COFFEE ON THE DOCK

A heart demarcated by God cannot ignore the helpless or persecuted; the Lord Himself takes up the cause of the needy and broken. If I do not speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves or work for the good of those being unfairly crushed then I deny the very essence of the Shepherd of Our Souls. God is holy and just, but He is equally kind, caring and gentle; all these are necessary characteristics for a child of God. Lord, You are Good and Merciful; release Your benevolence and goodwill through me to others. Give me wisdom to act fairly and a voice devoid of selfish motives. 

A large oak tree is a majestic sight, its branches spreading high into the sky and reaching out all around. But that is only half of the story. Its root system is as large underground as its girth above ground. As with a huge building, the visible structure is only as strong as its foundation. So it is with life on this earth. What is visible to others is only half the story. If we are rooted in shallow ground our future is weak and unsteady. If our foundation is God’s Word and Will we are positioned for eternity. Father, You are the only sure foundation, keep me rooted in You alone. All other ground is sinking sand.  

Honesty with others is dependent upon openness to God. Since He knows all things it seems wholly unreasonable that I would attempt to close any part of my will to His Presence, but honesty does not come easily since it always requires change. For our own sake He will accept nothing less than humble submission, therefore pretense must be painfully stripped away, piece by piece and shades of truth renounced, no exceptions. Lord of Truth and Light, eradicate every shadow in me. Let Your radiance bathe every crevasse, every corner. Lord, I rejoice in Your Light, help me walk in it today.

Every season of life brings its own joys and disappointments; however, letdowns seem to accrue more easily than gladness. The Psalms reveal King David as a man of profound faith, yet he found it necessary to remind himself of God’s blessings and to command his own soul to praise God. A quick inventory of things for which I can be thankful ignites my heart, releasing joy and praise in every circumstance. I must lift my eyes from the temporal pains and look to the Giver of Life. O Lord my God, my heart is jubilant as I contemplate Your Goodness, which bestows incorruptible gladness. 

Love and hatred are similar in one way; they both have no limits. While we have each felt at least a little bit of the all-consuming power of hatred, we have almost no experience with unlimited love. This is why we struggle with the amazing love of God. Can He really love without limits? The Bible states it clearly: “God is love.” Since He doesn’t “have” love, but rather, “is” love, to limit His love would be to deny who He is. Lord God Almighty, I want to understand the depths of Your love and offer it freely to others. Teach me to receive and give of Your boundless, immeasurable, inexhaustible love. 

A stroll on a sandy beach provides hidden treasures placed there by the creative forethought of God. The ebb and flow of tides opens the treasury of the seas for those who stroll along the shore. God sees to it that each day offers the same to all mankind, wherever we are on earth; hidden treasures carefully placed by the Hand of God. The angels had it right: "Glory to God in the Highest, good will toward men." Lord of Constant Wonders, teach me to slow my pace and pay greater attention to Your quiet handiwork. Open the eyes of my heart to Your daily divine deposits.

To the brokenhearted, joy. To the falsely accused, joy. To the misunderstood, joy. To the disappointed, joy. To the repentant sinner, joy. To the imprisoned or condemned, joy. To the lonely, joy. To the rejected, joy. To the abandoned, joy. To the widow and widower, joy. To the newborn or elderly, joy. To the calloused heart, joy. To those proclaimed terminally ill, joy. To those trapped in darkness, joy. To those with waning hope, joy. To the cowardly or brave, joy. To the guilty or just, joy. To rich or poor, joy. JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD HAS COME!