Coffee With The Lord

No parent is perfect.  We’ve all made mistakes at times when we were disciplining our children (embarrassing ones)!  I’m always reminded of this when I’m watching NFL football on television… (Have you noticed how the officials always seem to penalize the 2^nd guy – the one who retaliated to the player who started the fracas?).  It’s a testimony to God’s help and grace that our children turn out ok and do not have deep emotional scars, given the imperfection of our parenting skills!  Let’s face it, we’re not perfect or consistent in our discipline as parents (we’re working on it, … but we’re not perfect!)  Apologies for mistakes made to my children go right here!!

But I know someone who is perfect in His discipline – our Heavenly Father!  I read the following words this morning during “coffee with the Lord” and paused to offer Him thanks for His purposes in my life!!

For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but [our Heavenly Father] disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:10-11 ESV)

I may not understand what He is doing in my life (I probably won’t)!  I may protest, complain and even disagree!  But His purposes are good, His plan is perfect, and His motives are pure!  I am reminded this morning of what the Lord told His people in the Old Testament as they entered 70 years of very painful discipline – as exiles in Babylon… “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 19:11)  I’ve just got to believe that!!

Ever sit in on a looooooong presentation or lecture and find yourself saying, “What’s the point here anyway?” It might have some very interesting anecdotes, stories, principles and instruction, but nothing the presenter has said clearly ties it all together and gives it a purpose. (Hint: I’ve set in on a few classes like that… and even some sermons with that flaw.)

The Gospel of John in the Bible might be criticized for that (lots of awesome miracle stories called “signs,” great teaching a the person called Jesus, plenty of dialog with religious leaders and “disciples” … but “bottom line” – what’s the point?

Now I’ve personally never felt John’s gospel was pointless! In fact all along the way the point – the purpose – grows on you! This Jesus – all He did and taught – is powerful and magnetic! It draws you in – you want to know more! You’d like to have met (and followed) Jesus personally! And you’ve got some questions you’d like to get answered! Furthermore there’s a challenging word that keeps popping up all along the way… “believe!”

Hey, John is NOT going to leave you in doubt about his purpose… He has an agenda for it all! I read about it this morning in John 20:30-31! Here it is “up front” and clearly stated…

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book! BUT THESE ARE WRITTEN SO THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, AND THAT BY BELIEVING YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME!”

There it is… and I’ve got to tell you every time I read the Gospel of John there is something about all that it contains that powerfully draws me in! I find all that Jesus did and taught incredibly powerful – I find myself believing on Him (especially in light of the record of His suffering and death on my behalf and His resurrection from the dead!) Hey, here’s one voice that testifies that the declared purpose of the book is true from personal experience! Believe me, it’s worth a read (in fact several reads)!

An adage we sometimes hear when a son follows in his father’s foolish and sinful ways is… “LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.” Sometimes it turns out that way (and more often than we would like to admit – almost becomes a trend) – but, praise the Lord, it doesn’t have to be that way! And the account of Josiah in 2 Kings 22-23 in your Bible proves it!

Josiah’s grandfather was the incredibly wicked king Manasseh… followed by the equally wicked Amon… You would have expected compounded wickedness in Josiah, wouldn’t you, given his legacy? But no!! The Bible says Josiah “did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.” (22.2) And then what follows in the Bible is one of the most thorough records of spiritual reform anyone initiated and led in all of the Bible! Josiah didn’t just “kind’a – sort’a” lead the nation in reform! He did it with dedication, conviction and thoroughness … like a “spiritual pit bull”. (I mean, read it in your Bible! You’ll be impressed!!) In fact the final analysis of Josiah’s reign in 2 Kings 22.25 reads like this… “Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since!”

Wow! Gives me hope!! SONS DO NOT HAVE TO BE LIKE THEIR WEAK AND WICKED FATHERS! My prayer? Oh God, turn around the wickedness of our generation! Help a generation of young godly men and women to arise that “beat the odds” and lead our nation back to God and righteousness!!