Daily Devotional for November 29, 2023 – Honesty truly 𝒊𝒔 the best policy…

Proverbs 11:3 
A good man is guided by his honesty; the evil man is destroyed by his dishonesty.

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Yesterday, I watched the televised funeral of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. I have always loved and respected President and Mrs. Carter. I firmly believe that their faith has guided their words and actions – and they have conducted themselves with textbook honesty. Sadly, we cannot say this about more than a few of our leaders – even Presidents. I won’t name them here…after all, this is not for me to judge. But a lot of this has been publicly documented.
 
Some people make mistakes and atone for them. Others make dishonesty the hallmark of their lives. They are dishonest in everything from personal relationships to business deals, and the bottom line becomes serving their own self-importance – and sheer greed. We find it upsetting when these people seem to “get by with murder,” but I must tell you…I don’t believe this is the case. At some point, there will be a day of reckoning for them. I don’t know if it will happen on this earth – or when they stand before God in the afterlife. But every person will have to account for his/her words and actions…and God is not mocked or fooled!
 
In many ways, some Presidents have done more for our country and its people after serving in office than during their tenure. I believe President Jimmy Carter is one of these. His Habitat for Humanity project comes to mind. Rosalynn Carter’s work to erase the stigma associated with mental health care, Ladybird Johnson’s roadside beautification endeavors, and the work that Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama have done to encourage Americans to come together on several projects are also examples of putting service before self and setting aside differences in an effort to make a positive difference. You can’t accomplish such things if you are operating in selfishness, deception, dishonesty, and greed.
 
We are all human beings. We make mistakes. We are all tempted at times to “skimp” here or “fudge a little” there to benefit ourselves or someone we love – or to skew a situation in our favor. God looks at us and sees our intention – and our efforts. He knows when we strive to be honest stewards of His gifts and blessings – and to conduct ourselves in a way that glorifies Him. God also knows when we lie, cheat, steal, and operate with greed and selfishness – with absolutely no remorse or apology. Furthermore, God knows when we look past or encourage dishonesty and deceit in others, perhaps because it serves our own interests in some manner. I know it may seem like some people get a total pass on this, but again I assure you, nobody fools God!
 
I am grateful for the examples of First Lady Rosalynn and President Jimmy Carter. I am also thankful that three former Presidents could set aside any differences and come together to genuinely help our country and its people. I want to be a good steward of God’s blessings.  This verse is reminding me to do a little “self-check” to ensure that I operate with honesty and integrity in even the smallest things – and bring glory to God with every word and action. I pray that God will also help us to seek the truth in others – and never endorse or encourage their dishonesty. We serve a God of truth and righteousness…and as His beloved children, it is our job to demonstrate these qualities in our own lives, all for His glory. Give yourself an “honesty test” – and make sure you are getting this right! Alleluia!

©2023 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 26, 2023 – Choose this day who – and how – you will serve…

Joshua 24:14-15
“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

In the last few years, we made some very difficult decisions. Beginning with the onset of the COVID pandemic, we opted to isolate. We didn’t hug our children…we didn’t physically go inside the house of Greg’s mother, except for Greg to mask up and set her groceries in the refrigerator. For almost two years, we didn’t visit family members and friends. We didn’t attend a family wedding. We didn’t hold a funeral for my sister, and we held a family-only graveside service for Greg’s mother.
 
We changed virtually every aspect of our “social” lifestyle…from in-store shopping to going to the pool for exercise…to attending in-person worship.  We prayerfully considered what was best for us and our extended family, assessed the risk factors, and did what we felt God was directing us to do. We understood that others would disagree…and we were even ridiculed for some of our decisions and told to “get back out there and live your lives.” But unless or until we felt God telling us to do this, we stayed at home.
 
I must tell you…there were many aspects of this time that grieved us greatly. But as we observed the world from the safety and isolation of our home, we prayerfully considered what God wanted from us. And I believe we came away stronger and more attuned to His word and will as a result. I realized that there were areas of my life where I had compromised…areas where perhaps I cared more about “belonging” to a group than about what God truly wanted from me.
 
I discovered that in many regards, I had looked the other way at times. I made excuses – for myself and my brothers and sisters in Christ – and I justified our words and actions by declaring that we all loved Jesus and basically wanted everyone to know and love Him as we did. I even fooled myself into believing that I could serve better from “inside” these groups than by separating from them. But as I began to examine the words and actions of others, I realized that I had questions about what we all were saying and doing in the name of Jesus. I began to ask myself whether I could truly associate, worship, and serve alongside those who expressed qualifications on their love and “discipleship” – or behaved selfishly or hatefully.
 
This is not a judgment – and I do not mean to appear arrogant or superior in any manner. I still love all others with the love of Christ…even those who think, speak, and act differently than I do. But I am clearer than ever in my faith and love for God – who I am and Who I serve…and how I follow His commands. And I find myself wishing those who believe differently well in their “spiritual journey.” I hope and pray they find whatever it is they seek in this form of “discipleship.” But as for me and my “house,” we are humbly seeking and serving Christ Jesus, the Only Son of God Almighty, in the manner that we believe He is leading us to pursue.
 
This looks and feels different than it did even five years ago…but I know it is what God requires of me. He guides and guards me every step of the way – and gives me peace. In the words of Act 16:17, I am a servant of the Most High God.  My prayer is that you seek God’s will in your own life and allow Him to guide your words and actions. Serve the LORD with faithful obedience and gladness. He will meet your every need – and give you joy and peace. Alleluia!

©2023 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 23, 2023 – It’s time to be simple and honest – and worship God with every word and action

John 4:23-24
“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”

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.

Sadly, you don’t have to go very far these days to witness firsthand misbehavior from people who should know better – even “leaders” to whom we look for wisdom and guidance. We’ve all heard off-color or derogatory comments made on “hot mikes,” seen people make ugly – if not obscene – gestures toward each other, and most of us are familiar with “The Slap Heard Around the World,” as social media has dubbed the attack by actor Will Smith on comedian Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony.

On Saturday, as we sat in line to exit the Little Rock Air Force Base, we witnessed a man in one car gesture in what didn’t look like a kind manner toward a couple in another vehicle. Soon, the woman in the second car was out on the parking lot, yelling and gesturing toward the first driver. We don’t know what was really happening, but the entire scene was unsettling and unfortunate – and witnessed by our young boys. This is not how we should be resolving “conflict,” but it seems as though far too many have become quick to react and respond in anger or frustration to every situation – and little thought appears to be given to what God would have to say about it all.

By contrast, I heard a sermon yesterday in which the pastor spoke of the late well-known author, Corrie Ten Boom, a survivor of the Holocaust. Ten Boom writes in one of her books about how she and her sister smuggled a Bible into their concentration camp, and they would read, pray, and hold worship services – just the two of them. Even in such dire and dangerous circumstances, these young girls found a way to simply and honestly be themselves before God.
 
You and I most likely fall in the middle between these two extreme examples. Hopefully, we are not using foul language and treating people hatefully. But a lot of us are “selective” at best about who we allow in our circle – and even our worship settings. I pray none of us are ever incarcerated – or held against our will in anything resembling a concentration camp – but many of us let plenty of opportunities to worship and demonstrate our faith in God pass us by every day.
 
These verses are a call to consider every word and action. Truly, who we are and the way we live count before God, and we must make every effort to ensure that each word and action are simple, honest, and glorify our Heavenly Father. In this way, our “worship” is continual – not confined to the walls of a building on certain days and hours of the week! I pray that we will all examine our hearts, minds, attitudes and behaviors – and make sure that we are worshipping God with every breath. This is the day to engage our spirits in the pursuit of truth – and offer God our very best! Alleluia!

©2023 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for October 11, 2023 – It’s time to check our words and actions…who are we to judge?

James 4:11-12
Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When I was a teenager, I was given a nickname by someone who bullied me and other girls. I never knew why she gave me this name – or what it was supposed to represent. I only knew that it was intended to hurt me – and it did. When people used this name, they laughed and sneered, as if everyone was in on the joke except me. For the record, this was initiated by a girl who attended my church. We were together all the time, and she did all she could to make life sheer hell for me. I learned later that she did this to other girls, as well. But they didn’t talk about it – possibly out of a sense of self-preservation.
 
Looking back, I realize this girl had a lot of hurt and lack in her own life, and she must have thought these words and actions elevated her in stature and popularity. In truth, these behaviors made her look mean, hateful, and small. And it is no different for many today, as countless adults pepper every conversation with disparity and hateful comments – or nicknames for those they dislike. Social media has become the great junior high/high school of the planet, as people seem to almost compete to see who can disparage the most people – or come up with the best/worst “dig” or nickname.
 
I must admit that I laugh at unkind memes or mean jokes about certain people. When late-night talk show hosts make puns or gags about certain political or public figures, I am amused. But sometimes, I am also uncomfortable. And when I stop to consider that these people are equal to me in God’s eyes, regardless of the awful, immoral, and stupid things they have done, I am embarrassed. Do not misunderstand…I don’t endorse or excuse the awful things these people say and do…but to outright condemn the person implies that I know better than God. This also suggests that I feel a need to build up myself and “my people” by tearing down others.
 
When a friend or loved one that I know claims to be a believer in Jesus Christ publicly trashes someone, I cringe…not because I am above doing such a thing, but because I know this is not what God wants us to do. Here’s the thing…if you are sharing ugly memes on social media about this person or that group, stop. If you are calling people names or talking about this group or that one with bias or bigotry, take a pause and ask God how He feels about this. If you are treating anyone as if he/she is not just as precious to God as you are, ask God to help you adjust your attitude and actions.
 
I know I have a lot of work to do in this area. I judge people every day, if only in the privacy of my own home. If a single person sees/hears me do this, I have sullied my witness to the love of Jesus Christ. And even if nobody ever sees/hears this, GOD knows! That’s reason enough for me to work on this. What about you?  Alleluia!

©2023 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for August 19, 2023 – Get along, be good citizens, and honor God…there’s a better way to do this!

1 Peter 2:13-17
Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God’s emissaries for keeping order. It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.

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.

I am going to try not to get too political here, but I do want to share a “political” story to make my point today. This morning in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, there was an editorial about recent rulings by the Arkansas Governor and Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education that an Advanced Placement (AP) course in African American Studies, which was to be offered in six Arkansas high schools, will not be eligible for AP credit. In other words, students who take this course cannot take a test at the end of the school year (which is usually paid for by the state) and receive the AP credit on their transcripts – as well as concurrent college credit at any of several schools of higher learning that accept AP coursework for credit.
 
I will not detail the reasoning given by our governor and her education secretary, except to say, even the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s assessment was that “the antagonistic tone set by the governor reminds us of her statement last week about her win after LEARNS opponents came up short to put the reform(s) on the ballot. She tweeted insults about ‘self-serving partisan extremists’ trying to undermine reforms.”  Indeed, someone had mentioned to me a few days ago that our governor missed an opportunity to try to bring people together…to acknowledge the hard work of dedicated people who truly care about our state and its children and educators (and collected 53,675 signatures statewide – only 978 shy of what was needed to get this issue on the ballot!).
 
As I said, I am not trying to start a political debate – or raise the hackles on anybody. I am merely taking what Peter has told us in scripture – to treat everyone we meet with dignity, love our spiritual family, revere God, and respect the government and our leaders – and applied it to an actual situation. It is hard to respect someone in leadership who doesn’t offer the same behavior in return. And while this may seem like a small thing, it really isn’t. If we start at home with disdainful talk about our children’s teachers or community leaders (especially in earshot of the child), we are not helping. There may be issues, but let’s discuss and approach them respectfully – and privately or in the appropriate manner and settings.
 
If we have an issue with someone in our community, Facebook is not the place to air our dirty laundry – or to try to “take someone down a notch or two.” If we are unhappy with someone in our church family, the Bible is clear about the protocol for handling such issues. And let me hasten to remind you that this same Bible tells us to “love one another” and to “treat others as you wish to be treated.”
 
Stop and think about how you speak and act, whether you are in a position of “authority” or you are addressing friends and neighbors. Consider how you react and respond to those you encounter…or those who have some influence or impact on your daily living. We seem to be losing our ability to be civil to one another…to “reach across the aisle” – or even across the street – and look for good qualities in the other guy to nurture and uplift. We will never all agree on everything…but we can ask God to show us how to get along and not tear each other to bits! And now would be a great time to begin! Alleluia!

©2023 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for June 1, 2021 – Seeking the the wisdom, grace, mercy and restraint of Jesus Christ…it’s time to “carry it well”

Luke 6:26-30
“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more payback. Live generously.”

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.

I saw a meme that depicted the image of a person hoisting an enormous rock up a very steep mountain. The caption read, “Just because someone carries it well doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy.” It struck me that this is what Jesus is saying in this passage from Luke 6…“In My name and by My strength, carry it well.”

There are going to be a lot of hurtful situations in this world. And we Christians may feel this more profoundly. Standing up for God’s word and His will may be costly in terms of public opinion. People are going to disappoint – and even “slap us in the face” with their ugliness and dishonesty. It’s hard to “take the high road” when those around us are disparaging others, discriminating, lying, cheating, speaking hatefully, and more – and acting like they are justified in doing so.

Our mettle is challenged as we struggle to bite our tongues – or to speak out for what is right and suffer the fallout. There will be times when we are judged or misrepresented – often by someone who is desperately trying to cover his/her own missteps or wrong thoughts, words or actions. Those who refused to wear masks during the pandemic, while criticizing anyone who spoke out in favor of safe practices, comes to mind.

In recent years, we have been encouraged to “punch ‘em in the face.” Suggestions were made that police officers show no restraint when handling detainees. People in every walk of life – and at every level of society – have been incited to look the other way when someone is mistreating another person – physically, mentally, or verbally. And the “Wild Wild West” method of pulling out a gun and shooting someone who disagrees or annoys us in some way has sadly become far more than a metaphor.

You and I have a lot of work to do. And it begins with this reminder to carry it well. Carry the name of Jesus and demonstrate His grace and mercy, even as people try to put you down, disavow you, or insult you in some manner. Carry it well while refusing to play into the hand of dissidents – and the devil. This doesn’t make you a martyr. You are demonstrating your faith in Jesus…honoring the work He does in you each day – and the sacrifices He made on your behalf. Carry it well, to the glory and credit of Jesus Christ, and your service as His disciple.

Remember the commands of Jesus to “love one another” with His love…and to “treat others as you wish to be treated.” Even in the face of personal attack, insult or disparagement, show others the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior. People are watching. They will take note of what you say and do – and how you react and respond. So carry it well, dear disciple. Show the love of Christ to each and every person – in all situations. Feel the arms of Jesus wrestling the “heavy rock” of ridicule, dishonesty, divisiveness and maltreatment from your shoulders. He can handle the burden. Trust Him to do so, and demonstrate your faith and duty, as you carry it well in the almighty name of Jesus. Alleluia!

©2021 Debbie Robus