SCRIP-BITS

James 1:12.    Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE Him.
 
Oh Friends, it’s a brand new day, with brand new mercies, blessings and forgiveness! Wow! And all God’s people joyfully declared: ‘Oh praise the Lord for His LOVING-kindness to the children of men!’ Yes mih breddren, we’re alive and kicking, some stronger than others, (smile) but that doesn’t mean we can’t do whatever God has called us to do, for our weaknesses, if sincerely acknowledged, always brings God’s help. As He so nicely put it to Bruh Paul when asked to remove the thorn from his flesh: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor.12:9) So my people, whether we’re kicking high, low, or in between, with God’s help we can do His will for our lives. And here’s a Chinese Proverb from the Covenant House Calendar for May, which lends itself nicely to this argument. ‘Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.’ Now that’s the living truth Friends! It doesn’t matter how fast we grow, especially in our faith, but that we’re always learning and growing. Look at the mighty oak tree, born of a lowly acorn, it takes numerous years to reach its full and glorious height. But when it does, it can stand tall and strong, last for centuries. The same goes for us humans, we have to be growing and learning continually, but in our own strength and at our own pace, however the Lord has individually set us up. Of tremendous importance too, is that we don’t regress, but stand strong in and on what we’ve already learned and accomplished. That brings us to our Bit: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried (has been proven), he  shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE Him.’ Oh Friends, that verse should be an epiphany, an awakening to us all, for it brings into clear focus one of God’s purposes for our lives: to be tested. Please realize and accept that this life is an out and out test of our character and trustworthiness, which is done through temptations, among other things. Everyday of our lives we’re tempted. These trials and temptations serve a couple of purposes. The Lord’s testing to see if our endurance and faith are up to scratch, how we handle them, if we truly believe and have surrendered our lives to Him? And if we have, then we’ll immediately turn to Him and ask for guidance, then either wait patiently on His working, or go where He leads us. And if we pass the tests, rewards can be forthcoming, some here on earth, but most are assuredly banked in heaven for our future use. Consequently, believers should not always attempt to seek ways to escape from trials and temptations, but rather to work through them, since God desires that we use them as tools in the maturing of our faith. And I have an interesting comment from the scholars, who claim that believers should pay more attention to our Bit, than to 1 Cor.10:13, where Bruh Paul tells the Corinthians: ‘There hath no temptation taken (come upon) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ Yes my people, it’s usually to our benefit if we undergo the trials, rather than try to get out of them. Obviously, as the Lord’s promised, He will provide a means of escape if He sees that we truly can’t handle them. But it’s always to our advantage to suck it up and drive on. And we’ll close today with another word of encouragement from James on the subject. ‘Behold, we count them happy (blessed) which endure. Ye have heard of the patience (perseverance) of Job, and have seen the end (intended by) of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful (compassionate), and of tender mercy.’ (James 5:11) Job suffered plenty, though not in complete silence, but he never lost his faith in the Lord, and for that faithfulness the Lord rewarded with him twice what he’d lost. That’s the generous and magnanimous nature of our God. So Friends, though the Christian life is not easy, the rewards, both here on earth and in heaven are truly magnificent, for those who bear their earthly burdens with true belly and backbone. Therefore, let’s all endeavour to stand steadfast and strong in the Lord, knowing that whatever comes against us, a lot of which we often don’t understand, is for a divine purpose, and will always work out for our eventual good, because the Lord God Jehovah has promised, ‘that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’  (Rom.8:28)  More on this tomorrow, our God willing. Till then Friends, I implore us to LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word. Much LOVE!…trials and temptations are sent to test and strengthen us…not to abuse or punish us… P.S. I turned to Wack 90.1 as I was editing this, and a lovely piece of gospel soca sang out at me: ‘Things are getting better,  For the Lord is on my side, Things are getting better for me.’  Yes Friends, things are getting better for all those who believe! Please, let’s number ourselves amongst them. Much LOVE!