Coffee With The Lord

GUILT… A “nagging nuisance” … No, more than that, visit with a professional counselor/therapist, they confirm it can cause significant and harmful psychological/emotional…even physical problems.  And the sad reality?  Guilt is more often than acknowledged, very real!

The issue?  How to deal with it!  Real guilt cannot be “therapied” away – it must be dealt with!  King David, in Psalm 51 in the Bible, provides an effective model.  He had committed adultery, plotted a killing, covered it up, heard the verdict, “YOU are the man!” …and felt the terrible stab of guilt (read it for yourself in 2 Samuel 11:1 – 12:15)

I hate to admit it, but might as well… I’ve had to make David’s prayer in Psalm 51 my prayer more often than I’d like to acknowledge!   Covering up sin doesn’t help…  “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 ESV).   ACKNOWLEDGING MY SIN TO GOD AND ASKING HIM TO FORGIVE ME HAS BEEN THE ONLY EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO DEAL WITH GUILT THAT I’M AWARE OF… (“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess (acknowledge) our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1.8-9)

So here are David’s words from Psalm 51 that I read again this morning during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” … (Words, I’ve had to make my own on more occasions than I’d like to admit).  …Words you might want to keep handy, if you’re at all like me …Words, that if you pray them sincerely from your heart, God has promised to honor and heed!!

 ^“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight… Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me… You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”  (From Psalm 51)

Materialism is a trap – a delusion.  We think we “can take it with us” … fact is, we can’t.  The only thing that really matters is what endures beyond the grave – eternal values!!  Thought deeply about that today as I read this passage this morning during “coffee with the Lord”!  (Some posts just don’t need much comment J)

 “Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike:  My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding…

“Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me— those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?  No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them— the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough— so that they should live on forever and not see decay.  

“For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others.  Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.  People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish.  This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings…

“But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; He will surely take me to himself!   Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them… People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.” (from Psalm 49 NIV)

What’s your favorite city? Why did you select it… the food, the entertainment, your experience with friendly, helpful people; or perhaps the fact that you lived there once? How about your least favorite city? Why did you select that one? (Let’s not go there, eh?  )

This morning in my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” I read about “Zion”… favorite city of the ancient people of God – the Jewish nation. For them (and in the Bible) an idealized city, representative of a future city – “the New Jerusalem” – eternal home of the righteous and God’s eternal abiding place! Psalm 48 talks about – a “song of Zion”!!

“Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress… As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah

“We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Let Mount Zion be glad! … Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, (i.e. consider her beauty – her qualities) that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.” (From Psalm 48 ESV)

All of this reminded me of some of the words of an old gospel song….

“Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.

“Let those refuse to sing,
Who never knew our God;
But children of the heav’nly King
May speak their joys abroad.

“The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets
Before we reach the heav’nly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.

“Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground
To fairer worlds on high.

o Refrain:
“We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.”

-Isaac Watts, 1707

The book of Revelation puts it this way…

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” (Revelation 21:2–4 ESV)