COFFEE ON THE DOCK

A common cry in the midst of battle is the command: “Hold the line!” From the earliest records of warfare, keeping a strong line is a critical element for supremacy over the enemy. Though I remain temporary captive to human frailty, I am never alone in this fight for spiritual advance. My Commander and Chief does not simply pass orders from above, but is also with me each day to my left and right, never, ever abandoning His position. Lord God Almighty, when I am weak Your strength brings victory. Human anxieties are put into retreat by Your all-surpassing power and unfailing love.

Spiritual immaturity seems to have no bounds, like a creaking door it just hangs around making itself heard. I was awakened today from the depths of sleep while still dreaming. In my dream I was silently being critical and judgmental of someone. Even in slumber unkind complaints vex my soul. May the devious snares of Darkness be undone and his instruments of evil be snatched away; the stumbling blocks of self-centered belligerence removed. Lord, my need for Your saving grace is constant. I awake yearning for the gentleness and maturing power of Your Fatherly love. 

Everything we do or say is seed in the ground; the people we meet, family, friends, co-workers, even strangers passing by are soil. We rarely know the full story of how our life impacts others, but it is sobering to realize there is a harvest, both good and bad from the seeds I have sown. In the case of the good seeds sown I pray for a bumper harvest. As for the bad seed, I pray for crop failure. Lord of Seedtime and Harvest, forgive me for forgetting how significant each action is. Help me display Your goodness to those You place in my path. May only good seed be spread from my life.

Selfishness, and the self-deception it generates, is incredibly powerful. It can easily turn liberty into indulgence, moderation into excess and freedom into irresponsibility. There can be no outward liberty without internal freedom. It is my own wandering heart that strips away my capacity to practice genuine liberty. God provides many pathways out of the valley of selfishness, none more effective than daily repentance and embrace of the cross-centered life. Master of All, help me to love You first and always. Deliver me from self-generated anarchy and grant me authentic liberty.

I’m standing just offstage and the curtain is about to rise on a brand new day. Past performance informs the moment, but this hour has never been, it is uncontaminated with the past. What is the full potential of this uncharted moment? Will I confidently step forward in fresh grace and opportunities, or will I drag yesterday’s shortcomings, misgivings and calamities into this unspoiled moment? Lord of New Beginnings, You have given me this new day. Let Your light wash over me. This new day is Your gift of life. May the glory of Your brightness be seen in me.

Great Britain suffered defeat in the first battles of World War II, retreating back to the Island nation in “The Miracle at Dunkirk.” To keep the enemy confused, road signs were removed in preparation for a Nazi invasion. Even the simplest conveniences of life must be sacrificed when war is impending. There should be no doubt that people of faith are under siege at this very moment. Spiritual forces of darkness are using culture, technology and hedonism as weapons. O Lord Our Victor, show me where in my life I am placing personal conveniences over preparations for vanquishing triumph over darkness.