Psalm 27:3. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, the weekend’s upon us! That’s why there’s so much joy around and so much mouthing of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ And nothing’s really wrong with that, because most of us put in a hard week’s work and deserve a couple of days off. But please don’t get too carried away, for when Monday comes, you’ll certainly pay the price. And talking about paying a price, some 29,000, yes twenty nine thousand Somali children under the age of 5 appear to have died from the effects of the drought and famine plaguing that unfortunate country. Meanwhile, another six hundred and forty thousand (640,000) are reportedly acutely malnourished, but yet the powers that be are fighting what seems an interminable war. Over what eh? A drought stricken, ungovernable country where many of the inhabitants have fled, and those remaining are dirt poor, hungry and scared because of the decades old ongoing war. Steups! Pray for them please Friends; pray that those in control will wake up before it’s too late to avoid terminal disaster. We in the West had better pay close attention too, for if we continue with our divisive policies and actions, our fate is likely to get just as bad. Anyway, to try and keep Beelzebub from our door, let’s chant our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Ah mih people, mankind has become so proficient at the art of war, through so much practice, that he now has weapons of mass destruction and technology that allows him to stay on one side of the world and destroy his enemies on the other side. How brilliant…and also foolish, because right now we seem hell bent on destroying each other. But as Bruh David says in our Bit: ‘Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ And that confidence comes from the fact that: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1) Those are excellent questions Friends, and the answer to both is ‘NOBODY!’ Bruh David was a warrior amongst his many attributes, and he had good cause to be concerned during his many battles, but hear his absolute confidence in God, when he fled from his rebellious son, Absalom. ‘I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:5-6) That’s the kind of trust and confidence we need to have my brethren if we are to make a positive difference in this evil world. And if those words don’t grab you, then try these from the most famous psalm: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:4-6) Oh Friends, Bruh David did wrong, just like all of us, but he never lost his faith and trust in the God of his fathers. That’s why the Lord considered him His friend and a man after His own heart. The same avenue is open to us today, especially since we lead a much easier and less complicated life than the old timers. We also have Jesus’, His promises and assurances, which the Old Testament folks didn’t have. However, because their life was harder than ours, they needed to develop plenty belly and backbone. In comparison, our life is easy like child’s play, yet we whine and complain over everything. My brethren, we definitely need to step up to the plate and do better than we’re doing in the service of Jesus, because right now the forces of evil are winning. We need more action and much less talk, that means taking a long, hard look at ourselves and deciding whether we’re going to stand up and fight the good fight for Jesus, or just lie down placidly and die. In closing, here are some pertinent words from Jesus: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28) Yes Friends, once and for all, let’s cast aside the fear that weakens, and embrace the faith that strengthens, so we can further God’s kingdom as we ought to. Much LOVE!…the only thing to truly conquer fear…is faith…in Jesus…
SCRIP-BITS 