Psalm 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
Oh Friends, oh Friends…Wow! I spelt it right both times! It’s 3 a.m on a cold, windy, snowy December morn! At last the first real snowfall has fallen. (smile) I’m looking out my window and everything’s covered in white; trees, roofs, fences, porches, decks, main roads, laneways, all looking so clean and pretty, not yet sullied by man. No unsightly tire tracks as yet either, though one solitary vehicle just went up the road, God alone knows going where at this ungodly hour of the morning. But then, my house is the only one in the immediate vicinity with lights burning inside. But I’m on a God-given mission, a sacred purpose; to propagate the Word. (smile) Now there’s no doubt that a snowfall in gentle action is a thing of soul-tingling beauty to behold, but venturing out into it, especially when it gets slushy and dirty from man’s activities, that’s a different story. Every so often I hear the blustery wind howling outside my window, and all I can say is, ‘Thank God, the ole fella not going out in it today!’ I did my all my running around yesterday, including sitting in a tire shop for over four hours waiting to get a tire I had bought the day before repaired; found it flat this morning. Chuh! But some people were there even longer than me. Would you believe they close at five or six, but they stopped taking bookings around one thirty because everybody was doing the last minute thing to beat today’s snowfall. Normal human nature! And since I unwisely asked the Lord for patience like Job, I guess He’s still trying to work me up to it. But Friends (right again) you all would have been proud of the ole fella. It has to be my best patience performance ever; sitting in a long, narrow, chilly room clustered with tires, rims and oodles of people for over four hours, and not making a scene. That’s maturity in the patience department! And it wasn’t like the guys weren’t working hard, they just had so many people. However, unless something very, very, very important happens, I’ll be safely and warmly ensconced, cloistered in my li’l two be four today. I’m truly sorry for those who have to venture out in it, including my wife and younger daughter. But I’ll do the best thing I can; pray for them. ‘Oh Lord, I pray that those driving, walking, or just being out in the miserable weather be careful. Watch over them, especially those on the snow covered, slippery roads during this morning’s rush hour. Guide their hearts and minds so that they make take their time, drive sensibly and reach their destinations safely. I pray that there not be any serious accidents. Guide and protect all those out on the highways and byways. In Jesus’ name. Amen!’ Oh Friends, (right again) it’s certainly going to be an unholy mess out there this morning. Then comes the shovelling…Hn! But it’s suppose to change to rain later in the day, and when that freezes up this evening…Stop laughing you snowbirds down south! I’ll take a snowfall any day over a hurricane. (smile) I hate to contemplate the consequences, but up go the car insurance premiums again. Now the only thing to counteract those unsavoury conditions, or any distasteful kind of situation, my people, is to do like Bruh David and sincerely plead: ‘In thee O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness: Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (of refuge), for a house of defense (fortress) to save me.’ (Ps.31:1-2) Yes my people, in difficult times, the Lord God Jehovah is the only one who can really carry us along safely. And Bruh David quite rightly likens Him to a strong rock, a house of defense. ‘For thou art my rock and my fortress.’ That’s like saying, or portraying our Lord as a mighty, impregnable fortress where the weary, downtrodden, sick, oppressed, hungry, hurting soul can find refuge and succour at any time of night or day, 24/7. Ah mih breddren, who else is like unto our God, eh? NOBODY! And Bruh David surely spells it out in Psalm 18, that awesome song of thanksgiving for deliverance from all his enemies, especially Saul. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:1-3) That’s the answer to all our problems right there my people. At all times, both good and bad, our first response must be to call on the God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; our strength, shield, granter of salvation, stronghold and refuge. And He’s all these things because He created the universe and all therein; therefore He knows all, sees all and is all-powerful! What better being to have guiding, protecting and providing for us? There’s NONE, my Friends! But the strange, uncomprehending thing is that we have such a mighty, generous, kind, LOVING Deity, calling us His children and wanting to be a true Father to us, yet many of us refuse to call out to Him, to allow Him into our lives, even in times of trouble. Why eh? It’s mostly foolish pride, for though we claim to believe, yet we either consider ourselves unworthy to call on Him for help, or wrongly think that we can fix our problems ourselves. Oh Friends.. (Chuh! the first wrong one) that’s such a silly attitude, since Jesus so plainly and clearly stated: ‘For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Mat.9:13) So it’s the supposedly unworthy ones that the Lord really wants to come to Him, and it’s obvious too that we can’t handle all our problems on our own. And we all know that if there’s one sin the Lord detests more than any other, it’s that of pride, because it callously implies that we have no need of Him and don’t respect His superiority. So my people, please, let’s drop all the foolish, prideful stuff. Our God wants us to come to Him with any and all problems. What better example of that can we have than Bruh David: the most powerful and beloved king of Israel. He was a righteous sinner; meaning he consistently humbled himself before his God, paid dearly for his wrongs, but yet rode the crest of victory because of his deep-seated trust, reverence and faith in the Most High God Jehovah. So much so that the Lord called him a man after His own heart. And Friends, in my opinion, that’s the highest compliment we can ever receive from our God, because it means that despite our innate sinful nature, yet deep down, our hearts resemble His. We’re always trying to do good, to LOVE, honour, trust and obey, to do what’s right. And that’s all our God really asks of us, cause nobody knows our inadequacies and shortcomings better than Him, since he created us. Hence my people, let’s get our act together, and quickly too, and turn to our Maker, like Bruh David did, place our sincere trust in the Lord our God, surrender our lives to Him, and allow Him to ‘therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.’ It’s the only sensible thing for humans to do, because ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:3-4) And all God’s people joyfully chorused: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Amen!’ Much LOVE mih people!…the fool says there is no God…but the wise man knows who butters his daily bread… P.S. It’s long, but tasty, and was directed by the Spirit. (smile)
Oh Friends, oh Friends…Wow! I spelt it right both times! It’s 3 a.m on a cold, windy, snowy December morn! At last the first real snowfall has fallen. (smile) I’m looking out my window and everything’s covered in white; trees, roofs, fences, porches, decks, main roads, laneways, all looking so clean and pretty, not yet sullied by man. No unsightly tire tracks as yet either, though one solitary vehicle just went up the road, God alone knows going where at this ungodly hour of the morning. But then, my house is the only one in the immediate vicinity with lights burning inside. But I’m on a God-given mission, a sacred purpose; to propagate the Word. (smile) Now there’s no doubt that a snowfall in gentle action is a thing of soul-tingling beauty to behold, but venturing out into it, especially when it gets slushy and dirty from man’s activities, that’s a different story. Every so often I hear the blustery wind howling outside my window, and all I can say is, ‘Thank God, the ole fella not going out in it today!’ I did my all my running around yesterday, including sitting in a tire shop for over four hours waiting to get a tire I had bought the day before repaired; found it flat this morning. Chuh! But some people were there even longer than me. Would you believe they close at five or six, but they stopped taking bookings around one thirty because everybody was doing the last minute thing to beat today’s snowfall. Normal human nature! And since I unwisely asked the Lord for patience like Job, I guess He’s still trying to work me up to it. But Friends (right again) you all would have been proud of the ole fella. It has to be my best patience performance ever; sitting in a long, narrow, chilly room clustered with tires, rims and oodles of people for over four hours, and not making a scene. That’s maturity in the patience department! And it wasn’t like the guys weren’t working hard, they just had so many people. However, unless something very, very, very important happens, I’ll be safely and warmly ensconced, cloistered in my li’l two be four today. I’m truly sorry for those who have to venture out in it, including my wife and younger daughter. But I’ll do the best thing I can; pray for them. ‘Oh Lord, I pray that those driving, walking, or just being out in the miserable weather be careful. Watch over them, especially those on the snow covered, slippery roads during this morning’s rush hour. Guide their hearts and minds so that they make take their time, drive sensibly and reach their destinations safely. I pray that there not be any serious accidents. Guide and protect all those out on the highways and byways. In Jesus’ name. Amen!’ Oh Friends, (right again) it’s certainly going to be an unholy mess out there this morning. Then comes the shovelling…Hn! But it’s suppose to change to rain later in the day, and when that freezes up this evening…Stop laughing you snowbirds down south! I’ll take a snowfall any day over a hurricane. (smile) I hate to contemplate the consequences, but up go the car insurance premiums again. Now the only thing to counteract those unsavoury conditions, or any distasteful kind of situation, my people, is to do like Bruh David and sincerely plead: ‘In thee O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness: Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (of refuge), for a house of defense (fortress) to save me.’ (Ps.31:1-2) Yes my people, in difficult times, the Lord God Jehovah is the only one who can really carry us along safely. And Bruh David quite rightly likens Him to a strong rock, a house of defense. ‘For thou art my rock and my fortress.’ That’s like saying, or portraying our Lord as a mighty, impregnable fortress where the weary, downtrodden, sick, oppressed, hungry, hurting soul can find refuge and succour at any time of night or day, 24/7. Ah mih breddren, who else is like unto our God, eh? NOBODY! And Bruh David surely spells it out in Psalm 18, that awesome song of thanksgiving for deliverance from all his enemies, especially Saul. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:1-3) That’s the answer to all our problems right there my people. At all times, both good and bad, our first response must be to call on the God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; our strength, shield, granter of salvation, stronghold and refuge. And He’s all these things because He created the universe and all therein; therefore He knows all, sees all and is all-powerful! What better being to have guiding, protecting and providing for us? There’s NONE, my Friends! But the strange, uncomprehending thing is that we have such a mighty, generous, kind, LOVING Deity, calling us His children and wanting to be a true Father to us, yet many of us refuse to call out to Him, to allow Him into our lives, even in times of trouble. Why eh? It’s mostly foolish pride, for though we claim to believe, yet we either consider ourselves unworthy to call on Him for help, or wrongly think that we can fix our problems ourselves. Oh Friends.. (Chuh! the first wrong one) that’s such a silly attitude, since Jesus so plainly and clearly stated: ‘For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Mat.9:13) So it’s the supposedly unworthy ones that the Lord really wants to come to Him, and it’s obvious too that we can’t handle all our problems on our own. And we all know that if there’s one sin the Lord detests more than any other, it’s that of pride, because it callously implies that we have no need of Him and don’t respect His superiority. So my people, please, let’s drop all the foolish, prideful stuff. Our God wants us to come to Him with any and all problems. What better example of that can we have than Bruh David: the most powerful and beloved king of Israel. He was a righteous sinner; meaning he consistently humbled himself before his God, paid dearly for his wrongs, but yet rode the crest of victory because of his deep-seated trust, reverence and faith in the Most High God Jehovah. So much so that the Lord called him a man after His own heart. And Friends, in my opinion, that’s the highest compliment we can ever receive from our God, because it means that despite our innate sinful nature, yet deep down, our hearts resemble His. We’re always trying to do good, to LOVE, honour, trust and obey, to do what’s right. And that’s all our God really asks of us, cause nobody knows our inadequacies and shortcomings better than Him, since he created us. Hence my people, let’s get our act together, and quickly too, and turn to our Maker, like Bruh David did, place our sincere trust in the Lord our God, surrender our lives to Him, and allow Him to ‘therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.’ It’s the only sensible thing for humans to do, because ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:3-4) And all God’s people joyfully chorused: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Amen!’ Much LOVE mih people!…the fool says there is no God…but the wise man knows who butters his daily bread… P.S. It’s long, but tasty, and was directed by the Spirit. (smile)
SCRIP-BITS 