covered me with ashes

Lamentations 3:25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Prologue: Please excuse the lateness of the Bit. I was just late all around today. Just one of those days. (smile)

And, as it was decreed at the time of creation, by the Lord God Jehovah, and thus has been happening since then, tomorrow has eventually morphed into today, which we call Tuesday! It’s another day of new mercies and compassions, fresh from the heart of our merciful and gracious God to us, His undeserving, disobedient children. But that just shows the extent of our heavenly Father’s LOVE and compassion for us. Something for which we ought to be everlastingly grateful, but which so many of us supposed believers, have, nor show, even one ounce of gratitude for.

And what I like and admire so much about that scene is that the Lord makes a special effort to give us new blessings and goodness each and every day. He doesn’t do leftovers, give us no stale, overnight, or yesterday bread, but spanking fresh and hot manna straight from His oven to us! And that’s where we get our confidence and steadfastness every day, even when we are in the throes of misfortune and disaster.

The prophet Jeremiah says it best in his Lamentations. He was being mistreated and abused for speaking the truth of God’s word to his sinful people. He even assumed that the God of his forefathers had deserted him because of his suffering in God’s name. And you can read about that in the opening verses of Lamentations 3 1-13. But listen to how that same truth of God’s grace and mercy carried him though his misfortune nuh.

He says: ‘I was a derision (laughingstock) to all my people, and their song (of contempt, or taunting) all the day. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes (beaten me down). And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity (goodness). And I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) with me.’ (Lam. 3:14-20)

Yes my friends, how many times have we, like Jeremiah suffered evil and indignity while doing good in the Lord’s name, and sadly wondered why eh? Why was all this bad stuff happening to us when we were just doing what the Lord’s asked of us? And that’s always a very good question, although one to which we seldom, if ever, get an answer from the Lord. (smile) But what I want to point out to us today, to remind us of, is the power of God’s Word and truth in our lives if we stay faithful to Him, despite the disastrous stuff that’s happening to us. It won’t be always easy, but as with everything else in this world, if we cry out to the Lord, He will surely help us to withstand or go through our misfortunes.

And Jeremiah is the perfect example of that. Hear, as he continues his lament. ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:21-26)

Oh my people, that is the kind of faith we are called upon to have, especially in these very troubled and trying times! Our God is ever-faithful and we need to be the same way too, even in the tough times, because that’s when our faith is really tested, and we see what we’re really made of, how much we truly believe God and His Word. And the scholars emphasize ‘that real faith is more than inner belief, even more than whole-souled committal. It is a condition of the soul marked by such a stable character and an attitude of total trust that the believer’s whole life is imbued with consistent, responsible, service to God.(cf. 1 Sam. 26:23; Ps. 37:3-6). From the biblical standpoint, true faith results in faithfulness in one’s life.’

And yes, it’s so easy to spout that dogma, but putting it into effective action is a horse of an entirely different colour. (smile) Unfortunately though, that is the kind of life to which we must aspire if we are to enjoy all the many and wonderful benefits that accrue from truly living for Jesus. And there’s no doubt that we will fail the test at times, but our heavenly Father understands that, because He made us and knows what we are capable of. So we don’t need to beat up ourselves or walk around continually feeling guilty when we fail, but needs be go to Him in sincere confession and ask for His awesome help. He will NEVER turn down anyone who sincerely comes to Him for help, you can count on that!

But then again, as the scholars point out re verse 26 above: ‘Jeremiah’s observation resembles those of other saints who have experienced great grief of soul.’ And they give us a whole set of references from men of great faith like Habakkuk (Hab. 2:20, 3:17-19); Job (Job 40:3-5); Bruh David (Ps. 37:7) Asaph (Ps. 73:23-27); Isaiah (Is. 26:3); Bruh Paul (2 Cor. 1:7; 2 Thess. 3:5). All of those scriptures advise waiting on the Lord, because He is ever faithful and trustworthy. And we’ll quote two of them here that we all know, or ought to know (smile)

First up is that verse from Isaiah that says: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed (sustained) on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah (Rock of Ages) is everlasting strength.’ (Is. 26:3-4) And I added that last verse because it just adds to the depth of the scripture. (smile)

Now, here are these immortal verses from the pen of Bruh David in Psalm 37. ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:7-9)

Wow! What powerful words of wisdom my faithful brethren! And I do hope that as we ponder them on this first Tuesday in October 2022, that they will bring to our remembrance all the good things that the Lord has done in our lives, all His marvellous promises, and that our faith will rise up to new levels, thereby helping us to stand strong and steadfast in Jesus!

Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do His bidding, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my neighbours. Amen!’

So let’s get out there and do just that nuh, so others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…expectant waiting…patience…trust…faithfulness…LOVE…JESUS…the most important words in a believer’s vocabulary…

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Lamentations 3:21. This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope.

Aye friends, yuh ever wake up in the morning and just feel tired, exasperated and frustrated with mankind? Well that’s the way I feel this morning. Before I begin writing the Bit, I usually take a gander at the news headlines to get some idea of what’s happening around the world…

And…oh Lord…it’s only strife, anger, war, resentment and hatred! Nothing uplifting! Unless the newsmongers don’t consider anything uplifting to be news! But it’s just so much confusion and ‘cantankerousness’ that it leaves the spirit longing for the day the Lord shuts it all down.

But yuh know what? It’s Friday, and it’s the big-wigs who are causing all the heartache, but the workingman does have something to say that will bring a chuckle to the soul and lift the spirit some. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And though the summer finish and school start back, and the long holiday weekends done for now, we still going to have a good time on the weekends!

Why? Because that’s the only time we have to have a good time! The rest of the week we labouring for massa for piddling, can’t make ends meet wages. So when we get the chance, come hell or high water, we certainly going to party for so, and say, ‘In yuh face massa! Stop we now nuh! But he can’t! That’s why we have to say Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’

Ah friends, there’s a certain kind of earthiness in the workingman that you can’t beat. He just lays it out there bare, fair and square. Meanwhile we, the supposed intelligentsia, make such a fuss, have so many unnecessary hang-ups, that we make our own lives more difficult than they need to be.

Yes, the workingman does tend to go too far out on the limb, but he wears his emotions on his sleeve. Hopefully, we believers are a li’l more cautious, but still capable of real and true emotion, and show it when it’s necessary. And right now is one of those times, as we declare our Friday Chant with as much enthusiasm as the workingman sang his song.

All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’

Yes friends, our intentions are different from the workingman, but our enthusiasm for the things of Jesus should be just as great, if not greater! And I’m chuckling here mih people, because I don’t know where all of this is leading to, but the Lord must have a purpose for it all. Let’s see if we can find it…

Glory to God, I found it! I just opened the Good Book and it opened right to the page with these immortal words of Jeremiah in his soulful Lamentations. ‘He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace:

I forgat prosperity (good). And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me.’ (Lam.3:15-20)

Ah mih breddren, Jeremiah did have a pretty rough time in trying to bring his people to the Lord. But yuh know what? In his reminiscence, he rightly and sagely concludes. ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.’ (Lam.3:21-28)

And Jeremiah did bear the Lord’s yoke in his youth, as did many of us believers. So friends, even though we might be going through a pretty difficult time, there’s no reason to get discouraged and give up, because as Jerry says, the Lord is good to those who seek Him and wait on Him.

And later on he further declares: ‘For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly (with delight), nor grieve the children of men.’ (Lam.3:31-33) Yeh, friends, though our God is a God of justice, He is also a God of great mercy; He does not take delight in afflicting us. He will punish us for our sins, but nowhere near what we deserve.

So please, I implore us this Friday morning, to not give up, even though you may not see a way out of your troubles. Remember that our God is the Creator of the universe and He ALWAYS finds a way. So put your trust and hope in Him, hang in there, and eventually, in His time and manner, He will lift the burdens from your soul. He has done it for countless other saints. He will do it for you too…just have faith and hang in there. Much LOVE!

…if the Lord gave His Son’s sinless life for our sinful souls…why would he withhold anything else from us eh…

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 September 2018 Lamentations 3:21.

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