The Lord shall Protect and Preserve the Righteous against Proud, Evil and Spiteful Speech!

Psalm 12:1.         Help (save), Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.

Wow mih bredrin, October has opened this Wednesday morning just like September closed yesterday; bright and sunshiny and fairly warm! Glory be! Let’s hope that October gives us a bit more of that summer-like weather before the cold season comes in, because it will, for as Brook Benton so wisely said in his song: ‘It’s just a matter of time!’ (smile) And I also hope that we are catching our second wind this middle day of the work week, and thus be reinvigorated to pursue the Lord’s work with an aggressive, productive excellence, as He desires of us. 

Now, today I want us to look at another interesting psalm, Psalm 12, titled ‘God Shall Preserve the Godly.’ In it Bruh David speaks of the effects of vain, proud and spiteful speech against the righteous. So please read with me as Bruh David pleads: ‘Help (save), Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.’ (Ps. 12:1) 

And friends, those words written so long ago are still ever so true today…if not truer than they’ve ever been, since evil and ungodliness have taken such a stranglehold on our current world. Godly people are surely disappearing from our societies at a rather rapid rate, as materialism and evil tendencies daily increase amongst the populace. 

Then Bruh David continues: ‘They speak vanity (idly, falsely) every one with their neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak).’ (Ps. 12:2) That’s also ever so true on a very large scale in our society today. Deceitfulness, fraudulence, insincere flattery, prideful speech, all these things are rather rampant in our world, and you have to be oh so careful of whom you listen to and how you respond to them. 

And to make matters worse, today’s schemers don’t ease up, they don’t take a break. Like Beelzebub, they just keep attacking you with a merciless regularity. I can personally testify to that, as every day, at all hours, my phone keeps ringing with long distance numbers I don’t know, and my junk e-mail is also filled with invitations from veritable strangers. It’s a fine line we need to walk to escape the many ongoing fraudulent schemes. 

And sadly Bruh David was not the only one who wrote on the subject, the prophets Isaiah and Micah also had something to say about it. Isaiah puts it this way. ‘The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth (takes) it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (presence of evil).’ (Is. 57:1) 

Meanwhile Micah says it thus: ‘The good (faithful, loyal) man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly (successfully), the prince asketh (asks for gifts), and the judge asketh for a reward (bribe); and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous (evil) desire: so they wrap it up (scheme together.) (Mic.7:2-3) 

Oh my people, it seems like Micah is still living today, for he paints the picture exactly how it’s happening. And that means we need to walk a very fine line to escape the many ongoing fraudulent schemes. But thankfully Bruh David gives us some encouragement for the detestable situation, when he writes: ‘The Lord shall cut off (destroy) all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud (great) things: Who have said, With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?’ (Ps. 12:3-4)

Now that’s a good question, and the vain and proud and deceitful ought to take notice, because their tongues do not belong to them; they belong to their Creator, Almighty God. Thus: ‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety (the safety for which he yearns) from him that puffeth at him.’ (Ps. 12:5) 

Yes friends, the Lord God is indeed our deliverer, and we need to believe that with all of our heart and soul, if we expect His help. For as Bruh David continues; ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.’ (Ps. 12:6-8) 

And isn’t that the gospel truth! We see it in spades in our current world, where some of the vilest men ever have been exalted, and beside them are walking evil doers of every race, creed and class. What a sad situation. But let’s remember what Bruh David says above there; ‘the Lord shall keep them, and preserve them from this generation for ever.’ And that’s the indisputable truth, for as Bruh Daivd also says, the Lord’s words are as true as silver that’s been purified seven times. Can you imagine how pure that silver is after being purified so often. Well, that’s how true the Lord’s word is also. 

And we’ll end with this reassuring verse from Isaiah, re the righteous perishing: ‘He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.’ (Is. 57:2) Yes my people, that’s the reward the Lord has for the righteous…walking in uprightness and resting in peace. So please don’t give up hope because evil and evil doers are running rampant in our world. Let’s remember that He who is in us, is greater than he that’s in the world, (1 John 4:4), so we shall conquer them eventually, if we only stay strong and persevering.  

Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’ 

And fortunately, it’s been promised that all who endure with Jesus right to the very end, will see a future even more glorious than they can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s endure to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…the righteous may suffer…but they’ll find comfort…in the Lord and His infallible, comforting Word…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 October 2020 Psalm 4:7.

Psalm 4:7.     Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. 

Welcome to Thursday friends, the penultimate day of our work week, and this particular one that’s the first day of October in our crazy year of 2020. And though you must be tired of hearing me say it, (smile) the days are just running by like lightning! September just started, we just celebrated Labour Day, now September done already! It’s already Thanksgiving time in Canada. I don’t know if is me alone who find that the days passing by quickly nuh, but it scary, especially in the kind of year we been having. 

But the good thing about being a servant of the Lord is that though the times may be scary, we don’t have to be scared, because as we said yesterday our Lord, Creator and Guide looks after those who serve Him. ‘‘There may be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps. 4:6-8) 

Yes my people, when we seriously and sincerely interact with Jehovah God, He brings gladness and joy to our hearts, and we can lie down and sleep without any problems. As Bruh David so wisely says in Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God – when he fled from his son Absalom, who was fomenting discord and revolution against him. ‘But thou O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill.  Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps. 3:3-6) 

Oh friends, what powerful words of faith!Now it’s definitely not a pleasant or easy thing when your son is trying to overthrow you, to kill you and take over your kingdom. (2 Sam. 15) But in one of Bruh David’s lowest times, he kept his faith supreme in the God of his forefathers. And what happened? The Lord pulled him through those tough times successfully, he eventually got back his kingdom from Absalom. (2 Sam. 18) 

Now that’s the kind of faith we believers need to exhibit in these pressing and uncertain times. And if we do, the Lord will see us safely through them, for we all know that this too shall pass, these times can’t last forever, but the ones who will come out successfully are those who hold on tightly to the hands of the Lord God Almighty. 

Yes, these are certainly dark and dubious times, but let’s look at some scripture that ought to uplift us as believers in God. The psalmist proclaims with authority: ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance (for the memory) of his holiness (his holy name).’ (Ps. 97:10-12) 

Now that’s the kind of thing believers ought to be doing right now; faithfully believing in the Lord, worshipping Him and rejoicing in His awesome goodness and glory! Now is the time my friends when we are expected to be more than ever the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Believers are expected to rise up when times get tough. As Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) so famously coined: ‘tough times don’t last, but tough people do!’ And we believers are expected to be tough people! And why not eh, since we have the Creator of the universe looking after us? 

Hear this verse from Psalm 112 – Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. ‘Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man showeth favour (is gracious), and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion (justice).’ (Ps. 112: 4-5) Now that’s the kind of person we’ve been called to be, especially in these hurting and calamitous times; gracious, giving, lending, LOVING, just, and all the other things that describe a true believer! 

And yuh know Cousin Sol must have a word of wisdom to offer. (smile) ‘But the path of the just is as the shining light (bright light), that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day.’ (Prov. 4:18). Mama Yo! Trust Cousin Sol to say it like it is. Our lights are supposed to get ever brighter friends as we count down the days to Jesus’ triumphant return! 

And we all know this immortal verse from Isaiah. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) Yes, these disturbing times seem like we’re walking in the shadow of death, but remember the light that’s Jesus is constantly shining down on us despite our tough circumstances. 

But please my brethren, let’s remember these most powerful and memorable words of Bruh David from his immortal psalm – The Lord is my shepherd. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) Yea, mih people, the Good Shepherd is looking after us, so there’s no need to fear! That means we can now go home declaring (ah Lord eh…) our Thursday Blessings, which God has so generously blessed us with so that we can do His work. 

All together now in strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! 

I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’ 

And though I shouldn’t have to remind us, just to be on the safe side, I will. (smile) Now let’s go out and share those blessings with others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!

…let your light so shine before men…in these calamitous times…