COFFEE ON THE DOCK

I like to be busy, but is it not equally important to be ready? Busyness can be the enemy of effectiveness. While it is required that I obediently do what I know to do now, I must simultaneously learn to wait, to be ready for what is coming. Since there is always more happening than I can perceive with my mind I must practice spiritual discernment. Like everything else in life, constant usage sharpens spiritual giftings. Dearest Alpha and Omega, what is yet unseen to me is held firmly in Your hand. Help me be faithful to what I now know while remaining clear sighted and ready for what is just beyond the horizon. 

Approaching Moscow by train in winter is a long trip through a frozen landscape. It seems impossible that life can exist in such conditions, yet the seemingly dead trees and snow covered fields will be alive with beauty by springtime. On one such trip I was invited to a simple greenhouse behind a friends home. There, in the dead of winter, were summer green plants. Worship and praise has a greenhouse effect in our souls, providing conditions for life in the midst of a barren environment. Lord of Life, I will praise You at all times! Faith springs alive in my heart, warmed by Your Glorious Presence. 

No matter how often I have earnestly renounced its dominance, selfishness has been my constant companion throughout life. As difficult as this battle is, I cannot imagine any progress would have occurred if God had not sent His Word and Spirit to bridle my earthly impulses. The words of the apostle Paul are more meaningful than ever before: “I die daily.” I would rather be done with self at one fell swoop, but this is a daily spiritual battle. I often fall short of His high call, but His spirit comforts me while confronting my sin. Father of Life and Liberty, Your patience, mercy and divine discipline keep me. 

One of the discomforts of traveling in many places is the common use of open sewage lines in otherwise modern cities. While not as terrible as one might think, still, the unpleasant odors become a constant nuisance. Over time you get somewhat acclimated to it and only occasionally notice its presence.  The same is true of our spiritual life. Allowing sewage to run openly through our lives will dull our senses to its presence. High and Lofty One, lift me from the squalor of worldliness and cleanse the polluting stream of immorality from my soul. Make my life a sweet savor before You.

To act with due caution is wise, but timidity is never a prudent course of action. Fear-governed thoughts and actions rarely lead us to the right conclusions; panic is not a reliable strategy. Trusting God is the only sensible response to crisis. The peace God grants to those who learn to lean on Him in the midst of a raging storm is the perfect environment for understanding and wisdom to emerge. Lord of Perfect Love, this day, as all days, is in Your hands. I am at peace in Your Holy Presence, knowing Your light will uncover the unseen and reveal the shape of what is hidden. 

Modern culture wars against godliness in ways we often fail to see. The constant emphasis on wealth, popularity and power pulls us in the wrong direction. Wishing that I had the good fortune of someone else seems innocent enough, but it is nothing more than envy. Envy displaces thankfulness and undermines trust in God. Rejoicing in God’s care and provision has the opposite effect; releasing hope in my soul as I consider God’s goodness. Holy Father, deliver me from the evil, yet subtle web of covetousness. I am at peace with the course You have laid out for me.

The invention of lenses, magnifying glasses, spectacles, telescopes and microscopes changed mankind’s perception of life. Optical magnification now extends to practically every field of study.  Seeing something previously unseen can radically change our perspective. The promises of God are a lens through which we see the impossible; As they are applied to our heart faith rises. Nothing can transform the ordinary into something truly remarkable like the eye of faith. Father of Light, I do not want spiritual eyes that cannot see. Open my eyes to even the smallest detail of Your will.