Coffee With The Lord

The “laments” are a type of poetic literature in the Bible used by the ancients to express their sorrow, grief, loss, pain, frustration (… even anger). I read one this morning – Psalm 56 – and thought of the many situations in life this might apply to… You might be going through one of them right now! The Psalmist cried out…“O God, have mercy on me! People are hounding me! My foes attack me all day long!” Anyone identify?

But listen to what the Psalmist says…

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You! I will praise God for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? … This I know: God is on my side! I praise God for what He has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what He has promised!” (Psalm 56.3-4, 9-10 NLT)

Did you pick up on it… three times in this passage!! “I will praise God for what He has promised!” When you feel hounded and attacked the Bible recommends encouraging yourself in the promises of God! There are a lot of things I might be tempted to do it those kinds of situations… things that probably wouldn’t contribute to any kind of a solution – in fact they probably would exacerbate them – just make them worse. I want to do something that helps! Think I’ll “praise the Lord for what He has promised”!

One of the toughest things to handle is accusation – unjust accusation! It stings – it hurts! Every cell in our psyche wants to retaliate! How could they do this to me?! And worse yet, sometimes the attack comes from a so-called “friend!”

That’s the situational context behind Psalm 55 – my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” this morning… (Listen, someone who is going through that kind of crisis, needs the inspired words – the Godly instruction of this Psalm today!)

The issue… How to respond in a Godly way when it happens to YOU! Here’s an excerpt from the Psalm that I believe gives us guidance… (It comes as a prayer and a word of assurance…)

“Give ear to my prayer, O God – hide not Yourself from my plea for mercy! Attend to me [i.e.. Pay attention to my prayer] and answer me!

“It is not an enemy who taunts me – then I could bear it! It is not an adversary who deals insolently with me – then I could hide from him! But it is my equal, my companion, my familiar friend! We used to take sweet counsel together, within God’s house…

“But I call to God, and the Lord will save me! Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and He hears my voice!

“OH CAST YOUR BURDEN ON THE LORD, AND HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU! HE WILL NEVER PERMIT THE RIGHTEOUS TO BE MOVED!” (From Psalm 55)

Seems like a good solution to me! Find a private place for prayer… pour out you heart – your feelings to the Lord! Ask Him to help you – defend you – guide you! Put it all in the Lord’s hands! Trust him to act on your behalf! He will!!!

I heard a frustrated voice beside me utter these words: “Whose idea was this anyway!?” Someone had taken it upon themselves to do something ill advised, marked by foolish self-will, and problematic for others! Not a good idea – a foolish frustration producer!

Hey, it really matters whose idea something is – God’s idea or ours!

I read about it this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord”– Number 1 in your Bible. God had ordered a census – It was HIS idea – it was God’s idea and command!

“The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, ‘Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.’”

But in another location at a later time a census was merely a human idea. In fact it was King David’s prideful idea and it resulted in judgment and loss of life (read it for yourself in 2 Samuel 24). David’s key military leader, Joab, tried to talk King David out of doing it, but David was in no frame of mind to listen… Sinful, self-will!!

Listen, If something is God’s idea and command it must be followed! If it is merely a human idea, generated by arrogance, self-will and pride, not only does God frustrate such plans, it often results in His discipline and judgment.

Just take it from me – I WANT TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT ISSUE!