COFFEE ON THE DOCK

When I take an honest look at the distracted unreadiness of my soul I realize why God’s blessings so often delay. It is the goodness of God to withhold divine action until I am properly postured to receive. I don’t like roadblocks, but ultimately they are placed there for my protection. The reliable discipline of the Great Shepherd prepares me for His very best. I am not ready when I want to be ready; I’m ready when He says I’m ready. Glorious Lord, You are so good. I get turned around, but You lead me in the way I must go. In all my straying You faithfully guide me back to You. 

The Apostle Paul declared: “what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.” Therefore it is clear; God speaks to and through each of us. As in all things created, His voice and knowledge are not limited to reading Scripture alone; they are manifest within us as well. We are warned not to “add to”” His words, but we mix in carnal things nonetheless. So it is not lack of His voice and knowledge from which we suffer, rather, it is the endless additions we pile upon His revelation that hurt and confuse us. Holy Father, by Your Spirit, cleanse all earthly mixture from Your Manifestation in and through me. 

Each day presents new battles, unforeseen foes lurking just beyond view. There is simply no chance I can be fully prepared for everything that awaits me, yet, how sweet the joy that fills my heart; victory rests in the Seer of the Unseen. Come what may, the Lord is my triumph, the unforeseeable clearly in view of Almighty God. While I struggle to find a way forward, I possess blessed assurance in the knowledge that God will make a way where there is no way. King of Kings, into Your hands I cast every care, You are my strength O Lord. In the moments of conflict may I ever trust in Your unfailing love. 

Blinders are used to keep a horse focused on what is in front of it, protecting it from being distracted or scared by what is behind or to its side. Maintaining a constant focus on God’s call and mission for our lives has the same effect. Consider the transformation of John from an unloving young man arguing over who was “the greatest among them” and collaborating with his mother and brother for the best seats in Jesus’s coming kingdom to the “Apostle of Love”. Blessed Lord, shade my eyes from earthly distractions. Keep me focused on Your will and deliver me from unhealthy human comparisons. 

The temptation to simply drift along a lazy river of complacency is persuasive. The volume of life’s complications can cause us to disengage from our responsibilities, even withdrawing from active pursuit of the will of God. As past disappointments pile up and the desire to take risks is smothered, soon divine purpose becomes a mere shadow. Sincere confession of false motives, mistaken priorities and reliance on the wrong things brings heavenly relief and opens the path forward. Father in Heaven, awaken my heart with daily passion for Your will. Make me, mold me, fill me, use me. 

What makes a ride in one of the world’s finest cars so special? The difference between an average automobile and the world’s finest is determined by the details. For instance, the near perfection of interior seams; doors, instruments, stitching, all precisely uniform is dazzling. While I have no interest in possessing such a car, I want my life to reflect the same quality of craftsmanship. There should be absolutely no separation between what I believe, what I say and what I do, in other words, seamlessness. Only the Perfect One can accomplish this. Lord, I place my many imperfections into Your perfecting hands. 

There are no surprises for the Alpha and Omega; He who was, and is and is to come is fully prepared to handle whatever happens. So often I confidently act on what I think I know only to be tripped up by ignorance or deception. God alone is completely devoid of the blinding fog of falsehood, there is nothing hidden or unknown to the Almighty. I am therefore dependent upon divine guidance and amazing grace. O Lord My God and Great Physician, I welcome Your daily examinations and treatments. Deliver me from my many appeasements of human frailty.