Who are you going to bless, esteem and honor … yourself? Psalm 115 urges us… “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! … The Lord has remembered us; He will bless us! … He will bless those who fear [reverence] the Lord, both the small and the great! … May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth! … We will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! Praise the Lord!” (From Psalm 115) Don’t know about you today, but I’m going to “bless the Lord!”
In high school I had a “tough-as-nails” cross-country coach (I could tell you the stories!) … But he was also a coach that always produced a winning team! He had a theme he drilled into our running psyche – “NO EXCUSES!” – NONE!Regardless!!
I thought of Coach Crumpton this morning and his “mantra” drilled into our psyche this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” as I read the “excuses” of several people Jesus summoned to follow Him in discipleship and ministry. Here, read it for yourself…
“As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I WILL FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” [in other words, “COUNT THE COST!] To another he said, “FOLLOW ME!” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “LEAVE THE DEAD TO BURY THEIR OWN DEAD. BUT AS FOR YOU, GO AND PROCLAIM THE KINGDOM OF GOD!” Yet another said, “I WILL FOLLOW YOU, LORD, BUT LET ME FIRST SAY FAREWELL TO THOSE AT MY HOME.” Jesus said to him, “NO ONE WHO PUTS HIS HAND TO THE PLOW AND LOOKS BACK IS FIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” (Luke 9:57-62 ESV)
Listen, just let me say, if you feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart and sense the beckoning call of Jesus to follow Him, may you also hear “Coach Crumpton’s” challenge… “NO EXCUSES!” In each of the cases in this Biblical account there were “Excuses… Excuses… Excuses!” Jesus’ response to His invitation – His summons? “NO EXCUSES!” (Hey, I can still hear it!)
Great advice today from Apostle Paul during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” for the time in which we livel!! … I’m going to take it to heart!!!
“I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace!” (Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV)
Coffee With The Lord 