Coffee With The Lord

Inevitably, somewhere, sometime, you’ll encounter a “Nabal” … I have! He’s the unreasonable guy with the smart, sarcastic mouth! He doesn’t care what anyone else thinks – he’s right and his interests are what matter! He can’t be reasoned with… he’s selfish… he’s arrogant… and he’s cruel! His employees know it, his wife knows it, his kid’s hate him, and his friends… (well, he doesn’t have many!). Worse yet, he makes you mad, and when that happens you’re tempted to respond in kind… and God is not pleased (and really you’ve lowered yourself to his level)!

David in the Bible encountered a real “Nabal” (“fool” is the meaning of his name. The complete story is found in 1 Samuel 25). David and his men had treated his shepherds kindly, protecting them and even helping them. David requested some help from Nabal and was treated with complete, insulting contempt! David was “ticked off!” He gathered his men and was prepared to attack Nabal… He said, “Surely in vain have I guarded all this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missing of all that belonged to him, and he has returned me evil for good! God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one man of all who belong to him!” (1 Samuel 25:21-22)

Enter Nabal’s wife, Abigail! Every “Nabal” story really needs an “Abigail!” Abigail is the level headed one – the gracious one – the one who is mortified by Nabal’s behavior! She intervened – she took action – she rescued David from doing something in his anger that he would later regret. She put together a generous gift for David’s men, sent it on ahead, met David, offered an apology for Nabal’s behavior, and appealed to David’s godly instincts. Thank God for an “Abigail!” Here is her appeal to David in her own words…

“As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, because the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand… For the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the LORD your God… And when the LORD has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel, my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord working salvation himself.” (from 1 Samuel 25:26–31 ESV)

In my opinion, not only did Abigail evidence godly grace and discretion, there was a prophetic ring to her message to David! He relented, turned back, and allowed God to take care of the matter (read the rest of the story in 1 Samuel 25 – what ultimately happened to Nabal)!

Every one of us need an “Abigail” when we’ve been provoked by a “Nabal” – Someone who will speak some “Spiritual sense” into our provoked spirit! And we need to remind ourselves of a couple of key verses of Scripture:

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires!” (James 1:19–20 NIV)

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.’” (Romans 12:17–19 NIV)

Feeling alone, forgotten and abandoned? … You really need to read Psalm 139!

It happens to those who have lost a spouse and are now single.  A sense of abandonment is often the experience of prisoners.  Those who are struggling with debilitating disease sometimes experience it as do those with emotional or physical handicaps.  Those who have moved into a new community often struggle with a sense of isolation.  And those are just a few representative circumstances in which loneliness, isolation and abandonment occur!

Psalm 139 declares that God knows where we are, our circumstances, our feelings, and even our thoughts… and understands them completely.  Not only that, His presence is there through the Holy Spirit… nothing can separate us from His presence (whether we feel it or not)!  He is there – leading, protecting and working on our behalf! Psalm 139 declares that the Lord’s knowledge is so complete and comprehensive that He saw us, and  knew us, and was involved in our lives even before we were born!  In fact, the psalm declares He knew us from the time of fertilization and gestation; He was there at our birth and will be there at our death.  Furthermore He is involved in our lives every day, and every moment of every day, in between!

Is it any wonder that David, the psalmist, exclaimed, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it!” and “How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!”

Someone of my “coffee with the Lord” friends needed to hear this today!  Perhaps you, or a friend of yours!

Listen, I never want to forget this truth!  Furthermore, I never want to run from His knowledge of me!  Which leads me to the last two verses of Psalm 139 which is a prayer inviting the Lord’s deep and complete knowledge of us and His involvement in our lives:  “Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24)

“Regardless” is the word is the word that came to mind as I read Psalm 138 this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord.”

Regardless of the situation… Regardless of the circumstances… regardless of the adversity or adversaries… regardless of how I feel… regardless of who goes with me or supports me… REGARDLESS!

Here’s how David, a guy that faced a lot of challenges and adversaries expressed it in Psalm 138…

“I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart!  Before the gods I sing your praise!  I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above ALL THINGS your name and your word.  On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased…. Great is the glory of the Lord!  For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.  THE LORD WILL FULFILL HIS PURPOSE FOR ME!  Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”  (from Psalm 138 ESV)

David faced all kinds of problems, difficulties and adversaries (some of them of his own making).  But in Psalm 138 with the Lord involved in his life he could say “REGARDLESS!”  The Lord WILL fulfill His purpose for me!”  So today, for me as I follow the Lord I say it to… REGARDLESS!  Or as Apostle Paul put it in the New Testament, “If God be for us who can be against us!” (Romans 8:31)