Coffee With The Lord

My Bible reading yesterday during “Coffee with the Lord” included Psalm 71… After reading it, I gave it this title in my Bible journal… “A GOD FOR THE SEASONS OF LIFE!”  The good news is, He’s there for all of them… He’s there in each pregnancy, birth, early childhood, adolescence, the teen years, young adulthood, middle-age, older adulthood, and even through death – the celebration of each birthday, the first day of school, each graduation, first job, first child and each succeeding birth, the “empty nest”, retirement, and aging… “through it all” (sounds like a song I remember!) – He’s the “Supreme constant!”

Here’s what I read that warmed my heart and encouraged me… Give it a read – as you do, I think you want to pause offer thanksgiving and worship!

“In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame!  In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me!  BE TO ME A ROCK OF REFUGE, TO WHICH I MAY CONTINUALLY COME; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress…  

“For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, FROM MY YOUTH.  UPON YOU I HAVE LEANED FROM BEFORE MY BIRTH; YOU ARE HE WHO TOOK ME FROM MY MOTHER’S WOMB. My praise is continually of you…

“My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.  DO NOT CAST ME OFF IN THE TIME OF OLD AGE; FORSAKE ME NOT WHEN MY STRENGTH IS SPENT…  O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! …But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.  My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge…

“O GOD, FROM MY YOUTH YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME, AND I STILL PROCLAIM YOUR WONDROUS DEEDS. ¹⁸ SO EVEN TO OLD AGE AND GRAY HAIRS, O GOD, DO NOT FORSAKE ME, UNTIL I PROCLAIM YOUR MIGHT TO ANOTHER GENERATION, YOUR POWER TO ALL THOSE TO COME.  Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?  You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again! …You will increase my greatness and comfort me again… AND MY TONGUE WILL TALK OF YOUR RIGHTEOUS HELP ALL THE DAY LONG!” (From Psalm 71 ESV)

Yes!  He is “GOD FOR ALL THE SEASONS OF LIFE!”

I heard a desperate, pained, and urgent cry from another room… “Honey, hurry up!  I need you!!  The tone of Sharon’s voice caused me to drop what I was doing and rush to help her!

Is it ok to say that to God in prayer? …”God please hurry and help me!” Apparently, King David, the psalmist, thought so…  Here are his words:

“MAKE HASTE, O GOD, TO DELIVER ME!  O LORD, MAKE HASTE TO HELP ME! … May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You!  May those who love Your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’  I am poor and needy; HASTEN TO ME, O GOD!  You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, DO NOT DELAY!  (From Psalms 70 ESV)

Now there’s a foundational matter of trust that needs to be kept in mind, to be sure… The Lord is God (and we’re not) and His timing and wisdom is perfect.  In fact His word promises, “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint!” (Isaiah 40:31 ESV)  But with a firm foundation of “God-trust”  guiding you, it is appropriate to cry out, “MAKE HASTE, O GOD, AND DELIVER ME – HURRY AND HELP ME!”  Believe me, He won’t be offended!  I’ve done it a couple of times already this week!

Contrary to what some would lead you to believe by their lives, their words, and their demonstrated values… ETHICS MATTER!  INTEGRITY MATTERS!  DILIGENT EFFORT MATTERS!  And it especially matters when a person claims to be a Christian (a Christ-follower)!

Today during “coffee with the Lord” I read 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 – Paul’s personal expression of his ethics in serving the Lord – in several versions and was deeply challenged and impacted by his personal claim.  I settled on “the Message” paraphrase of the passage to share today.  Here it is…

“Don’t put it off!  Don’t frustrate God’s work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we’re doing.  Our work as God’s servants gets validated—or not—in the details! People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly … in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we’re beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we’re telling the truth, and when God’s showing his power; when we’re doing our best setting things right; when we’re praised, and when we’re blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.”

I was deeply challenged by that, I tell you!  I want to honor my Heavenly Father and His Son – my Savior – Jesus, by living that way… IN EVERYTHING! …serving with those values clearly evident in my life!  Don’t you?