It is well with my soul

"My Help" - Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, with lyrics

Knowing the Lord who keeps me

As I saw in the First of January this year from the fellowship of a small church in South Manchester, there is much I could not have planned for in 2024, except for having hope and expectations.

It has been quite an eventful year, and I am reminded of where to place my focus, not in men, not on events, or the vicissitudes of life that serve to both tempt and distract. I woke up one morning some time ago (that was literally four years ago), and I had to find the verse in the Bible that said, “The Lord who keeps me, neither slumbers nor sleeps.” Ps 121:4

Blog - He shall preserve my soul, even forevermore

It was in Psalm 121 of which a rather melodious song derived from the meaningful verses gives a sense that where all seems to go awry around us, there is a place to find all you need to know that when others are losing their heads in despair, despondency, dispute, disease, defeat, death or much worse, you will neither lose your way nor sway.

Beyond the human to the spiritual

I will be the first to say when I faced the prospect of malignant prostate cancer, I did not understand what was happening to me. Sometimes, a thought raced through my mind like I was facing the looming abyss of destruction, a sudden end over which I had become a victim of circumstances beyond my control.

I entered my closet, the confines of my humble abode. I began to playback messages of hope and encouragement, of life and living, of stories and testimonies, of triumph and victory. No, I was not hopeless, the advantages of medical science notwithstanding, the battle had to be won first in between my ears before I knew I could win elsewhere.

Trust in the Lord, always

I feel the same about today for there was another expectation in the human realm that had been dashed by some of the amazing mysteries of how humanity chooses the worse over the better. It is not a new thing. Most of the Israelites of the Bible in Exodus while quite desirous of being freed from Egyptian bondage ended up perishing in the desert because they focused on worsening circumstances over extraordinarily better assurances.

You learn with time that the earth is not on a trajectory to Paradise, it is coming to an end by nature and anthropomorphic abuse, we look to something new, something different, and more exciting than the natural mind can fathom. You are left with one thing to ponder, where is your faith, your assurance, your expectation, and your hope?

In that, I have the fullest confidence that this lies way beyond the reach of the travails of humanity, I meditate in the life-giving sustenance of words inspired by God to spew forth from the lips of men, on which to meditate and find calm in the storms of life, wherefore, I can say without dissimulation, I shall not be moved.

Read, recite, meditate

Psalms 121:1-8 KJV

(1) A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

(2) My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

(3) He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

(4) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

(5) The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

(6) The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

(7) The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

(8) The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Bible Hub: Psalm 121 (Parallel versions)

Thought Picnic: Enemies present to see me blessed

In the grip of superstition

Sometimes, I find myself at that point of conflict between traditions and beliefs, the things we find ourselves doing because of fear, premonition, superstition, or customs we think the good and good fortune that comes our way is under constant threat from bad forces or persons.

We live with a tendency to believe that ill will exists at every turn, both in its proximity and in its distance, we inadvertently limit agency and facility because we give over the wealth of grace made available to us to the control of possible malevolence than trusting in unassailable benevolence.

Whilst one understands that there is no glory or praise in adversity, any adversity is essentially part of the construct of life, the more consequential matter is how one deals with adversity. For instance, when I was asked how I could avoid conflict from arising in some setting, I posited that avoiding conflict is rarely a function under our control, but addressing the issue in order the resolve it is one we need to have the skill to do.

Enemies present to see me blessed

It is against this backdrop, from the deepest recesses of my beliefs and faith, that I found that some advice I was receiving did not sit well with me. I can attest to many circumstances where I have found assurance, comfort, and solace from a verse of scripture that overwhelms and brings to naught the effect of something that in other situations would be damaging and impossible to overcome.

(Psa 23:5 NLT) You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honour me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

My understanding of this verse is that God blesses you for the observation of your adversaries and detractors. They are to see and know that you are blessed and blessed abundantly. The blessing of God is not something to be hidden. To enjoy the blessing of God is not a thing of personal pride, but one of glorifying God as it pleases God to bless His people.

The irreversible blessings of God

(Num 23:20 NLT) Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!

In this Bible story where the prophet Balaam was spoken to by the ass he was riding, Balaam was being engaged by a king with the promise of a great reward to curse the people of Israel. What is fundamental here is that what God has done in His goodness cannot be repudiated. To the frustrated king procuring Balaam’s services, the clear message was, that what God has blessed cannot be reversed.

(Psa 118:6 NLT) The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?

(Psa 118:7 NLT) Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

As I was writing this blog, the verses above came to me, even as others that I will further meditate on have percolated into my consciousness. This challenges many premises, but until you know your station and status, it might well be meaningless. The fundamental here is that the LORD is for me and with that confidence, I should not fear what people can or think they have the power to do to me.

This is reinforced in the next verse, confirming that the LORD is indeed for me, not just idling, but helping me so that I get to look in triumph at those who do not wish me well for whatever reasons they might have.

Goodness and mercy fully attached

The focus really should be on God rather than them, regardless of what they might be up to. I lay hold of this assurance receiving the honour bestowed on me by the one whose blessings no one can reverse. As always, the issue is getting to appreciate the powerfulness of your standing against the powerlessness of any assailant.

That is what gives the last verse of Psalm 23 its grounding in faith and reality. I remain convinced that famines pass for times of abundance beyond every means or measure of understanding. We only have to trust in the unfailing love of God to know that we always win.

(Psa 23:6 NLT) Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

With your scar, you're a superstar

Yes, you can embrace your scar,
Sometimes it is quite bizarre,
When you do, don't let it mar,
For it might present a bar,
Though the sight of it can jar,
As you contemplate nary even tar,
That it plays to set you below par,
You want to strut like a jaguar,
Bid the self-aware au revoir,
Resist it leaving you distant and far,
From where you can be a star.