2 Corinthians 5:17. (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Aye mih people, the ole fella’s here again – later than I had planned, but earlier than the last few days. (smile)
And I am feeling better, spiritually and physically. But I am certainly not out of the woods yet – though with perseverance and the Lord’s help I hope it won’t be too long or difficult a trip back.
Oh friends, I can never consider the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our magnificent and magnanimous God without feeling a deep, tender and abiding LOVE for Him! He’s been ever so good to me, that sometimes it just boggles my imagination.
Now don’t get me wrong, it has not always been wine, roses and song, there have been some serious trials and tribulations along the way, many of them unexpected and out of the blue, like this past week in the hospital with heart problems.
You know with that sort of stuff you usually feel a pain or something of the sort… well I have NOT felt a pain up to this day, just a constant shortness of breath. And thankfully I listened to the Holy Spirit that guided me to the hospital’s Emergency Department, otherwise I might not be alive to tell the tale today.
And come to think of it, this is the tenth year – can you imagine- ten years since I’ve been writing the Bit, and I certainly never expected to ring it in with heart problems in the hospital.
But our God is such a dramatic and mysterious God, that with Him anything is possible at any time. And you know what, somewhere along the line He is going to use this episode of my life for His glorification. I don’t know how, why or when – but that’s why He is God! (smile)
Ah mih breddren, I think I’ve gotten lost somewhere along the line yes, (smile) I don’t remember what point I was trying to make.
The long and short of the story though is that I could not have written the Bit for so long, especially if you knew how it began; with just a simple verse from the Good Book and maybe some inane comment from me, to where it is now.
But it was ALL the Lord’s guidance and doing my people! I took the leap of faith and He extended His faithfulness. That’s why, if nothing else, I can always proclaim His faithfulness. But the important thing is that one first has to take whatever leap of faith He is advocating.
Now that brings us to our Bit; a few simple but very powerful words: ‘(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)’ That’s the basic foundation of our great action movement – Christianity!
As the Good Book says: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6) So you see friends, we have to faithfully believe in and diligently seek the Lord if we expect to reap His blessings, grace and mercies.
Listen to this wonderful promise relayed through Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer.29:11)
Now isn’t that just a marvellous promise from an omnipotent God? It certainly is! The question then is why don’t we supposed believers cling to it the way we ought to eh?
Is it that we don’t truly believe, or our faith level isn’t that high, and on top of it all the lustful pleasures and material things of this world obscure God’s wonderful and faithful promises?
And Jeremiah though he was used and abused in his prophetic ministry could still say: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heath cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer.17:7-8)
Oh friends, Christians would be a whole lot better of in all respects if we would only take hold of the thousands of God promises in His Word and cling to them the way we cling to the foolishness of the world.
And we’ll end with some marvellous sentiments from Jeremiah’s Lamentations. ‘And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:18-26)
Oh my people, if Jeremiah could have been as abused as he was, and still have hope, faith and trust in the Lord, then why can’t we who have not faced such persecution do the same eh?
That’s a question we have to answer individually. Let’s hope we do it positively and soon, for we know not when our Lord and Saviour Jesus will return. And once He comes back, ALL bets are off! Much LOVE!
…following Jesus is not an easy row to hoe…but it provides the greatest rewards…that’s for sure…
SCRIP-BITS 