Coffee With The Lord

I happen to be married to a wonderful flower gardener!  My wife, Sharon has a wonderful way with flowers!  At the house where we lived in the country she cared for a wonderful “berm” filled with beautiful plants and shrubs (see video)!  Once a flower or shrub was planted by Sharon, it became an object of constant care and attention until it matured and became a thing of beauty!

Her care and concern came to mind as I read the following verses during my time of “coffee with the Lord” … They express the concern of an apostle about those who had recently come to faith in Christ and experienced “new birth” … gardener imagery and terminology are used to express Apostle Paul’s desire for growth and maturity in the lives of the believers in Colossae…

He urged them: “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (From Colossians 2:6-7)

If I were serving as a pastor today, I think I’d use these two verses as a “charge” I’d give those who had just come to faith in Christ and were following the Lord in water baptism.  Can you picture it? … As they came out of the waters of baptism I’d say to them… “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you have been taught, abounding with thanksgiving.”  I think It expresses beautifully what a spiritual leader with a “pastor’s heart” longs to see happen in the life of a brand new Christian! 

I LOVE THE BIBLE!!! (You guessed that, huh?! 🙂  Since beginning a daily time with the Lord in His word every day (over 57 years ago), I’ve discovered that it gives me spiritual nourishment, reliable guidance, therapeutic encouragement, direct correction when I need it, protection against temptation and sin, and a strong anchor in all that life brings my way…  (I probably could come up with more benefits – and so could you.  Those are the ones that came to mind this morning.)

As a result, when I read these words during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” this morning I found myself saying a hearty “AMEN!” to these words of the Psalmist…

“My heart stands in awe of Your words!  I rejoice at Your word like one who finds great spoil.  I love Your law! … Great peace have those who love Your law – nothing can make them stumble! … My soul keeps Your testimonies; I love them exceedingly!  I keep Your precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before You.”  (From Psalm 119:161-168)

I’ve got my Bible on my lap this morning and paused to just express my thanksgiving and gratitude to God for His wonderful word!  Hope you feel that way about the Bible as well!

How delicious and Spiritually nutritious is God’s Word!

“Consider how I love Your precepts! Give me life according to Your steadfast love!  The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever!”  (Psalm 119:159–160 ESV)