Isaiah 43:19. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Well it’s another bright and sunshiny day out there, but probably the last warm one in this long run of Indian summer days! But yuh better believe that we in the north country up here are very thankful for them, for it’s been a long time since we’ve seen so many consecutive warm days in November! Thank You Lord!
And today is Remembrance Day, where we stand and acknowledge and remember the many who fell in the crazy wars of the last century. ‘Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth. It was originally called “Armistice Day” to commemorate the armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.—on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.’ Yes, that was supposed to be the war to end all wars.
Hn! What a joke! For twenty something years later, another mighty world war broke out! What a waste of human life eh? And sadly, nothing much has changed. There are still way too many strife-filled countries in our world, and still way too much religious, economic and political differences that only lead right back to warring words and the modern term ‘terrorism,’ cowardly attacks on innocent, unsuspecting people. But I guess from the first killing, that of Cain on his brother Abel, man’s lust for blood has taken centre stage.
But since this is Remembrance Day, let’s remember; first with as someone puts it: ‘The most sacrosanct and central element in Remembrance is the Two Minutes of Silence.’ – Silence
And now, let’s really remember through the immortal poem‘In Flanders Fields’ written by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypres.
Read with me: ‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,LOVEDand wereLOVED, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.’
What can I say eh? Not a whole lot nuh! But here’s this tidbit of info. ‘The symbol of Remembrance Day is the red poppy, which grows on the First World War battlefields of Flanders (in Belgium) and northern France. As the artillery barrages began to churn the earth in late 1914, the fields of Flanders and northern France saw scores of red poppies appear.’
Now is that symbolic or what? Death and Birth at the same time! Only an amazing and awesome God like ours could frame such a situation. And with our world currently in a state of pandemic and strife, we need that awesome and amazing God even more than ever, for without His grace, mercy,LOVEand forgiveness, our world willNEVERreturn to some sort of calm. It willNEVERbe like it was before, but some form of peace with less anxiety and frustration and uncertainty won’t return until we make peace with Jehovah God, until we return to His fold, until we give up our sinful, evil, wicked ways and start being obedient and obeisant to Him!
That brings to mind this awesome scripture from the prophet Isaiah to his people, Israel, on behalf of the Lord their Redeemer, in one of their times of ‘sufferation’ for gross disobedience. ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’(Is. 43:18-19)
Oh friends, that was always God’s desire for Israel, and He showed them it as He moved them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. But all along they stumbled and turned away from Him and were subsequently afflicted. Now we are in the same godless, sinful position, and the Lord is putting forth that same standing promise for true believers and obedient nations. He is willing to do a new thing in our lives and countries if we are willing to turn back to Him and truly live in obedience and obeisance to His will and word!
And I never thought it was possible for people to be more foolish than the Israelites of old nuh, but I’m ashamed to say that this generation is so. In times of prosperity, the Israelites often turned away from God, but when they found themselves between a rock and a hard place, they quickly turned back to Him and were received with opened with arms. But we, this proud, knowledgeable, know it all, but yet illiterate generation, refuse to do that, even though nothing we try in our own strength is working!
As Bruh Paul prayed for the Colossians: ‘we desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his (God’s) will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.’ (Col. 1:9b) Yeh friends, that’s how Bruh Paul usually prayed for the churches he dealt with. Not that they had less problems or such stuff, but that they would be filled with wisdom and knowledge of God. That His will would be revealed in their lives. And that is exactly what we need to pray for in these turbulent and uncertain times: ‘That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge.’ (1 Cor. 1:5)
Oh my people simply praying for God to heal us and our land is not enough, will never be enough! We need to pray that we know Him, the One and Only True God more and more, both personally and societally! That will lead us to better, more godly behaviour: ‘That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.’ (Col. 1:10)
Friends, we need to seek God very deeply and very sincerely RIGHT NOW, if we want our world to improve. That’s just the simple truth! And for those of us, the relative few, who are endeavouring to do so, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our wonderful position in Christ through our Wednesday Wail!
All together 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!’
Now let’s see that through the eyes of faith and endure till the end, because our future will indeed be more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…only when we sincerely seek the Lord…will a new thing spring forth…
SCRIP-BITS 