Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 November 2024 Psalm 63:1a.
Psalm 63:1a. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:
Awright, so it’s Friday! Big deal! So what if many voices have been raised with the empty words: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Too many of those who have made that cry are only paying lip service to God, and are not sincere in their hard and stubborn hearts. It’s like Jesus said: ‘This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.’ (Matt. 15:8) And unfortunately it’s just like that, possibly even worse in these ungodly times, where people pray conveniently and selfishly, and use God’s name in all sorts of improper ways.
However, in these times of great disaster and uncertainty, our hearts ought to be more connected to God than ever, because He is the ONLY One who can either get us out of the mess we’re in, or at least help us to handle it with some sense of peace and courage. What we ought to be saying and praying is like what Bruh David said in Psalm 63 – A Thirsting Soul – written when he was in the wilderness of Judah running for his very life from King Saul. He sincerely declared (steups!!!): ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.’ (Ps. 63:1)
Now Bruh David was in a land that really had no physical water, but we’re in a land that has no spiritual water, and that’s what we should be crying out for. We should be ever so thirsty for God’s grace and mercy as provided by His Holy Spirit that we should be crying out for it with sincere hearts and voices like there was no tomorrow. And who knows if there will be one, with the way things are so chaotic in our current world. Nuclear war could break out at any time because everybody and his brother is threatening it, and it only takes one fool or madman to start it, then our whole world will go up in flames, like the ‘fervent heat’ that Peter speaks of in 2 Peter 3:10 & 12.
So, instead of being either lazy and comfortable, or anxious and worried about our lives and situations, we ought to be sincerely seeking God, His grace and mercy as the times daily get worse. We should be like Jesus says in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6) Yes friends, if our hunger and thirst for God are sincere, then He will fulfill His promise and fill us with the spiritual food we’re seeking.
That brings us back to the psalm, where Bruh David writes of his anxiousness ‘To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary (so I have looked for thee). Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.’ (Ps. 63:2-6)
Ah mih people, yuh see the difference between Bruh David’s prayers and some of ours? As the scholars point out, although he is suffering in the wilderness, his prayer ‘is overflowing with thanksgiving rather than lament and petition. David declares (yesss!!!) his longing for spiritual renewal (vs. 1-2), he expresses his thankful mood (vs. 3-6), and he gives voice to his trust in God in (vs. 7-8),’ which say: ‘Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee (close behind thee): thy right hand upholdeth me. (Ps. 63:7-8)
Then in the last verses (9-11), he announces his hope for the future. ‘But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion (a prey) for foxes (jackals). But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.’ (Ps. 63:9-11)
Oh my fellow believers, it will indeed be a blessed day when the majority of us can respond with such trust and thanksgiving in dire circumstances, where enemies and our negative situations are only mentioned in passing, like Bruh David does in verses 9-10. That will be a day of rejoicing, for it will mean we’ve reached a fairly high level of spiritual maturity, which too many of us currently lack. And for help to increase our level of spiritual maturity, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant in all sincerity and truth.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, do we ever need to wake up and smell that coffee strong and sweet and thus improve our Christian image and behaviour, if we ever expect to see divine aid. Much LOVE!
…negative circumstances…ought to drive us to God…not away from Him…
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