Coffee With The Lord

Next to guarding my heart from which “everything else flows” (Proverbs 4:23), my mouth comes in a close second! In fact the Bible tells me the two are related, so I better pay close attention to both of ‘em (Matthew 12:34)!

Every day on the news or in less obvious contexts we observe the sad and destructive results of an unguarded, unruly mouth! Something or someone “pushes one of our buttons” wrong and we “pop off” and say something we regret… something that hurts others… but most of all, something that displeases our Heavenly Father. Ever been guilty? I have, to my shame!

Who gets their name on a plaque or the honored seat in the house at church? Sadly, I must admit the inspired directive in James 2:1-9 is often ignored and violated in many churches! And the Bible calls it SIN! Here is what the passage says… I just read it again this morning during “coffee with the Lord”…

“MY BROTHERS, SHOW NO PARTIALITY AS YOU HOLD THE FAITH IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE LORD OF GLORY. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man… If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. BUT IF YOU SHOW PARTIALITY, YOU ARE COMMITTING SIN and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” (James 2:1–9 ESV)

Praise God for gifted, “anointed” worship leaders!  They lead us into the very presence of God and urge us to worship Him “in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24)!  Their songs – the Spirit-anointed worship music they compose build and bless us – edify and express our praise in a special way!

These worship leaders are not perfect people – they’re individuals just like us who have failed the Lord and sinned, but they have also experienced the marvelous grace of God, basked in His favor, and encountered the majesty and splendor of His glory!  They’re gifted by God in a special way musically, and also in temperament to encourage and lead us in authentic worship!  Thank God for them!

David in the Bible was such a person!  He had experienced moral failure (Read Psalm 43)!  He was guilty of presumptuous sin (read and compare 1 Chronicles 13 and 15).  The Bible catalogs his spiritual mountaintops and his valleys “as dark as death” (Psalm 23:4)!  We identify with him… But he had experienced the grace and the greatness of God!  And as a result we have his great worship legacy of both the “laments” and the hymns of thanksgiving and praise that fill much of the book we call “Psalms” in Scripture and that are scattered elsewhere in the Old Testament.

I experienced such a worship song this morning during “coffee with the Lord,” composed by David after a terrible personal failure of leadership and a wonderful recovery (compare 1 Chronicles 13 and 15 – he tried doing things “his way” – and after failure decided to do things “God’s way”).  After reading it again this morning I determined I would use it in my worship  – I would let it become my personal expression of worship over and over again today.  (In fact, if David had recorded it, it would be on my “playlist” and I’d listen to it – sing to it – worship with it, all day long!)  Here it is – a great song of worship from David! …

“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!  Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!  Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!  Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!  Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered… Remember his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.

Ascribe to the Lord… ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness!   Tremble before him! … Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!’  Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it!  Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

“Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver … that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise!  Blessed be the Lord… from everlasting to everlasting!”

(Adapted for personal worship from 1 Chronicles 16:8–36 ESV)