My dear friend and I often meet for an unscheduled cup of coffee together. With our beverages in hand, we’ll talk about our day; share about adventures with our grandchildren, our kids and our pets.
We’ll talk about flowers, birds, yard work, housework, and “stuff.” Talking and sharing, we enjoy the unplanned time together.
One afternoon I was loading the dishwasher and reviewing the things that still needed to be done by day’s end. I’d started out my day with Bible study and prayer, so that was already crossed off my ‘list.’ As I was listing the day’s activities, God spoke to my heart, “Come, have coffee with me.”
Startled, my Lord’s voice so clear that I jumped and looked behind me; I stammered, “whaaaat?” God spoke into my heart, “Come, get a cup of coffee and talk with me.” Stunned by the simplicity of my Lord’s request, I poured a cup and sat down. As I sat down, God spoke to my heart, “So, tell me about your day.”
We do, of course, need to plan a time for daily Bible Study and prayer, but, sometimes, we need to just stop what we are doing and take a “Jesus break.” Like if a dear friend stuck their head in the door unexpectedly and said, “Hey, have time for a cup of coffee?”
In Mark 6:31 and Matthew 5:1-48 we see that Jesus spent quality time with His disciples and close followers; teaching them even greater things in private than He did in public.
God did not create me to win the lost, build churches and sing in the choir; I do those things because I love Him. God created me for relationship with Him.
No other god wants a relationship with their people, only our God. God wants ME, He loves ME, He wants to spend time with ME. He wants that relationship with me so much that He gave His son at Calvary, cleansing me from sin so that I can have intimacy with Him.
When I make my only time with Him the ‘required’ time, I miss out on the intimacy of personal relationship. That intimacy is what makes me strong when circumstances leave me weak (Isaiah 40:31) and gives me direction when the road gets confusing (Proverbs 16:9, Psalms 37:23-24) Our God is the Lord of all the universe, yet, He invites us to sit with Him and just—-chat.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Prayer: Lord, God, I love you with all of my heart. I want to spend time with you, to know you, to hear your directions. Show me how to organize my busyness and make time to sit and “have coffee” with you. Amen.
Scripture references:
Mark 6:31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Matthew 5:1-48
.