Devon Dick | Boast inna God

Boast inna God is the title of Alaine’s gospel song. Alaine, better known as a reggae artiste and TVJ’s Rising Stars judge, has this inspiring song in which she boasts in God, not about material things, but in God who is the source of everything. God is her shield, light, salvation and life. This soothing song is easy on the ears. The potency of the lyrics displays a mature understanding of God and correct interpretation of Scriptures as it relates to who God is and what He does.

God is the source of everything because we were given many things at birth. It is ‘ God who has made us and not we ourselves’. We are not self-made. Since our entrance into the world, God gave us everything we are and have, and gives us the strength and wisdom to improve on that which He gave us. We, who have no claim on heaven’s rewards or earth’s resources, have been given everything necessary for living life to the glory of God.

No one can truthfully complain that God has not given us everything we have or has not given us the wisdom, knowledge and understanding to improve on what He has originally given us. Therefore, we can experience contentment and satisfaction with who we are and with what God gave us. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. We do not have to beg God or badger God or bargain with God, since He gives freely what we need, including everything in the resurrection of Jesus.

Alaine is not focused on material things which we can see, touch, taste and eat. When she speaks about blessings, it is not about house, husband and a hedonistic lifestyle. It is not the usual health and wealth gospel – if we have enough faith in God then we will all get physical healing and will all be rich beyond that is needed. Instead, Alaine was boasting about God who is the source of everything.

CREATOR SIDELINED

Too often the Creator is sidelined and the creatures are taking centre stage. There was a time when preachers would say, ‘Thus saith the Lord’ to authenticate a pronouncement. However, the popular phrase is ‘I decree and declare’. I have heard a preacher on radio say ‘I decree and declare’ concerning Haiti that there would be certain occurrences in a specific time, and none of the decrees came to pass.

Decree is an authoritative order that must be obeyed and, apparently, there is a belief that saying ‘I decree’ will cause it to happen. However, we cannot tell God that He must obey us. That is effrontery. Furthermore, calling things into being is an attribute of God, ‘ the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not’ Romans 4: 17 (NIV). It is not an attribute of humans. Humans can only proclaim God’s decree (Ps 2: 7).

Let us boast only in God.

Last week, I bemoaned how Noel Dexter has an OD only as a national honour after so many national, regional and international accomplishments. One of his friends in response to the article boasted that Dexter wrote the song for Jamaica’s emancipation, Freedom Song, and also penned university songs for the University of the West Indies and University of Technology. High national honours should be reserved for persons who give service to the nation without financial reward.

Two weeks ago, I wrote that ‘This is a remarkable story of Lee-Chin taking over a formerly failed, highly indebted bank and made it into a financial success.’ Many prominent and knowledgeable Jamaicans corrected me about that boast and insisted that when billionaire Michael Lee-Chin took over National Commercial Bank it was not heavily indebted and, in fact, was profitable. I stand corrected.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. He is author of ‘The Cross and the Machete’, and ‘Rebellion to Riot’. Send feedback to columns@ gleanerjm.com.