Coffee With The Lord

What’s your favorite city?  Why did you select it? … The food, the entertainment available, your experience with friendly, helpful people; or perhaps the fact that you lived there once?  How about your least favorite city?  Why did you select that one? (Let’s not go there, eh? J)

This morning in my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” I read about “ZION”… favorite idealized city of the ancient people of God – the Jewish nation.  For them (and in the Bible as a whole) it is an idealized city, representative of a future city – “THE NEW JERUSALEM” – eternal home of the righteous and God’s eternal abiding place!  Psalm 48 talks about it – it is a “SONG OF ZION”!!

“Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.  Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress… As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah

“We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.  As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.  Let Mount Zion be glad! … Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, (i.e. consider her beauty – her qualities) that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.”   (From Psalm 48 ESV)

All of this reminded me of an old southern gospel song….

“Here among the shadows living in a lonely land,

With strangers we’re a band of pilgrims on the move;

Through dangers, burdened down with sorrows

And we are shunned on every hand,

But we are looking for a city built above!

“Here in disappointment often we so sadly roam,

And earthly friends, no longer speak one word of love;;

But truly we have found contentment,

Jesus promised us a home!

So we are looking for a city built above.

“In this land of dangers we are going here and there,

We’re simply trusting in the blessed Savior’s love!

And mercy tho’ we may be strangers,

Living in this world of care,

We’re always looking for a city built above!

Refrain:

“Looking for a city where we’ll never die,

There the sainted millions never say goodbye!

There we’ll meet our Savior and our loved ones, too!

Come O Holy Spirit, all our hopes renew!’

The book of Revelation puts it this way…

“AND I SAW THE HOLY CITY, NEW JERUSALEM, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” (Revelation 21:2–4 ESV)

You’ve seen the pictures on the evening news… incredible devastation from all kinds of natural disasters – earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, lightening and hail – homes destroyed, cities devastated, and worst of all people who have been left homeless, badly injured, or even killed!

Add to this the threat and devastation of war … We’ve all seen those pictures as well. The evening news warns us… “The images you are about to see may be troubling!” No kidding… Not just buildings blown to bits and the twisted metal of destroyed vehicles littering the streets but bloody bodies all over the place with angry people continuing to shoot obscenities at one another!

It’s enough to unsettle the most secure person and produce fear and anxiety…

But I read a passage this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” that speaks to situations just like that… Psalm 46 (I won’t quote it all… just enough to capture the comforting thrust of its message for those who are “God-trusters – God-dependers”…

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble! Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter… THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US; THE GOD OF JACOB IS OUR FORTRESS! Selah

“Come, behold the works of the Lord… He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. ‘BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD! I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’ THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US; THE GOD OF JACOB IS OUR FORTRESS! Selah “

(from Psalm 46 ESV)

There it is… twice in the same passage – God’s message to “God-trusters” living in a dangerous and troubled world… “THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US! THE GOD OF JACOB IS OUR FORTRESS!” Really hope you’re a “God-truster” – a “God-depender!”

What a surprise – WHAT AN ABSOLUTE LIFE-DEFINING MOMENT!  You go to the tomb early in the morning expecting to find death – and instead find overcoming LIFE!!!  Jesus, on our behalf and in our place died for our sin – but He also overcame death and LIVES bringing HOPE into every circumstance and issue of life for those who trust and follow Him.  HAVE A HOPE-FILLED EASTER!  HE LIVES!!!