Coffee With The Lord

I don’t think we have any idea how healthy we would be physically, emotionally, socially AND spiritually if we truly pursued the obedient lifestyle the following passage of Scripture advocated! 

“There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.’” (Exodus 15:25–26 ESV)

Listen, I am aware this is an Old Testament passage spoken to the nation of Israel, God’s ancient covenant people… but I am also aware that a righteous lifestyle is a holistically healthy lifestyle!  I’m pursuing it… How about you?!  Let’s see if it works for us… Shall we?

What is the proper response when God gives you a marvelous victory?

How’s this for an example… “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.  Israel saw the great power that the Lord used agains the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord…

“Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord…

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously! … The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him… The Lord is his name… Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy… Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? … You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode… The Lord will reign forever and ever!”

“Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. And Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.’”

(from Exodus 15:1–21 ESV)

Seems to me THAT is the proper response! 

Just finished reading a passage of Scripture that brought to mind a playground scene I experienced as a boy… They were choosing up sides for a softball game.  Two playground leaders – really good players – began the process of selecting their teams.  First of all the best were chosen – the most talented – the most popular.  Then the average players – the “no-names” – went next.  Then the rest of us – the ones nobody wanted on his or her team were selected last.  Do you ever recall a scene like that on the playground as a child?

Good news!  That is NOT how God selects His team!  The Bible clearly states (and the case studies abound) that the Lord doesn’t call out or choose the wise, the talented, the influential, and the rich first and foremost for His team … In fact He delights in selecting the ones the world would choose last – first!  Here is how apostle Paul was inspired to say it in the Bible…

“Consider your calling: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, SO THAT NO HUMAN BEING MIGHT BOAST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.  And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘LET THE ONE WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’” (1 Corinthians 1:26–31 ESV)

Just gotta say… For a pimple-faced farm kid from a little “no-name” town in Western Montana, whose graduating class was only about 40 students, who never was able to play sports because of “chores” and who attended a little Pentecostal church that never ran over 60 … those verses have given me a lot of hope!  He selected me!!  Anyone else out there feel a witness?!