Coffee With The Lord

Just gotta say… Sometimes old gospel songs just have a way of capturing Biblical truth! It happened this morning during my Bible reading in my time of “coffee with the Lord!”

The Bible records a wonderful promise and covenant God made with the “Father of faith” – Abram who later was named Abraham…

“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” (Genesis 12:1–3)

And then in Genesis 15 you find God’s covenant and promise confirmed with these words: “The Lord brought Abram outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be!’ And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness. And He said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess… On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites the Gergashites and the Jebusites.’” (vss. 5-6, 18-20)

There it is… The promise that Abraham would become a great nation of people and what we refer to as “the Holy Land.” And yet, when Abraham died he had only one son, Isaac, and the only land he owned was a burial plot for his wife! What’s the deal? Is God true to His promises – does He fulfill them?

And then this morning I read these words in Hebrews 11…

“These all died in faith, NOT having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth! People who speak thus make it clear they are seeking a homeland… they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city!” (vss. 13-16)

Oh, and the gospel song that says it all?

“This world is not my home I’m just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore!
Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore!”

You hear me… God keeps His promises! Sometimes, though, they reach beyond the here and now, and are fulfilled in the eternal future! Keep believing!!!

Personal security devices are a big deal… sometimes we call them safes, lock-boxes, or vaults. They’re secured by a key, or better yet a secret combination (or both). People put a variety of valuables in them – things they do not want the general public to have access to – personal and private things.

My experience has been that people have the same kind of thing deep within themselves – places locked away within their personality where they put thoughts, memories, experiences, and actions that they do not want exposed. Only they have the key or combination to those vaults. They may not have allowed anyone – even their spouse or closest friend – access to what is in that private space. They may think that even God doesn’t know what is there. The level of security to that inner vault is very high… it probably is protected by personal security at multiple levels. It is information so sensitive that sometimes it is suppressed and can only be brought to light with certain triggering events or experiences.

Probably you have some items like that in such a personal vault! I know I do. Personal painful things you’ve kept private and have shared with no one else. You may have a friend or family member you’ve tried to help experience God’s help and forgiveness and every time you try to help them, you just hit a wall. By their actions and words they communicate, “Don’t ask any more questions, don’t push me any further, this conversation about things in my life is over!” You’re frustrated… you don’t know what to do… how can you help them?

Listen, God’s got a key to those secret places – He knows the combination to our hearts with its hidden things! He knows it all… He knows what is buried deep within and He has access to it – ours… our children’s… the members of our family… our friends! Here’s what I read today in the Bible during my time of “coffee with the Lord” in Proverbs 20:27 (two different versions)…

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.” (English Standard Version)

“The LORD’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.” (New Living Translation)

So don’t despair! God knows your heart and He knows mine – He knows what is hidden deep within the hearts of your children, your family members and the friends you care deeply about! The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked! Who can understand it? ‘I, the Lord, search the heart!” Jeremiah 17:9-10) And in another place we assured, “He knows the secrets of the heart!” (Psalm 44:21) He got through to you and He can get through to them! He’s got the key – He knows their combination. Pray! Ask Him to do it – He will!

I’m a “teetotaler” (look it up – an interesting word).

I’m grateful that I don’t drink alcoholic beverages – grateful I never got started.

Here’s what the Bible says… (read it just this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord”)

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1)

I made a decision a long time ago not to drink alcoholic beverages of any kind. Never missed it… never had a hangover… never had to worry about what I said or did the night before. Never risked alcoholism.

Here’s my prayer… Perhaps this little post today will encourage someone to stop drinking… Perhaps it will be used by God to urge someone to get the help they need to overcome addiction… Or perhaps it will be motivation for someone never to start drinking.

There’s a better way you know – a God-honoring alternative! … “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-20)

The God-honoring alternative? “Staying full of the Holy Spirit along with authentic, heartfelt worship!” I recommend it! You won’t regret it!