Coffee With The Lord

As we approach “Good Friday” perhaps the following reminder from Scripture is a healthy one for Christ followers… (Let the scene described play itself out in your imagination…)

“And He (Jesus) began to teach them (His disciples) that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’

“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’” (Mark 8:31–38 ESV)

I believe Jesus was genuinely concerned about the impact of Peter’s words – his protest of the teaching of Jesus about the necessity of “the cross” – on other Christ-followers (i.e. disciples). Point? A doctrine of self-preservation is dangerous to authentic discipleship!

What are you going to believe about what might happen to you? Some people encourage you and say everything is going to be ok – things are going to turn out good! Others warn you to watch out because things are bad and you might have to deal with disaster and trouble. You got friends – and you got enemies… What to believe? Who to believe?

I just read a Psalm in the Bible this morning that is connected to just such an issue… Psalm 54 that is associated with a story found in 1 Samuel 23:15-29.

King Saul had it in for David and was pursuing him to capture and kill him. Although he had been anointed by Samuel to be the next king David was running for his life – he had become a fugitive. Jonathan, King Saul’s son, was David’s dear friend. He came to David and encouraged him saying, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul, my father shall not find you! You will be king over Israel!” But the Zephites, among whom David was hiding, went to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh,” and offered to turn David over to them.

So the issue was… who was right? Which side would win out?

Psalm 54 tells us what David did…

First of all, he poured out his heart to the Lord in prayer: He said, “Oh God, save me, by your name, and vindicate me by your might! Oh God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth!”

Then he affirmed and confessed His trust in the Lord: “Behold, God is my helper – the Lord is the upholder of my life!

Then in faith, he vowed to praise God when deliverance came: “I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good! For He has delivered me from EVERY trouble, and my eye will look in triumph on my enemies!” (From Psalm 54, a Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave)

Hey, I think that’s a pretty good strategy when you’re not quite sure what is going to happen or how circumstances in your life will turn out! Don’t you?

I’m no horticulturalist, but even I have observed that it really matters where a plant puts down its roots! Good, rich soil, filled with nutrients and adequate moisture and the result is a flourishing plant and abundant fruit. On the other hand, put the same healthy stock in a salt flat, polluted and toxic soil with almost no moisture and what you see is sickly, shriveled and struggling plants that fail to produce anything. It really matters where the roots are located!

This is the picture behind God’s warning to His people through the prophet Jeremiah…

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.’” (Jeremiah 17:5–8 ESV)

I need to ponder the contrasting pictures! I want to heed the warning! I want the roots of my life deep within trust in God! Self-trust – trust in human ingenuity, resources, and ability proves deceptive – even destructive! Oh Lord, I want to keep the roots of my life deep within the rich, fertile soil you provide – unmoved and submitting to you the Divine gardener! That’s where I’ll flourish, be fruitful and fulfilled!