Coffee With The Lord

I guess I am just a visual guy… I read Psalm 18 this morning and a graphic scene came to mind… A victim struggling in swirling, violent, treacherous waters of a terrible storm at sea… All hope seems gone! Death seems certain! Desperate cries of despair can be barely heard above the howling, fiendish wind and roaring waves!! In sweeps a huge, powerful, apocalyptic-Divine rescuer who reaches down and snatches the victim from the terrifying waters and flies away to a place of peace and safety!!! Kind of a combination of scenes from an evening news weather feature or an epic movie…

Here’s the deal… scenes like that – and language like that are found in your Bible! In fact, it is used to describe how the Living God rescues us when we are in deep distress!! Psalm 18 describes it (you should read it for yourself… I did!) How encouraging! I can only give you a taste of it here…

“I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise and I have been saved from my enemies! … In my distress I called to the Lord! I cried to my God for help! From His temple he heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears! … He parted the heavens and came down … He reached down from on high and took hold of me! He drew me out of the deep waters! He rescued me from my powerful enemy – from my foes, who were too strong for me. He brought me out into a spacious place! He rescued me because he delighted in me!” (from Psalm 18.1-19 NIV)

I appreciate and identify with the scene, believe me! … It describes how I felt when the Lord rescued me from the deadly consequences of my sin! It also vividly captures other situations and times of distress when the Lord has “come through” for me. I’ve heard some of your rescue stories as well… Just take it from me, the Lord is in the “rescue” business! He can do it! … And has!!! Do I hear someone’s cry?

There are some wonderful passages that speak of a future day for God’s people… Isaiah 54 is one of those passages! Always worth an encouraging read! I am aware it was originally inspired to and through the prophet Isaiah to God’s people Israel who were suffering terribly at the hands of a pagan nation for their rebellion and sin… But its message applies to God’s people today (and in the future) who will face suffering! I read it this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” and jotted this in my journal… OH WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY IN THE FUTURE FOR GOD’S PEOPLE!!!

I am placing words from it here today for your reflection and encouragement…

“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy!… Enlarge the place of your tent… For you will spread out to the right and to the left… Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth…

“For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The Lord will call you back…

“’For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back! In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord your Redeemer. ‘To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed!’” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

“’Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace. In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you!

“’No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.” (Adapted from Isaiah 54 NIV for reading and reflection)

All I can say is “Wow, Praise the Lord!” I’m looking forward to that day!!