Coffee With The Lord

Tomorrow I’ll do something I delight to do… TEACH God’s Word to some students preparing for Christian service! Few things are as gratifying to me as structuring a learning experience designed to help someone discover what the Bible teaches, implement it, and then see the light come on in their eyes as they experience insight and then finally apply the truth to their lives. I LOVE to see discovery and insight happen!! I don’t know how to say this appropriately so I’ll just say it… Seeing someone experience an “aha moment” in the study of God’s word “turns me on!” – It’s not heaven, but it comes close! I love to teach!!!

Yet today, in my Bible reading during “Coffee with the Lord,” I had a sobering moment… The Bible says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers (and sisters) for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness!” (James 3:1 ESV)

Teachers have got to be willing to accept the added burden of not only speaking truth, but living it! Teachers have got to realize it’s not enough to explain truth… our lives must model it! God helping me, I never want distort truth either with my words OR my life! I want the learning experiences I structure to not only be cognitive (lead to the intellectual grasp of truth) or the love and appreciation of truth (the affective embrace of truth)… I want desperately to be a living case study and example of the truth I teach (a behavioral model leading the way to the discipled life)!

Oh God help my teaching ministry to be more than “Blah, blah, blah” – words, words words and more words!” Help me take others by the hand and lead them to authentically follow in the footsteps of Jesus! Although it sobers me, I’ll accept the additional responsibility of being a teacher! I love to teach!

It was obvious that my dear friend had something on his mind – something important he wanted to say to me… “Got a minute? We need to talk!” He said. And what followed stung a little… but the medicine was delivered with love… And it helped… I’m the better for it! It made me a better person! It really ended up deepening, not damaging, our relationship.

Who do you have like that who has spoken somewhere, somehow, something significant into your life… even if it hurt for awhile? Ever told them how much it helped? How much you appreciate them taking the risk?

That scene and situation came to mind this morning as I read these wonderful words from Proverbs…

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy… Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” (from Proverbs 27:5–9 ESV)

Sometimes the words of a great worship song and what a passage of Scripture says just come together when you’re having devotions… That happened for me today…
I was reading the account of God’s covenant blessing upon King David… David had expressed a desire to “build a house” (a beautiful temple) for the Lord. The Lord had responded to the prophet, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: It is not you will build me a house to dwell in… I declare unto you that the Lord will build you a house!” (1 Chronicles 17:4 & 10) And between those two statements is a wonderful, awesome description of God’s covenant blessing, love and grace! (You really should read it in your Bible – It’s awesome!)
David’s response?
“And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant! … There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears! … And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken.” (from 1 Chronicles 17:16-27) David was blown away by God’s grace and goodness! He just sat down and offered prayer and praise!
I felt that way this morning when I thought about God’s blessing, grace and mercy upon my life! Oh yeah, the worship song that came to mind? Hillsong worship…
“When I Think about the Lord,
How He saved me, how He raised me,
How He filled me, with the Holy Ghost.
How He healed me, to the uttermost.
When I Think about the Lord,
How He picked me up and turned me around,
How He placed my feet on solid ground
It makes me wanna shout,
Hallelujah,
Thank you JESUS,
LORD, your worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor,
And all the praise…”