COFFEE ON THE DOCK

“They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him,” Genesis 37:18 ESV. Young Joseph’s own bragging lips incited the hatred of his brothers. His life was radically changed as he went from his father’s favorite son to a pit, then to slavery, into a prison, to being abandoned, and finally, to a seat second only to the king of a powerful empire. His folly led downward to darkness, but His Lord raised him up beyond his wildest dreams. He would learn humility and forgiveness along the way. Our own foolishness is often the source of our troubles, yet we blame God or others instead. We each need God’s help to crawl out of our self-generated pits and prisons. But as it was for Joseph, God turns what looks like a death spiral into a stairway to the throne. The path to God’s blessings is rarely a cakewalk! Father, how pleasant it is to learn Your ways. Help me embrace Your will, Your way. 

“From the end of the earth, I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” Psalm 61:2 ESV. In the early 1900s, Irvin Berlin taught America to sing together. “God Bless America” is practically a second National Anthem. One of my favorite Berlin songs cheerily declares: “Blue skies Smiling at me Nothing but blue skies, Do I see.” Many of my travels have begun in nasty weather at ground level, yet I have learned that if you climb hi gh enough, the sky is always blue and clear. The same is true for the soul. Living in the squalor of human deficiencies can make us feel there is nothing more. But that is not the end of the story. King David cried out: “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I." As my heart moves higher in prayer and praise, I begin to see from heaven’s perspective. Yes Lord, lead me to blue skies!

“ I f serving the   Lord   seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites,   in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household,   we will serve the   Lord .”   Joshua 24:15 NIV. Joshua challenged the Hebrews to choose their future. A made-up mind should not be confused with a closed mind or stubborn pride. Firm decisions should be rooted in the moral clarity that comes from God’s influence on our decision-making process. The most crucial step is to accept that God is in charge, so the only right choice is His choice. The decision to obey is a powerful, power-filled choice. Once a decision is made it unleashes the power to adjust to anything that comes along, while simultaneously transforming everything that must change. LORD, I choose to obey Your will. Open wide the floodgates of grace and wisdom that I may faithfully and ...

“For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,” Psalm 116:8 ESV. While raising our children we became quite accustomed to tears; each day offered many. Most of the tearful moments were a result of minor disappointments or injuries, but occasionally there was genuine heartache. While “the wailing show” was more easily dismissed, a single, silent tear poised on the cheek of a sorrowful little face was riveting. Everything else stopped while full household attention was given to that one anguished soul. It is the same with God and His children. Lord of All Comfort, one small teardrop of true repentance, one tiny tear of heartbreak, unleashes angels, archangels, and the whole company of heaven to my troubles. You turn my mourning into dancing and my tears of sorrow to tears of joy! 

“Judge not, that you be not judged.   For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you,” Matthew 7:1-2 ESV. A heart that understands the unmerited grace God offers will not fall victim to a superiority complex toward others. If we are still under the delusion that we are blessed because of our moral rectitude or exceptional knowledge, then prideful judgmentalism is practically assured. Religious arrogance paralyzes spiritual progress and sets us up for a fall. I’ve tried to leave sanctimonious tendencies behind, but they still pop up like toast out of a toaster. Judgementalism still lurks within my soul. It is not pleasing to God to for me to deny someone else the mercy and grace on which I so heavily depend. Lord, have mercy on me and make me more like You. May my pursuit of piety never produce a holier-than-thou response to others. 

“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night,” Exodus 13:21 ESV. On their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, Israel spent forty years in the desert. They were constantly on the move but seemingly going nowhere. Yahweh was training the people of Israel to live as a free nation, yet to always allow Elohim to direct them each day. He was instructing them that they still had to do their part, but Jehovah-Jireh would be their provider. Additionally, they were learning to keep an eye on where their LORD, Keeper, and Provider was moving. Chasing after earthly fantasies is wearying but chasing after the Cloud of God is not exhausting! There is an inexplicable rest in following hard after The Almighty One! Cloud by day, pillar of fire by night; these were God’s endless invitations to push farther, climb higher, and to go deeper. Lord, may I never subs...

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears,” Psalm 34:4 ESV. Difficult times bring many valuable lessons. Most of the truly important changes I have made in life have come as a direct result of a crisis. As the pressure rises, so does my focus and intensity of seeking God’s face. Fresh grace to deal with unplanned circumstances is granted to the hungering pilgrim. While I do not intentionally seek more problems, there seems to be no shortage. Nor, however, is there ever a shortage of God’s Mercy and Goodness. Every time I get dog-piled by dilemmas there is a corresponding avalanche of grace released from heaven. Glory to You Lord God Almighty, thank You for each new opportunity to know You and Your ways more perfectly. In my darkest hour, You sweetly lead me toward your heavenly light till the dawn of deliverance is mine!