Coffee With The Lord

Have you ever had someone say something you were thinking and intending to say just before you said it … Perhaps you’ve exclaimed, as have I in those situations, “You took the words right out of my mouth!” 

Well today, I had that kind of experience during “coffee with the Lord”!  I sat down with a cup of coffee and my Bible and prepared my heart with a brief prayer I often pray, “Lord, open my eyes that I may see wonderful things out of Your Law!” (Psalm 119.18)  And then I prepared to worship… I opened my Bible and right there were the words I wanted and intended to use in worship… “Lord, You took the words right out of my mouth!”

Well here they are… I’ll share them with you… King David prayed them… Why don’t you use them to worship Him this morning? …

“Blessed are you, O LORD, forever and ever!  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours!  Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all! In Your hand are power and might, and in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all!  And now we thank You, our God, and praise Your glorious name! (From 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 ESV)

That’s not all that David had to say in worship and prayer in 1 Chronicles 29 (you should look it up and read it all for yourself)… But it was a good start for me today.  And it was a good “prep” for Thanksgiving next week!

Encouraging words – comforting words – reassuring words for those going through deep trials… I read them this morning tucked away in Stephen’s defense before the Jewish leaders in the book of Acts.  They reminded me of the truth upon which they are based in Exodus.  I believe they will be a blessing to one of my Facebook friends that is a part of the “Coffee with the Lord” group today… Someone out there needs this reminder!

Stephen in his defense reminded the Jewish leaders, “The Lord spoke to Moses and said to him… ‘I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt.  I have heard their groaning and have come to set them free.’” (Acts 7.34 NIV)

And then the account from Exodus… “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.  God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant … He looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.” (Exodus 2.23-25 NIV)

And then again later, “The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt, I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.  So I have come down to rescue them… and bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.’” (Exodus 3.7-8 NIV)

As I read those words today, I was reminded of the reassuring truth in 1 Peter 5.6-7… “Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your care upon Him because He cares for you!”

Don’t know who needed to be reminded of this truth today, but here it is… You may feel forgotten, even abandoned… you wonder if God is even aware of what you’re going through… He is!  He’s aware!  He’s concerned!  He cares!  He will act to sustain you, help you and rescue you!  He did for His people Israel… He’ll do it for you!

As I read my Bible every day I discover that it gets right to the bottom of most issues in our lives…  Like the passage today…

“WHAT CAUSES FIGHTS AND QUARRELS AMONG YOU? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”  (James 4:1–3 NIV)

Core problem… foundational issue in our lives?  Selfishness!  Self-centered living!

How much better to follow this Biblical advice…

“Godliness with contentment is great gain!  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  If we have food and clothing we will be content with that.” (1 Timothy 6.6-8 NIV)

Or how about… “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  (The secret?) … I can do all this through Him (Christ) who gives me strength!” (Philippians 4.11-13 NIV)

And then this one… “Take delight in the Lord!  And he will give you the desire of your heart!  Commit your way to the Lord!  Trust in Him and He will do this!” (Psalm 37.4-5 NIV)

I’m learning… just like you are!  Oh God work it in my heart… Root out the selfishness – the self-centeredness!  May delight in You and concern for others captivate my heart!!