When God Meets You in the Coffee Shop

I escaped to the coffee shop this morning for a bit of air-conditioning, and because I rather have a soft spot for white chocolate mochas. Every once in awhile I like to listen to a sermon in English from pastors in America, because while I can follow along and learn much from our Cambodian pastor it is nice to hear your heart language. I pulled up a list of sermons from David Platt and rather randomly chose one, only to be blessed beyond belief by this study on Psalm 68. You can watch or listen to the message HERE.

Wow, this God? He is awesome! How often do we stop to marvel at this, to proclaim it? He is on the move. Psalm 68:1: May God arise, may his enemies be scattered. The God who made His presence known in the Ark of the Covenant among the people of Israel (Numbers 10), the God who showed His love through the active coming of the Son to dwell on this earth, He is NOT finished working in the world today! Throughout this psalm He shows that He is sovereign, all-powerful, and He is drawing peoples and kings to Himself. He is majestic! Psalm 68:32-33: Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to The Lord, to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with a mighty voice. Who am I, who are we that this mighty God would love us? Yet David dared to say, “Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary” (Psalm 68:24). He comes to the orphan and widow, the lonely, He saves and draws us close.

And this promise, God’s grace poured out. Psalm 68:19: Praise be to The Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. This awesome God cares about the hurt and pain, the frustrations and burdens of His children. Like a tender father who takes the hand of a hurting child, this Father longs to take our burdens and leave His peace instead. Why do I insist on trying to carry my own troubles, to deal with things on my own when the God of the Universe longs to relieve them?

He is our Hope. He is the hope of this nation, He will scatter the enemies and release the captives here. He is the God who deserves the praise of every people group, and one day every knee will bow before Him. And He is the God who knows the specific loneliness of being single overseas, the burden of the prodigal child not yet come home, the heart cry of the woman in a broken marriage, the man who has lost his job, the physically afflicted, He draws us all close and daily bears our burdens.