Coffee With The Lord

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)

Oh Lord, help me to always “love” like this… “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7 ESV)

Sometimes when I’m doing a “Coffee with the Lord” post from my early morning devotions, I get a “nudge” that seems to indicate… “Keep it short and let the God’s word speak for itself!”  Today was such a day… SOMEONE needed this “straight from God’s word!

I’d title it “Oh God… HELP!!! (…and Thank You!!!”

“I waited patiently for the Lord;

He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog,

         And set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

         Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

Blessed is the person who makes the Lord his trust!

You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

Your wondrous deeds and Your thoughts toward us;

None can compare with You!

         I will proclaim and tell of them,

Yet they are more than can be told!

I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart!”

I have not hidden Your deliverance within my heart;

I have spoken of Your faithfulness and your salvation;

         I have not concealed Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness

from the great congregation!

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!

O Lord, make haste to help me!

But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You!

         May those who love Your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me.

         You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!

(Selected verses from Psalm 40 ESV)