COFFEE ON THE DOCK

Each time I think I understand God’s ways and means He turns the diamond and new facets of His splendor emerge. For the true believer there is no spiking the ball in the end zone this side of Glory; there is no settling down and camping where we are in this life. Every pilgrim must progress until the finish. Not only am I satisfied in this constantly changing status, I am genuinely thankful for it. I am being pulled toward eternal purpose that I cannot fathom but instinctively know awaits me. So I’ll keep my shoes on until it’s over. Lord, though I struggle in Your arms, You never let me go. Keep me moving toward Your perfect will. Help me never miss a turn or stop unnecessarily. Keep me progressing toward Your perfect will. 

A fire needs plenty of air to reach its full potential, if ventilation is cut off, the flames die out. The same can be said of anger. While quiet, seething anger is still dangerous, venting our anger openly to others can lead to a raging inferno. Every emotion has a proper place in life, but expressed without the needed controls of God’s Word and Spirit, they become tools of our own destruction. We are scripturally warned to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander”; spreading it to others does not get rid of it, it only makes it worse. Like all things, my consternation must be surrendered to the Almighty. LORD, snuff out the embers of rage within my heart. Smother every flame within me that is displeasing to you. 

It is a common malady to confuse exercising biblically granted divine authority with being “an authority on the divine”, confidently condemning people whom we don’t understand or who differ in some of their beliefs or practices. From there, it is a slippery slope that drops us into the pit of judgmentalism. Discernment and speaking truth have great value, but we can easily slip into ideological shortcuts, unfair conclusions and declarative pronouncements that are careless and hurtful rather than helpful. Lord, help me to discern in a highborn manner. Teach me to think and speak things bathed in Your love. Protect me from the earthly habit of swiftly categorizing and judging those who are different than me. 

The mention of “trees in Florida” usually conjures up images of lanky palms, wispy pines and endless orange groves. But t he Southern Magnolia is a large tree that graces the Sunshine State from top to bottom. Its bright white flowers bloom for months and fill the air with a lemony fragrance. The Magnolia’s exotic-looking seedpods open to reveal dozens of bright red seeds. Each tiny seed has the potential to populate the entire planet with Magnolias. The Creator who made the Magnolia made each of us. We too have seeds from the Father within us that have the potential to impact the world if we will just open up to His purposes. Blessed Architect of the Universe, help me open fully to Your will that Your blessed seeds may spread without limits.

I was again robbed recently. I was strolling along being thankful for so many things and it happened; a situation I have little control over and that I had already turned over to God came back to mind. I started worrying about it again and my peace was stolen. Actually, every time I am stressing over anything I am being robbed and something highly valuable is stolen away. "Be anxious for nothing" is not a suggestion, it is a Scriptural command that comes loaded with the backup of God's promises. And there I was being robbed of peace, robbed of promises, robbed of sonship and robbed of victory. Father forgive my wanderings through the dark places of worry. You are The LORD My Light and The LORD My Victor! 

"In all your ways acknowledge Him." This biblical admonition does not mean that we simply recognize God's existence while continuing in our own ways; it is a command to trade our ways in for His. Acknowledgement of God is not a raw deal or a robbery; it is His generous offer to exchange our rickety methods for a much sturdier and dependable model of life. Surrender to His ways is never a zero sum trade off. In fact, WE are the ones that get the best deal ever as we yield to His ways rather than our own! So it is time to stop merely nodding our heads as we pass by the Master. Now we must bend the knee to His ways. Gracious God, grant me Your pardon and deliver me from my own earthly intentions. LORD I acknowledge You. 

On my morning walk I was behind a man and woman walking ahead of me. I immediately noticed the differences in their body language, she was on a mission and he was walking. His attention was primarily on consuming a “tall latte”, while hers was to keep him walking; the perfect picture of a routine walker and a rookie. He finished his coffee, then his "want to" kicked in and he tried to lead. In just minutes he slowed down again looking pretty exhausted. I could tell she had seen all this before, but she kept him moving. This is a shout out to all the teachers, pastors, coaches, mentors, parents and all the others who push us down the road. LORD Almighty, thank You for all the means you apply to keep me moving forward, please keep pushing me down the road.