Coffee With The Lord

How we get along with “one another” is big in the Bible!!  God cares very much about the “one another” part of our lives (not just the vertical aspect of our lives we express in worship).  In fact, the Bible teaches, that trouble at the horizontal level has a big impact on the vertical! 

Just read a passage this morning that emphasizes a lot of “one another” stuff … (Here’s the inspired list)…

Romans 12:9–21 (NIV)

-Love must be sincere.

-Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

-Be devoted to one another in love.

-Honor one another above yourselves.

-Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

-Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

-Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

-Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

-Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

-Live in harmony with one another.

-Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

-Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

-Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.

-If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

-Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath…

-On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink…

-Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I’m so grateful that I have a personal relationship with God!  But I don’t want to neglect my relationship with others!!  Gotta remember God cares about it – He cares about both the vertical and horizontal aspects of my life!! 

So here’s what I wrote in the margin of my Bible this morning as a prayer… “Oh Lord, by your Spirit remind me when I am tempted to behave inappropriately to those around me… remind me of my responsibility to these “one another” Scriptures!”  Hey, the Holy Spirit makes God’s word PERSONAL!

In some respects I must be a visual learner or I just have a very vivid imagination! There are passages in God’s word that just trigger a kind of internal video camera in my brain and I can almost visualize in vivid color scenes described in Scripture! This morning during “coffee with the Lord” was one of those times… again! Job 28 is one of my all-time favorite passages in the Bible and every time I read it that video thing happens in my head! I picture a powerful video presentation that moves from one scene to another in this marvelous passage as a wonderful, deep, resonant voice of a capable interpretive reader narrates this passage. Awe com’on, read the passage for yourself and imagine that happening!! Some of you creative sorts with the tools of media that exist today could make this great passage just LIVE!!!

I don’t have enough space here to include the entire passage but I’ll give you the core truth of the passage…

Job catalogs the exploits of humanity – what people search for, accomplish and do. Then he asks, “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its worth and it is not found in the land of the living…” Job then imagines the various aspects of creation itself answering over and over again, “It is not with me… it can’t be gotten here, it’s value exceeds what I can offer for it!” And again the question is asked… “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air. Abaddon and death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’ But God understands the way to it! He knows its place! … He saw it and declared it! He established it, and searched it out! He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear (or reverence) of the Lord, THAT is wisdom! And to turn away from evil is understanding!’” (from Job 28 ESV)

Oh what a passage!!! What a noble quest – to discover, to grasp, to embrace wisdom! Reverencing God – bowing before Him in humble worship and adoration is where our quest for wisdom should begin! That attitude not only opens the door to the discovery of wisdom … it is the ongoing attitude that causes all of life and eternity to become one grand revelation of an infinite God and all he has created!

My prayer? Here I am Lord, I love You, I worship You, I reverence you, I open myself up to you in a faith embrace … BLOW MY MIND!!! GIVE ME WISDOM!!!

(A repost from a former “Coffee with the Lord on a favorite passage)

I really don’t know how to express what I’m feeling this morning as a result of spending time with the Lord in His word!!  I just finished reading a passage from Job 26.7-14 and then Apostle Paul’s doxology in Romans 11.33-36 after he had reflected on God’s marvelous plan to save humanity… Both passages left me in awe!!!  I’ll post them for you without comment for you to read for yourself below. 

Maybe a picture will help you understand though…  Anyone who has ever been to Petra in Jordan will know the experience I’m talking about… You walk down a long, narrow passage with towering stone walls on each side (not very pleasant if you have claustrophobia! 🙂  Then your guide, dramatically stops, makes a few comments about the history of the place, takes you a few steps forward and suddenly you catch just a glimpse of one of the grandest sights on planet earth… but it is just a glimpse (look at the picture).  A few more steps and you are simply blown away by the grandeur of it all!!

Enough said… Here is what Job said…

^“He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing.  He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them.  He covers the face of the full moon and spreads over it his cloud.  He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.  The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke.  By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab.  By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.  Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?” (Job 26:7–14 ESV)

And this is how Apostle Paul exploded in worship!!

 ^“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!  For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?  Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?  For from him and through him and to him are all things! To him be glory forever. Amen!!”  (Romans 11:33–36 ESV)

Wow!!!  I’m in awe… and worshipping!!!