COFFEE ON THE DOCK

To openly live a life of faith is not a proclamation of personal perfection. In fact, the opposite is true. To reveal myself as a person of faith is to open the curtain and turn on the lights; my imperfections become the stage upon which the amazing grace and relentless love of God are displayed for all to see. In my weakness, His awesome strength is discovered and brought to the forefront. Glossing over our foibles presents a false image of the believer’s life and in the end does more harm than good. Lord, You are my Fortress and Deliverer, reveal Yourself in me. May my failings spotlight Your exquisiteness. May my need for constant redemption encourage others to seek the same. 

There are times when I feel like I am on a forced march through barren desert. While many trials are pretty common and experienced by practically everyone, sometimes our journey can feel like a private purgatory. God’s desire for me to be more like Him requires that I traverse difficult pathways. Biblical prophets passed through the desert, the Hebrews marched the sands of the Sinai; even the Savior was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness”. A protracted, severe trial is a pristine environment for both faith and faithfulness to flourish. Lord, I am willing to walk this way when You desire it. Strengthen me that I may walk the distance. Provoke me to remember others as they too pass this way. In Your mercy, make greater faith and faithfulness my reward. 

The biblical descriptions of The Heavenly City paint a picture of an amazing place. Every aspect of it is beyond comprehension, but nothing more so than a single chair at its core. There resides a throne where but One may be seated yet it is equally the place where millions upon millions abide. It is a mind-bending riddle for sure, but the answer lies in a powerful passage: “...and raised us up with Him, and made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus”. There, the Eternal One is enthroned. There, every knee shall bow. There, the Redeemed dwell with the Redeemer! So, I guess you CAN be in two places at one time! LORD Of All, Your wonders never cease! Open my mind and heart to these heavenly realities that I may faithfully and effectively reflect Your Glory here on earth.

The heavy veil of darkness will soon be driven away as daybreak unfurls. As a sail catching the wind, my soul now fills with the rising winds of a new day. I am prepared to weigh anchor and head to my designated course, but only under full direction of the Captain. Hope in God is the “Anchor of My Soul”. He does not HOLD ME BACK, He holds me IN PLACE, until I am to move to the “THE PLACE” of His choosing. I dare not choose my own ways over His, my failures at self-navigation are far too many. No, I choose to serve at the will and beckon call of my Creator, Sustainer and Guide. Lord God, King of the Universe, I commit all my ways to you today for You are wise beyond all wisdom, merciful without prejudice, generous in all things and perfect in all Your ways. 

Chaos seems to be standard equipment for human relationships. We most often make things far more difficult than necessary; quickly jumping to conclusions or projecting motives on others unfairly, while failing to seriously examine our own. There is a place of rest God can provide in every life circumstance where we can breathe, listen, receive divine instruction, be empowered and have peace while doing so. Final outcomes must be submitted to God beforehand to have a peaceful journey to them. “LORD of All” means just that. “Servant of God” means just that. Chaos does not flourish in an environment of truth and love. Father, Your Power gives life where there is death, Your Presence is chaos cured.

God’s divine love is pure, not polluted with mixed motives; it is not only pure, it is purifying. Human love on the other hand is filtered through a swamp of self-centeredness, allowing only a trickle of God’s love to flow through us to others. Divine love is an incredible motivator that activates a host of godly attributes He deigned us to operate in. As I welcome His love it ignites a purification process in me that releases His love to flow more freely from me to the world around me. Ephesians commands: “Walk in love”. The key to walking in love is learning to love others through God’s perfect love instead of our own. Father, I desire Your purifying love to surge through me to like a raging flood. Sanctify my motives and wash away the obstacles of pride and selfishness within my heart. 

Here I am again on the precipice of a new day. As I prepare for what is ahead I am acutely aware that good things are on the horizon, but still I face many difficult things right now. Scripture states: “all things work together for good to those who love God”. All things? Yes, even bad things, scary things, confusing things. I don’t need to understand all things, I must trust He is working and cooperate with His ways and means. This I know, God is good…in ALL things, at ALL times. So, I plod ahead, trusting the future is safely in the Almighty’s hands. Father, I acknowledge the limitations of earthly ways, but take courage from Your awesome perfection. I can do all things through Your strength. In all things I am more than a conqueror because of Your unrelenting love.