hangovers | SCRIP-BITS

1 Samuel 16:7. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

And after the long weekend, I do hope that those of you who have to go to work today will make it without too many problems – read, hangovers, tiredness etc. (smile) Well my trusty desktop seems to be working decently again…Praise the Lord!

Yes, I know it’s old and out of fashion and all that, but it’s like the old saying, new broom sweep clean, but old broom know the corners! And I’m just more familiar with my desktop than my laptop. The former just knows what I want to do and where I want go, especially when it comes to writing the Bit. (smile)

Now here’s an interesting question for us from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional. I don’t know if I’ve ever posed it before, but I was led to do so today. And the question is ‘Are You Happy?’ I guess though we should pose it as being joyful, since happiness is based more on our circumstances than our beliefs.

You can read it any which way you want, but this is how Gramps Schuller put it, and it does ask a very good question which most of us should be asking ourselves. Listen up: ‘Happiness – that deep inner strength that is made up of courage, faith, hope, and peace. Mix them together, and you have happiness. Happiness – the courage to hang on in the face of severe adversity!

Happiness – the faith that God will have the last word, and it will be good! Happiness – the hope that even though you can only see the shadow, someday the clouds will clear away and the sun will shine again! Happiness – the quiet sense of self-esteem that comes when you know you have done your best.

Happiness – the assurance that you have been merciful and kind to enemy and friend alike. Happiness – the quiet assurance that God will be merciful and kind to you, too. Happiness – the beautiful belief that this life, no matter how difficult it may be, is not your final destination.’

Yes friends, if we can answer yes to all of them, then we are giants of our faith! But I doubt that most of us can answer all those questions in the affirmative. The important thing though is that we can definitely answer ‘yes’ to some, and that we are working courageously and sincerely on the others.

Our God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, because He knows that He created us as imperfect beings, but He does insist that we try to come up as high as possible. That’s why He looks at the secret motives of our hearts rather than our outward actions to judge our sincerity. And the Lord made that quite clear long time ago, when He sent Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to be the new king of Israel.

When Samuel saw Eliab looking big and strapping and king-like, He said this must be the one. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’

There we have it friends, right from the Lord’s mouth. So I don’t know why so many of us still try to fool the Lord with wonderful outward actions when our hearts are dark and black with unresolved, unrepented sin! We can fool our fellow man a lot of the time, but we can’t fool God at any time because He looks at the true story that’s hidden deep inside our sinful hearts!

That’s why the Lord chose Bruh David to be the king over his brothers; He knew that his heart was right, as right as a human heart could be, and why, in spite of all Bruh David’s mistakes He never set him adrift, though he certainly paid for his failures.

And sadly, that’s what happening to too many of us believers today; our hearts aren’t really right with God. We put on a great Christian show on the outside, but on the inside the devil rules our spirit.

As Jeremiah so famously said on the Lord’s behalf: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try (test) the reins (mind), even to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.’ (Jer.17:9-10) I think that’s as clear as it can get.

But the scholars offer this explanation: ‘17:9-10. The heart (cf. Prov.4:23) means man’s innermost being. The bent of man’s natural disposition, apart from God’s redeeming grace, is described as deceitful (lit. crooked) and desperately wicked (incurably sick).

Therefore, man cannot trust his own heart but must leave all to God who alone knows the heart and judges all men fairly. Only a person with a redeemed heart can live in proper fellowship with God (Job 11:13; 1 John 3:18-24).’

Please take a moment and check out those two scriptures my fellow believers, for they get right to the heart of the matter! (smile) And I’ll throw in this langniappe (li’l extra) for good measure. (smile)

Listen to Cousin Sol: ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’ (Prov.4:23) Yes friends, the heart is the figurative seat of our intellect and that in turn controls our minds. We therefore need to keep tight control of our minds, because that’s where all of the battles are fought.

And having said all that, let’s go home declaring (right ho) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the entire world know who and whose we are. In full voice with sincere hearts and a strong sense of purpose:

‘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 the world. Amen!’

And if our hearts are right, then let’s go out and action those statements, as Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!

…whatever captures the mind…captures the man…

Psalm 116:9: I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday! But before you steups and make yourself miserable, just look ahead and you’ll see our great God’s faithfulness in another beautiful day breaking on the horizon.

Yes my fellow believers, the sun is rising in a blaze of glory, but please remember that the SON has already risen in His even bigger blaze of glory, which brought with it, the faithful promise of a brand new life for all of us who believe in Him!

With that selfless act, He redeemed our sinful souls from the throes of eternal death and damnation. And if that isn’t something to be extremely glad and thankful for, then I certainly don’t know what is!

So on this Monday morning when we’re faced with the difficult task of getting up to go to work, let’s remember what Jesus did for us, and put away all the petty grievances and ills, especially the hangovers from the too hectic Father’s Day celebrations yesterday (smile) and rise and shine like He asked us to.

Let’s allow that bright light of His that dwells in us to shine through brightly in our words and actions today as we interact with others in the work world, be they believers or non-believers! That’s the mark of a real follower of Jesus!

So with that proper perspective now running in our souls, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto, for Christ is risen indeed, and so have we, to another glorious day on planet earth, one chock-filled with God’s new blessings and mercies!

Now let’s sing in harmony, as one voice, one body of Christ Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Saviour!

‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’

Awright mih people! That was marvellous! Even the Father applauded and gave us a standing ‘O’! Wow!

There’s great joy in heaven this Monday morning Friends, so let’s replicate that joy down here on earth nuh. In light of what’s happening in heaven, it’s the only wise and sensible thing to do.

Now let’s turn to our Bit, which seems rather appropriate to all that’s gone before. ‘I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.’

Oh Friends, that’s certainly a powerful statement and promise for the psalmist to make! Now why did he feel obliged to make it eh? The psalm itself is superscripted ‘Praise for deliverance from death,’ and just before our Bit, the psalmist explains the reason for that most worthwhile promise:

‘The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped (saved) me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul: for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.’ (Ps.116:6-8)

Ah my brethren, that definitely sounds like a rather good reason for making a promise to walk before the Lord in the land of the living!

Now many of us have been saved from similar life threatening circumstances, but have we afterward ever made such a bold promise to God for showing us His infinite mercy and compassion? Not as many as should!

And for those few who have, are we keeping that promise? I surely hope so, since our God doesn’t take kindly to broken promises. Better not to promise, than promise and not pay. (Eccl.5:5)

And in the verse after our Bit, the psalmist makes another provocative statement: ‘I believed, therefore have I spoken:’ (Ps.116:10a)

Now though that sounds simple, it’s such a powerful and compelling scripture that Bruh Paul uses it in his second letter to the Corinthians, re living by faith. ‘We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;’ (2 Cor.4:13)

Oh my people, I ask us now, do we believe? And if so, have we spoken? I surely hope so, because it’s a very important part, in fact a necessity in our Christian heritage to speak what we believe, otherwise our beliefs are selfish and consequently useless to others.

It just shows that we don’t think highly enough of our faith to talk about what we believe, and that’s simply making a mockery of Jesus and His sacrificial death.

Please note Bruh David’s similar statement to our Bit in Psalm 27, ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation.’ He declares with certain confidence and trust: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps.27:13)

Oh my people, we too are in the land of the living, and likewise claim to believe in the same God, therefore we should also exercise and claim that same confidence and trust in the goodness and magnanimity of our God, otherwise we’re just fakes and hypocrites, which we obviously don’t want to be.

So just as we begun today with affirmations in the Lord, let’s end the same way nuh.

Listen to the psalmist: ‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people….

I will offer thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. (Hallelujah) Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.116:12-14, 17-19)

Oh Friends, that’s the proper response and reaction to faith, trust and thanksgiving to Almighty God!

Let’s go forth today and act in like manner nuh, since we all have put our faith and trust in Him, and we surely have a lot to be thankful for. Much LOVE!

…true believers ought to have a heart burning with LOVE…just like Jesus…and a life shining brightly…reflecting His awesome light…

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 June 2013 Psalm 116:9

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