Wednesday Reflection, January 6, 2021

Building up Holy Faith

Psalm 84:12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

Brothers and sisters, let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy new year! At the close of one year and the beginning of another, it is customary for many to make resolutions, do away with old habbits and a number of other things. In today’s reflection, I would like to draw your attention to a rather significant time in History.

Our watchword, is the summation of Psalm 84. A Psalm for the sons of Korah. This particular Psalm is thought to have been sung while the people worked in the winepress (where juice is extracted from grapes to make wine).

The book of Numbers tells us about a time where in the sons of Korah were buried alive because of their disobedience, however their lives were spared. We then see them very prominent in the Psalms as a people no longer disobedient or hungry for power but a people on a mission to offer praise and worship to God.

Friends, perhaps you too have felt, like the sons of Korah, incapable of making sense of or understanding the things that have been happening. Perhaps you’ve felt as if you were being buried alive by your circumstances. And although 2020 is now referred to in the past, for many, everything that happened cannot so soon be considered a distant memory.

The fact that any of us are alive, is testament enough of God’s sovereignty. It is God who still keeps, saves and satisfies. Indeed all praise belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of His grace why the psalmists could write and sing songs of joy and praise even in the worse periods of their lives. That grace still abounds today and remains sufficient for each of us. O that we may begin to chant psalms and sing hymns in and out of distress!

Times are hard and are ever changing, but God remains constant. He has never and will never change. An excerpt from the letter written to each believer Jude 1:20
‘but you, dear friends, keep building on the foundation of your most holy faith, as the Holy Spirit helps you to pray.

The walk of Faith is not for those who sleep and are not sober, each believer has been called to walk by faith and not by sight, faint not believers, put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the devil.

Amen

Kerone Lamoth

Say It, and Keep Saying It.

Psalm 23 is a favorite of many persons. In fact, I’m sure many will say it’s one of the first Psalms that they learnt. I remember as a child in school, we would say this Psalm almost every morning as part of our devotions. That constant repetition served not only to reinforce the words of the Psalm in our minds but the assurance that it gave to us as well. Today’s watchword is from Psalm 23: 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Author and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, said, “Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.” In other words, if we say something long enough it becomes riveted in our minds and begins to direct our thoughts and actions. That’s why it is important to think positive thoughts, make favorable proclamations over our youth and always maintain an optimistic outlook on life. This Psalm of David is one of many Biblical passages that helps us to do this. It undergirds God’s accompanying presence, guiding hands and supplying grace to those who believe. This is available to us always. At times it will seem otherwise, times when the devil will try to overturn our conviction, but if you believe then nothing will convince you otherwise. This is therefore a Psalm worth saying every day. It is a Psalm worth believing with all your heart. Indeed, we serve a God who provides for our needs, who spiritually restores us, who guides us in the right way and when we are surrounded by danger, steadies and assures us with His presence. We serve a God who is not phased by those who would do us harm but in fact blesses us so that they can see that He and not them is in control. God honors us by His anointing and blesses us with overflow. It is because of all of this we can say with certainty: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. I know you know this, but it is worth saying this until you are convinced, until you believe it with all your heart and soul. Say it until you believe it.
I want us to note David’s conviction in this verse. It’s not a conditional ‘if we accept this’, neither is it the uncertain ‘maybe’. He uses the word ‘surely’. It gives assurance and confidence. According to the dictionary, ‘surely’ is used to emphasize the speaker’s firm belief in the truth of what is being said. It leaves no room for doubt. Surely takes the onus off us and places it on God. God’s promised presence will be with us not because of us, but in spite of us. In spite of our doubts, in spite of our rebellion, in spite of our self-indulgencies, in spite of our stubbornness. It is this promised presence of God that keeps drawing us back to God in true and hearty repentance. There’s no doubt in David’s mind that whatever comes his way, God’s goodness and mercy would be his salvation. As we look ahead in this new year, we have no idea what it holds for us. There will be disappointments, there will be losses, relationships will be broken, sickness and failures will be part of the journey. The only certainty, the ‘surely’, that we have as we enter this new year is that God’s love, goodness and mercy will be with us to the very end. This is all the assurance we need because God keeps us in this life and promises us an eternity in glory. ‘I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you will be also.’ John 14: 3. It’s good to know this, but even better to believe it. Let us keep saying it because we believe it. In times of doubt, when we are down or discouraged, when trouble surrounds us, or when we can’t see our way through, let us remember: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. Amen.

Monday Reflection – January 04, 2021

Living in the Fear of the Lord

Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! Deuteronomy 5:29

In Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the children of Israel. They were near the end of a long journey. For almost 40 years they had been wandering about in the desert on their way to the promised land. He is preparing them for his departure and for their entry into the promised land – telling them how they are to live as God’s covenant people. If there is one thing that Moses wants to impress upon them, it is that they are to fear the Lord. He mentions this many times. Hear him in chapter 10:12: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”.

God desires that we demonstrate an attitude of fear for Him. When we think of fear, we associate the word with terror. However, fear of the lord is about reverence or awe. When we truly fear the Lord, we recognize that He is the Creator, and we are the creatures. He is the Master, and we are the servants. He is the Father, and we are the children. This attitude will manifest itself in our having a respect for God, and in our having a desire to do what He tells us to. The fear of the Lord is a deep-seated reverence for God that causes us to want to please Him at all costs. We desperately need to recover a sense of awe and reverence for God in our day. We must begin to view Him in the infinite majesty that belongs to Him who is the Creator and Supreme Sovereign of the universe.

We learn the fear of the Lord by studying His word. As we spend time in the word of God, we will gain a healthy degree of the fear of the Lord. Such a fear promotes holy living. The person who truly reverences and respects the Lord will not do anything that brings disgrace, dishonour, or pain to the heart of the Lord. People who genuinely fear the Lord will flee from evil. Based on today’s Watchword, those who fear the Lord can be guaranteed tremendous blessings. The person who lives in the fear of God will be a satisfied person. Our needs are met and we enjoy the pleasure of his presence and experience the satisfaction of walking with Him.

As we embark on a new year, may we march forward living in the fear of the Lord. This will guarantee us abundant life in the here and now and eternal life in the next. Solomon sums it up beautifully in Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

Postlude
I leave you with the usual New Year thought that I have found ever renewing at the start of each new year:
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light so that I may walk safely into the unknown.” He replied, “Go your way and place your hand into the hand of God.  That will be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

Happy New Year everybody!

Jermaine Gibson