SCRIP-BITS

Ecclesiastes 2:13.    Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
 
Oh Friends, our God was indeed merciful to us today, allowing us to see another beautiful day on Planet Earth! Please give Him some thanks and praise for that. I know that some of us might think we’d be better off dead because of the horrible times we’re currently undergoing, but that’s a fallacy, a lie of Lucifer. Remember at one stage of his life, Bruh Paul badly desired to be with the Lord, but eventually realized that he still had tasks on earth to perform, so he had to continue doing his earthly time. (Phil.1:21-26) The same goes for us Friends. The Lord would not have allowed all we’re going through without a definite purpose, a sure-fire plan to raise us up higher at some stage of our lives. So let’s remember that when we’re going through the fires of life, that’s when we’re growing in faith and stature in God’s eyes. And the less we whine and complain about it, the better off we’ll be. Let’s be like the proverbial seed that’s planted in good, but dark and lonely ground. Let’s endure our troubles without too much hullabaloo, while like the seed, we’re going through that dark period of our lives. Remember the Lord faithfully promised that He’d never leave nor forsake us. (Heb.13:5) So if we endure faithfully like the seed, one day we’ll burst out of the darkness into the light and live prosperously and righteously in the sight of the Lord. It’s not easy, but it’s certainly doable with God’s help. And since faith only grows through adversity, we must suffer some adversity in this life, if we want to be true followers of Jesus. And if we stand strong and do what’s right, then eventually we’ll be able to say like Cousin Sol says in our Bit: ‘Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.’ And that’s the living truth my people! Have you ever noticed how it takes a whole lot of darkness to cover up light, but just a little light to expose a whole lot of darkness? That’s because light is so much stronger and penetrating than darkness. That’s why wise people are attracted to the Light that’s Jesus, rather than the horrible darkness that’s Beelzebub. And as we were saying yesterday, there was no one better positioned at the time than Cousin Sol to do the research on the purpose of life, for he had both the earthly attributes of time and money, and the divine wisdom of God. So whatever he thought of or desired, he went after it. But sadly at the end of his experimentation and research, he concluded that ‘all was vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind), and there was no profit under the sun.’ (Eccl.2:11) Yes Friends, killing ourselves to amass earthly possessions, or to enjoy earthly pleasures doesn’t profit us at all. It turned Sol off so much that he declares: ‘Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind). Yea, I hated all my labour under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took (toiled) under the sun. For there is a man whose labour is in (with) wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity (with skill); yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion (heritage). This also is vanity and a great evil.’ (Eccl.2:17-21) Ah mih people, we see that happening everyday, more and more in our society, where people work hard for their money then leave it to a bunch of slackers, or else the situation ends up in the courts and the lawyers get most of it. So what’s Cousin Sol’s final conclusion then on it all? He says: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto (have enjoyment), more than I? For God giveth to a man that (who) is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and heap up (the task of gathering and collecting), that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.’ (Eccl.2:24-26). True words of wisdom Friends! And we’ll end with a brief explanation of that passage from the scholars. ‘This passage is the first of seven that give one of the solutions to life’s problems: enjoy life and work as God’s gifts. When a man toils in his own strength, he is bound to suffer pain and grief. The answer then is for him to enjoy his work by receiving it as a gift of God. Elsewhere, work is said to be part of God’s curse on man (Gen.3:17-19), but it can become the sphere of God’s blessing. To eat and drink, used five times in the book, must be understood in a good sense. Solomon always counsels the fear of God, and the concept is used in the Old Testament in a good sense (Deut.14:26; 1 Kin.4:20).’ So Friends, let’s remember that ALL things are vetted by God, and He’s given us work and the opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of the earth, once we do so in consort with Him and His will. So let’s search diligently for wisdom, so that we can operate wisely before our God nuh. Much LOVE!…wisdom is good with an inheritance…and by it there is profit…to them that see the sun…  (Eccl.7:11)