4GIVEN

A ‘cup of coffee’ for most is the fuel that gets them going in the morning. Robert T. Gonzales writes, “Caffeine is the most commonly used mood-altering drug in the world, and coffee is one of the most popular means of ingesting it. Over 50% of Americans drink coffee on a daily basis, and that figure is thought to be increasing every year. But there’s more to coffee than its caffeine content, and scientists are perpetually trying to make sense of the various effects that this mysterious brew has on our bodies.” You can’t tell me the handcrafted coffeehouse favorite, Starbucks VIA® Instant White Chocolate Mocha Latte combined with natural dairy and 100% arabica coffee ain’t the bomb!! The naked truth is a ‘cup of coffee’ pales in comparison to a ‘cup of God’s love’! God is love (I John 4:8) and it’s only when we ingest His love, that we are able to endure pain, quell fear, forgive freely, avoid contention, renew strength, and bless and help others.   

I have heard people say, “My future is so bright, I gotta where shades.” When I was a young man, I may have quoted this idiom once or twice. However, life has taught me that whenever good things start happening it’s time to “drop the shades” and “drop to my knees” in prayer. I have learned that wearing shades makes it even more difficult to survey what direction the enemy is coming from. My point is just because things are going well doesn’t mean we disengage or disconnect from praying. Look at it this way; if you only heard from a loved one or friend only when things where going bad (be honest) most will avoid their call, their text, their email, and even their knock on the door. Fortunately, the God we serve always answers our call. (Isaiah 58:9) It’s funny, we can see so much more clearer with our eyes closed and kneeled down then we can with our eyes open wearing shades.    

What are the differences between the voice of God and the voice of Satan? Well God’s voice is always calming, comforting, convicting, encouraging, enlightening, leading, reassuring, and praiseworthy! Whereas, Satan’s voice is always obsessing, worrying, discouraging, tempting, seducing, cunning, condemning, confusing, pushing, frightening, trifling, and insulting! My prayer is for Jesus’s voice to be the loudest voice you hear in your ear today. Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”  

God’s plan to rescue all of humanity from death and eternal separation would have been futile if, Jesus didn’t possess uncompromising obedience and sacrificial love. The debt we owe Christ is so substantial, the repayment plan would fall under negative amortization. In other words, even if we attempted repayment we would never payoff the principle balance. You see, what cost us nothing, cost God everything. Jesus was the propitiation and substitutionary for our past, present, and future sins. I am forever indebted but eternally grateful that God’s rescue plan and Jesus uncompromising obedience and sacrificial love included a wretched man like me.