Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 March 2022 Isaiah 33:22.

16 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.

And now that we’ve come to Wednesday, the middle of the work week, hopefully we can take a restful breath and catch our second wind, especially after the snowfall we endured yesterday afternoon that tied up the traffic and caused numerous problems, as it has the bad habit of doing. (smile) But, as believers in Christ Jesus, we are expected, hard as it might be at times, to rise above the worries and problems of this world, through the leading and guiding of Christ’s Holy Spirit that dwells within us for that very purpose. 

However, that only happens when we listen and are obedient to the Spirit’s guidance. So, to all of us, I plead, please, please, let’s pay serious attention to the Holy Spirit nuh, so that our earthly journeys can be less difficult and frustrating than they otherwise will be. End of sermon! (smile) 

And since the Lord has seen it fit to give us another day on earth to continue His important work, let’s return to those marvellous words of Isaiah that we’ve been studying for the last couple days. ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22) Yes friends, our God is all of those things to His most magnificent creation. Give Him thanks and praise for His goodness to us underserving children of men! 

Now, today we will tackle the last and possibly the most important aspect of them all, ‘he will save us.’ And why is that you ask? Because God can be our judge, lawgiver and king, but if He doesn’t save our sinful souls, we’ll still be ending up in ole hades with the demonic master. So, saving us is of the utmost importance! And Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, knew this, for when prophesying over His sons, said about Dan: ‘I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.’ (Gen. 49:18) 

But, being the wise and wonderful Deity that He is, Jehovah God obviously had a plan for that from the very beginning, and made it clear in several passages of His Guide Book for Earthly Living: the Bible. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to these magnificent scriptures of the promise of salvation, beginning with these most encouraging and reassuring words from Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. 

He ends the psalm thus: ‘But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:39-40). And we know that our God doesn’t make idle promises! 

Then Isaiah, in talking about Israel’s restoration to Zion, delivers this message from God: ‘Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense: he will come and save you.’ (Is. 35:4) All through His word the Lord’s been reassuring His people of salvation and a good end. And Isaiah again, in The song of praise by the redeemed, confidently declares: ‘And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is. 25:9) 

Yes, my faithful brethren, ONLY, the Lord God Jehovah can give us salvation! And He spelt it right out, so that there could be no misunderstanding, through this mighty promise of scripture from Isaiah that we all know, re the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus, the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. 

‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7) 

Oh, what a powerful picture that is my people of our Lord and Saviour, Immanuel! A benevolent ruler, who will eventually bring peace and LOVE to our fractured world! And that Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day and grew into the man who declared His Sonship of God, and the fulfillment of God’s promises, His mighty plans of deliverance and salvation for His people, through these awesome words. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world ; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) 

Game, set and match, mih bredrin! Matter done! Salvation has been provided! God’s awesome promises have been fulfilled! And it’s so simple: all we have to do is believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and truly died on the cross of Calvary to atone for our sins! John, the apostle, who walked with Christ, agrees and says it thus: ‘And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.’ (1 John 4:14-15) 

Wow! None of the other supposed gods make it that easy to come to them. They can’t, because they don’t exist. But the Lord God Jehovah can do so because He is the One True and Living God who has the omnipotent power to save with righteousness and justice! All glory be to His mighty and holy name! 

Ah friends, all I can say is that the option Jesus provides is much better than that provided by the enemy Satan. And since there are only two options, I believe, or rather I know, that Jesus is the wiser choice. However, we each have to make our own decisions. But please remember that there are serious consequences to either choice, and do take the consequences into consideration before making your personal choice. 

For those of us though, who have already made the decision to follow Jesus, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Jesus. As one confident voice now: ‘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 as we remind ourselves every Wednesday; if we endure to the end, the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So please let that encourage us to endure to the end nuh! Much LOVE!

…JESUS…the Saviour of the world…He defeated death…and now offers Eternal Life…to any who believe… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8  

    

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 May 2021 2 Chronicles 20:12b.

05 May 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Chronicles 20:12b.     …neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

And then it was Wednesday; the mid-week relief moment, the time when we were just getting reaccustomed to the new work week. But that was then…now, Wednesday is the mid-week crisis moment, when we’re wondering how and if we are going to make it through the rest of the week. Life has changed so drastically and unexpectedly during the past year that everything is in a state of turmoil and uncertainty. 

But yuh know what friends, in all the desperation and anxiety, fear and confusion, there is ONE place of safety for all of us, one place that has never, and will never change. That is at the foot of Christ’s cross, or in the waiting arms of our heavenly Father, or in the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. It simply means that our great God is the definitive place we must turn to for refuge from anything, or anyone, that comes against us in this earthly life. 

And these words from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin magnificently describe the process. The piece is titled: ‘Nobody Can Possibly Help Me.’ And as true believers in Christ, deep down we know that is not true, but it’s just when troubles keep coming relentlessly at us, we tend to lose the faith we need to carry us through the moment. 

But listen to what Ms. Calkin writes: ‘How wonderful! You can shake hands with a king. His name is Jehoshaphat, and his story reads like a letter from someone who feels desperate – maybe like how you feel right now. You don’t know where to turn. Neither did he. Jehoshaphat had no forces to oppose the “great company” marching against him. Standing achingly helpless (as you are), what did he do? He literally threw himself on God. He prayed. “O our God, we have no power to face this vast army attacking us. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” (You’ll find the story in 2 Chronicles 20.) 

Do you see yourself in the mirror of the story? Do you feel overpowered by a “great company” of temptations? Are you stumbling through confused days and tossing through sleepless nights? What is the answer? Stoic endurance? No. That brings only deeper despair. But you can pray Jehoshaphat’s prayer! His God is your God if your faith is in Jesus Christ. You can plead with God on the grounds of His great power, His promises, and His LOVE. And all the while you can keep your eyes steadfastly on Him. The result? As you trust, you will one day say as Jehoshaphat said, “The Lord has given me cause to rejoice.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! In times of difficulty the Lord wants and expects us to cast all of our cares upon him, because He cares for us. Remember, Jesus unequivocally invited us in His Great invitation, to bring our burdens and woes to Him because He can take them from us and lighten our load. So, in spite of how things may seem, once we turn in all sincerity to God, our rocky road will gradually get smoother. As we raise the level of our faith in our Creator and Provider, we get better at handling the problems that we encounter in this earthly life. 

So as the song says: ‘There’s life in Him…There’s Hope in Him…There’s a bright future in Him. So don’t give up now… don’t give in…hang in there until things get better.’ And they will eventually, if we do like Jehoshaphat did; that’s stay with God. And here is the Bible Promise for our story today, Jehoshaphat’s pleading prayer. ‘O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen (nations)? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? …O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.’ (2 Chr. 20:6-7, 12) 

Ah friends, the same thing applies to us today: we need to keep our eyes steadfastly focused on God, for that’s where the answer to everything and every question in our lives lie. Like Peter, when he walked on water with Jesus, if we take our eyes off Him and focus on the circumstances and problems then we’ll begin to sink. And if the great king Jehoshaphat could call out to God in such fear and uncertainty, who are we to do differently eh? And yuh see how the situation ended? 

Jehoshaphat and all his people of Judah fasted and prayed, then God sent them a message through Jahaziel: ‘Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s….Ye shall not need to fight in the battle: set (position) yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.’ (2 Chr. 20:15, 17) And the next day the Israelites went out and didn’t lift a hand but ended up victorious, for our great God made the three armies that were coming against them to fight amongst each other and destroy themselves. 

Oh my people, our God has not changed or become weak and immobile. He is still the omnipotent Creator and Provider, and He is telling us the same thing in these trying times: to not fear, leave your life in His powerful hands, just do what we are supposed to do, and He will protect us, because the battle is not ours but His. So let’s remember that in these turbulent times and stand strong and faithful. That’s all God is asking of us. He will do the rest! 

Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do just that, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. So 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 just in case you’ve forgotten, (smile) if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…in spite of what comes against you…stay with God…that’s wisdom for the ages…                                   

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8