Coffee With The Lord

What a wonderful, powerful, ALMIGHTY GOD we serve!

Every time I read Isaiah 44:24-28 in the Bible I am encouraged. This prophecy, given before Jerusalem was destroyed and the Babylonian captivity – 150 years before Cyrus lived and became king of Persia – predicted how God would use this Persian king to bring His people back to their homeland after His judgment, and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple!! Awesome!! Now, go ahead and read the prophecy below, and worship!! Nothing! Absolutely nothing is too hard for the Lord!! He knows the end from the beginning!!

“This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners… who carries out the words of His servants and fulfills the predictions of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited!’ Of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt!’ And of their ruins, ‘I will restore them!” … Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please!” (notice He is called by name 150 years before he is even born!) He (Cyrus) will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt! And of the temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid!’” (from Isaiah 44.24-28)

Wow!! This prophecy was fulfilled in detail! The Lord knows the end from the beginning and has the power to use even a pagan king to fulfill His plan. Praise the Lord!!

This post in “Coffee with the Lord” today is for those involved in Christian service. You’ll know what I am talking about…

Sometimes in service for our Lord, you will have had a very busy day of “ministry” … Things have happened that have produced emotional, physical and spiritual drain. YOU ARE “BONE TIRED!” You just feel like you need to get away for awhile … no people, no pressure, no one with needs … solitude! An opportunity to refresh and replenish would be wonderful! … You need some space, OK?!! And then there is a knock at the door… or the phone rings… or someone interrupts you in the hall…

I read these words this morning in the Bible about our Lord… John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin had just been beheaded… “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said… ‘send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away, YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT.” (Matthew 14.13-21)

My observation over many years of serving Jesus? SOMETIMES THE BIGGEST MIRACLES HAPPEN WHEN WE SERVE OTHERS EVEN WHEN WE’RE “BONE TIRED!” In this instance Jesus fed over 5,000 besides women and children (10,000 – 15,000 people probably!) on 5 small loaves and 2 fish with basketfuls left over! Hey, I’m not advocating foolishness – or saying you should never withdraw for rest (believe me, I’m not saying that)!! But I am saying sometimes the biggest miracles happen when we just go ahead and serve others even when we’re “bone tired”! I can tell you the stories!!

Ever had a really hard assignment (and this ol’ prof is not just talking about school assignments)? I mean work assignments or tasks, family issues to be resolved, relational assignments… and I could go on. Reflecting on your own personal resources and skill, the challenges of the task, the timeframe staring you in the face, the adversaries, and the prospect of success or failure, just flat out scared you to death!

Well, this morning I read of a challenge like that faced by Moses (and his brother Aaron) in the Bible… the passage? Exodus 6:26 – 7:6.

“It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, ‘Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.’ They were the ones who spoke to pharaoh, king of Egypt, about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt – this same Moses and Aaron!” (6:26-27)

Moses argued that he was not an adequate spokesperson… So God graciously provided Aaron. God warned Moses of Pharaoh’s hard heart and predicted that he would not listen. But God assured Moses that he would work signs and wonders and would deliver the children of Israel by “great acts of judgment! When completed, the Lord predicted, “The Egyptians would know that He was the Lord!”

Moses accepted the difficult (even the seemingly impossible) assignment and “DID JUST AS THE LORD COMMANDED HIM!”

What a pattern for us when we are faced with difficult things that are IN THE WILL OF GOD… Here’s what Apostle Paul declared in the midst of a difficult “assignment” (If you doubt it was an assignment read Philippians 1:12-18, especially these words in verse 16: “I am put here for the defense of the gospel.”) What was Paul’s overall declaration? “I can do all things through Him that strengthened/enables me!” (From Philippians 4:12-13)

Oh Lord, help me to live by that conviction and with that level of obedience!