Coffee With The Lord

During “coffee with the Lord” today I was very impressed with the voice, the call, the invitation of “wisdom” (I was reading Proverbs 8 at the time, but the theme is not limited to that chapter – it is scattered throughout Proverbs 1-9).

I WANT TO HEAR WISDOM’S VOICE ABOVE THE RABBLE OF ALL THE OTHER VOICES IN OUR WORLD! I want my ear tuned and attentive to her. I want to discern her sweet tone and wholesome message among all of the other competing voices! It it a invitation to truth, insight, righteousness, wholeness, blessing, and “Shalom”!) It is a call to reject deception, temptation, self-will, sin and rebellion.

It is not a loud, strident voice (“the woman ‘Folly’ is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing” – vs. 13) – Wisdom is rather a quiet, but discernable voice in all the distracting noise and competing voices of life. She is however, discernable – you do have to listen for her!

Proverbs 8 reminds me of James 3:14-18: “if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

I’m listening for her voice this morning! I’ll be listening tomorrow too… and the next day, and the next, and the next, and…

Fifty-two verses of deep gratitude for deliverance… David’s “Song of Deliverance” (found in 2 Samuel 22) as he reflected on God’s help, protection, defense and vindication over the years of his life! 

Don’t know if you’ve ever had a determined adversary – someone who was insanely dedicated to your destruction – David did.  His name was Saul…  Saul hunted David like an animal!  Chased him like incessantly.  Plotted to kill him.  And all of that the return that David received for vowing he would NEVER “touch God’s anointed” and do Saul no harm! 

2 Samuel 22 is a song of incredible relief – of great gratitude – for God’s protection and deliverance from a human adversary over the years!  It is filled with graphic imagery that begs for your imagination… believe me, it’s worth reading!  Here’s just a taste of its themes…

“And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.  He said, ‘The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior!  You save me from violence!  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies… In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I called.  From His temple He heard my voice and my cry came to His ears… He bowed the heavens and came down… He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.  He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me… He brought me out into a broad place; He rescued me, because he delighted in me! … This God – His way is perfect; the word of God proves true!  He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him! … The Lord lives!  Blessed by my Rock, and exalted be my God, the Rock of my salvation!’”

Hallelujah!  What a wonderful song of gratitude and praise!!!

Listen, according to the Bible, we all have a determined “adversary” – the devil!  He is not imaginary!  His methods are devious, his objectives are your eternal destruction, his home is hell… The Bible says, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)  His goal, like a thief, is to “steal, kill and destroy!”  But the “Good Shepherd” – your Deliverer – “laid down His life for you” and his objective is “that you might have life and have it abundantly!” (from John 10:10-11) 

So here’s the deal… Those fifty-one verses of 2 Samuel 22 aren’t just David’s song of deliverance… They can be yours as well!!  And to that I say, Praise the Lord!!!

Sooner or later it will happen to you… You’ll read something in the Bible you don’t agree with or that bothers you!  Or you’ll hear Biblical truth proclaimed or taught and it will “tick you off!”  Something about it just doesn’t sit right and you’re tempted to argue, fuss, and reject it outright!  I mean, after all, you and I have the knowledge, the judgment, and the right to pass judgment on what the Bible – no, more than that – what God clearly teaches, right?

I’ve just finished reading John 6 and there’s some stuff in the last part of that chapter that bothers me… that I don’t fully understand… truth that at “first blush” makes me want to say “Hold it a minute! No way – I can’t accept that!”  But Jesus, God’s Son, didn’t ask me before He said those things – I wasn’t consulted for permission to edit His manuscript… [Incidentally, you should read “those things” – vss. 22-59.]  And believe me, you or I weren’t the only ones bothered by some of the teaching in that chapter – important teaching – teaching upon which our eternal destiny depends!

So what to do?  I think the last verses of that chapter give us a clue!  In fact, I would argue that, believe it or not, impetuous Peter’s response guides us on issues like that… Here it is, right out of the passage:

“When many of His disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’  But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, ‘Do you take offense at this? … It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all!  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life!’ … After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.  So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’  SIMON PETER ANSWERED HIM, ‘LORD TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?  YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE!  WE HAVE BELIEVED, AND HAVE COME TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE OF GOD!”

Want to know what I take from that?  When you don’t understand – when God’s word teaches something that offends you – when you’re faced with Truth that perplexes you… Trust the source – Trust the Lord, depend on the fact that He understands the end from the beginning and His understanding is inscrutable (beyond our understanding)!  “TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?  YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE!  YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE OF GOD! 

Seems like good advice to me, Peter – thanks for sharing it!