SCRIP-BITS

Psalm 130:7.   Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

Oh Friends, summer is unfortunately over now, and autumn, fall, the season of marvellous colours; numerous variations of red, brown, yellow and gold, is officially upon us. Thankfully though, most of the leaves are still green, because the cold hasn’t really set in as yet. But the past few nights and mornings have been chilly, with a touch of frost on the ground in some areas, and the wind yesterday was pretty brisk and cold. I had to put on the heat in my house and car the last couple nights and early mornings. Chuh! But yuh know Friends, none of that really matters, for the Lord has promised to look after us in all kinds of weather and any unfortunate situations in which we become entangled. So it’s getting cold, and eventually it will fall to below freezing temps, and snow will fall, and all sorts of negative stuff will happen, because we can’t stop the world from turning and the weather from doing its thing. However my brethren, there is strong assurance for the believer to keep the faith and hope in the Lord. And I’m not only talking about the Bible stories, but also from personal experience my Friends, for I’ve found myself in some dicey situations, in real inclement weather, in which I feared greatly for my safety. But as you can see I’m still here to tell the story, to give the true testimony because our God is a good and faithful God! And I’m sure that many of you have had similar experiences. No wonder the psalmist says with great certainty: ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning.’ (Ps.130:5-6) Then he continues in the same assured manner with our Bit. ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption.’ Yes Friends, there is no better place to put our HOPE and TRUST than in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for He has lived up to everyone of His promises, proven Himself faithful from the day of creation, right up to the present time. So why should He not continue in that faithful vein eh? And one thing with our God, He doesn’t mince words; there are no grey areas in His word. He tells it like it is; simple and straightforward! If you do as I ask, I’ll look after you. But if you don’t, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! Our God is like a human teacher who teaches and tells us about particular subjects, then tests us on them. And believe me Friends, some of those tests can be real rough, but our wonderful God has promised not to let us bear more than we can handle and also to make a way for us to handle whatever comes against us. And all God’s people gave out a mighty and joyful shout of: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ But yet still Friends, too many of us get anxious and worried at the slightest mishap. Oh my people, it’s time we stop being afraid of our shadows, especially if we claim to be true followers of Jesus. It’s time to truly grow up and trust Him, and this calamitous time is a very good place for us to test our mettle of faith. I’ve learned from hard experience that it’s not easy, and that even when you do get and easy break, it’s usually in between two difficult ones. So to really get that deep-seated trust and faith going, we have to pack our souls with relevant scriptures to help raise whatever aspect we’re lacking. And since we’re talking about HOPE today, let’s get into some scriptures that excite that emotion in us. And there’s no better place to begin than in the Psalms, because they are possibly the greatest purveyors of HOPE in the Good Book. In Psalm 31, which talks about putting one’s trust in God, Bruh David, in the final verse, staunchly assures us: ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:24) Then in Psalm 42, an intense longing for God, the psalmist first questions himself, but also provides a strong and right answer, when he says: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I will yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:5) Oh Friends, that’s the stuff from which sure strength, courage, trust and faith are built! Now hear this simple but powerful statement from Psalm 71, a prayer for help in old age. ‘But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.’ (Ps.71:14) Yes mih breddren, that’s exactly what I’m doing as the days of my life roll on. And I strongly suggest that all you old codgers out there should do it too. (smile) Now listen to Jeremiah: ‘The Lord is my portion saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:24-26) Oh my people, even in the depths of his lamentations, where his soul was exceedingly sorrowful, Jeremiah still knew on which side his bread was buttered, and refused to give up HOPE in his wonderful God! The scholars note that ‘Jeremiah’s observation resembles those of other saints who have experienced great grief of soul.’ So why should we in all our trials and tribulations, and the constant state of coping in an evil, ungodly world not do the same eh? No reason whatsoever my people! Meanwhile Peter advises his readers thus with his call to Christian dedication: ‘Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind (prepare your mind for action), be sober, and hope to the end for the grace (and rest your hope fully upon the grace) that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’ (1 Pet.1:13) And fellow believers, we’ll end with some moving words, a universal truth from Jeremiah, which will uplift our spirits to the zenith today. ‘Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.’ (Jer.3:23) Oh Friends, if Abraham’s God was Israel’s salvation back then, how much more is He ours today eh, in all the evil and ungodliness in which our world is so deeply mired? So fellow believers, let’s all stand strong in the Name of Jesus and fight the good fight, for salvation and eternal life cannot be had through any other source. Much LOVE!…and now Lord…what wait I for my HOPE is in thee…(Ps.39:7)   P.S. It’s a bit long, but I wanted to get in all those scriptures, and we can’t always have it the way we want it. And anyway it’s sweet, so why complain! (smile) Much LOVE!