Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2021 Psalm 22:11.

12 May 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 22:11.     Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

All thanks and praise be to thee my wonderful God for offering your saints another marvellous day on your glorious earth! As the psalmist so rightly said so long ago: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) And believe me fellow saints, if we don’t enjoy this day like it is the last one, we’re only shortchanging ourselves, for it just might be the last one. 

Now that is certainly not wisdom, especially in the turbulent times we’re currently experiencing! It’s only the grace and mercy of a very compassionate God that’s keeping us from being swallowed up in the wily tentacles of the enemy’s negative circumstances. That’s why I am advising us to both enjoy the day to its fullest, but also to praise our God with as much power and sincerity as we can muster. 

That brings me to these interesting verses from Psalm 22 – A cry of anguish and a song of praise. That means the two; cry for help and words of praise are not inseparable or exclusive, but can exist together in harmony. And it’s not surprising that Bruh David is the author of this psalm. Let’s read with him as he opens with the state of his agony: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring (groaning)? O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not: and in the night season, and am not silent.’ (Ps. 22:1-2) 

Yes friends, Bruh David was obviously between a rock and a hard place. And please note the similarity in that first verse, a foreshadowing of Christ’s lament on the cross, as described by Matthew. ‘And at about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46) Then David tells how His forefathers had cried out to the Lord for help in time of trouble and had been delivered, (Ps. 22:3-5) 

However, as he further explains: ‘But I am a worm, and no man: a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip (show contempt with their mouths), they shake their head saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.’ (Ps. 22:7-8) Ah my fellow believers, that’s how many of us are treated; laughed to scorn when we talk fervently about God, then get caught up in trouble with no seeming help coming from Him. 

But please let’s not lose our faith or the sight that our God is good and will not turn away from us forever. Please believe like Bruh David did: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (cause me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’ (Ps. 22:9-11) And isn’t that the living truth my brethren. The Lord sees us in our mother’s womb and designates us as followers, and it’s only Him, and Him alone that can help us in times of misery and trouble! 

Then, after pouring out some more of the anguish of his soul to God, (vs.12-18) Bruh David changes tack; he turns to sentiments of praise. But let’s pause here for a moment and take note of verse 18: ‘They part (divide) my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture (for my clothing).’ That’s another foreshadowing of Christ on the Cross. Matthew 27:35 reads: ‘And they crucified him, and parted (divided) his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.’ So, this psalm is incredibly significant in foreshadowing Christ’s coming. 

But getting back to the praise section. Hear Bruh David: ‘I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear (LOVE) the Lord, praise him all ye the seed (descendants) of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him (hold Him in awesome reverence), all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.’ (Ps. 22:22-24) Yuh see friends, how praise and worship can cause our heavenly Father to look upon our affliction with grace and mercy? He never turns away from those who sincerely praise and glorify Him when they call upon Him in their time of trouble. 

As Bruh David so reverently continues. ‘My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat (prosper) upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust (death) shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul (keep himself alive).’ (Ps. 22:25-29). 

Truer words were never spoken my people! The universe and all therein is the Lord’s! And He will judge it righteously. And furthermore, NONE of us can save ourselves. So what’s our best option? Turn to the Lord, like Bruh David did, with shouts of praise and thanksgiving, with the spreading of His salvation, through the good news of Christ, and calling on Him in times of trouble without fear. In other words, living a life that glorifies Him! That’s the only way to make it through this sinful world with peace, LOVE and joy in our souls, despite the trials and tribulation we all will suffer. 

And for those of us who believe that, and are doing our best to live such a life, let’s go home now declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’  

And it is a given, that if we endure to the very end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Glory Be! Much LOVE!

…cries for help…can only be based…on shouts of praise…                                           

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8               

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 March 2016 Judges 5:3‏‏

17 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Judges 5:3.   Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

HAPPY  ST. PATRICK’S  DAY !

Well a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all you fine Irish and non-Irish folks out there! It’s time to enjoy the luck o’ the Irish! (smile)  

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated every year on March 17; the feast day of St. Patrick the patron Saint of Ireland. According to history though he was not Irish, but was born in Britain in 385 AD and brought to Ireland as a slave when he was sixteen. Six years later he escaped and became a priest, and per a vision, he returned to Ireland to Christianize the Irish people. 

According to legend, St Paddy used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people by showing them the three-leafed plant with one stem. And it eventually became the national flower/emblem of Ireland. 

Another part of St. Paddy’s legend claims that he drove the snakes out of Ireland, although some biologists claim there were never any snakes in Ireland. (smile) St. Patrick died on March 17 461 AD. 

And today I want to share some words of wisdom from Editor Bob from the 123 Group of Newsletters. 

The newsletter begins by saying that ‘St. Patrick’s day is here, we know besides being a day celebrating the revered patron saint of Ireland it has now become a perfect time to groove away with folks and friends wearing green jackets adorned with a shamrock and wish for our pot of gold delivered by the lucky Leprechaun.’ 

And what is a Leprechaun you ask? Well it’s a type of fairy in Irish folklore, who is usually depicted as a little bearded man, wearing a coat and a hat, with a mischief-making side to his personality. 

Now my recollection of St. Paddy’s day is just that as quoted above, because while growing up in T&T, St. Patrick’s Day was the only day you’d hear calypsos on the radio during the Lenten season. So it was basically a break in the staunch and strictly celebrated Christian time. We’d all be dying for St. Paddy’s day to come so we could drink and party with a clear conscience. (smile) 

Ah Lord eh! What began as a religious festival has turned in to a universal time of partying. But anyway, here are Editor Bob’s words of wise advice.‘Wisdom comes from the moments of leisure and reflections that you give yourself; sometimes perfection of life is not having perfection at all. 

So step down from the escalator and sit on a quiet bench, enjoy the indigo glow of the sky, invite a friend or two to spend the moment of nothingness with you and celebrate the day of abundance which is not necessarily monetary in nature. 

The festival is full of signs and symbolism. Green is the colour of growth and prosperity. Leprechaun brings a message to take life easy and have fun with it. Pot of gold is the “good fortune” you crave for on the outside but is within your reach if you just believe. Shamrock stands for trinity indicating the power that you have to attract all that is good. So friends enjoy the day to the fullest.’ 

And that is exactly what we ought to do, not simply because it’s St. Paddy’s Day, but because we are alive and kicking, being LOVINGLY looked after by a mighty, magnificent and magnanimous God. 

So why should we not follow the advice of both Editor Bob and the psalmist, who loudly declares: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) 

Oh my people, that is the mantra we should follow each and everyday we are blessed to open our eyes to greet a new morn. It’s not always easy because of the unfortunate circumstances that beset all of us at some time or other. But if we pro-actively cultivate that mindset, life will become much easier, and we will not allow our circumstances to steal our joy in the Lord as much as we’d otherwise do. 

Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’ 

Yes friends, we’ll continue with scriptures of praise and thanksgiving to our great and wonderful God – even though we don’t have much time and space left. (smile) That’s because there is nothing else that brings joy to the Lord and to us than offering up praises to our Creator and heavenly Father. 

First off, listen to these words of Asaph from Psalm 50 – God is the judge. ‘Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation (conduct) aright will I show the salvation of God.’ (Ps.50:23).  

Oh my people, please let’s remember that the Creator made us to have an intense but beautiful relationship with Him. Mankind is the only one of His creatures that can do that. 

But unfortunately, over the last generation or so, we have been backsliding badly, and now need to very seriously come to Him as desperate times are overtaking our world. Only confession, repentance and mountains of praise can right our upside down, topsy-turvy world. 

The psalmist in Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for His creation- steadfastly and confidently declares: ‘Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely (beautiful) for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. 

Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise (joyful shout). For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.’ (Ps.33:1-4) 

And all God’s children said a loud and grateful ‘Praise the Lord!’ to those words of indisputable truth. 

And we’ll close with an appropriate Irish Angel’s Blessing: ‘May the leprechauns be near you, to spread luck along your way. And may all the Irish angels, Smile upon you on St. Patrick’s Day.’ 

Yes my brethren, I wish us all a blessed St. Patrick’s Day! Much LOVE!

…blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance…  (Ps.33:12)

P.S. I’m somewaht tardy today because of my early celebrations of St. Paddy’s Day. (smile) Much LOVE!