Coffee With The Lord

I want to challenge you today to do something I did during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” … get your Bible out and read, reflect and respond to Luke 14:25-33! Do it and take it seriously!

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Here’s what I wrote in my Bible journal after doing that today…

The personal cost of true discipleship is great! Jesus gives a “reality check” that is sadly ignored in some discipleship teaching! A person must “count the cost” of truly being a disciple! Those who don’t open themselves up to ridicule by an unbelieving world and inevitable and devastating personal compromise. A person must “forsake all that he/she has to be a disciple” (vs.33)! Oh, may I actually do it!!!

We fret and fume over injustice! We see immorality rampantly displayed all around us in our culture! The Bible’s moral values are completely ignored by many people. “I’ll do my own thing, thank you!” seems to be the mantra of the multitudes. And the tragedy is that people seem to get by with it!

It was just like that in the time of the “judges” in Israel! God’s law – Biblical values – had been completely ignored. Worship of Jehovah seemed to be in “name only” and every immoral religious option and idolatry was embraced instead. Here’s the way the Bible describes the state of affairs: “Tn those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes!” (Judges 17:6; 21:25)

Instead of godly leaders, intimidation and “power politics” seemed to rule the day. A guy by the name of Abimelech (the son of a leader that God had mightily used in the past – Gideon or Jerubbaal) exhibited godless immorality and violent behavior (read Judges 9 for yourself and see). The times were terrible – an immoral, violent cultural morass!

Sounds like some of what we see around us in the culture today, doesn’t it?! When will godly moral issues be honored again? Will evil people always get their own way? When and how will God intervene? When will God deal with the “Abimelechs” of our culture?

Well the passage in my Bible reading in the book of Judges in the Bible provides hope and an answer (read Judges 9:50-57 for yourself)! God used a woman to bring judgement upon evil Abimelech – and he will use godly people (including women) today! The Bible goes on to say, “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech for what he had done!”

Though evil at times seems rampant in our culture – God is alive and active! He will ultimately deal with evil and injustice! He is still at work even when times are bad and evil seems to be winning the day! Trust Him, live righteously regardless, and pray… He will act!

You may have heard someone say this about another person: “They have a good reputation – they’re as good as their word.” What a complement!

Several things in my Bible reading this morning reinforced the truth of that statement… especially as it relates to God. He has a great reputation – He is true to His word!

First, this morning I read these words… Psalm 119:140… “Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it!”

Joshua reminded God’s people, Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land, “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord has made to the house of Israel has failed; all have come to pass!” (Joshua 21:45)

Then these words of Jesus came to mind: “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” (Luke 16:10) I know that the context here is of Jesus giving His disciples instructions regarding how they should steward material thing or handle “mammon” (money). But it also applies to God… He is the One who is the personification of faithfulness – He is faithful in much and little!

Apostle Paul declared, “All the promises of God find their ‘Yes!’ in Him (i.e. Christ). That is why it is through Him that we utter our ‘Amen!’ (‘Yes! Let it be so!’) to God for His glory!” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

God is faithful! He keeps His promises! My grandfather, Bede LeRoy Shirley, told me “God is faithful, LeRoy! He’s as good as His word! He keeps His promises!” My mother, Vera Constance Shirley Bartel, told me the same thing (and my dad, Ewalt Bartel, reaffirmed it with his heavy German brogue … ‘Ya, das true – das goot!”). They found it to be true in every aspect of their lives! I’ve personally found it to be true in my life, as well! God is faithful! He’s as good as His word! He keeps His promises! I’ve affirmed this truth to my children… and I’m depending on them to tell their children, and their children to tell their children…

So this morning this is what I said personally to God…“Your promise Lord is well tried, and your servant loves it!” (Psalm 119:140)