Coffee With The Lord

Loving parents provide for their children! The last thing they want from their children is fretful anxiety over all the details of family life… income tax, mortgage payments, bank balances, savings, inflation, health and life insurance, grocery shopping and meal preparation, car maintenance and repairs, and the hundreds of other details of family life. I’ve listened to parents describe their concern over a fretful child who seemed to be shouldering the burden for all the things that they did not need to worry about… Their conversation with the child went something like this: “Honey listen, don’t you worry about that! Daddy (or Mommy) will take care of it! I just want you to…”

Well there’s a “Kingdom of Heaven” message a lot like that in many ways found in Matthew 6:25-34. In it the words, “Do not be anxious” in some form appear several times: “Do not be anxious about what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on!” Then additionally, Jesus reminds His followers the “Divine Parent” – our “Heavenly Father’s” loving provision is stressed several times: He “feeds” – He “clothes” – and we’re reminded “He knows we need all these things!” In fact, Jesus reminds us of the Heavenly Father’s provision for “the birds of the air” and his beautiful adorning of “the lilies of the field.”

It seems clear that what our Divine Parent – our “Heavenly Father” – wants us to be concerned about is simply being a faithful, loving, trusting, contributing part of His family – the family of God! He’ll do the parenting – He’ll do the providing and the protecting! His word to us is to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to us [i.e. taken care of]!” (vs. 33)

Hey, take it from me – no, take it from Jesus – what He had to say to us as God’s anxious, fretful children is worth revisiting again. You say, you’ve never been anxious and fretful about the things your Heavenly Father promises to provide? Com’on, I have! I needed to read and hear Matthew 6:25-34 again today – Just as it came out of the mouth of Jesus!

From Groaning to Glory!!! Romans 8:18-30

Here’s Paul’s faith-filled assertion… “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us!” … This entire passage today develops that grand and glorious, faith-filled theme!

Creation is groaning under the impact of sin… but in anticipation!… And we are not exempt… we also groan! We are awaiting our fulfillment as God’s sons and daughters – the redemption of our bodies!

Even though we sometimes find ourselves groaning, we have the Divine help of the Holy Spirit!  He is making intercession for us according to the will of God! And He turns our groaning into a prayer!!!

And in the meantime we know this – we have this confidence – “He is working in all things for good, for those who love God and are the called according to His purpose!”

What a hope – what a confident expectation!  Ultimately we have been predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s Son, Jesus… Predestined, called, justified and ultimately GLORIFIED! GROANING TO GLORY!!! In process to be glorified! Ultimately bearing His image… REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE’RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW!!! HALLELUJAH!!!

Wells of Salvation!!! Think of it…

Isaiah 12… You need to read it > reflect on it > and respond to it today! This is an incredible, edifying, uplifting “hymn of praise!”

Your personal “well of salvation” is deep and full of wonderful, refreshing truths of times the Lord has rescued you, forgiven you, and been your healer, provider and deliverer!!! Think about those times today – I did!!!

And you’re not the only one… The term is plural… “WELLS of Salvation! Each one of us have wonderful stories to tell!!!

“Praise the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His name is exalted! Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth!” (vss. 4-5)