Coffee With The Lord

Here are the passages for January 6 in the Necessary Food Bible reading plan:  Genesis 6:1-7:24; Job 3:1-26; Isaiah 5:1-7; Matthew 3:13-17; and Romans 2:12-29.  Today I chose the passage in Genesis to comment on…

Left to ourselves – left to our own inclinations and inner impulses – what happens to humankind?  The Noah story in the Bible tells us… “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5 ESV)  The power of sin – The evil infection of the human species – the impact of “the fall” upon us all has been great and devastating!

But in the midst of all this moral chaos and depravity – when “Every intention of the thoughts of humankind were only evil continually” – a success story!  “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord… Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:8-9 ESV)

I am so impressed (and challenged) by Noah… No Bible – the written word of God!  No weekly church services where he could meet with fellow believers to encourage him and sustain his faith.  No pastor to provide counsel and messages to sustain, guide and foster his faith.  No Christian radio or television.  No worship music to access to inspire and uplift him.  Only evil, pervasive depravity, and temptation all around him and his family!  Evil actions, wicked people, seductive temptation, and perverted behavior everywhere!  But in the midst of it all Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation – He walked with God!

Wow!  It can be done!  God is faithful!  His grace is sufficient!  “He [the Lord] is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy!” (Jude 24)  Noah found ways to sustain his faith!  Here’s his secret on a single phrase of Biblical text… “He walked with God (step-by-step, moment-by-moment, day-by-day)!”  At the outset of this New Year I want to do that… I purpose to do that by God’s grace!  It worked for Noah!

The passages in the “Necessary Food” Bible reading plan for January 5 are:  Genesis 5:1-32; Job 2:11-13; Isaiah 4:2-6; Matthew 3:1-12; and Romans 2:1-11.

Ever hear this statement… “I feel your pain!”?  Com’on really?!  We really need to be careful about statements like that given without much thought about how much people are suffering! 

Many of us have friends that are suffering pain and grief as we enter 2021.  They need our support, help and comfort as they weather the process of grieving.

I read Job 2:11-13 this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord.”  It seems to me that after all Job had been through, his “friends” made their first mistake when they stopped simply being WITH him in his suffering and opened their mouth and proposed all kinds of simplistic “answers” to his dilemma.

But that begs the question, however… What did they do RIGHT at the outset of their time with him?  I’d like to suggest several things…

1.  When they “heard of the adversity that had come upon him” they immediately acted!  They “made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him.”  They did not postpone or put off their attempt to communicate their concern and comfort.
2. They “wept with him” and grieved with him.  Authentic empathy is a wonderful gift to a suffering individual!  It communicates the message, “I’m seeking to ‘feel with you’ in your pain and suffering!  I am with you in the time of your sorrow.”
3. They extended their concern and care for Job’s suffering and sorrow: “They sat down with him on the ground seven days and nights” (however, that may not have been long enough).  Grieving is a process and it often takes extended time to process before it is resolved in the lives of those who are hurting.
4. And then the final thing they did right…(at least for awhile)… “No one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great!”  Advice and “stock clichés” are NOT what a grieving person needs!  Loving, caring, presence, however, can be a wonderful help and healer!  But even then “don’t overstay your welcome!”  A sensitive discernment should be exercised – the grieving will need some personal “space” to process their feeling.)

Oh, I want to be a blessing to those that are hurting, don’t you?  Apostle Paul urged us to “Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.” (Romans 12:15)  And he also reminded us, “If one member [of Christ’s body] suffers, all the member suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26)

Passages today, January 4, in the “Necessary Food” Bible reading plan: Genesis 4:1-26; Job 2:1-10; Isaiah 3:1-4:1; Matthew 2:13-23; and Romans 1:18-32.

ATTITUDES are a big deal! They are the fertile seedbed out of which flow our ACTIONS! I think that is probably why the Bible warns us in Proverbs, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow all the issues of life!” (4:23)

Many times we telegraph our attitudes in our countenance… our face (and other non-verbals) reveal how we feel, how we think, even what we are contemplating. I know my attitudes have sometimes led me to do what displeases the Lord – to sin! I know, my facial expressions, have telegraphed my bad attitudes and intentions (my wife, Sharon, can pick up on it in a moment, as well as I am sure others)!

I thought of that this morning in my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord!” Here’s the passage that brought the issue to mind…

“In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it!’ Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him! Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (from Genesis 4:3–9 ESV)

As a result of reading that passage, this is what I jotted down for myself in the margin of my Bible this morning… “LeRoy, watch your attitudes, they’re important! And then do what you know pleases God!” I believe that will help me as I move forward in 2021 to keep me from sin and please the Lord!