SCRIP-BITS

Psalm 100:3.    Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
 
Oh Friends, another balmy summer’s day has dawned in my area! And wonder of wonders, I’m alive to see it and to enjoy the new blessings that come with it! Therefore let me say a grateful, humble and enthusiastic, ‘Thank you Lord!’ Yes Friends, it’s imperative that we give the Lord thanks for His goodness everyday we awaken, regardless of our individual circumstances, for just being alive is a most wonderful gift, a true blessing. Psalm 100 is a psalm of praise, a call to praise the Lord, and as the first two verses so appropriately declare: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.’ (Ps.100:1-2) Now that’s the way we ought to praise our omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God! And our Bit gives the reason, the evidence for such gushing sentiments. ‘Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’ Wow! What better reason can there be to serve and praise our God! We must first admit though that the Lord is God; the Almighty Being, the Highest of the High, that there’s no one above Him, in neither might, stature, splendour or any other category devised by man. Neither can He be pigeonholed by our simple definitions, for He is much greater than our lowly minds can comprehend. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:9) Then we need to understand and gratefully acknowledge that the Lord is our Creator: ‘it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves.’ Oh Friends, that alone is great cause for us to worship and serve Him obediently. He made us with tender, LOVING care. It was a highly planned and orchestrated affair, not just some wishy-washy scheme that suddenly came to His mind. As the scriptures confirm and joyfully proclaim: ‘For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well.’ (Ps.139:13-14) Yes my people, we need to understand that we were all made from a heart of great LOVE. Thus we are entitled to be proud of our royal heritage. But please be careful, don’t let that pride run away with us, so we get too big for our breeches, else the Lord will topple us from our man-made heights, abase and humble us before His mighty throne. It’s very important that we always remember who’s the boss; the Creator, not the created. Now let’s look at a couple of other scriptures that speak to the situation. Job, in bewailing his calamity, woefully declared: ‘Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine (look favourably) upon the counsel of the wicked?…Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.’ (Job 10:3,8) Though Job’s situation was terrible, he had no doubts or illusions about his Creator. Then we turn to Psalm 119:73, which leaves no doubt either as to man’s Creator. ‘Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.’ And we’ll give the final word to Bruh Paul: ‘For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph.2:10) There we have it Friends, indisputable evidence re our Creator and creation. And the most wonderful part of it all is that though we have been rebellious and disobedient to our Creator’s will, from way back when, He has not, and has promised never to leave or forsake us. So great is His LOVE for us, His greatest creation, that he offered up His only Son, Jesus, as a pure and living sacrifice for our abominable misdeeds. How can we then not be everlastingly thankful and show it by requiting His LOVE with our own, by faithfully serving, worshipping and praising Him with each breath we take? That’s the only response that can be considered worthy of us in light of God’s saving grace and mercy. So please, let’s go out into the evil world and show that we are truly His proud, obedient children, by LOVING Him, LIVING our Faith, and SPREADING His Word. More on this topic tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, please walk safely under the protection of His mighty wings. Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…