SCRIP-BITS

Proverbs 22:2.      The rich and poor meet together (have this in common): the Lord is the maker of them all.
 
Oh Friends, I haven’t even begun writing and I’m already behind the eight ball on two counts: I’m starting late, (5.10 a.m) and then I don’t have any words of wisdom, or even any smart-aleck words to greet you all with today. (smile) So I’ll just have to resort to a tried and true intro. Let’s all stop for a moment, raise our heads, hearts, eyes and tightly clenched right fists heavenward, as we vocalize loud and true: ‘This is the day the Lord has made! Under ANY and ALL circumstances, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ Oh Friends, I sure hope that brought a chuckle and/or smile to your physical being, and also lightened your overall attitude to life. Far too many of us take life too seriously and end up worried, anxious and stressed out, when there’s no real reason to be thus. Notice how Jesus was always calm and collected, even though He was being rudely and unfairly treated by His own Jewish people, and knew that the terrible rite of crucifixion awaited Him. Now we can never reach Jesus’ level of calm, but my brethren we can certainly aspire to a higher state than we’re currently experiencing. So regardless of our circumstances, we can all stay on an even keel, if we truly concentrate on the attributes of Jesus, which we all have planted in us, but need to nurture so that they will grow strong and true. For as our Bit reminds us: ‘The rich and poor meet together (have this in common): the Lord is the maker of them all.’ And that’s the living truth my people, though at times it certainly doesn’t seem so. We need to remember that before God, ALL are equal; rich, poor, talent, not talented, etc. etc. Later on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol puts it this way: ‘The poor and the deceitful man (the oppressor) meet together (have this in common): the Lord lighteneth both their eyes (gives light to the eyes of both).’ (Prov.29:13) That’s an indisputable fact, since the Lord is the Creator of all mankind! And in Job 25, when Bildad was questioning how man could be justified with God, he makes this undeniable statement: ‘Dominion and fear are with him: he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies (can his armies be counted)? And upon whom doth not his light arise?’ (Job 25:2-3) And the answer to both questions my brethren is an unequivocal NO! Meanwhile, Jesus, in talking about having LOVE for our enemies, makes this definitive statement on our topic: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.’ (Matt.5:44-45) And Friends, if Jesus says it’s so, then obviously it must be so! ALL the creatures of God’s universe have at least one thing in common; He made them ALL! Though they may look, walk, talk and think differently, they have ALL been sculpted HIS deft, agile and creative hands. As Job declares when he talks of his integrity and doing what he believed pleased God: ‘If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with (complained against) me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, (punishes), what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?’ (Job 31:13-15) That’s gospel truth my people! Try as we may, we can’t get away from the fact that God made us all, in His own image to boot! That means we’re ALL special, whether we’re rich or poor, strong or weak, righteous or unrighteous, and why He LOVES us so unconditionally. Now listen to Elihu, one of Job’s other buddies, as he declares: ‘Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked (worthless)? and to princes, Ye are ungodly (wicked)? How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes (Yet he is not partial to princes), nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they are all the work of his hands.’ (Job 34:18-19) So Friends, let’s stop putting ourselves down because we might not meet the world’s ungodly standards. Remember that however we are, that’s how God made us, and He had a good reason for doing so, though we might not see or think it. Yes Friends, there was method to God’s madness (smile) despite our oftimes negative opinions. Therefore, we can end today’s Bit, in the same spirit and manner in which we began. All together now, with eyes, hearts, heads and hands raised heavenward: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. We WILL rejoice and be glad in it, come what may!’ Now let’s go forth my brethren, rejoicing, giving thanks and praise for who we are, and more importantly, whose we are: Almighty God’s! Much LOVE!…God’s talents are so awesome…that He can make anything or anyone…for any purpose…His heart desires…