COFFEE ON THE DOCK

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” 1 Peter 5:6 ESV. I am well acquainted with God’s Holy Grip. When I press-in, it is gentle but powerful. In moments when I’m pulling away, or I'm straining against it, I feel His heavenly grasp tighten, His divine clench stiffening. There is no escape from the Good Shepherd’s Hand. There are those startling moments of His Hand pushing me forward or of my feet dangling over a precipice, yet still, I am held firmly as He promises: Psalm 139:10 ESV, “Even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” Father, I thank You for Your Mighty Handhold upon me. With Your loving touch, You uphold me, guide me, prod me, restrain me, discipline, and comfort me. I am eternally thankful; you never let go of me! 

“Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul”; poignant words penned by Horatio Spafford as his ship passed the very spot in the Atlantic where his four daughters had died in a tragic shipwreck just days before. “It is well” are the words spoken to the prophet by the Shunamite woman in 2 Kings, erstwhile her child lays dead at her home. Her son would later be raised from the dead because of the underlying faith driving those words. No one can declare such things while mired in earthly obsessions. These are divinely breathed words, spiritually informed words, faith infused words spoken from consecrated hearts. To proclaim, “It is well” is not a refusal to accept earthly facts; it is simply to call upon higher realities. I may not see the full manifestation of the miracle I seek while in this flesh; even so, it is well, it is well with my soul! Circumstances come and go, but God’s goodness and promises never change. My Lord Almighty, Healer of the...

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your Word,” Psalm 119:114 ESV. Pain is very personal, but every heart knows its own concealed agony. Smiles and laughter often mask inward grief. But to the one who truly knows God as Father, those times of veiled agony actually become uniquely precious. For in the same way our deepest pain is very private, times of desperate intimacy with the Great Shepherd turn our sorrows into joy in ways that no one else can share. In those “hiding place” moments, mourning becomes dancing, grief becomes gladness, and pouting becomes praise! Just the mention of His name declared in bedrock belief shatters the darkness and opens the heavens! My Lord, my God, You are Awesome, Powerful, and Wonderful in all Your ways! All Glory and Majesty are Yours forever and ever amen! 

“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you,” Romans 12:9-13 ESV.  The issue of “honoring” is in a very fragile condition in modern culture. People who incessantly demand to be cherished themselves are ill-equipped to offer honor to others.  Honor is more a principle than a code. Honor is not a rule; it is a culture . The societal breakdown of respect for others we see today is rooted in selfishness and a lack of honor for God and His ways. God honors our value as His created children no matter how vile or depraved we become. While we must still face our rebellion's consequences, even His harshest judgments are administered in love and sorrow, not hatred or disregard. Simply said, love honors. Heavenly Father, show me when I lack your honoring love for others. Help me practice love at all times, giving proper respect and value to You and...

“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!” Psalm 43:3 ESV. One of the many wonders of light is the speed at which it miraculously transforms dark places. The enlightenment truth brings gives needed guidance through the darkest valleys and leads us to the Highest Places. Fleshly arguments against truth are useless and dangerous, but obedience to truth opens the pathway to countless miracles and blessings. Truth and Light are transformative to everything they touch. Truth and Light do not need our defense or assistance for them to work; they only require our acknowledgment and surrender. LORD, may Your Truth and Light bathe my heart and fill my life. Help me align my heart with Your Will and Your Ways. Use me each day as a source of Your Light and Truth to others. 

“They refused to obey, and they were not mindful of Your wonders that You did among them…But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them,” Nehemiah 9:17 NKJV.  While waiting for a flight, I noticed three young boys poised at the window watching all the runway activity. The giddy wonder of their new experience prompted me to realize how much I’ve become indifferent to the wonder of modern flight. I’m so accustomed to moving across the world at amazing speeds I resent that it is not even faster! Sadly, I often do the same with the wonders of God. How dare I? I realize that I have experienced so many blessings, miracles, and wonders, that at times I actually take them for granted! LORD God of Wonders, forgive my hubris and awaken my attentiveness to the wonders you perform. Help me see Your works with childlike eyes of innocence, fascination, praise, and wonder. 

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” Exodus 20:17 ESV. Coveting someone else’s life is not only wrong; it is dangerous. While chasing after the lifestyle, worldly goods, popularity, or power of others, I cannot accurately and passionately pursue the plan God has for me. When coveting the life of someone else, we tend to “cherry-pick,” wanting the good things they enjoy, all the while, ignoring or minimizing the problems and difficulties they endure. It is, in fact, nothing more than chasing after a life that doesn't even exist. Our desire should be set completely on the life God has for each of us. Great Shepherd of my Soul please forgive my momentary excursions into the squalor of jealousy. Your plan for me is perfectly calibrated with all things necessary to fulfill my divinely designed purpose.