Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 March 2012 Psalm 18:20

03 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , ,

Psalm 18:20.  The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

Oh Friends, I can’t seem to come up with a bright or witty intro this morning, (smile) but I’m going to do even better by sharing some words of enormous truth and wisdom that someone else wrote. I found both quotes on the fly leaves of my mother’s Bible, so I don’t know where she got them from or who said them, but whoever said them undoubtedly knew what they were saying. The first quote says: ‘The Bible is God’s Word to us. Still fresh through all the ages. And if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom on its pages!’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my Friends? God’s Word though written many centuries ago is still as fresh and applicable today as back then, because neither our God nor His Word ever changes. Selah. And the second quote says: ‘One truth from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man!’ There’s more gospel truth my brethren! Since the Lord’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, it follows that even one truth from His Word is more valuable than all of man’s wisdom combined. That’s how powerful the Word of our God is! Consequently, Bruh David, who tried his best to adhere to God’s law and truth, after he was delivered from his enemies, especially Saul, he could therefore truthfully say in our Bit and beyond: ‘The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgements were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before (with) him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.’ (Ps.18:20-24)  Yes Friends, when we consciously and diligently try to obey the Lord, He eventually rewards us by lifting our weighty burden from our shoulders and giving us peace. One of those instances where Bruh David restrained himself before the Lord was when he had opportunity to kill Saul at the cave in the wilderness of Engedi, when he came hunting him like a wild animal. In spite of his associates’ encouragement to kill Saul, he refused, saying: ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.’ (1 Sam.24:6) As Saul left, Bruh David called out to him and made obeisance to him, pleading his innocence. (1 Sam.24:8-15) When Saul realized his error, he said: ‘Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast showed this day how thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away (get away safely)? Wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hadst done unto me this day. And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.’ (1 Sam.24:16-20) Oh my people, we are considered victorious in the Lord’s sight not only by overcoming our enemies, but oftimes more by showing them mercy in the Lord’s name, by dashing down their pride and arrogance and humbling them before Him. So remember that not every conquest calls for the physical destruction of the enemy, sometimes just destroying his lustful pride will win more kudos from the Lord, especially if the enemy worships Him thereafter. And we’ll end with an appropriate scripture from Job, where his friend Elihu reasons with him, re God calls men to repent. ‘’If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter (a mediator), one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness; Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom (an atonement). His flesh shall be fresher than (young as) a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth: he shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him (delight in him): and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render (restore) unto man his righteousness.’ (Job 33:23-26) Oh Friends, it all comes right back to God’s universal law of what ever we sow, the same we shall reap. So please let’s make it a habit to sow good seed in the Lord’s sight, so that in His time, we might be suitably rewarded. Much LOVE!…if we sow in righteousness…then in righteousness shall we reap…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 February 2012 Proverbs 5:22‏

23 Feb 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , ,

Proverbs 5:22.    His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

Oh Friends, another beautiful day filled with blessings, mercies and forgiveness is in the offing! Please let’s thank the Lord for all He’s done for us in the past, is doing right now, and has promised to do in the future. Let’s acknowledge the fact that we’d be entirely lost if we tried to live life on our own, like so many of those who bow down to Beelzebub and live in darkness, involved in evil machinations. ‘For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth (observes, weighs) all his goings.’ (Prov.5:21) That my people is gospel truth! Our God sees all in His omniscience. Nothing gets by Him. And as our Bit so wisely declares: ‘His own iniquities shall take (entrap) the wicked himself, and he shall be holden (caught) with the cords of his sins.’ More gospel truth my people! We will be brought down by the same evil works we use to entrap others. Listen to the next verse: ‘He shall die without (for lack of) instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.’ (Prov.5:23) Oh Friends and fellow believers is that the way we want to live, or the way we want to die? Surely not! Therefore let us look to the Lord in faith, for strength and steadfastness, fortitude and LOVE, so that we can live the way He desires. Yuh know mih breddren, all God’s laws are really based on a single one; what you sow, you shall reap. If we truly understand that, write it indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds, then use it as a universal guide for all our behaviour and actions, we’d do very well. Now let’s check out some scriptures that send that awesome and true message, beginning way back when, with Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness. Moses had just finished telling them about being strong and going over the Jordan to fight their enemies, and if they did so faithfully, the Lord would grant them possession of the Land He’d promised. ‘But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sins will find you out.’ (Num.32:23) And that’s no joke Friends, as I’m sure many of us can testify to, since many are our wrongs which have come back to haunt us. And the truth of it lies in the many clichés that have cropped over time to describe its basic logic. Sayings like: Whatever is done in darkness will surely come to light. Life is like a boomerang; whatever we give out, good, bad or indifferent, we can expect to get back, if we live long enough. Now listen to these Proverbs which back up that contention: ‘The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness (deceit) of transgressors shall destroy them…The righteousness of the perfect (blameless) shall direct his way (make his way smooth or straight); but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.’ (Prov.11:3,5) And also: ‘Righteousness keepeth him that is upright (whose way is blameless) in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.’ (Prov.13:6) Meanwhile Bruh David confidently declares in Psalm 9, praise for God’s justice: ‘For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest (you sat) in the throne judging right (in righteousness). Thou hast rebuked the heathen (gentiles, nations), thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out (blotted) their name for ever and ever.’ (Ps.9:4-5) The Lord however doesn’t mince words when He commands Isaiah, He lays it down without any niceties: ‘Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given (done to) him.’ (Is.3:10-11) Oh Friends, I don’t know what’s wrong with our brains nuh, or what invisible hold Beelzebub has on us, that though we know our wrong doings will certainly rebound on us, yet we still embrace the foolishness and evil actions of the enemy. Is it that the bright, glittering and lustful earthly treasures the enemy offers are so enticing, we can’t say no? Or is it just our sinful nature passed down from our forefather Adam? I suspect it’s a combination of both. But whatever it is my people, I assure us that we can do better by doing right, by following Jesus. The same glittering earthly treasures are available through Jesus, because many of them are useful and He wants us to enjoy a good life here on earth, it’s partly why He died. It’s just that as believers, we don’t hold the earthly treasures in such idolized positions. There are many Christians who are filthy rich  and have become so by hanging with Jesus, not Lucifer. But they don’t bow to their earthly wealth, they bow to Jesus and use the wealth to further His kingdom. That’s the big difference. And furthermore, as the old people would say; easy come, easy go. Anything gotten through quick, evil means, can be lost just as quickly, while if it comes through Jesus, it will last a lifetime. So my brethren, I ask each of us today, to take time and ponder all our doings, past, present and future, and make sure that there’s nothing in them that will eventually come back to bite us, for truly, whatever we sow, we shall surely reap. Much LOVE!…your harvest will come as evil or good…depending on which one you planted…