Coffee With The Lord

One of the things I love to do is craft personal definitions of Scriptural concepts. I’ve done that with the word “Wisdom” and trust it will be a blessing to you. Here it is…

To the definition on the slide below, I would add the following: “… “Wisdom” results in a God-honoring lifestyle, wholesome values, a deep sense of purpose, a thirst for knowledge, right decisions and effective strategies. Wisdom impacts and influences all aspects of life: The physical, mental, emotional spiritual, material, social, public and private dimensions of life.

I have dear friends and family members who recently have received frightening news from their medical doctors – young or older – it doesn’t matter. The challenge has been, what to do – how to respond as a person who trusts God but also has a healthy respect for the medical profession?

Some panic… Some go into denial… Others despair… But what should a Christian do – a person with a healthy trust in the Lord? What should their default response be?

This morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” I read a partial response to that circumstance… PRAY!!! Pray passionately! Pray believing! PRAY!!! (And if the frightening diagnosis has come to a friend or family member… PRAY!!!

Here is what King David said in similar circumstances…Psalm 30 ESV)

“O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol (the grave); you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit!

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name! … Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

“To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy! What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit (the grave)? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness… O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”

So here’s the deal… If I get bad news from the doctor… I’m going to listen to the doctor’s diagnosis and advice (I’m grateful for those in the “helping community” after all)! But I’m also going to PRAY – PRAY FERVENTLY – and trust God to help and heal… He can (and does) you know!

When I served as a pastor I was always on the “lookout” in the Bible for a good “call to worship” that I could use at the beginning of a “worship service.”  I loved to use a capable, expressive, interpretive reader in the congregation give voice to it, leading the congregation to look up and look upon the splendor, majesty, grace and goodness of God and engage their hearts in worship.

This morning during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” I came across a “call to worship” I believe I would have used – It’s adapted from Psalm 28…

Here it is: 

“To You, O Lord, I call; my Rock, be not deaf to me!  Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary! …

“Blesse be the Lord!  For He has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy!  The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped!  My heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him!

“Oh, save Your people and bless Your heritage!  Be their shepherd and carry them forever!”

Hey, that’s a good one!  My hope is that one the pastors who reads this “Coffee with the Lord” post today might adopt and use this “call to worship” tomorrow in their Sunday “worship service.”  For me?  It doesn’t matter! … I’ll use it as my “personal call to worship” today!!!