Daily Devotional for May 20, 2024 – God can fix this! It’s time to give Him our trust – and our praise!

Psalm 56:10-11
I’m proud to praise God,
    proud to praise God.
Fearless now, I trust in God;
    what can mere mortals do to 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.

This morning, I wrote down a collection of blessings in my life…a “gratitude list” if you will. I began with God’s gift of Jesus and my relationship with our Heavenly Father. I also listed my husband, Greg, who has been my best friend and “soulmate” for almost 53 years. Of course, I listed my health, family, friends, our home, food, clothing, freedom, and good physical/mental fitness for my age. The older we grow, the more I value such things as the ability to walk, bend over and tie my shoes, read fine print, and hear most conversations! My mother used to always include hot water in her gratitude lists…and she’s right – I am grateful for hot water – and plenty of water in general!
 
I try to stay current and aware of what is going on around us. But I have to say…a lot of days, I’d rather not know much of it! And I do have concerns about the future of our world…and even what could happen to us and our loved ones. This is not the “Mayberryesque” world of my childhood! I do think a lot of the “advances” and creations in technology that were designed to improve our lives have actually made many things far worse. From climate change to the ability to spew and foment hatred and division at the push of a button, we seem to have more tools now for causing harm to one another. 
 
Still, God never ceases to amaze me…especially as I walk, pray, and listen to Contemporary Christian music. Each day appears to bring a “theme,” as if God selected the playlist just for what I am thinking/feeling. Some days, the songs are all about adoration and joy as I happily clip along and praise God for the beauty of the day and my surroundings and blessings. Other days, the songs remind me to stay strong – to trust God…and to never give up! And what I get from all of this is that God is always with me. He always knows exactly what I need to hear.
 
I don’t have good answers for the troubles of this world. When our nephew Timothy was eight, he got upset about something one day and said, “Don’t tell me that God will fix this…because He won’t!  Don’t tell me to ‘trust in the LORD’ about everything…because that’s just not true!” I knew at the time he didn’t believe this…and even this weekend, our now-15-year-old talked about knowing God and trusting Him – and how this is “all I need.” Still, haven’t we all felt this way at times? Haven’t we asked, “LORD, why don’t you fix this…or just call us all Home?”! When I feel this way, I generally hear God tell me, “Oh, dear child…there is so much you don’t understand.” And He is right!
 
So, I will keep making “gratitude lists,” and trusting God…not because it’s all I can do – but because this is all I need to do. He will handle the rest. I know that to the very core of my being…and I am immeasurably grateful for His love and care. No matter how difficult things may become…no matter what challenges and heartaches we may face in this lifetime…there is nothing mere man can toss at me that I cannot handle with God’s help. God will fix this!  Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Alleluia! 

©2024 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for May 8, 2024 – Dressing in the plans and victories of God Almighty – and letting 𝑯𝒊𝒎 be our “designer!”

Psalm 20
In your day of trouble, may the Lord be with you! May the God of Jacob keep you from all harm. May he send you aid from his sanctuary in Zion. May he remember with pleasure the gifts you have given him, your sacrifices and burnt offerings. May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans. May there be shouts of joy when we hear the news of your victory, flags flying with praise to God for all that he has done for you. May he answer all your prayers!

“God save the king”—I know he does! He hears me from highest heaven and sends great victories. Some nations boast of armies and of weaponry, but our boast is in the Lord our God. Those nations will collapse and perish; we will arise to stand firm and sure!

Give victory to our king, O Lord; oh, hear our prayer.

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 are in that season of life where our kids are starting to feel the pressure…from name brand clothing to haircuts to what kind of car their family drives – and everything in between. It’s tough to be a kid sometimes! I remember being teased because my sister and I wore “homemade” clothing. In seventh grade, I got a “store-bought” dress (on sale, of course!), and the first time I wore it, my friends literally applauded. 
 
Secretly, a couple of girls confided they were jealous of the dresses my grandmother Polly and my mother made us – almost identical copies of those in the catalogs, but maybe in a different color or fabric. Still, the desire to be like others in my “circle” was often very powerful. You have no idea how hard I tried to learn to smoke cigarettes! Thankfully, this made me sick as a dog, and I decided I would have to find other ways to fit in and be accepted. My siblings and many friends went on to become lifelong smokers – and it ruined their health.
 
Last week, I visited with the parent of a soon-to-be-high-school-graduate. He said the discussion had been held about joining fraternities and sororities. The dad’s advice was to focus on serving God – and skip these “clubs” and all that can come with them. I have dear family members who love their panhellenic associations, and I mean no disrespect to them in sharing this. But what I am trying to say is that we often put so much stock in certain things…the “armies and weaponry” of this world and belonging to a tribe…and we should really be looking to the Lord our God for a sense of “membership” in His Kingdom instead. 
 
When our focus is on speaking and acting as God desires – regardless of what group we belong to or where we bought our clothing and other possessions – we always feel His presence. As a new college graduate and first-year teacher, I had limited money – and a rather sparse wardrobe. So, when I interviewed for a teaching position the following year in another city, I wore my only decent dress – which my mother had made for me as a graduation gift.  
 
When I got a “call-back” for a second interview, I had to wear the same dress again. It was the only decent dress I had. I hoped nobody would remember, but the first thing the Superintendent said was, “I think that was the dress you were wearing last time we met!” It was…and I prayed that this wouldn’t matter (and it didn’t)! I got the job and taught in that school system for the next eight years!
 
My point is that when we focus on doing what God commands, what others think is of no real importance. Pleasing God is the only thing that should concern us. Following His commands should be our constant aim. When we do this, God will handle the rest! We won’t ever have to worry about saying or doing the wrong thing if we are following God’s commands. 
 
Does this mean there won’t be times of ridicule, criticism, or even exclusion? Absolutely not! Following God’s will for our lives can sometimes feel lonely, as those who choose another path distance themselves in some manner. Choosing to speak and act as God commands can feel isolating at times…but I promise that you are not alone! Not only are there others who are striving to serve God faithfully and obediently, but God is right there with you in the middle of every struggle! As the Psalmist says, “He hears me from highest heaven and sends great victories.”
 
Talk with God today – and every day. Ask Him to show you what to say and do…and how to serve Him faithfully. Thank God for His guidance and protection…and for the many blessings He will surely bring to you. As you pray for wisdom and courage in your own life, ask God to provide others with the same gifts. Always “dress” in God’s best – and trust Him to make you shine. Give glory to God in all things, for He truly is our magnificent King! Alleluia!

©2024 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 1, 2019 – Aligning our attitudes and ideas with God’s…it’s time to grab our crayons!

Romans 12:1-2
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

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.

My friend Jack Little has a darling story he tells about his experience in first grade, back in the mid-1940s. Jack’s mother was a school administrator. She made arrangements for Jack to attend first grade as a five-year-old…and then to repeat this grade again officially the following year. The teacher presented Jack and his friends with a picture of a boy (I think his name was Jerry), and she said, “Color Jerry’s suit blue.” The first year, Jack obediently colored Jerry’s suit blue. But he’d “been there, done that” the next year, so he “went rogue” and colored Jerry’s suit with a purple crayon. His teacher was not impressed with Jack’s rebellion against the first-grade “culture”!

So often, you and I fear going against the culture…disagreeing with friends, family members, or co-workers…or daring to stand out from the crowd in some way. So we duck our heads and chuckle softly when someone shares some unseemly gossip or disparages another person. We make efforts to ensure that we and our family travel in the “right” circles with like-minded people…and we pretend not to notice those who don’t measure up to our standards – or are different in some manner. We even create little cliques at church or out in the community – and exclude those who do not meet our criteria. We look the other way when confronted with the poor and disenfranchised. After all, Jesus said the poor would always be among us! So what’s the point in trying to address this?!

In this passage, Paul is telling the Romans (and us) to “Color Jerry’s suit purple, if that’s the right thing to do!” Just because you’ve always been taught one way to do something or believe – or others are saying, “This is what we must do or think”…listen to your heart and the Holy Spirit. Call on God to show you the right way to proceed…to show you when you need to adjust your thinking or principals. If you have always judged people of a certain race, religious belief, ethnic background, economic level, sexual orientation, gender or anything else, don’t be afraid to change your attitude when God leads you to do so.

We have to come to a point as Christians where we say to God – and mean it…”I don’t care what or who it costs me…I am going to serve you. If you separate me from everything and everyone I know and love, I will still obey you and serve you.” This sounds like we are being sentenced to a life of constant bondage and slavery. But truly, these are the most freeing statements you will ever make. When we can fully surrender to God and defer to His will and attitudes over our own, we really do begin to live!

Just because you have always believed that things are a certain way does not make them so. Just because you have been taught to understand things in a certain way does not mean that you can’t have a change of heart – and gain a new perspective. When we stop trying to please others and follow the crowd – and strike out in pursuit of a new life in Christ – we can discover that God is showing us new ideas and attitudes…ones that are truly pleasing to Him and further His Kingdom work. This won’t always be easy – it may even cost you a friendship or relationship of some kind. But God will bless your obedience and faithfulness. When we are not afraid to “color Jerry’s suit purple – or green, red or brown” – we can begin to fully live in God’s amazing love, grace, acceptance, mercy and compassion.

Learn to listen to God and know when you hear His voice. Act only on God’s will…not that of others. Don’t be afraid to step up and step out wherever God sends you…or to change your mind about something that you have always believed to be true. If God moves you, He will keep you safe. Grab your favorite crayon – it’s time to trust God and do what He tells us!

©2019 Debbie Robus