SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, it’s Monday…! And the numerous, loud, long drawn out ‘Chuhhhs!’ and ‘Steupsss!’ that greet this announcement are not surprising, for though we know there’s nothing we can do about Monday and having to go back to the daily grind and common task, we still have this unbreakable hatred of Monday. It’s the one day of the week in the Western world, that just thinking about it, gets us all riled up. But luckily for us Friends, we have the panacea for that ailment; it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So to tune down the angry or bluesy feelings, let’s sing it now in full voice, as one. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Ah mih people, that should get us up and going now, reducing the anxiety and boosting our spiritual fervour. (smile) And our Bit today is an excellent accompaniment to our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, as it says of our great and wonderful God: ‘Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah.’ Words of inescapable truth from Bruh David in his contemplation on the blessedness of forgiveness! Where else can we safely hide from the evil Beelzebub and his wicked cohorts, but in the all embracing, protective arms of our ever-LOVING Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Nowhere else Friends! For once we have committed our lives to Him in true repentance and been forgiven, the Lord will not allow us to be unduly harmed by the enemy. As Bruh David proudly proclaims in Psalm 9, praise for God’s justice; ‘The Lord also will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps.9:9-10) Yes my people, when we surrender our lives to God, He will protect us from the oppressor in times of trouble. We know that for a fact, because no one that has ever trusted Him has ever been forsaken. Our God stands solidly on His promises: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut.31:8) What a promise eh Friends! Moses promised that to Joshua when he handed over the leadership to him, Joshua held on to it and was successful. Then Jesus reiterated it to His disciples before He ascended to heaven. ‘And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:20) And they stood on Jesus’ promise and built the church that we are a part of today. What more can we ask of our God and Saviour? Nothing really! It’s up to us now to stand on those promises and prove the faithfulness of our God. It’s a sad reality that though we know all the promises God’s made, too many of us don’t act on them, much to our detriment. However, as of today my brethren, let’s promise ourselves to take God’s promises seriously and stand solidly on them. If we do we shall see a great improvement in the quality of our lives. Much LOVE!…to break the enemy’s hold… believers must act on the promises of God…