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Every morning I sit in the same chair and meet with God. This week, I wrote down some reflections...
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Le Café Prière
This is my chair, Le Café Prière, where I meet with God every morning (yes, that's a box underneath it... it slides out and acts as a footrest). I named my chair "the Prayer Café" because I sit in it every morning and meet with God through prayer and Bible reading while enjoying a cup of coffee. (Also, the "café" in Le Café Prière acts as a double entendre, since café means "brown" in Spanish and the chair is brown.) The reflections below are 1-2 paragraph devotions that come directly out of my time spent with the Lord in Le Café Prière.
Coffee with God: 1/31/23 | Leviticus 26:3-13 The Old Testament is so rich! Even in books like Leviticus, the heart of God (which is fully revealed in the person of Jesus) is witnessed in the story of Israel. What did God want? A people for himself; set apart, sanctified and living a life marked by worshipful holiness. What did God promise in return? To be everything to them. Paraphrase: “I will multiply the increase of your land, give you rain in season, make your food and provision abundant; destroy your enemies, bless your families, make you strong and mighty. I will break off every yoke of bondage, increase the fruit of your womb, and bless your families – I will protect, preserve, cover, and sustain you.”
God never changes. Yet somehow, his goodness seems to increase with each passing day. Do you know where to find him?
Coffee with God: 2/1/23 | Matthew 21:42-45 “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?” (Matthew 21:42; Jesus is quoting Psalm 118:22-23).
In ancient times, large structures were built by stone masons. During these undertakings, the
stone was brought from a local quarry and the builders carefully examined each piece. Only the best pieces were used, and the best piece was selected as the cornerstone (the first stone placed). In talking with the Pharisees and Chief Priests days before his death, Jesus drew a reasonably simple yet drastic conclusion: “you all, as priests and overseers of God’s covenant with Israel, are like builders who have been tasked with overseeing the construction of God’s house. The problem? God has selected a cornerstone for his building, and you reject it.” Jesus follows this with a strong warning (Paraphrase): “If you do not accept God’s cornerstone and start building upon it, he is going to dismiss you and transfer the oversight of this project to those who will build it the way he wants, with the cornerstone he has selected.”
God is building an eternal house on Jesus Christ, the cornerstone. Everyone is invited to be part of this new building, like stones carefully placed in the home of God’s presence. There is only one condition: you must accept God’s selection of the cornerstone and be willingly placed where he sees fit.
Coffee with God: 2/2/23 | Psalm 50:23
Thankfulness is one of the most powerful expressions of worship we can offer to God. The dictionary will tell you that thankfulness is an emotion, the conscious awareness of having received a benefit. For the Christian, it is also an act of faith. An expression of worship that cleanses the mind, stewards the heart, and glorifies God. Nothing steers the human heart toward joy more than being thankful.
Coffee with God: 2/3/23 | Numbers 6:22-27
Did you know that the Aaronic Blessing (pronounced “A-ronic” and found in Numbers 6:24-26) is the only official Bible blessing directly sanctioned and provided by God himself? It is incredible to think about the purpose of this blessing. God told Moses that he sanctioned the blessing “so that my name shall be placed upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27).*
Every time you pray the Aaronic blessing over another person (yes, Christians are permitted to do so), your family, friends, or community, you subsequently place the name of God over them. You invite God to “lift up his countenance upon them and be gracious to them; to make his face shine upon them and give them peace.” How exceptionally wonderful is this blessing for us today, knowing that the Prince of Peace is prepared to enter the hearts of our friends and neighbors through the ministry of reconciliation?
* FYI – Jewish people have been offering this blessing over one another for thousands of years. I know a family who offers it over their children daily, and I once had a Hebrew professor who would sing this blessing in Hebrew over his students every time he met with them. It was powerful.