Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2014 Psalm 118:21

08 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 118:21.   I will praise thee: for thou hast heard (and answered) me, and art become my salvation.

Well it’s Saturday Friends… the day for sleeping in late and/or getting up early to do the household chores and run the errands that we couldn’t do during the workweek. Oh, in this go, go, go society of ours, there is always something else to do, something else that’s demanding, that’s screaming out for our time and attention. 
 
But you know what my people? In this rat-race society we have to make definite time for two things; rest, and quiet time with Almighty God!
 
Without those two things running at optimum levels, regardless of how good, how accomplished we are in the ways and busyness of the world, our brilliant construction will collapse and fall as soon as anything strong comes against it, because our physical and spiritual foundations are insufficient to support the worldly structure we’re trying to build. 
 

That reminds me of Jesus talking about the two men, one who built his house on a poor foundation of sand (the world and its values) and the other who constructed his on the strong foundation of rock (Jesus Christ).
 
And when the storms came, as they invariably do, the wind and rain washed away the foundation of the house built on the sand and the house itself collapsed. But the one built on the foundation of rock staunchly withstood the elements. (Luke 6:46-48)
 
That my Friends, is what happens when we rush about madly, trying to achieve and acquire the things the world considers important, of top priority, and we’re not kind and considerate to our physical and spiritual needs.
 
And the sad part is that we now see such foundations crumbling much more often than we did a generation or two ago, when the pace of life was much slower and more in tune with God. Unfortunately it is also happening to younger and younger persons all the time.
 
The unrelenting thrust of today’s pace of life, and the resultant stress and strain are taking a serious toll on the society’s young, because that’s all a lot of them know – always in a rush, multitasking, constantly on the social media networks – and neither the body nor the mind were built to withstand such abnormal pressures.
 
Anyway my brethren, for those of us who have learned the lesson of life – many the hard way – to build our structures on the strong foundation of Jesus, our Bit today helps us to acknowledge where our wisdom and contentment come from. ‘I will praise thee: for thou hast heard (and answered) me, and art become my salvation.’
 
And that’s no lie, my fellow believers, for our God is ever so worthy of praise, because he has heard and answered our heartfelt prayers, even to the sending of His only son Jesus to be the sacrifice, the propitiation for our sins, and thus ultimately our Saviour, the reason for our reconciliation to the Father, and therefore our salvation.
 
And the sound of God’s people suddenly and solemnly ring out to high heaven: ‘Thank You Father! Thank You for sending Jesus to bring us back to You. We LOVE and adore You, and praise Your Holy Name!’
 
And that’s why the psalmist began Psalm 118 – Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation- this way. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord: for he is good: because his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps.118:1) And throughout the psalm he continually repeats that verse, so by the end, that thought, those serious and sacred words have been indelibly written in your soul.
 
And talking about answered prayer, listen to these verses from Psalm 116 – Praise for deliverance from death. ‘I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me (listened to me), therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.’ (Ps.116:1-2)
 
Oh my people, that’s simple logic and common sense! If you’ve called upon the Lord, and He heard and answered you, then you’d be a fool not to keep on calling on Him. And as I researched our Bit, I was amazed to find some very poignant and prominent verses of scripture in rather close proximity to it. I had some idea of where they were to be found, but never really made the connection until now.
 
Hear these memorable verses of scripture that follow our Bit. ‘The stone which the builders refused (rejected) is become the head stone of the corner (the chief cornerstone). This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:22-24)
 
Yes Friends, most of us know those scriptures, but I suspect that only a few know that they come one right after the other in the same psalm.
 
And we’ll close, most appropriately with the last two verses of Psalm 118, ‘Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps.118:28-29)
 
Gospel truth Friends, gospel truth! Let’s remember that, and wisely build our lives around them. Much LOVE!
 
…any structure, edifice, family or organization…is only as strong as its foundation…and the best, the strongest  foundation is Jesus Christ…

 

 


 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2013 Proverbs 11:25

21 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 11:25.   The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Ah Friends, at last some decent summer weather! Yes, it’s still warm, but not hot and humid, now in the mid 20’s instead of the 30’s, with a cool, refreshing breeze to minimize the heat. That’s what we finally had yesterday, and are likely to have for the next few days. All the seasons have their good points, but it’s when they get to the extremes, that they lose the human affection. (smile)

Anyway, here’s a quote I read today in a Jamaica Gleaner Newspaper of two weeks ago. It’s taken from something called ‘The Hands of Poverty,’ by Oliver Lawrence. I don’t know if it’s a poem or a book, because I couldn’t find anything about the title or the author on the Internet.
 
The Gleaner had it under the heading of Today’s Gem. ‘Now from the hands of poverty, I have passed. But from the hands of God, I will never depart. For in Him, my sorrows turned to joy, and my needs, He gladly fulfilled.’
 
And that quote Friends, is indeed a real gem! Those few words tell us how our lives change for the better once we’ve willingly surrendered ourselves to the LOVING embrace of the living God Jehovah. On our own, we’re nothing, but linked to Jesus….oh my, my, then we can move mountains, do the naturally impossible.
 
And turning to our Bit, we glean more everlasting truth, re our association with the ONE TRUE GOD of the universe. ‘The liberal (generous) soul shall be made fat (rich, prosperous): and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.’
 
All of that stems from one law that God designed the universe on; what you sow, the same you shall reap. Therefore my people, if we are generous in what we have and give, then the same generosity, oftimes double in God’s goodness and approval is returned to us.
 
Hear how Bruh David puts it in Palm 41; Abuse and assurance. ‘Blessed is he that considereth the poor (the helpless or powerless): the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing (of illness): thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness (restore him in his sickbed).’ (Ps.41:1-3)
 
Yuh see people, it’s not only material rewards we’re liable to receive, but also physical protection from our enemies and from sickness. And all God’s children declared a loud and thankful, ‘Praise the Lord!’
 
And yuh better believe Friends that He is definitely worthy of much praise, much more than we give Him!
 
Remember too, yesterday, the scholars mentioned Proverbs 22:9, re Bruh Paul’s statement that God LOVES a cheerful giver. (2 Cor.9:7) I don’t know if any of you took the time to look it up, but here it is. ‘He that hath a bountiful (generous) eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.’ (Prov.22:9)
 
And these other wise words of Cousin Sol also fall into that category. ‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.’ (Prov.19:17)
 
Yes my fellow believers, when we give generously and willingly, it warms the cockles of God’s heart, because that’s the kind of Being He is, and in return He rewards us for helping those less fortunate than us.
 
Remember too, our God is very interested, is a big booster of the poor, the stranger, the widow, the orphan, the sick, the needy, the powerless and helpless. And anyone who goes out of their way to help any of those unfortunates will be richly blessed by God.
 
But note though, the motives, the state of our hearts must be right, and we mustn’t be only doing the good deeds to get rewards, but feel a genuine need to help the needy.
 
Now hear Bruh Paul as he talks to the Galatians on the subject. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
 
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). And as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal.6:7-10)
 
Oh my brethren, those words spoken so long ago, still hold true even today! That’s because our God and His basic philosophy doesn’t change! From day one, He’s decreed that what we sow, we’ll reap, and that principle will continue until eternity.
 
So please, let’s wise up and start sowing good seeds out of pure and blameless hearts nuh. It’s the only way we’ll bring others to Christ and thus further His kingdom. And just in case you didn’t know or realize it, that’s one of our major purposes here on planet earth. (smile)
 
So let’s get the passion, the LOVE, the enthusiasm, the goodness, the mercy, the forgiveness and all the other positive attributes of Jesus going nuh Friends! For then, and only then, will we become worthy of the title…wise. Much LOVE!
 
…blessed are the merciful…for they shall obtain mercy…  (Matt.5:7)