Daniel 4: 3. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! And I realize you know that because I hear you shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ from way down the road. I also see the Carnival preparations underway in the busy mas camps with costumes being put together for the big celebrations two weeks hence. Ah hear the calypsos coming out of the calypso tents, and the sweet pan beating as the pan sides practice for Panorama. Oh Friends, if we could only harvest this Carnival spirit and productivity for everyday life, what a wonderful nation we’d be. And though mas might be an important part of our culture, we can’t afford to let the Bacchanalian atmosphere run roughshod over everything. We need to temper it some, so that God’s work can also continue. To this end then, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm, so that we can gain the right perspective for the weekend. ‘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.’ Yes Friends, the weekend is upon us and we need to use it wisely. As we also need to use our Bit, which was an immortal declaration of the heathen Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, sometime after he’d seen God’s wonderful work in bringing the three Jewish youngsters, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego out of the flaming furnace without even smelling of smoke. King Neb begins his speech thus: ‘Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God had wrought toward me.’ (Dan.4:1-2) Oh my brethren, this should be a perfect place and moment for all of us to consider our own journey with God and contemplate the many wonders and signs that He’s wrought in our own lives. And if you’re a true believer, there will be some that will make us declare like King Neb: ‘How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.’ Now Friends, remember that this was a declaration of God’s power from a heathen king thousands of years ago, long before Christ even came to earth as man. So if this heathen king can accept all the signs and wonders of Almighty God that he claims to have seen and experienced, why can’t we do the same eh, especially since we’ve experienced the biggest sign and wonder ever; the coming of Jesus, his birth, death and resurrection? Too many of us my people still doubt in our hearts that the awesome God we worship is as great and potent as we say, possibly because He does not work great miracles in our lives everyday. But what we seem to be forgetting here is that He’s the Master and we are the servants. It’s our duty to serve Him, not His to bow to our every whim and desire. Now let’s look at one of the most important signs in the Good Book, one of the silver threads upon which its based. And we talking here about the prophet Nathan’s speech to Bruh David, promising that his seed shall reign upon the throne of Israel forever. ‘And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes (strokes) of the children of men. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.’ (2 Sam.7:12-16) That Friends was the Davidic covenant, the Lord made with Bruh David, and though it wasn’t as flashy as some other signs, it still is one of the most important signals God ever gave to man, because on and through it, lay the coming of Christ, the Messiah, as a descendant of Bruh David. Oh Friends, what a thoughtful God we worship! And we’ll end with God’s strengthening and comforting words later on through psalm 89, God’s sure promises to David, written by Ethan the Ezrahite: ‘Nevertheless my LOVING-kindness will I not utterly take from him (break off), nor suffer my faithfulness to fail (be false). My covenant will I not break, nor alter (change the word) thing that is gone out of my lips. Once I have sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven (the sky). Selah.’ (Ps.89: 33-37) Yes my people, it’s appropriate that we stop awhile and ponder all that the Lord has done for us, both individually and collectively through His Word. It’s only by so doing that we can really fathom the depths of His care, consideration and LOVE for us! More on this tomorrow if we live to greet the sunrise. Much LOVE!…oh to know, know know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
SCRIP-BITS 