COFFEE ON THE DOCK

Our whereabouts are not our choice alone. The Patriarch Abraham recognized the importance of hearing and obeying God’s directive voice. He was called to a faraway place where his inheritance awaited his arrival. While it was unknown to Abraham, God had already chosen and made holy the ground where he was being sent. Obedience without hesitation meant Abraham ended up WHERE he was supposed to be, WHEN he was supposed to be there. Lord, may I never miss Your Voice calling me to a new place of trust and obedience. And may I never delay arrival to Your chosen moment. 

A rocky mountainside, a bush on fire, these were seemingly unremarkable things, but on a fateful day on Mount Sinai the ordinary was transfigured into the miraculous. God’s Manifest Presence transformed run-of-the-mill dirt into sacred ground, a fugitive into a deliverer and a shepherd into a prophet. Moses was simply fulfilling his daily duties as a sheepherder when a glance up radically changed everything. Majestic Lord and Father, nothing is ordinary when infused with Your Presence and Power. Help me to turn aside in the midst of the commonplace and see Your Glory today.

I often struggle with the contradictions of carrying such wondrous eternal treasures in an earthen jar of human weakness. Fatigue suppresses faithfulness. Weariness awakens selfishness and drains away kindness and consideration for others. It also indicates self-dependence as opposed to full surrender to God’s strengthening power. When love languishes, God faithfully reminds me why I serve in the first place. Father, I owe You everything and I owe others Your love and kindness on which I necessarily depend. Revive my heart with fresh fire from above.

We live in an era when there is a growing chasm between words and actions. It seems the proliferation of so many gadgets for 24/7 communications has worsened the problem. The sheer volume of things said so easily to so many contributes to falsehood. There is no duplicity in God, what He says, He does. He ”watches over His Word to perform it.” It is time to say less and do more. Lord of Truth and Action, help me to live by deeds rather than mere words. Purge from me all that is false. May my love for others be honest and my words bathed in wisdom, grace and integrity.

As a child I neither liked nor disliked road trips. They were simply different than my normal routines and required dealing new awareness. Many hours were spent assimilating quickly passing scenery into my little world. Life can come at you very fast. Things change, that’s it. It sometimes feels like I am still a five-year old with my arm out the window of a car trying to grasp the wind; lot’s of action and movement, little but the immediate experience to show for it. Having a Solomon moment here, so the conclusion: ”Fear God and keep His commandments.” Lord, that is enough. I am ready for another day. 

Watching a kite soaring high while still bound to earth put me to thinking, the disciplines that at times tie me down are actually designed by God to lift me higher. Left to the wind alone a kite will fly but soon crash. The string that holds it back actually gives it lift as it is let out slowly, the wind carrying it to dizzying heights. In the same manner, left to my own devices I too will crash. It is both the wisdom of God and the goodness of God to tie me to certain restraints. Father, thank you for the commitments I sometimes resent. With Your binding hand and lifting breath, there are no limits.

Unforgiveness doesn’t simply lay dormant in our soul. It actively acquires additional space, builds walls and locks away our capacity to openly love. Why do we choose to remain tortured in a prison of indignation when we can run free? We each have a right to resentment since no one can take it away without our permission. Therefore, I may stew in a self-generated caldron of bitterness as long as I like or I can cancel the debt. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a conscious decision that I can make at any moment. Lord, You forgave us me of so much, help me release the power of pardon to others. 

The walk of faith carries us down many solitary paths. Daily, personal obedience can seem lonely since it is custom designed by God specifically for each of us. Even those closest to us may not be able to follow along. The human soul can feel secluded and abandoned, even while surrounded by throngs of others, yet fully satisfied solely in the presence of just one; “THE ONE.” Heavenly Father, help me today to walk in private fidelity.   Keep my eyes upon You and my heart free from disappointment when others cannot tread hallowed ground where only I am called to stand. 

I am encouraged to know that I am living according to a divinely guided plan that is directed from outside of my circumstances. The purposes of God are unaffected by the daily challenges this world presents. He simply works everything out according to His purposes. God never panics, never feels incapable and is never confused or deceived. Why would I ever want to run things without Him? Strangely, after many self-generated disasters, I still prefer to direct things myself. Blessed Lord, help me accept Your ways and means. Cure my folly and lead me to full surrender to Your sovereign authority.

Faith, that joyful certitude that unlocks heaven’s rewards is never bound to earthly circumstances. Faith unleashes divine promises, matchless wisdom, clarity of vision and a steady walk through the unseen. If a mustard seed’s portion can toss a mountain into the sea, then it can certainly clear our way forward. Through faith I find refuge in blessed assurance, triumphant peace in the midst of storms and laughter in the face of adversity. Lord of Hope, Your Words are the fountainhead of faith, therefore I will meditate daily on Your Holy Declarations. By faith, in faith and through faith I will march forward.