Isaiah 40:31. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Aye Friends, Happy Groundhog Day! What’s that you ask? Well it’s one of those weird celebrations we have in the northern climes, where it’s claimed that on February 2, if a famous groundhog – Punxsutawney Phil in the U.S, and Wiarton Willie in Ontario – come out of their burrows and it’s a cloudy day, it will leave the burrow; a sign that winter will soon be on its merry way rejoicing. However, if it’s sunny and Phil or Willie see their shadows, then they go back into their lairs and we have to endure six more weeks of winter. Bah humbug! Ah mih people, let’s hope that when Phil and Willie emerge from their burrows today that the skies will be dark and cloudy. That’s assuming they will be even able to emerge from their lairs with the disgusting weather that’s been forecasted and is already happening out there. (smile) But whatever way Phil and Willie chose to go, we’ll still have to fight through this current snowstorm, then continue to wait for winter’s end, be it six weeks or less, and waiting is something that this current society doesn’t do very well. Now yesterday we spoke in general terms about waiting on the Lord, today, let’s see what the actual scriptures say. And first up is Isaiah’s appeal to his people on the futility of relying on man, in this particular case on Egypt, but instead turning to the Lord for help. ‘For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue be swift. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke (threat) of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon (pole) upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign (banner, flag) on a hill. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is.30:15-18) Oh Friends, how much plainer can it be eh? The Lord told them to rest and wait, but they insisted on fleeing on supposedly swift horses, only thing is their pursuers also had swift horses. And fearfully many shall flee at the threat of a small number, until only a few remain as a flag on a lonely hill. However, because our God is so patient and gracious, He will wait for His people to return to Him. Oh mih breddren, we ought to take a page from God’s book there and learn to wait patiently and graciously, for He will most definitely bless all those who wait upon Him. Why? Ah Friends, that’s because the act of waiting on God, throughout whatever afflictions and problems we face, displays a confidence and dependence that’s generated by a deep-seated trust in Him and His Word. Sadly though, that trust isn’t easily acquired, but must be learned through trial and tribulation. As I heard Bubba, Cousin Joel (Joel Osteen) say recently, waiting patiently on the Lord through trying times is like having our pearls refined. You know the pearl in an oyster is caused by constant irritation from a grain of sand in its shell. The oyster doesn’t like the irritation, but eventually it’s from that irritating grain of sand that a beautiful pearl is formed. Well, in the same way our God uses those times of affliction, frustration and irritation to refine us, to put us through His fire and mould us like a potter moulds clay, so that we can end up as a valuable jewel in His crown. And here is another bit of scripture, where Isaiah is promising that Israel will be returned to Zion. ‘And kings shall be their nursing (foster) fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.’ (Is.49:23) Wow! What a powerful and wonderful promise! Oh my people, let’s think on these things today nuh, and see if there are any instances in our own lives where the Lord is trying to do a work in us, where He’s trying to refine us, through affliction and adversity, into a more valuable and beautiful person, moulding us towards being a spitting image, a genuine reflection of the perfect example, His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because that’s His ultimate desire for us all. So till we talk again tomorrow, God willing of course, please stay tuned to the Father, and wait patiently for his wise guidance. Much LOVE!…to wait…to wait…and yet to wait…patiently upon our God…so are we called to do…
Aye Friends, Happy Groundhog Day! What’s that you ask? Well it’s one of those weird celebrations we have in the northern climes, where it’s claimed that on February 2, if a famous groundhog – Punxsutawney Phil in the U.S, and Wiarton Willie in Ontario – come out of their burrows and it’s a cloudy day, it will leave the burrow; a sign that winter will soon be on its merry way rejoicing. However, if it’s sunny and Phil or Willie see their shadows, then they go back into their lairs and we have to endure six more weeks of winter. Bah humbug! Ah mih people, let’s hope that when Phil and Willie emerge from their burrows today that the skies will be dark and cloudy. That’s assuming they will be even able to emerge from their lairs with the disgusting weather that’s been forecasted and is already happening out there. (smile) But whatever way Phil and Willie chose to go, we’ll still have to fight through this current snowstorm, then continue to wait for winter’s end, be it six weeks or less, and waiting is something that this current society doesn’t do very well. Now yesterday we spoke in general terms about waiting on the Lord, today, let’s see what the actual scriptures say. And first up is Isaiah’s appeal to his people on the futility of relying on man, in this particular case on Egypt, but instead turning to the Lord for help. ‘For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue be swift. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke (threat) of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon (pole) upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign (banner, flag) on a hill. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is.30:15-18) Oh Friends, how much plainer can it be eh? The Lord told them to rest and wait, but they insisted on fleeing on supposedly swift horses, only thing is their pursuers also had swift horses. And fearfully many shall flee at the threat of a small number, until only a few remain as a flag on a lonely hill. However, because our God is so patient and gracious, He will wait for His people to return to Him. Oh mih breddren, we ought to take a page from God’s book there and learn to wait patiently and graciously, for He will most definitely bless all those who wait upon Him. Why? Ah Friends, that’s because the act of waiting on God, throughout whatever afflictions and problems we face, displays a confidence and dependence that’s generated by a deep-seated trust in Him and His Word. Sadly though, that trust isn’t easily acquired, but must be learned through trial and tribulation. As I heard Bubba, Cousin Joel (Joel Osteen) say recently, waiting patiently on the Lord through trying times is like having our pearls refined. You know the pearl in an oyster is caused by constant irritation from a grain of sand in its shell. The oyster doesn’t like the irritation, but eventually it’s from that irritating grain of sand that a beautiful pearl is formed. Well, in the same way our God uses those times of affliction, frustration and irritation to refine us, to put us through His fire and mould us like a potter moulds clay, so that we can end up as a valuable jewel in His crown. And here is another bit of scripture, where Isaiah is promising that Israel will be returned to Zion. ‘And kings shall be their nursing (foster) fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.’ (Is.49:23) Wow! What a powerful and wonderful promise! Oh my people, let’s think on these things today nuh, and see if there are any instances in our own lives where the Lord is trying to do a work in us, where He’s trying to refine us, through affliction and adversity, into a more valuable and beautiful person, moulding us towards being a spitting image, a genuine reflection of the perfect example, His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because that’s His ultimate desire for us all. So till we talk again tomorrow, God willing of course, please stay tuned to the Father, and wait patiently for his wise guidance. Much LOVE!…to wait…to wait…and yet to wait…patiently upon our God…so are we called to do…
SCRIP-BITS 