17 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a draft of air, a glorious future with Jesus, a long road, a longing ache, a perfect heart, a terrific boss, bitterly, bursting with thnaksgiving, captain of my people, colourful sails, deity, dog days, doldrums, eagles, enjoy it, faithfulness, Father of all creation, fifteen years, generously rewards, glory, Glory Halleujah, good in thy sight, grace, gratitude, greatly deserves it, halfway home, heal thee, hearing the surf, heart and soul, Hezekiah, honour, in truth, iron birds, Isaiah, Jamaica, joy, king of Judah, Land of Wood and Water, laughter, loving kindness, mercy, Most High God Jehovah, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, never miss the water, not turning back, obedient to God's will, out of danger, planes, praise, profuse praise, promise, Sea Breeze, set thine house in order, sickness, tears of joy, the breath of life, the captain of my people, the Lord of hosts, the word of the Lord, thy prayer, till the well run dry, unto death, unto thy days, walked before thee, we will follow the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wept sore, Xaymaca, zeppo
2 Kings 6:a. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years…
All praise and honour, glory and exaltation to the Most High God Jehovah, the Lord of hosts, the Great I AM, the Father of ALL Creation! Please give Him much thanks and praise, because He greatly deserves it! He is indeed most worthy of all our thanksgiving! Praise His Holy Name!
And if you’re wondering why such profuse praise to Almighty God at the beginning of the Bit…well it’s simple: My heart and soul are just bursting with thanksgiving and gratitude, because once again He has shown His amazing faithfulness in my life. Yes friends, during the dog days, the doldrums of my illness, I would lie in my bed and hear and see the planes going by in the distance like eagles gliding along on a draft of air, and my heart would just fill with a longing ache to board one of those iron birds and just fly away to some exotic destination.
But yuh know what mih people? In those sad, sick and frustrating times, the Lord would gather me in His Ever-LOVING arms and comfort me with the promise that one day soon, I would fly away on an iron bird to an exotic destination. And friends, in all faithfulness, through His exceeding grace, mercy and LOVING-kindness, the Lord has kept His awesome promise. And that’s why my inner being is just bursting with joy and thanksgiving, and tears of joy are filling my eyes and flowing down my cheeks.
Oh mih people, the ole fella is in J.A, Jamaica; in Xaymaca, the land of wood and water…and beautiful women! Seen quite a few already! (smile) Glory be to the Most High God Jehovah! And the sea, sand, salt, sun…and rum are most excellent, just as the Lord promised! Had a colourful, red, green and blue shark-bite cocktail last night. (smile) How can I therefore not LOVE Him and proclaim His awesome name eh?
Oh my faithful believers, our God is indeed a most wonderful Deity, a terrific Boss, a hard taskmaster who expects diligence and excellence from us, but who also generously rewards us when we are obedient to His Holy Will! Praise His name my people, for there’s no other like Him!
And now, as I write this, feeling the cool sea breeze float through the open door, hearing the surf break upon the sand and see the small boats with their colorful, blue, yellow and green sails, and hear the laughter of other travellers down below, I can’t help but realize how blessed I am! Glory to God!
And as I just read this over, tears again filled my eyes. It’s been a long road my brethren, almost two years of sickness…and not completely out of danger yet. I was so close to going home to Him, but He gave me a reprieve, for which I am everlastingly grateful! As they say here in J.A: ‘yuh never miss the water until the well run dry!’ In my case I was blessed that my well had not run completely dry. So friends, let me seek for a scripture that will admirably fit our Bit today. Soon come!
Oh friends, it didn’t take long. Before I could even open the Good Book the zeppo came; the sickness of Hezekiah, king of Judah. The Good Book says: ‘In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz came to him and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore (bitterly).
And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came again to him, saying, Turn again and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years…’ (2 Kin.20:1-6a)
Oh friends, I don’t know if I can compare my sorrow and weeping and goodness to Hezekiah’s nuh, but I do know that there was a lot of prayer and some tears. And the Lord in His mercy saw fit to grant me some more time here on earth. I don’t know if it’s fifteen years, or more, or less, but I do know that however much it is, I will enjoy it, and will praise and exalt His Holy name as much as I can, because He has been so good to me and mine. Glory be people!
When someone is good to us, we tell and show them thanks, so why not to our Maker and God eh? And I know that I’m not the only one so blessed, so why aren’t we praising and thanking our Saviour much more than we are eh? I don’t know the answer nuh, but it’s time to go home, so let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if Jesus promised that it will be glorious, then I know it will be so indeed! Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we WILL follow the LORD…no doubt about that…
P.S. Sorry that it’s so late, but I was really tired after the long journey…no longer accustomed to it (smile) and I just got the necessary energy to set up my stuff. And as always, when I’m on vacation, I can’t guarantee what time the Bit will go out, (smile) but you will get it. Much LOVE! Time for the beach now!
17 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed scripture, all guns firing, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be careful for nothing, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, blessed be God, Bruh David's men spoke about stoning him, Bruh David's reaction to the burning of Ziklag, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, casting all your care upon him, christianity, comfort in hard times, David followed the Lord's advise, David's men blamed his for the disaster, do better, do good work for Jesus, don't even have time to think, encouragement is right at our fingertips, endure to the end, faith, for our sakes and Jesus', give thanks for being alive, greater is he that is in you, halfway home, hands on the plough, have all the tools and parts, have I not commanded thee, have overcome them, he careth for you, He giveth power to the faint, he may exalt you in due time, hearing and putting into action are two different things, hold our horses, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I have overcome the word, i have overcome the world, I'm so glad to be alive, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, know the scriptures, let your request be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, on an early bus, our second wind day, run and not be weary, salvation, scriptures that provide encouragement, sterngth and courage, than he that's in the world, thank God, that in me ye might have peace, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the Lord sometimes allows hardship to come against us, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the way we live this earthly life depends a lot on us, the young men shall utterly fall, the youth shall faint and be weary, these things I have spoken unto you, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, to a glorious future with Jesus, to find a wife asap, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, use them when the time comes, wait on the Lord, wake up to the seriousness of the situation, walk and not faint, Wednesday Wail, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, wisdom, ye are of God little children
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 June 2026 John 16:33.
John 16:33. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’
Ah mih people, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day, so let’s catch it if we want to continue to do good work for Jesus. And would you believe we’re on an early bus, even though I went to my church group this morning! Glory be! Let’s also give thanks for being alive to see another day, despite the high level of evil and ungodliness that’s currently permeating our world. And as we promised yesterday, if the breath still flowed through our body today, we’d continue to look at scriptures that give us encouragement in our everyday lives.
And I like how this overview breaks down the scriptures according to purpose. Beginning with this famous one for Strength and Courage, as the Lord continues speaking to Joshua, after making him the Israelite leader following the death of Moses. For the third time in four verses He admonishes Joshua: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)Now you cannot get encouragement from a better source, but hearing it and putting it into action are two entirely different things, for when the enemy comes at you with all guns firing, sometimes you don’t even have time to think, much less be strong and courageous, but we’re expected to be thus, because we have all the parts and tools to do so.
Then, as per Peace and Anxiety, these verses from Philippians show us the way. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
And what about a scripture for Overcoming Weariness? This one we all know and quote although we don’t action it as we ought to. Isaiah wisely informs us: ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40: 29-31) What a beautiful promise my brethren! But it doesn’t happen automatically, we have to hold our horses and wait upon the Lord.
Then there’s this section about Comfort in Hard Times. Here Peter exhorts us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) Yes friends, Almighty God is our greatest source of comfort, as Bruh Paul explains in these verses from 2 Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Wow! What a blessed scripture! We comfort others by the comfort we receive from God Himself! Then as per Assurance in Trials, John enlightens us from his first epistle. ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4) And that’s a known fact, Jesus in us is indeed greater than Satan that’s in the world. And Jesus confirms this when he reassures us: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Oh my fellow believers, we certainly don’t lack for encouraging scriptures in the Lord’s Word, for that’s why it was written; to enlighten, guide, encourage, strengthen and comfort us. But it’s not always easy to do, and we first have to know the scriptures, then put them into action when the time comes. And here is one of the best examples in the Bible of putting scripture into action. It’s Bruh David’s reaction when the Philistines refused his help to fight with them against Israel, although he was then living in their territory, and he returned to his town of Ziklag and found it burned to the ground by the Amalekites, and all the women and children taken captive.
To make matters worse, although Bruh David had also lost his wives and children, his men were sorely grieved, and spoke about stoning him, blaming him for the disaster. (1 Sam. 30:1-6a) And how did Bruh David handle that frightening situation? The Bible tells us: ‘but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ (1 Sam. 30:6b) Yes friends, that’s what we need to do when things are really going badly; encourage ourself in the Lord our God, turn to Him in prayer with questions as to one’s direction, like Bruh David did. In that case, the Lord directed him to go after the Amalekites, (1 Sam. 30:7-8)
And he followed the Lord’s advice, went after the Amalekites and defeated them in a great victory and recovered all that he had lost… and more. (1 Sam. 30:9-12) Ah mih people, at times the Lord might allow life to become difficult for us, but He’ll never leave us in the lurch, that is if we turn to Him for guidance and encouragement. So, in the long run, the way we live this earthly life depends quite a lot on us. We have all the tools to make it good, but what good are tools that aren’t being used eh? No good at all! So let’s wake up and wise up to the seriousness of the situation and do better, for our sakes, as well as for Christ’s.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the end, then, an even more glorious future has been promised, one we cannot imagine or comprehend. So, let’s be wise and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…we don’t lack for encouragement…it’s right there at our fingertips…just waiting to be taken…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foundation stone scripture in our hearts, a man's heart deviseth his way, according to his riches in glory, all the days of your life, all we have comes from God, an early bus, as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, be strong and of a good courage, boast about God's goodness and mercy, challenges, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, discouragement, distress, divide the inheritance, duty bound, encouragement, encouraging scriptures, every other foe, faith, for Christ's sake, glory in my infirmities, God is the most powerful being in the universe, grin and bear it, holy spirit, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I will boast in God, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, I will not give up, if God spares life, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in Christ there is no giving up, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, look to God for strength each day, LOVE, man plans but God laughs, mercy, more than a conqueror, my god shall supply all your need, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, necessities, no man shall stand before thee, no matter how fierce or relentless the battle, nothing to boast about, over doubt, Prayer Cards from In Touch, remove the thorn from his flesh, reproaches, salvation, Satan tempts us, share His love with my neighbours, stand firm in christ, stand firm in the Lord, take pleasure in infirmities, talking to the Holy spirit, taunts me with past failures, taunts us with past failures, thank you for your power within me, Thank You Lord, that's life, the beloved of God, the best encouragement comes from God, the BIBLE, the Creator of the universe, the enemy of my soul, the land I swear to give them, the Lord directs his steps, the power of Christ may rest upon me, the power of Jesus that dwells within us, the power of the Holy spirit, the strength I need, there is no one greater than you, threaten to knock me over, through him that loved us, throwing in the towel, to emerge victorious today, to share Christ's love and friendship, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wasn't in the cards, when I am weak then I am strong, wisdom, worry, you are almighty
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 June 2026 Philippians 4:1b.
Philippians 4:1b. ‘…stand firm in the Lord…’
Oh friends, I tried hard to make an early bus today, but it seems like that wasn’t in the cards, wasn’t meant to be. As the old people would say, ‘Man plans, and God laughs.’ And as Cousin Sol so wisely tells us: ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) And that’s no lie, for the Lord stepped in, and against my plan, I ended up going out the street with the Duchess this morning. (smile) But that’s life, and we just have to grin and bear these things when they happen.
And to help us do just that, today we’ll look at a prayer from the recent Prayer Cards issued by the In Touch Organization, this one titled ‘Encouragement.’ And do we ever need that in great amounts in these uncertain and difficult times, when it seems like our world is speeding down to hell in a hand basket. So please pray with me.
‘Lord Jesus, thank You for Your power within me. You are almighty. Challenges may threaten to knock me over, but in You I’m more than a conqueror. So, no matter how fierce or relentless the battle, I will not give up. When the enemy of my soul taunts me with past failures, I will boast in You. Be the strength I need to emerge victorious today – over doubt, discouragement, and every other foe. Thank You Lord. There is no one greater than You. Amen!’ And my fellow believers, once you truly know the Lord God Almighty, you’ll definitely know that there’s none greater than Him!
So let’s try and dissect the prayer. And right from the very beginning, it offers us encouragement, telling us about the great power of Jesus that dwells with us. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit; our Guide, Leader, Comforter, etc. etc. That means we already have the power we need to fight our battles, but we need to use it; by talking to the Holy Spirit, asking for guidance and direction, and then actioning whatever He tells us.
And I like how it says that challenges may threaten, but because we have the most powerful being in the universe dwelling within us, we are able to conquer them. As Bruh Paul so rightly puts it in his letter to the Roman church: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) And that’s a scripture that we need to make one of the foundation stones in our hearts, so we can remember and act on it when times get rough.
But possibly the most important statement in the prayer is this one; ‘I will not give up.’ Praise the Lord my brethren! Yes, regardless of how tough and frightening times might get, there is no giving up, for as I keep reminding us, in Christ’s vocabulary there are no words like giving up, like throwing in the towel. And why should there be, when we’re dealing with the Creator of the universe, the One who died for our sins and reigns in heaven advocating on our behalf? And also when the scriptures tell us; ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13)
And furthermore, when Satan tries to tempt and taunt us with our past failures, we’ll just ignore him, and boast about our great God and His goodness and mercy. As Bruh Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, after asking three times for the Lord to remove a particular thorn from his flesh, and eventually got this answer. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses) that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distress for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
Ah friends, we really don’t have anything of ourselves to boast about, because all we have comes from Jehovah God. So, if the feeling takes us to boast, the right person to boast on and about is our heavenly Father, for He equips us with whatever we need. As Bruh Paul says in Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) So whatever we need, the Lord provides, and we are contented with whatever He provides, for it’s often better than what we could provide on our own.
And it’s to the Lord God Almighty to whom we must look for the strength to be victorious on each and every day of our earthly journey. And there are many scriptures on encouragement, like this one from the Lord to Joshua. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their father to give them.’ (Josh. 1:5-6)
Now that’s a wonderful bit of encouragement, straight from the Lord Himself, meaning it could not get any better than that. But being strong and courageous is not always easy to do, even when we know the Lord is with us, that’s why the scripture for today’s prayer encourages us to: ‘…stand firm in the Lord…’ (Phil. 4:1b) And there are several more encouraging scriptures to look at, but because time and space are against us, we’ll look at them tomorrow, obviously providing that God spares our lives. (smile)
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…consider the power of Christ Jesus within you…and stand firm in Him… (In Touch Devotional Prayer Card)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God that forgavest them, allow your incredible aura of love, as far as the east is from the west, begin a new week of work, between the two cherubims upon the ark, bounden duty, buffeted by the enemy's wicked taunts, christianity, commune with thee from above the mercy seat, consequences of their evil deeds, divine aid, exalt ye the Lord our God, executest judgement and righteousness in jacob, faith, far from our goals, fill us with steadfast faith, furthering your glorious kingdom, God has absolute power, God is omnipotent, God is worthy of our complete devotion, God LOVES justice, God's capacity for forgiveness, God's in a category of His own, God's perfect in goodness and righteousness, god's perfect sense of justice and righteousness, he is high above all the people, he sitteth between the cherubims, holy spirit, humble servants, humbly ask, into the evil and ungodly world, invincible, Jesus Christ, keeping lives and families together, let the earth be moved, let the people tremble, let them praise thy great and awesome name, limitless power, LOVE, make hay while the sun shines, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, Moses and Aaron among his priests, need to be alert, our God is holy, put out the effort, rejuvenation of spirit, sadly lacking, sally forth with confidence, salvation, serve a useful purpose, so far hath he removed our transgressions, spake unto them in the cloudy pillar, stick to God's plan and purpose for our lives, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, thank you for our jobs, the ark of the covenant, the BIBLE, The Holiness of God, the indisputable truth, the king's strength also loveth judgement, the living truth, the Lord exonerates our human transgressions, the Lord is great in Zion, the Lord reigneth, the magnanimity of God, the mercy seat, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the throne of grace, them that call upon his name, they called upon the Lord and he answered them, they kept his testimonies, thou dost establish equity, to lead and guide all your servants, to meet the enemy in battle, tookest vengeance of their inventions, truth, uprightness, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, what's propelling the time, wisdom, worship at his footstool, wrought in our weary souls
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 June 2026 Psalm 99:5.
Psalm 99:5. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
So, Monday’s come around again my brethren… and so quickly too. Yes, it’s a somewhat cool though sunshiny Monday. And can you imagine we are also in the middle of June? Another couple of weeks and June is toast, as well as half of the year. I don’t know what’s propelling the time to move so quickly, but, unfortunately, we cannot do anything about the speed with which the days and months are passing, so we therefore need to be alert and stick to the purpose and plan that God’s set out for our lives. Or, as the old people would say, make hay while the sun shines. (smile)
And today, we’ll look at a passage of scripture that we don’t pay much attention to, that’s Psalm 99, titled The Holiness of God. The psalmist begins it thus: ‘The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved (shaken). The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and terrible (awesome) name; for it (he) is holy.’ (Ps. 99:1-3)
And all of that’s the living truth my fellow believers! Our God is indeed great and mighty, with power that surpasses that of all others put together; meaning He is omnipotent, or has absolute, limitless power. Therefore, the people ought to sing His praises, and exalt His awesome and holy name, for He is indeed worthy of our complete devotion. Or as this overview says: ‘Our God is set apart, for a special purpose; is perfectly pure, unique, and in a category of His own, thus perfect in goodness and righteousness.’ And we certainly cannot doubt any of those descriptions of our wonderful Sovereign Deity!
But before we move on, here’s this interesting info, per ‘he sitteth between the cherubims.’ It comes from when God gave Moses the instructions for constructing the ark of the covenant. He told him: ‘And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune (speak) with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.’ (Ex. 25:21-22) So it’s no lie; the Lord definitely sits between the two cherubims. (smile)
Then the psalmist continues: ‘The king’s strength also LOVETH judgement; thou dost establish equity (uprightness), thou executest judgement and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.’ (Ps.99:4-5) Ah friends, the Lord’s LOVE of justice and righteousness certainly cannot be denied. It’s renowned throughout the universe, for it’s one of the foundational elements of who He is. And He is most definitely worth exalting and being worshipped at His footstool on account of His perfect sense of justice and righteousness.
So the psalmist continues singing God’s praises: ‘Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he answered them. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance (statute) that he gave them. Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions (on their evil deeds). Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill: for the Lord our God is holy.’ (Ps. 99: 6-9) And isn’t that the indisputable truth? It surely is!
Now that last section of the psalm deals with the magnanimity of our God; His awesome and amazing capacity for forgiveness! And yes, there are consequences for our wrongdoing, but the wonderful thing about our outstanding God is that He doesn’t hold our disobedience against us, but casts them away and totally forgives us. ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 102:12) That’s how completely the Lord absolves or exonerates us of our human transgressions.
Wow! Isn’t He the greatest! He surely is! So, basically the psalm is about making known to all and sundry, God’s greatness, His heightened sense of justice and righteousness, as well as His awesome ability to forgive. That makes Him pure, perfect, unique, holy and worthy to be exalted and worshipped! And now, since we’re so far from those goals, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning battle hymn, seeking divine aid to make us more like our wonderful God.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
And friends, we won’t improve ourselves or our situations unless and until we put out the effort to do so, an effort that’s so far been sadly lacking. So let’s get up and turn things around nuh, for we have all the tools to do so! Much LOVE!
…it’s our bounden duty…to exalt and worship our heavenly Father…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cross that raiseth me, a ladder set upon the earth, a standard bearer, age after age, all my song shall be, all that thou sendest me, angels beckon me nearer my god to thee, ascending and descending on it, at rest, Baal Worship, Bethel, Bethel I'll rise, bright with praise, by my woes to be, call upon God's name every day, called the name of that place Bethel, came to a certain place, cleaving the sky, constantly near to God, darkness be over me, descendants, during life's darkest trials, e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me, e'en though it be, faith, fellowship, fighting the good fight, finding God's presence and comfort, for our own well being, give thanks and praise to Almighty god, God's goodness to the children of men, gospel truth, he dreamed, health issues, hearing loss, holy spirit, how awesome is this place, how dreadful is this place, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, I am with thee, I knew it not, I will not leave thee, I'd be nearer my God to thee, in mercy given, in my father's home, in my Saviour's love, in thee and thy seed, Jacob awaked out of his sleep, Jacob went out from Beersheba, Jacob's dream of the ladder to heaven, Jesus Christ, let the way appear, like the wanderer, living the abundant life, LOVE, Luz, mercy, my rest a stone, my waking thoughts, nearer my God to thee, nearer to thee, on joyful wing, out of my stony griefs, perfectly blest, poured oil on the top of it, put them for his pillow, receive God's mercy and grace, safe, salvation, Sarah flowers Adams, search for me with all your heart, set it up for a pillar, shall all the families of the earth be blessed, steps unto heaven, sweet sacrifices of praise, tarried there all night, the angels of God, the foundation of the Jewish nation, the gate to heaven, the house of God, the land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it, the last song played on the Titanic, the Lord is in this place, the Lord never leaves our side, the Lord stood above it, the perfect call to the Lord, the sun gone down, the sun was set, the top of it reached to heaven, the twelve tribes of Israel, thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, to thy seed, took of the stones of that place, truth, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of, upward I'll fly, used stones for his pillow, will bring thee again into this land, will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, wisdom, ye shall seek me and find me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 June 2026 Genesis 28:16.
Genesis 28:16. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
And on this somewhat damp and cloudy Sunday summer Sunday in mid-June, we join the millions of other believers around the world gathering in the Lord’s sanctuaries to give thanks and praise to Almighty God for His wonderful goodness to the children of men and to receive His awesome mercy and grace to enable us to keep on living the abundant life and fighting the good fight in His glorious name!
And today’s song of worship is a beautiful 19th century Chrisitan hymn written by Sarah Flower Adams in 1841, that’s ever so appropriate for today’s chaotic times. It’s titled ‘Nearer My God to Thee.’ Apparently, the song was commissioned by a London Unitarian minister, Reverend William Johnson Fox, who desired a song to accompany his upcoming sermon on Genesis 28:10-22—the story of Jacob climbing the ladder to heaven in his dream. And they say Sarah Flower Adams wrote the lyrics within a week, despite suffering from severe health issues and hearing loss.
And did she ever craft a beautiful message about finding God’s presence and comfort during life’s darkest trials. Her sister Eliza composed the tune for it. The song also became famous when it was alleged to be the final one played by the band aboard the sinking Titanic ocean liner. So, having some background info on the song, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version.
Singing: ‘Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me, Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain: Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!) Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, Darkness be over me, my rest a stone; Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain) There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n; All that Thou sendest me, in mercy giv’n; Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain)
Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise, Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise; So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain) Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky, Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly, Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain) There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest, There in my Savior’s LOVE, perfectly blest; Age after age to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!’
That was beautiful friends! And do we ever need to be constantly near to God for our own well-being, finding joy and comfort in being close to Him. And what about the scripture upon which the hymn is based. The story stems from Isaac sending his son Jacob back to his mother’s country to find a wife, because he did not want him marrying a Canaanite woman.
The Bible tells us: ‘And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon (came to) a certain place, and tarried (stayed) there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillow (used stones for his pillow), and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (descendants); and thy seed (descendants) shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.’ (Gen. 28:10-15)
What a powerful dream my fellow believers! But that’s how our great and wonderful God moves. It’s the same way He spoke to Cousin Sol in a dream and kept His word. (1 Kin. 3:5-15) It also shows how the Lord uses those whom we would not usually choose to do great works, or be a standard bearer, for Jacob was a trickster, most of his adult life, but God chose Him nonetheless to be the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel. Remember, Abraham only had one legitimate son, Isaac, and Isaac had only two, Esau and Jacob. It was left to Jacob to provide the foundation of the Jewish nation.
But getting back to our story. The Bible then tells us: ‘And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful (awesome) is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el (house of God): but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.’ (Gen. 28:16-19)
What a story! And only our ingenious God could create it. (smile) Now, here are a couple of interesting explanations from the scholars They say, ‘Jacob’s response to this vision suggests that he may have become a true believer on this occasion. Meanwhile pillar and oil are the symbols normally used for a memorial and consecration. The pillars that were later forbidden were related to Baal worship and objects of that worship.’
And after a great song and a great story, the only thing left to do is to add this most worthwhile commentary. ‘Even when we cannot see or feel Him, the Lord never leaves our side. As we walk through each day, let us remember to call upon His name and give thanks. The beautiful lyrics of ‘Nearer My God to Thee’ are the perfect call to the Lord. And when you hear the story behind this amazing hymn, you will be reminded exactly why we need him every hour and second.’
And that’s the gospel truth my people! We need God every second, every minute, every hour, and every day of our lives. So, let’s be wise, get serious, and constantly seek Him! It’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…and ye shall seek me and find me…when ye shall search for me with all your heart… (Jer, 29:13)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a timeless invitation, a week of stressful work, a wonderful Saturday morning present, according to his riches in glory, actively savour god's presence and goodness, align your desires with God's, all the days of my life, all these things shall be added unto you, asleep at the wheel, christianity, Christians, concentrate on God's will, crucial times, deepen my breath, delight thyself also in the Lord, don't view faith as a list of strict rules, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, faith, find contentment in God rather than in the world, for His name's sake, give thee the desires of thine heart, God is not a genie, granting every fleeting wish, growing intimacy with god, have a personal testimony, he leadeth me beside still waters, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, holy spirit, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I shall not want, I want to be with you now, I will fear no evil, improve our intimacy with God, in the presence of mine enemies, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, laze around the house, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leadeth me in paths of righteousness, LOVE, make God the absolute delight of your life, marvel to think, may know you all the more, mercy, my cup runneth over, my god shall supply all your need, on the early bus, peace and calm, Praise the Lord, puts us through our paces, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, rewards for intimacy with God, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, spend time with God, strong relationships take time, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the heartfelt desire of every believer, The Lord is my shepherd, the peace of God which passes all understanding, the responsibilities of a shepherd, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to ease our weary souls, to guard our hearts and minds, trust God and let go, truth, wake up, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present, your ultimate joy
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 June 2026 Psalm 37:4.
Psalm 37:4. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’
And so we come to Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday. And would you believe the ole fella did not laze around today…well not much. But I’ve been up and about fairly early, although I went to bed pretty late. I’ve even been out the street to fix my glasses. And despite all of that, we’re on an early bus today! Praise the Lord! (smile) So let’s get the ball rolling by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong and earnest voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, then the Lord will soon be responding with a big slice of the peace of God, which passes all understanding, to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7) Now isn’t that a wonderful Saturday morning present, as you laze around the house doing little if anything, basically resting after a hard week of stressful work?
Of course! We could not want for anything better than a big slice of God’s peace and calm to ease our weary souls and renew, or better yet, improve our intimacy with Him. Oh my people, truly getting close to our great and wonderful God is the most important and delightful thing we’ll ever do, because there are so many wonderful rewards to that, as Bruh David says so well in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4)
And I like how this overview explains it: ‘”Delight yourself in the Lord” is a timeless invitation from Psalm 37:4 to find your ultimate joy, peace, and contentment in Him rather than in worldly circumstances.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! When we concentrate on God’s will and purpose for our lives, we’re filled with a sense of wonder and astonishment at some of the things He will do for us.
And the overview breaks it down thus: ‘This beautiful phrase from King David carries a deep, two-fold meaning for your daily life: Finding Ultimate Joy: It means to make God the absolute delight and pleasure of your life. Instead of viewing faith as a list of strict rules, it’s about actively savoring God’s presence, goodness, and LOVE. Aligning Your Desires: The second half of the verse promises, “and he will give you the desires of your heart”. This doesn’t mean He acts like a genie granting every fleeting wish. Rather, as you grow closer to Him, your heart becomes so aligned with His will that your desires naturally transform to match what He wants for you.’
That’s why we keep urging and imploring us re finding greater intimacy with God. For that’s when we truly come alive, when our Christian faith truly becomes what it ought to be. And how do we do that in actual practice? Hear what the overview advises. ‘Spend Time with Him: Just like any relationship, delighting in God takes time. You can draw near to Him through prayer, reflecting on scripture, or simply being still in His presence. Trust and Let Go: The passage begins by urging believers not to fret over the wicked or worry about things outside their control. Delighting in God means trusting that He knows what is best for you and will provide for your needs.’
And yuh know that’s really all the Bible is about: having sufficient faith to put our sincere and total trust in Almighty God because we know, are convinced that He knows what’s best for us, and if we sincerely accept His will, then He will ensure we’re well taken care of. Look at the many scriptures that tell us that nuh. Jesus said it thus: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Then Bruh Paul says to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory.’ (Phil. 4:19)
And no one puts it more beautifully than Bruh David in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen!’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Wow! No wonder that psalm is the most beloved in the Bible, because it lays out what the Lord can do for us in the likeness of a shepherd. And no one could do that better than Bruh David, because remember he began life as a lowly shepherd boy, before the Lord thrust him into greatness. So he knows perfectly what it’s like being a shepherd and the responsibilities it brings. That’s why the saying, you can’t write about what you don’t know about is oh so true. And also why the Lord puts us through our paces, so we can have personal testimony of what we talk about.
And in closing, all I can ask is that we wake up, because so many of us supposed believers are still asleep at the wheel, and in these crucial times, we desperately need to wake up and get wise and do as Bruh David so urgently beseeches: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ Ps. (37:4) Much LOVE!
…getting closer to God…growing intimacy with Him…ought to be the heartfelt desire of every believer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brutish man knoweth not, a good night's sleep, a melodious sound, a sea of glass mingled with fire, a sigh of relief, all nations shall come and worship before thee, allowing us to see another day, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, be recompensed unto him again, be renewed and refreshed, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, Christians, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, enabling us to get through the day, errands to run, faith, foolish to try and hide from God, for thou Lord, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give thanks morning and evening, give thanks to the Lord, glorify thy name, God is the most powerful being in the universe, God's omnipotent help, God's intricate and intimate knowledge of man, gotten the victory over the beast, great and marvellous are thy works, help to endure, help us to be responsible, his ways past finding out, holy spirit, how great are thy works, how great is the sum of them, how precious are thy thoughts unto me, how unsearchable are his judgements, I will triumph in the works of thy hands, if I should count them, in soul body and mind, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, Jesus Christ, just and true are thy ways, king of saints, lord god almighty, LOVE, many are thy wonderful works, mercy, more in number than the sand, more than can be numbered, neither doth a fool understand this, O Lord, O Lord how great are thy works, of him and through him and to him are all things, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, our sinful world can wake up, over his image. over his mark, over the number of his name, personal experiences, rise up and do the work of Christ, salvation, sing the song of Moses, smell it sweet and strong, stand on the sea of glass, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the depth of the riches, the Good Library, the greatness of God, the harps of God, the late bus has been my lot, the Millennial kingdom, the servant of God, the Seven Last Plagues, the song of the Lamb, the throne of grace, the ultimate in praise, the weekend is here at last, the wisdom and knowledge of god, they cannot be reckoned up, thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works, thou only art holy, thy faithfulness every night, thy judgements are made manifest, thy thoughts are very deep, thy thoughts which are to us-ward, to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, to sing praises unto thy name O Most High, to whom be glory for ever, trusting faith, truth, two short days off, unexpected storms, upon an instrument of ten strings, upon the harp, upon the psaltery, wake up and smell the coffee, when I awake I am still with thee, when it's not one thing it's another, who hath been God's counsellor, who hath first given to hm, who hath known the mind of the Lord, who shall not fear thee, wisdom, wise guidance, with a solemn sound, with God's generous help I made it through, your thoughts are very deep
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 June 2026 Psalm 92:5.
Psalm 92:5. O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
Oh friends, all I can says is ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ And most importantly, I don’t have any more errands to run, or other issues to stop me from getting to the Bit sooner than I’ve been able to for this week. Brother! Everyday it’s been something or other that needs my attention, and all I want to do is sit and write the Bit as early as possible. But sadly, the late bus has been my lot. (smile) And would you believe, I just came from out the street, the hot and windy street, breathing a sigh of relief, but what yuh think happens right after that.
I took out my glasses from the case, and bingo! One of the lenses fell out, the same one I had fixed a couple of weeks ago. I tried unsuccessfully to put it back in. But no way was I going back out there right now, so I went and found an old pair in my car and I’m using that for today. Later on, or tomorrow, I’ll go out and look after that matter. Ah Lord eh! When it’s not one thing it’s another! Between, life, the Lord and Satan, we’re constantly kept busy. But enough of my sad stories, let’s see what the Lord desires us to talk about today.
And the Good Library opened at that wonderful Psalm 92, titled ‘Give Thanks to the Lord.’ And it begins thus: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:’ (Ps. 92:1) And why is that such a good thing to do eh? ‘To shew forth (declare) thy LOVING-KINDNESS in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound.’ (Ps. 92:2-3)
Yes my brethren, it is indeed a good thing to give thanks and praise to our God every morning for allowing us to see another day, and at night for enabling us to get through the day and refresh us with a good night’s sleep. Regardless of what we do during the day, morning and evening our thanks and praise ought to always rise up to heaven. Why? As the psalmist continues: ‘For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps. 92:4)
And how wonderful is that eh my brethren! That’s why our God is such a great and generous God. He only does good things for us. And the psalmist then explains why that’s possible: ‘O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish (senseless) man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.’ (Ps. 92:5-6) And that’s very true; neither a senseless man nor a fool can understand the greatness of our God and His great works. But we do, for scripture has ingrained it in our consciousness, and we also have had personal experiences of it.
Now listen to some scripture that talks of the Lord’s greatness and His great works. Bruh David says it thus in Psalm 40: ‘Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up (recounted) in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps. 40:5)
And in that magnificent Psalm 139, where Bruh David describes God’s intimate and intricate knowledge about us, His human creation, he also declares: ‘How precious also are thy thoughts unto me! O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are in more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.’ (Ps. 139:17-18) Oh my people, when you read that Psalm it ought to make you understand how great our God is, and how intimately He knows us, therefore it’s foolish to try to hide anything from Him!
Then hear Bruh Paul sing the praises of our great God, to the church at Rome. ‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed (repaid) unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.’ (Rom. 11:33-36)
Wow! What wonderful praise! And for your information, Bruh Paul, as is his wont, has paraphrased or summarized several scriptures in that passage like ‘Is. 40:13; Jer. 23:18; 1 Cor. 2:16, Job 36:22) But it’s all true and very praiseworthy! But listen to the ultimate time of praise. It comes from Revelation 15, when John talks about the Seven Last Plagues.
He declares: ‘And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear (reverence) thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgements are made manifest.’ (Rev. 15:2-4)
Now that’s the kind of powerful worship we’ll offering up in time to come, as all nations will come together to worship God in the Millennial Kingdom. But for help to endure, to be a part of that future, let’s confidently, but humbly, approach the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now my fellow believers, please, let’s also wake up and smell the coffee nuh, so that we can rise up and do the work of Christ, that badly needs to be done! Much LOVE!
…God is exceedingly great…because He’s the only omnipotent (all-powerful)…omniscient (all-knowing)…and omnipresent (all-pervading)…being in the universe…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a strong will, abundance, be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage, behave like the Pharisees, being spiritual is not everything, caught up in our spirituality, challenging, Charlie Brown, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, doubted I'd ever reach the goal, enjoying intimacy with us, faith, Feeling Spiritual, for freedom Christ freed u, freedom from the law, fulfillment, God formed us in the womb, God knows all about us, God put His breath of life in us, God wants to be totally involved in our lives, good friends, good health. favour, holy spirit, hypocritical airs and grace, I could not feel spiritual, I keep remembering, I was delighted, in the liberty, in the quiet of our family room, it's foolish to try and fool God, Jesus Christ, just you and me, let's read it together, lighten up, lose the freedom Christ died for us to have, LOVE, man looketh on the outward appearance, mercy, negative word, never worry about feeling spiritual, One Year Book of Bible promises, our happy time last night, promotion, reading a devotional book, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, sentences twirled, share everything with me, stand fast, stop trying to hide from the Lord, subject to a yoke of bondage, success, suddenly the book felt heavy, supernatural strength, talent, tantalizingly calling our names, the BIBLE, the Lord is that Spirit, the Lord looketh on the heart, the Lord seeth not as man seeth, the penultimate day of the work week, the siren call of Friday and the weekend, the spirit of God indwells each believer, the truth shall set you free, the whole weight of the world on our shoulders, there is liberty, too focused on Friday and the weekend, truth, undeserved blessings, very inspirational, we read and laughed, where the Spirit of the Lord is, wherewith Christ hath made us free, wisdom, with all my valiant effort, words collided, ye shall know the truth
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 June 2026 2 Corinthians 3:17.
2 Corinthians 3:17. ‘Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’
And then it was Thursday, our penultimate day of the work week, and unfortunately too many of our minds are focused on Friday and the weekend rather than on Thursday and what challenges it presents. But that’s the siren call of Friday and the weekend, (smile) so difficult to ignore, especially when it keeps on tantalizingly calling our names. However, we need to develop the discipline to not look forward too much to Friday and the weekend, and concentrate on the day before us, if we want to be successful.
Anyway, today, we’re going to look at a very interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. All right, I understand, all of them are very interesting…but this one is also amusing, neither do I remember sharing it, as if I ever remember sharing any. (smile) However, it’s simply titled ‘Feeling Spiritual.’ Like many more of us ought to be. So please read with me:
‘Lord, I keep remembering Our happy time last night – Just You and me In the quiet of our family room. I had been reading a devotional book Very “spiritual” Very inspirational So challenging I doubted that I’d ever reach the goal. Suddenly the book felt heavy Sentences twirled Words collided And with all my valiant effort I simply could not feel “spiritual.” Then, glancing at a Charlie Brown book I thought I heard You say “Let’s read it together – You and me.” I was delighted. We read and laughed and read and laughed… And just as we finished the last page You said what I needed most to hear: “Never worry about feeling ‘spiritual.’ Just share everything with me.”
Oh friends, that’s why our God is so great and wonderful! He would like us to be spiritual, but being spiritual is not everything. However, He does desire to share everything with us. He wants to be totally involved in our lives. Whatever we’re doing He wants to be included in it, because that makes Him feel wanted and desired and a part of our lives, and enjoying the intimacy with us He so dearly desires. Besides, He cannot do His best for us unless He’s involved in every aspect of our lives.
And I hope that that poem causes some of us to lighten up and stop trying to be this big, holy, spiritual person, behaving as though we have the whole weight of the world on our shoulders, because we don’t. Life was made for living and once you have God, first and foremost in your life, you will be fine. You don’t have to behave like the Pharisees of old and put on all the hypocritical airs and graces of being spiritual and godly. For God knows who we really are.
Remember what He told Samuel when He sent him to anoint a king from Jesse’s house and Samuel looked on the fine appearance of the eldest son Eliab and assumed he was the one? ‘For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7b)
So friends, it’s time we stop trying to hide from the Lord, for He knows all that we’ll ever think, say or do. Remember He’s the one who created us, who formed us in our mother’s womb, and put His breath of life in us. So it’s foolish to try and fool Him. But many of us still try to do it. And when we do, like a wise and LOVING but disappointed Father, He just shakes His head and sadly chuckles at our unwise attempt to fool Him.
And interestingly enough the Bible verse for the poem comes from the pen of Bruh Paul, where in talking to the Corinthians about the Glory of God, he states: ‘Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’ (2 Cor. 3:17) In other words, wherever the Spirit of God is, there’s freedom, you don’t have to worry. And since the Spirit of God indwells each believer, then we’re free, we don’t have to trouble ourselves because sometimes we don’t feel particularly spiritual, because the Lord is right there with us…always and forever.
As Bruh Paul say in Galatians: ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ (Gal. 5:1) And as the scholars explain: ‘The verse could be rendered: “For freedom Christ freed us. therefore stand fast, and do not again be subject to a yoke of bondage.” The “freedom” in view is freedom from the law, here called “a yoke of bondage.” Paul wants the Galatians ( as well as us) to “stand fast,” that is, retain their spiritual freedom.’
And that’s exactly what we also need to do my faithful brethren; don’t let the law coax us back into its bondage, for we know the truth about it, and when we know the truth, as Jesus says: ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ (John 8:32) And when Jesus says it, then that’s it, full stop! (smile)
Now let’s declare and thus activate our undeserved Thursday Blessings which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to help do our earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And with that declaration we’ve become obliged to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…sometimes we get so caught up in our spirituality…that we lose the freedom Christ died for us to have…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a froward man soweth strife, a tinderbox, a whisperer separates chief of friends, above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, an ungodly man diggeth up evil, and have not charity I am nothing, and now abideth faith hope love, be ye therefore sober, beareth all things, become as sounding brass, bestow all my goods to feed the poor, charity envieth not, charity is not puffed up, charity suffereth long and is kind, charity vaunteth not itself, christianity, Christians, discretion over gossip, do today's work today, don't put aside for tomorrow what can be done today, doth not behave itself unseemly, endures to the end, endureth all things, enjoy a more than glorious future together, err from the truth, exercises restraint, extends forgiveness, faith, from the error of his way, give my body to be burned, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate seems to be making the world go round, hatred is causing chaos and disaster in our world, hatred is running amok, hatred stirreth up strifes, have faith to remove a mountain, have not charity, he that covereth a transgression seeketh love, he that repeats a matter separates friends, he which converteth a sinner, hide a multitude of sins, holy spirit, in his lips there is as a burning fire, infinite God rules both heaven and earth, is not easily provoked, it profiteth me nothing, Jesus Christ, keeps no account of evil, knowledge shall vanish away, life is moving at a fast pace, LOVE, love covereth all sins, love covers a lot of wrong doing, love does not broadcast flaws and mistakes of others, love is God's favourite tool, love is God's greatest attribute, love let's go of minor slights and annoyances, Love never fails, love shall cover a multitude of sins, love the ooposite of hatred, mercy, more strife-filled situations are happening every day, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, no time for pussy footing, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, overlooking minor offences, prophecies shall cease, protects the dignity of others, rejoiceth in truth, rejoiceth not in iniquity, salvation, save a soul from death, seeketh not her own, set the world afire, so glad to be alive, speak with the tongues, strife-filled days, sweep things under the rug in the name of love, sweeping serious wrongdoing under the rug, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the end of all things is at hand, the gift of prophecy, the greatest of these is charity (love), the ultimate forgiveness shown by God, the wheel of life, tinkling cymbal, to a glorious future with Jesus, tongues shall cease, truth, understand all mysteries, waiting to be set alight, watch unto prayer, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 June 2026 Proverbs 10:12.
Proverbs 10:12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.
Oh dear me, is it really Wednesday, our second wind day already? How quickly we’ve gotten there! (smile) And we had better catch that second wind, because at the fast pace that the days and life in general are moving, we don’t have much time for pussy footing and leaving things that should be done today, for tomorrow. The proverbial wheel of life that’s supposed to turn slowly, has certainly sped up in the last little while. As least, so it seems to me. But what do I know eh? Not much. For I am a mere mortal with a finite understanding, while the great infinite God in heaven, is the sovereign who controls things down here.
And He’s given me this scripture for us to look at today. Wise and oh so truthful words from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov. 10:12) And even if we didn’t know it from personal experience, there’s no doubting it in these strife-filled days, where hatred is running amok in our world and causing all kind of chaos and disaster. And the hatred doesn’t seem to be abating either; in fact it seems to be escalating because none of the strife-filled situations are being peacefully resolved.
We might not hear of some of them, but that’s not because they’ve been peacefully resolved, but because more newsworthy ones have come upon the scene. And right now, all we need is one flash of craziness from one person imbued with hatred to set the world afire. Our world is currently like a tinder box just waiting to be set alight. But then there’s LOVE, the opposite of hatred, which according to Cousin Sol, covers all sins. How true is that eh. According to the scriptures it’s very true.
Listen to Peter tell it: ‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling).’ (1 Per. 4:7-9) Meanwhile James puts it thus: ‘Brethren, if any of you do err (turn) from the truth, and one convert (cover) him; Let him know, that he which converteth (covers) a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:19-20)
Yes friends, LOVE does cover a lot of wrongdoing. And this commentary gives us a rough break down of what that means. ‘Overlooking Minor Offenses: True LOVE is patient and chooses to let go of minor slights, annoyances, and daily frictions rather than keeping score. Discretion over Gossip: Instead of broadcasting the flaws and mistakes of others, a LOVING person exercises restraint and protects the dignity of the person. Extending Forgiveness: Drawing on the ultimate forgiveness shown by God, LOVE forgives wrongs rather than allowing them to breed resentment and divide a community. What it doesn’t mean: It does not mean sweeping serious harm, abuse, or illegal actions under the rug. LOVE protects by addressing destructive behaviour appropriately.’
Now that last explanation needs to be more forcefully administered, because many of us sweep things like abuse and serious harm under the rug in the name of LOVE. But that’s not always right, for oftentimes it only encourages and increases the bad behaviour. It’s as Cousin Sol further says in Proverbs. ‘An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A forward (perverse) man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief (the best of) friends.’ (Prov. 16:27-28) And in the next chapter Cousin Sol declares: ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth friends.’ (Prov. 17:9)
So LOVE is a powerful tool, motivator or attribute. And so it should be, since it’s God’s greatest attribute and His favourite tool, the one that caused Him to send His Son Jesus to earth to die for our sins and causes Him to reach out to us in times of need. And with all we’ve said about LOVE, here’s the best treatise on it from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians.
‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (LOVE), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling (clanging) cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge: and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (LOVE), I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (LOVE), it profitheth me nothing.
Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not; charity (LOVE) vaunteth not itself (does not brag on itself), is not puffed up (arrogant), Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (keeps no account of evil); Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (LOVE) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail (cease); whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away (cease)… And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 13:1-8; 13)
And that’s why LOVE is so great, and so necessary in our too evil world! And hopefully with all that talk on LOVE, some more of it will seep into our souls, bodies and minds and help us turn our world around, as we so badly need to do. Now let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice:
‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s been promised that whoever endures to the end with Christ will enjoy an even more glorious future than we can ever imagine. So let’s endure right to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is supposed to make the world go round…but right now…hate seems to be doing it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as a man chasteneth his son, being confident of this very thing, better unto me than thousands of gold and silver, build an house for my name, chasten him with the rod of men, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, consider in thine heart, despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty, duty bound, Eliphaz the Temanite, establish his kingdom, establish the throne of his kingdom forever, faith, falling prey to my prayers, family doctor, fear God, feeding them with manna, forty years in the wilderness, God chastened David for his affair with Bathsheba, God promised to chasten Solomon if he erred, God's disciplining of His people, happy is the man the Lord correcteth, he maketh sore and bindeth up, he shall be my son, he which hath begun a good work in you, he woundeth and his hands make whole, holy spirit, home remedies, humbling them, hurry, I will be his father, if he commit iniquity, It is good for me I have been afflicted, Jesus Christ, keep all the Lord's commandments, learn the hard way, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, live and multiply, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make us more Christ-like, man does not live by bread alone, mercy, Moses, Moses instructing the young Israelites, my mercy shall not depart away from him, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, on a late bus, proving their faithfulness, salvation, set up thy seed after thee, share His love with my neighbours, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee, sore throat, suffering them to hunger, that i might learn thy statutes, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the law of thy mouth, the Lord's works run the whole gamut of our experience, the potters wheel, the Promised Land, the prophet Nathan, the stripes of the children of men, thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever, to share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk in God's ways, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 June 2026 Deuteronomy 8:5.
Deuteronomy 8:5. Thou shalt also consider (know) in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.
Ah friends, today we’re on a real late bus, because I went to see my family doctor about a bad sore throat I’ve had for almost a week now and it wasn’t falling prey to my prayers or any of my home remedies, so I succumbed to the medic as a last resort. (smile) Anyway, without further ado, let’s get to our topic for today, making it as short and sweet as possible. (smile)
And it’s the same topic as it yesterday, God’s disciplining of His people, just with more scriptures. And if several people spoke about it down through the ages, that just goes to show how important it is. So we’ll go right back to the early years, where Moses is instructing the young Israelites who were going into the Promised Land, about the things the Lord had unsuccessfully tried to teach their forefathers.
He began by telling them that they had to keep all the commandments that he would tell them that day, so that they could live and multiply and go in and possess the Promised land. Then he related about the tough forty years spent in the wilderness, with the Lord trying to prove their faithfulness, humbling them, suffering them to hunger, then feeding them with manna, so that they could learn that man did not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the Lord’s mouth, and how their garments never grew old, nor their feet swollen in those forty years. (Deut. 8:1-4)
And he continues, ‘Thou shalt also consider (know) in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his way, and to fear (reverence) him.’ (Deut. 8:5-6) And all of that still stands to day my people! If we don’t keep the Lord’s commands as His children, He will discipline us.
Then we have the prophet Nathan speaking to Bruh David about God’s promises after his death. ‘I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes (strokes) of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.’ (2 Sam. 7:12-16)
Yes mih bredrin, that’s how much the Lord valued Bruh David, to make sure the kingdom was always ruled by his descendants, beginning with Cousin Sol, right down to Jesus. But please notice that He promised to chasten Cousin Sol if he erred. Just like He chastened Bruh David for his sinful and ungodly behaviour with Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. So no one is exempt from the Lord’s discipline.
As Eliphaz, Job’s supposed friend reminds us: ‘Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.’ (Job 5:17-18) Now that’s the awesome truth my people; the Lord’s work runs the whole gamut of our existence.
Then in Psalm 119, the psalmist declares: ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.’ (Ps. 119:71-72) Unfortunately though, that’s a fact some of us can only learn the hard way. (smile) But don’t worry, the Lord will not give up on us, once we desire to rest under His umbrella, He will make sure that we learn what we need to.
And in closing, let’s remember this most appropriate verse from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he reminds them and us: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) That’s just to remind us that every day we’re alive, the Lord will be putting us through our paces on His potter’s wheel, attempting to make us more Christ-like, on our earthly journey.
And since we cannot evade the Lord’s discipline, hopefully the scriptures we’ve reviewed these past two days, will enable us to do what’s right more than ever, and thus not need to be disciplined by the Lord too often. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And that now makes duty bound to go our and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
… as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful summer's day, all the upright in heart shall follow it, allow your incredible aura of love, another work week, As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, be not among the winebibbers, be ready to accept corrections from God, be thou in fear of the Lord all the day long, be wise and guide thine heart in the way, be zealous therefore and repent, Blessed is the man whom the Lord chastens, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, chasteneth him betimes, chastening, chastens him promptly, child abuse, Christians, completely congruous with human practices, conquerors, corporal punishment, dangerous jobs, deliver his soul from hell, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, discipline, don't envy sinners, drive it far from him, drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags, drunkards, erred in their upbringing, evil and ungodly ways, faith, fighting to stay alive, fill us with steadfast faith, foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, forgotten the exhortation, forsake his inheritance, freedom to do what they want, furthering your glorious kingdom, futile, get serious about living in righteousness, give him rest from the days of adversity, gluttons, god, God's principle of discipline, he that loveth him, he that spareth the rod hateth his son, hear thou my son, holy spirit, humble servants, if thine heart be wise, if you beat a child with a rod he will not die, invincible, irresponsibility, Jesus Christ, jobs that serve a useful purpose, jobs we sometimes don't like, judgement shall return unto righteousness, judgement will prevail in the end, keeping lives and families together, lawlessness, let not thine heart envy sinners, LOVE, love and corporal punishment are not incongruous, make progress, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, minor hardships, my heart shall rejoice, my innermost being shall rejoice, my reins shall rejoice, no sense of responsibility, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, over the weekend, parent like God, parental advice, prosper with the Lord's help, relief from adversity, reverence the Lord all day, riotous living, sally forth with confidence, salvation, scourgeth every son he receives, self-correction, speaketh unto you as unto children, surrender our all to you, teaches him out of thy law, tend to spoil those we love, thanks for our jobs, the church at Laodicea, the correction of a child, the current level of misbehaviour, the drunkard and glutton shall come to poverty, the hustle and bustle of our crazy world, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, the Lord will not cast off his people, the Lord's mysterious movements, the pit be digged for the wicked, the rejuvenation of Spirit, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the riotous eaters of flesh, the rod of correction, the thoughts of man are vanity, the throne of grace, there is a hereafter, there is an end, thine expectation shall not be cut off, this evil and deceitful world, time to tune in and listen to God's wisdom, to lead and guide all your servants, to meet the enemy in battle, tough love, truth, try to live as righteously as possible, two complimentary aspects of trianing, we're not afraid, wearing your protective spiritual armour, when thy lips speak right things, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, wisdom, withhold not correction from the child, wrought in our weary souls, your hope shall not be cut off
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 June 2026 Revelation 3:19.
Revelation 3:19. ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.’
Another work week has opened my fellow believers, meaning it’s Monday, a beautiful summer’s day, and we’re back in the hustle and bustle of our crazy world, fighting to stay alive and prosper with the Lord’s help. Let’s remember we cannot make any progress in this evil and deceitful world without His awesome help, so it’s time to tune in and listen to His wisdom through the Holy Spirit that indwells us for that purpose.
And in keeping with the Lord’s mysterious movements, I opened the Good Book just now, looking for something to write on, and lo, and behold, it opened at this interesting scripture in Revelation, where Jesus is sending His message to the church at Laodicea, stating: ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.’ (Rev. 3:19) And that’s a known fact, one that’s referred to several times in the scriptures.
The Lord is the original implementer of the system of tough LOVE. Unlike some of us earthly parents, when we LOVE a child or somebody else, we tend to spoil them, allowing them to get away with stuff you’d not let someone you don’t LOVE to get away with. And that’s one of the big reasons today’s children are so spoilt, have no sense of responsibility and cannot handle even minor hardships because their parents or someone who LOVED them erred in their upbringing. But that doesn’t work with our heavenly Father. If you want to be LOVED by Him, then you must be ready to accept corrections, discipline or chastening.
The author of Hebrews puts it quite plainly. ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) And that’s a direct quotation from Cousin Sol’s wisdom in Proverbs 3:11-12.
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation: ‘God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous with human practices. This quote from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice corresponds to the commands God gave to fathers: ‘He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly).’ (Prov. 13:24; cf. 22:15; 23:13). LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous; they are two complimentary and necessary aspects of training.’
But try telling that to some of the parents and administrators of today nuh. Many of them claim that corporal punishment is child abuse, no wonder the current level of misbehaviour and irresponsibility is so high in our society. But there is punishment or discipline, and then there’s’ abuse, or taking the punishment too far. So, we might get away with misbehaviour from our earthly parents, but rest assured, we’ll not get away with it from our heavenly Father.
And it’s certainly interesting that Cousin Sol had so much to say about raising children. Let’s look at a couple of those references from above. The first one says: ‘Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.’ (Prov. 22:15) Now listen to this passage explicitly on ‘The Correction of a Child.’
Cousin Sol declares: ‘Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shall beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell (Hades). My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine (indeed my own heart shall rejoice). Yea, my reins (innermost being) shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in fear (reverence) of the Lord all the day long.
For surely there is an end (a hereafter); and thine expectation (hope) shall not be cut off. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among the winebibbers (drunkards); among the riotous eaters of flesh (gluttons): For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.’ (Prov. 23:13-21)
And you cannot find better parental advice than that. But our society has gotten so into evil and ungodly ways that many parents repudiate such advice, and thus allow their children absolute freedom to do what they want and give them whatever their little hearts desire. That only leads to the lawlessness and riotous living that’s become such a large part of our culture.
And Psalm 94 puts it this way. ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of a man, that they are vanity (futile). Blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth (instructeth), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law: That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off (abandon) his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But the judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.’ (Ps. 94:11-15) Yes friends, the Lord offers us self-correction, but in the end, He will surely judge. Let’s remember that and thus try to live as righteously as possible.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us do just that. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Oh my fellow believers, it’s time to get serious about living in righteousness, so the Lord doesn’t have to correct us too much. Much LOVE!
…if we’d parent like God…with tough LOVE…half of today’s problems wouldn’t exist…
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