Ecclesiastes 3:14
I’ve also concluded that
whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition,
no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit
asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugeterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.
All rights reserved.
This morning, our three-year-old
Nathan was trying to put some “bristle blocks” together. These are
toothed plastic blocks that forge together to form objects and shapes.
We had attached a rectangle to four wheels, and Nathan wanted to add
another rectangle atop the first one. But instead of snapping this
block into place where it belonged, he kept trying to put it over a
wheel. He got really upset because this wouldn’t work – and even more
upset because I couldn’t make it happen! I kept trying to tell him,
“This is not the way it goes together. It won’t work this way.” But
Nathan was having none of it.
When I read this scripture, I
pictured us – God’s children – standing before Him with our own ideas of
how things should be. We show him the “blocks” of our lives and tell
Him, “This is how I want to do this.” God says, “That’s not how it’s
going to work.” And the argument commences. Often, we are as stubborn
as a three-year-old boy. We kick and stomp and demand that God do
things our way…that He add this or subtract that and make everything fit
our desires. And God just shakes His head in disappointment over our foolishness.
It’s
time to grow up! We need to get a grip on God’s power and autonomy
over our lives. We need to learn to operate in “holy fear” (respect)
for God and His indisputably perfect ways. We need to worship
Him…because He deserves our praise and adoration. And we need to trust
Him to meet our every need…because He is the only One who can!
The time has come to stop trying to “put the blocks together” like we
want…and trust that God has our best interests at heart – always and in
all ways. When we recognize that He truly does know what is best for
us, we are free to stop questioning and start really believing. Then we
can begin to truly live in God’s amazing love and grace – and He can
work in and through us. Isn’t this our goal as Christian disciples?
Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label what we must do to grow in our faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what we must do to grow in our faith. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for May 19, 2013
Hebrews 10:32-39
Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse—some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.
It won’t be long now, he’s on the way;
he’ll show up most any minute.
But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust;
if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy.
But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.
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.
On the television show “The Biggest Loser,” contestants discover that losing weight and seeing results happens more quickly at the beginning than the end. In fact, as these participants become lighter and leaner, it becomes harder with each passing week to shed the last pounds and inches. Progress is still possible, but the thrill of those first few weeks and the truly drastic changes are gone. This is where the real work begins.
It’s easy to become discouraged… or at least complacent. After all, some of these contestants have dropped 100 pounds or more. Losing that last stubborn 15 to 50 seems akin to climbing Mt. Everest. There is a temptation to reward all of the hard work with a favorite dessert… or to skip a workout here and there. After all, the entrant has come so far… what would it hurt? OR… the challenge may be finishing. The desire to keep going and lose the rest may wane… settling for the current weight and size may seem appealing. This is when the patient endurance must kick in and keep these contestants going. They have made it this far… reached countless milestones… and they must keep going and finish strong!
In our Christian faith, we often seem to lose steam after a while. The spark and excitement of our initial salvation experience may pale. Our encouragement and support from others may wane… and our inner resolve to forge ahead and continue to grow with the Holy Spirit can fade. We’ve come so far… God has given us so much… maybe we could just stop and rest here a while! And many of us do exactly that. The trouble is… too many of us grow stale at our “resting point.” We settle for a “good enough” relationship with the Holy Spirit - and miss out on all He wants to give us by doing so.
Just as in a weight-loss program that we hope will bring permanent, lasting results, we must practice patient endurance as we grow in our faith. We must keep on “keepin’ on,” continue to study, pray, fellowship and learn. We must not “rest on our laurels” – or on the blessings we have received from God already. We cannot quit! We have to keep trusting God for outcomes, learning how He works, and expecting His promises to be fulfilled. We have to wait on the LORD in all things… and believe that He will show up, right on time!
This is a tall order… but such a “sure thing” as the blessings and rewards of a life in Christ is certainly worth it! Are you ready to press forward and persevere? Are you still “in the game” and trusting all the way? Will you make it to the Finish Line with Jesus… or will you give up and quit? The choice is yours… what will you decide?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse—some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.
It won’t be long now, he’s on the way;
he’ll show up most any minute.
But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust;
if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy.
But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.
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.
On the television show “The Biggest Loser,” contestants discover that losing weight and seeing results happens more quickly at the beginning than the end. In fact, as these participants become lighter and leaner, it becomes harder with each passing week to shed the last pounds and inches. Progress is still possible, but the thrill of those first few weeks and the truly drastic changes are gone. This is where the real work begins.
It’s easy to become discouraged… or at least complacent. After all, some of these contestants have dropped 100 pounds or more. Losing that last stubborn 15 to 50 seems akin to climbing Mt. Everest. There is a temptation to reward all of the hard work with a favorite dessert… or to skip a workout here and there. After all, the entrant has come so far… what would it hurt? OR… the challenge may be finishing. The desire to keep going and lose the rest may wane… settling for the current weight and size may seem appealing. This is when the patient endurance must kick in and keep these contestants going. They have made it this far… reached countless milestones… and they must keep going and finish strong!
In our Christian faith, we often seem to lose steam after a while. The spark and excitement of our initial salvation experience may pale. Our encouragement and support from others may wane… and our inner resolve to forge ahead and continue to grow with the Holy Spirit can fade. We’ve come so far… God has given us so much… maybe we could just stop and rest here a while! And many of us do exactly that. The trouble is… too many of us grow stale at our “resting point.” We settle for a “good enough” relationship with the Holy Spirit - and miss out on all He wants to give us by doing so.
Just as in a weight-loss program that we hope will bring permanent, lasting results, we must practice patient endurance as we grow in our faith. We must keep on “keepin’ on,” continue to study, pray, fellowship and learn. We must not “rest on our laurels” – or on the blessings we have received from God already. We cannot quit! We have to keep trusting God for outcomes, learning how He works, and expecting His promises to be fulfilled. We have to wait on the LORD in all things… and believe that He will show up, right on time!
This is a tall order… but such a “sure thing” as the blessings and rewards of a life in Christ is certainly worth it! Are you ready to press forward and persevere? Are you still “in the game” and trusting all the way? Will you make it to the Finish Line with Jesus… or will you give up and quit? The choice is yours… what will you decide?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 19, 2012
1 Corinthians 10:1-7
Remember our history, friends, and be warned. All our ancestors were led by the providential Cloud and taken miraculously through the Sea. They went through the waters, in a baptism like ours, as Moses led them from enslaving death to salvation life. They all ate and drank identical food and drink, meals provided daily by God. They drank from the Rock, God's fountain for them that stayed with them wherever they were. And the Rock was Christ. But just experiencing God's wonder and grace didn't seem to mean much—most of them were defeated by temptation during the hard times in the desert, and God was not pleased.
The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did—"First the people partied, then they threw a dance."
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.
Suppose you got a new car… the car of your dreams. You proudly drove it everywhere… even invited your friends to take a ride and enjoy how smoothly it drove. Everyone noticed your new car, and you felt like a different person when you were seen in it. Then the car ran out of gas… and you parked it in the garage and left it there. You still had a new car… but you went back to your old methods of getting around. A few people asked about the car, and you shrugged and said, “Yeah… I’ve got it, but gas takes money, and it’s a lot of work to keep it clean and running well, so I just parked it in the garage. It’s safe and clean there... I just don’t take it out often.”
Do you see my point? What good is a new car if you are not going to fill it with gas, maintain its engine, and drive it? And the same can be said of our faith. Many of us make a “salvation decision” – we invite Jesus to live in our hearts, and we get all excited for a while. Then the “gas” runs out, and we park our faith and return to our old habits. We don’t feed our relationship with Christ through prayer, Bible study, fellowship with others and actual service.
Equally as bad, we Christians often do a poor job of nurturing and encouraging others as they grow in their faith walk. We are so glad to add another name to the roll at church – and to increase our numbers. But I have long maintained that church growth is a good thing… if you take care of everyone who is already in the church body. Otherwise, we are just piling up “cars in the garage.”
So my challenge for each of us today is this…
©2012 Debbie Robus
Remember our history, friends, and be warned. All our ancestors were led by the providential Cloud and taken miraculously through the Sea. They went through the waters, in a baptism like ours, as Moses led them from enslaving death to salvation life. They all ate and drank identical food and drink, meals provided daily by God. They drank from the Rock, God's fountain for them that stayed with them wherever they were. And the Rock was Christ. But just experiencing God's wonder and grace didn't seem to mean much—most of them were defeated by temptation during the hard times in the desert, and God was not pleased.
The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did—"First the people partied, then they threw a dance."
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.
Suppose you got a new car… the car of your dreams. You proudly drove it everywhere… even invited your friends to take a ride and enjoy how smoothly it drove. Everyone noticed your new car, and you felt like a different person when you were seen in it. Then the car ran out of gas… and you parked it in the garage and left it there. You still had a new car… but you went back to your old methods of getting around. A few people asked about the car, and you shrugged and said, “Yeah… I’ve got it, but gas takes money, and it’s a lot of work to keep it clean and running well, so I just parked it in the garage. It’s safe and clean there... I just don’t take it out often.”
Do you see my point? What good is a new car if you are not going to fill it with gas, maintain its engine, and drive it? And the same can be said of our faith. Many of us make a “salvation decision” – we invite Jesus to live in our hearts, and we get all excited for a while. Then the “gas” runs out, and we park our faith and return to our old habits. We don’t feed our relationship with Christ through prayer, Bible study, fellowship with others and actual service.
Equally as bad, we Christians often do a poor job of nurturing and encouraging others as they grow in their faith walk. We are so glad to add another name to the roll at church – and to increase our numbers. But I have long maintained that church growth is a good thing… if you take care of everyone who is already in the church body. Otherwise, we are just piling up “cars in the garage.”
So my challenge for each of us today is this…
- We must continually strive to grow and learn as Disciples of Christ. We must study the word of God… spend time with Him in prayer… and exercise our faith by serving God, sharing the Good News of Jesus with others, and genuinely caring for those we encounter.
- We must nurture and encourage others – believers and unbelievers alike. We must be awake and alert… always looking for ways to serve others in God’s name. We must make sure that others know that we care… and that we are willing to make the effort to help them as needed. Mere lip service is completely unacceptable.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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