COFFEE ON THE DOCK

“ O God, You are my God, early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water, ” Psalm 63:1 (NKJV). This is not only a beautiful prayer, it is sound advice from a shepherd boy psalmist turned warrior king of the nation of Israel. No doubt, every day quickly filled for young David; bleating sheep, constant demands and approaching dangers. Later, the burden of leadership of a nation constantly at war would be his at both bedtime and awakening. But he had learned by experience; God first, no matter what else cried out for attention. Like a long road trip, starting late means additional traffic. Prayerful meditations do not belong bumper to bumper on a crowded freeway; the cares of this world cutting into holy space. Other things can wait, our day must begin at the foot of the throne. O LORD, Shepherd of my Soul, early will I seek You. Help me set aside encroaching thoughts and concerns that I may seek You first ...

“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more,” Genesis 37:5 (ESV) . It could easily be said that Joseph’s dreams were the root of many of his problems, but in the end, they became the fountainhead of his greatest blessings.  Joseph showed us a more excellent way when after he was betrayed by his brothers, he forgave those who had tried to destroy him. Frankly, it is painful to be unjustly vilified, but the pit where we are thrown becomes a place of purification and discovery. Joseph rose from the pit of hatred, to the chains of slavery, to the jails of Egypt to the second-highest position in Pharaoh’s kingdom! Sometimes the pit is the most important stop along the journey to fulfilling the greatest dream. Heavenly Father, I will not permit today’s disappointments to kill the dreams You give. Because of Your wonderful love, and tender mercies I can trust and embrace the dreams You have for me. 

“But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine,’” Isaiah 43:1 (ESV). Though each of us were foreseen and created in love by our Heavenly Father, we often doubt both His love and attention. Yet Isaiah 1:3 tells us, “The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Maybe being “dumb as an ox” or “as stubborn as a donkey” isn’t so bad after all! These questions must be settled. My life is not my own, I am His. Therefore, I will stubbornly cling to side of the Master, no matter what comes. The work he puts before me I must do; I’m designed for it, He empowers me to accomplish it, feeds me along the way and rewards me with His care. I am His, He calls me by name! LORD, place in the fields of Your choosing. I delight to fulfill  my created purpose. 

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” Hebrews 4:15-16. God’s Presence is intimate and welcoming.     He greets us with open arms and grants us acceptance on the basis of what our Redeemer has accomplished for us. We must never take for granted the high privilege of private worship and intimate seeking; it is only by mercy and grace we enter in. Presumptuousness is a vile tag-along that can accompany the liberty we feel in His Presence. But nonchalant casualness should never appear in my approach to God. Holy and Almighty Father forgive my recklessness. May I never show contempt for your kindness by inappropriate brazenness. I acknowledge the amazing privilege of worshipping at Your feet and I humbly bow before Yo...

I begin this new day with a couple of passages from the 30th Psalm in mind: “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning,” (Vs. 5) and “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (Vs.11). Huge storms throughout the dark of night are now superseded by the soft, warmth of the advancing light of sunrise. This new morning prompts my remembrance of God's pattern: dark to light, storms to calm, mourning to dancing and sorrows to joy! Yesterday has now slipped away and a new day is dawning already prepared for my arrival. Almighty Father, I have never been here before, but You O LORD are Everlasting, Our King Eternal, the Great I Am, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End! You have already trod these moments, sprinkling this new day with blessings, provision and purpose. Guide my steps to land only in Your footprints. 

“ Pride goes before destruction  and a haughty spirit before a fall,”  Proverbs 16:18  (ESV).  It is difficult to believe a society has ever been as pretentious as our own. Let’s get real; living by pretense is no life at all. God created mankind to bear His image, not to skulk around in a culture of self-promotion, exaggeration, falsehood and fakery. Thankfully, the raw, straightforward simplicity of the Gospel begins the process ripping away pretentiousness upon arrival. Christ’s example of love, humility, obedience, truth and power awakens virtue and initiates a clean sweep of all fraud. Sure, falsehood may hang around, but will find no easy resting place with Truth on guard. Though selfishness still lurks in the dark places of our lives, it must not be allowed to take center-stage. Lord God Almighty, shine Your blazing Light of Truth in me today. Illuminate the darkest corners of my soul with Your resplendent brightness and tear down every veneer. Make me entire...

In 2 Corinthians 12:9 we learn, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness,’  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  (NKJV). 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 man of God 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. In verse. Lord You are my Fortress and Deliverer, reveal Yourself in me. May my failings spotlight Your exquisiteness and demonstrate Your truly amazing grace. May my need for constant redemption encourage others to seek the sam...