Daily Devotional for April 25, 2024 – God can read human hearts…it’s time for us to clean up our act!

Proverbs 15:11-12
Even hell holds no secrets from God—
    do you think he can’t read human hearts?
Know-it-alls don’t like being told what to do;
    they avoid the company of wise men and women.

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.

A few days ago, I mentioned that I recently read The Village Healer’s Book of Cures by Jennifer Sherman Roberts. This historical fiction recalls the life of a young widow who learned herbal medicine from her mother, grandmother, and other women in a small village outside of London, England, in 1646. Along comes a man who declared himself to be the “Witchfinder General” (and falsely insists he is sanctioned by Parliament), and he makes all sorts of claims to the villagers that convince them this woman is a witch and should be hanged. In fact, this self-appointed charlatan has set himself up as an “authority” and “witchfinder,” and he has traveled through several villages condemning local healers and hanging them as witches.
 
Like this Proverb describes, the man is secretive and a “know-it-all” who avoids the company of anyone who might question his claims and motives. He “leads” with arrogance and selfishness and all but dares anyone to challenge his pronouncements. Ultimately, the readers learn the truth about this man – and the secrets he harbored – demons in his own life that made him truly evil. The villagers may not have known all this man’s specific sins and wrongdoings…but I assure you that God knew. And as Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 15:11, God can read our human hearts.
 
You may never say an untoward word aloud or do anything that others would deem to be disrespectful, dishonest, arrogant or selfish. But if you curse someone as he/she walks away, God knows. You may be cordial and pretend to be accepting and kind toward certain people…all while loathing them privately. And God sees your hypocrisy. You may think you are guarding your reputation, or protecting another person’s feelings by suppressing what you really think and feel…but you’re not fooling God for even a split second!
 
This is not to suggest that we should simply “let it all hang out” and see what happens! Often when we hide our true feelings and sugarcoat our words, we know in the moment that God would not approve of our words and actions. After all, when we do this, we are insulting and denigrating God’s children…each one as precious to Him as you and I. And those who make false claims and seek the company of people and groups who will listen and believe them are wasting God-given energy – and disavowing any commitments to love and serve as He commands.
 
We are all guilty of saying hurtful and unseemly things about others under our breath or behind closed doors. And we are all wrong for doing so. Even if nobody ever sees or hears these things, GOD KNOWS! And pleasing God is all that matters. So choose your words – and your company – wisely. Speak and act in a way that brings honor and glory to your LORD and Master. Let’s get real here…it’s way past time for many of us to clean up our act. This is the perfect day to get started! Alleluia!

©2024 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 18, 2020 – Serving the Master…what are you doing with God’s gifts?

Luke 12:42-48
The Lord answered:

Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time? Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. A servant who is always faithful will surely be put in charge of everything the master owns.

But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won’t return until late. Suppose that servant starts beating all the other servants and eats and drinks and gets drunk. If that happens, the master will come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. That servant will then be punished and thrown out with the servants who cannot be trusted.

If servants are not ready or willing to do what their master wants them to do, they will be beaten hard. But servants who don’t know what their master wants them to do will not be beaten so hard for doing wrong. If God has been generous with you, he will expect you to serve him well. But if he has been more than generous, he will expect you to serve him even better.

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

As I read this passage, I couldn’t help but think of a family we tried to help when I was teaching more than 35 years ago. By “we”, I mean teachers and administrators, social workers, church members, juvenile court officials, and even a local pediatrician. We fed this family, helped the father find a job, provided the children with nurture and medical care…and so much more. When things got really dire, a loving couple stepped forward to adopt the two young children. Everything was “set” until the judge asked the parents if they fully understood that the adoption would mean they relinquished all contact with their children…and the parents reneged and literally moved out of state. I never knew what happened to those two children, one of whom was my student. I have prayed all these years that he survived and “made it out of his situation” successfully.

Here’s the thing…at one point, after we had moved mountains to help this family – and the parents had continued to do as they please – the father actually called the social worker and demanded that she provide him with a car. I will never forget her response…”What color would you like?” I looked at her in shock, and she shrugged and said, “He’s not getting it, and he asked a ridiculous question, so why not offer a ridiculous answer?!”

Let me be clear…this was not a true master/servant situation…but it does make the point that when much is given, much is generally expected – at least moral decency and respect on the part of the recipient. When God gives to us abundantly (as He does every single day in countless forms), it is our moral obligation to give back in kind. No sneaking around and thinking we got by with something. No procrastinating and promising to “do better tomorrow…next week…or next year.” No living for today and letting the chips fall as they might.

We have been given every good gift from God…including the most precious Gift of all in the form of Salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. There is no room for skating by – or abusing these endowments and privileges. We are called upon to be good stewards of all that God gives us…and to multiply His efforts for the glory of His Kingdom. How we handle God’s gifts says everything about our Christian faith and discipleship. What are your words and actions saying these days?

©2020 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 9, 2019 – Serving Jesus with faith and integrity…how well are you doing?

Matthew 24:45-51
Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time? Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. You may be sure that a servant who is always faithful will be put in charge of everything the master owns.

But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won’t return until late. Suppose that evil servant starts beating the other servants and eats and drinks with people who are drunk. If that happens, the master will surely come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. That servant will then be punished and thrown out with the ones who only pretended to serve their master. There they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

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

I still remember standing in our kitchen, watching the evening news on television, and watching police officers haul my mother’s internal medicine physician out of his Little Rock clinic in handcuffs. My mother trusted this doctor implicitly and spoke of him with great respect. She listened to him when he dismissed her complaint of belly pain with the wave of a hand (and not a single touch of her body) and told her it was nothing…just months before she was diagnosed with Stage III-C ovarian cancer. Ultimately, it was discovered that this man was selling fraudulent prescriptions for Oxycontin in three Arkansas counties. He is presently serving a 9-year sentence in federal prison.

This man not only misdiagnosed my mother…he betrayed her trust, and that of countless other patients. He pretended to serve their interests…but ultimately, he appears to have been more concerned with padding his own pockets. And he is paying a price. But in some ways, so are we – and many other people. I cannot say that a diagnosis in February versus September would have saved my mother – or given us more time with her. But we will never know. I do know that this man’s wife has been left to rear five children alone – and they must all bear the disgrace and heartache of his crimes.

I share this to say that what we say and do not only affects us – and our relationship with Jesus. It also affects others who surround us. People.are.watching! Others are counting on us to do and say the right thing…and when we claim the name of Jesus and then speak or behave badly, we sully not only our own reputation – but also Christian discipleship in general. We are showing the world that we believe we can thumb our nose at Jesus, do and say whatever suits us, and still rest in His blessings and abundance – and no one will be any the wiser.

Understand that nothing is hidden from Christ. He knows our thoughts, words, and deeds – even before they are fully formed. On the surface, it may appear that we skate by without any repercussions…but someday, we will have to account for every event of our lives. And as I interpret this scripture passage from Matthew 24, the hypocrites who try to pull the wool over the eyes of Jesus will be dealt with most severely. Even if Jesus extends His grace and mercy in these instances…do you really want to treat Him this way? Hasn’t Jesus’ love been reason enough to serve Him honorably and faithfully?

Believe it or not, my mother actually was able to meet with her doctor before she died. And in a gesture of true Christian grace and mercy, she forgave him for anything he might have done to her. I would like to think I could be that generous…but it would surely be tough! Still, I know that this is the kind of discipleship that Christ calls us to…that we would forgive others as He forgives us. I also know that He is calling to live as He demonstrated…to always be about doing and saying the right thing – and living in a way that glorifies His great sacrifices on our behalf.

People ARE watching…and they see how we represent Jesus in our daily living. What are YOU showing them?

©2019 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 17, 2017 – What are you trying to hide from God?

Isaiah 29:13-16
The Lord has said:“These people praise me with their words,
but they never really think about me.
They worship me by repeating rules
made up by humans.

So once again I will do things
that shock and amaze them,
and I will destroy the wisdom
of those who claim to know
and understand.”

You are in for trouble,
if you try to hide your plans from the Lord!
Or if you think what you do in the dark can’t be seen.

You have it all backwards.
A clay dish doesn’t say to the potter,
“You didn’t make me.
You don’t even know how.”

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

When I was teaching in the public schools, I took an “Assertive Discipline” class.  One of the things the instructor told us was to stop telling children, “If I see you do that again”…or “If I hear that again, XYZ will happen.”  The idea was that telling someone this gives the “out” that what is not physically seen or heard doesn’t count! The instructor maintained that the correct comment is, “If you do or say that again, XYZ will happen.”  No gray areas are allowed!

We often operate on the pretense that what others don’t know won’t hurt them…that somehow, if our misdeeds are not broadcast to the world…if we don’t “air our dirty laundry”…in some way, this didn’t really happen or matter.  But God knows everything about us…and it all “counts”!

When we bake a pie, cake or cookies, we know exactly what went into the mix.  We know the oven temperature setting…how long the item(s) baked…everything.  So if there is a problem with the end product, we can probably figure out what went wrong…the baking powder was old…too much time in the oven (or not enough)…we forgot the salt. Many times, even if no one else seems to notice – or the problem is so subtle that others cannot put their finger on what is amiss – we know!

God knows everything.  If our goal is to please Him in all things, how can we possibly even consider trying to “pull one over” on Him?  I reminded my Sunday school students again Sunday that people.are.watching!  More importantly, God is watching. What are you showing to Him and others?

©2017 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for April 22, 2017 – Are you “in the dark”?

John 3:19-21
“This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”

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.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand why more crimes take place in the dark…or why homes, businesses, and public areas are brightly lit at night. Statistics show that people are more prone to misbehave under the cover of darkness…when they believe that no one can see them. This fact contributes in part to our astonishment when crimes are committed “in broad daylight”. We are accustomed to evil happening in the darkness.

Additionally, I have noted before that we are sometimes amazed (and not always pleasantly) when we see just how dusty and dirty our homes are in bright daylight.  Who doesn’t enjoy the soft glow of candlelight when trying to impress your best guy or girl?!  When we are undergoing a surgical procedure, we want the medical team to have the brightest light available. But when our house is less than spotless…or we are self-conscious about perceived flaws of any kind, we beg for “soft lighting” – if not downright darkness!

It is no surprise that those who dance with darkness or evil in their personal or spiritual lives fear “coming clean” with God. Many chose the darkness in the first place for exercising the words, thoughts and actions that please them…but disappoint God.  And they really could care less what He or anyone else thinks.  Others are so mired in whatever has taken them to a dark place that they cannot see a way out…and as this scripture points out, they fear the bright exposure that God will shine on their problems and sins.

Then there are those who have said, “You know what?  I don’t care how bright the scrutiny is…how much it hurts or how long it takes to get this right.  I choose to live in the love and light of Jesus…and we’ll deal with the hard stuff together.”  These people have realized that nothing is too big for God…that He gave us Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help with the dust and the dirt…the blemishes and flaws. They have come to understand that none of us is perfect…but with Jesus carrying our burdens and the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we have a far better chance in life than we otherwise would. And they have stepped out and said, “Here I am, LORD…I want you to fix me!”

So the question becomes…which camp are you in?  Are you hiding in the closet, hoping no one will discover you – especially God?  Or are you willing to “let it all hang out” and get real with Jesus – and let Him fill in the gaps and help you clean up the mess?  The choice is 100% yours – and mine…and so are the consequences. Isn’t it time to step into the light and let Jesus help you deal with whatever clutter and untidiness you’ve been trying to hide?  Will this be the day that you begin?

©2017 Debbie Robus