SCRIP-BITS

Isaiah 40:1.    Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
 
Oh Friends, our God has certainly come out to keep my amazement in Him full and functional! Why, you ask? Because there’s been another amazement factor! I came down just now to write the Bit, feeling somewhat tired and unenthused, with a couple things on my mind that I can’t seem to resolve. So I sat there in contemplation, trying to bring my thoughts to the task. After a few moments my eyes were drawn to a note I have stuck on the desk in front of me. I’ve already shared it with you, but it’s certainly worth sharing again. It says: ‘Our task is to take hold of God’s grace, to endure our afflictions with patience without growing weary. In time, He will ‘perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us.’ We must ‘wait on the Lord’ and ‘be of good courage.’ Oh Friends, after reading that, you know my spirits were lifted, and I turned to the Good Book with some enthusiasm. And as the Lord would have it, I opened it at Isaiah 40, which is superscripted ‘Comfort through trust in the Lord.’ Hn, hn! And that customary chuckle that rises up from my soul whenever the Lord amazes me, did rise up. But how could it not, when I read: ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.’ Ah mih breddren, the Lord does move in mysterious ways! For when Isaiah wrote those words, he was looking beyond the imminent captivity of Judah by her enemies. He foresaw a day of salvation when the Lord’s favour and mercy would be abundantly bestowed on them. I am also here to encourage us, to say that whatever our problems and sorrows might be now, there is a good future awaiting us if we stand strong and steadfast in the Lord. It might take what we consider a long time to come to fruition, but be sure that it will come, once we stay faithful and trust in Almighty God. Be consoled by the scripture: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.’ (Heb.10:23) And if that isn’t sufficient, then read Hebrews 11, that great chapter on faith, which points out how many of our fellow believers suffered, waited over long periods of time for God’s promises to be fulfilled, but never wavered in their belief. I believe that’s exactly what the Lord’s calling us to do today; wait patiently on Him, in faith. Unfortunately that’s not always easy to do, but it’s all part of our makeover to be like Jesus. And we can certainly do it, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, if we hunker down, determine in our hearts, minds and souls to please and serve Almighty God, come what may. Now according to the scholars, if we break down our Bit, there’s more to it than just what the words say. For example, ‘Comfort ye,’  (nachamu) means both ‘repent’ and ‘console.’ This implies that true repentance must be enacted before divine consolation is gained. And the words, ‘my people’ (‘ami) refers to those who are in a covenant relationship with God. The logical deduction Friends is that all believers, we who are in a covenant relationship with Jehovah God, need to repent, bare our souls to Him, before we can really receive His consolation. The onus is on us to remain faithful in the relationship. That means my people, as individuals, as small groups, as churches, villages, towns, cities and nations, we need to repent and confess before Almighty God, so that He can heal us, and also our world, both of which so desperately need healing. Isaiah wasn’t talking to individuals per se, but to the whole nation of Judah, which had gone astray from God and would receive His just judgement. But along with the justice also came the eventual pardon. We have to do likewise today, for the supposedly godly nations have all gone astray, and we’re now in a time of much tribulation on account of our disobedience. As Hosea declares: ‘For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk (the stalk has no bud): the bud shall yield no meal (it shall never produce meal): if so be it yield (if it should produce), the strangers (aliens) shall swallow it up.’ (Hos.8:7) Yes Friends, we have indeed sown many winds of iniquity, and are currently reaping the painful fruit in a whirlwind of death and destruction. However, our God would not have promised comfort if there was no hope for us in our disobedience. So let’s listen to His words, through the prophet Joel, for the second time in the past week, and do as He desires nuh. ‘Therefore also now saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend (tear) your heart, and not your garments, and turn (return) unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of evil (relents from doing harm).’ (Joel 2:12-13) Oh my people, please, let’s show some wisdom and allow those words to be our comfort and saving grace nuh, as we stay steadfast and true to Almighty God. Much LOVE!…repent… for the kingdom of God…is nearer than we think…