2 Chronicles 32:7. Be strong and courageous, be not dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him.
Oh Friends, yesterday’s gone, tomorrow’s not yet come, but praise the Lord, today is here! Wow! What an acute perception! (smile) The point though Friends is that yesterday is flailing uncontrollably somewhere in eternity, and we can’t do anything about it, neither can we do anything about tomorrow, which is yet to show its ruddy face. But today Friends, today is in our grasp, it lies comfortably in the palms of our hands. It’s all we really have, so let’s use it wisely and diligently nuh. The Lord gave us a new day with new blessings and mercies every twenty-four hours because He didn’t want us pining for yesterday and/or worrying about tomorrow, two things we can do absolutely nothing about. Today though was made for us to run with. And this quote from George Eliot, the pen name of English poet and novelist Mary Anne Evans (1819-1880) spells it out nicely. ‘What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.’ Oh my people, yesterday is always the end of the day, and today is always the beginning! So let’s make it a habit to make and end of each yesterday, and a beginning of each today. Somewhat convoluted nuh! But that way we’ll be able to fully concentrate on the important matters at hand today, and thus do our best in dealing with them. Now that doesn’t mean we have to entirely forget about yesterday, or make no plans for tomorrow, because some things will obviously come forward from yesterday, and some from today will naturally move forward to tomorrow. The tricky part is to not dwell on what happened yesterday, or be too perplexed by what will happen tomorrow. I surely hope all of that makes sense to you, because I don’t know if it does to me. (smile) But I know that we’re all bright enough to pick sense from nonsense. The problem with profitably doing what I’ve said above though, is that we first need to be well grounded in a strong, philosophy, teaching or faith, so that we can comfortably let the past go, and not worry about the future. And we all know that the best remedy for all our troubles and needs is Jesus! The promises He’s made in His Word are exciting and exceedingly gratifying, as exampled by our Bit: ‘Be strong and courageous, be not dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him.’ Oh Friends, today we’re going to look at one of the most outstanding stories of courage and faith in the Lord recorded in the Good Book. It’s one we all know, about Bruh David and Goliath, the Philistine giant. Oh, if most of us only had a small portion of Bruh David’s strength and faith in Jehovah God, we would indeed move mountains! Anyway, Bruh David was a teenager looking after his father Jesse’s sheep, while the Israelite army was lined up against the mighty Philistines. However, one day his father sent him to the front lines with some food for his elder brothers in the army. But instead of being glad to see him and thankful for the food he brought them, the brothers mocked him for coming to the big man’s game of war. Bruh David though was not discouraged, and when he heard Goliath’s challenge to Israel, he took it up, while all the mighty men of Israel fled in fear. The Lord’s anointing was already upon him, for what teenager could otherwise have spoken these challenging words. ‘What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?’ (1 Sam.17:26) Strong and courageous words indeed my people! Eventually Bruh David came before King Saul requesting permission to go out and fight Goliath. But like everyone else, Saul was doubtful. But again, listen to Bruh David’s brave words. ‘Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ (1 Sam.17:32) Saul tried to tell him that he was only a youth while Goliath was a man of war, but Bruh David told him of how he had killed a lion and bear while watching the sheep, ‘and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing that he hath defied the armies of the living God…moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.’ (1 Sam. 17:36-37) Oh mih people, not many of us had such strong faith in Almighty God at such tender age! And finally, against all odds, refusing the unwieldy armour which he was not accustomed to, Bruh David went out to meet Goliath in his ordinary clothes armed with just a sling shot and a bag with some small, smooth stones. Obviously Goliath mocked him, re his youth and lack of armour. But hear Bruh David’s faithful reply: ‘Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.’ (1 Sam.17:45-47) And all God’s people said ‘WOW!’ Long and short Friends, the fight ended before it even began: Bruh David ran towards Goliath and shot a stone from his slingshot, a bull’s eye right into the giant’s forehead. Matter over! Yes Friends, when the Lord God Jehovah fights for us, it’s never a long, drawn out affair, but short and to the point. Today, all of us are fighting some battle(s) of our own, and trying to do it independently. But instead, let’s take heart from Bruh David’s story and stand strong and courageous in Jesus, and allow Him to fight for us. It’s what He wants to do, if we’ll only allow Him. Plus it will also cause us plenty less heartache. So let’s be pound wise and not penny foolish nuh! Much LOVE!…for God hath not given us the spirit of fear…but of power…and of LOVE…and of a sound mind… (2 Tim.1:7) P.S. It’s long, but powerful. (smile) I couldn’t have made it shorter without losing the vibe. Much LOVE!
SCRIP-BITS 