SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day in the annals of planet earth, so let’s get up and begin it with enthusiasm nuh, grateful that we’ve been granted that unbelievable joy; to drink one more day at the fountain of life! And whom do we owe for that generosity? The Lord God Jehovah! So with joyous hearts and longing souls we praise and magnify you oh Lord, sincerely thanking you for your bountiful mercies and LOVING kindness. In Jesus’ Name. Amen! Yes mih people, Bruh David hit the nail on the head in Psalm 36, ‘the steadfast LOVE of God,’ when he says: ‘For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.’ That’s oh so true Friends, since the Lord is the giver of both life and light! But before we get into the intricacies of our Bit, here’s a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer that aptly exemplifies the way true believers, those who have found life and light in Christ, should believe and live. ‘The evidence of optimism is that it…enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not abandon it to his enemy.’ Wow people! Truly words of wisdom those! Why you ask? Because that’s exactly how a true believer, one born again in Christ, ought to live; with optimism and enthusiasm, expectations of good, if not great things to come, in other words, with faith. For when you break it down, that’s what faith is; high hopes, beautiful and bountiful dreams, great expectations, a positive future, based on the faithful promises of our God. It is therefore inappropriate for believers to go around, cloudy, gloomy, droopy and negative. You can’t always be bright and smiling, else they’ll think you’re crazy and put you in a straitjacket, but your general demeanour ought to be positive and upbeat, with sincere, encouraging words and acts of hope and kindness for those currently undergoing misfortune, grief, or some other negative emotion. Bruh David said it marvellously in the two verses before our Bit. ‘How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.’ (Ps.36:7-8) Oh Friends, what a most wonderful God we serve! And I just LOVE that last line: ‘and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.’ Wow! Now who in his right mind wouldn’t want to do that eh? I can see myself now, just sitting peacefully by that beautiful, gently flowing river, conversing with the Lord and just sipping and nibbling on those fantastic pleasures as He generously offers them! Now those are the things that dreams are made of! (smile) But that brings up the question, if our God is so kind and generous, why are there so many Christians with long, droopy, hangdog faces, and very negative, sour dispositions? Bruh David explicitly said: ‘For with thee is the fountain of life.’ It wasn’t a question, or a maybe, but a sure, strong, positive statement. Why then are so many of us not taking it to heart and having a brighter disposition eh? Some of the gloomiest, most depressing people we know are fellow believers. And the sad part is that you can’t say anything to them about it, else they’ll just flare up in an unchristian manner, or give you the evil eye. (smile) Jeremiah acknowledged that the Lord was indeed the fountain of life when he stated that Israel’s sufferings were the results of her sin. ‘For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.’ (Jer.2:13) There he’s emphasizing that it’s only the Lord who can satisfy the thirsty soul with refreshing life. And Jerry does it again in talking of Judah’s sin. ‘O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.’ (Jer.17:13-14) Oh my people, the Lord didn’t create us just on a whim and fancy yuh know, but with a sense of purpose; to serve, glorify and have interesting fellowship with Him. Please note, we are the only one of His numerous creations who can do that. So we’re not here just to have a right old sinful time, and when we insist on doing that, then we’ll pay the penalty, such as it is. The Lord considered all the angles when He planned us. That’s why regardless of how rich, powerful, talented or lucky we are, if the Creator of the universe isn’t an integral part of our lives, then a part of us is always empty, lonely and miserable. For our purposes, we’ll simply call it God’s spot within our souls, a spot that no one or nothing else can ever fill. And unfortunately, if it’s void and empty, then that human soul will know no joyous peace and rest, since it is the Lord existing and working within us that provides those earthly goodies. Now Friends, hear the final word from the ultimate authority on the subject; none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when talking to the Samaritan woman by the well. ‘Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:13-14) Yes my people, it’s that simple: unless we go to the fountain of life to drink, we’ll be forever thirsty. So let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh. Till tomorrow, God willing, when we’ll continue with the second part of our Bit. Mucho Mucho LOVE!…the living waters of God’s fountain flow plenteous and free…but only those thirsty souls who drink of it…will life everlasting see…