By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
How do you view God in your life?
Decaffeinated means to have most or all the caffeine removed, usually from coffee or tea. For some, that says the power, punch, and purpose of coffee no longer exists. When I consider caffeine as a stimulant of the central nervous system, I think about how God stimulates the hearts of His followers. Our God is not decaffeinated.
This post is not intended to diminish our sovereign God, but to give readers something to think about. I decided to compare God to enjoying full-bodied coffee, and this is what I discovered.
- God is the best way to start the day. Turn to him first thing in the morning before turning on electronic devices or heading to work. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, butyou shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 ESV
- God is full of flavor. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8 ESV
- God’s aroma warms the soul. For we are the aroma of Christ to God amongthose who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV
- God encourages us to be bold. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 ESV
- God is rich in mercy. God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV
- God wants us to worship Him with others. I’m not advocating worshiping coffee, but we are to worship with a community of fellow believers. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV
- God is never a one-time experience. Just like great coffee, we crave more of God. Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! 1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV
I’m curious to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and share your perspectives.
Comments 32
Loved the metaphor used in this blogpost, DeAnn! I so agree with your reference to God first thing in the morning, God is full flavor, and God is not a one-time experience!
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Thanks, Joanne. Our God is definitely caffeinated! Time with Him first thing in the morning is better than the strongest coffee brewed. 🙂
DiAnn, I liked this post! My husband and I are both coffeholics and readers of God’s word. It was fun to see both in one most. And as it says in the Bible, at our house, HE Brews!
Thanks, Valerie, My hubby brews the coffee at our house too. Thanks for the comments. Stay in God’s Word!
I have a .jpg picture of my favorite coffee mug. I’d love to have the mug as well. It reads:
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya.
You drank my coffee.
Prepare to die.
Oh my! That’s a scary thought.
God is not limited to hours of consumption or amount. As a confirmed coffee-holic and worker of long hours, I have drank over 40 cups of coffee in a 24-hour period. With decades (over a half-century) of experience in drinking coffee behind me, and equally as long as a follower of God, I’ve learned that both can sustain me throughout my day. As you noted, not attempting to diminish God in any way, but we can’t limit our time with Him any more than we limit our coffee intake. Upon rising each morning, there’s “God time.” Mid-morning breaks, after the chores are done and we break before transitioning to the next tasks for the day is a great time to seek God’s face and ensure you are on His path and will and not your own. That well-earned lunch break is a great time to quietly sip another cup as you meditate on what He is showing you on this day. Preparing to engage in video-meetings, etc.? What a great time to pour a cup of God into your meeting prep by asking Him for discernment, guidance, and lots of needed patience. A mid-afternoon break is another great time for a spiritual heading check. And yes, because I’m a confirmed coffee-holic, sharing a cup with Him before I retire for a night’s rest helps ensure a peaceful sleep. God is most certainly not decaffeinated. Such an enjoyable post ma’am.
J.D. I enjoyed your additional thoughts on Diane’s post. Very enlightening.
J.D., such wisdom you poured into us. Your response is like a Bible Study lesson on how to deepen our relationship with God. Thank you so much. Your richly crafted words are a keeper.
This was a great, thought provoking reply to Diann’s post.
DiAnn,
I think you could make this into a t-shirt!
We do not always appreciate how much God loves us and how He longs to be a part of our lives. Also, lately I find God is not respected as much by us as we aught. He is holy, holy, holy. He is God and we are not. It is awesome to realize we can have a close relationship with the creator of the universe because He sent His one and only son to atone for our sins.
Carol, a T-shirt would be fun!
I agree with you. Too many times, our world not only doesn’t respect God and His holiness but disrespects His will for you. Thank you!
I love your creativity and perspective! This is fantastic!
Amy, thank you so much. So glad you enjoyed the post.
I love, love the way you organized your thoughts about God not being decaffeinated.
I prefer a good cuppa to coffee but the sentiments are the same.
Thank you!
Thank you, Linda. This was a fun post to write.
Coffee is my drink of choice and I loved the comparison with scriptures to back it up.
Thank you, Gail. In sipping on my coffee one morning, I got the idea to write the post.
DiAnn, your title made me smile. As a fellow coffee lover, I appreciate your comparisons. I will think of these each time I reach for a cup.
Barbara, thanks! I’m so glad you enjoyed the comparison.
Diann, such a lovely email and so true. Last March I joined the Hallow Bible In a Year and am now on Day 306. Because I have read through the Bible and various studies here and there, I thought it was enough. But this study, a day-by-day reading and Father Mike’s gentle teaching, I have learned so much more about God and His awesomeness. It has opened up the “realness” of asking God for His mercy, endurance and help during this time of unrest in the world. I pray He in His goodness will reach down and protect those who love Him.
Thank you, Judith, for sharing your spiritual journey. God takes us to real places to experience His real love and provision. You ministered to me!
God ‘stimulates’ us to “Go ye into all the world preaching the gospel to every creature.”
God wants us to ‘filter’ our lives through His word.
God must put us through the ‘grinder,’ and we must go through the fire in order to be tested to be pleasing to Him.
I really enjoyed this post DiAnn😊
Dawn, I love those three comparisons. Yes, He stimulates, filters, and puts us through the grinder so we’ll be more like Him. Thank you!
I don’t drink coffee , but I love the smell of it brewing for my husband. And can compare the smell of the coffee to the beautiful aroma of God’s creation… the smell of wet grass after a rain, the smell of the beautiful flowers blowing in the wind and even the smell of our dogs and the cattle near us (which belong to our neighbrs). Thanks be to God for His wonderful works and the ablility to see, hear, smell, touch and feel him through all of creation. Loved your devotional and thanks for sharing scripture this morning.
Thank you, Beth. Your words filled me with the joy of experiencing God everywhere we journey. He will never leave us.
I like your theme about God and coffee. A whole different approach that I like.
Actually, I appreciate your whole page.
Pat, thank you for your kind words. Our God wants us to experience Him in every breath – or sip – we take.
I love the comparison you made here, DiAnn. We should all need God anew every single morning just as we need our coffee to feel awake and alive.
Blessings!
Martha, thank you for your kind words. What we experience first thing in the morning should stay with us all day..
Interesting thoughts. I especially like the post that like rich coffee, God is rich in mercy.
Eileen, thank you. I love God’s mercy, and He freely extends it to us.