Coffee With The Lord

I just finished having my time of “coffee with the Lord”… Today my Bible reading was Daniel 6 – the account of Daniel in the Lions’ den. A powerful passage – a tribute to a godly man and the Living God!

Two things especially impressed me from the passage today. They are the focus of my reflection today. Here are the comments I jotted in the margin of my Bible this morning…

1) I wrote, “I want Daniel’s character to be like my character!”
“Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. DANIEL SOON PROVED HIMSELF MORE CAPABLE THAN ALL THE OTHER ADMINISTRATORS AND HIGH OFFICERS. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. HE WAS FAITHFUL, ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE, AND COMPLETELY TRUSTWORTHY. So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.” (Daniel 6:1–5 NLT)

2) I also wrote, “I want to be sure Daniel’s God is my God!” (And I’m glad He is!)

“Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:

‘Peace and prosperity to you! I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For HE IS THE LIVING GOD, and HE WILL ENDURE FOREVER. HIS KINGDOM WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED, AND HIS RULE WILL NEVER END. HE RESCUES AND SAVES HIS PEOPLE; HE PERFORMS MIRACULOUS SIGNS AND WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS AND ON EARTH. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.’” (Daniel 6:25–27 NLT)

The power of influence… Who do you know that is an authentically “good person?” What has been their influence upon you? On others?

We’re called upon to influence the world for Christ! (Matthew 28:19-20 – the “Great Commission”) Who we are and how we live is vitally important! As I read the following words of Apostle Paul this morning in the letter he wrote to Titus, who lived his Christian life on wicked Crete (1:12-13), these words came to mind as I seek to influence my world for Christ… “Be good! Do what is good!”

“Remind believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, ALWAYS READY TO DO WHAT IS GOOD. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.

“But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings SO THAT ALL WHO TRUST IN GOD WILL DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO DOING GOOD.” (Titus 3:1–8 NLT)

Jesus took me, a sinner, forgave me, cleansed me, and transformed my life, giving me His righteousness as a free gift. I want to influence my world for Christ! I want them to experience what I experienced (and am experiencing)! There need to be more authentically “GOOD” people influencing our world for Christ! By God’s grace I want to be one of them!

I finished the marathon… 26.2 grueling miles on a challenging terrain! I certainly didn’t come in first (but on the other hand I wasn’t last either!). But I FINISHED (and I ran all the way)! I was proud of that! I had done my best! I had prepared with serious and ample training. Over the previous months I had hardened my legs to the road with many miles! I had followed the instructions of my trainer, an ol’ army sergeant, who had many marathons under his belt…

Did I mention I finished? Did I get a trophy for first place among all the runners? … No way! But I got “MY TROPHY!” …A medal to put around my neck that declared I had “finished the race!” So I hung around awhile after the race was over until they gave me “MY TROPHY” … I still have it – the “medal!” First marathon! It means a lot to me (I’ve finished several marathons since then) but that one’s special!

Thought of that as I read these words from Apostle Paul as he approached the end of his life and ministry…

“As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE [some versions read “the course” – really better for the marathon imagery], AND I HAVE REMAINED FAITHFUL! AND NOW THE PRIZE AWAITS ME!—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” (From 2 Timothy 4:6–8 NLT)

Hey, it’s not enough to start well! In a very real way the Christian life is NOT a sprint – it’s a marathon! I want to “finish my ‘course’ – I want to keep the faith!” I want “the crown of righteousness” and His “well done, good and faithful servant!” more than anything! My objective? “Finishing the race!”

Here’s a Bartel truism that relates to my running… “I’m not fast – just stubborn!”