Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me in the land of uprightness.
Oh my wonderful Friends, wonders never cease! It’s been almost a month since I’ve written anything on Bruh David! How did that happen eh? I suspect the Lord’s mysterious hand. (smile) But lo and behold, today the ole fella is in his element cause he’s dealing with the touching, heartfelt words of Bruh David. Nobody bares their soul, opens up their innermost being to their God, Creator, King and Sustainer like him. And I guess that’s what draws me to him so much, for when that powerful soul-searching is added to his masterful use of words, even the hardest heart can’t help but be moved. Ah mih people, as I write this I can’t help but chuckle, contemplating my attempts to sing Bruh David’s praises. But you all already know that he’s my favourite Bible writer and anytime I write on him, I’m liable to go overboard. How can one really go overboard though when faced with such beautiful verse as opens Psalm 143, titled, ‘Teach me thy will.’ In keeping with the olden tradition, it opens with glorious praise: ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.’ (Ps.143:1-2) And all God’s people said, ‘Wow!’ Oh Friends, those words just sing out to the Most High, acknowledging His omnipotence, but also His mercy and faithfulness to those who sincerely seek and serve Him. Nobody does a prayer opening better than Bruh David. He certainly knew how to get the Lord’s attention from the get go. Then, one would go on to state the problem. Here Bruh David is befuddled by his enemies, of which he seemed to have many. ‘For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.’ (vs. 3-4) What a heart-rending admission mih people! How many of us are confident enough to cry out to God so openly, so unashamedly? Not too many, including me. Although I’ve reached a stage of maturity where I better understand and appreciate what life and God are all about, though I’ve put my sincere faith and trust in Him, and cry out in times of trouble, I still can’t reach the anguished depths Bruh David reached. Perhaps that’s because I’ve never had to face the many life-threatening situations that he did. Who knows? And still in the tradition of his fathers, he acknowledges God’s help in past times of trouble. ‘I remember the days of old. I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.’ (vs.5) And he finishes laying the groundwork for his requests by declaring: ‘I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.’ Then, and only then, does he present the desires of his heart. ‘Hear me speedily, O lord, my spirit faileth…Cause me to hear thy LOVING-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust…Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.’ (vs.7-9) Friends, the important thing about Bruh David is that he knew the ultimate source of help and how to access it. ‘Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God.’ We can’t worship and serve a deity unless we know what they stand for and expect. He also expresses the same sentiments in Psalm 25. ‘Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all day long.’ (Ps.25:4-5) Oh my brethren, those are sentiments we should all be expressing if we are followers of Christ! As I like to say, Bruh David surely knew on which side his bread was buttered, and so should we. And in the midst of pleading for something, he’s still praising; ‘ thy spirit is good.’ That ties in perfectly with Jerusalem’s restoration in Nehemiah’s time when the priests and Levites confessed Israel’s sins before the Lord. ‘Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.’ (Neh.9:20) Yes friends, the Lord’s Spirit is certainly good; in fact to die for. It dwells within the hearts and souls of all believers, to lead and guide us though this crazy, confused earthly life. That indwelling Spirit is our main source of communication with our God. We pray, He answers through the Spirit. That means we have to listen closely and quietly for those answers, for the Lord isn’t given to shouting. Then Bruh David pleads for direction: ‘lead me into the land of uprightness.’ That’s a place where we all need to be led my people! It’s a place where we stand strong in faith and trust, in total surrender, obedient to the Lord’s dictates; spreading the Word, while living it, walking as Jesus desires us to walk, winning lost souls for Him, gaining dominion over Lucifer and his evil cohorts, ensuring, as Jesus wants, that not one single, solitary soul is lost in purgatory. Oh Friends, I can’t help repeating, Christianity is not a dormant or passive belief system. It’s an action packed set of guidelines that we must actively pursue if we are ever to make solid inroads into the wicked ways of our world. Bruh David shows us how to access the energy and encouragement, how to get the necessary resources required to do the job. Now it’s left to us to move into action, following Jesus’ example, who never rested on His laurels, but was always on the move. We need to swing into bold, passionate action, both as individuals and together as fellow believers, if we hope to be successful in our quest for lost souls, salvation and eternal life. Let’s stop neglecting the Lord, instead let’s pour out our hearts to Him, certain that if we so do, He will guide us safely, in all goodness and mercy, just like He did Bruh David. Much LOVE!… reach out to Almighty God for sustenance…then stand up strong…invincible…for Jesus…
Oh my wonderful Friends, wonders never cease! It’s been almost a month since I’ve written anything on Bruh David! How did that happen eh? I suspect the Lord’s mysterious hand. (smile) But lo and behold, today the ole fella is in his element cause he’s dealing with the touching, heartfelt words of Bruh David. Nobody bares their soul, opens up their innermost being to their God, Creator, King and Sustainer like him. And I guess that’s what draws me to him so much, for when that powerful soul-searching is added to his masterful use of words, even the hardest heart can’t help but be moved. Ah mih people, as I write this I can’t help but chuckle, contemplating my attempts to sing Bruh David’s praises. But you all already know that he’s my favourite Bible writer and anytime I write on him, I’m liable to go overboard. How can one really go overboard though when faced with such beautiful verse as opens Psalm 143, titled, ‘Teach me thy will.’ In keeping with the olden tradition, it opens with glorious praise: ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.’ (Ps.143:1-2) And all God’s people said, ‘Wow!’ Oh Friends, those words just sing out to the Most High, acknowledging His omnipotence, but also His mercy and faithfulness to those who sincerely seek and serve Him. Nobody does a prayer opening better than Bruh David. He certainly knew how to get the Lord’s attention from the get go. Then, one would go on to state the problem. Here Bruh David is befuddled by his enemies, of which he seemed to have many. ‘For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.’ (vs. 3-4) What a heart-rending admission mih people! How many of us are confident enough to cry out to God so openly, so unashamedly? Not too many, including me. Although I’ve reached a stage of maturity where I better understand and appreciate what life and God are all about, though I’ve put my sincere faith and trust in Him, and cry out in times of trouble, I still can’t reach the anguished depths Bruh David reached. Perhaps that’s because I’ve never had to face the many life-threatening situations that he did. Who knows? And still in the tradition of his fathers, he acknowledges God’s help in past times of trouble. ‘I remember the days of old. I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.’ (vs.5) And he finishes laying the groundwork for his requests by declaring: ‘I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.’ Then, and only then, does he present the desires of his heart. ‘Hear me speedily, O lord, my spirit faileth…Cause me to hear thy LOVING-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust…Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.’ (vs.7-9) Friends, the important thing about Bruh David is that he knew the ultimate source of help and how to access it. ‘Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God.’ We can’t worship and serve a deity unless we know what they stand for and expect. He also expresses the same sentiments in Psalm 25. ‘Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all day long.’ (Ps.25:4-5) Oh my brethren, those are sentiments we should all be expressing if we are followers of Christ! As I like to say, Bruh David surely knew on which side his bread was buttered, and so should we. And in the midst of pleading for something, he’s still praising; ‘ thy spirit is good.’ That ties in perfectly with Jerusalem’s restoration in Nehemiah’s time when the priests and Levites confessed Israel’s sins before the Lord. ‘Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.’ (Neh.9:20) Yes friends, the Lord’s Spirit is certainly good; in fact to die for. It dwells within the hearts and souls of all believers, to lead and guide us though this crazy, confused earthly life. That indwelling Spirit is our main source of communication with our God. We pray, He answers through the Spirit. That means we have to listen closely and quietly for those answers, for the Lord isn’t given to shouting. Then Bruh David pleads for direction: ‘lead me into the land of uprightness.’ That’s a place where we all need to be led my people! It’s a place where we stand strong in faith and trust, in total surrender, obedient to the Lord’s dictates; spreading the Word, while living it, walking as Jesus desires us to walk, winning lost souls for Him, gaining dominion over Lucifer and his evil cohorts, ensuring, as Jesus wants, that not one single, solitary soul is lost in purgatory. Oh Friends, I can’t help repeating, Christianity is not a dormant or passive belief system. It’s an action packed set of guidelines that we must actively pursue if we are ever to make solid inroads into the wicked ways of our world. Bruh David shows us how to access the energy and encouragement, how to get the necessary resources required to do the job. Now it’s left to us to move into action, following Jesus’ example, who never rested on His laurels, but was always on the move. We need to swing into bold, passionate action, both as individuals and together as fellow believers, if we hope to be successful in our quest for lost souls, salvation and eternal life. Let’s stop neglecting the Lord, instead let’s pour out our hearts to Him, certain that if we so do, He will guide us safely, in all goodness and mercy, just like He did Bruh David. Much LOVE!… reach out to Almighty God for sustenance…then stand up strong…invincible…for Jesus…
SCRIP-BITS 