SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, hopefully we’ve all celebrated the Sabbath with fellowship and worship on the day our individual religion celebrates it, and our joy is now full in the Lord. Let me take this moment to remind us that though the Easter season is winding down, our faith and excitement should not be abating too, but rather be increasing and becoming stronger as we get to know the Lord better and really realize what Jesus did for us when He suffered that terrible death on the cross, then rose again the third day. Oh Friends, He ushered in an era of grace, salvation and eternal life; that’s certainly cause for eternal celebration! And if we want to make believers out of others, then we’ve got to have that joy continually and share it with undisguised pleasure, so that they too will ardently desire the wonderful relationship we have with our Saviour. It’s all got to come from us and our Christ like behaviour mih people, else others won’t be interested, and we won’t be doing our part to further God’s kingdom. And I particularly like our Bit today because it brings home the truth of our heavenly Father, with blessing, appreciation, thanks and glorification all wrapped up short and sweet. It’s taken from the end of Psalm 72, one of only two Psalms Cousin Sol wrote. The other is Psalm 127.  In this one (72) he prays for the reign of the righteous king. However, the scholars’ claim that it’s so idealized it could never be realized by a human king. It aspires to things so good, righteous, just and fair, that it becomes Messianic in nature, and only Christ can fulfil such an ideal kingship. The important thing though Friends, is that Sol’s head and heart are in the right place. He wanted to do right by his people and his God who had lavished such wealth, power and wisdom on him. Like his father, Bruh David, he surely knew who buttered his daily bread. When he declared: ‘Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things,’ he was also following in the footsteps of Bruh David, who, in the day the community brought gifts to build the Lord’s temple, offered thanksgiving and prayer. ‘Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.’ (1 Chron.29:10-13) And all God’s people sang such a tremendous: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ that it was heard both in heaven and on earth. What a wonderful prayer mih breddren! It covers everything, and per the scholars, showed that Bruh David was indeed a man of prayer. They note too, that it’s very important for those who rule over God’s people to be able to lead them in sincere prayer and communion with the Father. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen too often these days. Many rulers of supposed godly societies couldn’t even string two words together in prayer to save their own lives, much more the welfare and lives of their people. And to a certain extent that’s the people’s fault, either by not showing enough interest in the godly aspect of the situation, or sadly lacking the power to elect godly people to lead them. And Cousin Sol wasn’t the only one who had the faith and experience to declare that our God only does wondrous things. Listen to Moses’ song: ‘Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods (the mighty ones)? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.’ (Ex.15:11-13) Oh Friends, Moses had no doubts whatsoever about the Lord’s capabilities for he’d seen them first hand many times. Likewise was Job impressed. ‘I (But as for me, I) would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.’ (Job 5:8-11) Ah Friends, what a powerful testimony, especially for a man who’d suffered terrible misfortune! And through the ages many others have attested to the greatness of our God. Even today, I know that many of us can also attest to the wondrous works of the Most High God Jehovah, both in our personal lives and our communities. And doesn’t it all make you feel, like there’s a mighty pump in you that’s just dying, craving to draw out His praise and thanks from deep down in your beings, in glorious appreciation for those wondrous things? It sure ought to. Oh Friends, like Cousin Sol, we should be so pumped up that we joyously declare: ‘And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen.’ Yes mih people, it’s time for us to sing the praises of our most wonderful God with much gusto; so clear and strong, that it will leave no doubts of how we feel, and will resonate throughout the whole earth and the high heavens. More on this tomorrow, God willing. Till then: Much LOVE!…praise Him…praise Him.. Glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…