Psalm 143:8 Cause me to hear thy LOVING-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Oh Friends, it’s another day of strife, struggle, violence, greed and bloodshed in our sorrowful world. When will it end eh? Instead of getting better, it seems to be getting worse. We hear of some new theatre of hate, anger, violence an blood-letting every day. In the grand scheme of things, most of us can’t do anything to stop it. However, in our own small way, in our little circle, we each can, have to, and must do something to at least tone it down. But we can’t do that unless we’re comfortable and well equipped within our own selves. And that’s not always easy to accomplish, especially in turbulent times like these. Let’s look at two ways though that can help. The first is via a quote by U.S President Lyndon B. Johnson, which says: ‘Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.’ And Friends, that’s the first step in helping ourselves; don’t dwell on our past, be it good, bad or indifferent. Now that doesn’t mean we should erase our past, but rather use it wisely; as a guide and sounding board for the future. We know the mistakes we’ve made, and hopefully why, which means we should not repeat them. The future might be shorter than the past, but there’s always the possibility that it can be more glorious because of the wisdom, life experience, friends, family and worldly belongings we’ve accumulated. We now know how to use them all to forward God’s purpose. The good things we’ve done are now pleasant memories for us to hold dear in our subconscious for the times when we are too old and doddering to make more new ones, then we can sit back quietly in our rocking chair, enjoy the ambience of the day, rock, remember them and smile. I don’t know about all yuh nuh mih Friends, but I haven’t lived my best life yet. I’m still hoping to make many more memories to reminisce and smile at later. As far as I’m concerned, the most glorious part of my life is yet to come, and I’m no spring chicken, so age doesn’t really matter all that much. In the meanwhile though, we all still have dreams, big ones, to fulfill, for remember, once we’re alive, we have hope: ‘For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope.(Eccl.9:4) ‘And hope maketh not ashamed. (Rom.5:5) So mih people, we’ve got to let go of the past and look hopefully, excitedly, enthusiastically and in faith towards the future; ‘forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.’ (Phil. 3:13) That’s the first piece of the puzzle my Friends. The next is almost like unto it, but not as easy. When the bitter battles of life rage around us and we don’t know whether we’re coming or going, when every minute, every hour, every day seems to provide a new frustration, another problem which we either don’t have the time or knowledge to solve, please try and relax and listen to our God. Oftimes that’s the source of our major frustration; we’ve moved away from God, cause He’ll never move away from us. In the busyness of our lives, we haven’t spent enough time studying His Word or communicating with Him. That means we need to turn back to Him in faith. The best thing to do when the frustrations are driving us crazy is to take a time out, relax and turn to Him. Possibly ask something like; ‘What will you have me to do now Lord? I’ve done all I can, and it seems like I’m going in circles, spinning top in mud.’ Yes Friends, the first thing to do is admit our inadequacy, then ask for forgiveness for not coming to Him sooner, trying to do it all on our own, which we know is impossible. Like Bruh David did, simply plead; ‘Cause me to hear thy LOVING-kindness in the morning: for in thee do I trust.’ That means we’ll have His mercy and blessing every day as soon as we awake. As the psalmist in Psalm 46, ‘God is our refuge and strength,’ maintains: ‘God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved (shaken): God shall help her, and that right early (at the break of dawn).’ (Ps.46:5) And since we trust and have surrendered our very being to Him, we need to ask for His guidance each and every day, because we don’t know how to proceed in our own strength; ’cause me to know wherein I should walk.’ Oh my people, the Lord will never lead us astray if we humbly ask Him to lead us on the often agonizing path of life. It’s what He desires most of all; our coming to Him for leadership and guidance. In one of his prayers for protection, Bruh David pleaded: ‘Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.’ (Ps.5:8) Ah my brethren, we can’t be anymore straightforward than that. Then acknowledge His Godliness and Fatherhood: ‘for I lift up my soul unto thee.’ Let him know our passion for Him, the fact that we look completely to Him for all things. He’s our sole and soul provider, all in one.. That’s how Bruh David began Psalm 25, another of his prayers for guidance and protection. ‘Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.’ (Ps.25:1) Offering our most precious possession, our soul, shows that we’re serious, and now ready to listen to Him and do as He says. Oh Friends, this is only a basic prescription for our ills, but if sincerely followed, will ease a lot of the pressure the world puts on us. It will seem simple to some and difficult to others, I guess it depends on our level of Christian maturity, but regardless, we all need to follow it, seriously and consistently. It’s not a one and done matter. And like all other Christian activities, we also need to have a right and sincere heart, for remember, though God hears our words, He judges us by the rightness of our hearts. And very important, when we stop to listen for God’s voice, please be very careful of what we think or believe we hear, for many voices will try to natter to us simultaneously, and God’s will most likely be the smallest and quietest of the lot. So don’t always accept the first or the loudest. And if we’re not sure, then ask Him for some kind of sign that shows we’re on the right track. He will oblige. Friends, let’s listen with our hearts to Jesus. Much LOVE!…the past belongs to the past…look to the future with Jesus…
Oh Friends, it’s another day of strife, struggle, violence, greed and bloodshed in our sorrowful world. When will it end eh? Instead of getting better, it seems to be getting worse. We hear of some new theatre of hate, anger, violence an blood-letting every day. In the grand scheme of things, most of us can’t do anything to stop it. However, in our own small way, in our little circle, we each can, have to, and must do something to at least tone it down. But we can’t do that unless we’re comfortable and well equipped within our own selves. And that’s not always easy to accomplish, especially in turbulent times like these. Let’s look at two ways though that can help. The first is via a quote by U.S President Lyndon B. Johnson, which says: ‘Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.’ And Friends, that’s the first step in helping ourselves; don’t dwell on our past, be it good, bad or indifferent. Now that doesn’t mean we should erase our past, but rather use it wisely; as a guide and sounding board for the future. We know the mistakes we’ve made, and hopefully why, which means we should not repeat them. The future might be shorter than the past, but there’s always the possibility that it can be more glorious because of the wisdom, life experience, friends, family and worldly belongings we’ve accumulated. We now know how to use them all to forward God’s purpose. The good things we’ve done are now pleasant memories for us to hold dear in our subconscious for the times when we are too old and doddering to make more new ones, then we can sit back quietly in our rocking chair, enjoy the ambience of the day, rock, remember them and smile. I don’t know about all yuh nuh mih Friends, but I haven’t lived my best life yet. I’m still hoping to make many more memories to reminisce and smile at later. As far as I’m concerned, the most glorious part of my life is yet to come, and I’m no spring chicken, so age doesn’t really matter all that much. In the meanwhile though, we all still have dreams, big ones, to fulfill, for remember, once we’re alive, we have hope: ‘For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope.(Eccl.9:4) ‘And hope maketh not ashamed. (Rom.5:5) So mih people, we’ve got to let go of the past and look hopefully, excitedly, enthusiastically and in faith towards the future; ‘forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.’ (Phil. 3:13) That’s the first piece of the puzzle my Friends. The next is almost like unto it, but not as easy. When the bitter battles of life rage around us and we don’t know whether we’re coming or going, when every minute, every hour, every day seems to provide a new frustration, another problem which we either don’t have the time or knowledge to solve, please try and relax and listen to our God. Oftimes that’s the source of our major frustration; we’ve moved away from God, cause He’ll never move away from us. In the busyness of our lives, we haven’t spent enough time studying His Word or communicating with Him. That means we need to turn back to Him in faith. The best thing to do when the frustrations are driving us crazy is to take a time out, relax and turn to Him. Possibly ask something like; ‘What will you have me to do now Lord? I’ve done all I can, and it seems like I’m going in circles, spinning top in mud.’ Yes Friends, the first thing to do is admit our inadequacy, then ask for forgiveness for not coming to Him sooner, trying to do it all on our own, which we know is impossible. Like Bruh David did, simply plead; ‘Cause me to hear thy LOVING-kindness in the morning: for in thee do I trust.’ That means we’ll have His mercy and blessing every day as soon as we awake. As the psalmist in Psalm 46, ‘God is our refuge and strength,’ maintains: ‘God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved (shaken): God shall help her, and that right early (at the break of dawn).’ (Ps.46:5) And since we trust and have surrendered our very being to Him, we need to ask for His guidance each and every day, because we don’t know how to proceed in our own strength; ’cause me to know wherein I should walk.’ Oh my people, the Lord will never lead us astray if we humbly ask Him to lead us on the often agonizing path of life. It’s what He desires most of all; our coming to Him for leadership and guidance. In one of his prayers for protection, Bruh David pleaded: ‘Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.’ (Ps.5:8) Ah my brethren, we can’t be anymore straightforward than that. Then acknowledge His Godliness and Fatherhood: ‘for I lift up my soul unto thee.’ Let him know our passion for Him, the fact that we look completely to Him for all things. He’s our sole and soul provider, all in one.. That’s how Bruh David began Psalm 25, another of his prayers for guidance and protection. ‘Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.’ (Ps.25:1) Offering our most precious possession, our soul, shows that we’re serious, and now ready to listen to Him and do as He says. Oh Friends, this is only a basic prescription for our ills, but if sincerely followed, will ease a lot of the pressure the world puts on us. It will seem simple to some and difficult to others, I guess it depends on our level of Christian maturity, but regardless, we all need to follow it, seriously and consistently. It’s not a one and done matter. And like all other Christian activities, we also need to have a right and sincere heart, for remember, though God hears our words, He judges us by the rightness of our hearts. And very important, when we stop to listen for God’s voice, please be very careful of what we think or believe we hear, for many voices will try to natter to us simultaneously, and God’s will most likely be the smallest and quietest of the lot. So don’t always accept the first or the loudest. And if we’re not sure, then ask Him for some kind of sign that shows we’re on the right track. He will oblige. Friends, let’s listen with our hearts to Jesus. Much LOVE!…the past belongs to the past…look to the future with Jesus…
SCRIP-BITS 