In-room coffee machines are my friend when I travel.
Granted, the quality is somewhat sub-par, especially to fresh roasted beans. Yet, just having one of those little one-cup drippers does wonders on those days when the alarm gets me out of bed, but doesn’t wake me up.
Recently, I had one of those early mornings and I stumbled blindly to the machine to begin the ritual.
Step One: Fumble to open the foil pouch containing the pre-measured coffee pod. (Note: Make sure you select the one with caffeine.)
Step Two: Stuff pod into the tiny little drip basket.
Step Three: Groggily slide basket through proper slots. (Note: The ease of this motion is in direction proportion to the amount of sleep experienced the night before.)
Step Four: Slosh water into back of machine. (Note: Using bottled water will give a less bitter after taste, but if desperate, toilet water could probably also be used.)
Step Five: Grope to align provided cup underneath coffee basket.
Step Six: Open eyes enough to find switch and turn machine on.
Step Seven: Stumble back into the bathroom, brush teeth, and turn on the shower.
I recently discovered that sleep deprivation may lead to omitting step five. I wouldn’t recommend this as trying to slurp your caffeine from the counter instead of the cup is highly inefficient.
Believe it or not, I realized a spiritual principle out of this little fiasco.
Without proper alignment, all subsequent steps become impossible.
Take James 4:7, for instance. (I’ll add my own words in italics).
“(Step One) Submit … to God.
“(Step Two) Resist the devil…
“(Step Three) and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7).
When we properly align ourselves underneath God’s leadership, then steps two and three will follow. Conversely, when our lives are not positioned beneath His authority, neither resisting or getting rid of the evil one will occur.
In fact, voluntarily subjecting ourselves to the Father’s rule is the only way that we can effectively oppose the devil.
Aligning under God repels evil.
Want to assure that the devil stays out of your children’s lives?
Obey what you hear the Lord say personally.
Want to bind the evil one from abusing your marriage?
Allow the Father to direct your decisions.
Want to make headway in our perverse culture?
Submit your own lifestyle to God.
Wanna have coffee first thing in the morning?
Make sure the container is underneath the basket.
What point of obedience has He been talking to you about?
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