Coffee With The Lord

I’ve been blessed to have some wonderful fellow Christians in my life who had it right regarding money (NOT people like Scrooge McDuck)! One of them my hard-working dad, another my very frugal and industrious wife (a Proverbs 31 woman!), and some successful Christian business people. From them I’ve learned four extremely valuable principles regarding money… Here they are…

1. Work for it!
2. Invest it!
3. Manage it!
4. Honor God with it!

Now what prompted me to share that today was the reminder that Psalm 37:1-8 brought to mind about evil people who use all kinds of schemes to get rich, who cheat, who take advantage of others, and who will do anything – I mean ANYTHING to make a buck! … Here is what the Bible says about that…

“Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers! For they will quickly dry up like grass, and wither away like plants. Trust in the LORD and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! Then you will take delight in the LORD, and he will answer your prayers. Commit your future to the LORD! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause. Wait patiently for the LORD! Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes! Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!” (from the NET Bible)

Yup! I want to live that that passage encourages us to… “Fret free!” Working hard! Investing wisely! Managing what God has provided and honoring Him in EVERYTHING!

Some very powerful passages of Scripture are built around stark contrasts… I read one today during “coffee with the Lord” – Psalm 36. It features the ugliness of evil and the beauty of the Lord – the rotten lifestyle of the evil man and the majesty of God’s perfect character… Here is a taste of its contents…

“An evil man is rebellious to the core. He does not fear God, for he is too proud to recognize and give up his sin. The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful; he does not care about doing what is wise and right. He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed; he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; he does not reject what is evil.

It’s so easy to let the memory of special things slip!  We don’t mean to, but the vividness of special moments, special people, and special occasions can become intermittent memories to us if we’re not careful…

That’s why I’ve got pictures of my kids (and grandkids) … photos of my family in my wallet and on the wall in my office and at home… they even pop up on my computer screen.  That’s why I have a wedding ring on my left hand… remembering a special occasion, deep commitments, and my relationship to a wonderful spouse…

“Lord’s Supper” – “Communion” – the “Eucharist” is like that for me… (Just read about it again this morning during “coffee with the Lord”)…

“The Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread,  and after he had given thanks he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.’  In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.’  FOR EVERY TIME YOU EAT THIS BREAD AND DRINK THE CUP, YOU PROCLAIM THE LORD’S DEATH UNTIL HE COMES”  (from 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 the NET Bible)

Gotta tell you… that’s one occasion – one life-changing event – I never want to forget or let slip!  Every time I celebrate Lord’s Supper with fellow Christians, I want to pause, reflect, and let the vividness of what took place at the cross on my behalf (and yours) refresh my memory.  I want to pause and say “thank you Lord!”  I want it to be an opportunity to renew the depth of my commitment to Him!  I want to look back and remember what He did on my behalf… and I want to look forward to His promised return!

I know that I’m going to have several opportunities to do this as we move through Lent, Good Friday and Easter in the coming weeks… and there will be regular opportunities in the months ahead at the church I attend… I really need to “remember… until He comes!”  He’s special! And what He did is special (actually life-changing and world-changing!)… Just wait and see!!