Coffee With The Lord

I’m faced with choices in the matter of living every day… so are you! Some choices add adventure to living – others mire us down in the drudgery and discouragement of life. Choices that express optimism or pessimism – hope or uncertainty – confidence or distrust – faith or doubt.

Today, in my Bible reading, I was reminded that faith opens the door to miraculous opportunities in my life: With God involved all things are possible! Nothing is too hard for Him! Doubt leads nowhere and puts a cloud over every problem and makes every opportunity a developing disaster. So… Today during my time of “coffee with the Lord” I reaffirmed my commitment to a “faith walk” – to hope in the Lord and His promises – to confidence in God and His faithfulness!

Here’s what prompted all of that from my Bible reading and reflection…

A little lady who had struggled with a persistent hemorrhage for twelve years and had spent herself destitute seeking medical treatment, pressed through a huge crowd and in faith reached out to just touch the edge of Jesus’ robe. (If anyone would have had a reason to despondency, it would have been her!) And the result? Instantaneous healing! In fact Jesus sensed power had gone out from Him to someone in the press of the crowd. When Jesus asked “Who was it that touched me?” she acknowledged it had been her! Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace!”

Back-to-back miracle accounts in the Bible: Jesus had been on his way at the request of a religious leader who had a dying daughter, his only child, when the lady with the hemorrhage had waylaid Him. While he was encouraging her, the report came to the religious leader, “Your daughter has died, do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” But Jesus encouraged the devastated dad, “Do not fear! Only believe, and she will be well.” … Let me tell you, that’s a toughie! But Jesus went to the house, dismissed the doubters, stepped into the room where the dead child was, took the child by her hand, and called out to her, “Child, arise!” Her spirit returned to her body, and she got up at once to the amazement of her parents! (Both stories from Luke 8:41-56 – read ‘em!)

Wow! The possibilities of faith! Don’t know about you, but I’ve decided what I’m going to do as I face life’s challenges and opportunities… I’m going to trust the Lord! I’m going to believe his promises! With His encouragement I’m going to have faith in Him! Nothing is impossible when He’s involved – no situation is too hard for Him!

A transformed life… Not a slight transformation – a radical transformation! The power of the gospel! An encounter with Christ that did what no therapeutic professional could accomplish! No other explanation than a God-event – a miracle!

They guy was a “nutso!” They tried to pen him up like an animal – couldn’t do it! Tried to tie him up – even shackle him – and he’d break loose… either he’d tear his flesh or the chains would give. And the screaming… if you were his neighbor it’d keep you up a night… you’d try to keep your kids away from it and shield them. Ran around naked too… What a “basket case!”

Then Jesus showed up… and the guy screamed at Him too. Jesus asked him his name and the voice that came out of his mouth was weird and wild, like a thousand demons! Jesus, with a word, sent the demons that inhabited his body to enter a herd of nearby pigs who then stampeded off of a cliff and drowned themselves in the lake of Galilee.

The results? A life transformed… and I mean transformed! The former deranged man – a danger to himself and everyone else – sitting with Jesus, his deliverer, having an uplifting, conversation in complete sanity!

You would have thought everyone would have been thrilled! But they weren’t… the way the miracle happened scared them. The “pig industry” in the area had been threatened. They didn’t know how to “process the power encounter.” So they asked Jesus to leave.

But the guy whose life had been transformed, wanted to go with Jesus – to leave the town and travel with the Lord. But that wasn’t God’s way – it wasn’t the Lord’s way of doing things! His advice? “Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you!” And the Bible says, “he went, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him!” (Luke 8:38-39)

That’s always been God’s way for those whose lives have been transformed by his power… Get a job, live a transformed life, share your testimony and make a redemptive difference in your community! Makes perfect sense to me! In fact, that’s how other lives are changed! That’s how churches are planted! That’s how the gospel impacts an entire area!

Ever had questions about God’s dealings with you or a dear friend. Either you or they faced severe challenges and things just didn’t turn out like you prayed they would or you thought they should. Nobody is perfect! We all have issues and challenges we’ve struggled with but we’ve learned to depend on the fundamental fairness, grace and goodness of God… And then stuff happened to us or our friends that just didn’t fit our expectations (and faith… a severe test of faith if you please). What happened just didn’t seem like the Lord! It seemed unfair to us! The temptation? To accuse the Lord of being unfair or uncaring. Hasn’t happened to you yet? … Hang on, sometime it will (read the book of Job for a case study on this issue)!

In my Bible reading this morning I read the “Song of Moses” in Deuteronomy 32… In many ways it’s not a pleasant read. The children of Israel are on threshold of entering the Promised Land. God had done some incredible things to provide for and deliver His people! Then some severe failures and painful judgment… like 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. The song is filled with reminders of God’s faithfulness and their failures… of recollection of God’s wonders and warnings.

At the outset though Moses does something I think we all need to learn to do when things happen to us that we don’t understand… He “justified” (or affirmed his belief in) the character of God! Here’s how the song opens…

“Then Moses spoke the words of this song … in the ears of all the assembly of Israel: ‘Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth! May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! Our Rock, His work is perfect! All His ways are justice! A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He!’” (Deuteronomy 31:30 – 32:4)

There are many things I don’t understand… there are things that have happened to me and my friends I don’t have an answer for… And the future? Who knows but God, what will come my way. I’m sure I’ll have some questions moving forward that beg for answers… And ultimately there is only one adequate answer to those… the just, the faithful, the loving character of my Heavenly Father! I’ve got to trust Him!!

Gotta tell you, I want to learn from Moses… On the cusp of the challenges and opportunities that the future brings — when I really don’t know all that is going to happen to me or my friends — I’m going to affirm what I believe and know to be the character of my God! … “I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! Our Rock, His work is perfect! All His ways are justice! A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He!”