – and there were no malls in nearby towns. So I had no choice but to wear the same dress to the second interview.
After all of the questions had been asked and I stood to leave, the school superintendent asked, “Isn’t that is the same dress you wore to the first interview?” Embarrassed that he remembered, I replied, “Yes, sir, it is.” “It looks very nice,” he replied with a smile. Pleasantly surprised – and relieved – I thanked him and hurried from the building. I got the job… and the superintendent, became a friend and mentor over the next eight years.
I don’t know if my superintendent realized that I could only afford one decent dress… or wearing the same dress to both interviews made me more memorable to him and the rest of the interview panel. But I like to think that I was judged on my merits and my resume… and not on whether or not I had a closet full of beautiful clothes. I learned two things from this experience: 1) I probably needed at least one more dress in my wardrobe, and 2) substance trumps surplus.
One school year, I conducted an experiment. I created enough “uniforms” for two consecutive weeks. One week, I mixed and matched a pair of pants, a skirt, a sweater and a blouse to create five outfits for work. The next week, I did the same thing with about a half dozen clothing items in a different color scheme. Nobody ever mentioned that I was wearing the same clothes over and again. Nobody complained about my teaching ability. I had less laundry and more time. I didn’t have to spend as much time thinking about what I was going to wear. I had confidence that I was neatly clothed, and I was free to concentrate on my students, my work, and my personal life.
I will admit… after several weeks, I got tired of wearing the same things over and over… I’m not a big fan of uniforms for the long haul! But how many of us have closets filled with clothes - and we open the doors and say, “I have nothing to wear.” By and large, we have become mass consumers who are largely insatiable. We constantly need more STUFF!
There is nothing wrong with having nice clothes – or the latest gadget or gizmo. Living in abundance is neither a sin nor a crime. But when STUFF becomes our focus… this is a whole other matter! For many of us, the focus of our worship has become our things… homes, cars, clothing, and gadgets. We would rather shop for new shoes than spend time helping the hungry and homeless. We are willing to buy clothing for someone in need… but only if we can buy something for ourselves, too. We will give what we can of our time, talents and money… but only after we have taken care of Numero Uno!
All you have to do is go to a couple or three estate sales and see what “moths and rust” do to STUFF! The things of this world do not make us better friends, teachers, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, ministers, or disciples. What matters is our relationship – with God first, and then with others. If you really want to live in abundance, you have to trim the fat – in every area of your life. You have to focus on the treasures of heaven – living for Jesus and serving as His hands and feet in this lifetime – and care little for the things of this world.
This is not a call to toss all of your clothes and wear the same thing every day. I’m not suggesting you sell your car, home and all of your belongings and live in a pup tent. The key is balance… and single-mindedness – on Jesus Christ. When you store up “treasures of heaven” and help to build the Kingdom of God, earthly blessings and provisions will follow. You will always have plenty. Your closets and shelves may not be full… but your heart will be overflowing. Where is your focus... where are you storing up treasures?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
After my husband and I both graduated from college, we moved back to Heber Springs and worked for one year. The following year, we got an opportunity to return to Russellville, Arkansas, where we had attended college. I applied for a teaching job and received a call for an interview. I wore the only decent dress I had… made by my mother from green polka dot jersey knit. About two weeks later, I was called back for a second interview. I didn’t have another dress to wear… or time to shop for one. Clothing stores were not exactly on every corner of Heber Springs in 1977 – and there were no malls in nearby towns. So I had no choice but to wear the same dress to the second interview.
After all of the questions had been asked and I stood to leave, the school superintendent asked, “Isn’t that is the same dress you wore to the first interview?” Embarrassed that he remembered, I replied, “Yes, sir, it is.” “It looks very nice,” he replied with a smile. Pleasantly surprised – and relieved – I thanked him and hurried from the building. I got the job… and the superintendent, became a friend and mentor over the next eight years.
I don’t know if my superintendent realized that I could only afford one decent dress… or wearing the same dress to both interviews made me more memorable to him and the rest of the interview panel. But I like to think that I was judged on my merits and my resume… and not on whether or not I had a closet full of beautiful clothes. I learned two things from this experience: 1) I probably needed at least one more dress in my wardrobe, and 2) substance trumps surplus.
One school year, I conducted an experiment. I created enough “uniforms” for two consecutive weeks. One week, I mixed and matched a pair of pants, a skirt, a sweater and a blouse to create five outfits for work. The next week, I did the same thing with about a half dozen clothing items in a different color scheme. Nobody ever mentioned that I was wearing the same clothes over and again. Nobody complained about my teaching ability. I had less laundry and more time. I didn’t have to spend as much time thinking about what I was going to wear. I had confidence that I was neatly clothed, and I was free to concentrate on my students, my work, and my personal life.
I will admit… after several weeks, I got tired of wearing the same things over and over… I’m not a big fan of uniforms for the long haul! But how many of us have closets filled with clothes - and we open the doors and say, “I have nothing to wear.” By and large, we have become mass consumers who are largely insatiable. We constantly need more STUFF!
There is nothing wrong with having nice clothes – or the latest gadget or gizmo. Living in abundance is neither a sin nor a crime. But when STUFF becomes our focus… this is a whole other matter! For many of us, the focus of our worship has become our things… homes, cars, clothing, and gadgets. We would rather shop for new shoes than spend time helping the hungry and homeless. We are willing to buy clothing for someone in need… but only if we can buy something for ourselves, too. We will give what we can of our time, talents and money… but only after we have taken care of Numero Uno!
All you have to do is go to a couple or three estate sales and see what “moths and rust” do to STUFF! The things of this world do not make us better friends, teachers, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, ministers, or disciples. What matters is our relationship – with God first, and then with others. If you really want to live in abundance, you have to trim the fat – in every area of your life. You have to focus on the treasures of heaven – living for Jesus and serving as His hands and feet in this lifetime – and care little for the things of this world.
This is not a call to toss all of your clothes and wear the same thing every day. I’m not suggesting you sell your car, home and all of your belongings and live in a pup tent. The key is balance… and single-mindedness – on Jesus Christ. When you store up “treasures of heaven” and help to build the Kingdom of God, earthly blessings and provisions will follow. You will always have plenty. Your closets and shelves may not be full… but your heart will be overflowing. Where is your focus... where are you storing up treasures?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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