SCRIP-BITS

Psalm 39:7.    And now Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.
 
Oh Friends, it’s a new day, and I’m expecting new blessings and mercies, even though some things still remain the same; like my aching jaw and acting up allergies, something they haven’t done in a long while. However, I know that good things are going to happen today, and enough of them to cover and saturate the bad ones. Why is that eh? Because deep down in my spirit I have HOPE; HOPE in the Lord Jesus Christ. As our Bit from Bruh David’s prayer for self-understanding says: ‘And now Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’ Yuh know, for the last couple days, after reading or hearing that scripture somewhere, it’s been playing in my mind, and even more so today as I came to write the Bit. That told me the Lord wanted us to bathe in His HOPE today, to resuscitate the springs of hope in our mortal lives, which seem to be running low, so that we can stand strong and go forward bravely, building His righteous kingdom. So here goes; as many scriptures on HOPE, as we can fit in to the space we have available. And first up are words from Psalm 16; Bruh David’s Michtam (Contemplation) on preservation and blessing: ‘I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps.16:8-9) Now here are some more wise words from Bruh David, who wrote the book on Hope, from Psalm 38, the prayer of a penitent heart. When all his enemies were ganging up against him, he solemnly declares: ‘But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs (responses). For in thee, (I wait for thee) O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear (answer), O Lord, my God.’ (Ps.38:13-15) Now that’s what I call hope Friends! How many of us can sit quietly while others are bashing us, saying all sorts of nasty, untrue things about us, and we just sit quietly and wait for the Lord our God to hear and respond on our behalf? Not very many. But that’s how we ought to be. And turning to Cousin Sol: He simply declares: ‘The wicked is driven away by his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope (refuge) in his death.’ And that’s an indisputable fact my brethren! We know where we’re going when these mortal bodies bite the dust. Heaven, with Jesus! Therefore we have great hope here on earth! Yes Friends, the righteous, those that walk under the protective wings of Jehovah God are fuelled by hope in His everlasting promises and His great mercies. And the Preacher states his theory of hope thus: ‘For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.’ (Eccl.9:4) I guess that can be roughly translated by our saying that while there’s life there is hope, which is an undeniable fact my people. Now hear Jeremiah, re the blessedness of trusting the Lord: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is, for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer.17:7-8) Oh Friends, truer words were never spoken! How much more hope and encouragement do we need to believe in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob eh? And here’s a scripture I like, but don’t hear too often. Zechariah declares on behalf of Zion’s future king: ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech.9:12) Oh mih breddren, that term ‘prisoners of hope’ should be applicable to all followers of Christ, because hope is such an integral part of our Christian walk, and without it, we’d just die a dog’s death! But because there’s such a thing as hope, that our forefather Abraham embraced so wholeheartedly: ‘Who against (contrary) to hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.’ (Rom.4:18) Yes Friends, without a deep-seated hope and faith in God, where would Abraham be, in fact where would we all be today? He believed, trusted and hoped in God’s promise enough to walk as God desired. How many of us can truthfully make that statement today eh? Obviously not sufficient, otherwise our world wouldn’t be in such a mess. And Bruh Paul, re the service of LOVE to all, talks to the Romans about; ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation, continuing instant (steadfast) in prayer.’ (Rom.12:12) And we’ll conclude with this memorable scripture from Bruh Paul: ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then we do with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ That’s gospel truth Friends! So regardless of what ever is currently happening in our lives, or around the world, let’s not lose sight of the enormous importance of HOPE in a believer’s life. And just to keep us focused, we’ll reiterate the immortal words of our Bit: ‘And now Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’ Words of truth and strength mih people! Much LOVE!…to hope…to hope…and yet to hope…that is the Christian’s strength…