Proverbs 9:9. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
Oh Friends, can you believe it’s August 1st already? Wow! This year of 2012 is more than half done. The summer is almost done too, since by Labour Day, in early September, those chilly autumn winds will begin to blow and the trees will go into winter hibernation mode, losing their leaves and looking like the naked ‘undead.’ (smile) And do you remember that at the start of the year we all sincerely promised that our first and foremost new year resolution would be to increase our passion and faith in Christ, then use that heightened maturity to also increase our efforts in His service; namely by going around doing good and helping others as He did on His earthly sojourn? The question now Friends, is have we kept that resolution? Can we truthfully say that on each day of our earthly pilgrimage this year, we’ve aspired to do good and help others? Or have we just gone along with the prevalent laissez-faire, shrug your shoulders, so what attitude of present day Christianity? I certainly hope it’s the former, otherwise we’re in deep trouble with the Lord. For if we made a vow to God to improve our efforts on His behalf and haven’t done so, then we’ll have to come up with some excellent reason(s) why not. Please remember these wise words of advice form the Preacher: ‘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 that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5) Oh my people, that’s one of the things seriously wrong with our world today. Our word has no meaning, no sincerity, no trustworthiness. We make promises quite easily and quickly, for the wrong reasons too, then we turn around and break them just as easily and quickly, with little or no regret. Please note though, that our God doesn’t play that game. If He promises something, He delivers, and He expects the same from us. So let us each consider what promises we’ve made in the last little while, both to God and man, and try and keep them, or if it’s too late to do so, at least sincerely apologize for our shortcoming. That’s what our Bit is saying: ‘Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.’ Yes Friends, I’m giving us wise people (smile) good advice from the Good Book to keep our promises, and I know that we’ll all become wiser because we’re all going to heed that most excellent advice. And since we’re also just people, walking righteously with the Lord, then we will remember that teaching and also improve our mental faculties. Ah mih breddren, I wish it was as simple and easy as it sounds. But working for Jesus is never easy or simple, because we’re still too tuned in to the mores of the world, and thus many of us get led astray by unfortunate circumstance and evil people. Remember yesterday we noted that our world was suffering from a hot of bad decisions based on wrong advice from supposed experts? Now how could so many learned people be wrong eh? It’s quite simple Friends. They were not complying with the foundational rules of the universe as set out by our Creator in His all-inclusive Guide to a Good World, His Book of Eternal Wisdom, the Bible! And if you start out with the wrong premise, building your foundation on soft, sandy soil, what else can you expect but disaster when the storm rages? Oh Friends, the Lord God created us and gave us the Bible, the truth of His Word to live by, admonishing us to live by it or suffer disastrous consequences. Let’s look at a few of those scriptures that so carefully and caringly warn us. ‘And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress (overstep) the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper (succeed).’ (Num.14:41) Yes my brethren, that’s simple and straightforward: If you disobey the Lord’s command, your venture will not succeed. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand it. Neither do the following scriptures. Re the blessings of obedience, Moses told the Israelites: ‘And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.’ (Deut.28:2) And it goes on to list eleven (11) verses of blessings. Now listen to the consequences of disobedience, many of which we’re currently suffering: ‘But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto (obey) the voice of the Lord thy God, to (carefully) observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curse shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.’ (Deut.28:15) The difference here Friends is that it then goes on to list fifty three (53) verses of curses! So you do the math and tell me which avenue is fraught with more hardship eh. And what completely amazes me is that there’s plenty proof, from the Israelites right back to our present time that indeed show that wisdom in serving the Lord leads to prosperity, while disobedience leads to death and destruction. But man is so full of his stupid self that he feels he can control and outdo His Maker. Hn! It’s just like the robots we’re now building to do all sorts of stuff to make our lives easier. One day they too will want to take over the running of the show from us. Oh Friends, let’s be wise and learn nuh, and aspire to only accept good advice, like what we’ll close with. ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success or act wisely) whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:7-8) Oh my people, there’s nothing else to say, for that’s the best advice we can ever receive…straight from God to Joshua. Let’s be wise and heed it nuh. That’s the only way our world will improve. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…and in the hearing…hopefully he’ll also get wisdom to understand…
SCRIP-BITS 