COFFEE ON THE DOCK

In Ephesians 4 the apostle Paul prayed: “ that   the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,   may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,   the eyes of your   [ f ] understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is   the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,   and what   is   the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe ”.  There is nothing shadowed or obscured for the LORD Our Light and Salvation. With laser focus, His Glory penetrates every manner of darkness, His wisdom unveiling every deception. From Him, nothing may be hidden nor camouflaged nor squirreled away. For every child of His defeated by weariness, for the soul buried in the depths of a lightless abyss, for the ones for whom all seems lost, His luminous approach floods the wastelands of destitution with unending hope and rescue. O LORD God Almighty, Ru...

“Now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:10-11). I understand Moses’ reluctance, the call of God on my life has always exceeded my known resources, proven capabilities and personal character. I have come to understand this is the way it must be; otherwise, I would foolishly lean too heavily upon myself. It is the daily walk on thin ice that keeps me alert and dependent upon divine intervention. My weaknesses invite God’s mercy, strength and goodness. So I begin another day shrouded in frailty but anticipating a new measure of grace and victory, contemplating God’s promise to Moses “I will be with you.” Blessed Father, You are not put off by my shortcomings. When I am weak You are strong. Blessed Master, use me this day for Your glory. 

“A tranquil  heart gives life to the flesh, but envy  makes the bones rot” (Proverbs 14:30). Carrying nuclear waste in my pocket would be no more deadly than carrying envy in my heart, they both have the power to destroy lives. Malice grows quickly in the heart that harbors jealousy, emptying the soul of joy, peace and purpose. It is a slippery slope from witty criticisms to skillful, malicious rumormongering and malignant dismembering of the reputations of others. In reality, to covet someone else’s life is disavowal of God’s care and purpose for our own. It is in effect unbelief and a false accusation of God’s loving care and wisdom. O Lord, My Healer, eradicate from my soul all envy, jealousy and malice. May thankfulness be my constant companion and joyfulness the dominant factor in every thought, word and deed. 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” These are mind-stretching words from the Book of Revelation about God and time as we humanly measure it.  Chronological time moves from the past, through the present and into the future, and is the only time we can humanly measure. God, on the other hand is the “I Am”, the “Alpha and Omega”, and the “Beginning and the End”. He dwells in all moments, past present future simultaneously. In 2 Peter 3:8 we read: “Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day  is  as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”. This is why the victories won on the Cross so long ago are never distant from my current needs, “In Him” they are freshly unfolding right now! This is why His Promises are always within reach, “In Him” they are present at this very moment! Glorious Father help me set aside the barriers of time and distance. “In You I live and move and h...

In Philippians 2:12 we read: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” To “fear God” is not having terror of Him, rather it is fear of following mankind’s ways rather than His ways. Every town has its scrapheap and my life does as well. There it is, a junkyard littered with the rusting hulks of past crashes of my own making; the results of going my own way instead of His. My “fear” is that I would again mistakenly seek my own way. Only in absolute surrender and reverent obedience can fear be obliterated. David declared: “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.” And Philippians 2:13 proclaims, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for  His  good pleasure. Now THAT is GREAT NEWS! LORD, my fears are swept away by Your relentless pursuit of my heart! Keep me on track and at a safe speed. 

“Blessed  be  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. This is the model for understanding our purpose and how to fulfil it. As recipients of God’s goodness, we must pass along what we receive. Most Christians do not get this therefore stunting their own spiritual growth. My spiritual father, Costa Deir taught: “There is a one-word definition of love…’Others’”. What God makes happen for you, equips you to make things happen for others, assuring your own spiritual growth. Our lives are to be channels of blessing, not reservoirs where only spillover is offered! The old hymn states it well: “Make me a channel of blessing today, make me a channel of blessing I pray; My life possessing, my service blessing, Make me a channel of blessing toda...

“For who has despised the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10. Christmas has many lessons in it, not the least of which is the birth of a child in a small, dusty, village on the backside of nowhere. It happens every day around the world, yet this seemingly unremarkable event in this tiny town perched on the hills of Judea changed everything for everyone everywhere for all time. It begs the question, what great thing is ahead that is currently in seed form in my life?” As far as we know, only a few local shepherds, three foreign Wise  Men, a young couple and a few animals beheld this momentous, world-changing event. But heaven was singing and celebrating with song. LORD God, King of the Universe, as I begin this day, I commit my heart and mind to pay more attention to the small things. Help me not miss a thing You are doing in my life.