Psalm 78:38. But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
Aloha Friends! Yuh know it’s Friday…? Apparently you do, because I can hear you round the corner singing loud and clear: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! Another week of labour done. And now is my time… my time to enjoy the weekend as I please… Free from massa slavery…!’
Now that’s quite true my brethren, but it’s also not the entire picture. Though we are indeed free to do whatever we so desire on the weekend, as believers in Jesus Christ, the holy and sinless Son of God, who selflessly sacrificed His life for us on the cross at Calvary, we have other things to consider besides fleshly enjoyment.
Things like not overdoing the party scene and allowing the evil one to get a foot hold in our lives, anymore than he already has. We need to control our fleshly lusts, be somewhat circumspect about our behaviour.
And it’s not only on the weekends that we need to be careful in our faith walk – the weekends just provide more freedom to do so – but each and every minute and hour of every day, because the enemy doesn’t ever take a break from trying to infiltrate our souls.
Sometimes it might seem like he’s leaving us alone, but you can bet your bottom dollar that he’s lurking somewhere nearby, possibly in disguise too, like a sheep in wolves’ clothing, just waiting to pounce when we step out of God’s will.
Anyhow, as always, let’s chant our Friday Chant to help us remember that the weekend is not all about wine, women and song, but also very much about Almighty God!
So as one, big, honey-voiced, harmonious chanteuse, (smile) let’s chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, we have to try and stay within certain safe parameters, so that we don’t need to invoke our Bit too often: ‘But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.’
And why did the Lord restrain His anger? Because as our Creator, He knows all our weaknesses and frailties. And as Asaph, the psalmist continues: ‘For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. How oft did they provoke (rebel against) him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand (his delivering power), nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.’ (Ps.78:39-41)
Yes Friends, Israel’s memory was very short indeed! Once they became free and/or prosperous, they forgot the Lord God of their fathers, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, their Redeemer and strong shield, and they began hungering and thirsting for the worthless things of the world.
And yuh know what my people? That is exactly what we are doing today!
During the last few decades, as our technology improved by leaps and bounds, and our lives became filled with earthly wealth and material things, we gradually turned away from the God who had made all that prosperity possible.
Oh my fellow believers, our society only prospered because we were walking more in God’s Will back then, than in disobedience. However, now the tables have turned; since we’re walking in much more disobedience and sinfulness, our prosperity has also declined – and a whole lot too.
Like Israel, we have forgotten who brought us to the dance, we have forgotten those awesome and immortal words of wisdom and absolute truth that the Lord spoke to Joshua when He appointed him the new leader of Israel, after the death of Moses.
‘Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success or act wisely) whitherseover thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:7-8)
Oh my people, what’s so difficult to understand there eh? Nothing! It’s as plain as day!
And those are possibly two of the most important verses in the entire Good Book, for if we follow them conscientiously, we WILL have success and prosperity!
And if you’re wondering why our western society is floundering and quickly going down hill, just consider those two verses and our current relationship to them.
Oh my fellow believers, if we ever hope to restore our success and prosperity we need to repent and return to worshipping Almighty God, like the Israelites did!
It’s not too late, because our God is a God of many chances, but never believe that He won’t destroy us, if we don’t comply with His law. So let’s rise up today, in fact, RIGHT NOW, and try to change the foolish, disobedient mindset of our society.
That’s the ONLY WAY we’ll ever rise from the mire in which we’re now steadily sinking, and thus give those who come after us, a fighting chance to enjoy success and prosperity all the days of their lives.
Please, let’s make that our everlasting legacy nuh! Much LOVE!
…a society can only rise from its ashes…like the phoenix…when it sincerely repents…and genuinely returns to obeying the Word of God…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 March 2014 Psalm 103:1
09 Mar 2014 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: belief, benefits, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord, Bruh David's forte, children of Israel. Moses, condemned, Daylight Savings Time, destruction, diseases, faith, faithfulness, forgiveness, Hades, heals, heaven, I AM, I can do all things, iniquities, Jamaican time, judgement, loving kindness, mercies, more than conquerors, negative aspects, oppressed, positive aspects, preamble, redeems, righteousness., slow to anger, small potatoes, steadfast and true believers, T&T time, the evil one, the Way, the Word, through Christ who strengthens me, total truth, transgressions, wisdom
Psalm 103:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Well Friends, it’s a mild Sunday morning, compared to those of the recent past. Yuh better believe that! The clock has also been set forward one hour, to begin the confusing strategy of Daylight Savings Time. Hn!
To tell the truth, I really don’t know who it benefits from it, if anybody. And it’s been recently proven that there are some negative aspects to the time change. But somebody, or bodies in power, must believe that whatever positive aspects contained therein, do outweigh the negative ones. So us menial folk just have to go along with the idea, whether we like it or not.
And it both amuses and disconcerts me in one respect; when we go forward, like today, we end up on T&T time, but when we go backwards at year’s end, we end up on Jamaican time. So before calling friends and family in those locations, I have to first consider what time schedule we are on, so that I don’t call down there too early, or too late.
Ah Lord eh! But them’s really small potatoes, mih people – wish that was our biggest problem – and there’s no need for us to worry, because we strong, steadfast and true believers can handle anything that comes against us, for ‘we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:37)
And furthermore, as Bruh Paul so emphatically states to the Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) Never forget those two scriptures Friends, because they embody total truth for all the ages.
And I’m chuckling while I’m adlibbing here, because I don’t have a Bit as yet, and no clue how to continue this rambling preamble. (smile) But I am assured, because of those two statements above that the Lord will eventually strengthen and guide me, and cause me to write a most wonderful Bit. (smile)
Well it’s certainly in His best interest to do so, since it’s His Word that I’m writing about, and I’m sure, like me, He doesn’t want me to write nonsense.
And lo and behold, to prove His faithfulness and wisdom, He just guided me to a rather appropriate Bit for this Sunday morning: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’
Yes my brethren, we can never find a better thing to do than to bless the Lord and His Holy Name! And that surely was Bruh David’s forte, as we can see from all the stuff he’s written, especially from this Psalm of praise and thanksgiving for God’s great and abundant mercies.
Now hear how he continues after that first verse. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.’ (Ps.103:2-7)
And nothing my people, nothing whatsoever in those verses can be disputed, for down through the ages, they have been proven to be factual, many times over! Any problems we have with those words stem from us, from our lack of faith, our lack of true belief in the great I AM.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to some more of this wonderful psalm. ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame (He understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:8-14)
Now Friends, anyone who tries to dispute any of those declarations is either a liar or a fool, or both, because without the Lord’s abundant mercies and forgiveness, we would have been all condemned long ago to death, for our numerous sins, and exiled to Hades to dwell with the evil one.
‘But the mercy (LOVING-kindness) of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.’ (Ps.103:17-18)
More gospel truth my fellow believers! The Lord has made special preparations for those who walk obedient to His dictates. And Jesus, in telling the disciples that He was THE WAY to the Father, promised it thus: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many mansions (Lit. dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
Oh mih people, mih people, what a most marvellous promise! And we all know that lies and untruths, by His very holy nature, CANNOT proceed from Jesus’ mouth and Spirit. Thus, when we walk in sync with our Creator and heavenly Father, our eternal destiny is set in stone!
Therefore we all have great cause to exclaim, proclaim and declare like Bruh David: ‘Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers (servants) of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.’ (Ps.103:20-22)
And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord God Jehovah! Praise Him for His goodness to the undeserving children of sinful men! Praise Him for ever and ever! Amen.’
Yeh mih people, we certainly can’t go wrong in praising and giving thanks to our ever-LOVING, merciful, forgiving and most gracious God! Please put that in your pipe today and smoke it! (smile) Much LOVE!
…praise and thanks are two of the most important elements in worshipping Almighty God…
P.S. Yuh see Friends, as I told you, through faith in God’s mercy and unswerving help, the Bit didn’t turn out too bad at all, now did it. (smile) Much LOVE!
