Coffee With The Lord

I was in the 6th grade… in Ms. McElroy’s class… I was doing pretty good… I’d “aced” a few exams, done pretty good at diagramming a few sentences on the board, I’d raised my hand in class to answer a few questions… and even got ‘em right! (Ms. McElroy even smiled at me with approval!!) I’m “on a roll” I thought!! Pretty smart!! Gett’n a little “cocky” … I think she (Ms. McElroy) realized it…

Next day in class… I was whispering to a buddy of mine while Ms. McElroy was trying to teach… She looked directly a me… “LeRoy, can you answer that question?! (I admit it, I didn’t have a clue what the question was, let alone the answer!!) Then she erupted!!! One question after another!… tough questions!! Rapid fire!! No mercy!! Bartel? HUMBLED!! (and he deserved it!!)

I thought of that 6th grade episode this morning as I read Job 38 (and scanned Job 39). God addresses Job… (Now Job is a righteous guy! He’d been through a lot! Had to listen to a lot of self-righteous palaver! But even righteous guys now and then need to be “brought down a peg or two”)…

“Then the Lord spoke to Job… Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me! (Then one rapid fire question after another…) “Where were you?! … Tell me if you understand! Who… Who… Have you…? Tell me if you know all this? Can you…? Do you know…? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?” On and on rapid fire! (Job 38-39)

Now, it’s one thing to experience Ms. McElroy rapid fire… It’s another thing to experience God firing one question after another at you!! It caused Job at the end of the book to say, “I know that You can do all things! No purpose of Yours can be thwarted! You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand! Things too wonderful for me to know! You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears have heard of You but now my eyes have seen You! Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes!” (Job 41.1-6)

When I’m tempted to get a little cocky… a little arrogant… a little “know it all” … it might be a good idea to re-read Job 38-40.

Reminds me of another verse in the Bible (found in two locations) “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4.6; 1 Peter 5.5 … probably a paraphrase of Proverbs 3.34)

Posh place, palace or prison… it doesn’t matter!  God is able to bless those who are faithful with His favor!  Consider a “case study” – Joseph in the Bible:  In Potiphar’s house as a servant… “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man… His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed!”  But also as a prisoner… “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.  And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison.  Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.  The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him and whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed!” (From Genesis 39)

Sometime in our lives we will all face something that is absolutely terrifying to us – a situation that produces dread in our hearts! Isaiah 33 raises that issue for God’s people Israel… The “destroyer” in this passage was probably “Assyria.”  Assyria, in the ancient world, was the early purveyor of what some in the military have labeled “shock and awe.” Their methods of warfare were notoriously cruel. They raped, pillaged and tortured their victims. God allowed them to be the agent of judgment upon His people for their sin…

In the face of that terrifying situation Isaiah voices a prayer on behalf of a righteous minority in the nation… He cried out, “But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for You! Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble!” (Isaiah 33.2 NLT).

Those words give voice to a prayer that I have prayed… and will need to pray sometime in the future in a terrifying situation. Perhaps you’re facing one right now! Perhaps it is a dreadful situation of your own making … Perhaps it isn’t.  Doesn’t matter… PRAY THE PRAYER!! God will help you! He will sustain you!! He will be “your strong arm each day and your salvation in times of trouble!”