That first sip of coffee - especially on a Monday morning - is a blessed gift from God. I don’t know if that holds true if your favourite brew is decaf. I’m not willing to risk that experiment. I don’t need my coffee every morning. In fact, there are some mornings I don’t have it at all - like that one Tuesday back in 2021. It is just something I enjoy.
The best part of coffee - at least for me as a one-cup-a-day-in-the-morning kind of imbiber - is that it triggers the “this is a new day, a new start” mindset. I love that.
We all need the “new day, new start” mindset experience on a regular basis. Ships accumulate barnacles and other sludge that slows them down in the water, cars accumulate salt that causes corrosion, even our teeth need to be freed of plaque on a regular basis. So also, our hearts and minds need something to release them from the compilation of guilt, shame, and other baggage that we so easily acquire. It is not just important for mental health, it is vital for nurturing our spiritual well-being.
In the latter years of ancient Israel’s independence - right before they were overwhelmed by the Babylonian invasion - the prophets lived through crippling circumstances not of their own making. For generations, the people of God had “faked” their relationship with their God, giving a tip of the hat to the rituals but allowing their hearts to be consumed with other passions. These prophets also faced competition from other “preachers” who presented a positive and rosy outlook. Is it any wonder that much of the Biblical prophets’ teaching has a dark tone to it? They needed something to help them survive the impending dark days.
Many view these ancient proclaimers as all doom-and-gloom. They were; the spiritual condition of the people to whom they ministered was in critical condition. Injustice and perversion saturated the social fabric of their culture. Yet even in this most dire environment, the prophets offered their listeners hope. Here is Jeremiah’s speech:
I have forgotten what happiness is.
So I said, "My endurance has expired;
I have lost all hope of deliverance from the LORD."
Remember my impoverished and homeless condition, which is a bitter poison.
I continually think about this,
and I am depressed.
But this I call to mind;
therefore I have hope:
The LORD's loyal kindness never ceases;
his compassions never end.
They are fresh every morning;
your faithfulness is abundant!
"My portion is the Lord," I have said to myself,
so I will put my hope in him.
(Lam. 3:17-24 NET)
And Habakkuk said this:
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
And makes me walk on my high places. (Hab. 3:17-19 NASB)
If hope was coffee, this is your dark roast, double espresso, super-caffeinated, direct-by-IV-injection, start-your-morning jolt.
As heavy as the burden was, they had the confidence that life was still being lived in God’s presence. This truth helped them embrace a “new day, new start” perspective in spite of the threats around them and the misery in which they found themselves. Avoidance of the challenges was impossible. However, the presence of God with them through the dark times was inevitable.
New days and new starts are not about beginning from zero as if yesterday never happened. It is about building a context and perspective that embraces the truth of our dependence on God, His grace, and His unswerving goodness to us in spite of what our circumstances or culture may be saying.
The psalmist said, “God is good, and all the He does is goodness” (Psa. 119:68). We need to print that on our coffee cups so our morning buzz triggers a reminder of the faithfulness of our God. If we understand that, it is all the buzz we need!
