SCRIP-BITS

Well hello there all you beautiful believers in Christ; born again and filled with His Holy Spirit! How goes it this Sunday morning?  I sure hope that you are enjoying the Lord’s mercies and blessings. But if by chance you’re not, then please don’t get too downhearted and discouraged, stay strong in your faith for Jesus promised that He’d never leave nor forsake anyone who believes and trusts in Him. And we’re assured that God faithfully keeps all His promises. So whatever the circumstance(s), just lean on Him, acknowledge Him as the focus and power in your life, and in His time, He will make things right. Now that’s not always easy to do, but we’ve already been endowed with His Spirit, which means we already have the power within us to do whatever is necessary, we only have to take hold, assume control of it and use it correctly. And a couple of those things we need to do to take hold of Christ’s righteousness, power and Spirit are pointed out in our Bit: `Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.’  Again, that can be difficult, but to get there, we must first make a conscious decision to live in God’s will, then things will start to fall into place. As Jesus said: `But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Yes Friends, if we look towards the things of God, rather than the things of this world, the Lord will give us all we need to function properly here on earth. And one of the things required in focusing on God is keeping His commandments, doing His will. Not necessarily being subservient to Him, but getting into conformity with Him, having the same will as He does. As we saw yesterday when we dealt with the first part of our Bit; ‘Keep my commandments, and live,’ Moses gave the Israelites a choice of obeying God and living, or disobeying and dying. He even pleaded with them, ‘Therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut.30:19) And when believers keep the Lord’s commandments that’s exactly what we’re doing. Now let’s turn to the second part of our Bit; ‘and my law as the apple of thine eye.’ Here we come to the problem of focus again. Literally speaking the apple of our eye is the pupil, the opening that actually allows light into the eye, and thus one of the most important parts of the eye mechanism. And when we talk about things being the apple of our eye they are generally things that are very pleasing to us, things that we treasure. So in other words, the Lord wants us to focus on His law as well as treasure it, let it be pleasing to us, not burdensome. Bruh David, in pleading for protection from his enemies said: ‘Keep me as the apple (pupil) of the eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about (surround me).’ (Ps.17:8-10) He wanted the Lord to keep a watchful eye over him, safeguard him as one does with one’s treasure. And in Moses’ song, he first reprimands the Israelites: ‘Do ye thus requite (repay) the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy father that hath bought thee? Hath he not made thee and established thee?’ (Deut.32:6) Then he told them to check out their history, ask the elders and their fathers what the Lord had done for Israel of old. ‘For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the Lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about (encircled him) he instructed him, he kept him as the apple (pupil) of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.’ (Deut.32:9-12) Oh Friends, that’s the kind of relationship the Lord wants to have with each of us, but it’s not possible unless and until we do our part and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then focus solely on Him, while keeping His commandments and treasuring His law. Please remember we’re in a partnership with God, thus both sides have responsibilities, but God won’t do His part until we do ours. And we can see this very clearly in the words of Zechariah: ‘Deliver thyself, (escape) O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled (plundered) you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.’ (Zech.2:8-9) And yuh know what people; too many of us are dwelling with the daughter of Babylon today, that’s why our world is in such a sorry state, and until we escape from her ungodly clutches, we won’t be considered the apple of the Lord’s eye, and He won’t work on our behalf. So please Friends, let’s wake up from our lazy slumber, focus on God’s kingdom, by obeying His commandments and treasuring His law, so that He can once again seek our best interest. It’s the only way for us to get back into God’s good graces. Much LOVE!…what’s your focus…God’s kingdom…or Lucifer’s…