And Coemgen was all his life long like this, working miracles, till he died at an advanced age after a hundred and twenty nine years…
– Solomon the Monk, Life of Coemgen III
This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
– Genesis 25.7, 8
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
– Ephesians 5.15, 16
A man of his times
It’s clear that Solomon the monk loved his mentor and friend, Coemgen. He wrote two accounts of the saint’s life, one in verse and one a brief prose summary. He emphasized Coemgen’s example of personal discipline, devotion to God and his calling, love for his community, and willingness to serve any who were in need. Solomon emphasized the miracles of Coemgen, most of which we have bypassed in this brief survey. It’s difficult to know which, if any, of the miracles occurred just as they are reported. Solomon may have been seeking to bolster the reputation of his friend by some of the extraordinary situations he related.
Coemgen was a real saint, like Patrick, Brigit, Brendan, Colum Cille, Columbanus, and the many others whose lives and work have come down to us in the scant surviving documents from this period. They are in a line of faith that reaches back to Abraham and the promises of God’s covenant. Whether they worked all the many miracles attributed to them is not the point. Rather, they are remembered for their exceptional lives, lives of piety, devotion, hardship, risk, boldness, and faithfulness.
Our purpose in this series is not to suggest that we should all be “high saints” on the order of those whose lives we have traced. But, like each of them, each of us has a calling from the Lord, a summons to life, growth, learning, and ministry that God has uniquely prepared to be the perfect fit for our situation. From these saints we can learn to trust the Lord for our daily needs, to know His Presence with us in all the everyday details of our lives, and to make each moment a platform or banner for bringing honor and glory to Him.
We are people of our times, and God has called us to make the most of our time for Christ and His Kingdom.
Carrying the work forward
From Coemgen, as well as from all the saints we’ve considered in this series, a few simple applications follow for us.
First, be attentive to God and His calling on your life. We are easily distracted to so many lesser things and matters. We have not tuned the “ear” of our heart to hear Jesus calling us to follow Him or to sense the leading of His Spirit. Only by working to keep Jesus in our focus, lively in our minds, will webe able to know how He is leading us in any situation.
Further, continue feeding on the Word of God in an atmosphere of listening and prayer. Seek the face of Jesus there. Look for simple steps of obedience. Delight to hear the voice of God speaking to you out of His Word. Share what you learn with others.
Finally, never lose sight of the fact that as Jesus was sent to earth to embody and herald the Kingdom of God, so He sends each of us into our own mission field that we should do the same (Jn. 20.21). We are a people called, grounded, and sent to bring Good News to our world, both by how we live and what we say. We may not do many miracles—though, don’t rule it out!—but the good works and loving words we do and speak to others will be received by them as just as wonderful and significant.
Make the most of the time God gives you, child of Abraham, spiritual descendent of Coemgen. For you are, indeed, an exceptional saint in the household of the Lord.
For Reflection
1. Who are the people to whom God sends you throughout the week? How should you prepare to minister His grace to them?
2. How can you encourage your fellow believers to realize that they, too, are exceptional saints?
Psalm 111.1-3
(Manoah: When All Your Mercies, O My God)
Praise the LORD! O let my heart give thanks
here amid His chosen race!
Your works are great, O LORD, and sought
by all who know Your grace.
For Your work is full of splendor, LORD,
and of majesty most pure;
Your righteousness, O glorious God,
forever will endure!
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Need more help with becoming a disciplined Christian? Download our free book, The Disciplined Life, by clicking here.
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we consider what it takes to grow it. Our Read Moore podcast begins a new series, reading through our book, If Men Will Pray. The focus of our Scriptorium daily study is on “Matthew: The Coming of the Kingdom.” Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter
