Coffee With The Lord

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases! His mercies never come to an end! They are new every morning! Great is your faithfulness! ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD… For the Lord will not cast off forever! Though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love!” (From Lamentations 3:21–32 ESV)

At some time or other in our lives we will all experience the Lord’s discipline! … If we are His sons and daughters we will experience His discipline – Hebrews, in the Bible, declares it!

“Have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? They disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he 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 12:5–11 ESV)

Have I experienced it? Oh, yeah… I could tell you the stories! So what am I going to do… and what am I urging you to do? Confess your failures – your sin – and ask for forgiveness. Submit to the Heavenly Father, listen for His voice, learn from His discipline… And depend on the truth these passages declare – HE STILL LOVES YOU AND WANTS THE BEST FOR YOU!

Apostle Paul spoke about “the mystery of Christ” and said, “This mystery is that ‘the Gentiles’ are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel! Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of His power…to proclaim to ‘the Gentiles’ the unsearchable riches of Christ!” (from Ephesians 3:6-8)

In another place he declared: “Consider your calling! Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise! God chose what is weak to shame the strong! God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that that are not, to bring to nothing things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus… So let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord!” (From I Corinthians 1:26-31)

Oh, and one more came to mind… “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light! Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people! Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy!” (I Peter 2:9-10)

Included! Accepted!! On God’s team… the winning team! Dry your eyes! The little kid’s worship song I sang as a child comes to mind… “Jesus included me! Yes, He included me! When the Lord said, ‘whosoever’ [re. John 3:16] He included me!”