SCRIP-BITS

Luke 1:46.    And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord.

Oh Friends, the dawn’s breaking on a new day, bringing with it the bright light of the sun rising majestically over the distant horizon, just like the brilliant light of the Son came to earth two millennia ago and totally lit up the spiritual darkness of our souls. Yes Friends, that’s our Jesus! But He’s also much more than that. Listen to this declaration of His attributes from the book, ‘My Jesus is Everything,’ by Anne Graham Lotz. ‘He is enduringly strong. He is entirely sincere. He is eternally steadfast. He is immortally gracious. He is imperially powerful. He is impartially merciful. He is the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizons of the globe. He is God’s Son. He is the sinner’s Saviour. He is the captive’s Ransom. He is the breath of Life. He is the centrepiece of civilization. He stands in the solitude of Himself. He is august and He is unique. He is unparalleled and He is unprecedented. He is undisputed and undefiled. He is unsurpassed and He is unshakable. He is the lofty idea in philosophy. He is the highest personality in psychology. He is the supreme subject in literature. He is the unavoidable problem in higher criticism. He is the fundamental doctrine of theology. He is the Cornerstone, the Capstone, and the stumbling Stone of all religion. He is the miracle of the ages. My Jesus is…Everything!’ And that’s an indisputable fact my people. Is there any God to compare to Him? Absolutely not! No wonder Mary had no problem in being His earthly mother! Who wouldn’t want to bear such a wonderful specimen eh? And for such a privilege she was indeed grateful as she shows when she declares in our Bit: ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord.’ Oh my people, when our most kind and LOVING God looks upon us personally with heart-felt compassion or great favour, it ought to move our souls to soaring heights, especially in terms of being thankful.  Here’s an excellent example of what we’re talking about. Hannah was a barren wife, scorned by all and sundry; ‘And she was in bitterness of soul (great anguish), and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore (a lot).’ (1 Sam.1:10) Hannah also promised the Lord that if He granted her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service. And the Lord being the gracious Deity that He is, granted Hannah’s wish in the form of the prophet Samuel, whom she apprenticed to Eli the chief priest at an early age, thus keeping her promise. But listen to the outpouring of praise and gratitude that emanated from her soul in song:‘And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn (strength) is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over (smiles at) mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none besides thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy (arrogance) come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.’ (1 Sam.2:1-4) Yes my brethren, that was the kind of joy that sprang up in her soul, and all she could think of was magnifying, glorifying, lifting up and exalting the Lord God Jehovah who had so graciously granted her heart-felt plea for a son. Please read the rest of her song in 1 Sam.2:5-11. Now the interesting and important question here Friends, is whether we praise and glorify the Lord when He grants our prayer requests, or is just generous to us, and do we keep any promises we make when we ask His favour? Though they may seem insignificant, they are in fact two very important aspects of our walk with God, for as the Preacher tells us, re keeping promises: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5) And re God’s glory, He says through Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’(Is.42:8) And that shouldn’t surprise us, for He unequivocally stated the same thing when He gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments. (Ex.20:1-8) So my people, two of the worst mistakes we can ever make in dealing with our God, is firstly not keeping our promise(s) to Him; and secondly, not giving Him His rightful glory. Unfortunately though, I believe that many of us, fine believers that we are (smile) make those two mistakes much more often than necessary, that’s why a lot of our prayers and requests go unanswered and/or awry. Anyway Friends, that’s enough for us to think on today. We’ll continue this topic tomorrow, if we’re alive and kicking. Till then, let’s faithfully LOVE and magnify our God, proudly LIVE our Faith, while diligently and joyfully SPREADING His Word to all the world as He asked. Much LOVE!…give to the rightful owners…what belongs to them…or as the old people would say…give Jim his gym boots…and Jack his jacket… (smile)