SCRIP-BITS

Ah mih people, welcome to another beautiful and bountiful day on God’s great earth! 

And all God’s children declared a loud and proud ‘Glory Hallelujah! All thanks and praise to our great God who lavishes us with new blessings and mercies each and every day!’ 

Now that’s a truth from which we cannot escape friends; every day, the Lord turns over a new page in our lives, and asks that we do the same; not forget the past, but not to dwell on it, as so many of us tend to do. 

And today I want to share with us, I guess we’ll call it… a formula, for lack of a better word, although I don’t like to talk about formulas when dealing with God’s Word because it makes it sound so contrived. 

Anyway, this is a process that was shared in yesterday’s Our Daily Bread Devotional, so those of you who read it, will know what I’m talking about. But for those who don’t, the story goes that way back in 1895, a South African pastor, Andrew Murray, was visiting England when he was felled by excruciating pain from an old back injury. 

However, during his time of recuperation, his hostess mentioned a lady who was also experiencing a time of great trouble, and wanted to know if the pastor had any words of advice, of wise counsel to help her. It’s reputed that the pastor told his hostess: ‘Give her this paper which I have been writing for my own (encouragement). It may be that she will find it helpful. 

And this is what the pastor wrote. ‘In time of trouble say: First – God brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place. In that I will rest. Next – He will keep me in His LOVE and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child. 

Then – He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He intends to bestow. Last – In His good time He can bring me out again – how and when He knows. I am here – by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.’ 

Oh friends, what wonderful words of wisdom! For we are all subject to God’s plan for our lives. There’s no getting away from His mandate; we might run for a spell, but we can never hide. 

The best way to handle our adversity is to assume that everything has come from God, even though it might not have originated with Him, there is a reason He has allowed it to upset our lives; for testing, training, learning or to draw us closer to Him. 

The right thing is to come to Him in sincerity and ask for His guidance, what to do under the prevailing circumstances. Don’t go anxiously, angrily and petulantly asking, ‘Why Lord, why me, why this calamity at this time eh? You know I’m trying my best to serve you, but still these adversities happening to me. Why Lord, why eh?’  

For our questions as to why, we very seldom get an answer, although later on we usually are able to determine the why. It’s best just to go before Him with a humble and contrite heart and pour out all our hurt and pain without any aggressiveness. 

For once we let pride make us haughty and aggressive, He will just tune us out. So please let’s take all those points into account, because it will make our lives much easier in times of adversity. 

And now to our Bit. ‘Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?’ 

Yes friends it’s the same one, because there is so much scripture to relate, scripture which teaches us about the greatness of our God! 

And as I said yesterday, we’ll never be able to truly surrender our lives to Him and truly appreciate His wonderful nature until we fully realize How magnificent, magnanimous and merciful He is. 

And we’ll just mention some instances of His great power, beginning with the fact that for all the forty years He allowed His chosen people to wander in the wilderness, until all those who came out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb died, neither their clothes nor shoes or sandals ever wore out. 

Just think about that nuh mih people; forty years with no need for new clothes or shoes. Some of you women would die! (smile) Only a rather powerful Deity could do that. 

Now listen to Cousin Sol after he had built the temple. ‘And the house which I build is (will be) great: for great is our God above all Gods. But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? Who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?’ (2 Chr.2:5-6) 

Yeh friends, who will build our great God a house when the universe cannot contain Him? It’s just like our sanctuaries today. They are merely for our gathering to give Him thanks and praise, a place where we believe He can be more readily found. But in truth, our great God is everywhere, all the time. That’s why we call Him omniscient, omnipotent and omni-present! 

Now hear these words of the psalmist from Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God. ‘Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 

In his hand (possession) are the deep places of the earth: the strength (heights) of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker’ (Ps.95:2-6) 

Yes my fellow believers, there’s nothing better for us to do than to bow down and worship our great God, for He is our Maker, and He made us to have fellowship with Him and be obedient to His will. 

So today let’s ponder and consider all that we have said nuh, plus all the times when the Lord has worked His wonders in our individual lives, for He certainly has done wonders in all of our lives. Then let’s acknowledge His glory and majesty, and give Him the praise and thanks that He so fittingly deserves. Now that’s true wisdom! Much LOVE!

…For He is our God…and we are the people of His pasture…and the sheep of His hand (under His care)… (Ps.95:7a)