Coffee With The Lord

Metamorphosis … the miracle of transformation that takes place when a caterpillar goes through a process (a metamorphosis) and becomes a beautiful butterfly (see the pic).

Was reminded of that miraculous process as I read 2 Corinthians 3:18 this morning during “coffee with the Lord!”

We, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed (the Greek word is interestingly enough METAMORPHOO/METAMORPHOUMETHA – transliterated) into the same image (Christ’s likeness) from one degree of glory to another.  This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (a transformation worked from within us by the Holy Spirit).

Wow!  I’d say that miracle eclipses the wonder of what even happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly!  In this case sinners become saints – Christ-rejecters become Christlike!  It doesn’t happen all at once – just like the metamorphosis of the butterfly, it’s a process.  Becoming Christlike isn’t necessarily easy either – there’s some pain and transforming pressure that takes place.  It’s an inside – out thing… death to self – alive to Christ!  Now we’re in process… we’re becoming!  But one day we shall be like Him!  Praise the Lord!

How did the old worship song put it?

“From glory to glory He’s changing me,

Changing me, changing me;

His likeness and image to perfect in me,

The love of God shown to the world.

For He’s changing, changing me!

From earthly things to the heavenly!

His likeness and image to perfect in me,

The love of God shown to the world!”

It’s been a tragic week in our country… Riots in our cities, tragic loss of life, inflammatory rhetoric, tense court cases, crisis at our borders, and other events in our nation (some of which we may not even be aware of).  As painful and tragic as these events are, perhaps God is using them to call His people to put 2 Chronicles 7:14 into practice!

“If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and I will heal their land.”

My Bible reading this morning included Psalm 60 which seemed appropriate in light of what has transpired in the past weeks and months.  Let the truth of it grip your heart as it did mine this morning and see if you don’t find its message appropriate and challenging…

^“God! you walked off and left us, kicked our defenses to bits and stalked off angry. Come back. Oh please, come back!  You shook earth to the foundations, ripped open huge crevasses. Heal the breaks! Everything’s coming apart at the seams.  You made your people look doom in the face, then gave us cheap wine to drown our troubles.  Then you planted a flag to rally your people, an unfurled flag to look to for courage.  Now do something quickly, answer right now, so the ones you love best are saved… You aren’t giving up on us, are you, God? …  Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless.   In God we’ll do our very best; he’ll flatten the opposition for good.” (from Psalm 60 The Message paraphrase)

One thing for sure… I don’t want this nation that I love to fit the description God gave of Judah in Jeremiah 22.21: He said, “I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’  This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me!”

“You aren’t giving up on us, are you God?  Give us help… human help is worthless!”

He was emphatic… “I don’t want to hear it!”  Someone had just delivered some “tough love news” (a judge and jury) – It wasn’t going to end up like he had hoped!  There were consequences to some bad decisions and actions!  His mistakes had driven him to his knees in prayer and repentance!  That was good… But there were consequences!  Unfortunately, someone who claimed to be speaking for God had led him to believe a miracle would occur and there would be a speedy trial, a light sentence, and he would be quickly released.  But it wasn’t going to work out that way!  Fortunately, a godly chaplain and pastor, were on hand to affirm God’s love, God’s ultimate purposes, and God’s faithfulness, in the face of a huge disappointment!

It’s a story very much like one of the most misinterpreted and misapplied verses in the Bible – Jeremiah 29:11 is the verse often misinterpreted and misapplied (ignoring its context)… Jeremiah 29:6-14 helps provide the context…

Here is Jeremiah 29:11 (the verse often taken out of context)!  The prophet Jeremiah’s reassuring message from the Lord:  “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope!”

Here is the context: “Jeremiah 29:8–14 (ESV)

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in My name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.’  For thus says the Lord: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.’”

Here’s the truth of the passage, as difficult as it is to accept…

Sometimes we have to accept things that we don’t want to accept!  Sometimes is our own fault we have to accept those things (in this case it was the consequences of persistent rebellion and sin on the part of Judah).  Sometimes what we have to accept runs counter to what everyone else is trying to tell us (and they may be telling us deliverance from the consequences of our actions will come quickly).

But, the fact is, God is in it all and His purposes are good and faithful – God is at work through it all for our good.  What we may be going through right now is not the end of the matter!  It is because of the Lord we have a future and a hope – His plans for our lives include our ultimate welfare!  Praise the Lord!