Job 3:20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul?
Yes Friends, it’s Friday, and many of us are thanking the Lord for that! Hn! One of the few times we actually thank Him for something. But one note of caution, no two; let’s get some decent rest and participate in some fellowship with other believers so that our adrenalin level will be sky high come Monday morning. That way we can go out confidently amongst the iniquity workers and further the kingdom with a smile, instead of a frown on our beautiful, Jesus-imaging faces. (smile) Anyway, over the last couple of days we’ve been looking at the lives of those three great men of faith; Job, Hezekiah and Jeremiah, who suffered immense tribulation while pursuing a righteous life. We saw where they all bewailed and bemoaned their births, but never gave up on their God. We heard at the end yesterday from Job and Hezekiah, re their steadfast trust in the Lord. Now let’s hear from Jeremiah. While languishing in the dark, despicable dungeon, in the middle of his lament, he proudly proclaimed: ‘But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible (awesome) one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. But, O Lord of hosts, that triest (tests) the righteous, and seest the reins (mind) and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened (pled) my cause. Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for he hath delivered the soul (life) of the poor from the hand of evildoers.’ (Jer.20:11-13) Yes my people, even in the dark depths of despair in the dungeon, the prophet did not turn from his faith and His God. And though many of us are not as dedicated as Jeremiah, and in such close contact with the Lord, it doesn’t matter, for not many of us have suffered his level of tribulation either. The long and short of the story though Friends, is that despite the worst disaster, trial, tribulation and problem we encounter, we ought not to give up on our God, lose faith and trust in Him. As believers, followers of Christ, it’s essential that regardless of what happens to us in this mortal life, we stand strong and steadfast in our trust and surrender to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Why? Because He knows all, sees all, controls all, and has us right where we’re supposed to be in His lifetime plan for us. It’s also important to note that all three men poured out their very souls to the Lord during their time of misfortune. They hid nothing from Him, let Him know just how they felt, but not in an arrogant, cursing manner. Friends, it’s okay to tell the Lord what’s truly in our hearts. Though He already knows it, He wants to hear it from us, to test our responses, to see if we are truthful. Remember, we can hide from others, even ourselves at times, but we can’t ever hide anything from our Creator, since He sees and knows all. Furthermore, He expects us to come crying to Him in times of hardship and trouble, so that this promise of His may be fulfilled: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor.12:9) Yes my people, it’s in our times of trouble, of weakness and ineptitude, that the strength and power of our God comes shining forth, brightens our darkness and furthers His kingdom. Now let’s see how it worked out in the lives of those three men. First up, Job. After being torn apart and ridiculed by his supposed friends, then challenging God -a no win situation- being humbled, and finally acknowledging the error of his ways, the Lord positively turned Job’s whole life around. ‘And the Lord turned (restored) the captivity (losses) of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before…So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters…After this lived Job a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days.’ (Job 42:10,12-13,16-17) Ah mih people, we most certainly serve a just and righteous God. He promises that when we stand strong in His name during times of misfortune, He will bring us out of our troubles, and usually better off than before. Hezekiah had a rude awakening too, when Isaiah told him to set his house in order, his time was nigh. He broke down and wept bitter tears, crying out to the Lord, reminding Him of his sincere attempt to lead a righteous life. (Is.38:1-3) ‘Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city. And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken; Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees (on the sun dial), which is gone down (with the sun) in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, (on the dial) by which it was gone down.’ (Is.38:4-8) And all God’s people shouted, ‘Wow! What a great God we worship’ Oh Friends, only the mighty God who made the world, the sun and all therein, could make the sun reverse in its tracks! Unfortunately my people, time and space are against us, so we’ll close here for today. Tomorrow though, God willing, we’ll continue with the intriguing look into the active, passionate, God-fearing lives of these three men. Till then, let’s go out and try to be active, passionate and God-fearing like them nuh. It’s the only way to further the kingdom. Much LOVE!…doing…doing… done!…that’s the true believer’s cry…
Yes Friends, it’s Friday, and many of us are thanking the Lord for that! Hn! One of the few times we actually thank Him for something. But one note of caution, no two; let’s get some decent rest and participate in some fellowship with other believers so that our adrenalin level will be sky high come Monday morning. That way we can go out confidently amongst the iniquity workers and further the kingdom with a smile, instead of a frown on our beautiful, Jesus-imaging faces. (smile) Anyway, over the last couple of days we’ve been looking at the lives of those three great men of faith; Job, Hezekiah and Jeremiah, who suffered immense tribulation while pursuing a righteous life. We saw where they all bewailed and bemoaned their births, but never gave up on their God. We heard at the end yesterday from Job and Hezekiah, re their steadfast trust in the Lord. Now let’s hear from Jeremiah. While languishing in the dark, despicable dungeon, in the middle of his lament, he proudly proclaimed: ‘But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible (awesome) one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. But, O Lord of hosts, that triest (tests) the righteous, and seest the reins (mind) and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened (pled) my cause. Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for he hath delivered the soul (life) of the poor from the hand of evildoers.’ (Jer.20:11-13) Yes my people, even in the dark depths of despair in the dungeon, the prophet did not turn from his faith and His God. And though many of us are not as dedicated as Jeremiah, and in such close contact with the Lord, it doesn’t matter, for not many of us have suffered his level of tribulation either. The long and short of the story though Friends, is that despite the worst disaster, trial, tribulation and problem we encounter, we ought not to give up on our God, lose faith and trust in Him. As believers, followers of Christ, it’s essential that regardless of what happens to us in this mortal life, we stand strong and steadfast in our trust and surrender to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Why? Because He knows all, sees all, controls all, and has us right where we’re supposed to be in His lifetime plan for us. It’s also important to note that all three men poured out their very souls to the Lord during their time of misfortune. They hid nothing from Him, let Him know just how they felt, but not in an arrogant, cursing manner. Friends, it’s okay to tell the Lord what’s truly in our hearts. Though He already knows it, He wants to hear it from us, to test our responses, to see if we are truthful. Remember, we can hide from others, even ourselves at times, but we can’t ever hide anything from our Creator, since He sees and knows all. Furthermore, He expects us to come crying to Him in times of hardship and trouble, so that this promise of His may be fulfilled: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor.12:9) Yes my people, it’s in our times of trouble, of weakness and ineptitude, that the strength and power of our God comes shining forth, brightens our darkness and furthers His kingdom. Now let’s see how it worked out in the lives of those three men. First up, Job. After being torn apart and ridiculed by his supposed friends, then challenging God -a no win situation- being humbled, and finally acknowledging the error of his ways, the Lord positively turned Job’s whole life around. ‘And the Lord turned (restored) the captivity (losses) of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before…So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters…After this lived Job a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days.’ (Job 42:10,12-13,16-17) Ah mih people, we most certainly serve a just and righteous God. He promises that when we stand strong in His name during times of misfortune, He will bring us out of our troubles, and usually better off than before. Hezekiah had a rude awakening too, when Isaiah told him to set his house in order, his time was nigh. He broke down and wept bitter tears, crying out to the Lord, reminding Him of his sincere attempt to lead a righteous life. (Is.38:1-3) ‘Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city. And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken; Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees (on the sun dial), which is gone down (with the sun) in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, (on the dial) by which it was gone down.’ (Is.38:4-8) And all God’s people shouted, ‘Wow! What a great God we worship’ Oh Friends, only the mighty God who made the world, the sun and all therein, could make the sun reverse in its tracks! Unfortunately my people, time and space are against us, so we’ll close here for today. Tomorrow though, God willing, we’ll continue with the intriguing look into the active, passionate, God-fearing lives of these three men. Till then, let’s go out and try to be active, passionate and God-fearing like them nuh. It’s the only way to further the kingdom. Much LOVE!…doing…doing… done!…that’s the true believer’s cry…
SCRIP-BITS 