SCRIP-BITS

Jeremiah 30:9.    But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.
 
Oh Friends, I read an interesting quote today, which I just had to share. It’s attributed to Faith Baldwin (1893-1978) the famous American romance writer. It says: ‘Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations.’ I found it amusing, insightful and true, since time does keep changing us, remodelling our perspectives and circumstances. We seldom get something completely new, but mostly alterations; a little change here, a slightly bigger one there, an in-between one somewhere else, and oftimes that’s better than big, upheaval-like changes. And the message there is that it’s time to look at ourselves, our total lives, and seriously consider what changes, what alterations we need to make in our current situations, so that we will be better set for serving the Lord. I guess it’s doing like Jesus says, pruning the branches of the vine so that it can bear fruit more abundantly. We also need to realize that we can’t change others, and stop trying to do it. Unfortunately, many of us waste our time and energy trying to change those around us, and when we don’t make any headway, or as much as we desire, we get frustrated and miserable. Oh Friends, only the individuals involved can make changes to their lives, and as many of us have found out from hard experience, even when we seriously need and want to change, we need God’s help to do it. This brings us to our Bit, and the great promise contained therein. ‘But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I shall raise up unto them.’ Now over the last two days we’ve seen how this promise began to be fulfilled with the return of God’s people from Babylon to Israel, the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the rest of the Promised Land, through God’s intervention in the heart of Cyrus, the Babylonian king. We’ve also looked at some scriptures that highlighted the Lord’s promise. And I’m chuckling here Friends, because yesterday I planned to put in a certain passage that dealt with the first half of the promise, but it would have made the Bit way too long, so I didn’t, and today I decided to ignore it altogether and move on to the second half of the promise, only to have the Spirit invoke it’s veto powers. So here’s Ezekiel’s take on the situation as he talks about the Lord’s care for His flock: ‘Therefore I will save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle (sheep and sheep). And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil (wild) beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.’ (Ezek.34:22-26) Yes mih people, the Lord promised peace, showers of blessing, and a most worthy, guide, king and shepherd to watch over His people. And they all shouted: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Ezekiel was so sure of this promise that he basically repeats it in Chapter 37, when he speaks of the restoration of a united Israel. ‘And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen (nations), whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgements, and observe my statutes, and do them. (Ezek.37:24) Yes Friends, it’s obvious from all the scriptures we’ve looked at, that the Lord had a most viable long-term plan for His people. And tomorrow, God willing, we shall look at the second half of that great promise and see how it was fulfilled. Till then, please walk safely in LOVING fellowship with the Lord God Almighty, our Creator, Provider and Safe Keeper. Much LOVE! …first comes the promise…then the faith to accept and wait for it…then the joyful fulfillment…