Coffee With The Lord

Oh, I want to be an obedient, wholehearted, follower of Jesus!! That is the “blessed” life! Those who live that way enjoy the goodness, the generosity and grace of God! I read the following words from Psalm 119:1-8 this morning during “coffee with the Lord” and embraced them while my whole heart…

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong but walk in His ways!”

And then the prayer that I made my own today…

“Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!”

I want to live that way, don’t you?!

This word… “LOVE” – has all kinds of associations, applications and usages (many of which have nothing to do with authentic love)!
“I just ‘love’ that dress, that activity, or that cuisine!” They made “love” to each other (…maybe or maybe not – could be nothing but biology, hormones, even victimization of another human being). Does “love” make promises of fidelity and faithfulness to a spouse and then break them with an adulteress affair? Does someone confess “love” to a friend and then “knife them in the back” with innuendo, gossip and libel? Does “love” abandon someone and forget them in an institution simply because “circumstances have changed”?

There’s a Bible word I came across in my Bible reading this morning during “Coffee with the Lord” that is a favorite for describing God’s love – real love! The Hebrew word is HESED and is often translated “steadfast love” in the Bible. It’s “covenant love” – NOT “fly-by-night” love, flimsy love, fleeting love, only “feeling love”! It’s the kind of love God has for us and Apostle Paul said this about it…

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Or distress? Or persecution? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or danger? Or sword? … NO! in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us! For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, no rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:35-39 ESV)

That’s the kind of love I read about today in Psalm 118…

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love (His HESED) endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love (His HESED) endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love (His HESED) endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love (His HESED) endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man… I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation… You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love (His HESED) endures forever!” (from Psalm 118)

I don’t know about you, but I want to experience that kind of love! I want that kind of love change how I think about love! I want to exemplify that kind of love! Oh Lord, may Your “steadfast love” become more and more the kind of love I demonstrate!

Answered prayer!  How absolutely delightful when God does it!  The crisis may be critical – the need desperate – the situation seem hopeless.  We cry out to the Lord and He heeds our cry, answers our prayer, and rescues us!  Don’t you love Him for that?!  Oh how many times He’s done it … and just in the nick of time.

Other times we faced what seemed to be impossible situations and were convinced we did not have the strength to sustain us or could not hold out through the crisis.  Again we cried out to Him for help and months later we looked back and to our surprise we had traversed the stormy waters successfully with the strength, guidance and wisdom He provided.  Again… Don’t you just love Him for that?!

There’s a psalm for that – Psalm 116!

“I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.  Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.  The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the LORD: ‘O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!

“Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful!  The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me…

“What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people! … I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD!  I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people! … Praise the LORD!!”