Psalm 34:4. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Well hello there Friends and Neighbours, welcome to this big and beautiful Wednesday morning! But brother it’s cold as ever, just like the last two days were, probably cold enough to make hell freeze over too! (smile)
Hopefully though, there will be lots of sunshine, like we had yesterday, to sort of mentally diminish the cold, since it never seems as bad when the sun is shining. Hn!
However my people, today is Wednesday, which means we are half-way home through our work week, which I know is proving to be very difficult for some of us, being the first one of the year, and all that. But wherever you are, and whatever the weather situation might be there, I want us to remember a few salient facts.
Firstly, that this is the day the Lord has made, and regardless of our circumstances, we ought to rejoice and be glad in it, for that’s why the Lord made it. Secondly, we’re alive, that means there’s hope that all our situations will be bettered eventually.
And lastly, that today, new mercies, new grace, new forgiveness, and new blessings are being prepared in heaven to shower down on us all later on.
Wow! That’s the magnificence, magnanimity and LOVING-kindness of our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God!
And all the children of the Most High declared a loud and heartfelt: ‘Thank You heavenly Father! You are so good to us! We praise and bless Your holy name! And much much thanks again too for sacrificing Your One Son Jesus, so that we could have LOVING communication once more with You.
You are indeed the very best! We truly do LOVE You, and will endeavour to walk sincerely in Your will this new year of 2015; with Your help and encouragement of course! This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Oh Friends, Jehovah God is such a wonderful Deity, that I don’t know what we’d do without His LOVING-kindness!
Now that segues very smoothly into our Bit: ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.’
Oh my fellow believers, that only proves what we’ve said above! Which other supposed god does stuff like that eh? None of them! They are only interested in taking, while the living, LOVING and very active God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is much more concerned with giving!
I don’t know about you all nuh Friends, but I’d much rather have a God that gives than one that takes. That brings us to our first scripture passage showing where and how the Lord quells fear in His obedient subjects, and that’s when He appoints Joshua as the leader of the Israelites, after the death of Moses.
Hear these wonderful words of encouragement and promise that the Lord told him back then. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Be strong and of a good courage… Only be thou strong and very courageous… Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1: 5, 6a, 7a, 9)
What a display of encouragement my people on the part of our kindly and LOVING God! Three times in four verses, He tells him to be strong and of a good courage. With all of that, if Joshua obeyed, He couldn’t help but succeed!
Now listen to some further words of Bruh David on the subject, which ought also to enlighten us and boost our courage. ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear (reverence) the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear (reverence) him.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear (reverence) of the Lord.’ (Ps.34:8-11)
Oh my people, how can we not be encouraged when we hear those wonderful words from a man who lived them eh?
And we’ll close, as we like to whenever possible, with words from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself. Hear these challenging but righteous and very truthful words from the Master.
‘Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt.7:7-11)
Oh Friends, what beautiful sentiments from our Saviour!
Now here are some interesting and relevant notes on those verses from the scholars. ‘7:7-10. The three imperatives ask, seek, and knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer.
Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (vs.8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’
Oh my brethren, in light of those fateful and moving words from Jesus and the scholars, what more can a humble human like myself add eh?
Not much nuh, except to advise and encourage us to follow them, if we want to be successful down here on earth, as well as in heaven above, for they are indeed words of heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…hn!…we will follow Jesus…all the way to eternity…and back too… (smile) …that’s how much trust and faith we have in Him…
