SCRIP-BITS

Psalm 96:9.      O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s here to make a major pronouncement this morning. Now this shouldn’t even have to be stated, because it’s something all believers should already know, be thoroughly convinced of and diligently practicing. But unfortunately, too many of us don’t even act like we know it, much less seem convinced of it. And the pronouncement is that Christians ought to be the happiest and most joyful people on planet earth! Why is that, you naively ask? Well because we have the five best things in life going for us; namely God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit, our personal Helper and Comforter. And when you add to that omnipotent Trinity, the free gift through grace and Jesus’ sacrifice of salvation and eternal life, you have the most awesome and explosive combination of Beings and circumstances possible. Now all that should produce unbeatable joy in believers, as Jesus says: ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) But judging from the sad and sour perspective of many believers that just isn’t so. And why isn’t that eh? Does it show a lack of true faith, a lack of sincere belief, a lack of true trust and surrender, that all we have is lots of talk and no real action to back it up? I don’t know nuh. But I do know that as a group, Christians don’t show the true, heartfelt happiness and joy that we ought to, what with all the great things we have going for us. I guess that we don’t truly have a mind focused on heaven, but allow the negativity of the world to encroach, to invade the confines of our souls, and thus effectively reduce our joy in our wonderful God and all that He’s offered and done for us. Oh my brethren, please, please remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength, (Neh. 8:10) which means that if we’re not joyful in Him, then we won’t be, or rather, can’t be strong. I’m therefore pleading with us today, let’s up the ante in the joy and strength of our lives nuh. We desperately need them to fight against the powerful enemies of this wicked world. And that joy begins, and stays with us, when we do as our Bit so wisely advises. ‘O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him, all the earth.’ Yes Friends, when we have a healthy respect for our God, knowing that He’s all powerful and can get angry at us for continual disobedience, but that His true nature is one of LOVE, mercy and forgiveness, we can relax and continually worship Him, as Bruh David says, in the ‘beauty of holiness.’ We acknowledge the beauty, the majesty inherent in His Holy nature, and since it’s totally above and beyond our sinful ways, we consequently desire to come before Him in much praise and thanksgiving. And it seems that the phrase, ‘beauty of holiness’ was a favourite of Bruh David’s, for he uses it on several occasions. In Psalm 29 – The voice of the Lord in the storm – he declares: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty (majesty) of holiness.’ (Ps.29:2) Then in 1 Chronicles 15, in his psalm of thanksgiving, he strongly advocates: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.’ (1 Chr.16:29) And yet again, in Psalm 110 – The Lord gives dominion to the king – he proclaims: ‘Thy people shall be willing (volunteers) in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.’ (Ps.110:3) But it’s not only Bruh David who talks about the beauty, the majesty of our God. Listen to Moses, in his only Psalm, Psalm 90, and therefore the oldest in the Psalter. It’s titled -From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. He ends it thus: ‘And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.’ (Ps.90:17) And if we go to 2 Chronicles 20, when the armies of Moab, the children of Ammon and those of mount Seir banded together to invade Judah, King Hezekiah, on the advice of Jahaziel, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Chr.20:13-17) had the whole nation bow before the Lord their God and ask for His strength and faith. Then, on the appointed morning, they rose up early and went out to battle against the combined army. ‘And when he (Hezekiah) had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they  began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab and mount Seir, which were come against Judah and they were smitten (defeated).’ (2 Chr.20:21-22) The Israelites didn’t even have to lift a hand in battle, they just sang and praised the Lord, who then made the invading armies to quarrel and fight amongst themselves. The Israelites then gained an enormous spoil from the battle without lifting a hand, just their voices to heaven, Oh mih Friends, yuh see what praise and worship and thanksgiving to our great and powerful God can do! My people, let us therefore, from today, and henceforth, raise the level of our praise and thanksgiving to our mighty and merciful God nuh, so that we may prosper and be strong in the land which He has given to us. That is indeed the wisdom of the wise and faithful. Much LOVE!… oh what infinite joy, peace and prosperity… comes from sincerely worshipping and praising Almighty God….